McLeod to Retire; What to Make of His Reign

[gfmorris]

Re: McLeod to Retire; What to Make of His Reign

He helped create a home for UAH back in the day (College Hockey America), to the point that our 7>6>5>4-team league named our postseason championship after him. The last one was won by UAH, and after a couple of years out in the cold, it's pretty clear to me that he was a big part of the process of us coming into the nWCHA. I'm very grateful.

GFM

[uaafanblog]

Re: McLeod to Retire; What to Make of His Reign

I think it's hard to say exactly how effective Bruce was. The league obviously prospered for many years before the ButtHurt teams started their crap (and CC A.D. Ken Ralph was more of a player than he's being "credited" for here) but a Commish's job at this level is to be the focal point for communications amongst the AD's (who have the power). There was more than a fair bit of "us vs. them" voting over the years in the WCHA with the "haves" and "have nots" usually on opposite sides of the table. Could he have done something more to find common ground between the competing factions? I think a really creative and ambitious Commish might have ... Bruce has for a long while been in the swan song of his hockey career and hence probably not full of creativity and ambition as he once was. That's ok. He still did his job with integrity.

It wasn't an easy job for the guy but he was always a delight to speak with ... had a very friendly manner and always tried to be open about goings on. With so much of what he did occurring behind the scenes then it's hard to gauge his success. A new commish will have some of the same challenges as there are already some schools in the conference who will probably be thorns in the side of the other league members.

The thing about the WCHA's old boys from Fort Frances ... they all gave much of themselves to the WCHA. Best of luck to Bruce.

[Pink Pony]

DU and UND were hell bent on making a "superior" league. which is pretty ironic as that was what we already had.

You are right. If it is not broken don't fix it. McLeod could have prevented this from happening. He didn't.

[Pink Pony]

Now that he is leaving.

I will always wonder how he acted like he didn't know that the NCHC was forming when Schlossman had a report (and other people reported his report about a new super league). Did he talk to people and they lied to him? Or did he sit pat and thought nothing would happen?

I would like to know more on this. Was he sitting on his hands when this took place.

A lack of leadership, he lead the ship to reef.

[Pink Pony]

McLeod saved the present WCHA

He also saved UMD athletics.