Wisconsin Hockey 21-22: Your Guess Is As Good As Mine

[srkbadger]

In my opinion, the next hire should be free of UW connections, respect the history of the program but be unrestrained by it. Having an alum as coach makes the decision to dismiss him even more emotional, and I think that emotion is largely a detriment. Tony is a great guy, I knew him well as a player. I don't want anything bad to happen to him, but objectively it's time to move on and make a new start after Eaves and Granato. Both Badger legends whose legacy as players should not be convoluted with their coaching stints.

[J.D.]

In my opinion, the next hire should be free of UW connections, respect the history of the program but be unrestrained by it. Having an alum as coach makes the decision to dismiss the him even more emotional, and I think that emotion is largely a detriment. Tony is a great guy, I knew him well as a player. I don't want anything bad to happen to him, but objectively it's time to move on and make a new start after Eaves and Granato. Both Badger legends whose legacy as players should not be convoluted with their coaching stints.

Hastings should be your guy then. Hell, I want BC to check in on him to see if he's interested in a new challenge.

[Timothy A]

It looks like at the moment there are no UW players in the portal. One would think if you did want out, you'd be in there now so maximize your window and get hooked up with someone else before you lose that seat to someone else.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

I guess that’s good news as far as the locker room is considered.

I haven’t looked at who’s in the portal, but I did see a reputable tweet intimating that the Krygier twins might be in there?

[WiscTJK]

It looks like at the moment there are no UW players in the portal. One would think if you did want out, you'd be in there now so maximize your window and get hooked up with someone else before you lose that seat to someone else.

Is Granato in the portal yet? How about Oz or Strobel?

[MadCityRich]

Is Granato in the portal yet? How about Oz or Strobel?

Classic!

[MadCityRich]

I am at the point in my life where I can actually afford season tickets and I have the time to use them. Now it's just sad that they suck so bad I don't want to spend the money on them. It also sucks when you go to watch them on tv and your goal for them is not not embarrass themselves.

You're certainly welcome to ride along with 2 big Avalanche fans on our next road trip.

[model94]

The fan culture and experience was dying well before then, if you ask me.

I could tell a notable difference in the atmosphere in the Kohl during the 2005-06 and 2009-10 campaigns: The fans weren’t as loud, the student section less full, the band was more regularly being shut out in favor of canned music on the PA system.

Those were two winning seasons, each before the Penn State announcement, so I’m going to say that the root cause goes deeper. And I’m probably not even qualified to guess what exactly that cause was. I usually point to the canned music, but perhaps that’s more of a symptom than a cause.

Roughly a decade of bad hockey and the loss of a sense of tradition has certainly made all of the problems (exponentially?) worse: going to a Badger game now feels less like a collegiate event and more like a low-rent minor league game. Given that things were trending this way before realignment or the sense that Eaves had to go, I doubt it’s coming back even if the team wins more games and wins back fans.

I was able to attend opening weekend in Madison. The Kohl center is unbelievable for a college venue, just gorgeous. But a co worker and Badger alum admitted that it diminishes the college game experience by being so over the top. I understand what he means. But its really a nice facility. I'm sure I'm repeating what many have said already: Big-10 football rivalries have nothing to do with hockey (and for the love of Pete, stop making hockey helmets like the football helmets!!). You still have the Gopher rivalry, but all the rest from the core hockey schools - UMD, UND, Tech to a lesser degree, the rest of old WCHA, are gone.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Well that’s weird…

Tony Granato visits George Fabian, receives slap in the face from nonagenarian

[Timothy A]

I guess that’s good news as far as the locker room is considered.

I haven’t looked at who’s in the portal, but I did see a reputable tweet intimating that the Krygier twins might be in there?

Yeah, a slice of positivity there. TG has not lost the players, which is a shock.

Cryers...I saw one on the portal list.

[Timothy A]

I was able to attend opening weekend in Madison. The Kohl center is unbelievable for a college venue, just gorgeous. But a co worker and Badger alum admitted that it diminishes the college game experience by being so over the top. I understand what he means.

Watts is over the top? Please expound.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

The stuff that makes it not have a college game experience isn’t really about the Kohl Center itself, but the game day experience.

Its the stupid legends race. Filling time with goofy stuff on the score board. Playing canned music on the PA instead of letting the band do it’s thing. The resulting anemia of the student section because all each of those things do is stifle whatever life might otherwise grow outwards from sections 113-117.

When fans are in the seats, and the crowd is allowed to be a crowd, and the band is allowed to do its thing… the Kohl Center is as magical as anywhere else.

To this day, my time as a Crease Creature is the most fun I’ve ever had at a sporting event. And there’s some excellent competition for that claim.

It’d be possible to happen again if it weren’t for [gestures vaguely at the last 15 years].

[model94]

Watts is over the top? Please expound.

It's far nicer than many NHL facilities. That's as much expounding as I'm going to do.

[WiscTJK]

It's far nicer than many NHL facilities. That's as much expounding as I'm going to do.

I've seen their dressing room and some of the back of house facilities and can attest it is top notch.......

[sunprairie]

Watts is over the top? Please expound.

Facilities can be and are great for recruiting. They can also be great for fan comfort. But if you’ve traveled to other smaller and less elaborate barns, it is the size that actually creates a lot of the atmosphere and charm at the college level. I would take Tech’s arena (for a less elaborate and less comfortable example) or Notre Dame’s arena (many of the same modern amenities as the KC, just much smaller, and therefore rocking even with a 2,500 person crowd) over a cavernous Kohl Center that requires 10-12,000 to feel full and loud. That’s simply a lot to ask if any college hockey community on a consistent basis, regardless of a team’s history or legacy.