BU season thread I - 2014-2015

[brassbonanza]

Re: BU season thread I - 2014-2015

I don't recall being on Coyle's case? If anything he was hampered by the constipated offense we had going on while he was on the team....

I agree he was hampered by a stagnant and stupid offensive scheme Parker ran, especially during his freshman year, in addition to the patented Jack Parker weekly line roulette. That said, the way he up and quit the team midseason has since left a sour taste in my mouth with respect to him. I'm happy for him, but at the same time don't view him the same as I do other BU NHL alums.

[Rover]

Re: BU season thread I - 2014-2015

i thought it was you and jofa, but maybe just jofa

What I said about Coyle is what you see on the ice is what you're going to get for BU. Not that he was a bad player, but that the style of play the team was using wasn't ever going to make him a top scorer in HE. I suspect he realized that himself and bolted midway through the year partly because of that although I don't know the man personally so I'm just speculating.

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: BU season thread I - 2014-2015

That said, the way he up and quit the team midseason has since left a sour taste in my mouth with respect to him. I'm happy for him, but at the same time don't view him the same as I do other BU NHL alums.

Agree that the way he left the team could've been handled differently. I'd like to think when he first arrived, he was committed to playing at least 2 years at BU. I've also been led to believe that when his rights were traded to the Wild, his thought process changed. I think that trade planted different thoughts about which path he should take to get to the next level.

Having said that, if he wasn't 100% sure about BU being the right place for him before starting his Sophomore year, I wish he had decided before the start of that school year to move on. However, I recognize it's a tough decision to make and hopefully it's an experience that he has learned from.

I'll also say this: Over the Summer I watched an episode of the Wild's behind the scenes series "Becoming Wild" where Coyle was the subject. They followed him around during the 2013 off-season back home. Watching that episode, one would have no idea he even played at BU given there's zero reference to BU (but plenty of references to Weymouth High, S. Shore Kings, USWJC teams, Saint John SeaDogs). Also found it interesting that his primary workout partners are BC guys - the Hayes brothers, Bill Arnold and Noah Hanafin. Appears to have zero affiliation with BU hockey whatsoever.

[Harry Cleverly]

Re: BU season thread I - 2014-2015

So what are expectations for this weekend? A split at least, right?

SWEEP!

Michigan State is not very good, and Michigan needs some payback after the homer officiating they got in the third period last year.

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: BU season thread I - 2014-2015

Agree that the way he left the team could've been handled differently. I'd like to think when he first arrived, he was committed to playing at least 2 years at BU. I've also been led to believe that when his rights were traded to the Wild, his thought process changed. I think that trade planted different thoughts about which path he should take to get to the next level.

Having said that, if he wasn't 100% sure about BU being the right place for him before starting his Sophomore year, I wish he had decided before the start of that school year to move on. However, I recognize it's a tough decision to make and hopefully it's an experience that he has learned from.

I'll also say this: Over the Summer I watched an episode of the Wild's behind the scenes series "Becoming Wild" where Coyle was the subject. They followed him around during the 2013 off-season back home. Watching that episode, one would have no idea he even played at BU given there's zero reference to BU (but plenty of references to Weymouth High, S. Shore Kings, USWJC teams, Saint John SeaDogs). Also found it interesting that his primary workout partners are BC guys - the Hayes brothers, Bill Arnold and Noah Hanafin. Appears to have zero affiliation with BU hockey whatsoever.

I've alluded to this before and I know some numbnuts will not believe me (and yet I don't care) but he did not fit in at BU at all. Keep in mind he was around BU while the hockey program was in their unchecked Animal House mode. This kid was a weight room, health junky looking to put himself in position to get into the NHL. He was into the drink a ton of beer and take advantage of a girl thing. You can debate whether college route was right for him or not but he chose the college route and you wonder if his family connections may have put him in the wrong place.

[Friend_of_BU_Hockey]

Re: BU season thread I - 2014-2015

but he did not fit in at BU at all

I don't disagree. I know he spent most of his non-hockey, non-school time back home w/ family & friends.

By all accounts he was a good teammate and wasn't a problem for the coaching staff. I just don't think he had much of a relationship with teammates outside of hockey.

[brassbonanza]

Re: BU season thread I - 2014-2015

I've alluded to this before and I know some numbnuts will not believe me (and yet I don't care) but he did not fit in at BU at all. Keep in mind he was around BU while the hockey program was in their unchecked Animal House mode. This kid was a weight room, health junky looking to put himself in position to get into the NHL. He was into the drink a ton of beer and take advantage of a girl thing. You can debate whether college route was right for him or not but he chose the college route and you wonder if his family connections may have put him in the wrong place.

I won't claim to know anything about the culture of the entire team around then, only the obvious incidents that came about, so I'll pass on the off the ice stuff.

As for the on the ice, I agree Parker's system and his didn't exactly mesh, and it wasn't entirely the best fit for him. That said, then why did he commit to BU? It's not like Parker radically changed his offensive philosophy in 2010 when Charlie showed up. Also, I seem to remember on numerous occasions where he himself coasted through games, giving marginal effort, not necessarily skating hard, etc. It would seem that there's blame to be placed on both sides. I too agree with FOBUH that it probably would've been better to just leave after his freshman year if it wasn't working, but that's just Monday morning quarterbacking at this point. He seemed like a decent enough kid, but the way he handled his situation as far as his position on the team was poor, all the way down to lying to the Freep reporters before he quit, saying he wasn't leaving the team when in fact he was. He came off as a bit immature and petty during that episode.

[brassbonanza]

Re: BU season thread I - 2014-2015

I don't disagree. I know he spent most of his non-hockey, non-school time back home w/ family & friends.

By all accounts he was a good teammate and wasn't a problem for the coaching staff. I just don't think he had much of a relationship with teammates outside of hockey.

Interesting, this would only further feed the question why did he commit here in the first place? Presumably, on his recruiting trips he must have gotten to know some of his future teammates and had a sense of what the culture was like in the locker room and off the ice.

[J.D.]

Re: BU season thread I - 2014-2015

At the time, I recall reading about how Coyle always had some connection to BU so that's why he ended up there. Don't remember what exactly that connection was. Same thing with Eichel. Pretty sure I've read how Eichel grew up a BU fan. somehow

[Agganis]

Re: BU season thread I - 2014-2015

Interesting, this would only further feed the question why did he commit here in the first place? Presumably, on his recruiting trips he must have gotten to know some of his future teammates and had a sense of what the culture was like in the locker room and off the ice.

He didn't have any issues with his teammates (AFAIK at least) he was just something of a homebody and would spend as much time there as possible. Perhaps going farther away (Canada and then Minnesota) was what he needed to no longer be dependent on returning frequently.

Pretty sure I've read how Eichel grew up a BU fan. somehow

Eichel was actually a BC fan, maybe he is just a front runner who saw the pendulum swinging

[brassbonanza]

Re: BU season thread I - 2014-2015

He didn't have any issues with his teammates (AFAIK at least) he was just something of a homebody and would spend as much time there as possible. Perhaps going farther away (Canada and then Minnesota) was what he needed to no longer be dependent on returning frequently.

Perhaps, I suppose that makes sense as home being so close would be enticing. At some level though, that only feeds the question of why he came back for a second year.

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: BU season thread I - 2014-2015

He seemed like a decent enough kid, but the way he handled his situation as far as his position on the team was poor, all the way down to lying to the Freep reporters before he quit, saying he wasn't leaving the team when in fact he was. He came off as a bit immature and petty during that episode.

Granted he did fib but he kept fairly quiet and didn't come off like a dipstick ahole such as Cody Ferriero or Sonny Milano, that's for sure. Those two would jump in front of a reporter just so they could say something stupid.

Didn't The Kid stick to his guns about Coyle leaving when the Freepsters were claiming he was staying because Coyle said so? That's pretty quality stuff... Just saying...

At the time, I recall reading about how Coyle always had some connection to BU so that's why he ended up there. Don't remember what exactly that connection was.

I believe Tony Amonte is a cousin or uncle.

[Rover]

Re: BU season thread I - 2014-2015

I would guess the problem was the direction of the team. When Coyle was being recruited BU forwards were actually asked to score, instead of dump the puck in the corner and go for a line change as soon as you gain the red line, since the offensive talent of Wilson-Bonino-Gilroy-Yip was too strong for even Parker to deny. Once those players left, it was back to dump and suck. Couple that with the off ice issues and a coach who planned on fossilizing behind the bench, and I can't say I blame the guy.

[Agganis]

Re: BU season thread I - 2014-2015

Perhaps, I suppose that makes sense as home being so close would be enticing. At some level though, that only feeds the question of why he came back for a second year.

Because he didn't have a problem with it, it just was how he lived.

Didn't The Kid stick to his guns about Coyle leaving when the Freepsters were claiming he was staying because Coyle said so? That's pretty quality stuff... Just saying...

Sticking to his guns is his move though, he still claims O'Regan was suspended for the first 2 games this year, despite the fact that he played in them.

[ericredaxe]

Re: BU season thread I - 2014-2015

I don't recall being on Coyle's case? If anything he was hampered by the constipated offense we had going on while he was on the team....

A lot of the BC Superfanboys turned some of us saying things along the lines of: "Right now I think losing Trivino hurts us more than losing Coyle" into "Coyle sucks and we didn't want him here anyway".

Also, regardless of how you spin it or what the circumstances may have been, quitting on your team and program halfway through the season is about as lame as it gets.