RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

Seeing guys graduating with Bachelor's in three years the last two years. Could be the case with him; no idea. I believe he could be a second pairing in AHL; has the strength and stature.

That's not all that surprising, considering the kids are usually coming in around 20 years of age. There's plenty of tutor time in the USHL to fit in some credits through a junior college that transfer in. Plus, RPI's flexible enough (or at least they were) that you could do 21 credits each semester and graduate early. Probably not the case for hockey players, but possible.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Praps played 26 AHL games and 11 ECHL games. Do you know if he is hurt? I hate to see guys leave for a few games in the AHL and then straight to ECHL which is common.ECHL equals low wages and long tough hours . The RPI degree long term is most often the better bet. If he already has credits to graduate or will by summers end then my point is moot. I agree that reillys game is better than praps was in college.

We're on the same page - I'm not a fan of early departures in general . My thoughts were just on the hockey side. I believe Praps was hurt - I believe he is now back with the Monsters.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

SA was 21-41-12, DS is 16-52-7 according to my back-of-the-envelope stuff. A "better" record, maybe. But to me, there's not a whole lot of difference in those two records - a handful of wins, for sure, but I don't think anyone would argue SA came in and set the world on fire and DS has been a complete bust. SA also inherited a team with more wins in its previous two seasons than Smith (28-39-8 under Fridge's last two seasons); Smith took over a team that was a combined 26-43-8. Again, not a huge difference, but DS did inherit a weaker team, at least in terms of wins and losses. Winning percentage trends following two seasons are interesting between the two coaches. SA 1st season = .389, 2nd season = .342, difference of -.47. DS 1st season = .216, 2nd season = .319, difference of +.103. Sure we'd all like more wins, but after two seasons I'll take +.103 over -.47.

I agree attendance has become a major concern. Number of empty seats for big games was stunning. But if you want to put DS on the hot seat in 3rd year, let's remember SA was 10-27-2 (.282) in his 3rd season. It was his second-worst season, numbers-wise, in Troy. SA's losses increased each of his first three seasons...no improvement until his fourth season.

I assume you mean .047?

Why was the administration patient with Appert? He put all his eggs in a few recruits: Pirri, D'Amigo, Cullen, Polacek. Top rated recruit classes, so it's easy to see why we were excited. Then he was exposed for his lack of bench coaching skills. And then the recruit quality didn't seem so hot, not to mention complacency after getting ridiculously large extensions.

The public will see next year as Smith's year of reckoning, just as they did with Appert. How many remember the "fiar" chants from 08-09? Three years is very common in American sports. I know his contract is 5 years, and I know we understand better. Joe Q. Public, on the other hand...

 

[DavidNardolillo]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

IMO he might get a look but if he leaves without a degree he will regret it. He is not a dominant D1 defensemen. Not ready by a long shot.

Reilly has a lot of talent. Freshman year he was electric and could certainly develop into a longer term professional player. I hope he and Hayhurst stay. But if they go, it might not be to go pro; the graduate transfer rule is a significant wild card these days. Other teams currently in a better place than RPI would be interested in those two.

 

[jstadts]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

Reilly has a lot of talent. Freshman year he was electric and could certainly develop into a longer term professional player. I hope he and Hayhurst stay. But if they go, it might not be to go pro; the graduate transfer rule is a significant wild card these days. Other teams currently in a better place than RPI would be interested in those two.

good point on grad transfer possibly coming into play. we shall see.

 

[DavidNardolillo]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

. . . Anyone think Burgess is gone? Cant imagine but he is Sens property. Dont know if they have any influence or interest to influence. . . .

I would be surprised if Burgess turned pro. He needs another year of college; I thought his season was mixed. Playing with Zieky and Hayhurst was a positive turning point, but he went ice cold after scoring the winning goal against Cornell. If that Zieky-Hayhurst-Burgess line stays intact, that would be a plus heading into next year

 

[DavidNardolillo]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

I assume you mean .047?

Why was the administration patient with Appert? He put all his eggs in a few recruits: Pirri, D'Amigo, Cullen, Polacek. Top rated recruit classes, so it's easy to see why we were excited. Then he was exposed for his lack of bench coaching skills. And then the recruit quality didn't seem so hot, not to mention complacency after getting ridiculously large extensions.

The public will see next year as Smith's year of reckoning, just as they did with Appert. How many remember the "fiar" chants from 08-09? Three years is very common in American sports. I know his contract is 5 years, and I know we understand better. Joe Q. Public, on the other hand...

I liked Seth, and glad he is enjoying some success with the USNDP, but not many coaches would have survived the last year he had at RPI. I don't want to say that he lost the team or the guys quit on him, but it was clear he and the players weren't on the same page for a couple of years. Add in other factors like a new athletic director and local rival Union's complete eclipse of RPI in becoming a perennial contender and national champion, despite spending even less on its program than RPI, and you've got a recipe for a coaching change.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

Today is 11 March 2019. There are 208 days until RPI's next game.


This is based upon 5 October 2019 for the start of next season.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

Although either Hayhurst or Reilly could graduate this year and go somewhere else, they both were born in 1997 (Hayhurst January and Reilly July). They were fairly young when they entered RPI and were unlikely to have earned much college credit before arriving. It seems to me that it would be difficult for them to finish before this fall.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

This year we had 28 players on the roster, 3 goalies, 9 defensemen, and 16 forwards, counting Moore as a D. We are losing or have lost 5, Wiffen, Burke, Moore, Grant, and Perry. That brings us down to 2, 7, an 14, respectively. None new players signed NLoI, 1 G, 4 D, and 3 F. We apparently need 1 G, 2 D, and 2 F. More will be needed if there are defections or cuts. Miller as the new goalie is clear. 1 new forward (Ashbrook), and new defenseman (Babichuk) have to arrive in the fall if they ever will because they are aging out of juniors. The rest is not clear to me at this time.

 

[engineerhockeyfan]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

EHF, for sure I miss Seth but this is not abt him. I wish the best for Smitty. I live in the shadow of HFH and walk the track every summer night and want to see a good hockey product. Been going to games for 45 years but I echo DrD; program is at an inflection point. I don't like some of the departures. Tironese and Emil would have helped this team that lacked punch. We came in 2nd to last again to a team (SLU) that last season had a mid season investigation done on it by it's admin by a high priced NY Law Firm. Reality is reality.

I agree with everything you said about the team. Its just that you keep bringing up Appert. He was not the answer. I know nothing about any investigation. What were they investigating?

 

[engineerhockeyfan]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

So true. It's abt Shirley; sorry EHF. She doesn't care abt this program.

No need to apologize to me. Shirley probably doesn't care or know anything about hockey. And many on this board have problems with her. So, tell me, what would you like to see her do to fix the program?
New Rink? Drop academic requirements? Attend more games?
Just asking.

 

[25+years]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

No need to apologize to me. Shirley probably doesn't care or know anything about hockey. And many on this board have problems with her. So, tell me, what would you like to see her do to fix the program?
New Rink? Drop academic requirements? Attend more games?
Just asking.

IMHO, it is all of the above. Does this school wish to be a D1 hockey program or a school with a hockey team and the level is irrelevant to the administration? I have no idea what the program costs to run and how much that is offset by tickets and the like. But if attendance continues to drop, the program will cost the school more. SAJ could very well look at it as here is what is budgeted for athletics and we are not going to put a lot more into the hockey team (or athletics in general) than we do other sports like football. I don't know. There are many things they could do to increase attendance by using the facilities better (utilize the box area more for different groups beside SAJ, have after game skating for students to get them to come to games), better advertising on campus, partner with youth hockey groups and schools to increase group sales and so on. The bottom line is if the school wants to have a top tier D1 program, they have to put money into the facility, more money into the coaches, and more money into recruiting. But the #1thing they should not do is act like they are going to invest in the HFH and the program and then throw token money at it. That only results in what they are trying to do now: make mediocrity appear like it is more than what it is. And the fans see that and walk out the door.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

No need to apologize to me. Shirley probably doesn't care or know anything about hockey. And many on this board have problems with her. So, tell me, what would you like to see her do to fix the program?
New Rink? Drop academic requirements? Attend more games?
Just asking.

Retire. And this is for the sake of the ENTIRE 'tute, not just the hockey program. What is $65,000 per year actually going to, a rate that has tripled since she came into play? And even with that, the 'tute is on the verge of bankruptcy. There has to be either some serious mismanagement or something illegal going on (I hope it's the former). Not to mention the draconian leadership style, what with the speech codes and the forced housing and the disbanding of faculty organizations and the going behind the back of alumni petitioning and the nannying of the students... If we want to see actual change, we're really going to need to look at the big picture.

 

[engineerhockeyfan]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

IMHO, it is all of the above. Does this school wish to be a D1 hockey program or a school with a hockey team and the level is irrelevant to the administration? I have no idea what the program costs to run and how much that is offset by tickets and the like. But if attendance continues to drop, the program will cost the school more. SAJ could very well look at it as here is what is budgeted for athletics and we are not going to put a lot more into the hockey team (or athletics in general) than we do other sports like football. I don't know. There are many things they could do to increase attendance by using the facilities better (utilize the box area more for different groups beside SAJ, have after game skating for students to get them to come to games), better advertising on campus, partner with youth hockey groups and schools to increase group sales and so on. The bottom line is if the school wants to have a top tier D1 program, they have to put money into the facility, more money into the coaches, and more money into recruiting. But the #1thing they should not do is act like they are going to invest in the HFH and the program and then throw token money at it. That only results in what they are trying to do now: make mediocrity appear like it is more than what it is. And the fans see that and walk out the door.

Thank you, I can easily see how that would help the program. Very good points. And they all make sense.

 

[engineerhockeyfan]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

Retire. And this is for the sake of the ENTIRE 'tute, not just the hockey program. What is $65,000 per year actually going to, a rate that has tripled since she came into play? And even with that, the 'tute is on the verge of bankruptcy. There has to be either some serious mismanagement or something illegal going on (I hope it's the former). Not to mention the draconian leadership style, what with the speech codes and the forced housing and the disbanding of faculty organizations and the going behind the back of alumni petitioning and the nannying of the students... If we want to see actual change, we're really going to need to look at the big picture.

FD, I find your hypocrisy utterly amazing. Shirley runs this institution exactly the way your president runs the country. Including all of bullet points. Absolutely amazing.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

FD, I find your hypocrisy utterly amazing. Shirley runs this institution exactly the way your president runs the country. Including all of bullet points. Absolutely amazing.

ROFLMAO

You actually drink that Kool-Aid? The way she's running it is a heck of a lot closer to Obama. What with using the IRS to go after conservatives...

But I digress.

Oh, one other thing: You're an American. He's also your President. Get over it. We dealt with your war monger for 8 years. I'll give you a chance if you want to give a specific example, but I know you're not going to be able to come up with anything specific.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

I agree with everything you said about the team. Its just that you keep bringing up Appert. He was not the answer. I know nothing about any investigation. What were they investigating?

He was referring to an investigation at SLU, which as it turned out were largely baseless claims.

 

[troyboy]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

Hey Wicked obviously the new coffee vending machine has slipped your mind I assume its an aging thing...hope all is well my friend

Agree completely JK. As a Clarkson fan (sorry I don't recall who) pointed out a few days ago, RPIs scenario is very similar to CCT when Casey Jones took over for George Roll. The program was on the decline and it took Jones 4-5 years to get it back on the rails.

The critical difference as JK reminds us, is leadership. Starting at the top with their President , Clarkson is fully behind its hockey program (men's and women's ). One look no further than the women's national titles, the Prez paying out of his own pocket for the CCT band to travel to a Dublin and most notably, the major renovations now underway at Cheel , which was one of the newer barns in the league. There is no more tangible sign of support and vibrancy than major dollars going directly back into the facility.

Two years ago MacElroy made the mistake of publicly pledging renovations to HFH --which he either made up off the top of his head or was scuttled by the Dictator --as we haven't heard a peep since...asinine and insulting to the fans.

It's put up or shut up time for the admin. Other than my season tickets, I will continue withholding any financial support until I see signs of life from the admin....not holding my breathe. Another long off season of discontent awaits.

 

[troyboy]

Re: RPI 2019 Off-Season: Where Did Everyone Go?

lets clear something up Will Riley is a talented Defenseman and is a top 4 on any team in our league he is a multi tool guy with a right shot lets not forget he was 3rd in scoring and missed I think 3 games and assume (wink wink) he battled that injury the rest of the year. I'm not blaming DS if he leaves he is actually not that big a part in the equation but what I am saying is our defensive play especially in the D zone was beyond bad it was abysmal and losing Will is not gonna make that better and baring an over achiever I see nothing coming in to replace him

I don`t feel anyone on the team is good enough to make a living playing hockey.I do expect some departures weather they are cuts or players that have just had enough of D1 hockey and academic demands. I hope we have some guys coming in with more speed. IMO RPI was the slowest team in the league and maybe all of D1.