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RPI 2025 Off-Season: Help Is On the Way

Wicked Slappaahs said:
Certainly no guarantees, and Lang was cautious in his expectations at least for this year. But the upside is there if the hip holds up.... The D will take its lumps this year no doubt, so having Jovanovic on board isn't much of a risk in my view.
Click to expand...
From NZ blurbs on his style of play: " The second-round pick by Saginaw in the OHL Draft this past month is a serious prospect in that he has a long, athletic frame, he’s mobile and can jump up and join the rush or play a stout defensive game. Expansive skill set for his age and can run a power play or kill penalties. He won’t be easy to lure from the OHL as he was our #16 ranked prospect ’04 prospect in Ontario this past season with the Marlies, but if they can get him he’s a steal in the 7th round. "
 
rpi82 said:
Yup. Looks like 20 new players. I presume that the 22 new Engineers Lang cited includes the two new coaches. I like the way this man thinks.
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This man is a winner. 5 minutes into the interview with Sez and you can just tell he’s all business. His approach to rebuilding the program is spot on. Cannot wait to see what he does going forward.
 
Wicked Slappaahs said:
From NZ blurbs on his style of play: " The second-round pick by Saginaw in the OHL Draft this past month is a serious prospect in that he has a long, athletic frame, he’s mobile and can jump up and join the rush or play a stout defensive game. Expansive skill set for his age and can run a power play or kill penalties. He won’t be easy to lure from the OHL as he was our #16 ranked prospect ’04 prospect in Ontario this past season with the Marlies, but if they can get him he’s a steal in the 7th round. "
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The same free NZ page https://neutralzone.com/2020/05/08/ushl-draft-recap/ discusses Finn Brown. That says something. :D
 
DrDemento said:
Back in mid July I had posted that i was given a list that showed us as having 16 freshmen coming. Ralph corrected me quickly and posted he had only 8 showing. Perhaps the list i had seen included some of the new players (not all of whom were freshmen). In any case, sure looks like an incredible turnover from last year. Makes it very difficult to make any sort of predictions about what we have and what we will see on the ice this coming season. Very excited about getting this season started! Go Red!!
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I'll make a prediction.
We will have much better special teams.
We will not give away the puck in our defensive zone as much as we did last season.
Both of those will be corrected by the new coaching staff.
As for the incoming talent, I am excited to see what we will put on the ice.
Lets Go RED!!!!!!!!
 
engineerhockeyfan said:
I'll make a prediction.
We will have much better special teams.
We will not give away the puck in our defensive zone as much as we did last season.
Both of those will be corrected by the new coaching staff.
As for the incoming talent, I am excited to see what we will put on the ice.
Lets Go RED!!!!!!!!
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I'll second that prediction. If we are correct and we have much better special teams and we control the puck in our zone, I suspect i will be celebrating with a lot of vodka gimlets!!
 
Kudos to Stephen, Brendan and Chris on the interview with Coach Lang. I love what he said about controlling the net front in the D zone. This has been severely lacking for years. From the size the team has, it is encouraging that it will happen. I liked Coach talking about controlling the neutral zone. I was shocked that a lock or trap was not employed with the skill level we possessed in prior years. We're on the right track.
 
Ralph Baer said:
I guess we got the Social Media Coordinator. https://www.instagram.com/p/DNEZMm2OP1I/?hl=en

The same info is on Instagram, at least the forwards. https://www.instagram.com/p/DNWJkAaAAjL/?hl=en&img_index=1
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We've still got a long way to go with web and social media. Apparently a press release went out (see below) on the newcomers yet it's not on the team page, which STILL says "Head Coach Dave Smith." C'mon guys, that's not a hard problem to fix.

rpiathletics.com

Men's Hockey Announces 2025-26 Newcomers - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Athletics

TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey program and C. Lloyd Bauer '55 Endowed Head Coach Eric Lang have announced the addition of 19
rpiathletics.com rpiathletics.com
 
Wicked Slappaahs said:
Lots of great insights...including the addition of dman Matt Jovanovic ...former N. Dame commit. Toronto kid 6'2 200, who is 2 plus years off ice due to major hip injury. Now training/skating with NHLers in Toronto with Mark Giordano coaching him....who vouched for the kid in talking with Lang.
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Jovanovic was 16 when he last played in a league game. He turns 21 next month. Coach is right that it will be a great story if he makes it all the way back, but he has to be a long shot. Given all that, no matter who he was playing for, I'd root for him. Good luck Matthew.

Edit: BTW, I wonder if he would have been eligible even without the new major junior rules. Although he signed with Saginaw, it doesn't look like he ever played for them.
 
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rpi82 said:
Jovanovic was 16 when he last played in a league game. He turns 21 next month. Coach is right that it will be a great story if he makes it all the way back, but he has to be a long shot. Given all that, no matter who he was playing for, I'd root for him. Good luck Matthew.

Edit: BTW, I wonder if he would have been eligible even without the new major junior rules. Although he signed with Saginaw, it doesn't look like he ever played for them.
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The fact that he is currently training with NHLers in Toronto is a positive sign. Lang was cautious in his comments that it will be a process in building him up. Doc can weigh in on the medicine, but at this point the repair had been made -- I'd think the work now and moving forward is largely on continuing strengthening, range of motion and conditioning. I would note that Sutter Muzzatti is attempting a very similar return to form at N. Dame, following his hip injury.

Given the youth on our D corps, it's gonna be a baptism by fire in the first half of the season anyway....Jovanovic is a low risk addition with potential for big upside.
 
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rpi82 said:
We've still got a long way to go with web and social media. Apparently a press release went out (see below) on the newcomers yet it's not on the team page, which STILL says "Head Coach Dave Smith." C'mon guys, that's not a hard problem to fix.

The
rpi82 said:
We've still got a long way to go with web and social media. Apparently a press release went out (see below) on the newcomers yet it's not on the team page, which STILL says "Head Coach Dave Smith." C'mon guys, that's not a hard problem to fix.

rpiathletics.com

Men's Hockey Announces 2025-26 Newcomers - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Athletics

TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey program and C. Lloyd Bauer '55 Endowed Head Coach Eric Lang have announced the addition of 19
rpiathletics.com rpiathletics.com
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

rpi82 said:
We've still got a long way to go with web and social media. Apparently a press release went out (see below) on the newcomers yet it's not on the team page, which STILL says "Head Coach Dave Smith." C'mon guys, that's not a hard problem to fix.

rpiathletics.com

Men's Hockey Announces 2025-26 Newcomers - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Athletics

TROY, N.Y. – The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men's hockey program and C. Lloyd Bauer '55 Endowed Head Coach Eric Lang have announced the addition of 19
rpiathletics.com rpiathletics.com
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The team page lists the new roster and the updated coaches page when I opened it yesterday and today.
 
Wicked Slappaahs said:
The team page lists the new roster and the updated coaches page when I opened it yesterday and today.
Click to expand...
Yes, but if you go to the team page and look in the right hand "Quick Links" it still says that Dave Smith is the head coach (with the expected 404 error if you click on it). It's right next to the months old press release announcing Eric Lang's hiring. Add to that the fact that I only found the newcomer's press release when I clicked on the little plus button in the roster listing associated with one of the new players. It's not on the athletic department or team home pages. There's a lot of room for improvement.

Note: The press release is now in the scroller on the team page if you advance past the hiring release. Why the latest release on a complete rebuild of the roster isn't up first I don't know.
 
rpi82 said:
Yes, but if you go to the team page and look in the right hand "Quick Links" it still says that Dave Smith is the head coach (with the expected 404 error if you click on it). It's right next to the months old press release announcing Eric Lang's hiring. Add to that the fact that I only found the newcomer's press release when I clicked on the little plus button in the roster listing associated with one of the new players. It's not on the athletic department or team home pages. There's a lot of room for improvement.

Note: The press release is now in the scroller on the team page if you advance past the hiring release. Why the latest release on a complete rebuild of the roster isn't up first I don't know.
Click to expand...
It's because the work study kid hasn't punched in yet..... Ha ha
 
rpi82 said:
Yes, but if you go to the team page and look in the right hand "Quick Links" it still says that Dave Smith is the head coach (with the expected 404 error if you click on it). It's right next to the months old press release announcing Eric Lang's hiring. Add to that the fact that I only found the newcomer's press release when I clicked on the little plus button in the roster listing associated with one of the new players. It's not on the athletic department or team home pages. There's a lot of room for improvement.

Note: The press release is now in the scroller on the team page if you advance past the hiring release. Why the latest release on a complete rebuild of the roster isn't up first I don't know.
Click to expand...
Well oiled machine
 
AspyDad said:
Kudos to Stephen, Brendan and Chris on the interview with Coach Lang. I love what he said about controlling the net front in the D zone. This has been severely lacking for years. From the size the team has, it is encouraging that it will happen. I liked Coach talking about controlling the neutral zone. I was shocked that a lock or trap was not employed with the skill level we possessed in prior years. We're on the right track.
Click to expand...
Thanks AD! I also really liked what he said about his defensive system. It sounds simple but effective and had clear results at AIC
 
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