UNH Men's Hockey 2022 Off Season Thread- Goodbye Lake Whitt!

[Chuck Murray]

Are we talking MS or did we go down the tortured basketball trail? I'm pretty sure BH has the goods on Marty...

My prior post was in reference to Coach Umile, who reportedly snagged the much-desired "lifetime contract" from Judy Ray (Blue Skies' predecessor) when UNH was making regular trips to the Frozen Four, which he leveraged by threatening to up stakes and take the UMass Amherst job.

In fairness to Herrion, he IS the most successful Hoops HC in UNH history ... which says WAY more about UNH Hoops history than it does about BH.

Personally, I don't have a gripe with Herrion. The program is where it is because of what went on for generations before BH ever set foot on campus. I'll grudgingly even give him credit for raising the bar at UNH Hoops from "ridiculously low" to just plain "very low".

MS7 on the other hand has been driving what had been a Maserati into the proverbial ditch ...

[SNHUPenman]

My prior post was in reference to Coach Umile, who reportedly snagged the much-desired "lifetime contract" from Judy Ray (Blue Skies' predecessor) when UNH was making regular trips to the Frozen Four, which he leveraged by threatening to up stakes and take the UMass Amherst job.

In fairness to Herrion, he IS the most successful Hoops HC in UNH history ... which says WAY more about UNH Hoops history than it does about BH.

Personally, I don't have a gripe with Herrion. The program is where it is because of what went on for generations before BH ever set foot on campus. I'll grudgingly even give him credit for raising the bar at UNH Hoops from "ridiculously low" to just plain "very low".

MS7 on the other hand has been driving what had been a Maserati into the proverbial ditch ...

BH is an ok coach. But to never make a conference final at a minimum in 16 years should call for a change. Maybe he will learn to use the portal soon and not just stick his fingers in his ears about the changes of the landscape. You are correct it is not his fault, it is a complete systemic failure that has gone on forever. Wish they could just drop it and bring back baseball...just saying.

Umile earned what he got. The issue was allowing him to dictate retirement. And then on top of that to allow him to hand pick his successor.

[Dan]

That's cold, man. Stone effing cold. (thumbs up emoji)

When Blashill gets the gate in a few weeks at DRW, he'll go to the top of the list for HC of UNH. Has the D-1 background, will need a job, and great reputation as a teacher. Any shortcomings on the motivational side could be overcome by some of the stirring "me & Pavel" tales he'll be able to weave.

Only question then left, who's gonna do the shopping for his "groceries"? Danny DeKeyser???

From your lips to the new AD's ears! Blashill would be an absolute home run - he bought the groceries at Miami when the RedHawks were regularly landing elite recruits and making deep NCAA runs. He would have UNH back to the top in a handful of seasons at worst...

[HockeyRef]

From your lips to the new AD's ears! Blashill would be an absolute home run - he bought the groceries at Miami when the RedHawks were regularly landing elite recruits and making deep NCAA runs. He would have UNH back to the top in a handful of seasons at worst...

Dan I could.look it up but would Blashill be taking a pay cut if in some alternative universe he'd come to UNH?

[Dan]

Dan I could.look it up but would Blashill be taking a pay cut if in some alternative universe he'd come to UNH?

Relative to his NHL salary, Im sure he would - but relative to what he made at WMU, Im sure UNH can match or exceed at this point. It's just a matter of what he wants to do next - or, perhaps, how he would want to rehabilitate himself for his next NHL job. The man can flat out recruit and coach at the NCAA level and UNH would have a hard time doing better than Blashill in any future coaching search...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...hockey_seasons

You can see what Miami did from 2002-03 through 2007-08 (and the next couple of seasons) when Blashill was the main recruiter, with help from Chris Bergeron (and of course Head Coach Enrico Blasi). Miami's recruiting slipped substantially after he left and led to Blasi's firing and their current situation. Bergeron has not done much to resurrect recruiting as the team's bench boss the last few seasons (lending further credence to Blashill's contributions)...

That said, there's a lot that needs to happen for this to even be a remote possibility, so probably not worth getting too excited about...

[NCAA watcher]

While killing time to see if anyone in the portal might sign on with UNH.....
If we're dreaming, Ryan Hardy the former USHL Chicago GM, now an assistant GM in Toronto, would be great. But like Blashill, they're pipedreams. Even Reid Cashman at Dartmouth is probably out of the realm (don't know what outs he has in his contract). The good thing is the Barr has been set so low at UNH that every hire, even a current assistant at a successful program like Dane Jackson or Bill Muckalt, would be more qualified than Souza was, and will be an improvement. With that perspective, I trust the process, even without knowing who the new AD will be.

[Chuck Murray]

Relative to his NHL salary, Im sure he would - but relative to what he made at WMU, Im sure UNH can match or exceed at this point. It's just a matter of what he wants to do next - or, perhaps, how he would want to rehabilitate himself for his next NHL job. The man can flat out recruit and coach at the NCAA level and UNH would have a hard time doing better than Blashill in any future coaching search...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...hockey_seasons

You can see what Miami did from 2002-03 through 2007-08 (and the next couple of seasons) when Blashill was the main recruiter, with help from Chris Bergeron (and of course Head Coach Enrico Blasi). Miami's recruiting slipped substantially after he left and led to Blasi's firing and their current situation. Bergeron has not done much to resurrect recruiting as the team's bench boss the last few seasons (lending further credence to Blashill's contributions)...

That said, there's a lot that needs to happen for this to even be a remote possibility, so probably not worth getting too excited about...

Agree, there are a few dominos that need to fall first, but unless he can finish the season strong, the team's recent downfall from playing .500 hockey late last season and well into this season, to having plummeted from borderline playoff contention, is definitely putting his DRW future on thin ice.

Yzerman has been VERY patient with him, and up until a month or so ago, that patience was being rewarded with gradual but meaningful improvement of the on-ice results, as the first few waves of Yzerman era draftees have been arriving (especially Seider and Raymond). I think Blashill is going to have to finish strong and get the team back up to .500 (they're six below at this point) to have a realistic shot at staying. Unfortunately for him, his team's younger players are showing all the signs of hitting a competitive wall lately - in part due to the fact none of the non-vets has played an 80 game season since '18/'19 (if ever). Something to keep an eye on though, for sure.

UNH would definitely represent a pay cut, but as you've pointed out, his next step (assuming he's not the long-term answer in Detroit at some point) will be to decide what the rest of his career is going to look like. He's not very likely to jump back into an NHL head coaching job - his bottom-line results at that level won't register with 90% of the teams out there - and if given the choice between NHL assistant and NCAA D-1 head coach, they pretty much pay in the same range. Blashill may end up getting offered another job in the DRW front office, as it's clear that Yzerman likes and respects him, or he would have been gone two or three years ago. He's only 48 years old, so if there's ever going to be a time for him to think about jumping back into NCAA D-1 hockey, now might be the time, and if so, UNH could be a tremendous opportunity for him.

I'm guessing there's an 80% chance Blashill is out at DRW in April, a 50% chance he's offered (and accepts) another job in the organization ... but if he slips past those two cracks, UNH would be 100% nuts not to consider jumping to the front of a line of other likely suitors at this level by making him an early "offer he can't refuse" in a HEA landscape very much in flux.

Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill: Sometimes, you have to 'harp, harp harp' (freep.com)

[NCAA watcher]

And we're thinking Blashill would know what UNH is if they called? He's a career mid-west (Michigan) guy who has no reason to jump at the first job. He has a better chance of sitting out a year and then taking the Michigan job if something happens to Mel Pearson there (Red Berenson redux).

Let's let Reid Cashman gain some traction at Dartmouth and then take him in 2023 (Charlie Holt redux). He's not a sure thing, but he at least will have a plan and vision upon taking the job.

[Chuck Murray]

And we're thinking Blashill would know what UNH is if they called? He's a career mid-west (Michigan) guy who has no reason to jump at the first job.

I'd have never imagined Mike Babcock even knew HEA existed, being a Canadian/NHL lifer and all, but then his kid ended up in North Andover, and then he himself ended up as a volunteer assistant in Burlington. So I'm pretty sure Blashill knows UNH is out there. It may not be anywhere close to his radar right now, but if the new AD turns out to be someone from far away, with vision and high ambitions, Blashill shouldn't be considered as someone who is "out of reach", not by any means (unless, of course, he keeps his present job). Then again, I suppose, if it's Commish Nigel coming back as AD, then maybe Reid Cashman is your guy, or we can just extend MS7? This is where I hope and pray 'dc is right about an upcoming ambitious AD hire from outside of the bubble ...

[Whalers]

shouldn't be considered as someone who is "out of reach"

I can't remember the details, but I am sure Paul Kariya was considered out of reach for the BBears as well, but somehow Walshie was able to sell him on Orono. The UNH cash cow is now laying cow pies, so Pres Dean better be thinking big, or he will continue to step in said pies. Call up Blashill and SELL HIM, or someone like him, on Durham. Sales 101, pick up the phone and make the call, sell him on the 90 ft Whitt and then close the deal.

If you need to think out of the box cash wise to land him, laddle some incentives on him for Frozen Four trips, or easier yet, increases in attendance. Heck, give him $2 of every ticket sold over 4500 on up to 6501. At least you are being serious and creative.

[ClOuD 9]

And we're thinking Blashill would know what UNH is if they called?

http://collegehockeystats.net/0607/boxes/mmiaunh1.m24

[Felger]

Not to mentioned he coached Justin Agosta, Casey Desmith and Kevin Goumas in juniors....

[NCAA watcher]

Wait for the Michigan opening, or, if it doesn't, then Michigan State (see below) will be open soon. Don't have to move the family, and get $300K extra in free tuition for the kids.

This and Gallacher are substantial blows and it’s hard to imagine we have anything other than a coaching staff that is completely dead in the water. A year from now we will be conducting a coaching search, I’m quite certain.

[Felger]

Wait for the Michigan opening, or, if it doesn't, then Michigan State will be open soon. Don't have to move the family, and get $300K extra in free tuition for the kids.

Not sure if any of you have been reading them, but the Michigan State and Wisconsin threads share a lot of similarities with the UNH threads these days.

[NCAA watcher]

Not sure if any of you have been reading them, but the Michigan State and Wisconsin threads share a lot of similarities with the UNH threads these days.

The BU one, too, until recent days. Everyone feels entitled to be above average.