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

[amkirby10]

Last time I looked, the NCHC was a hockey-only league. So, certain parties want to be more like the NCHC but also want to take down an equally prestigious hockey-only league? Given what we think we know, something about this doesn't compute.

I agree with you, that's another thing that dosen't add up. I was thinking the same thing.

[brassbonanza]

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

I agree with you, that's another thing that dosen't add up. I was thinking the same thing.

The whole concept here doesn't add up.

[Sean Pickett]

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

Hockey East shared a commissioner with America East from 1988-1993. Hockey East's stated reason for hiring a new commissioner was that Stuart Haskell resigned as HE commissioner to devote all his time and attention to America East. If the America East commissioner had no time in 1993 for hockey why would they have time now?

Sean

[chrisP]

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

I agree with you, that's another thing that dosen't add up. I was thinking the same thing.

Add me to the list that this makes no sense and would never happen - nor should it.

Do you really think Boston College would leave the ACC? Providence & UConn leave the Big East? I think some folks are over estimating the power of college hockey at most schools....

[Sean Pickett]

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

Add me to the list that this makes no sense and would never happen - nor should it.

Do you really think Boston College would leave the ACC? Providence & UConn leave the Big East? I think some folks are over estimating the power of college hockey at most schools....

First, UConn already left the Big East, they are now in the AAC and soon to rejoin the Big East. Second, no one is asking them to leave their leagues, just to affiliate their hockey teams with America East (or another league).

Sean

[J.D.]

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

The more I think about this the less sense it makes. Fans might not have liked it but Big Ten hockey made sense to me. Big schools, big brand, big money. I just don't see that with America East. And frankly I still don't really see why this would interest AE.

I thought ok maybe Merrimack is also in favor of this. They recently went D1 in hoops. But it's not like they are an independent. They are in a lesser league than AE but would they try to get an invite to AE to bump their profile?

I'm just failing to see who is supporting this from Hockey East members.

[J.D.]

First, UConn already left the Big East, they are now in the AAC and soon to rejoin the Big East. Second, no one is asking them to leave their leagues, just to affiliate their hockey teams with America East (or another league).

Sean

But I would be curious how the ACC would feel about BC associating its hockey team with a different all sport league. There's no reason a school like BC would want this. The current Hockey East landscape is just fine.

[Chris_NH]

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

"Hockey East needs fixing and is in disarray," said no one ever.

[AMC]

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

Hockey East shared a commissioner with America East from 1988-1993. Hockey East's stated reason for hiring a new commissioner was that Stuart Haskell resigned as HE commissioner to devote all his time and attention to America East. If the America East commissioner had no time in 1993 for hockey why would they have time now?

Sean

Maybe without Delaware, Hofstra, Drexel, Towson, BU, etc. there is a lot less going on in the America East offices?

It does seem like there may be some administrative overlap that could be combined between the league offices. Have some "Deputy Commissioner" in the America East whose sole remit is hockey, and hire one or two more staffers for the league office and you can probably do what two completely separate league offices are doing now at a much lower cost.

[Nick Papagiorgio]

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

Not sure an MBA is the problem. MBAs understand supply and demand and falling demand.

I think they tend to put the cart before the horse. Your post mentions a lot of the symptoms these types create.

As you said, "chasing dollars"... these people are constantly looking to increase revenue, create revenue streams, project revenue streams to make their power points presentations look good. Numbers, numbers, metrics, metrics, etc. How can I make our annual report look good?! Milk ever last dollar out that they can... it alienates the fans and in our case, we're talking about a small but rabid base in a niche sport. But these types are doing this stuff all over the place and the results are generally very sad.

Let the NCHC do their thing. Let the B1G do their thing. Let's keep doing our thing - we have a great league of New England schools in a good/solid recruiting area for the sport, all fairly close as a "bus league" compared to other leagues, and a nice central location for our conference tournament annually (and generally speaking even great locations for our schools in the regionals most years!). If there is a small way to improve it - provided it is feasible and the rising tide lifts all boats, then go for it. Otherwise, nothing is broken here and there is nothing to fix.

[J.D.]

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

That's why I think if these rumors are true it's being driven by a woe is me we can't compete with the big boys mentality. Would be nice to know who is pushing this.

[kdiff77]

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

But I would be curious how the ACC would feel about BC associating its hockey team with a different all sport league. There's no reason a school like BC would want this. The current Hockey East landscape is just fine.

It's a little different because of the football situation (not to mention geographic location), but the ACC is apparently okay with Notre Dame joining the B1G for hockey only. Still think it would be incredibly stupid to follow suit, but it wouldn't be unprecedented for an ACC school to join another Power 5 conference for a single sport.

[Split-N]

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

...As you said, "chasing dollars"... these people are constantly looking to increase revenue, create revenue streams, project revenue streams to make their power point presentations look good. Numbers, numbers, metrics, metrics, etc...Milk ever last dollar out that they can... it alienates the fans and in our case, we're talking about a small but rabid base in a niche sport...we have a great league of New England schools in a good/solid recruiting area for the sport...and a nice central location for our conference tournament annually...nothing is broken here and there is nothing to fix.

THIS!! ALL OF IT! Except I'd home in on marketing types as the ones screwing things up rather than broad brush MBAs generally. As for the departing commissioner, he may not have been perfect in all respects but he's the reason "nothing is broken here and there is nothing to fix."

[J.D.]

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

Ya Notre Dame is a different animal. They are in the ACC for basketball and have a scheduling agreement with the ACC for football but are not actually a conference member in football.

Even if I grant you that example I still couldn't fathom BC wanting to go this America East route. I would think they are happy with how things are structured right now. In fact, York was quoted in that article talking about Sacred Heart as a potential 12th team for the league.

[Snively65]

While I don’t think it changes your argument, only UNH was a founding member of Hockey East. Maine and UML were the first 2 schools to accept invitations to join the league.

Sean

Chuck Murray began a "founding of HEA" thread, imaybe in hibernation on page 2? :-)