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UNH Hockey 2023 Off Season Thread Turn and Face the Strange

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HockeyRef said:
All good stuff Scott! Whatever happened to that great anthem singer, I believe he was a Reverend? I'd add that to the list :) Seriously, the coaching piece
I believe is #1 on my list..facilities second like you said. What would a 'normal sports' atmosphere look like to you?

Wow, almost Sept 1!! Won't be long before the 'Cats name a captain. Who you got? I'm going with Luke Reid getting the C, Blaisdell and Sweeney with the A's. Not
necessarily in that order...
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The good Reverend unfortunately got himself into a pickle while employed as a minister at PEA because of an alleged role with a student-on-student sexual conduct case:

https://theexonian.net/news/2018/11...owing a Boston Globe article,to an end on Oct.

Once he was put on administrative leave at PEA, it doesn't appear that he was ever invited back to the Whitt. Too bad...his amazing bass voice really shook the rafters!

RE: Captains - I'd go with any combination of Jenson, Reid and Blaisdell, but lean slightly towards Jenson with the "C". JMHO.
 
Chuck Murray said:
I'm not 100% sure, but I know Scott goes back a long time with the program, and I'm guessing he's referencing the colorful chants we used to hear from the student section before BS35+ No More went all controlling Karen on The Whitt, and instructed the pep band to play over the most purportedly "offensive" chants. And, of course, put "Black Betty" on the Naughty List. The atmosphere at The Whitt - which used to be amazing for the first decade-plus of the venue - slowly withered and died a quiet death. I truly believe that "feisty" atmosphere used to be a selling point for some of the recruits back in the day, and kind of typified the whole "Live Free or Die" spirit in its own unique way.

Now there is virtually no difference between The Whitt and any other arena. Scott - am I on the right track here?
Click to expand...

Pretty much right on track Chuck. "Mahhty" and his "woke" nature pretty much put the kebash on "Lively Snively V.2" by killing some of "inappropriate" chants and caving into a disgruntled Women's hockey coach in eliminating "Black Betty". Now. to get butts back in the seats, the Athletic Dept. pushes promo after promo to make the UNH hockey game experience more of a fun, family venture than a quasi-gladiatorial battle on the ice. Groups of parents bring their "under 8-somethings" to the game and allow their little offspring to run amok while they, the parents pay no attention and sit back and enjoy their beers.

Give me the days of a packed arena with revved-up fans chanting "YOU S*CK!!" in unison......sigh.......
 
Snively65 said:
Maybe UNH should rebrand our Wildcats moniker to Sabertooth Tigers, which may have both purred and roared during the late Pleistocene. ST’s, for short, not to be confused with SMT’s or STH’s or SOG’s.

www.popsci.com/science/sabertooth-tiger-purr-roar/
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I do think UNH has a rebranding opportunity in the coming years. It's been over 20 years (almost 25 years?) since UNH Hockey went from their classic block UNH jerseys to the cartoon angry Cat logo, which I'm not sure I ever took a full liking to. IIRC the new logo was in place for the last two FF trips, and the back-to-back HEA Trophies, so at the time I suspect there was a lot more trust in the powers-that-be at UNH that things were going in the right direction. Now it just reminds me of another fad that UNH caved into when the prevailing winds were blowing in that direction ... and of course, with Bob The Builder (a/k/a the former AD) focused on anything else but what folks not in the admin offices at UNH were thinking, it was just easier to leave it alone.

I hope the current AD, the younger crop of new HC's (including the new Men's Hockey coach) take this up soon. I mean, before MS7 adds it onto his list of excuses why his program somehow can't even rise to a level of mediocrity ...
 
Be careful what you wish for. Remember the move to the new school logo? Most of you went ape over that change. Personally happy with the wildcat and block lettered jerseys.
I feel that Blazer will get the C and Jensen and Reid the As.
 
Scott said:
The good Reverend unfortunately got himself into a pickle while employed as a minister at PEA because of an alleged role with a student-on-student sexual conduct case:
Click to expand...

Maybe the Rev and Dick Osbourne can do their own competing podcast (ala the Mannings and the McCourtys.)
 
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Chuck Murray said:
((( holding my hand up )))

My proviso would be for Hockey to go back to the classic block style from the 20th century.
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100% agree with that take. The new logo and Wildcat I can live with. As for the fatty-nascar-softy-font, hated it then, hate it now, will hate it tomorrow. Just more junk from the dimwitted marketing "consultants" at that time
 
There's a nice article on Angus Crookshank in the the Hockey news site, i couldn't get link but easy to find. Didn't know he blew his knee out in the 2021-2022 season,hope the kid well.
 
Robert Balin said:
There's a nice article on Angus Crookshank in the the Hockey news site, i couldn't get link but easy to find. Didn't know he blew his knee out in the 2021-2022 season,hope the kid well.
Click to expand...

Yeah he worked really hard to get back on the ice! Such a gamer that kid is...kind of like Derek Jeter, the only Yankee I ever respected ha!
 
HockeyRef said:
Yeah he worked really hard to get back on the ice! Such a gamer that kid is...kind of like Derek Jeter, the only Yankee I ever respected ha!
Click to expand...

58-84-20. So they start with BU and 2 with the defending champs. They could steal one of these games considering it's early. Maybe pad that record with another W...lol
 
So it isn't a perfect comparable (but what in life really is) and still there is an interesting lesson out there in the college sports world.

"This is a uniquely charismatic man, a marketer with almost no peer, who looks like he and his players are having more fun than anyone, anywhere. That always works." Dan Wetzel​

"...turning a team with a 1-11 record and just a single winning season in 17 years into an overnight national contender." Dan Wetzel​

Yes, college football and who knows if Colorado will finish above .500 this year or not. At the same time the former Jackson State coach and for those who don't follow NFL Hall of Fame player and arguably the greatest corner of all time Deion Sanders, is using all the new rules to his advantage.

"Deion grabbed 53 guys from the portal and obviously many of them are capable of playing at a high level, but it’s not like he was plucking starters off SEC or Big Ten powers." Dan Wetzel​

They were just better than what he had. That is flipping more than 50% of ~90 man the roster. That is bring in the full roster of an NFL team.

What does UNH Hockey need? Flipping greater than 50% of the roster? Potentially. Really the answer is in the first quote, charismatic (check), marketer (check), and more fun than anyone, anywhere (check).

Is the 2023-2024 season over yet? I want to move forward and UNH Hockey is standing still, on the ice that can get you leveled.
 
JB said:
So it isn't a perfect comparable (but what in life really is) and still there is an interesting lesson out there in the college sports world.

"This is a uniquely charismatic man, a marketer with almost no peer, who looks like he and his players are having more fun than anyone, anywhere. That always works." Dan Wetzel​

"...turning a team with a 1-11 record and just a single winning season in 17 years into an overnight national contender." Dan Wetzel​

Yes, college football and who knows if Colorado will finish above .500 this year or not. At the same time the former Jackson State coach and for those who don't follow NFL Hall of Fame player and arguably the greatest corner of all time Deion Sanders, is using all the new rules to his advantage.

"Deion grabbed 53 guys from the portal and obviously many of them are capable of playing at a high level, but it’s not like he was plucking starters off SEC or Big Ten powers." Dan Wetzel​

They were just better than what he had. That is flipping more than 50% of ~90 man the roster. That is bring in the full roster of an NFL team.

What does UNH Hockey need? Flipping greater than 50% of the roster? Potentially. Really the answer is in the first quote, charismatic (check), marketer (check), and more fun than anyone, anywhere (check).

Is the 2023-2024 season over yet? I want to move forward and UNH Hockey is standing still, on the ice that can get you leveled.
Click to expand...

I can't think of two more disparate personalities than Deion Sanders and MS7.

Can you even begin to comprehend the amount of work you have to put in to (1) start a new job at a legit D-1 football program, where you have no prior association, and have to learn everything from the ground up, (2) line up a full staff for your program, (3) do a complete inventory on the returning players and incoming recruits from the prior regime, (4) go "dumpster diving" through hundreds (if not thousands) of kids in the portal - let's face it, he didn't pick the first 53 that came up - and rank the top hundred-plus kids; and finally (5) get on the phone, and go through your top hundred-plus targets, and sell them on a place you've never spent more than a day in your life, and (6) tell a few dozen kids they won't be welcome to return to Boulder this Fall.

Understood that being able to say "Hi (fill in the blank), this is Coach Prime, I want you to come play for me, you in?" is going to be more than enough to convince a pretty fair slice of his targeted pool to sign up on the spot - especially if you think you've been overlooked by your current D-1 coach, which is why most of those kids are in the portal to begin with. And now Deion Sanders ... wants me?!? Is this a trick question????

I'm pretty sure MS7 doesn't put in that type of work, and I'm absolutely certain there are exactly zero (0) recruits who would recognize MS7 on sight or even by name, and the highlights of MS7's career make up roughly 0.0000001% of Sanders' on-line presence. In fairness to MS7, and I do agree with you JB, I'm not sure there is a legit comp out there, unless a Gretzky-like figure got a sudden hankering for an NCAA D-1 title.

Put me down for "wake me when it's over" along with JB. Unless Coach Boguniecki arrives before the end of the season ...
 
Drew S. said:
Among Souza’s many sins, not being Deion Sanders has to be towards the top of the list.
Click to expand...

After a couple of hours to mull the question, the only comp I can come up with in the entire history of college hockey is ... Shawn Walsh. Bold, brash and unrestrained. Both highly outspoken salesmen who could sell iceboxes to Eskimos. And both being winners. After that ... hard to compare a back-up 3rd string D-1 goalie to one of the best who ever played at his position at the highest competitive level. That's my best shot at a comp ...
 
Drew S. said:
Among Souza’s many sins, not being Deion Sanders has to be towards the top of the list.
Click to expand...

Hopefully you are intentionally missing the point - or I am missing the sarcasm.

Yes, Deion Sanders has some HUGE advantages in football. Just name recognition alone. Side Note: he retired in 2005 so his recruits were, 2 maybe 3 max. He also didn't play 2001, 2002, 2003.

What he has that can be emulated, when looking for a new coach:
1) charisma
2) marketing
3) attacking with the stuff/advantages he has not complaining about the stuff he doesn't
4) most importantly - not tied to the "old rules" or the "old way" willing to be aggressive and use the newish transfer portal to his advantage. What do you bet he already has in mind how to use booster and name and likeness deals if (when) CU does take off.

Unfortunately, I have never seen any of the above from MS7. I don't feel the charisma and marketing needed to charm student athletes. Maybe it is there, I have been in a room with him and never felt it. I do feel MS7 is tied to what he knows, Umile. Today the rules and what the students expect are different.

What would I do, find an up and coming USHL coach, with some of that magnetism (charisma and marketing) who can bring some of his own players in / in via the portal. See if you can get this thing moving and if the up and coming coach is successful and you need another coach in 5 years, so be it.
 
Adam Nightengale at Michigan State might be the current comp. I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t adore him or speak highly of his charisma and communications ability…

—

Another interesting nugget from the Deion/CU debate - Colorado Athletics have always been an afterthought, with facilities (while very nice) often lagging far behind their P5 brethren. Anyone heard a peep from Prime?

Colorado, like UNH, has more than enough to offer recruits. As for what it doesn’t have? Deion couldn’t care less, because it has HIM. He’s there, so he believes it’s possible - and thusly, so do prospective SAs.

UNH hasn’t had a coach - or leadership - with belief in sometime.

I’ll say it again - facilities don’t matter unless you have truly elite facilities OR you cannot hide your insecurity over your facilities…

—

Additionally - Deion made a point of surrounding himself with great assistants (as opposed to say, guys with zero experience). It’s no surprise he is secure in himself - but those hires make a big difference and he’s not afraid to bring in people who may be better than him in certain areas and let them do their job. The OC from Kent State (where he was himself a HC) was a great get…

Souza could probably save his job if he was secure enough to let someone else play point on recruiting. It worked for DU, so it shouldn’t be a foreign concept…
 
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