Mike Leone

[CARDS_rule_the_Burgh]

Re: Mike Leone

I think the reason he left Utica is quite simple. It is any combination of the following:

-Utica was too expensive
-Utica was too far from home
-He didn't like the coaches at Utica (I've heard coaches call Heenan a "nutcase")
-He saw an upstart program in Adrian doing very well close to his home, and he saw it as an opportunity to play championship-quality hockey while staying close


As for why he left Adrian, I suspect it had little to do with Hockey.

As for why he is now going to WMU:
-His reason for going to Lindenwood probably came to nothing
-He still wanted to play near home
-I doubt Adrian was going to take him back at that point
-His play impressed the new coaching staff at WMU, and they're giving him a shot

[XYZ]

Re: Mike Leone

******* width="480" height="385">****** name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DEMzM8JNW-U?fs=1&hl=en_US">****** name="allowFullScreen" value="true">****** name="allowscriptaccess" value="always">****** src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DEMzM8JNW-U?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385">

[NorthernLite]

Re: Mike Leone

I heard that he was lured away from Utica by Adrian and then wasn't delievered the promises he was promised by the coaching staff....so he left.

Aren't you just a wealth of knowledge..... and thanks for having your ears on for this story pierre. But don't tease us !! I know you are holding back, and certainly ....... you must have "heard".........the rest of the story.

[Hammer]

Re: Mike Leone

And that would be full of crap as well. He was playing on the 2nd line that semester and likely would have been the #1 center after Krug's graduation that spring.

Unless, of course, Lindenwood made him promises too, and he left there, too. And Utica promised him things..............and on and on and on. He's on his 4th team in 3 years. At some point in time we've got to stop looking at the schools and looking at the player. I think we're already well past that point now.

[pierre maguire]

Re: Mike Leone

I heard that he was lured away from Utica by Adrian and then wasn't delievered the promises he was promised by the coaching staff....so he left.

[joeyc3402]

Re: Mike Leone

(all collegiate players, after all, do still wish that they were playing DI hockey)

...paging the NESCAC brethren....

[CARDS_rule_the_Burgh]

Re: Mike Leone

WMU's coach is new this year so the theory that he was combing D3 looking for players is crap. More then likely it was a case of Leone looking for a walk-on spot close to home and WMU had one to give. And the theory about Leone being lazy is crap too as WMU's coach wouldn't give him the time of day, let alone a roster spot, if that were the case.

Let me be clear... (no, my name is not Barack, and I will attempt to be clear having just said "let me be clear")

...I was merely posing speculation, far less controversial than some of the speculation regularly posted on these boards (one only has to look at the Plattsburgh thread on the women's forum to see what some are speculating regarding the Lady Cardinals' 6 DI transfers...), in a deliberate attempt to facetious.

I do not actually believe that anybody involved in WMU attended any Adrian (or Lindenwood) games to scout talent.

In fact, I think a far more likely scenario is that Leone disliked Adrian (school or program) for some reason, and transferred to Lindenwood because it was a school he liked and could get regular playing time (had he not been injured). Following his injury, he had more to continue to contact coaches in DI (all collegiate players, after all, do still wish that they were playing DI hockey), including the new coach at WMU. This new coach liked what he saw in Leone's year in DIII, and agreed to take him in.

Again: I do not believe WMU is in such a sorry state that it has to poach talent from an upstart DIII program, and I do not believe that the WMU coahcing staff did anything to circumvent NCAA regulations on student-athlete transfers.

[moe24]

Re: Mike Leone

WMU's coach is new this year so the theory that he was combing D3 looking for players is crap. More then likely it was a case of Leone looking for a walk-on spot close to home and WMU had one to give. And the theory about Leone being lazy is crap too as WMU's coach wouldn't give him the time of day, let alone a roster spot, if that were the case.

[joeyc3402]

Re: Mike Leone

Doesn't Western have a new coach this season?

That, too.

[AVFC]

Re: Mike Leone

Doesn't Western have a new coach this season?

[joeyc3402]

Re: Mike Leone

I don't know. I could see transferring from Utica to Adrian if it is indeed closer to his home. But, if Western Michigan is combing MCHA D3 games looking for players they have bigger problems than the rest of the CCHA could ever imagine...

Not to mention Leone went and played for Lindenwood for a year, which normally means that he'd have to sit out another year after playing for an ACHA team. If a team is combing D3 games looking for players, they might as well look at major juniors for kids who'd only have to sit out for 1 season.

I'm guessing that the only reason he's eligible this year is because he's considered a medical redshirt after being hurt for most of the year last year.

[altazo]

Re: Mike Leone

My theory:

-WMU's coach was interested in this upstart DIII program in Michigan, and dropped in for a game or two. Leone impressed him.

But that's just a theory, and it's one that casts a dubious shadow on WMU's coaching staff

I don't know. I could see transferring from Utica to Adrian if it is indeed closer to his home. But, if Western Michigan is combing MCHA D3 games looking for players they have bigger problems than the rest of the CCHA could ever imagine...

[Hammer]

Re: Mike Leone

It just goes to show....

If it's got tits or tires, you'll have troubles.

If it flies, *s, or floats, rent it.

[XYZ]

Re: Mike Leone

Meh, I don't know this but don't ever discount the possibility of a woman being involved.

As we all know...they make us do strange things.

[CARDS_rule_the_Burgh]

Re: Mike Leone

Two Theories 1. either poor attitude and butts head with the coaches because he is soft and lazy. 2. Went from school to school on some sort of scholarship and when asked to pay because tuition was increasing left the school.

My theory:

-One of you theories applies to Utica (and from my understanding of the way that program is run, the former option would not surprise me). Transferred to Adrian, because it is closer to home.

-WMU's coach was interested in this upstart DIII program in Michigan, and dropped in for a game or two. Leone impressed him.

- So he went back and realized Leone had contacted him during his recruiting, used that as the basis for saying the student initiated contact, approached Leone with the suggestion of playing DI.

- Somehow, somebody in this mess came up with playing ACHA for a year as a way to not sit out a year (so he could stay in shape). Lindenwood's may have been completely oblivious to the situation.

- As it happens, he got injured upon his return to play against his former school's team, got a medical redshirt, and is now preparing to play his second year of eligibility at DI WMU.



But that's just a theory, and it's one that casts a dubious shadow on WMU's coaching staff