BU 2020-21 Season: The Road to … Nowhere?

[Bomber]

The 2020 College Hockey season is like a flash mob. #AGamePoppedUpThisWeekend!

 

[Rogie21]

The 2020 College Hockey season is like a flash mob. #AGamePoppedUpThisWeekend!

And now popped away.

WAKEFIELD, Mass. - The Hockey East Association announced today the following schedule update:

The men’s game between UConn and Boston University scheduled for December 5 will not be played. Boston University announced today the men's ice hockey program has paused all athletic activities due to a positive COVID-19 test within the team's Tier 1 personnel.

 

[J.D.]

Tier 1 personnel? Paused for how long? I know every school is different and you can't really compare college hockey to football but when these schools agreed they would play i thought it would be understood that you may have some COVID cases. So I am just curious about the length of this pause.

 

[brassbonanza]

Tier 1 personnel? Paused for how long? I know every school is different and you can't really compare college hockey to football but when these schools agreed they would play i thought it would be understood that you may have some COVID cases. So I am just curious about the length of this pause.

BU didn't give a timeline. Tier 1 personnel, according to BU, includes student-athletes, coaches, managers and support staff.

BU has a fairly robust contact tracing program for the whole school, so they probably won't know a timeline until they establish who were close contacts and if they're students, move them to isolation housing.

 

[UMLFan]

BU has had a positive test and is pausing all activities.

 

[Rogie21]

Closest thing to BU men's hockey we'll see this weekend is tonight's OSU-Wisconsin game. Buckeyes' roster has ex-Terriers Mark Cheremeta and Dominic Vidoli and one-time BU recruit Ryan O'Connell. And Colby Cohen is calling the game on ESPNU.

 

[ericredaxe]

Closest thing to BU men's hockey we'll see this weekend is tonight's OSU-Wisconsin game. Buckeyes' roster has ex-Terriers Mark Cheremeta and Dominic Vidoli and one-time BU recruit Ryan O'Connell. And Colby Cohen is calling the game on ESPNU.

Plus if you squint, the wisco jerseys look a lot like BU

 

[Rogie21]

Katherine Ellis tweeted: Confirmed. Men's BU team won't play any games in 2020.

 

[J.D.]

Delay, Delay, Delay. This isn't a BU thing, just goes back to when all these schools came up with a plan to play. If the plan was banking on no COVID cases, that's not really a plan.

 

[brassbonanza]

Katherine Ellis tweeted: Confirmed. Men's BU team won't play any games in 2020.

Well, they only had the two UMass games next weekend left in 2020. I imagine the players leaving for WJC also had a lot to do with this. Doesn't make much sense to start up for two games without multiple starters and your top goalie only to stop again for three weeks.

The big problem the league faces now is the disparity in games played. OOC are one thing, but in order for the league season to be meaningful, everyone has to play the same or at least close to the same number of league games.

It'd be a lot easier on everyone if the NCAA stepped in and pushed the tournament back to early May and give everyone more buffer time to make up previously missed games and those that'll likely get cancelled in the future. As it stands, starting January 1 BU plays two weekend games with no open spot every week for the remainder of the season. There's no wiggle room whatsoever to make up games.

 

[DLG]

do all schools in hockey east have same rules about not playing or practicing-seems shutting down much more quickly than college football teams across the country?
Losing 3 key players to world junior team has me less concerned about not playing to 2020.
I'm just wondering if it is university policy. It seems to me if that is the case the current coach would have less juice with administration than Quinn or Parker

 

[brassbonanza]

do all schools in hockey east have same rules about not playing or practicing-seems shutting down much more quickly than college football teams across the country?
Losing 3 key players to world junior team has me less concerned about not playing to 2020.
I'm just wondering if it is university policy. It seems to me if that is the case the current coach would have less juice with administration than Quinn or Parker

Based on BU's Covid protocols for all students, I can't imagine any coach would have enough juice to override those rules. All students who test positive are placed in isolation housing near the Wheelock campus (I think) and all students deemed close contacts of positive individuals are placed in HoJo for 14 days which is designated as close contact housing, no exceptions. I think your only option is you leave campus for the semester.

 

[DLG]

Based on BU's Covid protocols for all students, I can't imagine any coach would have enough juice to override those rules. All students who test positive are placed in isolation housing near the Wheelock campus (I think) and all students deemed close contacts of positive individuals are placed in HoJo for 14 days which is designated as close contact housing, no exceptions. I think your only option is you leave campus for the semester.

Agree with that- However do you need to shut down the entire program if it is limited to 3-4 players
And if yes for how long
BU in general has done a great job all fall with a spike in last week

 

[brassbonanza]

Agree with that- However do you need to shut down the entire program if it is limited to 3-4 players
And if yes for how long

Unclear, it'd depend on how much contact that player had had with the rest of the team. Though it seems likely if a player tested positive, most if not all other players would be considered close contacts. It's not like football where most practices are outdoors and groups of players sometimes never interact with one another face to face.

 

[SpauldingSmails]

Of course it depends on what the NHL decides to do, but if they get their act together, there are probably some collegians that just bail altogether an go to the bubble.

 

[brassbonanza]

Of course it depends on what the NHL decides to do, but if they get their act together, there are probably some collegians that just bail altogether an go to the bubble.

The NHL is not doing a bubble.

 

[DLG]

Unclear, it'd depend on how much contact that player had had with the rest of the team. Though it seems likely if a player tested positive, most if not all other players would be considered close contacts. It's not like football where most practices are outdoors and groups of players sometimes never interact with one another face to face.

Merrimack is playing Massachusetts right now- They have dressed 9 forwards and 7 defensemen- Obviously some sort of outbreak there

 

[J.D.]

That goes back to your point. It sounds like if that same situation happened to BU, they wouldn't play. So I have no idea what the "rules" are here.

 

[DLG]

heard the 3 BU players selected to world junior team are not going because of Covid
Not sure if permanently out .. However team just added Kleven from North Dakota
Does anyone really know what extent of Covid has hit team

 

[Lemonade]

BU has the strictest protocols I have heard of. Merrimack/PC have had several
players test positive and the teams continue to practice without the players who tested positive. BU on the other hand paused the entire men’s team. Not saying which is right or wrong but there are different rules for each program.