Michigan Tech Huskies 2020-21: * Our 100th Anniversary * No Catchy Title Needed *****

[JohnsonsJerseys]

The only downside is that only one extra game is hard to use up and will likely go to waste unless NMU wants to team up with Tech to play the same NC opponent on the same weekend, you're asking another team to schedule a one game series leaving them with a half empty weekend and one unused game on their schedule. Ideally you find someone really close who is headed to AK that year or is also on the US team's schedule (Duluth, SCSU, MN, etc). I doubt Tech would travel a great distance to play only one game and no one is coming to Houghton for one game.

[redwing61]

Is Suzanne Sanregret related to Kyle Kukkonen? She retweets about him (and only him) all the time.

[mtu_huskies]

Is Suzanne Sanregret related to Kyle Kukkonen? She retweets about him (and only him) all the time.

There must be something there beyond excited we're getting a good player.

Will a Joe extension be announced or just happen behind the scenes?

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Will a Joe extension be announced or just happen behind the scenes?

I would say there is some debate if Joe is the man for the job going forward. The Huskies haven't exactly been tearing up the WCHA and the CCHA will be tougher as you add St Thomas. The Tommies will have a huge pool of experienced D-I transfer players to recruit (almost 200 already in the portal) and I expect them to challenge for home ice year one in the CCHA. Also deleting the three UA_ schools means more games against tougher teams in conference play. Tech will need to make a major step forward next year, just to hold on to 5th in the CCHA.

I'm guessing something will happen before the big hockey alumni reunion in August. If they haven't already starting a coaching search, I'm guessing Joe is getting an extension. However I wouldn't expect a long-term deal or an extension that includes an easy exit clause for Tech if they decide to pull the plug and go in another direction in the next couple years.

They need to find someone who can not only raise this team to the next level, but that actually has some loyalty to Tech, will stick around for 20 years and not bolt the second something better comes along.

[manurespreader]

I like the coach from a Hockey standpoint. I hope he gets an extension, but I'm not all that thrilled with his media faux pas. And it might be a small thing, but I wish he'd wear a suit on the bench.

[Redridge]

A couple things I’ve noticed from the tournament:

The high skill/ young teams (aka #1 seeds, Mn, BC, NoDak, Wi) all got beat by senior heavy, older, 4 year players. Two of them by WCHA teams. This gives me some hope for the future; Tech has most of the team returning, and we will have a very strong group of Seniors next year (4 year guys, maybe they still have a +1 year COVID extension).

The WCHA is a much tougher league than most thought. Certainly better than the BIG. The trap style defense that we played against all year, played well in the regionals. We have not had much of a look against the NCHC (yet) which certainly looks to be very strong again this year.

[manurespreader]

I see where Bantle entered the portal last night. Too bad he didn't really want to stay. I think he had a lot of potential. I wonder what his reason was and I hope it wasn't some fast-talking agent who sold him on a bill of goods.

[StevieYnot]

Is Suzanne Sanregret related to Kyle Kukkonen? She retweets about him (and only him) all the time.

Aunt.
Kyle's Mom is a sister to Suzanne. Joe had to work for this one.

[Redridge]

Aunt.
Kyle's Mom is a sister to Suzanne. Joe had to work for this one.

LOL. It’s good to have relatives! Regardless of how we get him, he will help the team.

if he was not a Minnesota Mr Hockey finalist, it would make you wonder about the college admissions scandal...

[JohnsonsJerseys]

I see where Bantle entered the portal last night... I hope it wasn't some fast-talking agent who sold him on a bill of goods.

My guess is that he either didn't like the style of play or wasn't on the same page as the coaches. If he is in the portal he still wants to play college hockey, just not at Tech, so I don't think it is an advisor pushing him with pro hockey dreams. With Joe's focus on defense first, I wonder if he tried to push Bantle to focus more on defense as well. Given that he put up 69 pts but was -33 over 113 games during his two seasons with the Madison Capitols he is clearly more focused on the offensive end of the ice. He did improve to -3 in 19 games this year, but I could see that potentially being an issue where he wants to play a more offense focused role.

[model94]

I like the coach from a Hockey standpoint. I hope he gets an extension, but I'm not all that thrilled with his media faux pas. And it might be a small thing, but I wish he'd wear a suit on the bench.

I kind of like having a little dose of Don Cherry in what is otherwise a broad climate of overly scripted, PC vanilla interviews.

[Burnt Orange Husky]

I like the coach from a Hockey standpoint. I hope he gets an extension

It's hard to judge the coaches too harshly during this odd season so IMHO Joe should get another season. What concerns me the most is that we finished third among the UP schools. Tech has better traditions and facilities than NMU and LSSU so at some point, coaching becomes the issue...

[Burnt Orange Husky]

They need to find someone who can not only raise this team to the next level, but that actually has some loyalty to Tech, will stick around for 20 years and not bolt the second something better comes along.

One thing I really like about Joe is that it's clear he loves the UP and is proud to be Tech's coach. You can't question his loyalty. He's not like Marv. Joe just needs to develop a competitive advantage that works to get the talent he needs and then coach them up. Easier said than done...

[John J. MacInnes]

What concerns me the most is that we finished third among the UP schools.

If the only metric is where you exited the WCHA playoffs, this is true. But there's no other way you could consider a sub-.500 team who you went 6-0 against to have finished above you.

[JohnsonsJerseys]

It's hard to judge the coaches too harshly during this odd season so IMHO Joe should get another season.

While I acknowledge that COVID created huge challenges this season, that didn't stop other teams from being successful, so I don't find it to be a valid excuse for Tech or justification to accept another mid-pack finish. Just looking at the WCHA, Mankato clearly didn't miss a beat, BGSU / BSU maintained and LSSU took a major step forward. All teams faced the challenge of Covid this year. The winners adapted, overcame and kept finding ways to win consistently. Some other teams did not and finished in the bottom half of the conference.

With the Tommies' head coaching hire, they are clearly not going to be satisfied with a bottom half finish in the CCHA. They are in it to win it from day 1.