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Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

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Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

Shirtless Guy said:
You think he has no interest in coaching, he'd be a bad choice as coach, or that we're not objective about the subject (or some combination of all three)?

Seriously, we were trying to help the guy promote his book and get some page views...until the coaching search, our review of his book was the most popular thing we had ever published.
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Speaking of recruiting. maybe you all should run an article on the type of recruit best suited for college hockey. Look at the number of one and done's around, Keifer bellows being the latest. maybe you could interview our new coach about his recruiting philosophy and what he would like to see in a player, how he goes about it and what he sees as why so many school seem to like these one and done guys.
I mean some have been mostly failures.
 
Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

I would guess there are two main answers why coaches go after potential "one and done" players. 1) Are really going to tell a true blue chip recruit they don't want him on the team because he might leave after a year? 2) Coaches believe deep down they can talk the player into another year to further their development, allow them to "experience college life", etc.

In the end, is it worth it? I guess it depends on how good the kid really is and how much you like rebuilding 40-50% of your roster EVERY season.

Ryan
 
Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

JohnsonsJerseys said:
I would guess there are two main answers why coaches go after potential "one and done" players. 1) Are really going to tell a true blue chip recruit they don't want him on the team because he might leave after a year? 2) Coaches believe deep down they can talk the player into another year to further their development, allow them to "experience college life", etc.

In the end, is it worth it? I guess it depends on how good the kid really is and how much you like rebuilding 40-50% of your roster EVERY season.

Ryan
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Not to mention the name drop of your school if they pan out...Jujhar Khaira is probably getting Michigan Tech mentioned regularly for Edmonton broadcasts...that has value.
 
Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

davyd83 said:
Ted had winning years his first two years with a team that was primarily recruited by Mazzoleni. Once Donato got his first full class in, he went on to losing records in 6 of the next 8 seasons.
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But he has kept his job for 13 years. The only one to do that in Houghton is John J. MacInnes.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 
Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

Interesting story about Steward from a few years ago - he sounds like a very religious man, even has a year of seminary school - anyone remember if Shawhan has put out tweets about his own faith? Or am I thinking of someone else?
http://www.sfstampede.com/news_article/show/235652?referrer_id=627591-news
I followed the links and got to a page (not related to either man directly) that said "Igniting the Hockey World for Jesus Christ" which... I don't like to mix up my religion in sports, but I'm not going to condemn someone else either. It's just interesting.
 
Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

geezer said:
Interesting story about Steward from a few years ago - he sounds like a very religious man, even has a year of seminary school - anyone remember if Shawhan has put out tweets about his own faith? Or am I thinking of someone else?
http://www.sfstampede.com/news_article/show/235652?referrer_id=627591-news
I followed the links and got to a page (not related to either man directly) that said "Igniting the Hockey World for Jesus Christ" which... I don't like to mix up my religion in sports, but I'm not going to condemn someone else either. It's just interesting.
Click to expand...
shawhan is religious, that might be the connection that got Steward to come to Houghton.
 
Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

Joe gets a new suit... an allowance for a car... JC is on his side... I can see where this is headed and it's all good.

Ryan

<img src="https://honestaboutmyfaith.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/mission-from-god-blues-brothers.jpg">
 
Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

Shirtless Guy said:
shawhan is religious, that might be the connection that got Steward to come to Houghton.
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Perhaps a secondary connection. I just listened to a 2010 interview with Steward in which he mentions Tony Dungy's coaching philosophy. Shawhan has mentioned it, too.
 
Shirtless Guy said:
Not to mention the name drop of your school if they pan out...Jujhar Khaira is probably getting Michigan Tech mentioned regularly for Edmonton broadcasts...that has value.
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You're.... being sarcastic about Khaira's value to the MTU branding, right?
 
Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

aparch said:
You're.... being sarcastic about Khaira's value to the MTU branding, right?
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compared to Pietila and Kero...sure but its not like there is a long list of players that have made it to the NHL?
 
Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

aparch said:
You're.... being sarcastic about Khaira's value to the MTU branding, right?
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I saw JJ on three nationally broadcast Oilers game this season and Tech was mentioned in all three. Any positive or neutral promotion for Tech Hockey is a good one in my opinion.

Currently, the number of former Tech players who have a legit shot to appear in the NHL is fairly short compared to some other big college programs. However the list of Tech alumni in/near the NHL is MUCH longer now than it has been for many years. Starting from most likely to appear... Kero, Khaira, Copley, Pietila, Conner, Phillips... For many years, Tech didn't have more than one or two guys playing pro hockey with a legit shot to make an NHL regular season roster.
Ryan

Edit: I left Roy and Watson off the list as they are unknowns at this point regarding where they will settle in next season. They both have the potential to be solid AHL / call-up type guys.
 
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Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

redwing61 said:
Perhaps a secondary connection. I just listened to a 2010 interview with Steward in which he mentions Tony Dungy's coaching philosophy. Shawhan has mentioned it, too.
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Just my opinion but I think you have to be very careful bringing religion into the the locker room. I would think overall it's a mistake. Be religious, but live by example, and don't wear it on your sleeve, is what I would say.
 
Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

manurespreader said:
Be religious, but live by example, and don't wear it on your sleeve, is what I would say.
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You'll be fine with Shawhan but there is no pause button on your moral and spiritual makeup. His faith will be in the locker room along with the faiths and beliefs of each player or member of staff. Everyone subscribes to something.
 
Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

Broseph Stalin said:
You'll be fine with Shawhan but there is no pause button on your moral and spiritual makeup. His faith will be in the locker room along with the faiths and beliefs of each player or member of staff. Everyone subscribes to something.
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I'm sure. Here's the background in my case. I'M relatively religious. I studied the bible at one point, but I choose to not say much about it. One day i'm in a very close work environment with a stranger, who in a slow minute says," Have you been saved?" I'm like what? He repeats and spends the next 10 minutes talking about how important his faith is and how I should do what he does and how the bible says... blah , blah , blah.
So me being me, I save up some ammunition from this tirade and I say, well yeah, but the bible also says, ... Which directly contradicts point 1, and says,.... which contradicts point two, and says..., which contradicts point three, etc. After that he shut the .... up. So sure everyone has their faith and it shows in their actions and all, and that's fine, but advertising it might not be the best choice.
 
Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

Wondering if we hear anything on the second Assistant this Tuesday. They seem to like to make announcements on Tuesdays.

I'm more than wondering when we'll see an actual in depth interview with Shawhan and Steward in print. Or, better yet they sit down on video with Dirk. How hard can it be to set up a get to know the new coaches video/interview...
 
Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

Mel always said he liked the team from last year, and they proved him right with a championship. It looks like this year the goalie situation starts as the biggest story, followed by who fills the d-men spots as Watson, Leibinger, and Hanna did as freshman. It looks like scoring will be up from last year as the forward depth looks positive.

??Depth chart??

LW
Jackson
Baltus
Gillies
Brice
Russell
Poikola

C
Luchinni
Steman
Smith
Reitmeyer
Misiak
Blacklock
Anderson

RW
L'Esperance
Gould
Gerrie
Beretta

LD
Auk
Rostagno
Donohue
Watson/Rockwell

RD
Reinke
Birks
Brown
Meek



Any thoughts, wonder where Tech will be picked this year with the looming questions.
Should be another fun year. Will there be any radio shows with Dirk, the Joe Shawhan show has a nice ring to it.....
 
Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

I'm a little nervous about the d Corp, although I know nothing about the incoming freshman. Renke looks like our top d from where I'm sitting. Auk is terrific, he reminds me a bit of Subban, a great talent who sometimes tries to stick handle too much, it sure is pretty when it works though! I thought Birks was really good last year as well. I really noticed him a lot more than I had previously. I think that the strong, offensive minded D was one of the keys to their success in the past few years. Really looking forward to seeing the freshman on the ice!!

In all honesty, I enjoyed the Mel Show when Shawhan was on with Dirk even better than Mel. There is always a feeling to me that Mel was just a bit forced, trying to say the right things, not a knock, just my gut. Shawhan seemed so much more relaxed and genuine to me.
 
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Re: Michigan Tech Off-season Revised - Onward and Upward

FadeToBlack&Gold said:
I'm not at all worried about MTU hockey turning into "Jesus in the locker room".
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Statistically, less than 1/3 of people (and probably even fewer hockey players) are evangelical/biblically religious. I think it could be a double edged sword for recruiting. Although most people would generally like the idea of their kid going into a "wholesome" program that teaches strong values, many would be a bit nervous about too much of a sectarian or fundamentalist bent. If this were football or basketball, I don't think the same risk would exist. I'll give Steward the benefit of the doubt, as his success in the USHL suggests that he's sophisticated enough to know how to integrate his beliefs into his life without alienating those who don't share them.
 
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