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UNH 2020 Off-Season Thread: That Rinky-Shrinky Thang And Other Lively Banter :D

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More extended thoughts on my dismay with the folks calling the shots at HEA and some of its member schools are included yesterday on the WIS Effingwoods Hockey Almanac thread, but I do find it encouraging personally to see that most of D-1 college football is still planning to go ahead with their season, with many schools starting as early as next weekend:

https://apnews.com/4e7ba3fa23654d7a425e45d3e3eba78e

Most are capping home fan attendance at 20-25% of full capacity, with some (not many) schools prohibiting fans, and a few other programs (including BC) "kicking the can" on home game attendance until October, presumably due to governmental restrictions in their respective jurisdictions, with their politicians and AD's (but I repeat myself) letting other programs go first.

++++++++++++++++++

NHIAA has given the green light to its schools for Fall Sports. Most local HS programs will be playing.

NH has basically been open for team sports for over 60 days now.

Theoretically, how many NH based college hockey programs are there? UNH, Dartmouth, Plymouth State, St. Anselm's, SNHU, Keene State, Franklin Pierce, New England College ... any others?

Let's say there's eight (8) teams ... with all of the various leagues dealing with complications of having teams from multiple states to try to weave through restrictions, travel issues, and the like ... why not use this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to set up a NH-only college hockey conference? Do it geographically, too. UNH tops one division, Dartmouth the other. Play an unbalanced schedule, maybe have UNH-Dartmouth play as many as six times, other teams in your division four times, and other teams in the other division two times. That adds up to a pretty healthy 24 game schedule Here's an outline of what would be the two divisions (numbers in parentheses matches two cross-division rivals playing each other 6 times):

North Division
Dartmouth (1)
Franklin Pierce (2)
New England College (3)
Plymouth State (4)

South Division
UNH (1)
SNHU (2)
St. Anselm's (3)
Keene State (4)

All games would be two teams playing at the same arena twice the same weekend, for 12 weekends total. 3 weekends in November, two weekends in December, 4 weekends in January, and 3 weekends in February, leaving the fourth weekend in February open for any rescheduling issues that may crop up along the way. Let fans in at 25% capacity in 2020, hopefully moving up to at least 50% for league play in early 2021, and *maybe* 100% for the league tourney at the end.

Top two finishers in each division qualify for postseason, semifinals within the division, Finals involving the winners, have a consolation game too, and do it all in one weekend at SNHU Arena, first or second weekend in March 2021.

Folks would be talking about this hockey season for a long, long time. It might even set the wheels in motion to create a basis for my long-envisioned "NH Beanpot" for future seasons to come, when the various programs return to regular league play in 2021/2022. I'd be happy to serve as the commissioner of the league, and take residuals for founding the resulting midseason tourney. Maybe we can call it the "Crockpot" (since it all sounds like a crock anyway). ;-)

This is what vision looks like, folks ... ;-)

Thoughts?

P.S. - can someone at USCHO gimme back our smilies, ferchrissakes?!?

P.P.S. - ... oh, and don't think I haven't noticed your snarky little signature, 'Watcher ...
 
Yeah, based on the current news cycle I'm thinking out of an abundance of caution UNH skips out on fans if we get a season.
All thanks to the frat that used to throw the fish...
 
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Yes, by all means, let's scapegoat the naughty frat kids for daring to have a little on-campus fun. Because fraternities are supposed to role model the monastic lifestyle - I'm sure that's why kids join up in the first place, same as back in the day.

Dean Dean-Wormer will fix the bast!ds, triple secret probation, they'll never know what hit 'em.

Honestly, guys, can we hold the "Karen" quotient down here, please? UNH didn't need a few dozen kids playing beer pong without masks to ditch the football season. If they ditch fans in the stands for hockey, it's not going to be because some kids misbehaved on their first weekend back on campus (oh, the horror). I didn't realize a "safe space" mindset was so pervasive.

And if UNH tries to scapegoat the frat if/when they do ban fans, shame on UNH then. I'd like to say they wouldn't, but then again, this is the school that deep-sixed one of the greatest coaches in the history of the school the very first time they got him into a leveraged position, and some of those same decision-makers are still in their prior posts, so all bets are off ...
 
ClOuD 9 said:
Yeah, based on the current news cycle I'm thinking out of an abundance of caution UNH skips out on fans if we get a season.
All thanks to the frat that used to throw the fish...
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I think we’ll def have a season but would be surprised if fans are allowed, which doesn’t bother me that much. I read an article the other day that the administrators are targeting between Thanksgiving and the beginning of February when students are gone for the vast majority of the season. That would make a lot of sense and give us something to watch during the miserable weather.
 
Darius said:
Start of 2020-21 NCAA hockey season for men, women to be delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic:
https://www.uscho.com/2020/09/10/sta...d-19-pandemic/
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Wow, what a surprise. That press release must have taken all of 15 minutes for an associate to draft.

Despite several of his fellow commish-type persons releasing separate statements, I see our new HEA commish remains silent since his 7/29/20 "plan to play" release. Good to see him picking up where Joey Buttons left off; dynamic leadership skills do not appear to be a prerequisite of the job.

If any of you were scratching your heads in reading about the "Hockey Commissioners Association" (HCA) in the item Darius linked, you're not alone. Your pals at the Effingwoods Hockey Almanac have opened an investigation into the origins of this suddenly-relevant organization ... and with the summer saga(s) wrapped, I'll pick up this topic again on that other thread.

ARLTQ
 
As I started my 41st (and last) year teaching in a brick and mortar school, (I took a VLACS position to prepare for retirement) it was really something to stand up in front of my students, all of us masked and wondering just what the heck the year is going to look like. It's really hard to see them like this, but we are going to carry on and these kids need me to be positive. Had a 9th grader share with the class his C-19 experience "you guys, I was so sick and you don't want to get this". Really brought a lump in my throat. Our school is going full in on Monday with 500 plus trying to make sure we go the right way down the marked hallways, eat in 10 different locations, and do our best to give our kids mask breaks during the day. I know I am not alone out there. I'm sorry, just sharing what the first week of school feels like in this cluster of a year. I've never been so exhausted after a week with just a few kids. Wonder how I'm going to find it for the entire year but, one day at a time I guess.

I am so hopeful for a hockey season but I know it will not be one like we've had in the past, not even close. As has already been mentioned, fans most likely will not be attending. Gives us something to do I guess. This time of year I used to get so excited thinking that in just a few weeks, I'd be traveling to the 'Whit for an exhibition game, booking hotels in Boston for trips there, and contemplating if I was going to make the long trek to Orono to take my chances at the Alfond lol. I am really going to miss it, then I have days when I wonder if I've lost my loving feeling for it all. I hope to God that is not true...it's been such a big part of my life for the past 7 years. Just feeling alittle wistful today...and grateful for the health of my family and friends and hope you are all out there doing well.
 
HockeyRef said:
I am so hopeful for a hockey season but I know it will not be one like we've had in the past, not even close. As has already been mentioned, fans most likely will not be attending. Gives us something to do I guess. This time of year I used to get so excited thinking that in just a few weeks, I'd be traveling to the 'Whit for an exhibition game, booking hotels in Boston for trips there, and contemplating if I was going to make the long trek to Orono to take my chances at the Alfond lol. I am really going to miss it, then I have days when I wonder if I've lost my loving feeling for it all. I hope to God that is not true...
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Something I suspect the powers-that-be have taken for granted (but shouldn't), especially at the collegiate level. Loyalty is something that should always be appreciated, and never taken for granted. There are plenty of other options out there. We may look at things from quite different perspectives sometimes HR, but your comments here hit very close to home for me as well.

I won't go off on a long boring tangent, but let's just say that, "Once upon a time" I used to be this huge baseball fan. Then there was this untimely interruption of a magical season, it never resumed ... and then when it finally came back, everything had changed. It took the better part of a decade for the "kill shot" to be applied, but it was never the same afterwards. You find other things to do - and I did. I've never gone back, I'll never go back. And I'm just one person ...
 
Chuck Murray said:
I guess d.gerry finally got a response from the UNH ticket office! :-)
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I did! Funny, I posted my rant and within 15 minutes the phone rang. I doubt they are on the USCHO fan forum monitoring comments however, it was a funny coincidence! Figured I would remove my post since they were more than helpful and appreciative of my support for the program. Guess it just took getting to the right person - but its not like I was emailing the geography department or something.
 
d.gerry said:
I did! Funny, I posted my rant and within 15 minutes the phone rang. I doubt they are on the USCHO fan forum monitoring comments however, it was a funny coincidence! Figured I would remove my post since they were more than helpful and appreciative of my support for the program. Guess it just took getting to the right person - but its not like I was emailing the geography department or something.
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Glad it worked out for you. Honestly, though, I doubt it was a coincidence. FWIW I've heard from multiple credible posters over the years describing similar "coincidental" responses on touchy subject that come up from time to time on these boards.

I've often thought, "Hey, maybe I shouldn't be so hard on the guy in the corner office for running the Hockey program into the ground", and instead I should be much more appreciative of how he's been able to otherwise improve the overall "fan experience" beyond wins and losses? Maybe I would begin to get some love back from the U???

Nah, doubt it.

On a serious note ... hoping all is well with our time-to-time visitor 1932. It's usually around this time of the season where he's here with his "sunshine and balloons" forecast for the upcoming hockey season. We could all use some sunshine ...
 
d.gerry said:
I did! Funny, I posted my rant and within 15 minutes the phone rang. I doubt they are on the USCHO fan forum monitoring comments however, it was a funny coincidence! Figured I would remove my post since they were more than helpful and appreciative of my support for the program. Guess it just took getting to the right person - but its not like I was emailing the geography department or something.
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They 100% are.

Can't imagine it consumes much of their time as this place is like a dead zone now compared to 20/15/10 years ago.
 
Chuck Murray said:
So true. It's as if they've killed the goose that used to lay the golden eggs, even ...
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Got distracted by a new goose that they thought also laid gold...
650258b028aa9b9d55a238ae2763daa6.jpg
 
Well, at least we have these fantastic facilities now.

Shame how the on-field product has soured (both fronts), and fans are finding other things to do ...
 
Chuck Murray said:
Well, at least we have these fantastic facilities now.

Shame how the on-field product has soured (both fronts), and fans are finding other things to do ...
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Time for the administration to take a hard look at the man on top. What has UNH done during his tenure besides a slow and steady downhill slide. The guy has done nada, zip, zero! Time for a change at the top. Dick stuck around about five years too long, but given his contributions to the program I'm willing to let that one slide (no pun intended) however, what has Marty really done to elevate UNH athletics profile or performance? I have no clue who you could bring in to get some fresh perspective, but its overdue. What's the university's love affair with this guy? Is it because they come from an academic background with no interest or passion for athletics? Something has to change or the years of mediocrity will grind on. #cancelmarty
 
d.gerry said:
Time for the administration to take a hard look at the man on top. What has UNH done during his tenure besides a slow and steady downhill slide. The guy has done nada, zip, zero! Time for a change at the top. Dick stuck around about five years too long, but given his contributions to the program I'm willing to let that one slide (no pun intended) however, what has Marty really done to elevate UNH athletics profile or performance? I have no clue who you could bring in to get some fresh perspective, but its overdue. What's the university's love affair with this guy? Is it because they come from an academic background with no interest or passion for athletics? Something has to change or the years of mediocrity will grind on. #cancelmarty
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When UNH brought in new President James Dean from UNC, I had some (distant) hope that we would see some changes in the Athletic administration. However I think President Dean has chosen to take a somewhat "hands-off" approach to athletics, which is somewhat disappointing. This seemingly endless pandemic hasn't helped as colleges across the country all have had to shift priorities.

I don't dislike Marty. I just don't think that he's a "hockey guy", pretty self-evident in his mismanagement of the Women's hockey coaching fiasco from a years ago and for letting Men's Hockey wither on the vine for far too long a time period. I was hoping that given the current state of affairs that he would just "call it a career" and announce his retirement. But...it's wishful thinking at this point. I don't think we'll see any changes until until some semblence of normacy returns to all of our lives. Sigh........
 
Scott said:
I was hoping that given the current state of affairs that he would just "call it a career" and announce his retirement. But...it's wishful thinking at this point. I don't think we'll see any changes until until some semblence of normacy returns to all of our lives. Sigh........
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Given the fact Marty makes a cool $250,000 (base salary), I'm sure UNH would love it if he'd retire too. But, making that kind of money, why would you? How can you not dislike a guy who's driven the hockey program into the ground, is fine with mediocre football, and well let's not even mention the basketball team. But hey, the soccer program is on the upswing! Probably the next team to have a 10 year run into the tourney with nothing at the end to show for it all.
 
d.gerry said:
Given the fact Marty makes a cool $250,000 (base salary), I'm sure UNH would love it if he'd retire too. But, making that kind of money, why would you? How can you not dislike a guy who's driven the hockey program into the ground, is fine with mediocre football, and well let's not even mention the basketball team. But hey, the soccer program is on the upswing! Probably the next team to have a 10 year run into the tourney with nothing at the end to show for it all.
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Hey, I'm a soccer guy almost as much as I'm a hockey guy. Marty's better half has a big soccer background as a player and coach - not particularly successful BTW but worth mentioning - and their kids played soccer locally. So it's not a big surprise that soccer has gotten probably more than its share of love from the UNH AD's office. But it's just a crying shame that Hockey - which has always been the school's flagship program - has been taken for granted in the first half of BS35+infinity's regime, and just plain neglected in the second half of his time at the U. From needlessly burning Coach McCloskey on some hyped-up PC crusade, to letting Coach Umile call the shots on his way out. Ceding the state's hockey market to goon hockey in ManchVegas. Even now, descending further into radio silence as another season withers on the vine.

I'd say, don't get me started, but I think I'm already there ... :-(
 
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