Re: LSSU Laker Hockey 2011-12
Blue I agree with you for the most part. This "new look CCHA" will be a sorry excuse for a legitimate D-1 conference and the current coach at the helm leaves much to be desired...and the current A.D. seems to be in over her head concerning the changes that are rocking the college hockey world.
You are, however, underestimating the impact that both the CHL and NCAA expansion have had in terms of recruitment. The CHL has become very aggressive in going after the available talent pool simply because they have to. Over the past 15 to 20 years they have added 20 teams to their respective leagues, meaning that they have had to find an extra 450 players to fill those rosters. In order to do so they had to drastically increase the scholarship packages they offered as well as go on massive facility re-builds. They now offer pro style amenities and educational packages that rival anything that the NCAA can offer, nor are they restricted and hamstrung by silly NCAA rules concerning when a player can be contacted and how much contact time there can be. This has given the CHL a distinct advantage over the NCAA, especially concerning Canadian born players.
When Frank Anzalone was laying down the ground work for the Laker glory years, his chief recruiter, Jeff Jackson, only had to worry about 38 other D-1 programs and not the 57 others that the Lakers are competing against today. Back then, Jackson easily won recruiting battles against Miami and Ohio State as those programs were underfunded and neglected by their schools. He did not have to go against U.N.O. and Notre Dame while Michigan was just a shell of what it has become today. There was no NCAA Clearing House to concern himself with and for those who simply did not have the academics to get in, well the Lakers could make them a "partial qualifier" and sneak them in through the back door.
If the same circumstances existed back in 1992 as they do today, I would bet big money that Brian Rolston would be playing for the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL, Blaine Lacher would be tending goal for the Edmonton Oil-kings of the WHL, Rob Valicevic would be under Red's guidance at Michigan and Astley would be patrolling the blue line for the U.N.O. mavericks. Mike Morrin would not have been able to get in as a partial qualifier and as a result would end up playing for the Regina Pats of the WHL. The Lakers would have been after Strachan hard, offering him the sun, the moon and the stars but would have lost him to the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs while Vincent Faucher would have been plying his trade for the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL.
In short, there never would have been a 92 NCAA championship team.
Originally posted by Lakerblue
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You are, however, underestimating the impact that both the CHL and NCAA expansion have had in terms of recruitment. The CHL has become very aggressive in going after the available talent pool simply because they have to. Over the past 15 to 20 years they have added 20 teams to their respective leagues, meaning that they have had to find an extra 450 players to fill those rosters. In order to do so they had to drastically increase the scholarship packages they offered as well as go on massive facility re-builds. They now offer pro style amenities and educational packages that rival anything that the NCAA can offer, nor are they restricted and hamstrung by silly NCAA rules concerning when a player can be contacted and how much contact time there can be. This has given the CHL a distinct advantage over the NCAA, especially concerning Canadian born players.
When Frank Anzalone was laying down the ground work for the Laker glory years, his chief recruiter, Jeff Jackson, only had to worry about 38 other D-1 programs and not the 57 others that the Lakers are competing against today. Back then, Jackson easily won recruiting battles against Miami and Ohio State as those programs were underfunded and neglected by their schools. He did not have to go against U.N.O. and Notre Dame while Michigan was just a shell of what it has become today. There was no NCAA Clearing House to concern himself with and for those who simply did not have the academics to get in, well the Lakers could make them a "partial qualifier" and sneak them in through the back door.
If the same circumstances existed back in 1992 as they do today, I would bet big money that Brian Rolston would be playing for the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL, Blaine Lacher would be tending goal for the Edmonton Oil-kings of the WHL, Rob Valicevic would be under Red's guidance at Michigan and Astley would be patrolling the blue line for the U.N.O. mavericks. Mike Morrin would not have been able to get in as a partial qualifier and as a result would end up playing for the Regina Pats of the WHL. The Lakers would have been after Strachan hard, offering him the sun, the moon and the stars but would have lost him to the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs while Vincent Faucher would have been plying his trade for the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL.
In short, there never would have been a 92 NCAA championship team.
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