Transfer Portal - 2024

[robertearle]

... how many players on a team... Wisco[nsin] had 19 in 09/10.

Since 2005, Wisconsin has failed to make the NCAA tournament only twice. 2009-10 was one of those years. During that time frame, they failed to make the WCHA 'final four' only once, and that was in 2009-2010.

Wisconsin in 2009-2010 is a great example of why you do NOT want to have a "short" roster. One injury to a key player - freshman Brianna Decker broken arm late in that year - and the weakness of the short roster becomes all the more magnified.

[Lindsay]

Since 2005, Wisconsin has failed to make the NCAA tournament only twice. 2009-10 was one of those years. During that time frame, they failed to make the WCHA 'final four' only once, and that was in 2009-2010.

Wisconsin in 2009-2010 is a great example of why you do NOT want to have a "short" roster. One injury to a key player - freshman Brianna Decker broken arm late in that year - and the weakness of the short roster becomes all the more magnified.

So why are Minnesota and Wisconsin never criticized when they have short benches?

[robertearle]

So why are Minnesota and Wisconsin never criticized when they have short benches?

Wisconsin's short roster in 2009-10 was a consequence of it being an Olympic year. And one when the "portal" did not exist. It was clearly a problem then, it was recognized as a problem, but a problem without a simple solution.

None of that applies to Ohio State in 2024-25.

That you seem to not want to recognize that in order to "make the point" you want to make is quite telling.

(But as long as you want to make this about male vs female coaches, the head coach of that 2009-10 team was Tracey (Cornell) DeKeyser, and not Mark Johnson. The job DeKeyser did with that team, with younger players getting more ice time to develop that they would otherwise not have gotten set up the 2010-11 team with a deep and experienced lineup that rolled through everyone and won everything. I have often said that I think of the 2011 championship is being as much DeKeyser's championship as Johnson's.)

[Sierra]

For 8 years now, OSU has been criticized one way or another. OSU is the only program that has proven that it can win by being different and unconventional. I have a feeling OSU will once again prove that they can do what other programs can't. OSU just proved that having a short bench wasn't an issue against Sweden's National Team (Sweeden had twice the amount of players). I also heard this was intentional with the rules changing this season. Muzerall always says what she does today is for tomorrow. I'm only guessing Muzerall wanted the room for all the new scholarship talent coming in 25-26.

[Lindsay]

Wisconsin's short roster in 2009-10 was a consequence of it being an Olympic year. And one when the "portal" did not exist. It was clearly a problem then, it was recognized as a problem, but a problem without a simple solution.

None of that applies to Ohio State in 2024-25.

That you seem to not want to recognize that in order to "make the point" you want to make is quite telling.

(But as long as you want to make this about male vs female coaches, the head coach of that 2009-10 team was Tracey (Cornell) DeKeyser, and not Mark Johnson. The job DeKeyser did with that team, with younger players getting more ice time to develop that they would otherwise not have gotten set up the 2010-11 team with a deep and experienced lineup that rolled through everyone and won everything. I have often said that I think of the 2011 championship is being as much DeKeyser's championship as Johnson's.)

DeKeyser had an interim position with a program not built to win it all because that was the cost of the fruits of the prior years. Like OSU next year. But when Johnson won in 2009 I highly doubt anyone tried to take the shine off it because they weren’t built to win it the next year.

Even with Clarkson, when they peaked, I don’t recall any real criticism about not staying at the top of the mountain. It was sort of acknowledged with a shrug “not what we once were, was good while it lasted,” followed by surprise and delight that they are still pretty darn good even if not a top 3 or 4.

But we were talking about small rosters. It never gets talked about except when it’s OSU. Carry on I guess.

[Lindsay]

For 8 years now, OSU has been criticized one way or another.

Yes thank you. This is my point.

[Timothy A]

So why are Minnesota and Wisconsin never criticized when they have short benches?

I have openly criticized Mark Johnson for a short bench. It absolutely killed them a few years ago.

[robertearle]

DeKeyser had an interim position with a program not built to win it all because that was the cost of the fruits of the prior years. Like OSU next year. But when Johnson won in 2009 I highly doubt anyone tried to take the shine off it because they weren’t built to win it the next year.

Nonsense.

The ONLY issue with the 2009-10 team was that it was an Olympic year. Knight and Duggan gone to the Olympics. And again, with no such thing as a "portal" with COVID seniors available for a short-term solution to fill the gap. Even eight years later, "grad transfers" had come into existence, and Claudia Kepler came to Madison to try to fill a similar gap.

Again, conditions that do NOT exist with Ohio State this year. The short bench at OSU this year is *entirely* of their choosing, *entirely* within their control. I don't think they are nearly as strong as the last two years, and could be an injury or two away from having a real mess on their hands.

[Lindsay]

Nonsense.

The short bench at OSU this year is *entirely* of their choosing, *entirely* within their control.

So you’re saying they should have hit the portal harder this year? I knew you would come around.

[robertearle]

So you’re saying they should have hit the portal harder this year? I knew you would come around.

Or brought in more freshmen this year (or last year, or...). As has been noted before, there are zero OSU players still on the roster who were incoming OSU freshman in the 2021-22 season; this would have been their senior year.

Yes, they are responsible for managing their roster. That they now have a short bench - open to injury problems - is of their own choosing. They had ways to solve the problem that were not available in 2009-10.

And that has zero to do with the gender of the coaches involved.

[Lindsay]

Or brought in more freshmen this year (or last year, or...). As has been noted before, there are zero OSU players still on the roster who were incoming OSU freshman in the 2021-22 season; this would have been their senior year.

Yes, they are responsible for managing their roster. That they now have a short bench - open to injury problems - is of their own choosing. They had ways to solve the problem that were not available in 2009-10.

And that has zero to do with the gender of the coaches involved.

Ok. I’ve never seen this level of concern or criticism for any of the other coaches’ rosters from non fans of those programs. I don’t get it at all. Hopefully everyone stays healthy. If not, they may have a losing season, but I doubt it. It won’t be the end of the world.

[robertearle]

I don’t get it at all.

Indeed.

[Still Eeyore]

So why are Minnesota and Wisconsin never criticized when they have short benches?

Last year, Minnesota didn't start out with a short bench. Then they had six different players go down with season ending injuries.

Where I criticize Frost is not on the roster size. It's the way he uses those players. He does not trust his depth. At all. The fourth line could get a lot more playing time than it does, and would leave the top lines fresher at the end of the year. The Bouveng/Huber/Murphy line was out of gas by the time they reached the playoffs.

[Hockeybuckeye]

The Bouveng/Huber/Murphy line was out of gas by the time they reached the playoffs.

It sure looked as the season progressed Murphy seemed to have it all on her shoulders. Just too much for her even with her great skills.

[ARM]

The ONLY issue with the 2009-10 team was that it was an Olympic year. Knight and Duggan gone to the Olympics.

Jesse Vetter graduating was a factor that can't be ignored. There is a reason why Alex Rigsby quickly became the starter the next season. The goaltending in 2009-10 for UW was the weakest I remember it being in program history.

As for criticising the bench at OSU, that comes with success. Fans of other teams don't care what non-contending teams do with their bench. For example, I couldn't have named anyone off the Buckeyes roster beyond Spooner and McIntosh in 2009-10, although it is on me that I forgot Hokey Langan.

I agree with Eeyore about Frost not playing his depth players, but it's not just him. Coaches always complain that their top players get worn out in games with a lot of special teams; you think they'd learn from watching the NHL, where the players on the PP and PK aren't all the same forwards. For years, Frost tried to keep his bench short because he didn't like having to scratch healthy players. Inevitably, the injuries come even more quickly when the roster gets short and players get worn down. The good news for the Gophers is that they are quickly approaching the status of tOSU of a decade ago, where nobody will care what, if anyone, they have on their bench.