This is a good thing. Team definitely needs time to bond and regroup after the loss of Spiro, Baun and the other great seniors. Good for getting the frosh on board too. Hopefully the final result of this will be adding some W's to the record next season.
This is a good thing. Team definitely needs time to bond and regroup after the loss of Spiro, Baun and the other great seniors. Good for getting the frosh on board too. Hopefully the final result of this will be adding some W's to the record next season.
(Whoops. Are frosh eligible to take this trip?)
As per NCAA bylaws, teams are allowed a foreign tour every four years. It's a little more common in basketball.
Freshmen aren't eligible because the trip will take place before they're actually in school . Per Coach Vaughan's comments at the end of season banquet, I believe the seniors from last year will be on the trip too. However no Kyle Baun for obvious reasons.
Ryan Johnston just signed with Montreal! This season is getting worse and worse. Don't get me wrong I am excited that we have two guys going to the pros but it makes our season even tougher. I always thought he was our best pick handler (offensive or defensive) so now we have lost a key offensive player and possibly our best defenseman. Just hoping for a NCAA bid but it gets tougher to believe
Ryan Johnston just signed with Montreal! This season is getting worse and worse. Don't get me wrong I am excited that we have two guys going to the pros but it makes our season even tougher. I always thought he was our best pick handler (offensive or defensive) so now we have lost a key offensive player and possibly our best defenseman. Just hoping for a NCAA bid but it gets tougher to believe
To be fair, having a signee gives more exposure to the university. As much as we want to see success for our respective clubs, we must still remember that we are a "junior-esque" league, and are a stepping stone for our players' ultimate goal of reaching the highest level of professional hockey, the NHL. Sure, the success of Johnston will be missed, but kids are likely to know more about the university based upon this success, and will start eyeing it more as a place to not only play their college level game, but to also receive a great education.
To be fair, having a signee gives more exposure to the university. As much as we want to see success for our respective clubs, we must still remember that we are a "junior-esque" league, and are a stepping stone for our players' ultimate goal of reaching the highest level of professional hockey, the NHL. Sure, the success of Johnston will be missed, but kids are likely to know more about the university based upon this success, and will start eyeing it more as a place to not only play their college level game, but to also receive a great education.
And just how are we going to make the NCAAs, to say nothing of the Frozen Four, with this philosophy? There are plenty of alums out there who will be giving second thoughts to supporting a 'Gate program that serves only as the minor league for the NHL. What reaction do you expect from this news on the part of all 'Gate hockey fans?? This trend we've seen lately only undermines 'Gate hockey by snipping off the most talented players thus preventing us from having the kind of success the 1990 team had...or even last year's team that reached LP. We should be in the business of building a model program that has success on its own level, not taking in recruits who waffle on whether they are going to stay for four years or jump ship. Perhaps we are no longer looking for the student-athletes who are committed to Colgate, but are seeing us as a stepping stone (as FLAG said). I, for one, can't accept this. Yes, it's great to have talent, and have a far superior team than others in the ECAC. But what's the point if we are taking the talent then losing it after 1-2 years? We're spinning our wheels and getting nowhere IMHO. I'll get off my soapbox now, but I'm steamed! And very depressed...and we haven't even played our first game
Amen Colskate, with you 100 per cent. All we ever get is bad news, the new rink is good news, how long we wait for that, twenty years ? I can't blame any player for leaving based upon one big hit and his career could be over. We get so few "impact" players with our academic standards and no crowds etc and it seems now if we get one they're gone before finishing school. I am very bummed, and the lack of home games, I'm afraid to ask what else can happen to us ? Last year it was injuries that doomed us, I'm very frustrated.
I don't know what anyone else thinks but if you read vaughn's comments about the Johnston departure, he wasn't happy and he is still looking for four year kids. "He believes he is ready for the next step..." That tells me he isn't happy.
But let's face it, we will go as far as Finn so there is still hope
Plenty of ECAC schools have been hit by the early departure bug and their fans continue to support the programs. How do you think RPI fans felt when both Brandon Pirri AND Jerry D'Amigo left after one season or when more recently Ryan Haggerty bolted for the Rangers with one year left? Or Union, for the pre-graduation losses of a multitude of players including several All-American caliber goalies as well as future NHL'er Josh Jooris. And remember Shayne Gostisbehere had a year left when he signed with the Flyers. Cornell really could have used Brian Ferlin last year, and the list goes on and on.
Players leaving school early is just part of the current climate and it has been that way for more than the last several years. When you have a successful program that has very good players, this is one of the downsides.
In this current case, you have an NDFA coming off what appears to be a fantastic showing in a summer development camp. Said NDFA scored two goals in the final camp scrimmage and impressed the club brass enough to earn a two-way NHL/AHL deal for two years. Should the player have returned to school, he would have been guaranteed nothing and may not have had a similar chance come March.
While the short-term loss stings based on the timing, in the long run, it speaks well of the program that it produces NHL/AHL caliber talent. Just in the last eight years alone, Colgate fans have seen Mark Dekanich, Jesse Winchester, Chris Wagner and Kyle Baun all make their NHL debuts. And before that, Andy McDonald was winning a Stanley Cup with Anaheim.
I am really disappointed in Ryan. IMO, Ryan's departure is a slap-in-the-face to the Coaches on many levels and it is too late to get someone to fill his position. I still believe we will be a great team this year - others will step up. I just can't get over the disappointment I feel.
Go 'Gate!!
I don't know what anyone else thinks but if you read vaughn's comments about the Johnston departure, he wasn't happy and he is still looking for four year kids. "He believes he is ready for the next step..." That tells me he isn't happy.
But let's face it, we will go as far as Finn so there is still hope
Where did you read that ?? Hope you didn't mean Vaughan is ready for the next step ?
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