2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

[gfmorris]

So what do we have to discuss?

Butch Mousseaux
How far Ferris State can go while slowing their games down
Bad officiating (especially letting interference/holding/etc. go)
Arizona State
More expansion/realignment talk
Changing the conference schedule
Worrying about dullard Alaskan state legislators
Early defections
WCHA finances and the men/women split
Inscrutable math-related posts about BELOW, goal margin, correlation, alternative hypothesis testing, and the like
Should-have-won conversations
Banjos
Beer sales
New campus rinks
Old rivalries
How much Bemidji sucks

GFM

 

[Broseph Stalin]

So what do we have to discuss?

Butch Mousseaux
How far Ferris State can go while slowing their games down
Bad officiating (especially letting interference/holding/etc. go)
Arizona State
More expansion/realignment talk
Changing the conference schedule
Worrying about dullard Alaskan state legislators
Early defections
WCHA finances and the men/women split
Inscrutable math-related posts about BELOW, goal margin, correlation, alternative hypothesis testing, and the like
Should-have-won conversations
Banjos
Beer sales
New campus rinks
Old rivalries
How much Bemidji sucks

GFM

Butch's injury is still on the archive feed. That's not appropriate.

Ferris can win their next game if the officiating is lax.

I don't care about the rest.

I wish Ferris good luck in the tournament. They are a pain in the butt!

 

[SCSU Euro]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

From all WCHA fans, what's the scouting report on FSU?

 

[gfmorris]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

Okay, so let's talk 24-game schedules. 2017-18 is the perfect time to discuss them, as the four-year cycle is complete after this season.

Let's work with these parameters:
1. 10-team league.
2. Rivalry games are 4 games HTH.

You can set it up like this:

Four rivalry games (two home, two away) with the current rivalry pairings (UAH-BG, UAA-UAF, MSU-BSU, FSU-LSSU, MTU-NMU)
20 other games against the other eight teams

I'm trying to come up with a way to do this that keeps you from having to go to Alaska twice in a season. Doing a true minimax on the problem leads to an unbalanced rotation, and I don't think that anyone wants that. I'll keep plugging away at this.

GFM

 

[davyd83]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

Okay, so let's talk 24-game schedules. 2017-18 is the perfect time to discuss them, as the four-year cycle is complete after this season.

Let's work with these parameters:
1. 10-team league.
2. Rivalry games are 4 games HTH.

You can set it up like this:

Four rivalry games (two home, two away) with the current rivalry pairings (UAH-BG, UAA-UAF, MSU-BSU, FSU-LSSU, MTU-NMU)
20 other games against the other eight teams

I'm trying to come up with a way to do this that keeps you from having to go to Alaska twice in a season. Doing a true minimax on the problem leads to an unbalanced rotation, and I don't think that anyone wants that. I'll keep plugging away at this.

GFM

The problem with a 24 game schedule is that many teams are having a hard enough time getting home games outside of conference play as it is.

 

[aparch]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

Okay, so let's talk 24-game schedules. 2017-18 is the perfect time to discuss them, as the four-year cycle is complete after this season.

Let's work with these parameters:
1. 10-team league.
2. Rivalry games are 4 games HTH.

You can set it up like this:

Four rivalry games (two home, two away) with the current rivalry pairings (UAH-BG, UAA-UAF, MSU-BSU, FSU-LSSU, MTU-NMU)
20 other games against the other eight teams

I'm trying to come up with a way to do this that keeps you from having to go to Alaska twice in a season. Doing a true minimax on the problem leads to an unbalanced rotation, and I don't think that anyone wants that. I'll keep plugging away at this.

GFM

No love for my 20 game conference, 8 game forced non-conference but counts in the standings, and 6 traditional non-conference/no points schedule?

You're going to get an unbalanced rotation. I think the last true balanced schedule for all the western schools may have been the CCHA's 11 game rotation from 1997 to 1999. That forced schools to play three games a year against everyone, they also played 30 conference games each season. The last time the WCHA was "balanced" was most likely 1993 just before the addition of Alaska Anchorage, when they still played 32 conference games (each team four games against everyone else).

 

[Bale]

From all WCHA fans, what's the scouting report on FSU?

They will likely commit some stupid penalties which will likely be their downfall against a team like scsu. They are tough if you get down to them though. It sounds weird to say, but they play an aggressive trap when they get up. They will send a guy to forecheck aggresively, but the rest of the team will stay very disciplined in the neutral zone.

The real question is how lax will the refs be? If they allow them to clutch and grab, they are a tough out. If they call it tight, scsu should roll.

 

[gfmorris]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

No love for my 20 game conference, 8 game forced non-conference but counts in the standings, and 6 traditional non-conference/no points schedule?

This is just another way to do it!

Yes, it's going to be unbalanced. I got an OK start on it in the middle of the night ... we'll see what I can get done later today.

GFM

 

[John J. MacInnes]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

From all WCHA fans, what's the scouting report on FSU?

Ferris uses the glass more than almost any other team in hockey. They will send send a forward flying up the ice as soon as they gain possession in their own zone, and try to chip off the window to hit him at full speed through the neutral zone. It works about 10% of the time, but they try it about 20 times a game. They will compact their coverage in their own zone and allow a lot of shots from the point at even strength, taking away most of the open ice for the forwards. When they kill penalties, they are very aggressive on forcing the puck. Very much "bottom-up" on offensive zone play - they like to get the puck moving back and forth between below the goal line and the point.

And very much agreed on the officiating. I would tend to think that eastern referees are going to be much less forgiving of their style, so they will be on the kill quite a bit.

Mayhew and Mackin are both very good offensive players.

 

[aparch]

This is just another way to do it!

Yes, it's going to be unbalanced. I got an OK start on it in the middle of the night ... we'll see what I can get done later today.

GFM

I may try taking a stab at it too. The Alaska's already eat up four games against themselves, so we're looking at filling 10 more home games for each Alaska school under your proposal. Or just eight home games against WCHA schools and another four home games NCHC/B1G under mine.

Mine fits the current WCHA, yours is built for ASU and (Insert Pac10 Team).

Yours would be much easier to implement (one conference change versus getting three into lock step).

 

[davyd83]

No love for my 20 game conference, 8 game forced non-conference but counts in the standings, and 6 traditional non-conference/no points schedule?

You're going to get an unbalanced rotation. I think the last true balanced schedule for all the western schools may have been the CCHA's 11 game rotation from 1997 to 1999. That forced schools to play three games a year against everyone, they also played 30 conference games each season. The last time the WCHA was "balanced" was most likely 1993 just before the addition of Alaska Anchorage, when they still played 32 conference games (each team four games against everyone else).

How do you get 8 forced non conference games where you are guaranteed 4 home and 4 away? The Big Ten certainly wouldn't cooperate and the NCHC schools like North Dakota won't, Denver and CC would just be more flights, UMD & St Cloud help out a little, but outside Bemidji & Mankato, they generally have maybe one series left for WCHA teams and neither of them is likely to schedule Ferris, Bowling Green or Huntsville while LSSU Is only feasible for UMD among NCHC teams.

 

[gfmorris]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

I may try taking a stab at it too. The Alaska's already eat up four games against themselves, so we're looking at filling 10 more home games for each Alaska school under your proposal. Or just eight home games against WCHA schools and another four home games NCHC/B1G under mine.

Mine fits the current WCHA, yours is built for ASU and (Insert Pac10 Team).

Yours would be much easier to implement (one conference change versus getting three into lock step).

Actually, I'm doing this against a ten-team league with no additions or subtractions. I'm also considering how to do an interlock.

GFM

 

[aparch]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

How do you get 8 forced non conference games where you are guaranteed 4 home and 4 away?

With promises of burlap sacks with dollar signs on them.


Same promises Denver, NoDak, and Miami used to woo UNO, UMD, and CC to form the NCHC.

 

[davyd83]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

With promises of burlap sacks with dollar signs on them.


Same promises Denver, NoDak, and Miami used to woo UNO, UMD, and CC to form the NCHC.

Ah yes. Promise North Dakota enough money to go to Huntsville instead of playing at home Have NMU or LSSU add a flight to Denver or CC? You do realize that you'd have to give North Dakota about $500,000 plus expenses to give up a weekend at the Ralph.

 

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

So what do we have to discuss?
How much Bemidji sucks
GFM

Tech fans still have a bit of a bro-mance with BSU... at least until next season winds up.

I don't see any reason why the WCHA and the AK schools can't come up with a plan to help everyone cut costs. I don't see any reason why all the teams that have to do the AK double can't get those games on back to back weeks. Better for the visiting team and I can't see why it wouldn't be better for the AK schools because now they would share the cost of one trip for the visitor rather than each footing their own bill for separate trips. In the same manner, lower 48 teams need to work together to allow the AK schools to do short back to back weekend road games (MTU-NMU, LSSU-FSU, MSU-BSU) to cut down on their travel time/cost as well.

Everyone needs to be willing to give a little to help each other for the betterment of the conference.

Ryan J

 

[davyd83]

Tech fans still have a bit of a bro-mance with BSU... at least until next season winds up.

I don't see any reason why the WCHA and the AK schools can't come up with a plan to help everyone cut costs. I don't see any reason why all the teams that have to do the AK double can't get those games on back to back weeks. Better for the visiting team and I can't see why it wouldn't be better for the AK schools because now they would share the cost of one trip for the visitor rather than each footing their own bill for separate trips. In the same manner, lower 48 teams need to work together to allow the AK schools to do short back to back weekend road games (MTU-NMU, LSSU-FSU, MSU-BSU) to cut down on their travel time/cost as well.

Everyone needs to be willing to give a little to help each other for the betterment of the conference.

Ryan J

those Alaskan Double dips sound much better to fans than they actually are for players, coaches and staff. The savings aren't nearly as great when you consider the extra $12-15,000 for hotels and meals. Now add ice rentals and gym costs, plus team activities to keep the players busy for those extra four days.

Most teams that have done the double do them in conjunction with Thanksgiving and Christmas Break. The Alaska schools also like to do their doubles on break time. To do them outside of break periods, means players would miss 7 consecutive days of class on the 12 day/11 night journey. Now the biggest negative according to coaches I've talked to: fatigue. The physical toll for the trip is tremendous. It takes a couple days to readjust on the single trip. It takes a week or more after the double. To the fan, it looks simple and effective. In reality, it's much different.

 

[jdmaxim23]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

With promises of burlap sacks with dollar signs on them.


Same promises Denver, NoDak, and Miami used to woo UNO, UMD, and CC to form the NCHC.

Those bags of cash proved to be as empty as their promises!

If we are going to speculate, I'll like to believe that the AD's of these schools should get together and talk honestly about their programs and the financial hardship that some are dealing with. In this meeting they should admit (and set their egos aside) that the dream of national super conference is not panning out. Then they can in an orderly fashion trade WMU and Miami from the NaCHO to the WCHA for BSU and MSU-M. This will help tremendously for local attendance at games and travelling fans. It will make the NCHC tournament potentially more profitable with local teams and fans able to travel. It also helps out the WCHA tournament pick a place in Michigan and build a tradition. Lastly, while they are at it, they might as well change teh names around too, call the WCHA the CCHA, and then the NCHC can reclaim the WCHA name....
As for the Alaska schools... I'll let someone smarter figure that out.

Before everyone rips into the plan, I realize it has a very low chance of happening, just dreaming that a little bit of the old wcha magic could be captured again with all the local MN schools and western teams.

 

[davyd83]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

Those bags of cash proved to be as empty as their promises!

If we are going to speculate, I'll like to believe that the AD's of these schools should get together and talk honestly about their programs and the financial hardship that some are dealing with. In this meeting they should admit (and set their egos aside) that the dream of national super conference is not panning out. Then they can in an orderly fashion trade WMU and Miami from the NaCHO to the WCHA for BSU and MSU-M. This will help tremendously for local attendance at games and travelling fans. It will make the NCHC tournament potentially more profitable with local teams and fans able to travel. It also helps out the WCHA tournament pick a place in Michigan and build a tradition. Lastly, while they are at it, they might as well change teh names around too, call the WCHA the CCHA, and then the NCHC can reclaim the WCHA name....
As for the Alaska schools... I'll let someone smarter figure that out.

Before everyone rips into the plan, I realize it has a very low chance of happening, just dreaming that a little bit of the old wcha magic could be captured again with all the local MN schools and western teams.

I have suggested the same swap as well. I think it's a great idea that is unlikely to happen for one simple reason. It makes too much sense.

 

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

I have suggested the same swap as well. I think it's a great idea that is unlikely to happen for one simple reason. It makes too much sense.

I'm sure the reason it won't happen is the belief that MSUM/BSU don't bring anything additional to the table for NCHC compared to Miami/Western other than travel costs?

 

[MaizeRage]

Re: 2016 WCHA Offseason; It's All Over, Save Ferris

I'm sure the reason it won't happen is the belief that MSUM/BSU don't bring anything additional to the table for NCHC compared to Miami/Western other than travel costs?

Western/Miami don't "bring anything to the table" either. Hell there's barely even a table.