What's new
By:
USCHO Fan Forum

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • The USCHO Fan Forum has migrated to a new plaform, xenForo. Most of the function of the forum should work in familiar ways. Please note that you can switch between light and dark modes by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right of the main menu bar. We are hoping that this new platform will prove to be faster and more reliable. Please feel free to explore its features.

Alaska / UAA : the Strategic, Restructured, Combined 2019-20 Season Thread.

Re: Alaska / UAA : the Strategic, Restructured, Combined 2019-20 Season Thread.

Bale said:
Let's be honest, it probably has very little to do with the schools themselves and more to do with things that are out of the control of the schools. The instability that was created the last couple of years by the Alaska government and the University of Alabama system can't be easy for the other 7 schools. I have zero doubt in my mind that UAA, UAF and UAH are committed to hockey and are willing to put money towards their programs. I would think UAH would be less of a concern from a stability standpoint, but lets not forget that the Alabama system essentially shut them down a few years ago and the program was saved by a few very dedicated fans and boosters. Now, let's just play devil's advocate for a minute....say the worst did happen this year. We are in July of 2019 and the season starts in 3-4 months and all of a sudden the two Alaska teams are gone from college hockey. That was a realistic possibility for a time. That leaves the other schools in the conference short of 6-8 games for the year and quite possibly each of the next 3 years (2019, 2020, and maybe 2021). This was also a topic of conversation last year and it's hard to believe that it won't be a topic of conversation next year. Now, if you take the emotion out of it, at what point do the other schools say, "we can't stay in a relationship in which we don't know if others are going to walk away and leave us hanging"? At some point the other schools are going to be cold and heartless and think about how they are going to be hurt if this keeps happening.

Essentially, you're asking the other 7 schools to hang around hoping they don't get hurt. That's a pretty big ask when it seems like it's inevitable that at least 1, if not 2 or 3, of these programs are going to fold at some point. In a perfect world, everyone would support everyone else, but in reality each of the schools has to think of themselves and make sure they survive first. I know this won't be a popular opinion, but, reading the tea leaves, it seems like this has to be what's going through the other Athletic Directors' and University Presidents' minds.
Click to expand...

This more or less sums up my thoughts regarding the Alaska schools. Twice in 5 years, we spent a Summer wondering if the program will be around 4 months later. I get that the threats to the programs came from outside the university, but they still happened. The only brush the other 7 schools had with losing a program was BGSU around a decade ago. It's a case of "Those that don't learn from history are bound to repeat it."

Huntsville is moving forward, albeit slowly. They also had the ax dropped, but they did come forward and put that discussion six feat under since then. It's a tough sell, but if they can get their own building, I would have no qualms about having them in conference long term.
 
Re: Alaska / UAA : the Strategic, Restructured, Combined 2019-20 Season Thread.

So, the issue isn’t the lack of money or support for our programs, it’s future uncertainty that necessitated the seven schools to hold clandestine meetings without regard or input from the three institutions involved or even the conference commissioner.

Except the Magnificent 7 are now moving to a yet to be determined structure or structures that are fraught with uncertainty. It is more likely that one or two of the Magnificent 7 pull out of whatever agreement is in place and leave the not-so-magnificent remnants fend for themselves, than it was likely UAA, UAF, and UAH dropped hockey.

The way this was approached was chickenchit by any standards. We can only hope it blows up in their faces.
 
Re: Alaska / UAA : the Strategic, Restructured, Combined 2019-20 Season Thread.

mmf said:
The way this was approached was chickenchit by any standards. We can only hope it blows up in their faces.
Click to expand...

You mean like............. George Gwozdecky how the Nacho league didn't work out for him ....... ..... and fired one year short of retirement check .
 
Re: Alaska / UAA : the Strategic, Restructured, Combined 2019-20 Season Thread.

Lets all be honest and think critically for a second. It’s not just the magnificent 7 wanting to leave the conference because of UAA/UAF/UAH and the uncertainty/commitment rhetoric. That merely provided the catalyst and a scapegoat for a lot of other issues with the league that all come to a head. A lot of the schools have expressed a lot of frustrations with the league and scheduling over the past few years. If I’m not mistaken, Tech has travelled to both Alaska schools three years in a row prior to last year. Bemidji and Mankato have also done so a bit disproportionally to the every 3rd year that was planned during realignment.

Officiating has deteriorated and I’ve heard first hand a lot of displeasure with the inconsistencies and quality of officiating throughout the league. More importantly the lack of leadership from the league office to correct it and improve the situation.

I honestly can’t blame the other teams, I really can’t. I just wish for our own sake the conversations were more open instead of everyone keeping their mouths shut in Florida. The reality is, someone has to lose, and eliminating at least Anchorage and Huntsville from the conference is eliminating the wins the other teams have collected from them. I’m not trying to say the Nanooks were that much better but they at least had a sniff at a .500 season in conference and were trending upward.

There were certainly options and compromises that could have been made but I stand being my belief that this isn’t a good move for any of the 7 schools except Mankato and Northern right now. Maybe BG.
 
Last edited:
Re: Alaska / UAA : the Strategic, Restructured, Combined 2019-20 Season Thread.

UAFHockeyFan314 said:
Lets all be honest and think critically for a second. It’s not just the magnificent 7 wanting to leave the conference because of UAA/UAF/UAH and the uncertainty/commitment rhetoric. That merely provided the catalyst and a scapegoat for a lot of other issues with the league that all come to a head. A lot of the schools have expressed a lot of frustrations with the league and scheduling over the past few years. If I’m not mistaken, Tech has travelled to both Alaska schools three years in a row prior to last year. Bemidji and Mankato have also done so a bit disproportionally to the every 3rd year that was planned during realignment.

Officiating has deteriorated and I’ve heard first hand a lot of displeasure with the inconsistencies and quality of officiating throughout the league. More importantly the lack of leadership from the league office to correct it and improve the situation.

I honestly can’t blame the other teams, I really can’t. I just wish for our own sake the conversations were more open instead of everyone keeping their mouths shut in Florida. The reality is, someone has to lose, and eliminating at least Anchorage and Huntsville from the conference is eliminating the wins the other teams have collected from them. I’m not trying to say the Nanooks were that much better but they at least had a sniff at a .500 season in conference and were trending upward.

There were certainly options and compromises that could have been made but I stand being my belief that this isn’t a good move for any of the 7 schools except Mankato and Northern right now. Maybe BG.
Click to expand...

The buss people have spoken. .......One tank of diesel or we are not going.
 
UAFHockeyFan314 said:
Lets all be honest and think critically for a second. It’s not just the magnificent 7 wanting to leave the conference because of UAA/UAF/UAH and the uncertainty/commitment rhetoric. That merely provided the catalyst and a scapegoat for a lot of other issues with the league that all come to a head. A lot of the schools have expressed a lot of frustrations with the league and scheduling over the past few years. If I’m not mistaken, Tech has travelled to both Alaska schools three years in a row prior to last year. Bemidji and Mankato have also done so a bit disproportionally to the every 3rd year that was planned during realignment.

Officiating has deteriorated and I’ve heard first hand a lot of displeasure with the inconsistencies and quality of officiating throughout the league. More importantly the lack of leadership from the league office to correct it and improve the situation.

I honestly can’t blame the other teams, I really can’t. I just wish for our own sake the conversations were more open instead of everyone keeping their mouths shut in Florida. The reality is, someone has to lose, and eliminating at least Anchorage and Huntsville from the conference is eliminating the wins the other teams have collected from them. I’m not trying to say the Nanooks were that much better but they at least had a sniff at a .500 season in conference and were trending upward.

There were certainly options and compromises that could have been made but I stand being my belief that this isn’t a good move for any of the 7 schools except Mankato and Northern right now. Maybe BG.
Click to expand...
With the scheduling matrix, every team will travel to every other team three out of four years. Your travel to NMU & Tech will be the same as the Alaskas or the Minnesota schools.
 
Re: Alaska / UAA : the Strategic, Restructured, Combined 2019-20 Season Thread.

davyd83 said:
With the scheduling matrix, every team will travel to every other team three out of four years. Your travel to NMU & Tech will be the same as the Alaskas or the Minnesota schools.
Click to expand...

My recollection is that it hasn't gone like that at all.

GFM
 
Re: Alaska / UAA : the Strategic, Restructured, Combined 2019-20 Season Thread.

gfmorris said:
My recollection is that it hasn't gone like that at all.

GFM
Click to expand...

For BSU:

13-14: at Alaska
14-15: at Anchorage
15-16: at Alaska, at Anchorage
16-17: at Alaska, at Anchorage
17-18: at Alaska
18-19: at Anchorage
19-20: at Alaska, at Anchorage
20-21: at Alaska at Anchorage if the pattern (??) holds
 
Re: Alaska / UAA : the Strategic, Restructured, Combined 2019-20 Season Thread.

UAA hockey will be back on the radio this season! Yes!
 
beaverhockeyfan said:
For BSU:

13-14: at Alaska
14-15: at Anchorage
15-16: at Alaska, at Anchorage
16-17: at Alaska, at Anchorage
17-18: at Alaska
18-19: at Anchorage
19-20: at Alaska, at Anchorage
20-21: at Alaska at Anchorage if the pattern (??) holds
Click to expand...

NMU (vs UAF/UAA)
13-14 at UAF, at UAA*
14-15 at UAF, at UAA (two week trip)*
15-16 at UAF*
16-17 at UAA
17-18 at UAF, at UAA*
18-19 at UAF, at UAA (two week trip)*
19-20 at UAF*

NMU vs Ferris/LSSU
13-14 at Ferris
14-15 at LSSU
15-16 at Ferris, at LSSU
16-17 at Ferris, at LSSU
17-18 at Ferris
18-19 at LSSU
19-20 at Ferris, at LSSU

It works the same for any of the five “travel pairs,” UAA/UAF, Bemidji/Minnesota St, Tech/NMU, LSSU/Ferris & UAH/BG
 
Re: Alaska / UAA : the Strategic, Restructured, Combined 2019-20 Season Thread.

Hal9K said:
Never understood why it was gone?
Click to expand...

Well, I also think it had to do with Kurt Haider leaving the radio station that it was broadcast through.
 
Re: Alaska / UAA : the Strategic, Restructured, Combined 2019-20 Season Thread.

Alaska Nanook Hockey...the boys are back.
Blue & Gold Game last night
Next Saturday & Sunday...Alaska Nanooks host Denver Pioneers

<a href="https://mmf.smugmug.com/All-Galleries/Alaska-Nanook-Hockey/2019-20-Season/Blue-Gold-game-Sept-28-2019/i-gvmTjBh/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/All-Galleries/Alaska-Nanook-Hockey/2019-20-Season/Blue-Gold-game-Sept-28-2019/i-gvmTjBh/0/5dda2569/L/20190928-72-L.jpg" alt=""></a>
 
Re: Alaska / UAA : the Strategic, Restructured, Combined 2019-20 Season Thread.

mmf said:
Alaska Nanook Hockey...the boys are back.
Blue & Gold Game last night
Next Saturday & Sunday...Alaska Nanooks host Denver Pioneers

<a href="https://mmf.smugmug.com/All-Galleries/Alaska-Nanook-Hockey/2019-20-Season/Blue-Gold-game-Sept-28-2019/i-gvmTjBh/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/All-Galleries/Alaska-Nanook-Hockey/2019-20-Season/Blue-Gold-game-Sept-28-2019/i-gvmTjBh/0/5dda2569/L/20190928-72-L.jpg" alt=""></a>
Click to expand...

I heard the kid coaches where playing for the "Sippy Cup".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top