The New WCHA (2013-14)

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

There are tournament exemptions & Alaska/Hawaii/Puerto Rico exemptions.

Denver Cup, Beanpot, Mariucci Classic, Nye, Icebreaker etc.

You can't get exemptions for two tournaments in the same season.

I'm pretty sure the Denver Cup, Beanpot, and Mariucci Classic are not exempt, as they are school sponsored and not NCAA sponsored. The Icebreaker is exempt.

[aparch]

There are tournament exemptions & Alaska/Hawaii/Puerto Rico exemptions.

Denver Cup, Beanpot, Mariucci Classic, Nye, Icebreaker etc.

You can't get exemptions for two tournaments in the same season.

Wait, ALL tourneys are exempted too? I call horsesh*t on that, otherwise there are teams leaving extra games on the table and not taking advantage of them.

You're telling me if 2013-14 NMU participates in two scheduled flights to Alaska, the Denver Cup, AND a Hall-of-Fame game, we could get 41 games?

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

There are tournament exemptions & Alaska/Hawaii/Puerto Rico exemptions.

Denver Cup, Beanpot, Mariucci Classic, Nye, Icebreaker etc.

You can't get exemptions for two tournaments in the same season.

It's nice to see you show just how dumb you are...there is no "tournament exemption."

It is in Bylaw 17.12.5.3 (pages 273-274) in the NCAA Division I Manual: http://www.ncaapublications.com/prod...loads/D111.pdf.

The game limit is 34. The following games do not count against the 34-game limit, but do count in official NCAA Statistics and Records--
* Hockey Hall of Fame Game--a single fundraising game conducted every year
* Ice Breaker Tournament--a single 4-team, 2-game tournament conducted every year
* Any game played in Hawaii or Alaska--only by a school from outside those states against a school inside that state
* Conference championship tournament
* NCAA tournament

Also not counting against the 34-game limit, and not counting in NCAA statistics--
* Home game against a foreign team, such as a Canadian University or a foreign national team--limit one
* One away tour against foreign teams--limit one tour every four years.
* US National Teams--a single game per year against any US National Team (e.g., Olympic Team, World Junior Team, Under-18 Development Team, etc.)
* "Alumni game" (exhibition of current players vs alumni of the school)--limit one
* Certain other charity game activities are also permitted, but generally may not involve the entire team.

[aparch]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

FS23, I though that your thinking was the correct way.

So, if my above post is amended to a flight to each UA_ and UAA, Icebreaker, and Hall of Fame game, NMU could play 41 games before the first round of playoffs?

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Wait, ALL tourneys are exempted too? I call horsesh*t on that, otherwise there are teams leaving extra games on the table and not taking advantage of them.

You're telling me if 2013-14 NMU participates in two scheduled flights to Alaska, the Denver Cup, AND a Hall-of-Fame game, we could get 41 games?

Then, best 2 of 3 series in the WCHA first round, for another 3 games, add another 2 for the WCHA tourney, then another 4 on NMU's run to the title game, and they would play 50 games. Throw in an exhibition game at the start of the season, and you have a team playing 51 games in 6.5 months...

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

FS23, I though that your thinking was the correct way.

So, if my above post is amended to a flight to each UA_ and UAA, Icebreaker, and Hall of Fame game, NMU could play 41 games before the first round of playoffs?

I believe so but the NCAA schedules the Icebreaker and HOF game so I doubt they would have the same team participate in both. 39 is certainly a possibility.

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

The league office isn't moving anywhere until 2013 at the earliest. There are 12 teams in the league, the offices are free and Bruce presumably lives in Denver.

The WCHA has a fiduciary duty to protect the interests of the 12 existing members. The WCHA can plan for the future, but until teams leave the conference they can't put interests of the "stayers" vs. ahead of the "departers."

If the WCHA does choose to relocate the league offices in 2013, are they going to go to the expense of paying Bruce's moving expenses? Doubtful. So the future site of the league offices will probably have more to do with the hometown of the new commissioner, if they go that route, than anything else.

If Bruce is commissioner in 2013 and beyond, they will probably stay in Denver.

The NCHC has already hired a commish and has issued press releases. Seems like the six bolting schools want the whole street to themselves.....

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

FS23, I though that your thinking was the correct way.

So, if my above post is amended to a flight to each UA_ and UAA, Icebreaker, and Hall of Fame game, NMU could play 41 games before the first round of playoffs?

Correct. Then the WCHA should go back to the way they used to do playoff series (two game, total goals) and have a First Round, Semis, and Finals at the higher seed, and that will add another 6 games to the potential, then 4 games in the NCAA Tournament, an exhibition against a Canadian school, exhibition against the USA U20 squad, and a foreign tour to start the season (3-4 games?) and you could potentially see upwards of 55 games...

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Correct. Then the WCHA should go back to the way they used to do playoff series (two game, total goals) and have a First Round, Semis, and Finals at the higher seed, and that will add another 6 games to the potential, then 4 games in the NCAA Tournament, an exhibition against a Canadian school, exhibition against the USA U20 squad, and a foreign tour to start the season (3-4 games?) and you could potentially see upwards of 55 games...

As I learned as a Michigan Tech fan, the foreign tour must be taken while students are on break. In the case of Michigan Tech, one year they traveled to Lakehead for a 2 game series after finals in December because the coach didn't like the long break between games and the GLI and 1.5 years ago, the team went to germany/austria and played 3 or 4 professional teams in august before classes started. Freshman were not allowed to go on the trip but graduated seniors that had not played in a pro league yet, were allowed. Very strange setup there.

[manurespreader]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

The league office isn't moving anywhere until 2013 at the earliest. There are 12 teams in the league, the offices are free and Bruce presumably lives in Denver.

The WCHA has a fiduciary duty to protect the interests of the 12 existing members. The WCHA can plan for the future, but until teams leave the conference they can't put interests of the "stayers" vs. ahead of the "departers."

If the WCHA does choose to relocate the league offices in 2013, are they going to go to the expense of paying Bruce's moving expenses? Doubtful. So the future site of the league offices will probably have more to do with the hometown of the new commissioner, if they go that route, than anything else.

If Bruce is commissioner in 2013 and beyond, they will probably stay in Denver.

First agreed, it is unethical to abrogate your fiduciary responsibility, but no one except you is suggesting it. If the WCHA offices move it is because a majority of the members voted for it, and what I hear you saying is that the leavers are going to veto anything that they view does not directly benefit them.( BTw it would also be unethical for the nchc to approach certain WCHA staffers with an offer to leave the present job and move over to a new one in the Springs at some future time.)
I think the left outers are going to need some new staff in place before summer of 2013 so it might be that they fund it separately. I wonder what the actual date of departure of the leavers is going to be. If they leave right after the 12-13 season it's one thing but if they leave mid summer something else.

As far as Bruce, the job is almost for sure moving, he might be able to come along but I doubt anyone is paying his moving bill.
I think the whole thing is going to be difficult for everyone and putting cards on the table would help. This is not something that we are used to seeing however, so I think it could be that there are even more bad feelings to come unfortunately.

[manurespreader]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Fans of the new WCHA, and for that matter the NCHC, are kidding themselves if they think a conference tournament in a "Final 5" type format will be even remotely successful. It won't.

What you will see is similar to the ECAC tournament games now held in Atlantic City. You'll get 3000, maybe 4000 fans for each game.

That works for the ECAC, because most of their rinks are so small they wouldn't do any better if they actually held the games at the higher seed's rink.

The WCHA Final 5 was popular, and successful for a couple of basic reasons. They played it the Twin Cities, which is the home of one of the teams that happens to have a very big hockey following. Hockey is a very popular sport in the Twin Cities. It was within about 4 hours driving distance from all the largest schools in the WCHA, and 7 schools total.

There is a reason the WCHA just decided to go with St. Paul and abandoned the experiment of holding it in Milwaukee every few years. It wasn't successful in Milwaukee, even when Wisconsin was in the Final 5.

Strangely enough the new Big 10 conference could probably hold a successful, single location conference tourney. The schools and fan bases are large enough. Yet they are going to start by playing tournament games in the home rink of the higher seeds.

The WCHA and NCHC, which have little or no chance of having a successful Final 5 type event, and should absolutely go with the old format of higher seed hosts, is instead likely to go with the single location format. Go figure.

One of the things that could happen is that the WCHA announces one year ahead of time which home rink will be host to the playoffs that year. For instance would the league make more money if it was held at the Sanford Center or in Green Bay. I would bet that the attendance would be similar. Can some cities handle the hotel needs, most likely they can, but that would need to be investigated. The system would allow travel planning and at the same time the league would benefit from home fans attending. Essentially that was what the X had, a ton of home fans supplemented by some visitors.

[4four4]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Maybe the WCHA should have the final five tourney in Fargo/Moorhead area.

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

There are 12 teams in the league... The WCHA has a fiduciary duty to protect the interests of the 12 existing members. The WCHA can plan for the future, but until teams leave the conference they can't put interests of the "stayers" vs. ahead of the "departers..." So the future site of the league offices will probably have more to do with the hometown of the new commissioner, if they go that route, than anything else.

Seriously, do you think before you write this stuff? I'm trying to be polite but give me a break with the "WCHA needs to listen to the lame duck members" talk. These teams decided to leave because they couldn't live with the WCHA any longer, they got what they wanted (out of the league) and now you want the management and remaining members to listen to continue to listen to what the departing members want? When you leave for the greener grass on the other side of the fence, don't let the door hit you... The best thing these lame duck teams can do is stay out of the way and keep their heads down. They can skip league meetings from now on for all I care.
No wait, here's an idea, the new WCHA members are going to create a new message board. Let's have people who won't be a part of it tell us how to set it up and make the rules. Yes, that's a super idea... And by all means let's pick our offices' location for our multi-million $ operation based on avoiding $10,000 in moving costs for a comish that frankly most could care less if he stays or goes.

Ryan J

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

All I know is that the WCHA has a spot open that they apparently want to fill. The candidates are a bunch of schools who might put together a hockey team and one who has a team, a team that's taken a lot of licks from the demise of the CHA to the rejection of the CCHA to a couple of months where we thought the program was going to be gone altogether. I read people saying, "We need subsidies and a commitment." I say, "With subsidies, you have a commitment from us." If UAH subsidizes travel---and I don't see how we get into the WCHA without doing so at this point---and then folds the program in five years, what's the harm? [Other than me bitterly crying myself to sleep for a month.] If there were other established D-I programs, or if Morehead was ready to go in the timeframe, I'd understand. I don't see those schools materializing. I don't see us going away if we find a conference home. [If we don't, what's the point?]

GFM

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Oh, and bring UAH in and the folks in Nashville will want to host the Final Four every so often on their way to a Frozen Four bid. I won't be surprised if there's a four-team holiday tournament in the next few seasons with UAH as the anchor school.

GFM