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BREAKING: Alabama Huntsville dropping men’s ice hockey effective immediately, citing

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  • Re: BREAKING: Alabama Huntsville dropping men’s ice hockey effective immediately, cit

    Originally posted by woodenskates View Post
    Really? That won't help UAH save the program as it is likely that the some of the more talented found a new home first. What is your source for this? I would hope, for the benefit of UAH on a competitive level for the coming year, that this is not the case. They have enough struggles already with no conference, no rink on campus and an AD that wants to drop them. Holding on to competitive players will help a bit.
    Which is exactly what happened last time UAH announced it was canning the program. A slew of players transferred out. Look at UAH's record the following year. They were hurt by it. Big time.
    Russell Jaslow
    [Former] SUNYAC Correspondent
    U.S. College Hockey Online

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    • Re: BREAKING: Alabama Huntsville dropping men’s ice hockey effective immediately, cit

      Better off still folding the program and hope people let you keep the money for the school in general.

      Comment


      • Re: BREAKING: Alabama Huntsville dropping men’s ice hockey effective immediately, cit

        Originally posted by Russell Jaslow View Post
        Which is exactly what happened last time UAH announced it was canning the program. A slew of players transferred out. Look at UAH's record the following year. They were hurt by it. Big time.

        A slew? It was two guys on the active roster under NLIs. Now, were recruits lost over it? Absolutely.

        The 2011-12 team (i.e., the team that had already started the season less than two weeks before the program was dropped) had just two seniors and four juniors. Between them, the five skaters scored 11 goals and the goalie played in six contests.

        The next year's team fired the 2011-12 head coach less than two weeks before the season started and picked up a pro coach with a college background that was 30 years behind him to play out the last independent season[1]. That 2012-13 team won exactly one Division I game. The four seniors played their asses off, but they weren't enough. Four of the eight freshmen didn't finish four seasons in Huntsville: one left after a year and three were culled after the first WCHA season. The juniors were a bit of a mixed bag (including one who was effectively deported for sexual assault), with only two of them going on to play any sort of major contribution the next year. (They were the kids who stayed through independence, and I respect the hell out of them.)

        So yeah: cancelled the program, brought it back to win just two D-I games, fired a coach two weeks before the season started, won just one D-I game, but thank God they got into the WCHA. It took a couple more years and a guy like Max McHugh to prove to recruits that you might actually want to play here, but it happened.

        But UAH only lost two guys in 2011.




        [1] If UAH hadn't gotten into the WCHA, they were going to fold. The press release was written. I've read it.
        Geof F. Morris
        UAH BSE MAE 2002
        UAHHockey.com

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        • Re: BREAKING: Alabama Huntsville dropping men’s ice hockey effective immediately, cit

          Originally posted by J.D. View Post
          Better off still folding the program and hope people let you keep the money for the school in general.
          That would not happen.

          GFM
          Geof F. Morris
          UAH BSE MAE 2002
          UAHHockey.com

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          • Re: BREAKING: Alabama Huntsville dropping men’s ice hockey effective immediately, cit

            No but it would be best for UAH. Unless someone can tell me how this program realistically survives long-term.

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            • Re: BREAKING: Alabama Huntsville dropping men’s ice hockey effective immediately, cit

              Originally posted by J.D. View Post
              No but it would be best for UAH. Unless someone can tell me how this program realistically survives long-term.
              If the hockey alumni leadership can raise well over a million dollars (I have assurances that it's there) in under a week, I think they can raise the 1.5-2 mill it'll require year over year to make this program viable. I think that you wait for the school to approve things, get any on-ice changes that might be made, and start the fundraising for 2021-22 come September or so when we know when games might be played.

              Also, there's that pesky conference situation to fret over. I've said it before today: from a PR perspective, it would be tough for the nCCHA to say "no, you're not committed" to a program that raised $500k in less than four days purely through word of mouth ... DURING A PANDEMIC WHERE UNEMPLOYMENT IS >15%.

              There are tons of headwinds. You tack the sailboat once at a time. I think that everyone here knows that this is a big first step but merely that.

              I bring up unemployment for this reason: in 2011-12, they did a three-year pledge campaign that netted $500k (again, less than what these hockey alumni did in just four days; the GFM is at $510k+ right now). I pledged $5000. I gave $1000 in the first year. I was largely an unemployed graduate student during that time. (Boy did that suck.) There's a reason that I didn't give the other $4k. Apparently I was among the 80% or so that didn't live up to their pledge.

              Taking the money right now makes it work. The money is there, right now, and can be given to the school. Taso and Sheldon can take Dawson to the bank and ask the teller to show the man the receipts. That's more than 5x what EJ Brophy "achieved" in three years ... in a week.

              Is it easier to get a big bump right now because everyone desperately wants to save the program? Yes, absolutely. But BG has pulled this off before, and I am willing to bet that our people will talk to their people.

              I only see your line of argument if the nCCHA tells us no. At that point, I agree. There is no reasonable prospect on the horizon for another league opening for UAH.

              GFM
              Geof F. Morris
              UAH BSE MAE 2002
              UAHHockey.com

              Comment


              • Re: BREAKING: Alabama Huntsville dropping men’s ice hockey effective immediately, cit

                It's going to be pretty hard to recruit good players and staff when the program is going to be "cancelled" every 5-10 years.

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                • Re: BREAKING: Alabama Huntsville dropping men’s ice hockey effective immediately, cit

                  Monty

                  2011-2012 NCAA Tournament Participants
                  2012-2013 Hockey East Regular Season Champions, Hockey East Tournament Champions, and Frozen Four Participants
                  2013-2014 Hockey East Tournament Champions and NCAA Tournament Participants
                  2015-2016 NCAA Tournament Participants
                  2016-2017 Hockey East Regular Season Co-Champions, Hockey East Tournament Champions and NCAA Tournament Participants

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                  • Re: BREAKING: Alabama Huntsville dropping men’s ice hockey effective immediately, cit

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                    • Originally posted by gfmorris View Post
                      If the hockey alumni leadership can raise well over a million dollars (I have assurances that it's there) in under a week, I think they can raise the 1.5-2 mill it'll require year over year to make this program viable. I think that you wait for the school to approve things, get any on-ice changes that might be made, and start the fundraising for 2021-22 come September or so when we know when games might be played.

                      Also, there's that pesky conference situation to fret over. I've said it before today: from a PR perspective, it would be tough for the nCCHA to say "no, you're not committed" to a program that raised $500k in less than four days purely through word of mouth ... DURING A PANDEMIC WHERE UNEMPLOYMENT IS >15%.

                      There are tons of headwinds. You tack the sailboat once at a time. I think that everyone here knows that this is a big first step but merely that.

                      I bring up unemployment for this reason: in 2011-12, they did a three-year pledge campaign that netted $500k (again, less than what these hockey alumni did in just four days; the GFM is at $510k+ right now). I pledged $5000. I gave $1000 in the first year. I was largely an unemployed graduate student during that time. (Boy did that suck.) There's a reason that I didn't give the other $4k. Apparently I was among the 80% or so that didn't live up to their pledge.

                      Taking the money right now makes it work. The money is there, right now, and can be given to the school. Taso and Sheldon can take Dawson to the bank and ask the teller to show the man the receipts. That's more than 5x what EJ Brophy "achieved" in three years ... in a week.

                      Is it easier to get a big bump right now because everyone desperately wants to save the program? Yes, absolutely. But BG has pulled this off before, and I am willing to bet that our people will talk to their people.

                      I only see your line of argument if the nCCHA tells us no. At that point, I agree. There is no reasonable prospect on the horizon for another league opening for UAH.

                      GFM
                      I can tell based on the change in your writing style that you’re jacked up. Good to see. :-)

                      Comment


                      • Re: BREAKING: Alabama Huntsville dropping men’s ice hockey effective immediately, cit

                        So now the kids that have arranged to transfer have to sit the year?

                        Comment


                        • Re: BREAKING: Alabama Huntsville dropping men’s ice hockey effective immediately, cit

                          Originally posted by altazo View Post
                          So now the kids that have arranged to transfer have to sit the year?
                          This was covered earlier in the thread. As I read the rules, the players are free to play at their new schools in the upcoming season. The public announcement of the discontinuation triggers the free transfer and there is no corresponding provision that the school can claw the player back if the program is reinstated. (See "14.5.5.2.6 Discontinued/Nonsponsored Sport Exception": https://www.ncaapublications.com/pro...0.pdf#page=200).

                          Comment


                          • Originally posted by DavidNardolillo View Post
                            This was covered earlier in the thread. As I read the rules, the players are free to play at their new schools in the upcoming season. The public announcement of the discontinuation triggers the free transfer and there is no corresponding provision that the school can claw the player back if the program is reinstated. (See "14.5.5.2.6 Discontinued/Nonsponsored Sport Exception": https://www.ncaapublications.com/pro...0.pdf#page=200).
                            Ahhh, thanks.

                            Comment


                            • Re: BREAKING: Alabama Huntsville dropping men’s ice hockey effective immediately, cit

                              Originally posted by DavidNardolillo View Post
                              This was covered earlier in the thread. As I read the rules, the players are free to play at their new schools in the upcoming season. The public announcement of the discontinuation triggers the free transfer and there is no corresponding provision that the school can claw the player back if the program is reinstated. (See "14.5.5.2.6 Discontinued/Nonsponsored Sport Exception": https://www.ncaapublications.com/pro...0.pdf#page=200).
                              Does that include Josh Latta, who transferred to Mass Lowell in April before UAH (temporarily) discontinued the program? Will he be eligible for 2020-21 or have to sit a year?
                              "No matter where you go, there you are"

                              Comment


                              • Re: BREAKING: Alabama Huntsville dropping men’s ice hockey effective immediately, cit

                                Originally posted by bcmsu9196 View Post
                                Does that include Josh Latta, who transferred to Mass Lowell in April before UAH (temporarily) discontinued the program? Will he be eligible for 2020-21 or have to sit a year?
                                Good question. I don't know. I would argue that it would because the announced cancellation would moot the reason for the year of ineligibility. But I could see the NCAA ruling him ineligible for this year, too.

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