I agree especially getting out shot by weaker teams. Goalie has to out perform even a weak team. Seems like poor strategy rather than talent or desire.
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RPI 2024–25: Come for the Hockey, Stay for the Football
- Thread starter Ralph Baer
- Start date
I agree especially getting out shot by weaker teams. Goalie has to out perform even a weak team. Seems like poor strategy rather than talent or desire.
I don't know a thing about Bill Riga.
But I do know what happened last time RPI hired a coach from Holy Cross. Remember Mike Addesa?
sk8tronthepond
Registered User
I have a question. Why would any Coach be interested in coming to an Institution that doesn't financially support their Division 1 hockey programs?? Whether you like him or not, Coach Smith has his hands full.
Have you looked under the ice at Houston Field House lately? Until there is a financial commitment from this Institution, what you see is what you get, so learn to enjoy it.
engineerhockeyfan
PUCKMAN RULES!!!
With all this talk about a coaching change and what we might be looking for, you left out the most important part.
This will be the first hire of a new administration. They will have their own idea of what they want behind the bench.
I look forward to what direction they want to take the team.
I am sure that a new coach is coming, but I don't like changing the current coach in the middle of the season. JMO
This will be the first hire of a new administration. They will have their own idea of what they want behind the bench.
I look forward to what direction they want to take the team.
I am sure that a new coach is coming, but I don't like changing the current coach in the middle of the season. JMO
No, I am not. Appert was the top assistant at Denver when we hired him. Ben Barr was the top guy at UMass under Carvel. Both young, charismatic guys taking their first head job
I don’t think that’s true anymore. In fact didn’t Dave say himself that the support for the program is at its highest since he’s been at RPI. Clearly Marty wants this turned around. With the renewed focus to hockey RPI will draw those coaches in. I have no doubt
What you see is what you get?? Jesus that’s a losing mindset
DavidNardolillo
Member
I don't think he's 100% healthy and might be lacking game-fitness.
Agreed. The lack of support dates back to Dan Fridgen. I do however think that you could get a young assistant (i.e. Appert, Barr mold) who is looking for a DI job because let's face it, there aren't many D1 HC Hockey jobs. Last time, I heard there was a tarp under the ice surface, totally unacceptable.
That's a tough injury to come back from. You prob right. Super nice young man.
DavidNardolillo
Member
I would be shocked if there is a change at this juncture of the season based on the path that has been traveled so far.
Actually, Seth was not the top assistant for Gwoz. A gent by the name of Steve "Killer" Miller was but point taken. I do agree with S8thepond that assistants do alot of the recruiting and the Coach is the closer. I also agree with you about Barr because is a great draw for players. For example, he went on Spittin Chicklets that many young players watch. The point about the assistants recruiting was the reason why letting Dan Jewel go was a huge mistake. He found Savory.
Hey my friend. Let's hope this is the case because I have not seen enough from Bowers yet. Maybe she has not pulled the bandage yet because of $$$ but we need to see a sense of urgency from her and Marty. Appreciate your takes.
Haha, that predates me a little bit. Should have just said he was an assistant at a top program
sk8tronthepond
Registered User
Call it whatever you want to call it. I happen to think it's reality!
We had Ben Barr ripe for the taking wanted the job and that got f'd up by Lee McElroy a guy who was clueless but let's not forget we had Nolan Graham already in the nest and props to Vinsey but Grahamer was the guy who put the serious road work in and brought players Like Jerry D'Amigo - Brandon Perry - Ryan Haggerty - Jacob Laliberte - Mike Zelewski to the program I could go on and on these were highly sought after recruits that we were in fierce recruiting battles and won them all I could make a case that Nolan should have gotten the job but we got Smith instead. Then Grahamer had a tragic and serious accident but he was going to recover but instead he got fired. So here We are I'll stand corrected by Ralph but I'm not sure we even have a 2024 recruit on top of cutting almost a whole recruiting class its a mess and it's crickets from the admin I don't hold out much hope.
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Only takes a couple of losses vs. a club we basically had two chances against (slim and none and slim was walking out the door), even if Scotty Bowman were coaching, for all the gutter snipes to come crawling out of the woodwork again. Potential future recruits, their families and "advisors" probably read through this garbage. Really helping the recovery process. Keep up the good work. Really!!!
Just for an obviously much needed history lesson, it took the "savior of RPI Hockey" Gerry Kearns, five complete seasons to pull the program out of the first self inflicted administrative genocide (genocide 1.0???) that was performed on it. Season 4 of that particular post genocide process began showing signs of recovery and finished just one game under 500. We are now in season 4 of the recovery process from the SECOND self inflicted administrative genocide (genocide 2.0) that was performed on the program. Call the dogs off until there is enough data to compare the two recoveries but remembering that college hockey is a whole lot more competitive now. A whole lot more. Let's' just wait awhile and see first how season 4 of this recovery (when complete) compares to the previous one and, more importantly, how season 5 compares when it is in the books.
As for the ice, the original system for a smaller ice surface was installed in 1949 (obviously) and lasted (barely) through the 1982-1983 season. Not even three and a half decades. The present one for a regulation sized ice surface was just as obviously installed during the summer of 1983 renovation and, as far as I know, is the one still in place. That is over four decades. It reached its' expiration date quite some time ago and should have been already replaced.
Should there in fact actually be a tarp that is acting as a band aid, I wonder if the thing is a snow white color. Maybe that would explain why the Fieldhouse ice surface often has the look of the crushed ice supermarkets and fish markets lay the filled fish on. Seems to be more noticeable in the second half of periods after the ice has been trampled on for awhile. Whatever it is or isn't, one thing is for sure, the Fieldhouse ice has a distinctive tint to it that is different than the tint most hockey rink ice has. Hockey rink ice is usually more along the lines of a grayish white.
Ralph Baer
Let's Go 'Tute!
Bourgault (injured?), Caron, Dorfman, Maguire, Ozolins, Rullers, and Tapper are all 2024 recruits, that is freshmen. Some are good.
In fairness to RPI and Coach Smith, I doubt that description of the Graham situation is accurate. What happened to Nolan was tragic, but he clearly was disabled and not capable of doing his job for an extended period of time. In fact, as far as I know he has still not returned to being a coach with any team, so I'm not sure how you can say "he was going to recover", at least to a level where he could be employed as a D1 hockey coach. Meanwhile, RPI still needed to fill the job for the upcoming season. As a standard employment benefit RPI provides long-term disability insurance that would replace up to 60% of his income (a fairly standard limit). That's a benefit most workers in this country don't get. Unless you know otherwise I think it's reasonable to assume Nolan properly exercised his rights to it. I also hope he was able to obtain compensation from the driver's insurance carrier.
Bottom line, the accident was a tragedy and Nolan was apparently an innocent victim. However, to portray a normal employer's response to a disabling event outside of work, short-term disability followed by long-term disability, as a "firing" or implication of improper or unfair conduct doesn't seem warranted.
Edit: I have no doubt that Nolan was a good and tireless recruiter, but D'Amigo and Pirri enrolled in 2009 and Graham didn't join the staff until 2010 so he clearly didn't do the work to bring them in. I could be wrong, but I think Laliberte also committed before Graham joined the staff.
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engineerhockeyfan
PUCKMAN RULES!!!
Totally agree Ralph. The freshman class is very talented and with normal growth could form a great foundation for the next three years.
However, they need to come together as a team to make that happen.
So far this season, they (the entire team) are playing more like individuals.
Right now, I give the freshman a pass as this is all new to them, but I can only hope that they get together and play like a unit.
A lot can happen in 2025.
Hope springs eternal.
Not talking about players that came in this year I'm talking about commitments in 2024 that will be coming in the future are there any idk I'm asking ?