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UConn to apply to Hockey East

Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Priceless said:
You really want to get into a pissing contest? Maine has won 2 national titles and been to 11 Frozen Fours since the last time RPI won an NCAA playoff game.

Contest over.
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Yet, when I look at the Maine threads, I still see nothing but whining about how much Tim Whitehead should be fired and Dubuque's USHL GM and coach should be poached.
 
Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Why is everyone so tough on these quality hockey and/or sports programs. Union was a lot better than most people thought these last couple of years. It was not just one great goalie either, it was two different great ones as well as a quality team in front of them. They had a terrific Power Play as well. They would have been a force wherever they played. RPI while down recently would be a great addition to Hockey East. They have all the pieces in place and with a few more high level recruits would be a challenge to play. Their fanbase is very strong and knowledgeable which would rival any other in the northeast. While Connecticut does not have any history, except a couple of stellar players and a few quality wins, they have the potential to be a major player someday. They were a mid level AHA program the last few years so at least they are not starting from rock bottom. Potential is the key word. If the administration puts an effort into it they could succeeed, if they don't then it may be many years as a true cellar dweller with only as many as a handful of wins each season. The program could fold if that is the case. They are the most risky choice of the three, while RPI would be the safest choice. The actual safest best bet would have been to have added Union and RPI together without ND and UConn. Notre Dame while also being somewhat of a risk has a huge upside that none of the other contenders have, they can bring in fans wherever they play in Hockey East. Now that they are in it would be difficult to break up Union and RPI, so UConn becomes the focus.
 
Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

FlagDUDE08 said:
Yet, when I look at the Maine threads, I still see nothing but whining about how much Tim Whitehead should be fired and Dubuque's USHL GM and coach should be poached.
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What does one have to do with the other? Look at the Minnesota threads as recently as last year and you'll see lots of people calling for Lucia's head. There was rumbling that Jack Parker was past his prime and should begin a graceful exit, then 2009 happened. There was a whole thread dedicated to firing Rick Comley at Michigan State that was forgotten after the Spartans won the national title.
 
Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Priceless said:
What does one have to do with the other? Look at the Minnesota threads as recently as last year and you'll see lots of people calling for Lucia's head. There was rumbling that Jack Parker was past his prime and should begin a graceful exit, then 2009 happened. There was a whole thread dedicated to firing Rick Comley at Michigan State that was forgotten after the Spartans won the national title.
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It means that HEA could add whoever the heck you wanted without input from anyone else, and you'd still whine about it.
 
Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

brassbonanza said:
Agganis cost roughly $100 million, the entire Hancock complex was $225, inclusive of the massive gym next door and two residence towers behind it.
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OK a $100mil here $100mil there thats still a ton of money just for a place to play. I don't think they have a money tree there to go pick or they would have had an state of the art Bball practice facility built years ago instead of scrapping to get it done. Other than the size of the school and location I still think its a riskey bet for both parties especially since the NCAA hockey landscape is still in flux.I still have this gut feeling that the NCHC is not done yet and will be looking to spread out, all one has to do is look up the word national in the dictionary to connect those dots. If that be the case just maybe ND is a trial baloon to see the viability of a league spred out across the country. If at some point (I stress if) the powers that be believe it is viable buckle up HE because in the long run I believe it would be to BC,BU.and UNH's best interest to make that move. Just imagine the TV possibilites of a league spread across multiple markets and the exposure for the schools involved. I believe the NCAA hockey deck is not done shuffling yet so making an investment the size of the one Uconn is on the verge of is IMO risky at best.
 
Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

FlagDUDE08 said:
It means that HEA could add whoever the heck you wanted without input from anyone else, and you'd still whine about it.
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Still don't see how this differentiates Maine fans from any other fan base.

Yes, when HEA starts inviting lesser schools to join it diminishes the conference and we're going to complain. If Hockey East were to invite Harvard and Yale I doubt many fans would have an issue with it. When HEA added UMass the conference had the advantage that the Internet was not widely available yet, so not nearly as many people chimed in on the topic.

If we have to invite a 12th I would welcome RPI or UConn with the caveat that if Notre Dame finally joins the Integer in all sports, Hockey East will contract to 10 teams rather than weaken the league even more with another expansion. In that case, the Huskies or Engineers can go back from whence they came.
 
Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

Priceless said:
Still don't see how this differentiates Maine fans from any other fan base.

Yes, when HEA starts inviting lesser schools to join it diminishes the conference and we're going to complain. If Hockey East were to invite Harvard and Yale I doubt many fans would have an issue with it. When HEA added UMass the conference had the advantage that the Internet was not widely available yet, so not nearly as many people chimed in on the topic.

If we have to invite a 12th I would welcome RPI or UConn with the caveat that if Notre Dame finally joins the Integer in all sports, Hockey East will contract to 10 teams rather than weaken the league even more with another expansion. In that case, the Huskies or Engineers can go back from whence they came.
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If RPI were to leave the ECAC, they would be replaced, and I doubt that they would be invited back. RPI would be most foolish to leave under those conditions.
 
Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

I can't believe a thread about UCONN hockey has received this much attention. As a CT resident, I hope they end up in the league, more and hopefully better quality hockey for our state is always a good thing. BC coming to New Haven last year was an event not to be missed if you love hockey, seeing them and the other members of Hockey East more often will help the stature of the game in our state and New England.
 
Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

The very idea that people are suggesting RPI and Union as alternatives to Notre Dame and UCONN suggests that some people really are out of touch with what is happening in college athletics. To think that 2 DIII schools that only play hockey at the D1 level would be preferable to almost any major D1 institutions, let alone two that have major atletic programs, significant success, and national reputations shows a pretty insular view, I think. I suspect that if you ask around outside of Greater Schenectady, most casual fans don't know the difference between RPI and RIT, and if you are trying to grtow a tv presence, it isn't the die hard fan you care about. The guy who flips back and forth between Michigan-Ohio State on the B-10 network and BC-Umass on NESN is important on to the extent you keep him. What you want is the guy who is watching Tampa Bay-Dallas or even the CAA basketball game of the week, or even Bones, to tune in, and you do that by including brands. For good or ill, UCONN and Notre Dame fit. RPI and Union, while they might be better hockey programs, aren't bigger brands and won't attract the folks you want to attract.
 
Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

RSTuthill said:
Dam(n) ... I'm running low on beer and chips:D
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Me too, and this will be going on after the UConn announcement, after they start playing in HE, and after they finally have a winning program -- not that I am likely to live that long. :D
 
Jim said:
The very idea that people are suggesting RPI and Union as alternatives to Notre Dame and UCONN suggests that some people really are out of touch with what is happening in college athletics. To think that 2 DIII schools that only play hockey at the D1 level would be preferable to almost any major D1 institutions, let alone two that have major atletic programs, significant success, and national reputations shows a pretty insular view, I think. I suspect that if you ask around outside of Greater Schenectady, most casual fans don't know the difference between RPI and RIT, and if you are trying to grtow a tv presence, it isn't the die hard fan you care about. The guy who flips back and forth between Michigan-Ohio State on the B-10 network and BC-Umass on NESN is important on to the extent you keep him. What you want is the guy who is watching Tampa Bay-Dallas or even the CAA basketball game of the week, or even Bones, to tune in, and you do that by including brands. For good or ill, UCONN and Notre Dame fit. RPI and Union, while they might be better hockey programs, aren't bigger brands and won't attract the folks you want to attract.
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You want to know why people are suggesting RPI or Union? Because college hockey ratings are meaningless. They are abysmal and always will be. I rather see a established hockey program in Hockey East than Yukon. That school isn't going to bring one benefit to Hockey East. Definitely not in the TV realm.
 
Re: UConn to apply to Hockey East

At the end of the day, almost no one watches hockey. Even fewer watch college hockey. Slapping a Big Ten, Notre Dame, or Uconn label on it isn't going to change this. The same reasons people don't watch hockey now are staying constant in spite of all these other changes.
 
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