RPI 2025–26: Off the Critical List and In Recovery

[Engineers]

On Lang's press conference, I think it's useful to set down that type of marker early on.

College hockey has fundamentally changed. The ability to transfer so easily will reshape what coaching looks like. Even if our ambition is to have four-year or multi-year players, we're going to be recruiting continually to improve our team and these players will equally be looking to showcase their abilities to others, if needed. So he's made it clear - if you think you're good, you've got to prove it, because we're ambitious about improving, getting in better guys and winning.

And he kind of has nothing to lose at this point. He's made it clear this is a ground-up rebuild. So presumably the competitive spirit means he wants to win, but he can push the players to sink or swim because he knows he's going to have to upgrade next year.

You’re 100% correct. I also think Langs time at West Point influenced his coaching style. West Point does not get the most talented players due to the military commitment after 4 years but West Point teams are some of the hardest working most disciplined teams there are. They play a hard nosed structured game which is something RPI has been lacking for a long time. Lang expects this from his teams no question.

 

[Ralph Baer]

I agree doc. I’m a fan of the no bullshit approach. Lang is no nonsense and I love it.
He’s absolutely correct he needs more talent which will come. He inherited a mess which lang himself said is a 3 year rebuild. He was hired to rebuild the program not blow smoke

I am concerned of the lack of commitments for future years. Although we do not have a lot of players who will be completing their eligibility after this year, IMHO we should not rely on getting about ten recruits from the portal every year.

 

[DrDemento]

I am concerned of the lack of commitments for future years. Although we do not have a lot of players who will be completing their eligibility after this year, IMHO we should not rely on getting about ten recruits from the portal every year.

RB I have some concerns as you do. But people with far more knowledge and insight into college recruiting have been telling me to just be patient. With all the recent changes in NCAA rules for recruiting, the environment has been drastically altered. A big part of this is all about the sheckels and gelt. Advisors (really agents and lawyers) are trying to figure out the landscape which has become very complicated in an attempt to reap the largest benefits. There is no shortage of talented hockey players in the age groups in question. Some are very talented, some a bit less. But there are a large enough number that all the Division I schools will feel the trickle down effect that will inevitably happen once the top tier programs fill their quotas. I have reason to believe that our new coach understands this far better than we do and is simply keeping his option open while holding his cards close to his vest. I think we can pretty much throw out all the old rules we have followed over all the previous years of recruiting.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

I am concerned of the lack of commitments for future years. Although we do not have a lot of players who will be completing their eligibility after this year, IMHO we should not rely on getting about ten recruits from the portal every year.

Exactly RB...especially with RPI apparently having nothing resembling a robust NIL operation, as far I can tell.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

I don't have any problem with players being held accountable. Pretty sure I was clear on that. What I thought he went too far on was saying we need better players..etc.
The entire world knows this of course, but when you announce this to your team, and the press and the fans following your 2nd league game there's a risk that some of those kids in your locker room are gonna walk around thinking "coach thinks we're dog-$$$$.." Just my opinion ... I'll leave the sports psychology to the experts.

But as RB said, I'd feel a whole lot better if we had a head start on a long list of CHL kids, which we currently do not. I would note that AC Schneider was not on the bench at Union last Friday, not sure about Sat. as I didn't see the game. One could assume he was (hopefully) beating the bushes in the wilds of Ontario.

 

[Ralph Baer]

RB I have some concerns as you do. But people with far more knowledge and insight into college recruiting have been telling me to just be patient. With all the recent changes in NCAA rules for recruiting, the environment has been drastically altered. A big part of this is all about the sheckels and gelt. Advisors (really agents and lawyers) are trying to figure out the landscape which has become very complicated in an attempt to reap the largest benefits. There is no shortage of talented hockey players in the age groups in question. Some are very talented, some a bit less. But there are a large enough number that all the Division I schools will feel the trickle down effect that will inevitably happen once the top tier programs fill their quotas. I have reason to believe that our new coach understands this far better than we do and is simply keeping his option open while holding his cards close to his vest. I think we can pretty much throw out all the old rules we have followed over all the previous years of recruiting.

Part of my concern is due to comparison with our primary hockey competition, the other ECAC schools.

I look at Heisenberg's list https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...aS4QMqcRCyJDIxqkaOOjk/htmlview#gid=1466169803 and see that most have more listed (shaded entries). However, if the other schools have as many errors as we do, this may be moot. There are three RPI CHL recruits listed with only Dwyer being accurate.

 

[DrDemento]

I understand and see the same thing. And it is a bit concerning but far from any panic time. With only 60+ NCAA Division I programs and each having only a limited number of slots to fill, the demand is not unlimited. But the possible supply has been expanded greatly. At least that is what I am being led to believe. Obviously the CHL will have a major impact. But I suspect that the number of European boys wanting to try their skates on NCAA ice will also be showing a considerable increase. From what I am hearing, the European economies are not exactly soaring and if these boys are looking for a way to reach the higher paying levels of hockey, many of them will be wanting to be putting their skates down on American ice. We have seen the influx of Latvian, Swedish, Finnish, and Russian boys into NCAA hockey already and from a couple sources i am being told that Slovakian and Czech fellows are brushing up on their English rapidly.
I agree totally with you because I do not see Troy as their first stop to investigate, but as Denver and Boston and other areas fill their quotas, those that really want to be her will perhaps be heading our way. it just might not be the first wave and might take a season or two.

 

[DavidNardolillo]

I don't have any problem with players being held accountable. Pretty sure I was clear on that. What I thought he went too far on was saying we need better players..etc.

I noticed that, too, but If I recall correctly he went on to provide examples of skills (passing over/under sticks through the neutral zone) that RPI could not do yet, or something to that effect, so it kind of left it open that his current players could improve. So I thought it was an attempt to add some motivation after the coach used plenty of other euphemisms to describe what he clearly thought was poor effort.

You are right, though, that this language might land differently with 20-22 year-olds that still have goals they want to accomplish in their hockey careers, than with the fanbase.

And sometimes the honest message needs a little twist to give the current players some belief. I've seen one college coach that took over an awful program admit to the remaining players during his first team meeting that he'd be bringing in better athletes, then said right after "but we are going to win with what we have in this room." That team went from last place in their conference to middle of the pack the very next season.

 

[RPI Hockey Guy]

Big weekend for RPI.

Friday night vs SLU: This is RPI's first time playing a team that is below .500 in winning to this point. Both teams are in similar boats: 1 win, 2 times shutout in non-exhibition games. SLU has 1 tie. SLU has 6 losses, RPI has 7. Both teams desperately need to find something to hold on to to try to get their head back above water and find some momentum.

Saturday night vs Clarkson: On paper Clarkson is likely as hard, if not harder of an opponent than Union. They have some very good wins this season against very good teams, they also have taken some bad losses. If RPI is to be comparative, they will need to have good goaltending, as well as taking advantage of every opportunity they get, because there's a good chance they don't get many. The good news is, we play them second, so hopefully Union can tire them out on Friday.

The biggest question is how does RPI respond after last weekend?

 

[Waite21]

The meeting between RPI and SLU sounds like the resistible force meeting the movable object.

RPI is 0-5-0 at home. SLU is 0-5-0 on the road.

One of those records has to improve. Hope it's the Engineers'.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

I noticed that, too, but If I recall correctly he went on to provide examples of skills (passing over/under sticks through the neutral zone) that RPI could not do yet, or something to that effect, so it kind of left it open that his current players could improve. So I thought it was an attempt to add some motivation after the coach used plenty of other euphemisms to describe what he clearly thought was poor effort.

You are right, though, that this language might land differently with 20-22 year-olds that still have goals they want to accomplish in their hockey careers, than with the fanbase.

And sometimes the honest message needs a little twist to give the current players some belief. I've seen one college coach that took over an awful program admit to the remaining players during his first team meeting that he'd be bringing in better athletes, then said right after "but we are going to win with what we have in this room." That team went from last place in their conference to middle of the pack the very next season.

Spot on DN.

 

[Wicked Slappaahs]

I missed it, but over on the CHL to NCAA thread they linked stories involving the USHL joining the CHL as the 4th Major Junior league including trademark applications for:
"National Junior Hockey League and NHJL".