Wisconsin Hockey 23-24: Hastily Making Wisconsin Hockey Great Again

[GoBucky18]

My "quick" analysis of the scedule: Badgers did themselves zero favors if they are trying to improve attendance or visibility under the new head coach. Whether that speaks to if they have any influence over it or not, I don't know...but Mac better already have lodged a hefty complaint with the Big10 front office.

1) Opening home series against Augustana during homecoming weekend. No one except a couple hundred die hards are going to the Sunday game, and no students are going that go to the Homecoming game (They'll all be passed out or too drunk to function at that point).

2) No home game then for a month, but thankfully it's against Michigan and should draw interest.

3) The home games vs Alaska Anchorage are during Thanksgiving break. Get ready to hear echos at Kohl Center

4) 4 in a row at KC vs Ohio St and Penn St...hopefully the students want to blow off steam before exams.

5) 2 NC games in MKE where students will be minimal. Here is hoping folks show up. They HAVE to win those 2, no exceptions as they are the only other NC games outside of the Sue that will do anything for PW

6) Lindenwood, while students are on Christmas Break, in Jan...get ready to hear echos again...no one wants these games.

7) Schedule finally stabalizes and appears "normal" at end of Jan, all of Feb, and 1st weekend in Mar. Will be interesting to see how b-ball does, as if they struggle and hockey does well...could poach some fans.

Overall, a terrible schedule that kicks sand into the face of the new HC and the fans. It's not WI's job to prop up these terrible NC matchups at home that only cost us fans and interest in the program.

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

My "quick" analysis of the scedule: Badgers did themselves zero favors if they are trying to improve attendance or visibility

And I don’t think that’s something the athletic department even cares about at this point.

They’re at the point of basically using the PA system to do crowd dispersal on football crowds. I don’t think they’ll give a rats *** if the Kohl Center is empty again.

[Timothy A]

I don’t think that’s something the athletic department even cares about at this point.

I think they do care or they don't fire legendary TG. Winning is the only tonic for attendance but the days of people in the 3rd tier are over. Casual fans have long since moved on to other endeavors.

Much of the schedule was predetermined prior to this year so you know those are poor past decisions. I suppose Augustana was better than nothing but it's a pretty bummer series to open the season.

[digitalbooya]

How about we catch some wins and roll with the momentum? It’s year 1. It might be better to start against lesser opponents and have the players adjust from TG’s mess to an actual system. This schedule will not be acceptable years 2 and beyond. Year 1 gets a pass from me.

[altazo]

How about we catch some wins and roll with the momentum? It’s year 1. It might be better to start against lesser opponents and have the players adjust from TG’s mess to an actual system. This schedule will not be acceptable years 2 and beyond. Year 1 gets a pass from me.

I agree and would even go as far to say that this is an ideal schedule for year one.

[solovsfett]

https://*****/badgermhockey/status/1...9UgV9i29HGo2Ag

[digitalbooya]

https://*****/badgermhockey/status/1...9UgV9i29HGo2Ag

Officially one month till the season starts!

[GoBucky18]

Officially one month till the season starts!

There is such a disconnect in that between the video and the music, lol. Come on!

[solovsfett]

There is such a disconnect in that between the video and the music, lol. Come on!

Yeah the music is too loud and really doesn’t fit the tone of the video. I’d be happier with an instrumental being played very quietly so you can hear Coach Hastings. It’s like everything else UW lately, played terrible music super loud because maybe that’s what the kids want?

it’s my same gripe watching Bucks games at Fiserv. The music is so ungodly loud and the constant bs “entertainment” between whistles is so distracting and off putting.

[solovsfett]

So this is awesome! https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/...sey-retirement

[Timothy A]

How about we catch some wins and roll with the momentum? It’s year 1. It might be better to start against lesser opponents and have the players adjust from TG’s mess to an actual system. This schedule will not be acceptable years 2 and beyond. Year 1 gets a pass from me.

I get this totally. Maybe they could have found a more notable cupcake for the first series, a name that hockey fans would be able to relate to.

[digitalbooya]

I get this totally. Maybe they could have found a more notable cupcake for the first series, a name that hockey fans would be able to relate to.

Maybe they could not be like our loser football team and win all the NC games. For football, new year new coach same ****.

[solovsfett]

Maybe they could not be like our loser football team and win all the NC games. For football, new year new coach same ****.

After 2 games? The football team will take time to acclimate to the new systems on O and D. They’ll be very good by week 6.

honestly, they’ll be at tOSU/Michigan/Ped State levels by year 3. I’m not sure how we can ask for anything more at this point. 1/2 recruiting cycle won’t result in a big change and no other coach in NCAA could have coached this team to victory today. They don’t have the horses on D yet.

[Timothy A]

After 2 games? The football team will take time to acclimate to the new systems on O and D. They’ll be very good by week 6.

honestly, they’ll be at tOSU/Michigan/Ped State levels by year 3. I’m not sure how we can ask for anything more at this point. 1/2 recruiting cycle won’t result in a big change and no other coach in NCAA could have coached this team to victory today. They don’t have the horses on D yet.

That's a very balanced outlook on the situation and I would tend to agree with you however they are picked to win the Big ten West and UW was selling a lot of cardinal and white Kool-Aid over the summer with all the transfers. It sure makes me think I have my expectations too high for the hockey program, however Hastings is a much more proven commodity than Fickell.

[altazo]

That's a very balanced outlook on the situation and I would tend to agree with you however they are picked to win the Big ten West and UW was selling a lot of cardinal and white Kool-Aid over the summer with all the transfers. It sure makes me think I have my expectations too high for the hockey program, however Hastings is a much more proven commodity than Fickell.

I think it is entirely probable UW hockey will drop a game to an unranked opponent in the first half for the season. Bemidji? Tech? But, it doesn’t mean I don’t think the program is back on the right track.