Jellsville USA
Registered User
This game would most likely be played at Walter BrownI was joking awhile back that if NU got a first round game it would be at the 'Whitt...
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UNH- How Far West Do We Go?
- Thread starter norbert
- Start date
TheGrouchyCat
Litter Box of Bad Ideas
He wasn't charged with assault and battery which is a felony. He had three counts of simple assault and one count of criminal threatening against him, misdemeanors all.
He was not convicted of any crimes but admitted wrongdoing, not guilty to the levied charges. Prosecution was dropped, no trial, no guilty verdict and no criminal record.
JB
Desk Chair Coach
He was also fired by the University before the the legal system even charged him. It is also interesting that the legal charges didn't start until after McCloskey sued the University to get his job back.
I am not saying what he did was right.
I am saying the University wanted out of that contract and moved very quickly. If they didn't want out he would have been suspended pending legal review, etc. etc. It may still have all ended up in the same place and a University that wants to keep an employee just walks the process differently.
JB
Desk Chair Coach
-Golf Tournament
-Membership dues at 3 different levels (General, Coaches Club and .... Center Ice ???)
-50/50 Ticket sales (which have gone in the tank since the friends stopped doing it)
-They were the original concession stand in Snively (that changed going into the Whitt)
-Merchandise Sales @ Games (some of the unique items are gone now)
-End of year Banquet tickets
... I am trying to remember what else ...
Some of that continues with the Athletic Department 50/50 and Merchandise and it goes into the general Athletics funds so it is no longer targeted to the hockey team it is spread around like butter (over too much bread).
TheGrouchyCat
Litter Box of Bad Ideas
A few games ago, a family member from out of town attended with us. He remembered the FoH from a lifetime ago and asked where he could buy 50-50 tickets.
When we told him look for the cheerleaders but be aware that proceeds wouldn't go to the hockey team, he simply said, "what do I care about the cheerleaders or dance team? I guess the school isn't getting any of my money tonight."
But, he also said if the Friends don't exist anymore why does the Women's Team have a Blue Line Club banner hanging near tje elevators.
I didn't know the answer, so let me ask the question. Do the female Cats have a booster club?
TheGrouchyCat
Litter Box of Bad Ideas
It certainly isn't the 80s when some of my coaches were known throw bats or call players f____ts. Hell, some of these coaches would be in jail today, but times change.
In this day and age, a player shouldn't be touched, we agree on that point. However, this unfortunate event, it was a Godsend to UNH because it presented an opportunity to get rid of a coach it no longer wanted, however vulgar and Jerry Springer the circumstances.
TheGrouchyCat
Litter Box of Bad Ideas
Too bad it is no longer an open event.
I play golf with a former player who said the tournament is a shell of its former self and whether or not UNH will admit it, it desperately needs the Friends to return.
His commentary on Torts, though...wow. Hysterical.
emily422
Member
I
sounds like we consume your mind just as much as you think you consume Chucks 
I haven’t said a word about this topic
sounds like we consume your mind just as much as you think you consume Chucks So… I had an (admittedly) crazy thought pop up in my head earlier today. We’ve been talking about the potential for this to be MS7s last year (partial buyout, resign, etc…) while I think he has likely done enough the last few weeks where the school gives him the last year as a make it/break it (unless a new AD comes in and wants to do a major shakeup), let’s play out the thought that MS7 does not come back next year.
My question: what if the school asks Umile to come back on a one year “transition” deal to guide them as they look for a long term replacement?
We talked a bit about this with regard to Jimmy T. Now, I really don’t think Umile would come back (I’m not that crazy) but I do think there are some interesting points.
For one, his return (even if brief) would provide many major marketing opportunities. Attendance would almost certainly go up to see the “legendary” coach for one last go. The program would likely more than make enough money to compensate for the buyout of MS7 (and then some). Perhaps in today’s day and age of the portal, maybe you’d also get some interesting high-end guys who come as a one year rental, and then they can say they played for one of the best who ever coached college hockey.
Above all, it also provides the opportunity for Umile to reach that coveted “NRN” that he got oh so close to achieving in his last season. That would also probably provide UNH with national coverage and again raise some money for the program.
With all this going on, they can take their time and find the best young gun to come in and bring UNH back to sustained success, and Umile can certainly play a significant role with that vetting process.
A somewhat similar situation happened with Syracuse basketball about 10ish years ago. Famous coach Jim Boeheim was gonna retire, and pass the torch to a longtime assistant. At the 11th hour, the assistant bolted for a HC job at a different school, and Boeheim ended up staying a few more years to help “stabilize” the situation, until he was eventually officially retired.
Again, I don’t think this is likely - Umile is 77 years old, and has been retired for 8+ years. Still… I don’t think it is impossible. I imagine this sustained mediocrity is eating away at him, after all the work he put into building the program for over a quarter century.
Stranger things have happened… The Colts brought back Phillip Rivers after 5+ years of retirement, and it wasn’t the worst thing ever.
I’d be curious to hear what others think!
My question: what if the school asks Umile to come back on a one year “transition” deal to guide them as they look for a long term replacement?
We talked a bit about this with regard to Jimmy T. Now, I really don’t think Umile would come back (I’m not that crazy) but I do think there are some interesting points.
For one, his return (even if brief) would provide many major marketing opportunities. Attendance would almost certainly go up to see the “legendary” coach for one last go. The program would likely more than make enough money to compensate for the buyout of MS7 (and then some). Perhaps in today’s day and age of the portal, maybe you’d also get some interesting high-end guys who come as a one year rental, and then they can say they played for one of the best who ever coached college hockey.
Above all, it also provides the opportunity for Umile to reach that coveted “NRN” that he got oh so close to achieving in his last season. That would also probably provide UNH with national coverage and again raise some money for the program.
With all this going on, they can take their time and find the best young gun to come in and bring UNH back to sustained success, and Umile can certainly play a significant role with that vetting process.
A somewhat similar situation happened with Syracuse basketball about 10ish years ago. Famous coach Jim Boeheim was gonna retire, and pass the torch to a longtime assistant. At the 11th hour, the assistant bolted for a HC job at a different school, and Boeheim ended up staying a few more years to help “stabilize” the situation, until he was eventually officially retired.
Again, I don’t think this is likely - Umile is 77 years old, and has been retired for 8+ years. Still… I don’t think it is impossible. I imagine this sustained mediocrity is eating away at him, after all the work he put into building the program for over a quarter century.
Stranger things have happened… The Colts brought back Phillip Rivers after 5+ years of retirement, and it wasn’t the worst thing ever.
I’d be curious to hear what others think!
TheGrouchyCat
Litter Box of Bad Ideas
Not a prayer. I sit next to Dick at the Whit. That ship sailed a (very) long time ago. Nothing says the "future" to a potential recruit than a 78 yr old coach on a one year deal.
I certainly agree. It is extremely far-fetched and it seems from your proximity to him that there is likely little to no interest in a reunion like this.
I imagine though, that he can’t be happy with the current state of things, and how it impacts his legacy at the school and in the larger college hockey world. I imagine the school would put a lot of weight on his opinions if he said anything about moving on from a coach etc…
The scene has certainly changed a lot since he left, and the job is probably more difficult today with NIL and the transfer portal forcing coaches to “re-recruit” their team each year to convince guys to stay - especially if your team had a subpar year or two.
I only brought up the recruit scenario, as I think a lot of the top guys only stay in college for 1-2 years now anyways. Maybe with some nice new renovations and a legendary coach - you could convince someone to join the crew for a year, despite the lack of success for 10+ years.
I wonder how many of the blue chip recruits now view college as a 4 year commitment, versus a one (maybe 2) year “tune up” before going to the big show. How many guys stay the full 4 years at BC/BU now? The only 2 guys I can think who went pro after 2 years at UNH are Pots and JvR. I’m admittedly probably missing a few though.
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
It's really a pathetic existence that potty lives, emily ... imagine if you have no friends to begin with, then you alienate yourself from folks who you considered to be your old (online) friends after threatening to doxx them with DM's they thought were to be kept private ... you reinvent yourself to come on here and end up getting drubbed repeatedly, still finding no new friends ... and the only "friends" who will tolerate you are attached to ego-driven checks you write to a faceless organization that holds its nose and tolerates you only because of that money ... money that should instead be going towards his children's futures. Really sad.I haven’t said a word about this topic
But with nothing to lose, he keeps on coming here, mixing and matching his pent-up fury against anyone who offends his silly institutional-driven beliefs, and once you're on his sh!t list ... whether you weigh in or not matters very little, as you are discovering now.
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Let's also not forget that UNH Hockey finds itself where it is, largely because Coach Umile sponsored an inexperienced MS7 as his successor.
You generally get one shot at something like that, and *maybe* if you make a good selection that eventually moves on to bigger and better things, those folks can value your opinion based on a track record of successful guidance, and consult with you again (if you still happen to be on the right side of the turf).
None of that happened here, sadly. If you're Jerry York or Jack Parker, and you respect the demands of the job, as well as its importance to your alma mater, then maybe you treat the process more objectively? If you take it a little less seriously (as did Umile here), it blows up on everyone. Including Umile himself.
From a "let's have fun with this" perspective, it would certainly give Umile a final chance to successfully navigate The Post-Retirement Slog to The NRN.
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Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Classic plea deal, after the University went out of its way to leverage trumped-up charges to convince Coach to drop his claims (as follows) ...
I'm not here to speak for Coach (although sometimes I feel that way) ... but I'm sure he wishes it hadn't turned out that way. Yet considering the player was an insolent and insubordinate pain in the ar$e for her entire entitled career up to that point, and knew the U backed her previously when Coach wanted to separate after a frosh season filled with similar insubordination ... in retrospect, a blowout like this was hardly surprising. That UNH supported this forced coupling of player and coach at first, then opportunistically pounced on Coach when the player's public conduct manifested in this situation ... abominable, two-faced institutional behavior.
I'll leave it at that.
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Haven't been too many high-level pros coming out of the UNH program lately. The vR brothers are obviously still going strong (UNH got three years out of Trevor), somewhat to my surprise in the case of James. Sadly, Poturalski turned out to be this generation's AHL All-Timer a la Darren Haydar, before heading out to Russia. 5th round pick Angus Crookshank's NHL clock is running low, now on his second organization of being 5th-6th C on the org depth chart first in Ottawa, now in Jersey.
Alex Gagne is doing OK with Colorado's AHL affiliate so far this season and has another year left on his ELC. He's primarily on the Eagles' 3rd pairing, but has size and has developed as a PK specialist apparently, and got a long look in camp last Fall. His size leaves him open as a 3rd pair depth option at the NHL level, if things slide into place for him. Fellow 6th round pick Ryan Conmy has a puncher's chance at a bottom six NHL role with LA if he rounds out the other half of his game, something that Poturalski never quite figured out while racking up big scoring numbers (and an MVP IIRC?) in the AHL. But 5th and 6th round picks are not considered "blue chippers". Poturalski, TvR and Gagne were never even drafted, but one of them has gone on to a 12 year NHL career that will earn him a tidy pension on retirement and has a Stanley Cup ring in his safe deposit box. Stuff like that is what keeps the dream alive for so many players on the fringes.
TheGrouchyCat
Litter Box of Bad Ideas
Gagne was 192nd overall pick in 2021 for Tampa. 6th round.
JB
Desk Chair Coach
Don't forget Brett Pesce... 3rd rounder, 66th - so high 3rd rounder (?) kinda came out of no where, Juniors in the EJHL like TVR. That 2013-14 team had 2 future decade plus NHL D men on the roster with neither in there freshman year...
This is his 11th year after 3 at UNH. He also played 7 AHL games over 2 season so progressed pretty quickly. I always liked Pesce's game, not a big scorer but a really good defenseman. I do think Pesce had the luck of good timing, looking back that was a very good Carolina D in the making (Hainsey, Slavin, Hanifin, Faulk) with the first later in his career and the last 3 with Pesce all very early in there careers. That timing gave Pesce a chance with 3-4 spots for early 20 somethings and he did a good job of winning that spot playing like 80% of the games that year and never giving it back. (thanks Hockeydb - )
This is his 11th year after 3 at UNH. He also played 7 AHL games over 2 season so progressed pretty quickly. I always liked Pesce's game, not a big scorer but a really good defenseman. I do think Pesce had the luck of good timing, looking back that was a very good Carolina D in the making (Hainsey, Slavin, Hanifin, Faulk) with the first later in his career and the last 3 with Pesce all very early in there careers. That timing gave Pesce a chance with 3-4 spots for early 20 somethings and he did a good job of winning that spot playing like 80% of the games that year and never giving it back. (thanks Hockeydb -
)