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UNH- How Far West Do We Go?

With our loss last night, coupled with a UML win against UMA, we are back in the basement of HEA. Question is - will we remain in the basement the rest of the season?

Would be a very VERY bad look on the AD for two straight last place finishes after the contract extension. At least the Women’s team appears to be trending in a more positive direction.

Would back-to-back last place finishes be the end of the road for MS7?
 
FlagUp17 said:
With our loss last night, coupled with a UML win against UMA, we are back in the basement of HEA. Question is - will we remain in the basement the rest of the season?

Would be a very VERY bad look on the AD for two straight last place finishes after the contract extension. At least the Women’s team appears to be trending in a more positive direction.

Would back-to-back last place finishes be the end of the road for MS7?
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There’s no doubt they finish last. I’m not sure there is a win left in the schedule. Maybe 1 against UMass?

Which means if the season ended today back to Orono for the playoffs
 
HockeyRef said:
Next season will be the final year of MS7's contract..the team will lose players to graduation and most likely the portal or pro offers. Those that remain will have this tough season under their belt. Will the lessons learned transfer?
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If this team finishes the season as it appears to be going, are we really all that worried about losing players off the current roster?

Any sane GM (or in this case, competent AD) would never have let their team/program fall this far before initiating a major overhaul, starting with the HC.

To those who don't see any wins in the future ... UNH will bump into a few down the stretch with undermotivated and/or distracted opponents, and Chauvette is more than capable of stealing a game or two, here and there. Heck, but for one bizzarro-world minute in the second period, UNH seemed to have PC off focus and susceptible to an upset in front of the home folks. But it won't be enough to get them anywhere near that long-overdue March trip to Boston, I'm afraid.

The way UNH collapsed after the bizzarro-world interlude is a clear indication of how mentally feeble/brittle they are as a group. Guess who owns that??? MS7 ...
 
norbert said:
There’s no doubt they finish last. I’m not sure there is a win left in the schedule. Maybe 1 against UMass?

Which means if the season ended today back to Orono for the playoffs
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I agree I see MAYBE one win vs Umass. While they have shown spurts if success , it doesn’t seem they can maintain it over a full 60 minutes, as we saw apparent last night.

Something tells me if we go back to Orono, we won’t have the same success as we did last time… they’re gonna be pissed from last time. Maine hasn’t had as good a year as they hoped, but they have a superior coach and that gives them a significant edge.

Not sure what Stewie/Guiliano contract situation is. With another last place finish do we see MS7 (perhaps with a push from the AD/Jimmy T) move on from one/both of them? I almost wonder if they will try to find an “heir apparent” to give them a 1 year go to maybe 1.) light a fire under MS7, telling him he has one year left to improve significantly, and 2.) that person may have a leg up as the next coach should Souza be shown the door?
 
Chuck Murray said:
If this team finishes the season as it appears to be going, are we really all that worried about losing players off the current roster?

Any sane GM (or in this case, competent AD) would never have let their team/program fall this far before initiating a major overhaul, starting with the HC.

To those who don't see any wins in the future ... UNH will bump into a few down the stretch with undermotivated and/or distracted opponents, and Chauvette is more than capable of stealing a game or two, here and there. Heck, but for one bizzarro-world minute in the second period, UNH seemed to have PC off focus and susceptible to an upset in front of the home folks. But it won't be enough to get them anywhere near that long-overdue March trip to Boston, I'm afraid.

The way UNH collapsed after the bizzarro-world interlude is a clear indication of how mentally feeble/brittle they are as a group. Guess who owns that??? MS7 ...
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Well I am worried aboit losing say...Lavins.
 
FlagUp17 said:
I don’t think it was an issue of if he hit it with his hand, it was moreso was the puck gonna go in based on the trajectory off of his hand. Based on the side view it looked like it wasnt going to go in without hitting off the goalies back, but the overhead I guess they saw it was gonna go in regardless. If it was aided by the goalies back it would have counted as an own goal I believe.
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I thought the side view was more reliable and was surprised they overturned it. But let's be clear, it would have been a cheap goal (which may have led the officiating crew to lean in favor of overturning it?), and I have no doubt PC would have then killed the delay of game penalty, and gone on to win at least 4-2.

It's a feeble/brittle team led by a deeply flawed and insecure head coach, the vibes have literally radiated off his team since they came back from break.

The most honorable thing Coach Souza could do at this point is submit his resignation at the close of the season. Go watch his kids play, relax, enjoy life ...
 
FlagUp17 said:
I agree I see MAYBE one win vs Umass. While they have shown spurts if success , it doesn’t seem they can maintain it over a full 60 minutes, as we saw apparent last night.

Something tells me if we go back to Orono, we won’t have the same success as we did last time… they’re gonna be pissed from last time. Maine hasn’t had as good a year as they hoped, but they have a superior coach and that gives them a significant edge.

Not sure what Stewie/Guiliano contract situation is. With another last place finish do we see MS7 (perhaps with a push from the AD/Jimmy T) move on from one/both of them? I almost wonder if they will try to find an “heir apparent” to give them a 1 year go to maybe 1.) light a fire under MS7, telling him he has one year left to improve significantly, and 2.) that person may have a leg up as the next coach should Souza be shown the door?
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Let's hope UNH doesn't self restrict itself by only hiring an alum as its next coach. While there has been scuttlebutt about Ayers being approached and murmurs surrounding Bogie with his NHL playing AHL coaching experience, the time has come to fish in unpolluted ponds. Fresh blood, new energy and a clean cut from the Umile lineage is no longer a nice to have, it's a necessity to rescue this program from its descent into the dark abyss of Hockey East and NCAA tourney irrelevance.
 
TheGrouchyCat said:
Let's hope UNH doesn't self restrict itself by only hiring an alum as its next coach. While there has been scuttlebutt about Ayers being approached and murmurs surrounding Bogie with his NHL playing AHL coaching experience, the time has come to fish in unpolluted ponds. Fresh blood, new energy and a clean cut from the Umile lineage is no longer a nice to have, it's a necessity to rescue this program from its descent into the dark abyss of Hockey East and NCAA tourney irrelevance.
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I mean..we are 40th. We need a hero!! I'm doing my darndest to see it in one way lots of new players etc...but when I go back to some of the big W's they've had over ranked teams I am conflicted why it isn't sustainable when it counts.

Welp gonna watch the #1 team in the Atlantic courtesy of their #1 fan Snively65 tonight ...go Falcons! Might even buy some swag..
 
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Chuck Murray said:
The most honorable thing Coach Souza could do at this point is submit his resignation at the close of the season. Go watch his kids play, relax, enjoy life ...
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Lord knows no other Division I team will be beating down his door with offers.

Perhaps, he could lead the Learn to Skate Program at The Rinks in Exeter and ultimately launch a new business offering locker room design and esthetics consulting.

He's Durham's leading expert in this area and is sure to be in high demand at arenas around the country.
 
HockeyRef said:
Well I am worried about losing say...Lavins.
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It's too bad that when there are coaching changes, that often sees fan favorites move on, even at the D-1- level.

Having said that ... being the competitor he is, don't you think Lavins would welcome a new head coach? MS7 hasn't done him any favors beyond ice time and the assistant's "A", but those are things most of us would recognize he has earned regardless of MS7. Also, he is the obvious "C" next year as a senior if he stays.
 
Chuck Murray said:
It's too bad that when there are coaching changes, that often sees fan favorites move on, even at the D-1- level.

Having said that ... being the competitor he is, don't you think Lavins would welcome a new head coach? MS7 hasn't done him any favors beyond ice time and the assistant's "A", but those are things most of us would recognize he has earned regardless of MS7. Also, he is the obvious "C" next year as a senior if he stays.
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Agreed, he is the C...if he doesn't transfer or go pro. Word out of Toronto is that Leafs are very high on him.

While I think he has a pro future, he's a marginal NHLer. I see a long career in the SHL, Singapore or the NL, however.

Lavins' success, hustle and attitude is in spite of MS7, not because of it.
 
TheGrouchyCat said:
Agreed, he is the C...if he doesn't transfer or go pro. Word out of Toronto is that Leafs are very high on him.

While I think he has a pro future, he's a marginal NHLer. I see a long career in the SHL, Singapore or the NL, however.

Lavins' success, hustle and attitude is in spite of MS7, not because of it.
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I hope this is not a TVR situation where injury causes concern and leaves for a contract. I am hoping he stays his last year and should have the "C".

If he is leaning towards leaving hopefully he is back in 2 weeks to finish out the season.
 
FlagUp17 said:
Something tells me if we go back to Orono, we won’t have the same success as we did last time… they’re gonna be pissed from last time. Maine hasn’t had as good a year as they hoped, but they have a superior coach and that gives them a significant edge.
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No doubt, UNH would be roadkill if there's a return trip to the Downeast. I got into trouble with Sparkee two years ago when I wrote MS7's pregame speech on here for the MBPBEGAM round "playoffs", and of course, UNH spit the bit (as usual) ... maybe this season, I could take a shot at Ben Barr's pregame pep talk??

FlagUp17 said:
Not sure what Stewie/Guiliano contract situation is. With another last place finish do we see MS7 (perhaps with a push from the AD/Jimmy T) move on from one/both of them? I almost wonder if they will try to find an “heir apparent” to give them a 1 year go to maybe 1.) light a fire under MS7, telling him he has one year left to improve significantly, and 2.) that person may have a leg up as the next coach should Souza be shown the door?
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As an aside FU17 (!) - I need to come up with something bettah ... Flag? Nah. 17?? Blah ... anyway - kudos, I love questions and topics like this. Not the stupid self-serving clickbait churned out by potty to let him do his usual "I Hate NH"-laced rants. Let me try ...

Someone on here before me - maybe you, or maybe some other sensible sort - suggested the Jimmy T. as interim coach option before I adopted it. So I don't want to poach someone else's credit ... but this would best address the financial challenges we always read about, how the U is so cash-strapped it can't find the princely sum of USD $250,000 (max BTW) to buy Coach out of his final year. With an institution running an annual 8 figure budget, I can't fathom the possibility they can't find that money somewhere between the proverbial couch cushions to get this done ... but just assuming they can't (more likely won't), then sending Souza out on gardening leave for the final season of his contract, and putting Jimmy T. in charge, allowing the two assistants to stick around, and leaving the "program GM" position Tortorella is currently holding vacant for a season seems fiscally prudent, and Jimmy T. can outcoach MS7 in his sleep. If a buyout can be reached - assuming Coach Souza won't do the right thing by his alma mater and voluntarily resign - a buyout of 50% of the amount due lets Souza get on with his life, and funds the differential between Tortorella's GM salary to his interim HC salary for the '26/'27 season.

I can't even imagine MS7 doesn't already have a fire lit under his butt. For once, I can't criticize the road work he apparently put in this offseason, so he has to know he's already on thin ice. Problem remains, he just can't coach at this level. And in Souza's defense, he's had Stewie and Jules with him since the start, I cannot see him as a guy who would jettison a personal friend/dedicated assistant to "save" his job. I think they are probably safe with their contracts - AD Rich wasn't chintzy with MS7's renewal, why would she do anything but the same with his guys?

In the end, I don't see the AD having the stones (figuratively of course) to pull the plug of her own volition. I think our only hope is that Jimmy T. comes to her at or near the end of the season in March, and recommends the glaringly obvious need for a change. Tortorella might even sit down with Souza first and tell him he's better off resigning, because otherwise he's gonna recommend a change? I don't think Tortorella has any designs on the HC job, even as an interim, and stepping into the role as a caretaker is even a little wobbly-looking if AD Rich doesn't hatch the idea first. Hopefully she reads this forum once in awhile, and this might plant the seed for the events that need to happen?

I can't pretend to know the relationships between Jimmy T. and Mike's assistants. It would be hard for either to receive serious consideration to replace MS7, and given their allegiance(s) to Souza, either/both might also step away from UNH if their current boss moves on, however it may happen. Jimmy T. keeping either/both of those guys on during a caretaker season would be a humane step to allow them both to either prove themselves independent of Souza, or to have time to relaunch elsewhere?

There's a lot of meat on that bone, I'm glad you raised it here and now, I suspect there will be lots more discussion of this as this disappointing season winds down ...
 
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Was it widely known among folks here that the mother of the Hughes brothers was a UNH soccer alum?? Great piece about her in The Athletic for anyone who has a subscription, covers the work she has done with USA Women's hockey.

Wouldn't mind seeing her behind the bench as HC for either UNH hockey program.

Edit: do remember seeing that Luke Hughes' bios have listed a Manchester, NH birthplace
 
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