Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

[Middle Street]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

I was wondering the same. Maybe they wanted to give some schools in other conferences an opportunity to participate?

[TheRevengeance]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

I don't think it's related to Joe at all. The list of teams who haven't gone in the last four years (and thus are eligible to go again), excluding BC who wouldn't set foot there for obvious reasons, is Merrimack (already in a Thanksgiving tourney with UML), Lowell (See previous), UVM (Already hosts a Christmas tournament, may have a new head coach), and UMass. If either of UMass or UVM didn't want to go, Hockey East had no chance of sending two teams. Keep in mind the ECAC is only sending QU, so this isn't a Hockey East only problem.

[BlackI]

I saw the part in Connolly and Hendrickson's season preview about a 12th team in Hockey East. Please, no Arizona State. One of the best things I feel that works for the conference is its geographic concentration. Recognizable regional rivalries. The tough question then is, what potential places have the resources and desire to compete at that level? Thinking not that much further afield, Syracuse comes to mind, they have a women's program, but like anything else, always depends on donors coming up with the necessary start up cash. Everyone always says URI, but again, where's the desire and the cash. I think NYC would be a great market to step into (which every conference thinks) if there was a suitable candidate. Something from thinking WAY outside the box? - McGill.

Quinnipiac makes sense to me.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

Quinnipiac makes sense to me.

Unfortunately, Hockey East doesn't make sense for Quinnipiac. They'd be here already if it did.

[Snively65]

After seeing the way those canadian teams played in exhibition a few years ago, no thanks to McGill.

I like Bentley (new rink at 4k is fine in this day and age), Holy Cross a little bit of a dark horse due to lack of stadium/competition from Worcester Railers. Maybe the newly legit AIC is in the conversation?

UMaine Portland?

Bentley's wonderful new arena seats 1917, not 4K.

[UML Puck Hawk]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

New Streaming info

[rpi82]

I don't think it's related to Joe at all. The list of teams who haven't gone in the last four years (and thus are eligible to go again), excluding BC who wouldn't set foot there for obvious reasons, is Merrimack (already in a Thanksgiving tourney with UML), Lowell (See previous), UVM (Already hosts a Christmas tournament, may have a new head coach), and UMass. If either of UMass or UVM didn't want to go, Hockey East had no chance of sending two teams. Keep in mind the ECAC is only sending QU, so this isn't a Hockey East only problem.

Why no BC “for obvious reasons?” Sacred Heart and Mercyhurst are both Catholic institutions and they will be playing in the tournament next season. PC has played there as well. In fact, I just noticed that P.C. has an overseas study program in Belfast.

As for Quinnipiac to HE, my understanding is they are very happy in the ECAC and have no desire to leave. They are positioned to be competitive every season and, as a school that has enhanced its stature tremendously in the last 25 years, they like the association with the Ivies and other selective privates. In particular, I don’t think they ever dreamed of playing rivalry games with Yale and it has come to pass (of course, for the Elis it will never match Yale v Harvard or Cornell, but the energy in the Whale or the TD center is definitely up for the Whitney Avenue rivalry). I have no doubt they’d do well in HE and it would be a good relationship, but they are already getting what they want and need in the ECAC.

[Snively65]

Why no BC “for obvious reasons?” Sacred Heart and Mercyhurst are both Catholic institutions and they will be playing in the tournament next season. PC has played there as well. In fact, I just noticed that P.C. has an overseas study program in Belfast.

As for Quinnipiac to HE, my understanding is they are very happy in the ECAC and have no desire to leave. They are positioned to be competitive every season and, as a school that has enhanced its stature tremendously in the last 25 years, they like the association with the Ivies and other selective privates. In particular, I don’t think they ever dreamed of playing rivalry games with Yale and it has come to pass (of course, for the Elis it will never match Yale v Harvard or Cornell, but the energy in the Whale or the TD center is definitely up for the Whitney Street rivalry). I have no doubt they’d do well in HE and it would be a good relationship, but they are already getting what they want and need in the ECAC.

I could not agree more. I have been following Quinnipiac since before they were an AHC team, and no question they relish competing with Vlae. I cannot imagine them ever leaving the ECAC, as long as the Ivy's stay in that conference. Their just barely off-campus arena is a gem. :-)

[Middle Street]

Why no BC “for obvious reasons?”

Google ‘Boston College tapes’.

[rpi82]

Google ‘Boston College tapes’.

Got it.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

Google ‘Boston College tapes’.

Indeed.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

Since he's likely to be out of his current job soon … how about Daryl Morey for HE Commissioner???

There have been a lot of high-profile frauds unwittingly unmasked in his corner of the world recently.

Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1KCVj_v0ik

Not worth a lick of spit … come on down, frauds:

* Lebron James
* Gregg Popovich
* Steve Kerr
* Adam Silver

… ???????????

[J.D.]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

TC and Jaffe on the call tonight. So that confirms NESN will have their guys do some of these games and others will just be picking up feeds from the schools involved.

[ScottK]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

TC and Jaffe on the call tonight. So that confirms NESN will have their guys do some of these games and others will just be picking up feeds from the schools involved.

That's not necessarily true. For the games that Lowell had on NESN last year, they hired TC and Jaffe to call the games.

[J.D.]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

Right but the PC-Maine game to start the year was PC announcers.

Good lord these reviews are getting out of hand.