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

[Sean Pickett]

After reading about the NCHC formation, I hope that all the schools were united on this.

Why? What do you think will happen if the vote was split?

Sean

[jjmc85]

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

This is what happens when the Comm Ave Axis goes Beanpot-less for three years and wins the HEA Tournament only twice since 2013. But seriously, there has to be a story behind the story here. I'd like to get some insight on how the decision to let the contract expire was reached, which institutions were pushing it, and how united (or not) the ADs were WRT extending the contract. The USCHO and CHN stories went only so far.

I don't know Joe personally but have always had great respect for him and wish him all the best.

After reading about the NCHC formation, I hope that all the schools were united on this.

[Chuck Murray]

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

Honestly, I hadn't noticed Joe Bertagna was still "running" HE. He's been MIA for a long time now.

Given the harsh (but true) message he received from his AD's, he should step down immediately.

Or he can just occupy space non-productively, like he's been doing for so long already.

I think we can all guess what decision he will most likely make.

Yawn.

[AMC]

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

Perhaps create another Beanpot like tournament such as the Syrup Gatherers tournament and have ME, NH, VT, Dartmouth play a similar event to again create rivalry versus the lame holiday tournaments that teams attend in Florida or the UVM tournament etc. Again create nasty rivalries like the old Dallas/Eagles/Giants or Patriots/Jets that get people interested and angry. Nobody cares if Bowling Green or LSSU comes in for a holiday tournament. Save those games for early October preseason.

That was tried with Maine-UNH-Vermont-UML. No one cared. Maine and UNH created a rivalry the old fashioned way- by being neighbors who were both good at the same time. No amount of artifice will ever get either team to look at Vermont the same way. The Beanpot works because all four schools are in the same city and have a big NHL rink to play in, adding mystique. Having four northern schools that are hours apart play in one of their home rinks won't accomplish anything.

[Split-N]

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

This is what happens when the Comm Ave Axis goes Beanpot-less for three years and wins the HEA Tournament only twice since 2013. But seriously, there has to be a story behind the story here. I'd like to get some insight on how the decision to let the contract expire was reached, which institutions were pushing it, and how united (or not) the ADs were WRT extending the contract. The USCHO and CHN stories went only so far.

I don't know Joe personally but have always had great respect for him and wish him all the best.

[Jack McDonald]

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

Thx Jim for the Great Article on a Great Commissioner. Good Luck Joe with your next opportunity, as I am very sure you will have many. College Hockey will not be same without Joe Bertagna.

https://www.uscho.com/2019/07/23/com...better-person/

[GreenCat]

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

I agree. Get a single streaming platform and pay $10-20 for the season for all HE games. Have each home school advertise to alumni, and HE advertise to local hockey leagues, clubs, Juniors etc who want their players/parents to get scholarships . Each home school to provide broadcasters with homer broadcasters to create rivalries. As far as TV I would think NESN would want non bruins nights to be entertaining and not just one team working their own deal i.e. Merrimack. Make it the league and highlight rivalries like BU/BC, NH/ME/VT and create Lowell/Umass and NE/Merrimack/PC rivalries or something of the sort. Rivalries create interest.

Perhaps create another Beanpot like tournament such as the Syrup Gatherers tournament and have ME, NH, VT, Dartmouth play a similar event to again create rivalry versus the lame holiday tournaments that teams attend in Florida or the UVM tournament etc. Again create nasty rivalries like the old Dallas/Eagles/Giants or Patriots/Jets that get people interested and angry. Nobody cares if Bowling Green or LSSU comes in for a holiday tournament. Save those games for early October preseason.

[GreenCat]

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

Yeah I think priority #1 for the new commish should be to get some sort of league-wide streaming deal, preferably ESPN+ (PLEASE NO FLO). Centralization is way better than having to run all over the **** place wondering if I have to pay or not.

I agree. Get a single streaming platform and pay $10-20 for the season for all HE games. Have each home school advertise to alumni, and HE advertise to local hockey leagues, clubs, Juniors etc who want their players/parents to get scholarships . Each home school to provide broadcasters with homer broadcasters to create rivalries. As far as TV I would think NESN would want non bruins nights to be entertaining and not just one team working their own deal i.e. Merrimack. Make it the league and highlight rivalries like BU/BC, NH/ME/VT and create Lowell/Umass and NE/Merrimack/PC rivalries or something of the sort. Rivalries create interest.

[boblav1]

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

From the front page:
COMMENTARY: With Bertagna stepping down, Hockey East losing great commissioner, better person

The most forthcoming thing revealed by Bertagna, who was the league’s first full-time commissioner when he began the position 22 years ago, is that the decision to leave is not his. Rather, it was that of the 11 athletic directors in the league.

“My contract was up at the end of the [2019-20 season] and I was looking to extend it a little bit,” said Bertagna. “At the time I started that conversation, these directors had decided that they were not going to renew the contract.”

[Yuppie Scum]

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

“This is not a retirement” makes it seem like the league wanted to move on.

But isn't the league basically him and like 2 or three staffers/interns?

Far as I can tell, the entire enterprise is little more than a solitary man with a messy apartment which may or may not contain a chicken.

[TovarishchLisa]

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

Sure, but it was probably also a lot less of a thing *gestures broadly* back in 1997 with a regional cable sports channel than it is in 2019.

Yeah I think priority #1 for the new commish should be to get some sort of league-wide streaming deal, preferably ESPN+ (PLEASE NO FLO). Centralization is way better than having to run all over the **** place wondering if I have to pay or not.

[tape]

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

Sure, but it was probably also a lot less of a thing *gestures broadly* back in 1997 with a regional cable sports channel than it is in 2019.

[gfmorris]

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

Which seems interesting to me considering how quickly he secured a TV deal after he started the job:

A TV deal is rarely completed in a month.

GFM

[The Zlax45]

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

No doubt that the TV landscape has changed and is continually changing, and getting a good TV deal is a challenge - but it doesn't mean you have to be happy with the way things are or stop trying. Perhaps some new blood will be able to look at things in a new way. Regardless of the TV angle, I think everyone would agree that Hockey East needs to be better at marketing itself and making it more attractive to fans, TV exec's, etc.

Some in-season things the last few years - mainly a lack of action on varied incidents with players, coaches, etc. (the league burying its head in the sand on the racist incident at the BC/PC game last year was shameful) didn't help the league or the commish look very good either.

Agree on both your points...

[chrisP]

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

No doubt that the TV landscape has changed and is continually changing, and getting a good TV deal is a challenge - but it doesn't mean you have to be happy with the way things are or stop trying. Perhaps some new blood will be able to look at things in a new way. Regardless of the TV angle, I think everyone would agree that Hockey East needs to be better at marketing itself and making it more attractive to fans, TV exec's, etc.

Some in-season things the last few years - mainly a lack of action on varied incidents with players, coaches, etc. (the league burying its head in the sand on the racist incident at the BC/PC game last year was shameful) didn't help the league or the commish look very good either.