Hockey East 2020-2021

[jjmc85]

Carvel said “Other schools decided not to play. It wasn’t that they got the virus, they just decided not to play.”

I’m under the impression BU got the virus. Am I wrong? If not, who decided not to play even thought they didn’t have the virus?

[J.D.]

How did BC "decide" not to play? If you want to dig into that, go for it. Here is the link where Carvel specifically talks about BU:

https://twitter.com/gregdcam/status/...758601216?s=19

[J.D.]

As far as I know BU has had one positive test and none for players (although that distinction might not have been made). Providence had some COVID issues but they have still proceeded. He was talking about BU.

[Chuck Murray]

It so happens the WJC takes place annually at a time when the NCAA D-1 schedule is pretty thin, due to the schools' Winter Break. To try to spin that into BC taking advantage to avoid games while some of their best players are at the WJC is creative, but really nothing else. I think Carvel's comments are pretty clearly targeted, and it's towards the lower end of Comm Ave.

I do wish you guys would stop forcing me to defend BC, it's doing my head in ...

[Split-N]

...I do wish you guys would stop forcing me to defend BC, it's doing my head in ...

Ditto!! (Makes me want to go to Confession.)

[jjmc85]

How did BC "decide" not to play? If you want to dig into that, go for it. Here is the link where Carvel specifically talks about BU:

https://twitter.com/gregdcam/status/...758601216?s=19

Many of the Hockey East schools decided to schedule games since BC last played. Again most, if not all, of these games were not originally scheduled. I have degrees from two Hockey East schools: UMass and BC. One worked the phone lines and got games most weekends and some weekdays during the time period. If an opponent cancelled on them, they found another opponent.

The second school I have a degree from did not play any games, nor did they schedule games that were cancelled due to the virus that I recall anyway. If I am wrong and they did schedule games that were cancelled on them, let me know. If I am not wrong, then there are two possible options that I see.

1) BC wanted to play games but no one else would play them and/or the conference wouldn’t let them play.
2) BC did not want to play games during this time period.

I am open to a third option if I am overlooking it.

I doubt highly 1) is the case. For other teams, UMass wants to play so badly every weekend that they asked the league permission in early December to play OoC. It doesn’t make logical sense to me that UMass would be ducking BC right now to try to play Quinnipiac. If there is evidence to the contrary, I am open to hearing it.

It also doesn’t make sense to me that UConn or UML or NU or PC or UVM or really any team in the conference would be ducking BC at this time period. Why would they? Are they too afraid to play BC without three of their best players? Seems like BC probably could have gotten a game
scheduled with whoever they wanted during this time period.

Also doesn’t make sense to me that the conference wouldn’t let them play during this tome
period. BC is one of, if not the “flagship” programs
of the conference. Why wouldn’t hockey East want them playing televised games on NESN as often as possible? Is the idea that there’s some weird conspiracy where the new commish is so incompetent he’s trying to prevent one of his best programs from playing?

again, I am open to other explanations, but of the ones I can think of, the only one that makes sense is that BC chose not to play. And if they chose not to play, the question becomes why? And unless I’m missing something, the only reasons I can think why BC chose not to play is because of covid or else because of the world juniors.

I suppose other reasons are possible. I could speculate, but I’d have no evidence to back it up. If you know why they didn’t play, please enlighten me. Based on the evidence I have, the only thing I can think of that fits is they chose not to.

Mind you, I’m not saying I disagree with their decision. I am saying that when I read that Carvel quote, BC came to mind as one of the schools
that chose not to play.

[Chuck Murray]

IIRC the BC football team opted to bypass participation in a bowl game in order to spend time with their families at home during the Winter Break.

Maybe Coach York wanted to do the same for his players and their families?

Coach Carvel and his program are at a different place in their existences than Coach York and BC.

One guy and his program are still trying to establish themselves as elite, playing suits that goal.

The other guy and his program don't need to prove anything to anyone at this point ...

[J.D.]

This has gotten ridiculous. Carvel clearly talking about BU (he MENTIONED BU) yet this has turned into a referendum on BC and why they haven't played in a few weeks when they weren't scheduled to play and nothing has been reported about BC turning down games after being approached by the league or other teams. So if you want to start an inquest, start with Hockey East. Considering they are absolutely clueless, I doubt you will get very far.

[jjmc85]

Chuck, the Christmas thing crossed my mind. If true it means BC chose not to play.

J.D., the quote talks about schools plural. If BU is one of them, there’s still at least one more.

[J.D.]

If? He was directly quoted as saying BU. BC didn't have any games scheduled that they decided not to play. If you're saying individual schools are in charge of reaching out and scheduling these on the fly games, that just adds to the point that Hockey East has no clue what they are doing. If Hockey East wanted BC to play additional games and BC declined i would think that would get out. That hasn't been reported.

[The Zlax45]

If? He was directly quoted as saying BU. BC didn't have any games scheduled that they decided not to play. If you're saying individual schools are in charge of reaching out and scheduling these on the fly games, that just adds to the point that Hockey East has no clue what they are doing. If Hockey East wanted BC to play additional games and BC declined i would think that would get out. That hasn't been reported.

Should be noted after this weekend, Vermont and BC would have played eight games. Vermont was shut down for a month due to COVID issues. While BC was the third Hockey East program this year to play a game on November 27th.

Just nuts and the commish should be out in front of these issues as UMass will have played 14 games before next weekend.

[J.D.]

I totally agree. I have been saying it all along. The lack of information from Hockey East has been astounding.

[DLG]

This has gotten ridiculous. Carvel clearly talking about BU (he MENTIONED BU) yet this has turned into a referendum on BC and why they haven't played in a few weeks when they weren't scheduled to play and nothing has been reported about BC turning down games after being approached by the league or other teams. So if you want to start an inquest, start with Hockey East. Considering they are absolutely clueless, I doubt you will get very far.

BU and BC purposely do not schedule games over Christmas break because they always assume their best players will be on junior team
If BC was asked to play and declined it is their right. Many teams let players go home for holidays

[J.D.]

But if you look back over the last 20 years, BC has routinely played during the WJC (not every year Zlax!). I do remember Quinn taking the approach of avoiding games during the WJC. If that is something BC will be doing going forward it would be a shift from what York is used to doing. But ultimately you're right. You can do whatever you want with your NC schedule. Now, if it came out that Hockey East wanted BC to jam in some league games over the past month and BC declined that's at least a discussion to be had. But that hasn't been reported.

[Split-N]

...The lack of information from Hockey East has been astounding.

I find myself reluctant to pile onto the commish or the league office simply because there is neither precedent nor a "playbook" for how to operate a league under the circumstances Mr. Metcalf and staff find themselves in. Given the inherent unpredictability of the virus and varying institutional policies, scheduling "on the fly" is the hand that the league has been dealt and it would appear that bad hand is being played as well as it can be. The schedule may not be balanced and it may be uneven, but at least games are being played. Personally, I'll be happy to see the league get a full season in, no matter what it looks like and I could care less how playoffs are structured and seeded so long as there are playoffs and an eventual champion.

So far as lack of information goes, it seems difficult to provide accurate information in advance when you don't know what's happening on the various campuses day-to-day or even hour-to-hour. FWIW, I found the latest changes to the NU schedule posted to the HEA website even before I heard of them through backchannels. Personal opinion but I think HEA is doing the best it can with what it has to work with.

It will be interesting to see how things go with the second half of the NCHC season, now that it no longer has its first half bubble.