Sun Devil Hockey

[wsummers]

No home games, that’s a pretty big sacrifice ASU is making but I’m guessing there weren’t many or any other options other than what the B1G was offering. All I can say is if ASU makes the tournament, no one can question them being in.

ASU will have 14 “home” games, they just will be hundreds of miles from Arizona.

 

[4four4]

ASU will have 14 “home” games, they just will be hundreds of miles from Arizona.

So they will receive the last line change for 14 "home" games? Will they also receive any money by doing this?

 

[Sol Diablo]

No home games, that’s a pretty big sacrifice ASU is making but I’m guessing there weren’t many or any other options other than what the B1G was offering. All I can say is if ASU makes the tournament, no one can question them being in.

But if no fans are allowed to attend, if that's the way it goes, then no big deal. ASU is used to long distance trips, they seem to thrive on them. Also being ASU set themselves up for long distance learning years ago the student athletes will do fine.

 

[Sol Diablo]

...Except that ASU didn't get into the BigTen. Not sure where you got that notion. They got 28-non-conference games, all on the road. ASU isn't even eligible for the BigTen tourney. Nobody charges "entry fees" for scheduling games. The BigTen needed a team to plug all their open weekends for one year due to having an odd number of team and ASU agreed. If you feel playing your whole season on the road is a "strong hand," I would not recommend going to Vegas...

Fair enough, but being it's unlikely there will be many fans if any at home games it negates that advantage for other teams, being that ASU travels better than any other team - Alaska's excepted - it's an advantage, being ASU is well experienced in long distance learning for the student athletes it's an advantage, being the B1G could have set similar up with several other teams but didnt', seems to me they have a strong hand. So.....I respectfully disagree with you.

 

[rpi82]

But if no fans are allowed to attend, if that's the way it goes, then no big deal. ASU is used to long distance trips, they seem to thrive on them. Also being ASU set themselves up for long distance learning years ago the student athletes will do fine.

I don't care how good they are at distance learning, 14 consecutive road trips of 1200 to 1800 miles makes a mockery of the term student athlete. That's a schedule even professional athletes would find grueling.

 

[JohnsonsJerseys]

the B1G could have set similar up with several other teams but didnt', seems to me they have a strong hand.

Those "several other teams" would be first year Long Island University and who?
Everyone else is in a conference and wouldn't / couldn't commit to giving the BigTen 28 road non-conference games.

 

[John J. MacInnes]

ASU will have 14 “home” games, they just will be hundreds of miles from Arizona.

4four4 brought up last change. What about games at Notre Dame or Michigan State? Will AzSt demand the home bench, since in those two arenas with split benches you get the added benefit of having the penalty box right next to you as opposed to 85 feet away on the other side of the ice surface?

 

[Sol Diablo]

I don't care how good they are at distance learning, 14 consecutive road trips of 1200 to 1800 miles makes a mockery of the term student athlete. That's a schedule even professional athletes would find grueling.

I did 2.5 years of 3 weeks Europe, 3 weeks USA. It did get tiring towards the end. But these guys are younger than I was at the time I did the heavy travel schedule.
With most classes now on-line, it doesn't much matter if you are 1800 miles away or down the street from the classroom. The world has changed for this year at least. The mockery might have more to do with not physically attending classes than traveling, but then that also applies to student student.

 

[Sol Diablo]

Those "several other teams" would be first year Long Island University and who?
Everyone else is in a conference and wouldn't / couldn't commit to giving the BigTen 28 road non-conference games.

Contracts can be broken if you have the money or legal wherewithal.

 

[Sol Diablo]

4four4 brought up last change. What about games at Notre Dame or Michigan State? Will AzSt demand the home bench, since in those two arenas with split benches you get the added benefit of having the penalty box right next to you as opposed to 85 feet away on the other side of the ice surface?

Good questions! ASU might demand it but that doesn't mean they'd get it. Guess we'll see how it goes.

 

[Sol Diablo]

ASU is making a push to recruit Minnesota hockey talent:

MINNESOTA HOCKEY RECRUITING FUND

The Minnesota Hockey Recruiting Fund is an invaluable resource that is used to provide a competitive edge for the Sun Devil Ice Hockey coaching staff to recruit the top talent in the state of Minnesota.
This fund was created by Chuck Inderieden ’87, a Minnesota native and avid hockey fan, to ensure the coaching staff has the opportunity to recruit Minnesota’s best high school hockey prospects to attend ASU and play for Sun Devil Hockey. This commitment helps enhance and elevate Sun Devil Hockey, and Chuck has a goal of other Minnesotans joining him to support this endeavor.
This fund will assist the Sun Devil Hockey coaching staff in covering the following costs associated with recruiting student-athletes from Minnesota:

• Travel Expenses
• Recruiting Operations

Please join in supporting Sun Devil Hockey and the Minnesota community by donating to the Minnesota Hockey Recruiting Fund today!

Your gift to the Sun Devil Club using the link below will directly impact the Minnesota Hockey Recruiting Fund! Thank you for your support!

[MAKE A GIFT TODAY!]

 

[wsummers]

4four4 brought up last change. What about games at Notre Dame or Michigan State? Will AzSt demand the home bench, since in those two arenas with split benches you get the added benefit of having the penalty box right next to you as opposed to 85 feet away on the other side of the ice surface?

Michigan State is switching sides this year because their new locker room is on the southside...not sure if the penalty box situation will be the same or not.

 

[wsummers]

So they will receive the last line change for 14 "home" games? Will they also receive any money by doing this?

I haven’t heard of any money being exchanged. With most conferences doing away with non-conference games ASU didn’t really have a lot (if any) options if they wanted to play this season. Of course, if they are doing mostly remote learning they could probably hangout in the midwest near an ice sheet instead of traveling to and from AZ every weekend.

 

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

I haven’t heard of any money being exchanged. With most conferences doing away with non-conference games ASU didn’t really have a lot (if any) options if they wanted to play this season. Of course, if they are doing mostly remote learning they could probably hangout in the midwest near an ice sheet instead of traveling to and from AZ every weekend.

Recruting pitch: "Come to ASU where it's sunny and warm all year round. Don't forget we have coeds!"
Reality: "I know it's -15 in MSP right now, but it'll be 20 in Columbus next week."

 

[Sol Diablo]

I haven’t heard of any money being exchanged. With most conferences doing away with non-conference games ASU didn’t really have a lot (if any) options if they wanted to play this season. Of course, if they are doing mostly remote learning they could probably hangout in the midwest near an ice sheet instead of traveling to and from AZ every weekend.

Yes, I read somewhere staying a week up north to catch the 2 weekends, then traveling back for 1-2 weeks before the next 2 weekends.

 

[Sol Diablo]

Recruting pitch: "Come to ASU where it's sunny and warm all year round. Don't forget we have coeds!"
Reality: "I know it's -15 in MSP right now, but it'll be 20 in Columbus next week."

To clarify your proposed pitch for this Covid year "Come to ASU where every other week you'll get out of that dreary, cloudy, freezing, icy, blizzardly, miserable Midwest weather" instead of every week.
You know that old saying......"the first snowflake to hit me is God's fault, the second snowflake is my fault".
BTW, I was glad to see BGSU was able to save their baseball team. Always good for the regional student athletes to have opportunities close to home.

 

[John J. MacInnes]

Michigan State is switching sides this year because their new locker room is on the southside...not sure if the penalty box situation will be the same or not.

They stopped the construction before getting to that point. No changes for MSU this season, but when they do move the penalty box is moving as well.

 

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Contracts can be broken if you have the money or legal wherewithal.

So you are suggesting teams would gladly pay an exit fee to leave their existing conference, to be a one-year non-conference partner of the Big with no home games and then be stuck as an independent next year when the Big no longer needs them to be their plug? When you look at it that way, I can see why a lot of teams were close to going with that option but I don't have confirmation from any sources at this time to know who else was close to pulling the trigger.

 

[Sol Diablo]

So you are suggesting teams would gladly pay an exit fee to leave their existing conference, to be a one-year non-conference partner of the Big with no home games and then be stuck as an independent next year when the Big no longer needs them to be their plug? When you look at it that way, I can see why a lot of teams were close to going with that option but I don't have confirmation from any sources at this time to know who else was close to pulling the trigger.

I didn't say gladly, didn't say 1 year deal. I know of 3 teams getting dumped by their conference after this year assuming they get to play this year, besides another independent and a newly announced NCAA team.

 

[LordofBrewtown]

Those "several other teams" would be first year Long Island University and who?
Everyone else is in a conference and wouldn't / couldn't commit to giving the BigTen 28 road non-conference games.

I have to admit, I'm somewhat surprised Arizona St committed to this. Did I miss announcements from other conferences on schedules? I would have thought maybe Arizona St could agree to a road trip to each of the B1G schools (14 games) and then maybe try to fill the rest assuming others had some limited non-conference games. If necessary, 4-8 games against LIU, get a couple home games against Alaska and Huntsville (with the promise of trips in future years when those schools may be facing scheduling difficulties), and maybe Air Force or fill in a couple of home dates against DII schools if there's really a void.