WCHA Realignment?

[uaafanblog]

Re: WCHA Realignment?

Subscribed to yet another WCHA realignment thread...

Yeah ... one that hadn't been posted in for a solid fortnight and is primarily facetious posts. Congrats on your discernment skills.

[Freddie]

Re: WCHA Realignment?

Yeah ... one that hadn't been posted in for a solid fortnight and is primarily facetious posts. Congrats on your discernment skills.

Congratulations!
You are the first person in USCHO history to use the words "facetious" and "discernment" in the same post.
Your prize is an evening with PinkPony.

[darker98]

Re: WCHA Realignment?

congratulations!
You are the first person in uscho history to use the words "facetious" and "discernment" in the same post.
Your prize is an evening with pinkpony.

:d

[purpleinnebraska]

Re: WCHA Realignment?

Congratulations!
You are the first person in USCHO history to use the words "facetious" and "discernment" in the same post.
Your prize is an evening with PinkPony.

Good Lord, what was 2nd prize?

[Hammer]

Good Lord, what was 2nd prize?

I'm guessing two nights.

[manurespreader]

Re: WCHA Realignment?

wouldn't it be great to have a little stability and to look forward to playing some of These teams and building these rivalry's. I can't wait for next year!

[uaafanblog]

Re: WCHA Realignment?

Congratulations!
You are the first person in USCHO history to use the words "facetious" and "discernment" in the same post.

No credit for "fortnight"?

You sorta blow at awarding internet awards.

[Freddie]

Re: WCHA Realignment?

No credit for "fortnight"?

You sorta blow at awarding internet awards.

Any credit you may have deserved for "fortnight" went straight down the drain with "sorta blow"

[John Biasi]

Re: WCHA Realignment?

I considered that, but figured all three Yoopers would want to be together.
Felt a bit sorry for Mankato in my plan, but figured somebody would have to be isolated.
Looking at the map, however, your way does make more sense.

A: BG, Miami, WMU, Ferris, LSSU, UAH
B: Mankato, St Cloud, MTU. NMU, Duluth, Fairbanks
C: Bemidji, NDak, Omaha, CC, Denver, Anchorage

This isn't that far-flung of an idea. A little history lesson for tonight...

In the 1978 offseason, the CCHA and WCHA were discussing a merger that had five options. Three were presented by famed Michigan athletic director Don Canham. One of the Don Canham's plans was to split the CCHA and WCHA into three regional divisions. The merger would have taken place for the 1979-80 season.

Don Canham Plan A was to split the two leagues in to two eight-team east and west divisions.
WEST: Colorado College, Denver, Lake Superior, Michigan Tech, Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, North Dakota, Northern Michigan
EAST: Bowling Green, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, St. Louis, Western Michigan, Wisconsin

One of the other two proposals (presented by Notre Dame and Michigan State) mirrored the above almost exactly except with St. Louis in the West and Minnesota in the East.

Don Canham Plan B was to add Air Force and Colorado (yes, the Buffaloes--they had just built an ice rink and just happened to have a Wolverine coaching and running the rink) and split the two leagues in to three regions.
Region A: Lake Superior, Michigan Tech, Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, Northern Michigan, Wisconsin
Region B: Bowling Green, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Western Michigan
Region C: Air Force, Denver, Colorado, Colorado College, North Dakota, St. Louis

Don Canham Plan C was to just have Michigan and Notre Dame leave the WCHA for the CCHA leaving eight teams in both leagues.

None of these proposals got traction because everyone couldn't be made happy. The UP schools wanted to go with the Michigan schools. Minnesota wanted to stay with Wisconsin. North Dakota wanted to stay with Minnesota. And so on. You know, the usual suspects. Another damaging blow came when St. Louis announced it was dropping hockey immediately at the end of April.

St. Louis hockey was then saved for another season by boosters and the merger seemed to gain steam with the loss of a program at stake. In the end, the merger was rejected. The WCHA did not want to split and the UP CCHA schools saw no gains in a "split" merger. St. Louis survived only a half season more when in January 1979 it was announced they were dropping hockey at the end of the season.

Don Canham's third proposal came to fruition in May 1980 when UM and ND announced they were leaving for the CCHA. A week later Michigan State and Michigan Tech followed.

Three years later in the 1983 offseason, due to scheduling difficulties, the WCHA offered a proposed merger with the CCHA that would have split the two leagues into eight and nine teams respectively. The WCHA "West" would get Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan and the CCHA would become the WCHA "East." Obviously, the CCHA rejected the proposal.

A year later, Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan left for the WCHA.

Sometimes these merger proposals work themselves out.

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: WCHA Realignment?

This isn't that far-flung of an idea. A little history lesson for tonight...

In the 1978 offseason, the CCHA and WCHA were discussing a merger that had five options. Three were presented by famed Michigan athletic director Don Canham. One of the Don Canham's plans was to split the CCHA and WCHA into three regional divisions. The merger would have taken place for the 1979-80 season.

Don Canham Plan A was to split the two leagues in to two eight-team east and west divisions.
WEST: Colorado College, Denver, Lake Superior, Michigan Tech, Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, North Dakota, Northern Michigan
EAST: Bowling Green, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, St. Louis, Western Michigan, Wisconsin

One of the other two proposals (presented by Notre Dame and Michigan State) mirrored the above almost exactly except with St. Louis in the West and Minnesota in the East.

Don Canham Plan B was to add Air Force and Colorado (yes, the Buffaloes--they had just built an ice rink and just happened to have a Wolverine coaching and running the rink) and split the two leagues in to three regions.
Region A: Lake Superior, Michigan Tech, Minnesota, Minnesota-Duluth, Northern Michigan, Wisconsin
Region B: Bowling Green, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Western Michigan
Region C: Air Force, Denver, Colorado, Colorado College, North Dakota, St. Louis

Don Canham Plan C was to just have Michigan and Notre Dame leave the WCHA for the CCHA leaving eight teams in both leagues.

None of these proposals got traction because everyone couldn't be made happy. The UP schools wanted to go with the Michigan schools. Minnesota wanted to stay with Wisconsin. North Dakota wanted to stay with Minnesota. And so on. You know, the usual suspects. Another damaging blow came when St. Louis announced it was dropping hockey immediately at the end of April.

St. Louis hockey was then saved for another season by boosters and the merger seemed to gain steam with the loss of a program at stake. In the end, the merger was rejected. The WCHA did not want to split and the UP CCHA schools saw no gains in a "split" merger. St. Louis survived only a half season more when in January 1979 it was announced they were dropping hockey at the end of the season.

Don Canham's third proposal came to fruition in May 1980 when UM and ND announced they were leaving for the CCHA. A week later Michigan State and Michigan Tech followed.

Three years later in the 1983 offseason, due to scheduling difficulties, the WCHA offered a proposed merger with the CCHA that would have split the two leagues into eight and nine teams respectively. The WCHA "West" would get Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan and the CCHA would become the WCHA "East." Obviously, the CCHA rejected the proposal.

A year later, Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan left for the WCHA.

Sometimes these merger proposals work themselves out.

There you go, mtuhuskies - the rest of the story regarding Tech's brief flirtation with the CCHA.