UNH- How Far West Do We Go?

[Robert Balin]

Checking in on a former player.Alex Gagne is having a better than expected first year in the AHL. Gagne was drafted bye Tampa Bay and never signed. and signed with Colorado. He plays for the Colorado Eagles in the AHL. In 57 games he's 1-12-13 +15. His team is in 2nd place with a 36-16-5 record. He's become a very reliable physical defender and is being mentored by veteran Keaton Middleton. I always thought he had potential and good luck to him.

 

[JB]

https://x.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/2033595297251651658?s=46&t=pPratvtWStE4lAmbwtvSdg

For those of you that want to know what ails UNH hockey, open this link. McMahon is a very good reporter. He spoke to the agents and “advisors” that place the most promising recruits in programs. UNHs poor facilities are a strong indication the university is not committed to hockey. That’s a killer.

I’ve been saying this for years because I’ve been told to precise same thing from D1 assistants at other schools.

Who do you trust more? Buford and Elwood or a deeply connected college hockey reporter that actually did the work?

GREAT!

Please share from your insider access to D1 assistants at other schools how Lawler is better than UNH's facilities? ...

 

[TheGrouchyCat]

Checking in on a former player.Alex Gagne is having a better than expected first year in the AHL. Gagne was drafted bye Tampa Bay and never signed. and signed with Colorado. He plays for the Colorado Eagles in the AHL. In 57 games he's 1-12-13 +15. His team is in 2nd place with a 36-16-5 record. He's become a very reliable physical defender and is being mentored by veteran Keaton Middleton. I always thought he had potential and good luck to him.

You can't coach size.

 

[Chuck Murray]

https://x.com/mikemcmahonchn/status/2033595297251651658?s=46&t=pPratvtWStE4lAmbwtvSdg

For those of you that want to know what ails UNH hockey, open this link. McMahon is a very good reporter. He spoke to the agents and “advisors” that place the most promising recruits in programs. UNHs poor facilities are a strong indication the university is not committed to hockey. That’s a killer.

I’ve been saying this for years because I’ve been told to precise same thing from D1 assistants at other schools.

Who do you trust more? Buford and Elwood or a deeply connected college hockey reporter that actually did the work?

I'm glad you pointed that out, potty. The debate earlier this month got roughly 1.6K-1.7K impressions for both MM and myself apiece, and the exchange ended when I challenged Mike on his "you can choose to believe otherwise" quip regarding his purported insight into the true reasons UNH doesn't have a seat at the table in the agents/advisors community. I'll let the learned readers on this thread (and on Mike's page as well) decide if it makes sense that a school that once had the likes of (in the last generation) Dick Umile, Brian McCloskey, Dave Lassonde, Scotty Borek and Jim Tortorella dealing with the same facilities shortages (if not even worse?) and yet getting a steady stream of above-average recruits, now isn't getting that same level of on-ice talent because of something other than a shortage of quality coaching with no track record of developing talent ... because their state-of-the-art Azumah fitness center is all the way across the street?!?

I mean, you're welcome to jump in and respond on McMahon's behalf as his proxy if you'd like? But it's funny to see you citing someone "deeply connected" when instead of actually, y'know, writing something sourced and detailed and insightful for a change to further the debate to actually back up his purported point, he just pulls it all in and drops the debate then and there without further engaging. Then he has toadies like you to try to clean up afterwards and do his dirty work lol.

For what it's worth ... I did write back to MM via e-mail (along with several other college hockey media folks) to challenge one (all?) of them to put together an actual investigative journalism piece about the fall and rise of Scotty B over the last decade, and to publish it while the tourney is ongoing - preferably while Merrimack is still in play - and to do a comparison of the fortunes of Borek's previous (UNH) and current programs, and why UNH finds itself in the morass, while a blackballed former assistant is now sitting atop the Hockey East world with less resources than his "pleading poormouth" competition at UNH?!?

I sent out those e-mails last evening. It's basically a challenge to see if these self-proclaimed media mavens are really journalists, or just sycophants for the league(s) and the folks running the league's programs that offer them inside access in return for kid gloves treatment in the closely held D-1 hockey "media".

I would welcome it if someone actually wrote up something even borderline critical of the last decade-plus at UNH that isn't focused on some missing asset(s).

 

[Whalers]

You certainly aren’t. God good, what a horrible pitch. Great team building, huh? So is ice fishing. Hard to imagine how your reference to the gymnastics team won’t get verbal commitments on the spot.

FYI, once you say “across the street” you lose the recruit who has options. Every time.

Reminds me of a conversation with a lady friend at UNH, who happened to be on the gymnastics team. She called on the Campus phone (remember those?) to let me know that her roommate was gone for the weekend and she wanted to try a new routine on the pommel horse. I asked where these Floor Exercises would take place and when she said - "across the street". I said "God Good, what a horrible pitch. Lose my number". CLICK!!

Said no college age male athlete, EVER!

 

[HockeyRef]

Very little. Merrimack is an 8th place team that went on a once every 30 year run to win the league tourney. Merrimack ordinarily is a bottom tier HE team. It’s a great 2 week story but that’s likely all it is.

It’s titillating stuff for Buford, Meathead Elwood and the other low hockey IQ crowd, but most know better.

If UNH actually is modeling itself on Merrimack Hockey then that’s it for UNH.

Considering MC has been to the HE finals AND the NCAA's within the past 2 seasons speaks to the program's planning and coaching? UNH...11 seasons since the Garden...13 since NCAA's...just sayin'.
One can argue that MC benefits from the portal (good for them) and has some kind of rev-share also speaks to the success of the program. And gee they seem to have our number don't they?
Now they have a HE title plus a trip to a Regional which can only help their recruitment. We have....well a ton of tradition but sadly not in recent years.

Hopefully that will change..

 

[Chuck Murray]

Reminds me of a conversation with a lady friend at UNH, who happened to be on the gymnastics team. She called on the Campus phone (remember those?) to let me know that her roommate was gone for the weekend and she wanted to try a new routine on the pommel horse. I asked where these Floor Exercises would take place and when she said - "across the street". I said "God Good, what a horrible pitch. Lose my number". CLICK!!

Said no college age male athlete, EVER!

potty never does stop proving to us on here that he is the quintessential beta male ...

 

[Potluck]

Reminds me of a conversation with a lady friend at UNH, who happened to be on the gymnastics team. She called on the Campus phone (remember those?) to let me know that her roommate was gone for the weekend and she wanted to try a new routine on the pommel horse. I asked where these Floor Exercises would take place and when she said - "across the street". I said "God Good, what a horrible pitch. Lose my number". CLICK!!

Said no college age male athlete, EVER!

Gotta love the Hillbilly humor. Bet Buford and Elwood are doubled over with milk shooting out of their noses.

 

[JB]

Gotta love the Hillbilly humor. Bet Buford and Elwood are doubled over with milk shooting out of their noses.

I see you are providing ZERO to the conversation, as usual.

 

[Potluck]

I see you are providing ZERO to the conversation, as usual.

Au contraire, I've been the one for the past few years that explained why UNH hockey is struggling. Not so surprisingly, my perceptions are shared by the mainstream college hockey community. It's not really about Souza, the problem is with the institution. Go ahead and replace Souza, but as McMahon stated that's pretty much just spinning your wheels rather than addressing the problem.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Au contraire, I've been the one for the past few years that explained why UNH hockey is struggling. Not so surprisingly, my perceptions are shared by the mainstream college hockey community. It's not really about Souza, the problem is with the institution. Go ahead and replace Souza, but as McMahon stated that's pretty much just spinning your wheels rather than addressing the problem.

"Mainstream" = one (1) writer beholden to his sources at each program, who will never speak ill of even the most incompetent coach. LO fecking L!!

"Shrink The Rink" was supposed to hold the key to a UNH Hockey renaissance, UNH gave it to him, and ... nothing changed. What's the explanation?!?!?

If I went to my superiors with a recommendation on how to spend millions, and it fizzled like it has for Souza in Titletown, I'd be canned on the spot.

Yet you and your schmopey beta buddy MS7 sit around and slander UNH for not throwing even more money into it all. Get a grip.

 

[FlagUp17]

"Mainstream" = one (1) writer beholden to his sources at each program, who will never speak ill of even the most incompetent coach. LO fecking L!!

"Shrink The Rink" was supposed to hold the key to a UNH Hockey renaissance, UNH gave it to him, and ... nothing changed. What's the explanation?!?!?

If I went to my superiors with a recommendation on how to spend millions, and it fizzled like it has for Souza in Titletown, I'd be canned on the spot.

Yet you and your schmopey beta buddy MS7 sit around and slander UNH for not throwing even more money into it all. Get a grip.

Perhaps I am in the minority here, but I was never much a fan of the “shrink the rink” at UNH. I thought the Olympic size sheet was one of the things that made UNH a bit unique.

Also, I thought it provided a rather significant home ice advantage given not as many other teams had the big ice, and perhaps it would lead to more fatigue for the opponents, and also less of an understanding of the angles that pucks bounced at etc.

I think UNH played to this advantage for years by recruiting the guys who were great skaters who (with proper conditioning) could do circles around their opponent.

Now, it seems UNH gets gassed in the late second/third periods, and instead it’s the opponents out skating our guys…

Again, the dimensions only reduced by 10 feet, so in the grand scheme maybe it’s Doesnt make too much of a difference, but after skating for 40-50 minutes in a game, perhaps it does.

 

[Puckthomas]

Perhaps I am in the minority here, but I was never much a fan of the “shrink the rink” at UNH. I thought the Olympic size sheet was one of the things that made UNH a bit unique.

Also, I thought it provided a rather significant home ice advantage given not as many other teams had the big ice, and perhaps it would lead to more fatigue for the opponents, and also less of an understanding of the angles that pucks bounced at etc.

I think UNH played to this advantage for years by recruiting the guys who were great skaters who (with proper conditioning) could do circles around their opponent.

Now, it seems UNH gets gassed in the late second/third periods, and instead it’s the opponents out skating our guys…

Again, the dimensions only reduced by 10 feet, so in the grand scheme maybe it’s Doesnt make too much of a difference, but after skating for 40-50 minutes in a game, perhaps it does.

I agree with you in one breath - the larger rink provided a home ice advantage. But in the second breath I think the familiarity of the Olympic size rink was a detriment when they had to play Hockey East tournament games at NHL size rinks.

 

[2013hockeyfan]

I am of the mind that the rink size probably did impact recruiting as college hockey continues to have its prospects grow as a development league it was a detriment to ask kids to come and play four years on an oversized rink who may be hoping to have a pro career following college hockey.

However, I do think the right coach could use the big rink, even in the modern landscape, to their advantage. I don't think we have the right coach to have done that, obviously.

Its difficult to measure if its made a difference in recruiting, but it obviously hasn't made a difference in results so it doesn't really matter.

 

[Jellsville USA]

Perhaps I am in the minority here, but I was never much a fan of the “shrink the rink” at UNH. I thought the Olympic size sheet was one of the things that made UNH a bit unique.

Also, I thought it provided a rather significant home ice advantage given not as many other teams had the big ice, and perhaps it would lead to more fatigue for the opponents, and also less of an understanding of the angles that pucks bounced at etc.

I think UNH played to this advantage for years by recruiting the guys who were great skaters who (with proper conditioning) could do circles around their opponent.

Now, it seems UNH gets gassed in the late second/third periods, and instead it’s the opponents out skating our guys…

Again, the dimensions only reduced by 10 feet, so in the grand scheme maybe it’s Doesnt make too much of a difference, but after skating for 40-50 minutes in a game, perhaps it does.

1000% Flag.
Shrinking the Whittemore Center ice from 200×100 to 200×90 erased UNH’s old home‑ice advantage because the rink now plays like every other NCAA sheet, eliminating the extra space that once threw visiting teams off and favored UNH’s speed‑driven style. I am pretty sure the move was partly justified as a way to improve defensive recruiting, that payoff hasn’t materialized. The only other reason to do this would have been to expand the arena's seating capacity, yet it did not. It was a pretty significant miscalculation by the powers that be.

 

[Jellsville USA]

I agree with you in one breath - the larger rink provided a home ice advantage. But in the second breath I think the familiarity of the Olympic size rink was a detriment when they had to play Hockey East tournament games at NHL size rinks.

You can't win in the tourny if you don't get there. Just saying....

 

[norbert]

Au contraire, I've been the one for the past few years that explained why UNH hockey is struggling. Not so surprisingly, my perceptions are shared by the mainstream college hockey community. It's not really about Souza, the problem is with the institution. Go ahead and replace Souza, but as McMahon stated that's pretty much just spinning your wheels rather than addressing the problem.

Who in the mainstream college hockey do you talk to?

 

[JB]

When is somebody going to tell these teams that they aren't funded well enough, to win enough to make the NCAA Tournament?

Team	Hockey Expenses	# of App. (2017-26)
Merrimack	$2.41M	2
Cornell	$2.19M	6
Western Michigan	$2.17M	6
Princeton	$2.16M	1
St. Cloud State	$2.04M	7
Colgate	$2.01M	1
Bentley	$1.96M	2
Minnesota State	$1.96M	5
Clarkson	$1.92M	2
Harvard	$1.86M	4
Union (NY)	$1.86M	1
Bemidji State	$1.82M	2
Holy Cross	$1.72M	1
American Int'l	$1.62M	3
Lake Superior	$1.52M	1
RIT	$1.46M	1
Air Force	$1.42M	2
Canisius	$1.36M	1

NOTE: Table generated with AI, Budget numbers are supposed to be from CollegeFactual.com, I randomly picked the last 10 years.

UNH invests $2.41M per CollegeFactual.com

Defending champ WMU is my favorite, invests less than UNH, plays in an older arena that has been upgraded less than UNH, WMU is one of the few I double checked, most I just went with what AI spit out.

WMU Field House for Strength and Conditioning is 3 Miles from Lawson. Good thing nobody told Pat Ferschweiler that "once you say “across the street” you lose the recruit who has options. Every time."

 

[Will]

When is somebody going to tell these teams that they aren't funded well enough, to win enough to make the NCAA Tournament?

Team	Hockey Expenses	# of App. (2017-26)
Merrimack	$2.41M	2
Cornell	$2.19M	6
Western Michigan	$2.17M	6
Princeton	$2.16M	1
St. Cloud State	$2.04M	7
Colgate	$2.01M	1
Bentley	$1.96M	1
Minnesota State	$1.96M	5
Clarkson	$1.92M	2
Harvard	$1.86M	4
Union (NY)	$1.86M	1
Bemidji State	$1.82M	2
Holy Cross	$1.72M	1
American Int'l	$1.62M	3
Lake Superior	$1.52M	1
RIT	$1.46M	1
Air Force	$1.42M	2
Canisius	$1.36M	1

NOTE: Table generated with AI, Budget numbers are supposed to be from CollegeFactual.com, I randomly picked the last 10 years.

UNH invests $2.41M per CollegeFactual.com

Defending champ WMU is my favorite, invests less than UNH, plays in an older arena that has been upgraded less than UNH, WMU is one of the few I double checked, most I just went with what AI spit out.

WMU Field House for Strength and Conditioning is 3 Miles from Lawson. Good thing nobody told Pat Ferschweiler that "once you say “across the street” you lose the recruit who has options. Every time."

Bentley made it this year and last year, should have 2 on there

 

[2013hockeyfan]

When is somebody going to tell these teams that they aren't funded well enough, to win enough to make the NCAA Tournament?

Team	Hockey Expenses	# of App. (2017-26)
Merrimack	$2.41M	2
Cornell	$2.19M	6
Western Michigan	$2.17M	6
Princeton	$2.16M	1
St. Cloud State	$2.04M	7
Colgate	$2.01M	1
Bentley	$1.96M	1
Minnesota State	$1.96M	5
Clarkson	$1.92M	2
Harvard	$1.86M	4
Union (NY)	$1.86M	1
Bemidji State	$1.82M	2
Holy Cross	$1.72M	1
American Int'l	$1.62M	3
Lake Superior	$1.52M	1
RIT	$1.46M	1
Air Force	$1.42M	2
Canisius	$1.36M	1

NOTE: Table generated with AI, Budget numbers are supposed to be from CollegeFactual.com, I randomly picked the last 10 years.

UNH invests $2.41M per CollegeFactual.com

Defending champ WMU is my favorite, invests less than UNH, plays in an older arena that has been upgraded less than UNH, WMU is one of the few I double checked, most I just went with what AI spit out.

WMU Field House for Strength and Conditioning is 3 Miles from Lawson. Good thing nobody told Pat Ferschweiler that "once you say “across the street” you lose the recruit who has options. Every time."

I'm curious what the line of thinking even is here.

Do you think that someone like Pat Ferschweiler is taking the job at UNH if it is available? Or, more apt, is 2021 Ben Barr? There is a lot of talk about the money Barr signed for when he left for Maine but not enough about the commitment to the hockey program from the university. I would like to see how that part of the conversation went.

Does anyone here think Allison Rich is going to convince an up-and-coming coach (2021 Barr) much less an established one (Ferschweiler) to take a chance on a cellar dweller Hockey East program? The issues for UNH hockey are foundational, structural, and run incredibly deep.

A great coach is the most important aspect to building a a competitive, championship pursuing program. But, how do you get one?

You need to look no further than the "national search" for a new football coach to know exactly how the search for a new hockey coach would go under the current regime.