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UNH 2021 Off-Season Thread: Finally!?!
- Thread starter Darius
- Start date
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Is Babcock still working up there as a volunteer assistant, HR?
Vaguely remember Sharp playing at The Whitt with a crappy UVM team, don't remember him standing out at that level, but he was still pretty young and was out of there after only two seasons. Never foresaw his (very productive) NHL career, much less the post-career involvement in media. He won't turn 40 for a couple of months now, the world is his oyster, apparently.
Better career overall than JvR IMO, not bad for a 3rd round pick ...
NCAA watcher
Registered User
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125 to 1 odds
Do you have the top half - very curious to see the odds for all of the teams.
NCAA watcher
Registered User
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
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Surprisingly optimistic number for UNH nationally, I wouldn't give them a 1 in 125 chance at winning HEA this year. I see UNH closer to Merrimack (250) or UMaine (300), if not UVM or Bentley (500).
I see Vegas respects Bazin (25:1) but isn't buying Luce's crap (100), so they get kudos for that.
Best value IMO is still UMass (10:1), with Northeastern (40:1) being a smart money darkhorse ...
125 to 1 odds
Surprisingly optimistic number for UNH nationally, I wouldn't give them a 1 in 125 chance at winning HEA this year. I see UNH closer to Merrimack (250) or UMaine (300), if not UVM or Bentley (500).
I see Vegas respects Bazin (25:1) but isn't buying Luce's crap (100), so they get kudos for that.
Best value IMO is still UMass (10:1), with Northeastern (40:1) being a smart money darkhorse ...
What are you using for metrics to support that opinion? Their NHL points per game are essentially identical at 0.66 points per game, although Sharp has 142 more games than JvR, so the latter will need to keep up that pace for a couple more NHL seasons. Another observation is that Sharp arrived in Burlington four years after the UVM hay days (1995/96 and 1996/97 seasons) with Martin St. Louis, Eric Perrin, and Tim Thomas, whereas JvR arrived in Durham five years after UNH consecutive FF appearances (2001/02 and 2002/03 seasons), although I agree that the UNH teams with JvR were not nearly as bad as the UVM teams with Sharp, and Umile was probably a better coach than Gilligan during those respective years.
I also agree that Vegas is probably way off in ranking UNH as high as 1/125 odds to win a NC this season, and 1/500 odds to place them along with Bentley, UVM, and Mac would be more appropriate. I still think that the gutless unwillingness of UNH to play Bentley this season is comical.
But, here is my question of the day. Are those who are unwilling to attend games at the Whitt if there is a mask mandate really just looking for an excuse not to watch a poorly coached bad hockey team get embarrassed game after game at home? As for season tickets, since I have qualified for senior discounted tickets game time at the window, I think that season tickets are for suckers in my age group, unless one is looking at these season tickets as charitable contributions to the Athletic Department at my alma mater, which I fully endorse, of course. If you cannot afford to donate funds for a $1.2 million football scoreboard, at least buy season hockey tickets.
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HockeyRef
Well-known member
https://nhl.nbcsports.com/2021/02/20/mike-babcock-hired-as-head-coach-at-university-of-saskatchewan/
I used to love being at MC games and he'd walk by, go up in the stands and watch his son play...
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
In the words of WEEI's immortal Glenn Ordway ... "You're making, my point". ;-)
Ultimately, it's not even close, although the PPG thing is eerily similar. One guy came in as a heralded top of the first round draft pick, and has really accomplished nothing of note. At best, he's met expectations, an above-average scoring forward with average or worse teams for most of his career, and has never (not once) skated in an All-Star Game. Sharp exceeded expectations for a 3rd round pick, was an integral part of three (3) Stanley Cup champions in Chicago, and even made an All Star game once (and apparently performed really well in it, per the linked video below). Ironically, both JvR and Sharp were originally drafted by Philadelphia, but went on to have their best years elsewhere. Not that it matters/is relevant, but Sharp has also set the bar pretty high for post-hockey JvR to meet.
JvR's career is no doubt on its back nine, and unless he's willing to take a significant pay cut to be a spare part and/or PP specialist on a Cup contender, I don't see much of a chance for him to overtake Sharp's accomplishments overall. Anyone here is free to disagree, but I think it will take some doing to convince me I'm on the wrong side of this debate.
I think you may have gone a long way towards answering your own question, Snives.
In short, I've had my shots, and was told when I had those shots that my life could return to normal. Anyone going back on that promise is lacking in good faith, so I'm sorry, but I'm not playing along any longer. I have a choice on whether to start going back to watching college hockey live this season OR eking out another season of coaching travel team soccer, which is now standing at 20 years of service. The last couple of seasons, coaching has admittedly been a grind at times, and I was pretty ill (non-Wuhan Flu) for about six months this past season with the effects of a tick-borne illness, from which I've only recently begun to return to my pre-illness activity levels (i.e. playing Over 50 soccer and considering coaching again).
The way things played out last season coaching-wise, it was the first time I had to turn over head coaching duties to an assistant during that stretch (other than for an odd game here or there), and I skipped the usual summer league season as well. So, pretty much all the signs were there for me to call it a career at this point ... and I may yet still, but now with the stupidity at the rinks ongoing at the college level - and frankly, there may be no end in sight, I can see masks at The Whitt for another 5+ years (y'know, seasonal flu is pretty bad too etc. rolleyes) - it may be time to rethink coaching retirement, and pull out the stops to see if I can make it to the NRN in honor of Coach Umile, which would also be to the RBRN. ;-)
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
I can see the UNH Hockey faithful has created a fever pitch of excitement ahead of the new season.
Not.
Thanks Dick.
Not.
Thanks Dick.
NCAA watcher
Registered User
I figured the Sox for a .500 year, so hopefully I'm equally wrong in my perception of the UNH squad.
I realize that since 1967, the only down period for UNH was the four year 85-89 dip (84-85 were still .500). But in that dip, by 88-89 they were 12-22 but with a powerful young lineup assembled by Kullen in 87 and 88 recruiting classes of four future All-Americans and four future NHLers, so already on a steep upward trajectory.
In 14-15, UNH was five hundred, much like the 84-85 year. We are now in the seventh year of the decline, and can't say that the roster has a clear upward trajectory to generate the excitement. Amazing how quickly that has gone, but its is enough that the UNH brand of a "hockey school" is probably pretty weak among the 16 year old potential recruits.
Hopefully the team makes a decision on "how long a dip is OK?" unnecessary.
I realize that since 1967, the only down period for UNH was the four year 85-89 dip (84-85 were still .500). But in that dip, by 88-89 they were 12-22 but with a powerful young lineup assembled by Kullen in 87 and 88 recruiting classes of four future All-Americans and four future NHLers, so already on a steep upward trajectory.
In 14-15, UNH was five hundred, much like the 84-85 year. We are now in the seventh year of the decline, and can't say that the roster has a clear upward trajectory to generate the excitement. Amazing how quickly that has gone, but its is enough that the UNH brand of a "hockey school" is probably pretty weak among the 16 year old potential recruits.
Hopefully the team makes a decision on "how long a dip is OK?" unnecessary.
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Totally agree. I've always felt it takes a program at least twice as long to climb their way back up, as it takes to plummet from the top echelon to the bottom tier. If that's the case, it could take the better part of a full decade to get UNH back in contention. This is not UNH operating in a vacuum; there are ten (10) other HEA programs who want to press up to the top tier, and the guys who run the programs in the top tier are either there because of their own accomplishments (York, Carvel and Leaman) or because their programs have been up there and perceived to be top tier for a long time (BU). Bazin and Madigan (is he coaching or did he get the AD's job?) have been knocking at the door for a long time. At best, UNH is in the top half of the lower tier, with the likes of UConn, UMaine, UVM and Merrimack (and at worst, they could finish last). And there is every reason to believe UMaine will be pushing up from their current station, given Coach Barr's history of success at his various previous stops.
Recovery time for a program is the reason I was pressing the alarm buttons before most on here were, and we're in the process of finding out just how much long term damage has been caused to UNH's former reputation as a "hockey school".
With UNH Football, Coach Mac struggled for his first few seasons in charge after taking over from Coach Bowes, before he managed to flip the switch and get things moving forward again. I think we're kind of at the same point with Coach Souza, yet I do not see him making any changes to his program (I believe Coach Mac brought in several younger assistants), so I'm sadly expecting "more of the same" at least for the foreseeable future. Like you, 'Watcher, I hope I'm wrong ... but I very much fear that I'm not wrong ...
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
If it is not clear from his post, Drew is inquiring about Saturday's (10/2/21) exhibition between Quinnipiac and UMaine, which is going to be hosted by Phillips Exeter (NH) Academy. The current face-off time is set for 4:30 p.m. All I can tell you beyond face-off time is that the event has been described as a "closed" exhibition game, so I doubt they are selling tickets. That's not to say there aren't ways to get in if you are creative (or connected), but maybe posters like 'Watcher and C-H-C who follow the prep circuit way closer than the rest of us might have some ideas or insight. Good luck!
That wasn’t what I was talking about. I was referring to the UNH-Merrimack exhibition game Saturday. I see it listed on CHN’s app. Has it been cancelled or something?
The game is not listed on either team's official schedule - only on sites like USCHO and CHN - so I'd tend to doubt it's an open exhibition; considering its news to so many of us.
A google search for the MC schedule shows the game in the search results, but if one clicks on the link and visits their schedule its not listed. That leads me to believe a conversation was had to remove it from the schedule and keep the exhibition under the radar. Like I said, its news to me so I could be wrong - but if they're expecting fan attendance, their marketing of this event leaves a bit to be desired...
NCAA watcher
Registered User
Bottom four, same as its been for sometime now - but one thing often overlooked in Maine's uptick in recruiting and optimism is Vermont's more subtle uptick in recruiting and optimism. We might be on the verge of a two-team race to the bottom, in spite of those two teams being led by a couple of the 'best recruiters' in the business...