UNH Hockey 2023 Off Season Thread Turn and Face the Strange

[d.gerry]

Maybe our intrepid AD (who presumably will be back from vacation, and on the job by then) can arrange a private sit-down with Joe Dumais for brunch of the morning in between games, and sound him out for filling the HC vacancy that will have opened up in six months' time? Unless of course his boss would rather take the opportunity to try on something new, instead of the Bentley South house of bricks that is Quinnipiac??

It's funny ... if UNH was going to do something bold this offseason, I was 99% sure I was gonna jump back in with season tix for the first time since Snively closed. As they say in Durham though ... "Wait 'til next year!!" (rolleyes emoji)

Bold moves don't seem to be in the offing; last several years it's been more like Groundhog Day.

[Snively65]

Bold moves don't seem to be in the offing; last several years it's been more like Groundhog Day.

If true, do you not think that hosting the Quinnipiac Bobcats for two games at the Whitt a bold move? When was the last time that we played two OOC games against a reigning NC? Rather it seems the past decade or longer we have loaded up our OOC schedule with cupcakes (“if you cannot beat the cupcakes, you are the cupcake”).

[HockeyRef]

If true, do you not think that hosting the Quinnipiac Bobcats for two games at the Whitt a bold move? When was the last time that we played two OOC games against a reigning NC? Rather it seems the past decade or longer we have loaded up our OOC schedule with cupcakes (“if you cannot beat the cupcakes, you are the cupcake”).

Snives, why do you doubt we are playing them? Just curious. I think it's great we are finally playing the likes of QU...teams tend to 'play down' to the competition or the other team 'plays up'. This will be a great test for our 'Cats. It's about time if you ask me...Looking forward!!

UNH always lags with their schedule...why, I do not know.

[Chuck Murray]

Snives, why do you doubt we are playing them? Just curious. I think it's great we are finally playing the likes of QU...teams tend to 'play down' to the competition or the other team 'plays up'. This will be a great test for our 'Cats. It's about time if you ask me...Looking forward!!

I think you're both right ... first of all, Snives is right to point out that UNH has been focusing its OOC schedule on a cupcake-friendly basis ever since Coach Umile's three year "long goodbye" - first, to get the legendary coach to the fabled NRN (requiring 40 W's in 3 seasons - FAILED), and then to get his somewhat-less-than-legendary, hand-picked successor a foothold in the D-1 wars (I think it's safe to say that's BADLY FAILED).

So yeah, this scheduling of Quinnipiac certainly bucks their trend of the last decade or so, give or take. Which is where 'Ref is right, because it's good to see UNH at least pretending to behave like they belong at the "grown-ups table" like they used to. But if you're UNH, and you're gonna take a different approach ... you cozy up to Coach Pecknold, rely on his local roots, and pitch him on the idea that this would be his first step on a national "victory lap" for his program, insist on getting both home games early in the season (THE key piece of the devious puzzle) ... and when it comes to pass, you have the defending D-1 champs playing their first RS games (?) on the road at a program that prides itself on winning games in October. MS7 will have his guys revved up to defend their "Champions of October" virtual hardware, and QU will hardly know what hit them ...

... well, at least until after the first period of the first game, when QU can regroup and probably pull out a 4-4 tie, which UNH will "win" in the first shootout of the new season. Mucinex gets the first star, and then on the second game, the "new Fessy" will take his turn in goal and get lit up like the proverbial gasoline-soaked Christmas tree, and QU will coast to a 9-1 real victory. UNH is happy, they've put over 10,000 bums in the seats to open the home season, "won" the opening game (AND maybe the new AD does the low key brunch with future UNH HC Joe Dumais in between) ... and the Q is happy, Coach Pecknold has a little homecoming to start the season, has probably set up his buddy Dumais with his next job, AND he gets to use the Game One "loss" to motivate the defending champs for the rest of the season. Win-win-win, if you ask me.

[NCAA watcher]

More up and coming coaches getting their feet wet. While he may be getting teed up to be a Jackson replacement down the road, he's replenishing the pool that got fished pretty hard the last four years with Barr, Keefe, Mayotte, Strand, Nightengale, Naurato.

Notre Dame with a big hire for its third assistant coach. AHL Chicago Wolves head coach Brock Sheahan, who previously won a Clark Cup with the Chicago Steel, is headed back to his alma mater.

[Snively65]

Snives, why do you doubt we are playing them? Just curious. I think it's great we are finally playing the likes of QU...teams tend to 'play down' to the competition or the other team 'plays up'. This will be a great test for our 'Cats. It's about time if you ask me...Looking forward!!

UNH always lags with their schedule...why, I do not know.

It is not that I doubt that Quinnipiac in particular is coming to play two at the Whitt, but our home schedule that is posted on the Schedules thread is listed as “tentative” and has 19 home games, if RPI is added, which is two too many, I think.

[Snively65]

I think you're both right ... first of all, Snives is right to point out that UNH has been focusing its OOC schedule on a cupcake-friendly basis ever since Coach Umile's three year "long goodbye" - first, to get the legendary coach to the fabled NRN (requiring 40 W's in 3 seasons - FAILED), and then to get his somewhat-less-than-legendary, hand-picked successor a foothold in the D-1 wars (I think it's safe to say that's BADLY FAILED).

So yeah, this scheduling of Quinnipiac certainly bucks their trend of the last decade or so, give or take. Which is where 'Ref is right, because it's good to see UNH at least pretending to behave like they belong at the "grown-ups table" like they used to. But if you're UNH, and you're gonna take a different approach ... you cozy up to Coach Pecknold, rely on his local roots, and pitch him on the idea that this would be his first step on a national "victory lap" for his program, insist on getting both home games early in the season (THE key piece of the devious puzzle) ... and when it comes to pass, you have the defending D-1 champs playing their first RS games (?) on the road at a program that prides itself on winning games in October. MS7 will have his guys revved up to defend their "Champions of October" virtual hardware, and QU will hardly know what hit them ...

... well, at least until after the first period of the first game, when QU can regroup and probably pull out a 4-4 tie, which UNH will "win" in the first shootout of the new season. Mucinex gets the first star, and then on the second game, the "new Fessy" will take his turn in goal and get lit up like the proverbial gasoline-soaked Christmas tree, and QU will coast to a 9-1 real victory. UNH is happy, they've put over 10,000 bums in the seats to open the home season, "won" the opening game (AND maybe the new AD does the low key brunch with future UNH HC Joe Dumais in between) ... and the Q is happy, Coach Pecknold has a little homecoming to start the season, has probably set up his buddy Dumais with his next job, AND he gets to use the Game One "loss" to motivate the defending champs for the rest of the season. Win-win-win, if you ask me.

Looks good, but your Game 1 scenario against Quinnipiac seems to overlook the fact that we lost our senior shoot-out specialist and Captain in the portal to Merrimack.

[Chuck Murray]

Looks good, but your Game 1 scenario against Quinnipiac seems to overlook the fact that we lost our senior shoot-out specialist and Captain in the portal to Merrimack.

This is October we're talking about, Snives. UNH is to October what Jerry York used to be after January 1st. Money.

[Felger]

maybe the new AD does the low key brunch with future UNH HC Joe Dumais

I assumed that had already been done in Naples

[HockeyRef]

It is not that I doubt that Quinnipiac in particular is coming to play two at the Whitt, but our home schedule that is posted on the Schedules thread is listed as “tentative” and has 19 home games, if RPI is added, which is two too many, I think.

Gotcha! Of course if we had a schedule to actually look at....ha! Someone I know who was once a Maine fan/now UNH fan (which, I have my doubts that they've really given up their Maine affiliation but, hey, whatever) thinks Maine fans must be mad there's no game at Orono.
..my come back was welp, we haven't played them in a White Out the Whitt since what, 2019 ish? (until this past season, that is)
I forget...

Regardless, we are playing some hockey in October. One way or the other.

Chuck, I got a kick out of your QU predictions. I wasn't gonna touch that with a 50 foot pole (making a predict on that).

[Chuck Murray]

Gotcha! Of course if we had a schedule to actually look at....ha! Someone I know who was once a Maine fan/now UNH fan (which, I have my doubts that they've really given up their Maine affiliation but, hey, whatever) thinks Maine fans must be mad there's no game at Orono.

Agreed - your friend's newfound "allegiance" to UNH over UMaine is about to be put to the test this season (& beyond) ...

[DrewQU99]

Ok, if Quinnipiac is really coming to the Whitt for two on 21-22 October, those should be sell outs, I would think. Like the Gophs or the Sioux or the Wolverines coming to the Whitt back in the day. So, Rand will be extending MS7’s stay at UNH several more years?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this would be the first ever meeting between the Bobcats and Wildcats in men's ice hockey?

If QU does play UNH, which I hope we do, I'd expect the Wildcats to return the favor and play 2 games in Hamden in 2024-25.

[Snively65]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this would be the first ever meeting between the Bobcats and Wildcats in men's ice hockey?

If QU does play UNH, which I hope we do, I'd expect the Wildcats to return the favor and play 2 games in Hamden in 2024-25.

By gum, I think that you are correct, at least according to the CHN database search tool.

I watched a lot of Quinnipiac-Bentley games before the Bobcats moved to the ECAC, in Watertown, Milford, and Hamden (nice rink!). Maybe the Bobcats will visit Bentley’s on-campus arena at some point.

[d.gerry]

If true, do you not think that hosting the Quinnipiac Bobcats for two games at the Whitt a bold move? When was the last time that we played two OOC games against a reigning NC? Rather it seems the past decade or longer we have loaded up our OOC schedule with cupcakes (“if you cannot beat the cupcakes, you are the cupcake”).

If we now call scheduling competitive teams a "bold move" we are in a world of hurt. C'mon, playing the Q for a pair of games at home (most likely getting spanked in the process) is not the type of bold moves we need, but nice try. What is really bold about this? So now we can tell recruits, "Look! Look! We played the defending National Champions!" Yeah, that'll move the needle.

[Chuck Murray]

Whether it's "bold" or "foolhardy" I suppose depends on your perspective. MS7 has dug himself into the deepest hole imaginable at this point, and now he probably almost has to engage in attention-drawing behavior to save his bacon. Let's face it - it's UNH, it's two October home games, you know they'll find a way to win at least one of them. If you're MS7 and trying to impress your new boss, a win (and loss) against the Q is gonna make a better argument in your favor than a 3 point weekend against RPI or Brown or some Atlantic Hockey fill-in-the-blank program.

Putting aside my "story" a few posts ago, I'd call scheduling two at home against Q as a "calculated" move by MS7.