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'12-13 Michigan Tech Season Thread: Screw the Election, Let's Play Hockey!

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Re: '12-13 Michigan Tech Season Thread: Screw the Election, Let's Play Hockey!

manurespreader said:
I agree that it's hard to grade and that winning makes it easier.

Looking at the NHL stuff, Michigan has quite a few players coming in that were ranked. I think it's a slow process but I'm totally supportive of the coach and his staff. Little things after a while add up to a big thing. We had the new seats, then the new ice plant, now the new scoreboard, plus I'm thinking that the weight room and some of the other facilities will get upgrades too. It all adds up after a while.
I'd really like to see more attendance and more seats on the east end and I'd like to see us with a capacity of a little over 5000 down the road. I think, given a winning team, we can fill the seats.I like the plans for the expansion that were put forward, and I like more suites, but I think we need more seats as well, and not just temporary ones.
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Let's have a few winning seasons in row before we talk expansion ;) We're jumping the gun there a bit
 
Re: '12-13 Michigan Tech Season Thread: Screw the Election, Let's Play Hockey!

eye4talent said:
I'm curious to know how the forum would grade the current recruits that Mel has brought in so far? Khaira doesn't count because he was recruited and verbally committed under the Russell regime.
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I'd give Mel a B so far for recruiting, mostly because I think he brought in Davis too early. I like Gould and Eick, and I think Copley will even out. Not sure if Petan was already in the pipeline pre-Mel. Mel's incoming classes look good on paper for the most part. I'd say he's done surprisingly well considering MTU's long residence in the basement. He's been able to attract a number of players here that clearly had other options.
That said, I'm still not sure he's out-recruited the last years of the Russell administration. It's clear that Tech was on the upswing when Jamie left and Mel benefitted from it to some extent. Mel needs to produce a few guys who get more than 30 points a year. We haven't had guys like that since Chris Conner and Colin Murphy, who I believe were Sertich recruits.
 
Re: '12-13 Michigan Tech Season Thread: Screw the Election, Let's Play Hockey!

UpNorthHockey said:
I'd give Mel a B so far for recruiting, mostly because I think he brought in Davis too early. I like Gould and Eick, and I think Copley will even out. Not sure if Petan was already in the pipeline pre-Mel. Mel's incoming classes look good on paper for the most part. I'd say he's done surprisingly well considering MTU's long residence in the basement. He's been able to attract a number of players here that clearly had other options.
That said, I'm still not sure he's out-recruited the last years of the Russell administration. It's clear that Tech was on the upswing when Jamie left and Mel benefitted from it to some extent. Mel needs to produce a few guys who get more than 30 points a year. We haven't had guys like that since Chris Conner and Colin Murphy, who I believe were Sertich recruits.
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While I understand the Davis comment, I can't blame Pearson. With Labrecque decommitting and Fillion unavailable until after GLI, he needed another dman. I guess he could have found an overaged kid or something or waited until he found Sweeney but it was a numbers game.

Davis, Sweeney, Petan, Hyland, Eick, Copley, Phillips, Gould can all be considered his recruits and everyone committed to be joining Tech in the future would be his except Reid Sturos.

On paper any class can look good but the thing I'm most interested in seeing is growth. I want to see players that show flashes as freshmen and sophomores putting up 25+ points as juniors and seniors. Hopefully that can happen. I don't think Mel has had many players on paper that I've been confused by hearing about either visiting or actually committing.
 
Re: '12-13 Michigan Tech Season Thread: Screw the Election, Let's Play Hockey!

The first domino has fallen. Michigan Tech gets a commitment from Demico Hannoun, considered as one of the top '95 forwards (along with Alex Gillies) in the BCHL, currently 32nd in scoring. Turns out he's Alex Petan's cousin. Sounds like a very talented guy.
 
Re: '12-13 Michigan Tech Season Thread: Screw the Election, Let's Play Hockey!

They keep coming: Michigan Tech has picked up a commitment from Shane Hanna who currently plays for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks with another future Husky, Alex Gillies. He's currently the 2nd highest scoring blueliner in BCHL and currently 18 years old. Another good pickup on paper. He'll likely head to Houghton next season.
 
Shirtless Guy said:
They keep coming: Michigan Tech has picked up a commitment from Shane Hanna who currently plays for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks with another future Husky, Alex Gillies. He's currently the 2nd highest scoring blueliner in BCHL and currently 18 years old. Another good pickup on paper. He'll likely head to Houghton next season.
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And Evan Anderson
 
Re: '12-13 Michigan Tech Season Thread: Screw the Election, Let's Play Hockey!

Tech now has 4 of the top 40 scorers in the BCHL committed:
Reid Sturos (16g 20a)
Shane Hanna (8g 27a)
Demico Hannoun (14g 18a)
Alex Gillies (14g 17a)

Had 3 of the top 20 last year with Petan, Khaira, and Gould.
 
Re: '12-13 Michigan Tech Season Thread: Screw the Election, Let's Play Hockey!

Shirtless Guy said:
They keep coming: Michigan Tech has picked up a commitment from Shane Hanna who currently plays for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks with another future Husky, Alex Gillies. He's currently the 2nd highest scoring blueliner in BCHL and currently 18 years old. Another good pickup on paper. He'll likely head to Houghton next season.
Click to expand...

sounds like a guy who can replace Seigo and run the PP.
 
Re: '12-13 Michigan Tech Season Thread: Screw the Election, Let's Play Hockey!

I thought Russell was a real good recruiter. His problem was the players didn't seem to develop under him. I think one of Mel's strengths is that his players get steadily better. Second, he has good relations with NHL people that Russell didn't seem to have and his system is one that kids want to play instead of one kids are skeptical of. And last, Russell did not have the respect of the players, whereas Mel does.
 
Re: '12-13 Michigan Tech Season Thread: Screw the Election, Let's Play Hockey!

manurespreader said:
I thought Russell was a real good recruiter. His problem was the players didn't seem to develop under him. I think one of Mel's strengths is that his players get steadily better. Second, he has good relations with NHL people that Russell didn't seem to have and his system is one that kids want to play instead of one kids are skeptical of. And last, Russell did not have the respect of the players, whereas Mel does.
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The Russell "era" of Tech hockey was not a failure. Yeah, the on-ice results were lacking, but in most other areas he was a complete success, to the point where I'm confident saying that Tech hockey would not be where it is today without Jamie Russell's contributions. The arena improvements, locker room and weight room improvements were under his watch. He did build up the talent, as we can see with some of his last recruits. He just wasn't able to get the team over that last hump, which I think is due to the reasons you state, lack of development and he didn't have the players' respect as Mel does.
 
Re: '12-13 Michigan Tech Season Thread: Screw the Election, Let's Play Hockey!

bigblue_dl said:
The Russell "era" of Tech hockey was not a failure. Yeah, the on-ice results were lacking, but in most other areas he was a complete success, to the point where I'm confident saying that Tech hockey would not be where it is today without Jamie Russell's contributions. The arena improvements, locker room and weight room improvements were under his watch. He did build up the talent, as we can see with some of his last recruits. He just wasn't able to get the team over that last hump, which I think is due to the reasons you state, lack of development and he didn't have the players' respect as Mel does.
Click to expand...
As much as I wanted Russell to get another year to see what he could do with the players coming in, I think we all realize that Russell's recruited players gave Mel a great chance for early success and the ability to change the culture with a fresh face and gain the players' respect early.
 
Re: '12-13 Michigan Tech Season Thread: Screw the Election, Let's Play Hockey!

Shirtless Guy said:
Tech now has 4 of the top 40 scorers in the BCHL committed:
Reid Sturos (16g 20a)
Shane Hanna (8g 27a)
Demico Hannoun (14g 18a)
Alex Gillies (14g 17a)

Had 3 of the top 20 last year with Petan, Khaira, and Gould.
Click to expand...

Did someone here say Sturos had de-committed? Or was that just a vile rumor?
 
Re: '12-13 Michigan Tech Season Thread: Screw the Election, Let's Play Hockey!

bigblue_dl said:
The Russell "era" of Tech hockey was not a failure. Yeah, the on-ice results were lacking, but in most other areas he was a complete success, to the point where I'm confident saying that Tech hockey would not be where it is today without Jamie Russell's contributions. The arena improvements, locker room and weight room improvements were under his watch. He did build up the talent, as we can see with some of his last recruits. He just wasn't able to get the team over that last hump, which I think is due to the reasons you state, lack of development and he didn't have the players' respect as Mel does.
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I loved (or still do now that I think of it) to rip on MTU for being trbl (so bad at times it wasn't deserving of any vowels) over the last decade, but honestly for a few years there at the end of Jamie's run I thought you guys had the right pieces in place and then you were hit with a sick amount of injuries, and not just in the amount of talent was taken out but also key players. It looks like Mel is the right guy at the right time and it was time to move on but I for one will not be someone to harp on Jamie and I agree, were it not for a lot of things he did, I don't think Mel would have come into a position where he could have as much early success as he has had.
 
Re: '12-13 Michigan Tech Season Thread: Screw the Election, Let's Play Hockey!

geezer said:
Did someone here say Sturos had de-committed? Or was that just a vile rumor?
Click to expand...
Last I heard, he was still headed to Tech for next season. He has not signed a NLOI so that is not guaranteed at this moment but it sounds like an extremely likely possibility.
 
Re: '12-13 Michigan Tech Season Thread: Screw the Election, Let's Play Hockey!

Every time I try to get caught up on recruiting articles, I fall behind. Just completed an article on Mark Auk who is now playing in the USHL.
Huskies Get Their Mark
 
Re: '12-13 Michigan Tech Season Thread: Screw the Election, Let's Play Hockey!

I can't believe that no one has posted their predictions yet for this weekend, so I'll have to be the first.
Following up on last weekend's three points, I think Tech keeps rolling and sweeps Bye - break out the brooms!
A sweep on the weekend should also cause Tech to jump Bye in the national polls as well.
Go Tech!
Ryan J
 
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