RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

[Wicked Slappaahs]

Not that I know what recruits look for, I think that an increased fan interest and attendance would improve things.

Having been to many Colgate and Clarkson games, I can attest the HFH does just fine with attendance, especially considering what our W-L record is. Colgate has a gorgeous new building and the only people who attend are parents, girlfriends and a small group of devoted townies. The student body is absolutely AWOL. Cheel has been about half full every year I've attended the DNCT. ( I'm headed north again this weekend)

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

I've never bought into the rink argument and probably never will. Union and Cornell both have very modest rinks and they seem to do just fine.

That's perhaps the nicest thing anyone here has written about the Salt Dome.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

Having been to many Colgate and Clarkson games, I can attest the HFH does just fine with attendance, especially considering what our W-L record is. Colgate has a gorgeous new building and the only people who attend are parents, girlfriends and a small group of devoted townies. The student body is absolutely AWOL. Cheel has been about half full every year I've attended the DNCT. ( I'm headed north again this weekend)

Attendance being fine is relative. It is way down from when I was there in the late 60s and early 70s. There have been few sell outs in the last say 20 years. (I realize that it sold out last Saturday on Family Weekend.)

 

[turk181]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

Great replies so far. My own answer is a little more simplistic. Even though coaching, facilities, and admin support are certainly key foundational components to a good program, I just have a very strong feeling that what this team really needs is right now is college hockey's version of Kurt Warner...what I mean is a kid that comes in under the radar and just naturally turns into a goal scoring machine. I don't think we've had anyone like that since Joe' Juneau. Someone that is a threat to score at ANY time - feared by the competition, takes the team on his back and starts drawing attention from the fans and, in turn, higher caliber recruits; and the cycle of success starts churning. I think it has to start on the ice, not off of it - just my opinion as a long time fan...

Yep - Made them fun to watch. I'll take another Chase any day...

I don’t think fun was what the original Post was referring to. I could add 1/2 doz. players to the “fun” list (in the last 10yrs) but it didn’t have an impact on what Tusc. Mike was getting at, I don’t think.

 

[TucsonMike]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

I don’t think fun was what the original Post was referring to. I could add 1/2 doz. players to the “fun” list (in the last 10yrs) but it didn’t have an impact on what Tusc. Mike was getting at, I don’t think.

You are right. However he asked if having Chase "did anything", so I guess I was just trying to say that it wasn't nothing. But yes, I'm thinking more of a player that turns out to be a disruptive force and changes how teams play us...

 

[son-of-alumn]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

Why Jewell?

He knows the region, knows the family advisors, knows the coaches, knows the players and was able to get dozens of players, and many coaches, from all areas to attend the camps at Hamilton and Bloomington in the USHL. Almost every top player either met him or heard from him at some point during their high school or junior hockey career.
Was pleasantly surprised when the announcement was made - really think the new coach made a very good choice.

 

[turk181]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

He knows the region, knows the family advisors, knows the coaches, knows the players and was able to get dozens of players, and many coaches, from all areas to attend the camps at Hamilton and Bloomington in the USHL. Almost every top player either met him or heard from him at some point during their high school or junior hockey career.
Was pleasantly surprised when the announcement was made - really think the new coach made a very good choice.

Couldn’t agree more. I talked with several long time USHL people about him when the announcement was made. They were all very high on him.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

Great replies so far. My own answer is a little more simplistic. Even though coaching, facilities, and admin support are certainly key foundational components to a good program, I just have a very strong feeling that what this team really needs is right now is college hockey's version of Kurt Warner...what I mean is a kid that comes in under the radar and just naturally turns into a goal scoring machine. I don't think we've had anyone like that since Joe' Juneau. Someone that is a threat to score at ANY time - feared by the competition, takes the team on his back and starts drawing attention from the fans and, in turn, higher caliber recruits; and the cycle of success starts churning. I think it has to start on the ice, not off of it - just my opinion as a long time fan...

I don't think that's it. We would have seen that effect when Pirri and D'Amigo came to town, and either we didn't, or the talent just wasn't used properly. One big thing that both my friends and I noticed is that it seemed like the players played for the name on the back, not the name on the front. We have the talent, and once we can use it for the betterment of the team, we will be very competitive.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

They did have a 2 time ECAC POY & 2 time Hobey nominee in Polacek. Did that do anything?

Gave something for Appert to talk about for 6 years?

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

Pre-weekend interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ7I-MX0aEY

 

[jmhusker]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

I don't think that's it. We would have seen that effect when Pirri and D'Amigo came to town, and either we didn't, or the talent just wasn't used properly. One big thing that both my friends and I noticed is that it seemed like the players played for the name on the back, not the name on the front. We have the talent, and once we can use it for the betterment of the team, we will be very competitive.

You would have had to see Juneau play to understand. Any time he touched the puck he put people on the edge of their seats wondering what he might do with it. Yes Pirri and D'Amigo were top end talent. Juneau was clearly the best player on the ice night after night and it was obvious.

That said, I'm not sure it's possible for that to happen today. Everyone can skate now. Unless we somehow find the next Connor McDavid or Austen Matthews.

 

[FreshFish]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

What will it take for RPI hockey to finally turn the corner and once again become a national college hockey powerhouse?

Finding a group of prospective engineers who want to attend a top-flight engineering school who also happen to be wicked-good hockey players, all at the same time....and then molding them into a cohesive unit instead of a group of talented individuals.

In this day and age, I wonder if creating a neural net software program and using detailed game analytics might give us an advantage over others.

For example, Houston Astros found a pitcher with an exceptional "spin rate" on his curveball, and then turned him into a great pitcher by using detailed analytics to help him understand when to use his pitch (e.g., through the curve more frequently to left-handed batters).

There are all sorts of technical details that baseball is using* that would translate really really well to ice hockey. As I envision it, it would be two-fold: individual skills development (what technical factors are key to winning face-offs? is it positioning? is it stick angle? is it observing when a particular muscle in the referee's forearm twitches, right before he releases the puck?) and also team positioning and movement (what is optimum spacing for a three-on-two rush? for a two-on-one rush? do you skate parallel to each other?, or should there be an offset? how far apart? etc etc etc).


It seems to me we will have to win as much on guile as well as talent because the "best" talent overall will go to the powerhouses that give them the exposure they need for the next step in their pro career. As far as I can tell, the best coaches are "intuitive geniuses" because, through observation and experience, they have internalized the kinds of "rules" I mentioned based on empiricism. We can take it one step further by applying detailed quant analytics to refine and target these detail areas, moving it beyond empiricism into actual metadata analysis.



* I mentioned "spin rate" for breaking balls; there is "launch angle" for batters. just a few examples.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

Finding a group of prospective engineers who want to attend a top-flight engineering school who also happen to be wicked-good hockey players, all at the same time....and then molding them into a cohesive unit instead of a group of talented individuals.

In this day and age, I wonder if creating a neural net software program and using detailed game analytics might give us an advantage over others.

For example, Houston Astros found a pitcher with an exceptional "spin rate" on his curveball, and then turned him into a great pitcher by using detailed analytics to help him understand when to use his pitch (e.g., through the curve more frequently to left-handed batters).

There are all sorts of technical details that baseball is using* that would translate really really well to ice hockey. As I envision it, it would be two-fold: individual skills development (what technical factors are key to winning face-offs? is it positioning? is it stick angle? is it observing when a particular muscle in the referee's forearm twitches, right before he releases the puck?) and also team positioning and movement (what is optimum spacing for a three-on-two rush? for a two-on-one rush? do you skate parallel to each other?, or should there be an offset? how far apart? etc etc etc).


It seems to me we will have to win as much on guile as well as talent because the "best" talent overall will go to the powerhouses that give them the exposure they need for the next step in their pro career. As far as I can tell, the best coaches are "intuitive geniuses" because, through observation and experience, they have internalized the kinds of "rules" I mentioned based on empiricism. We can take it one step further by applying detailed quant analytics to refine and target these detail areas, moving it beyond empiricism into actual metadata analysis.



* I mentioned "spin rate" for breaking balls; there is "launch angle" for batters. just a few examples.

Sounds like the next IED project. Forget catapults.

 

[TucsonMike]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

I don't think that's it. We would have seen that effect when Pirri and D'Amigo came to town, and either we didn't, or the talent just wasn't used properly. One big thing that both my friends and I noticed is that it seemed like the players played for the name on the back, not the name on the front. We have the talent, and once we can use it for the betterment of the team, we will be very competitive.

True - but think where the program could have gone if both of those guys stayed, got better, became leaders in the locker room and helped begin a culture of winning. Not sure we would be having this conversation right now. Look what Gostisbehere did for Union as a result of not leaving after the first year.

 

[TucsonMike]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

"You would have had to see Juneau play to understand. Any time he touched the puck he put people on the edge of their seats wondering what he might do with it. Yes Pirri and D'Amigo were top end talent. Juneau was clearly the best player on the ice night after night and it was obvious."

That said, I'm not sure it's possible for that to happen today. Everyone can skate now. Unless we somehow find the next Connor McDavid or Austen Matthews.


Great description of Juneau - and I was one of the fans using the last 10% of my seat when he was there. I feel really lucky to have seen him play for 3 years.

 

[FlagDUDE08]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

True - but think where the program could have gone if both of those guys stayed, got better, became leaders in the locker room and helped begin a culture of winning. Not sure we would be having this conversation right now. Look what Gostisbehere did for Union as a result of not leaving after the first year.

They also could have experienced the sophomore slump, too. Unlikely with at least Pirri's caliber, but it's a great point that the program definitely did seem to turn a corner, and many of us on here were gleefully excited. Sadly instead of riding the momentum, we just went to inconsistency, and that exposed the team.

At this point, I am happy just to see basic fundamentals coming into place. I do honestly believe that, with such a base, success will come, and we will make the turn to success.

 

[turk181]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

Looks like new blood is needed for the SLU game but it won’t be any of Samec, Payne or Burke. They were sitting to my side at tonight’s ACHA game @ HFH.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

Looks like new blood is needed for the SLU game but it won’t be any of Samec, Payne or Burke. They were sitting to my side at tonight’s ACHA game @ HFH.

Is Burke injured? I am surprised that he did not make the trip north.

 

[turk181]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

Is Burke injured? I am surprised that he did not make the trip north.

Nothing that was noticeable.

 

[lugnut92]

Re: RPI Hockey 2017 - 2018: A Wealth of Notions

Turns out we're just bad again and hiring an Atlantic Hockey coach whose only successful seasons came when his goalies put up .930+ save percentages was never going to fix anything, or at least not in six months.