UConn to apply to Hockey East

[Jim]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

You would think Smilin' Gene will try his best to block UConn like he apparently did with the ACC. I hope he does, then falls asleep again on the hockey program.

Rumor is that isn't happening. Plus he is too busy ruining the football and basketball programs to be bothered with hockey...Time for Gene to get over it. It was business, just like his making backroom deals with the ACC while denying he was doing it was business. And just like this expansion is business...Like UCONN and ND, hate them, the decision will be made based on what's percieved as the best for Hockey East and UCONN and ND, (well, ND has already been accepted). Personal feelings have very little to do with it. And as Gene pointed out in his truthful moment, the ACC decison was made by ESPN, not Gene D.

[CHFAN222]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Rumor is that isn't happening. Plus he is too busy ruining the football and basketball programs to be bothered with hockey...Time for Gene to get over it. It was business, just like his making backroom deals with the ACC while denying he was doing it was business. And just like this expansion is business...Like UCONN and ND, hate them, the decision will be made based on what's percieved as the best for Hockey East and UCONN and ND, (well, ND has already been accepted). Personal feelings have very little to do with it. And as Gene pointed out in his truthful moment, the ACC decison was made by ESPN, not Gene D.

Wasn't he quoted as saying that they blocked UCONN because they didn't want to compete with them in their market? I thought that it was kind of a dumb statement considering that TV wise besides BC alumns no one in CT is going to watch BC football. They are more likely to watch some B10/PAC-10 game than tune into the BC game.

[CleggyofUML]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

I can see the argument that UConn would be good for balancing the league so there is 12 teams and how it would be a similar geographical fit, but the team itself wouldn't add much and unless they drastically improve, I can only see them struggling in a fight for the last spot in the Hockey East Tournament at best at this point. They might be good rivals to UMass and Northeastern, but not too much more. If there was a way how to get even a fraction of the attention its basketball programs get and bring in a good crowd each conference game at home, then it would be potentially worth it, but for now UConn isn't bringing enough to the table. Honestly Hockey East's best action might just be to see how UConn's year plays out and make a decision next off-season.

[4four4]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

I can see the argument that UConn would be good for balancing the league so there is 12 teams and how it would be a similar geographical fit, but the team itself wouldn't add much and unless they drastically improve, I can only see them struggling in a fight for the last spot in the Hockey East Tournament at best at this point. They might be good rivals to UMass and Northeastern, but not too much more. If there was a way how to get even a fraction of the attention its basketball programs get and bring in a good crowd each conference game at home, then it would be potentially worth it, but for now UConn isn't bringing enough to the table. Honestly Hockey East's best action might just be to see how UConn's year plays out and make a decision next off-season.

This is not about one or two seasons of hockey. HE is looking at the long term value and brand of UCONN.

[schiegs]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Complete tangent: It seems that each conference restructuring takes a step closer to installing defacto D2 leagues. AHA has essentially done that out here.

Can you explain this AHA D2 comment???? 8 of the 12 members are D1 member institutions. Or am I missing your point?

[Almington]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Can you explain this AHA D2 comment???? 8 of the 12 members are D1 member institutions. Or am I missing your point?

Maybe he should have said mid-major and not D2. The restructureing between conferences is destroying the general parity that existed between conferences (more or less)

[komey1]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Would Hockey East have the TV contract it is getting wtihout ND? I'm not so sure. That is the value of the Irish to any conference. UConn is a team that casual sports fan would recognize. That brings value. It's more about the brand than the quality of the actual teams.

As for if ND leaves - would they leave a conference with a TV contract to one with a smaller (if any) national TV deal.

[ericredaxe]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

I still think that a 24 conference schedule (2 games against everyone, 2 additional games against your rival) would be the best solution logistically.

So BU and BC get each other 2 extra times a year and ND gets Providence? Sure that's fair when it comes to league standings.

[ericredaxe]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

I have the same view on this that I do on teams that get left out of the NCAA tournament while teams from weaker leagues get autobids...You finish 9th in your league, cry me a river...it isn't like you can claim to have been a good team. If you want to qualify for the playoffs, win more games. harsh I know in an era where kids grew up getting trophies for just showing up...

How about the difference between 4th and 5th (home ice for playoffs or not). Huge difference and definately could be impacted based on who you play extra games against.

[Fishman'81]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

So BU and BC get each other 2 extra times a year and ND gets Providence? Sure that's fair when it comes to league standings.

I agree; it's a bad idea in general.

If HEA goes to 12 teams, then let them all play each other twice, H&H, and forget about assigning extra intra-conference "rivalry" games. (Who decides which rivalries among the many are pertinent?)

Maine and ND are going to make for some brutal travel-weekends for everyone, at one point or the other. Teams in HE will likely have to fly at times to play each other, which has never happened before... But, at least there will be a few more OOC games to be scheduled, and that is a big deal re: the all-important PWR. (Which truly is the only thing that matters in this discussion.)

[Jim]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

This is not about one or two seasons of hockey. HE is looking at the long term value and brand of UCONN.

Bingo! Nobody can expect UCONN to challenge for the Hockey East title in Year 1 any more than UMass-Amherst did when they joined Hockey East in 1995. I would hope that the Huskies upgrade is a bit more successful but let's not forget that they joined Hockey East for the 1994-95 season and didn't have a winning record until 2002-3. I really think that's the kind of time fram UCONN would be on, too...5-10 years.

[Ralph Baer]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Bingo! Nobody can expect UCONN to challenge for the Hockey East title in Year 1 any more than UMass-Amherst did when they joined Hockey East in 1995. I would hope that the Huskies upgrade is a bit more successful but let's not forget that they joined Hockey East for the 1994-95 season and didn't have a winning record until 2002-3. I really think that's the kind of time fram UCONN would be on, too...5-10 years.

Has UMass-Amherst ever really challenged for the Hockey East title?

[Jim]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

How about the difference between 4th and 5th (home ice for playoffs or not). Huge difference and definately could be impacted based on who you play extra games against.

I guess I have the same view, just win more games but if you really htink it is an issue you could rotate who people play 4 times each season so BC and BU play 4 times in 2014, but next year BC plays Providence and BU palys UMass...it wouldn't help in any given season, but over the long run it would even out. I might be a hardliner on this, but I don't really see it as any different than a team that makes it to the NCAA final through a relatively easy bracket where the the 7 and 8 seeds pull off upsets while the other side has to beat all the "high" seeds. Luck of the draw.

[Jim]

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Has UMass-Amherst ever really challenged for the Hockey East title?

Well, good point, but didn't they win th etournament in 2006 to get into the NCAAs? have to admit I don't recall all the details.

[aparch]

ND was a team w/o a conference...

Wait, what?

No, they had a home, they just decided to hold the CCHA, NCHC, and Hockey East hostage while they circle jerked.

At one point it was:
NCHC: DU, CC, NoDak, tUMD, UNO, Miami
WCHA: BSU, MSU-M, UAA, MTU, SCSU
CCHA: UAF, NMU, LSSU, FSU, BGSU, WMU, ND
B1G: Minn, Wisco, MSU, Mich, tOSU, Penn

It was apparent that Notre Dame wanted out, but they never said so.

From that, NMU was offered a spot in the WCHA to meet the minimum for an auto-bid. Leaving six teams each in the NCHC, CCHA, WCHA, and B1G.

Then the NCHC got sick of ND's game and invited the "like minded" WMU and SCSU to their party. All still before ND made up their mind. Making it NCHC 8, WCHA 5, CCHA 5, B1G 6.

Finally when the CCHA's deadline came, did the formally state they too had no intention of staying in the CCHA. Which led to the scramble by the remaining CCHA teams to first discuss adding AHA teams, then getting invites from the WCHA.

ND had a conference, they wanted no part of it tho.