UNH Hockey 2023 Off Season Thread Turn and Face the Strange

[Felger]

25 years ago today was a magic moment in UNH hockey history. Where did the time go?

[Chuck Murray]

25 years ago today was a magic moment in UNH hockey history. Where did the time go?

Would that be the Mowers SHG OT game winner over BU in Albany (assisted by MS7!) in the Regional Finals?

We thought the world would be our oyster soon enough ... if only ...

[JB]

Would that be the Mowers SHG OT game winner over BU in Albany (assisted by MS7!) in the Regional Finals?

We thought the world would be our oyster soon enough ... if only ...

I was in the stands in Albany that weekend. That win was more impressive than the 4-3 OT results.

They limped into the post season. A high flying team that could not beat a trap and once UMass showed the weakness everybody used it down the stretch. They end up in a bracket without a traping team. It was really warm in Albany that weekend and you could see the ice was soft and slow from the stands.

They fall behind to Wisconsin and come back to win 7-3. Wisconsin wanted to skate with a team that had 2 60+ point forwards and 2 50+ point forwards. It was the first team that tried to skate with them since January, Wisconsin got up 3-1 (maybe even 3-0) ultimately BAD choice. UNH feasted on teams like that... Once they found their legs they scored in bunches.

Up next BU and in those 12 team tournament days, BU got to rest. I thought UNH was done the ice was so soft. I couldn't believe they had the legs to win that game. If they didn't get the SHG I think BU would have ended them on the PP.

BC was the other top seed in Albany (2 regional sites was always better) and they happily cheered UNH on to beat BU.

Get to the Frozen 4 in Boston and got chewed up by Michigan. It changed UNH. It was the last year of high flying devil may care offense (putting double digits on Merrimack). From that point on they played a more balanced game and the reward was 3 more trips to the Frozen Four.

It was the beginning of the golden years of UNH Hockey... Hopefully they come again.

[Dan]

Up next BU and in those 12 team tournament days, BU got to rest. I thought UNH was done the ice was so soft. I couldn't believe they had the legs to win that game. If they didn't get the SHG I think BU would have ended them on the PP.

BC was the other top seed in Albany (2 regional sites was always better) and they happily cheered UNH on to beat BU.

Funny you mention this, as this was one of - if not the - tournament(s) that drove a reevaluation of regional sites. Michigan was the eventual National Champion, despite finishing as the #3 seed in the West - the Wolverines hosted the regional at Yost, forcing #1 Michigan State and #2 North Dakota to play in enemy territory. Neither top seed advanced, as UM beat the 'host' Sioux 4-3, and Ohio State knocked off a 'less than at home' MSU team by the same score in OT...

The complaints were loud, and now we play neutral site regionals.

[Snively65]

Dick O'Connell

Close. Dick Williams in 1967 before the Sox Impossible Dream season.

What and when did Sox GM say “The Sun will rise, the Sun will set, and I’ll go have lunch.”?

[JB]

The complaints were loud, and now we play neutral site regionals.

I would say it started the hard push. We still had years to go on campus sites and even campus sites after expanding to 16 teams. I remember watching Daniel Winnik score a fantastic penalty shot goal against Denver in Amherst. UNH would lead 2-1 before loosing to Denver who won it all in 04-05 (repeating).

I know it was a 16 team tournament as UNH beat Harvard and Denver escaped Bemidji in OT. That Bemidji team caused Denver fits as they basically played position less hockey... Crazy game to watch.

The odd part is the east never had the campus site problem. Amherst was an oddity.

I don't mind neutral sites. I just miss super regionals and watching 2 brackets. There were a couple years of Worcester and Providence and you could easily drive between them in the early 4 site years.

[e.cat]

You need not worry about this team winning more games than it looses. What Red Sox GM said “we will win more games than we will lose”? Of course, that does not mean he will be denied a contract renewal if he pulls off 11 wins again, a true sign of stability.

Felger beat me to the punch. On another note Bentley frosh Pat Lawn’s family is a friend of my wife’s family. Good people. I’ll be tracking his progress. Looks like he had a solid first campaign with 2 Gs and 2 As and a +2 +/- .

[Chuck Murray]

Close. Dick Williams in 1967 before the Sox Impossible Dream season.

What and when did Sox GM say “The Sun will rise, the Sun will set, and I’ll go have lunch.”?

On the first question, yes, it was indeed Dick Williams, one of the forgotten great managers of his era. Apparently, Felgie is having a hard time keeping track of his Dicks. ;-) Anyway, here's a link to the Wikipedia recap of Williams' managerial career.

Dick Williams - Wikipedia

A very young Chuck Murray was just a tad too young to remember much (if anything?) of the '67 Sox, except (believe it or not) they played live TV of one of the World Series games in our first grade classroom that October. As a sidenote, this would not be the last time we got to watch the Sox on live TV in our classroom, as a few years later our classmate - a nephew of Tony C's - played in the annual Fathers & Sons game.

A couple of years later in late '69, a somewhat more grizzled and sports-aware Chuck Murray vividly recalled asking my folks what it meant to be "fired" when both Dick Williams (Sox) and Allie Sherman (Giants) were fired by my two favorite-at-the-time sports teams. My obsession with all things Expos would only begin after a visit to Fenway Park in 1970 (Sox lost to the O's 14-8 in extra innings), and a trip to the souvenir store across the street. Ironically, Williams would be the first manager to lead the Expos to winning seasons (1979-1981) before he got fired (again).

Answer to the second part of Snives' post? I believe that was Lou Gorman, Red Sox GM in the '80's and '90's, circa 1987. Turns out Gorman was born in the same year as Williams (1929) and also died in the same year (2011).

[e.cat]

On the first question, yes, it was indeed Dick Williams, one of the forgotten great managers of his era. Apparently, Felgie is having a hard time keeping track of his Dicks. ;-) Anyway, here's a link to the Wikipedia recap of Williams' managerial career.

Dick Williams - Wikipedia

A very young Chuck Murray was just a tad too young to remember much (if anything?) of the '67 Sox, except (believe it or not) they played live TV of one of the World Series games in our first grade classroom that October. As a sidenote, this would not be the last time we got to watch the Sox on live TV in our classroom, as a few years later our classmate - a nephew of Tony C's - played in the annual Fathers & Sons game.

A couple of years later in late '69, a somewhat more grizzled and sports-aware Chuck Murray vividly recalled asking my folks what it meant to be "fired" when both Dick Williams (Sox) and Allie Sherman (Giants) were fired by my two favorite-at-the-time sports teams. My obsession with all things Expos would only begin after a visit to Fenway Park in 1970 (Sox lost to the O's 14-8 in extra innings), and a trip to the souvenir store across the street. Ironically, Williams would be the first manager to lead the Expos to winning seasons (1979-1981) before he got fired (again).

Answer to the second part of Snives' post? I believe that was Lou Gorman, Red Sox GM in the '80's and '90's, circa 1987. Turns out Gorman was born in the same year as Williams (1929) and also died in the same year (2011).

All of New England was crazy about that ‘67 team. Watching the Sox in school must have been educational in and of itself.

What Red Sock from the ‘67 Dream Team broke his leg in a skiing accident in New Hampshire?

[Robert Balin]

All of New England was crazy about that ‘67 team. Watching the Sox in school must have been educational in and of itself.

What Red Sock from the ‘67 Dream Team broke his leg in a skiing accident in New Hampshire?

Jim Longberg wrecked his knee and never regained his 22 win season form in 67

[e.cat]

Jim Longberg wrecked his knee and never regained his 22 win season form in 67

I thought he broke his leg but you might be right that it was a knee. In any case it was bad enough to screw up the rest of his career. Longborg was da man in '67 though!

[NCAA watcher]

He did break his leg.
Back to hockey, the good news is Wisconsin bypassed our head coach and went instead for Minnesota State's Mike Hastings. It sounds like Minnesota State will hire their assistant Todd Knott, so we're assured of not losing Souza.

Sarcasm aside, we are just finishing a bunch of coaching turnover, so even next summer it will still be a buyer's market for coaches (greater supply than demand)

Jr.Devlin-----------So.Leclerc-----------Sr.Cafarelli
So.Sardarian-----Fr.Ring---------------Fr.Comny
So.Skarskins-----So.Winters-----------Jr.Cronin
Jr.Sweeney-------Sr.Gendron----------Fr.Sieden
Jr.Lovett----------Fr.Turner------------Fr.Walsh

Jr.Gagne--------------So.Carfagna
Jr.Huard--------------Sr.Jenson
Fr.Fitzgerald-----------Sr.Reid
Jr.Babbage-----------[[transfer]]

So.Muszelik--------------[[transfer]]------------Jr.Forman

[Robert Balin]

He did break his leg.
Back to hockey, the good news is Wisconsin bypassed our head coach and went instead for Minnesota State's Mike Hastings. It sounds like Minnesota State will hire their assistant Todd Knott, so we're assured of not losing Souza.

Sarcasm aside, we are just finishing a bunch of coaching turnover, so even next summer it will still be a buyer's market for coaches (greater supply than demand)

Jr.Devlin-----------So.Leclerc-----------Sr.Cafarelli
So.Sardarian-----Fr.Ring---------------Fr.Comny
So.Skarskins-----So.Winters-----------Jr.Cronin
Jr.Sweeney-------Sr.Gendron----------Fr.Sieden
Jr.Lovett----------Fr.Turner------------Fr.Walsh

Jr.Gagne--------------So.Carfagna
Jr.Huard--------------Sr.Jenson
Fr.Fitzgerald-----------Sr.Reid
Jr.Babbage-----------[[transfer]]

So.Muszelik--------------[[transfer]]------------Jr.Forman

And had knee surgery for ligament damage.

[NCAA watcher]

And had knee surgery for ligament damage.

you are absolutely right. False memory certainty.

[603Wildcats]

https://***********/evegoe/status/16...c-6r8fLzh9D3UQ

Twitter thread found from the Wisconsin thread, who recently landed a great hire. Appears UNH is middle of the pack in spending. Wonder how this compares to the late 90’s and early 00’s? Hard to believe they’ll become relevant without a significantly larger investment into the program.