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

[C-H-C]

"UNH Incoming Freshmen Part 2*: Forwards Dunlap, LeClerc, Sardarian, Skrastins & Winters"

Includes bio, accomplishments, video highlights, scouting reports, stats

[NCAA watcher]

Posted mostly to enrage Chuck on U.Conn

Preseason BucciMane
Top 16
1 Denver
2 Minnesota
3 North Dakota
4 Notre Dame
5 Minnesota Duluth
6 Harvard
7 Northeastern
8 Quinnipiac
9 Michigan
10 Boston University
11 Minn St
12 Providence
13 UMass
14 Bemidji St
15 UConn
16 Penn St

[Chuck Murray]

Posted mostly to enrage Chuck on U.Conn

Preseason BucciMane
Top 16
1 Denver
2 Minnesota
3 North Dakota
4 Notre Dame
5 Minnesota Duluth
6 Harvard
7 Northeastern
8 Quinnipiac
9 Michigan
10 Boston University
11 Minn St
12 Providence
13 UMass
14 Bemidji St
15 UConn
16 Penn St

LOL thanks 'Watcher, I'm going to snap up the bait. We need to liven up the place anyway ...

... so now UConn is the "Flavor of the Month" (year/decade/whatever) after making it to the Hockey East tourney in Boston for the first time ever. Not shocking, as some program has always got to be the shiny new toy in the league, and it's finally their turn for a run at it. I mean, after all, they are still the only HEA program to have never (not once) qualified for the NCAA tourney (even Merrimack has made it once). And itty-bitty, not-so-far-from Storrs AIC has now made it three times, but they don't appear on the ESPN The Ocho Top 16 list. Hmm ...

UConn basically finished in a 3 way tie for 4th place in HEA last season with Merrimack and BU. But add a small dash of nutmeg into the local yokel ESPN yahoo homer-ism mix, and Luce will be able to wave this "selection" around non-stop, as the whole "Jerry York hasn't won anything without me" recruiting pitch is starting to age, especially now with Coach York's retirement. Who knows, maybe Yorkie will get bored polishing up his hardware at home, and offer to volunteer assist with Luce this year? I mean, only if Luce would have him, of course.

It's been a slow build over the last decade in Storrs, and I get it that some folks are giddy that the program just had its first winning season, and actually won a playoff game/series last March. Good for them. But to compare the speed of the build at UConn with the much more rapid ascensions of (for example) UMass Lowell under Coach Bazin, UMass Amherst under Coach Carvel (and yes, I was a doubter there), or a generation earlier, BC under York, UMaine under Walsh and UNH under Umile, and UConn still comes up FAR short.

UConn's closest comp is still Northeastern under Jim Madigan, but even the Huntington Hounds progressed more rapidly to relevance in HEA than the tepid pace still being set by these "other" Huskies. At some point, the "build" has to become a consistent home-ice competitor in HEA, and a semi-consistent NCAA participant. Or else someone takes their place as the shiny new toy in Hockey East. I say the clock is ticking, and the window is closing for UConn, with every step Coach Barr takes up in the Downeast to return UMaine to relevance. Northeastern is still up there, as is BU, and you can't expect BC to be down for long, now that the post-York transition is finally underway. Even "Norm from Lowell" is still in the picture.

So continue to color me as unimpressed by the speed of UConn's ascension. Others have done much more, and much more quickly. Even the Dennehy-era Merrimack program emerged more quickly. If the slow build down at Storrs continues in its current direction into more rarified air, I can be convinced to change my mind (see UMass). I just don't see it happening.

[NCAA watcher]

With kids hitting campus now, let's see where we are in HE
1.BU
2.NU
3.U.Mass
4.U.Conn
5.BC
6.Providence
7.U.Mass-Lowell
8.Merrimack
9.U.N.H.
10.Maine
11.Vermont

[Chuck Murray]

With kids hitting campus now, let's see where we are in HE
1.BU
2.NU
3.U.Mass
4.U.Conn
5.BC
6.Providence
7.U.Mass-Lowell
8.Merrimack
9.U.N.H.
10.Maine
11.Vermont

I hate to say it, but I think only the frosh goalie has a shot at keeping UNH out of 11th this season.

[d.gerry]

I hate to say it, but I think only the frosh goalie has a shot at keeping UNH out of 11th this season.

Sad state of affairs, but unfortunately I think you are right.

On another note, I'm still trying to decide on season tickets. Buying a ticket game night will not be an issue if I do want to go to a game, so I think I'm going that route. I've had season tickets since the opening of the Whit, so it is sad decision. I just don't think I can justify the cost given the product. After nearly three decades of being a season ticket holder wouldn't you expect the UNH ticket office to reach out? At least ask if I may have "overlooked" the deadline? I would, but not a peep, they have made their bed so they can lie in it.

[NCAA watcher]

Sad state of affairs, but unfortunately I think you are right.

On another note, I'm still trying to decide on season tickets. Buying a ticket game night will not be an issue if I do want to go to a game, so I think I'm going that route. I've had season tickets since the opening of the Whit, so it is sad decision. I just don't think I can justify the cost given the product. After nearly three decades of being a season ticket holder wouldn't you expect the UNH ticket office to reach out? At least ask if I may have "overlooked" the deadline? I would, but not a peep, they have made their bed so they can lie in it.

I'd pop that right into an email for
athletic.director@unh.edu

If you are the new boss, you want to know where the mess is.

As to outcomes for this season, with all of the freshmen, there is high volatility in predicting standings. Its better than last year where you had a sense of knowing their ceiling was limited. At least this year will be interesting to see what upside there is.

[Whalers]

After nearly three decades of being a season ticket holder wouldn't you expect the UNH ticket office to reach out?

In the business world, absolutely, if you want to be around for 3+ decades. In academia? Not so much. They would preach this at WSBE/Paul but obviously never put it into action in real life. Too much like work, and the paycheck showed up in the bank today, so ....... When is the protest march for Trans Rights during Sorority Rush Week? Must deal with the important issues affecting our lives and make sure we preserve our Democracy.

[Chuck Murray]

As to outcomes for this season, with all of the freshmen, there is high volatility in predicting standings. Its better than last year where you had a sense of knowing their ceiling was limited. At least this year will be interesting to see what upside there is.

With all other things being equal, I'd agree with the "high volatility" assessment of having a big incoming class. Problem is, those incoming players will be coached by a guy who has yet to prove any ability to consistently "coach up" any individual players, much less a whole team. His support staff also hasn't changed. That Einstein guy once had this quality observation about what doing the same things over & over again, yet expecting a different outcome, suggested about the subject of his observation.

Ironically, MS7's coaching career at UNH has mirrored that of his mentor Luce and his early years at Storrs. And in fairness to Luce, his program was at a lower level when he started than UNH was when "The Great Experiment" began late in the Umile Era. And Luce has progressed slowly, whilst MS7 has stagnated. So it's safe to say, I've lost any remaining faith I may have still had in MS7 turning the ship around this far into his maiden voyage. That's on MS7, it's on Umile, and it's on the last AD.

Barring an outright "Miracle On Ice" in Titletown NH, the new AD needs to turn the page quickly on this run of uninterrupted mediocrity, and start with a new chapter of energy and hope. ASAP.

[Chuck Murray]

In the business world, absolutely, if you want to be around for 3+ decades. In academia? Not so much. They would preach this at WSBE/Paul but obviously never put it into action in real life. Too much like work, and the paycheck showed up in the bank today, so ....... When is the protest march for Trans Rights during Sorority Rush Week? Must deal with the important issues affecting our lives and make sure we preserve our Democracy.

LOL ... but sadly just SO true. As someone is known to have said, "everything woke turns to $h!t".

Honestly makes me question my lingering interest in college athletics sometimes ...

[norbert]

March 2...ending with Vermont.

Seems odd that Senior night is going to be a Thursday. In 20+ years I don't recall this type of situation.

[Felger]

Found out who one of the other AD finalists was this week and think they would have been better than the woman from Princeton.

Well there's an opening up your way.

[After the Whistle]

As one of the few Pollyannas on here, CHC can get me reasonably cranked with his updates on our new kids. I use the word reasonably because I am almost afraid to hope that this might be the year to “start the climb”. Permission to use that on the next thread Ref.
I see 4/5 potentially strong players coming in but I have felt that way before. Unfortunately as Chuck has noted, we do not appear to have a demonstrated ability to help these kids get to the next level.
Looking at Watchers HE standings my initial feeling was no way, we are better than that. But as I review the names above us I can’t honestly pull anyone of them down below us, and while not knowing squat abut the UVM and Maine recruits they sound pretty solid.
I read with great envoy the Maine thread talking about the entire team there all summer and really working on their conditioning. Another area that we need work on. Especially if you use the top lines like we seem to need to do.
All that said, I can’t wait for the year to begin. Go Cats!

[Chuck Murray]

As one of the few Pollyannas on here, CHC can get me reasonably cranked with his updates on our new kids.

C-H-C has been doing this for a long time (as has 'Watcher). Their posts on incoming prospects used to stir the pot on forum discussions back in the day, when genuine excitement over the next incoming McCloskey recruit was palpable. But you can't make chicken salad from chicken $h!t, and where in the prime Umile era there would be a conveyor belt of quality recruits queued up, nowadays it tends to be one centerpiece once in awhile, mixed in with a lot of "filler". And more often that we'd like, some of the few top quality recruits eventually don't matriculate here.

Dan has always nicely explained how important it is to build a critical mass of talented players, and then to maintain it for a program to be successful long-term. Having a guy in charge who knows how to do that, and whom players can believe in to make their careers more successful long term, is a must. Back then, UNH had that person. Nowadays, they don't. Simple.

I read with great envoy the Maine thread talking about the entire team there all summer and really working on their conditioning. Another area that we need work on. Especially if you use the top lines like we seem to need to do.

It's hard for players not to be excited to have the opportunity to play for a coach who's able to draw upon his success at the highest level of D-1 college hockey at multiple stops. Someone who can casually drop the name "Cale Makar" into a training session when he's trying to get his message across, knowing those kids are guaranteed to be paying attention (and knowing alternately if he's not getting through, the kid might not be worth the effort).

It's all about credibility, and Coach Barr has it in spades.

[C-H-C]

"UNH Incoming Transfers: Forwards Lovett & Black, Defensemen Babbage & DeVita"
Includes bios, scouting reports, stats