The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

This is my guess if the WCHA went to a ten team, two division setup with the Alaska schools in different divisions:

East: LSSU, FSU, BGSU, UAH, UAF
West: NMU, MTU, BSU, MSUM, UAA

x4 Four teams in your division = 16 games
x4 Rival from other division= 4 games (Rivals I guess would be LSSU/NMU, Tech/Ferris, UAF/UAA, Bemidj/UAH, Mankato/BGSU)
x2 Four other teams from other division= 8 games
=28 games

That would be my expectation. Our people have hammered away on Alaska-Alabama being easier than Alaska-Alaska, financially and otherwise.

GFM

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

(Rivals I guess would be LSSU/NMU, Tech/Ferris, UAF/UAA, Bemidj/UAH, Mankato/BGSU)

Well there will never be a perfect schedule that makes everyone happy, but I can tell you that MTU / FSU is not a rivalry unless there is bench clearing brawl in the first game that spills into the stands and out into the parking lot. I can appreciate your desire to pound on NMU so many times a year but don't forget to share - there are others in the UP that enjoy doing like wise.

Also I'm sure Mankato and BGSU would take a while to get rev'd up without much past history between them. The other pairings are pretty solid.

Ryan J

[aparch]

Well there will never be a perfect schedule that makes everyone happy, but I can tell you that MTU / FSU is not a rivalry unless there is bench clearing brawl in the first game that spills into the stands and out into the parking lot. I can appreciate your desire to pound on NMU so many times a year but don't forget to share - there are others in the UP that enjoy doing like wise.

Also I'm sure Mankato and BGSU would take a while to get rev'd up without much past history between them. The other pairings are pretty solid.

Ryan J

Since NMU/MTU is already in the same cluster under this proposal, then give NMU the FSU rivalry. Then MTU can beat up on LSSU. It can be a Jan / Marsha Brady type situation considering their schools history.

[uaafanblog]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

If you don't mind playing 20/22 on the road, sure.

Cos your conference brethren are going to demand that you come to their rink to play a non-conference game and reject the idea that they should come to yours.

ONE LAST TIME ... non-conference games can be played against conference members.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

No one wants to do that Donald, stop beating the dead horse, we heard you...who wants to play games against conference opponents that doesn't count in the standings?

[Lakers2Glory]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Since NMU/MTU is already in the same cluster under this proposal, then give NMU the FSU rivalry. Then MTU can beat up on LSSU. It can be a Jan / Marsha Brady type situation considering their schools history.

I hope by "schools history" you mean a combined 6 National Championships (plus 2 NAIA), 11 Conference Championships, over 200 players gone pro, and several notable Olympian and Stanley Cup winners?

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

I hope by "schools history" you mean a combined 6 National Championships (plus 2 NAIA), 11 Conference Championships, over 200 players gone pro, and several notable Olympian and Stanley Cup winners?

I believe he means that Michigan Tech created LSSU...

[Bale]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Well there will never be a perfect schedule that makes everyone happy, but I can tell you that MTU / FSU is not a rivalry unless there is bench clearing brawl in the first game that spills into the stands and out into the parking lot. I can appreciate your desire to pound on NMU so many times a year but don't forget to share - there are others in the UP that enjoy doing like wise.

Also I'm sure Mankato and BGSU would take a while to get rev'd up without much past history between them. The other pairings are pretty solid.

Ryan J

While I understand the relationship between BSU and UAH, I would be shocked if MSU and BSU were not matched up. It will be much easier to make that into a long standing rivalry due to the proximity of the 2 schools.

[uaafanblog]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

No one wants to do that Donald, stop beating the dead horse, we heard you...who wants to play games against conference opponents that doesn't count in the standings?

And as many times as I've said it ... apparently some people still don't understand the concept.

It's beyond foolish to talk about 28 game schedules in a ten team league when limited by a 34 game schedule when you've seen exactly how crappy that worked out in the current league. Pretend "rivalries" and "clusters" and whatever ... it's nonsense. There's an opportunity in setting up a new conference to introduce new ideas and new ways to do things. Or there's the path of the status-quo.

Play an 18 game conference schedule. Hockey East has been playing conference opponents in non-conference games for years.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Hockey East has been playing conference opponents in non-conference games for years.

Yeah, its called the "Beanpot".

[uaafanblog]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Yeah, its called the "Beanpot".

Yeah um ... much more than just that tournament.

But it's a fine example of the sort of flexibility that extra non-conference games can give to a school. I'm sure you're aware that playing in Alaska means the games are exempt. Are you aware that there are other tournaments in the NCAA which are also exempt? There's no reason a school like UAH and it's very appealing winter weather couldn't put together a tournament which would get exempt status for one example and easily attract Big10 opponents ... why else would Big10 schools already be calling UAA and UAF hoping to get into their exempt tournaments in the future?

There's lots of possibilities for creativity if a school or coach is just willing to explore the options. Limiting yourself for no good reason is for fools.

Also ... an 18 game conference schedule would stop all the whining about possibly having to go to Alaska twice in one season. Nobody would ever go there twice during a regular season.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Yeah um ... much more than just that tournament.

But it's a fine example of the sort of flexibility that extra non-conference games can give to a school. I'm sure you're aware that playing in Alaska means the games are exempt. Are you aware that there are other tournaments in the NCAA which are also exempt? There's no reason a school like UAH and it's very appealing winter weather couldn't put together a tournament which would get exempt status for one example and easily attract Big10 opponents ... why else would Big10 schools already be calling UAA and UAF hoping to get into their exempt tournaments in the future?

There's lots of possibilities for creativity if a school or coach is just willing to explore the options. Limiting yourself for no good reason is for fools.

Also ... an 18 game conference schedule would stop all the whining about possibly having to go to Alaska twice in one season. Nobody would ever go there twice during a regular season.

Are you aware that you are WRONG? The ONLY exempt regular season games are the ones that take place against and alaska school in alaska, vs US-18 team, vs a foreign team (1) and in the Ice Breaker. The Ice Breaker is the ONLY exempt tournament. I think the WCHA should do a 24 game schedule, 10-12 non-conference games is plenty, any more and we risk having to play meaningless NC games against each other or playing too many games away from home.

[UncleRay]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Yeah um ... much more than just that tournament.

Nice snark. Hockey East teams do not typically play each other outside of the Beanpot. And, this year, UHN and UMass might meet in the second round of the Ledyard Bank Classic, which doesn't come anyway close to "much more than just that tournament." So, wrong again.

[UncleRay]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Wait, maybe tDonald was referring to all those non-con games that Hockey East teams play against each other in March. What do they call it? The league tournament??

[uaafanblog]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

The Florida Classic tournament was exempt; The Ice Breaker is exempt, I was pretty sure at some point that the Mariucci was an exempt tournament and how about the notre dame thing in chicago this winter??? ... the rules have changed perhaps because of D1 basketballs over use of this exempt tournament rule but that doesn't mean it still can't be used to hockey's advantage (I cannot find the specifics in the NCAA guide).... Anyway it's a matter of applying and meet the criteria (whatever that is). And even if it can't be exempted UAH would be well-advised to look into having a tournament once they gain conference membership.