RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

[engineerhockeyfan]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

I was close to the situation and can tell you that it was not an easy decision but the money offered was just impossible to turn down. His NHL career was shortened by a catastrophic series of concussions which, after a prolonged recovery time, necessitated his playing in a much less physical style (hence the move over to Europe).

I got to see him score two goals in a game against the Rangers (on TV) and he quickly became one of my favorites.
Besides the concussions, I always thought that the death of a friend and teammate had a lot to do with the decline in his play. He seemed to lose interest after that incident.
I was sorry to see him leave for Europe, as I really enjoyed watching him play.
I had the same feeling when Murley went to Europe.
It would have been nice to be able to follow both of those players in the NHL.

 

[AspyDad]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

Don (The Snake) Cutts

Let's not forget Ian Harrison

 

[ServinisScores]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

Ralph & troll - re:York: not sure how you can say his move wasn't a mistake, unless you consider his career travails worthy of skipping his senior year. He's only played 417 NHL minutes and credited with 3 victories in his pro career. I hope you guys would have higher expectations of the elite talent that comes to RPI? To me, it's a horserace between York and D'Amigo to who made the worst decision in leaving early.

 

[ServinisScores]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

I'd add Brad Tapper to the list. He was ready. Worked his way up from third in scoring to the team lead by the time he left, led the nation in shorthanded goals, in the top ten in other statistical categories. Had he stayed, he probably would have been a Hobey finalist. Losing him hurt RPI a lot, but I felt that he had the tools for the next level. He had a moderately successful career in the NHL and AHL, and we all weren't surprised when he left early.

great call - he had little more to prove in the ECAC,and was ready to move on to a good NHL career. Injuries did him in.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

Ralph & troll - re:York: not sure how you can say his move wasn't a mistake, unless you consider his career travails worthy of skipping his senior year. He's only played 417 NHL minutes and credited with 3 victories in his pro career. I hope you guys would have higher expectations of the elite talent that comes to RPI? To me, it's a horserace between York and D'Amigo to who made the worst decision in leaving early.

Please read my post again. I did not say it wasn't a mistake; I just said it wasn't a "terrible decision". To me the word "terrible" would imply that it was a complete disaster of a decision -- there have been worse.

 

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

I got to see him score two goals in a game against the Rangers (on TV) and he quickly became one of my favorites.
Besides the concussions, I always thought that the death of a friend and teammate had a lot to do with the decline in his play. He seemed to lose interest after that incident.
I was sorry to see him leave for Europe, as I really enjoyed watching him play.
I had the same feeling when Murley went to Europe.
It would have been nice to be able to follow both of those players in the NHL.

He indeed lost his best friend in a horrible accident. He was seconds away from being in the car but at the last second other things came up. Very sensitive and caring boy (with a bad hockey temper). Google any of several of the stories about his family and upbringing. He was on the mend and making a rapid comeback with the Philadelphia Phantoms (scored a hat trick in his first game back with them) and an almost definite call up was coming when he suffered the last and worst of his concussions. Total level 3 in nature with full unconsciousness for hours and neurologic signs for months. Really had two choices, to quit totally, or play where the hitting was just not as hard. Did well in Germany (wonderfully structured contract) and then back here as a coach winning a Kelly Cup with the Everblades. i would have loved to have them both at RPI together for one more year but as they say in the movies, he got an offer he could not refuse.

 

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

great call - he had little more to prove in the ECAC,and was ready to move on to a good NHL career. Injuries did him in.

Could not agree more.

 

[DrDemento]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

Ralph & troll - re:York: not sure how you can say his move wasn't a mistake, unless you consider his career travails worthy of skipping his senior year. He's only played 417 NHL minutes and credited with 3 victories in his pro career. I hope you guys would have higher expectations of the elite talent that comes to RPI? To me, it's a horserace between York and D'Amigo to who made the worst decision in leaving early.

Jury still out on a few who left early (Zalewski and Haggerty along with D'Amigo). For me, I think Cavosie could have benefited from one more year. As you mention we have had several who may have not made the best decision to leave early. But we had one who most certainly did in Adam Oates.

 

[engineerhockeyfan]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

Ralph & troll - re:York: not sure how you can say his move wasn't a mistake, unless you consider his career travails worthy of skipping his senior year. He's only played 417 NHL minutes and credited with 3 victories in his pro career. I hope you guys would have higher expectations of the elite talent that comes to RPI? To me, it's a horserace between York and D'Amigo to who made the worst decision in leaving early.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0023302012.html

York only had three victories in the NHL, but his numbers indicated that he belonged. In a small sample size, he outplayed the other goalies on the Blue Jackets, but was never given another chance. He had/has the talent to play in the NHL, but the goalie position is just too hard to break into.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

Audio interview with Zach Schroeder http://www.ecachockey.com/men/2015-16/Weekly_Radio_Show_15-16/20152012_Radio_Show.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

I stumbled on this on the Clarkson message board. Ithaca College is leaving the Empire 8 Athletic College and joining the Liberty League. Ithaca was also a member of the ICAC along with RPI, Clarkson, et al.

I have no idea as to the significance of this.

 

[Waite21]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

According to the Liberty League's website, Ithaca will become the 11th full member of the Liberty League, joining Bard, Clarkson, Hobart & William Smith, RPI, the U. of Rochester, RIT, St. Lawrence, Skidmore, Union, and Vassar. They will begin competing in the Liberty League "no later than the 2018-19 academic year." Presumably, they might begin earlier.

The Bombers do not have either a men's or a women's ice hockey team at present.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

According to the Liberty League's website, Ithaca will become the 11th full member of the Liberty League, joining Bard, Clarkson, Hobart & William Smith, RPI, the U. of Rochester, RIT, St. Lawrence, Skidmore, Union, and Vassar. They will begin competing in the Liberty League "no later than the 2018-19 academic year." Presumably, they might begin earlier.

The Bombers do not have either a men's or a women's ice hockey team at present.

Considering that there is no competition in hockey in the Liberty League, I wouldn't expect them to start one.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

Considering that there is no competition in hockey in the Liberty League, I wouldn't expect them to start one.

...unless you count WaP's fake "liberty league standings" thing they did a month and a half ago. (despite the fact they missed RIT playing the NC)

 

[rpi82]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

I stumbled on this on the Clarkson message board. Ithaca College is leaving the Empire 8 Athletic College and joining the Liberty League. Ithaca was also a member of the ICAC along with RPI, Clarkson, et al.

I have no idea as to the significance of this.

The primary impact is on football. With WPI, Springfield and Merchant Marine scheduled to leave the Liberty League (IIRC correctly, it will be after the coming season) they need to add at least two teams to keep an auto-bid to the NCAA D3 tournament. Ithaca used to be a D3 football power. When I went to grad school at Cornell it was generally accepted that the best football team in town was playing on the hill to the south.

I wonder who else will be joining to be the 12th member and the 7th football playing school?

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

The primary impact is on football. With WPI, Springfield and Merchant Marine scheduled to leave the Liberty League (IIRC correctly, it will be after the coming season) they need to add at least two teams to keep an auto-bid to the NCAA D3 tournament. Ithaca used to be a D3 football power. When I went to grad school at Cornell it was generally accepted that the best football team in town was playing on the hill to the south.

I wonder who else will be joining to be the 12th member and the 7th football playing school?

Are we no longer going to see Transit Trophy as a result, I assume? I still remember the last Shot Glass Trophy games, when Coast Guard left for another conference. Obviously those eastern schools were associate Liberty League members, so there must be another D-III football conference coming about. Does SUNY have enough members for a football conference, and perhaps we see the movement of Ithaca's big rival, Cortland?

 

[drshoen]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

Are we no longer going to see Transit Trophy as a result, I assume? I still remember the last Shot Glass Trophy games, when Coast Guard left for another conference. Obviously those eastern schools were associate Liberty League members, so there must be another D-III football conference coming about. Does SUNY have enough members for a football conference, and perhaps we see the movement of Ithaca's big rival, Cortland?

Cortland joined the Empire 8 (the league Ithaca is leaving) this past year. Before that, they were part of a football conference that was mostly New Jersey schools. IIRC, Cortland won the Empire 8, and got the autobid to the D3 football tourney.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

Are we no longer going to see Transit Trophy as a result, I assume? I still remember the last Shot Glass Trophy games, when Coast Guard left for another conference. Obviously those eastern schools were associate Liberty League members, so there must be another D-III football conference coming about. Does SUNY have enough members for a football conference, and perhaps we see the movement of Ithaca's big rival, Cortland?

It depends upon whether WPI and us want to schedule an out-of-conference game. We are a more natural rival of WPI than of the Coast Guard. That trophy never made much sense anyway although it did have a long history.

 

[rpi82]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

Are we no longer going to see Transit Trophy as a result, I assume? I still remember the last Shot Glass Trophy games, when Coast Guard left for another conference. Obviously those eastern schools were associate Liberty League members, so there must be another D-III football conference coming about. Does SUNY have enough members for a football conference, and perhaps we see the movement of Ithaca's big rival, Cortland?

All three are going to play in the NEWMAC Conference, which will offer football for the first time. WPI is already a member in other sports, but the most well-known school in the league is our little brother engineering school in Cambridge. It would be nice if we played both on a frequent basis in a virtual engineering overlay league.

 

[rpi82]

Re: RPI Hockey 2015 - 2016:: Six Flags Over the HFH

Let's not forget Ian Harrison

Goober!

Harrison and Neil Little are probably my all-time favorite goalies. Goober always seemed to be having a good time out on the ice. Little was a goalie that played during the end of the stand-up goalie era and the beginning of the butterfly era. His game had elements of both, but I used to love the stand-up simplicity, which depended on positioning rather than spread-eagling at the first sign of a potential shot. At times he'd do such a good job of playing the angles that he made saves without appearing to move.