Using York as the gold standard in the same period he is 154-68-22, got the jump in the other 2 in the first year by going 33-10-1 and was already established in his job
Regarding recruiting at UML someone on some other thread made an excellent point. It’s a myth that Bazin gets underrated players, he indeed recruits top players he just fishes ponds many others bypass. Also the last kid they got, Meehan, shows the inroads they have made locally (also this is similar to NU—another team that now appears to have put Maine in their rear view mirror)
On PC. Inherited a talented team? Well that finally explains some things like why they had to play 2 defensemen at forward that first year, why they would push out one of their distinguished alumni as coach so he could not enjoy the coming success, and what a talented team those 2 last place and that next to last team the previous 3 years really were.
As far as post championship success. First year #1 seed and share of regular season Hockey East title, second year 20+ wins with 8 freshmen as regulars just 2 points out of another share of title plus NCAA bid
Would also think last teams fan to question Leaman’s success would be Maine as they have beaten Leaman’s team twice in his time at PC. The first 2 games they played (Leaman’s 4th and 5th games at PC I believe) since then Maine is winless in 14 straight (13-0-1)
I agree it will take a young hard driving young assistant to drive this program forward. Possibly convincing coaches with Hockey East connections (Barr 46 10 years assistant, Ellsworth 47 7 years college assistant 2 at USHL, Mayotte 44 6 year assistant). Trouble is now a days no head coach experience is looked as a draw back. Last spring The better openings went to experienced head coaches pulled away from other programs. Both Barr and Ellsworth didn’t get the job at their Alma mater.
Which leads to the point if you aren’t going to invest in your program you aren’t going to succeed like you possibly could years ago. College Hockey has changed drastically since Walsh passed away this is big time college sports now—both UML and PC invested in their programs. If The hot assistant starts to turn the program around unless you keep upping the pay he will quickly depart
In fact what do you think the chance that if Walsh lived he’d still be in Maine assuming all other things like economy and administrators, both college president and AD were what Whitehead/Gendron have had to face. Could Maine hold on to him if he sensed things out of his control were trending down if the NHL came calling or say, I Believe it was 2010-11, when Mich State hired their previous coach, had come calling for Walsh instead.
