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UNH Men’s Hockey 22-23: the start of something new, or more of the same?

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Stuff keeps coming at me from the Dead Wings vault during the winter break, and I saw this one come across yesterday on Gordie "Mr. Hockey" Howe and his 801st and final NHL regular season goal, which came on the date of his final NHL regular season game at The Mall in 1980, when his Whalers were hosting my Wings. Of course, this is now a topic of discussion due to Alex Ovechkin potting his 800th RS goal the other night, and poised to overtake Howe in the coming days. A link to what I thought was a fascinating and entertaining article on NHL.com is posted here:

Howe's 801st NHL goal forgotten by many with Ovechkin closing in

It's a funny read from the standpoint that neither of his kids (his teammates at the time) remember the goal, nor do a lot of other participants in that goal. My old DRW goalie hero Rogie Vachon makes a curtain call here after his inclusion in the Dale McCourt saga a few posts ago, and there is even a discussion with Gordie's linemate Nick Fotiu, who was probably my favorite non-DRW enforcer of all time. Teammate Gordie Roberts (a former high draft pick D-man who was literally named after Mr. Hockey a generation earlier) is also included, and the many stories are great (look for Gordie's reaction to the HW coach's plan to only let son Marty skate up front ceremonially with him and Mark). For obligatory college hockey content, Jack Kelley (former BU head coach in the pre-Jack Parker era) was the Whalers' GM who signed the 3 Howes as free agents in '77 when Detroit and Boston were also in the mix. Turns out Kelley was basically the same age as Gordie (both passed away in their early 90's in 2016). And what a shame the Ilitch family didn't buy the Wings from the Norris family a few years earlier, I can't even imagine them taking a pass on signing Gordie and his kids if offered that opportunity, as Bruce Norris did in 1977. Mark did sign with Ilitch's Wings much later in his HHOF career. But I digress.

There is an embedded video in the article of the 801st goal, which has the WJR AM 760 radio crew of Bruce Martyn (the hockey voice of my youth) and his color commentator Sid Abel, who played on the famed "Production Line" with Howe and Ted Lindsay. Abel played his last NHL game in 1953 - 27 years prior to Howe's retirement. He had been an NHL head coach for most of the years in between, so when he says he's seen Gordie score "hundreds" of similar goals, he's probably not exaggerating by all that much.

To cap it all off ... in another "that can't be right" item, Reed Larson describes the standing ovation Howe received upon his return to Detroit in early 1980 (to a brand new Joe Louis Arena - now RIP) for the 1980 NHL All-Star Game. Larson makes light of being the last guy introduced before Howe, and how a "10-15 minute ovation" followed. I've never seen the whole thing on tape, but the video below shows the intro, with a very bemused Reed Larson standing nearby as Howe wishes himself invisible. As a DRW geek, it's also worth noting that Detroit fans were not so kind to a returning Marcel Dionne, who gets the so-called Bronx Cheer on his intro a few players earlier. Enjoy!!
 
Fumi Kimura Named Deputy Director of Athletics, External Operations
Experienced Public Relations Professional to Lead Wildcat Athletics’ External Operations Team:
https://unhwildcats.com/news/2022/12/16/KimuraDeputyAD.aspx

…oversight of marketing, brand management, revenue generation (including ticketing and sponsorships through Wildcat Sports Properties), media relations, strategic communications, multimedia, and broadcast.
 
Looks that way to me, Felgie. Wonder what Dan thinks of the guy, given he's from Dan's alma mater?

UMaine selects Miami of Ohio’s Jude Killy as its athletic director - Portland Press Herald

I'd probably prefer the Maine hire because he's an external/development guy, though I don't know much about him, except that he's very well liked, ambitious and charismatic per Miami fans that do know him personally.

The RedHawks haven't exactly crushed it in Football, M/W Basketball, Hockey or Baseball of late - but they have had great facility upgrades while he's been there and successful secondary sports, along with successful fundraising and content creation initiatives. Oxford is isolated, just like Orono (certainly less so) so he'll have an idea how to navigate that reality.

Most exciting to me is he's probably hoping to crush it and move to a P5 as a result - which usually means good effort and a confident attitude/belief in the product...

Maybe Maine head hunted him? If Killy sought out the Maine opportunity, he probably took a swing at the UNH opening as well - so perhaps a comparison to keep an eye one...
 
Fumi Kimura Named Deputy Director of Athletics, External Operations
Experienced Public Relations Professional to Lead Wildcat Athletics’ External Operations Team:
https://unhwildcats.com/news/2022/12...aDeputyAD.aspx

…oversight of marketing, brand management, revenue generation (including ticketing and sponsorships through Wildcat Sports Properties), media relations, strategic communications, multimedia, and broadcast.

There's your UNH external hire - hugely important. I hope she is an ambitious and creative visionary with a plan and an imagination...
 
Summary for AD Rich: Since 1964/65, the Wildcats have had 39 winning seasons out of the 59. The six straight loser or even seasons between 1984/85 and 1989/90 has been surpassed by the current nine straight loser or even seasons since 2014/15. Time to connect the dots.
 
Heard he wants to come this season but no room on the roster...Brendan Fitzgerald has that spot vacated by Kalle Ericksonn....

Actually they chose Ryan Philbrook over Court and it's gonna bite them again. Philbrook signed his LOI around the time Court decommited and Philbrook's a 2023 or 2024 recruit on CH list. Maybe he'll be good but he's played NH HS hockey and 1 year of prep.
 
Actually they chose Ryan Philbrook over Court and it's gonna bite them again. Philbrook signed his LOI around the time Court decommited and Philbrook's a 2023 or 2024 recruit on CH list. Maybe he'll be good but he's played NH HS hockey and 1 year of prep.

Posters on our threads over the years have whined about not enough Cow Hampsha kids on the roster. Well, these posters should be happy now.
 
Actually they chose Ryan Philbrook over Court and it's gonna bite them again. Philbrook signed his LOI around the time Court decommited and Philbrook's a 2023 or 2024 recruit on CH list. Maybe he'll be good but he's played NH HS hockey and 1 year of prep.

I doubt that. Philbrik is an instate kid so has lower costs, and probably has a much smaller scholarship. So apples to oranges. You could argue cobbling DeVita/Babbage/Philbrick together might get your there, but ....

Let's bear in mind Court had a strong midget year 19-20, a promising but shortened covid year 20-21, and at Avon was their second best defenseman, earning no league honors. He bounced around the USHL protected lists, meaning he was an interesting but borderline player. To his credit he has found a home on the powerhouse Brooks team, and the promise of 19-20 is manifesting in that environment. Others who fit that profile are Dennis Cessana, who had a decent career at Michigan State, and last year, Zach Brookman, who is a good freshman at Merrimack.
I'd place him behind Carfagna, and somewhat comparable to Luke Reid (though Reid has not impacted the game as much as I had hoped seeing him as a freshman).
 
Posters on our threads over the years have whined about not enough Cow Hampsha kids on the roster. Well, these posters should be happy now.
Thrilled.

Cy LeClerc, a particularly solid catch, is descended from NH hockey royalty. His father played at Saint Anselm. His grandfather Rene Cy LeClerc and granduncle Roger A. LeClerc are both members of the New Hampshire Legends of Hockey Hall of Fame. UNH’s Roger A. LeClerc Trophy, given to the team’s MVP, is named after his granduncle.
 
I dont care where a player comes from as long as they can get the job done. Cy LeClerc went to Exeter HS and he has been excellent. Bonus if they are from NH if you ask me...talent is talent!!

And Manchvegas Jr Monarchs (like TvR) and Islanders Hockey Club (like BvR) for Cy LeClerc.

Speaking of vR’s, JvR got his fifth and TvR his fourth goal of season on Saturday night. Easy to track our alums in NHL with only five (?) of them.
 
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And Manchvegas Jr Monarchs (like TvR) and Islanders Hockey Club (like BvR) for Cy LeClerc.

Speaking of vR’s, JvR got his fifth and TvR his fourth goal of season on Saturday night. Easy to track our alums in NHL with only five (?) of them.

Good to see the vR's putting up the points. The 'Caps are playing pretty well right now...could TvR add another ring to his collection?? That has to be interesting convo at family events...

Of course, not at the expense of my Bruins...
 
Good to see the vR's putting up the points. The 'Caps are playing pretty well right now...could TvR add another ring to his collection?? That has to be interesting convo at family events...

Of course, not at the expense of my Bruins...

Maybe a bit awkward conversation for BvR, no? A second banner for TvR would indeed be noteworthy for a third D pair guy. I still believe that a team needs a competent third D-pair and better than average third and fourth liners, along with a hot goalie, to win a SC. Most playoff teams have excellent top six forwards and top two D pairs, but not all have the needed secondary scoring.
 
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Maybe a bit awkward conversation for BvR, no? A second banner for TvR would indeed be noteworthy for a third D pair guy. I still believe that a team needs a competent third D-pair and better than average third and fourth liners, along with a hot goalie, to win a SC. Most playoff teams have excellent top six forwards and top two D pairs, but not all have the needed secondary scoring.

From here on out, BvR shall be referred to on these hallowed UNH thread pages as Shemp van Riemsdyk.

Although frankly speaking, this comparison may be a wee bit unfair to the underrated Shemp. I suppose we could always go with Curly Joe van Riesmdyk instead ...
 
Speaking of vR’s, JvR got his fifth and TvR his fourth goal of season on Saturday night. Easy to track our alums in NHL with only five (?) of them.

DeSmith in goal, with Pesce and TvR would make for a solid backline that could contend for an NHL playoff slot on average. But JvR and Foegele as your forwards - and we'll plug in Tim Stutzle for old time's sake - probably aren't playoff quality NHL players at this stage of their respective careers. Poturalski and Crookshank may be the closest of remaining UNH folks in the AHL - Poturalski plays for the "Coachella Valley Firebirds", which I guess is a Seattle afffiliate? - and Max Gildon looks to have become injury-prone since he left UNH in '20. Can't visualize any of the current UNH roster threatening for an on-ice NHL career anytime soon. Mike Robinson has surfaced, however, as 3rd string goalie for the "Huntsville Havoc" in the SPHL, presumably holding down a roster slot for former Alabama-Huntsville/current UNH goalie David Fessenden next season.
 
Maybe a bit awkward conversation for BvR, no? A second banner for TvR would indeed be noteworthy for a third D pair guy. I still believe that a team needs a competent third D-pair and better than average third and fourth liners, along with a hot goalie, to win a SC. Most playoff teams have excellent top six forwards and top two D pairs, but not all have the needed secondary scoring.

So pretty much you are saying that if the playoffs were right now our Bruins would stand a chance? :-)
 
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