UCONN Hockey 2012-13: Hockey East Here We Come

[RSTuthill]

Re: UCONN Hockey 2012-13: Hockey East Here We Come

Thanks to the Huskies for a great season! Especially the seniors!! Although I have followed and blogged about UConn Hockey for more than two decades, I had not had the opportunity to get to this many games for several years due to other weekend activities. This was a great season to become a reinvigorated fan again. Thanks so much, guys. It was lots of fun watching you. You were clearly the best UConn Huskies team I have ever had the pleasure of watching. By quite a lot.

[RSTuthill]

Re: UCONN Hockey 2012-13: Hockey East Here We Come

http://www.courant.com/sports/hc-atl...,2203964.story
I have already expressed my rather strongly held views on this topic. I think the test drive is over and the driver passed with flying colors.

[Jim]

Re: UCONN Hockey 2012-13: Hockey East Here We Come

http://www.courant.com/sports/hc-atl...,2203964.story
I have already expressed my rather strongly held views on this topic. I think the test drive is over and the driver passed with flying colors.

Dick, I have to agree with all your sentiments. this was a terrific season. The end was a bit of a letdown. I honestly felt they were playign well enough to win it. But in hind sight I can't complain. And I'm really looking forward to next year already. With Dave Berard as the head coach. He absolutely earned it.

[lmg6841]

Re: UCONN Hockey 2012-13: Hockey East Here We Come

I was really pulling for the Huskies this year. You've come a long way since I've started watching RIT play in 2006. Congrats on a great season and best of luck in the up coming years.

Dick, I have to agree with all your sentiments. this was a terrific season. The end was a bit of a letdown. I honestly felt they were playign well enough to win it. But in hind sight I can't complain. And I'm really looking forward to next year already. With Dave Berard as the head coach. He absolutely earned it.

[RSTuthill]

Re: UCONN Hockey 2012-13: Hockey East Here We Come

Thanks, lmg6841. With perhaps six more scholarships next year and this year's freshmen with a year under their belt, we have high hopes for next year. The AHA has been good for us. It will be sad to leave. Hope they maintain ties via OOC games.

[LTsatch]

Re: UCONN Hockey 2012-13: Hockey East Here We Come

Well, it seems they have decided to search for a Coach, not sure about the interim guy, but it does not bode well. http://ahcahockey.com/pdf/jobs/20130330_uc.pdf

[mar7967]

Re: UCONN Hockey 2012-13: Hockey East Here We Come

Well, it seems they have decided to search for a Coach, not sure about the interim guy, but it does not bode well. http://ahcahockey.com/pdf/jobs/20130330_uc.pdf

I saw some talk on twitter yesterday about George Gwozdecky being a man of interest. What do you guys think of that?

[kingdobbs]

Re: UCONN Hockey 2012-13: Hockey East Here We Come

Well, it seems they have decided to search for a Coach, not sure about the interim guy, but it does not bode well. http://ahcahockey.com/pdf/jobs/20130330_uc.pdf

I have no doubt that Berard is a candidate in the coaching search, if for no other reason than he gave a pretty good audition with the team's much improved performance this year. I don't think this is a "sorry, but we still want to see other people" thing for him, and he could very well be the best candidate in the bunch, but I do like the fact that UConn is trying a swing for the fences.

Re: Gwozdecky, I think he would be a good catch, and I have no doubt he'd succeed with the Huskies. I do have doubts that he's what the AD is looking for; I think UConn wants to find their "hockey Calhoun" with the search, someone who will own the position for 20+ years, and make it their career capstone. Gwozdecky, for all his bonafides, is probably not going to coach for another 20 years, and even if he got the Huskies as many titles as he brought Denver, DU is still the team of record in his legacy.

Also, mostly, I think any talk of him being a candidate for the job is more centered around the fact that UConn is one of a very short list of teams who are looking. BU filled their vacancy pretty quickly, and obviously Denver doesn't count as an opening he can fill, so I am given to understand that leaves us and Anchorage at the moment.

[RSTuthill]

Re: UCONN Hockey 2012-13: Hockey East Here We Come

Well, it seems they have decided to search for a Coach, not sure about the interim guy, but it does not bode well. http://ahcahockey.com/pdf/jobs/20130330_uc.pdf

Routine. Gotta think Berard still has the inside track.

[RSTuthill]

Re: UCONN Hockey 2012-13: Hockey East Here We Come

I saw some talk on twitter yesterday about George Gwozdecky being a man of interest. What do you guys think of that?

Yeah.

Still think Berard makes the most sense and the best fit.

[Jim]

Re: UCONN Hockey 2012-13: Hockey East Here We Come

I have no doubt that Berard is a candidate in the coaching search, if for no other reason than he gave a pretty good audition with the team's much improved performance this year. I don't think this is a "sorry, but we still want to see other people" thing for him, and he could very well be the best candidate in the bunch, but I do like the fact that UConn is trying a swing for the fences.

Re: Gwozdecky, I think he would be a good catch, and I have no doubt he'd succeed with the Huskies. I do have doubts that he's what the AD is looking for; I think UConn wants to find their "hockey Calhoun" with the search, someone who will own the position for 20+ years, and make it their career capstone. Gwozdecky, for all his bonafides, is probably not going to coach for another 20 years, and even if he got the Huskies as many titles as he brought Denver, DU is still the team of record in his legacy.

Also, mostly, I think any talk of him being a candidate for the job is more centered around the fact that UConn is one of a very short list of teams who are looking. BU filled their vacancy pretty quickly, and obviously Denver doesn't count as an opening he can fill, so I am given to understand that leaves us and Anchorage at the moment.

I agree with all of that. I think the Gwozdecky talk is just talk. He's available and UConn has an opening so it seems likely they'll at least contact each other. I think Berard fits the profile of what they want more though. they went the "old pro" with football and while maybe disaster is too strong a word, big disappointment sure isn't. Not sure Gwodrecky would find UConn a great fit either. He'd be coming into a situation where he has substandard facilities, at least for the time being, and would be the 4th most popular sport on campus assuming the soccer team doesn't have a good year. If they do,then he'd be 5th. I also think that as a public university, UConn has some obligations regarding advertizing its openings whether they are for a janitor in Beach Hall or head coach of the hockey team. Doesn't mean they don't have candidates in mind.

[RSTuthill]

Re: UCONN Hockey 2012-13: Hockey East Here We Come

Jim, agree with much of what you said, but I think Gwoz would jump at this opportunity in a NY minute. And Gampel is gonna get enlarged in a few years and include ice this time.

[AspyDad]

Re: UCONN Hockey 2012-13: Hockey East Here We Come

Gwoz please. No disrespect to Coach Berard but not too many people can match Gwoz's CV. Instant crediblity for program.

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Re: UCONN Hockey 2012-13: Hockey East Here We Come

I agree with all of that. I think the Gwozdecky talk is just talk. He's available and UConn has an opening so it seems likely they'll at least contact each other. I think Berard fits the profile of what they want more though. they went the "old pro" with football and while maybe disaster is too strong a word, big disappointment sure isn't. Not sure Gwodrecky would find UConn a great fit either. He'd be coming into a situation where he has substandard facilities, at least for the time being, and would be the 4th most popular sport on campus assuming the soccer team doesn't have a good year. If they do,then he'd be 5th. I also think that as a public university, UConn has some obligations regarding advertizing its openings whether they are for a janitor in Beach Hall or head coach of the hockey team. Doesn't mean they don't have candidates in mind.

I'm not sure folks here could poo-poo Gwoz's track record any more if you set out to. Firstly, expecting to hire a coach who will stay 20 years is a pipedream, given today's ever changing D1 landscape. As for Gwoz, the guy's in the top 5-6 active coaches for wins, can recruit circles around anyone and has routinely sent guys to the pros - many to the NHL. Why would you not want the guy for 10-12 years as the legacy coach bringing you into HE ?? Not to mention the fact that the guy mentors his AC's, so if you had any luck at all, he'd be grooming his successor for they day he decides to head for the 19th hole. Any true UConn fan should be BEGGING the AD to bring him on board.

UConn fans need to understand one thing -- if they don't get the hire right you WILL be mired in the bottom of the HE. Cahoon, Sneddon and others arrived in HE with tons of experience, a lot of momentum and plenty of good intentions, but the results have not followed. HE is a **** hard league to recruit and play in.

Call me crazy, but I would think a coach like Gwoz - who is wired into blue chip recruiting - is exactly what you'd want.

[kingdobbs]

Re: UCONN Hockey 2012-13: Hockey East Here We Come

I'm not sure folks here could poo-poo Gwoz's track record any more if you set out to. Firstly, expecting to hire a coach who will stay 20 years is a pipedream, given today's ever changing D1 landscape. As for Gwoz, the guy's in the top 5-6 active coaches for wins, can recruit circles around anyone and has routinely sent guys to the pros - many to the NHL. Why would you not want the guy for 10-12 years as the legacy coach bringing you into HE ?? Not to mention the fact that the guy mentors his AC's, so if you had any luck at all, he'd be grooming his successor for they day he decides to head for the 19th hole. Any true UConn fan should be BEGGING the AD to bring him on board.

UConn fans need to understand one thing -- if they don't get the hire right you WILL be mired in the bottom of the HE. Cahoon, Sneddon and others arrived in HE with tons of experience, a lot of momentum and plenty of good intentions, but the results have not followed. HE is a **** hard league to recruit and play in.

Call me crazy, but I would think a coach like Gwoz - who is wired into blue chip recruiting - is exactly what you'd want.

I agree with you on the basic point: if there's mutual interest, ABSOLUTELY with no reservations take Gwozdecky. Hire him, offer Berard his old assistant spot back if he wants it, and nlet that be that. I cannot, under any circumstances, argue that he is not a great coach, because he absolutely is, and he has the results to prove it.

I have doubts whether he is interested in the job, given that UConn going forward is a major building project. Does he really want to potentially spend 5-10 years building UConn to get 2-5 years of good success under his belt? Would he be committed to UConn if in five years in HEA, we haven't won more than ten games (in spite of his coaching bonafides)?

The best thing in our favor right now is that we have an opening, and Gwoz doesn't want to ride into the sunset just yet. But I would be shocked if the first question, or one among the first few questions, in the interview isn't "Are you willing to give us a long-haul commitment, knowing the possibility exists we could be the worst team in Hockey East every year for the next ten?" If he still wants the gig after all that? Hire him, and don't look back.