HockeyRef
Well-known member
Thanks so much, and I agree with your assessment. Team did play hard last night...like I said, turn a corner UNH. Best to you as well!
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UNH Men’s Hockey 22-23: the start of something new, or more of the same?
- Thread starter d.gerry
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Thanks so much, and I agree with your assessment. Team did play hard last night...like I said, turn a corner UNH. Best to you as well!
Darius
Go 'cats!
Me too. A couple of my best friends have degrees, nephew there now and always liked them as the “other” Boston hockey school. They are not your father’s commuter school anymore.My father-in-law(RIP) has an engineering degree from Northeastern and an accounting degree from your beloved Bentley. So yes I have a soft spot for the place as well
HockeyRef
Well-known member
Our son almost went there for engineering but chose UNH; former soccer standout from our school their asst. Men's Soccer coach. To think I could've been a "howling husky" fan...still have alot of respect for NU esp with their obvious up surge in recent years in hockey.
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Yeah. I know that work/study(not sure what they call it) program they have there is pretty popular too.
The program is called “Co-Op”, short for Cooperative Education. It can be a 4 or 5 year journey during which students are assisted in getting real temporary jobs related to their major. They make serious $ in some majors and develop healthy resumes and contacts. Believe it or not, Admission is harder for typical applicants than for our local HEA competitors. I’m pretty certain than we cut athletes a certain amount of slack. But the, who doesn’t?
UNH has plenty to offer top players. As a former NU trustee, I had a chance to learn a great deal about the universities we were competing with for stronger students. NH itself is beautiful, interesting and “quirky” (with great fishing) . IMHO, the men’s hockey recruiting is not what it could be. Last year, for example, there was a strong forward from Victoria, whose sister plays for the Cats women’s team. He is now a freshman at Clarkson. IDKY, He certainly could have helped in Durham. I’m not really qualified to comment about Mike’s coaching and development skills, but his record would have cost him his job at many HEA schools.
BTW, The intermission portrait of Ralph Cox was well done. He really was a special player!
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Just recently? Hockey East champs 2016 and 2019. Regular season champs 2022. Assuming those count as "actual banners."
Not sure if I’m at liberty to divulge this but my son-in-laws uncle is the new Northeastern Provost and a top notch educator.
https://provost.northeastern.edu/leadership/david-madigan/
d.gerry
Five for Fighting
We have plenty of those as well… we all know what banners we are talking about.
HockeyRef
Well-known member
Exactly what me and another fan were talking about last night. It makes watching the games easier actually. I used to drive home so disheartened but that has changed some. I understand
the scenario/situation and look forward to see how this team progresses with no illusions. That said, doesn't mean I wouldn't give my 'eye teeth' (only a phrase someone over 60 might have heard) to win some big ones...I know the guys want that as well.
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
My little brother went to NU, did the co-op in his field of major, and it's worked out fantastically well for him.
Having said that, my niece and nephew didn't follow him to NU, but went to smaller Boston area schools.
Having said that, my niece and nephew didn't follow him to NU, but went to smaller Boston area schools.
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Hate to say it, but I seriously doubt any of the current 'Cats roster will ever be so fortunate to play in (much less win any) "big ones" in their remaining time at UNH. Turnarounds usually take some time, and this one isn't going to even begin until this coming offseason at the earliest. If the same guy is shopping for the groceries and responsible for cooking up the finished product come this Summer, it'll take at least that much longer ...
HockeyRef
Well-known member
Guess we will find out. I am honestly thinking about a 'big one' would be stealing a game or two where you didn't expect to. I know that is a very, very low bar but I think that's where we are out right now. But, time will tell...
Five of 11 HEA teams have at least one banner; who will be next?
d.gerry
Five for Fighting
Given the current state of affairs we all know who it’s most unlikely to be. If I had to pick, based on momentum, I’d go with UConn. Not too long ago I’d have said UML however, it seems their chance may have passed, but still a solid second pick.
HockeyRef
Well-known member
Not sure Chuck can handle a UConn NC...but I would agree with your pick. Supposedly all you need to win a NC is the right froup of players at the right time...a culture that focuses on excellence etc. And of course there's the old addage "on any given night" scenario.
The season is still young and alot can happen between now and April!!
Random musings from a EMass hockey fan. Thank you to Snivley65 and Chuck for the trip(s) down memory lane. I played a lot of hockey at the "OG" Hockeytown on Green Street in Melrose, and subsequently at that monstrosity on Rte 1, and at the MDC rinks when they were open air (my God, that one up on the Fellsway near Buttrick's ice cream was a freezer!) Great references to Massachusetts hockey legends like Robbie Ftorek, Chuck Lambert, Tom Parlato, Cap Raeder. There were only 10 guys on that '70 Needham Team! Story about them beating Walpole was spot on (although it was not a tourney game). Watched them beat Malden Catholic 11-1 in the State Final, Ftorek had 9 points. MC went on to win the title in '74 (my senior year). That was a great team (Mike Fidler, George and Jack Hughes, Buddy Goodwin).
UNH may have been one the 1st college hockey teams I can remember seeing on TV. We'd get a grainy feed and if I adjusted the rabbit ears just right, you could almost watch the game.
Hope the Wildcats can make a return to the top echelons of Hockey East (or at the very least to the upper middle of the pack?). Unless of course that means they jump ahead of my Merrimack Warriors!
UNH may have been one the 1st college hockey teams I can remember seeing on TV. We'd get a grainy feed and if I adjusted the rabbit ears just right, you could almost watch the game.
Hope the Wildcats can make a return to the top echelons of Hockey East (or at the very least to the upper middle of the pack?). Unless of course that means they jump ahead of my Merrimack Warriors!
d.gerry
Five for Fighting
Haha, I'm sure a UConn NC would cause Chuck a bit of angina! They are definitely off to a hot start, and despite that I'm not saying this year will be the actual year for UConn (could be), but given the program's overall trajectory they seem the likely best guess as the next Hockey East member to hang "The" Banner.
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
I promise, in a swear-to-God, no small print retractions way, if Luce ever wins an NC as HC at Storrs, I'll leave this site immediately, never ever to return. You old-timers recall how I used to dislike BC back in the day, right?? Well, think back and remember who left that ship when I started to see things a little more forgivingly? Heck, I used to know most of the BC posters on here from going to games, and while we would slug it out on the boards all week long, we'd often seek each other out in pre-games or in-between periods to shoot the crap and probably reassure ourselves that we weren't BS crazy behind the on-line jousting. Sure, there were (still are) a few posters who didn't get it, and that's fine, no accounting for thin-skinned humorless gits, after all. I'd already become a "fan favorite" with some of the UMaine-iacs for the ceaseless back-and-forth over Walshy and the *'93 NC, so I understood what it was like to pizz loads of people off, but also to make friends with the ones who "got it".
Those were fun times, and a lot of inside info got shared in confidence off the boards, and I always kept promises of confidentiality, which I still do to this day. There is no sell-by or expiration date on confidentiality IMO.
So I really can't elaborate, but let's just say that a conciliation with Luce and WIS isn't coming any time soon.
To play along with the "Who's Next?" discussion, here are my thoughts on the remaining 6 teams without an NC:
(1) Northeastern - not sure why they are not already the clear favorite in the early stages of this discussion?
(2A) UNH (post-MS7) - this is a tough call, but I'm assuming MS7 gets the gate next Spring, and it's all good after
(2B) UMass Lowell - like UNH, they have come the closest (while in HEA; see UVM) and Coach Bazin is a good guy
(4) UVM - the closest they've come was pretty GD close, but that was MSL/Tim Thomas back in their ECAC days
(5) Merrimack - not gonna happen, until Sal builds the Lupoli Arena (a la Tsongas) in nearby downtown Lawrence
(666) UConn - they'll remain last in this (and every) list until the blight that is Luce is vanquished from Storrs. And they just gave this guy an exorbitant extension for one (1) winning season in HEA. So, karma.
d.gerry
Five for Fighting
Guess I just don't have confidence NU can actually get it done; can't tell you why other than a gut feeling. I'm surprised you have UNH as high as you do! As much as we want change, I'd be surprised to see Souza get the boot anytime soon. Even if he does, I think other programs are positioned better than us for long term success. So my complete list is:
1) UConn - it seems they have the most "resources" along with the will to do what it takes.
2) UML - Could be convinced to swap with NU
3) NU - just don't believe in them right now.
4) UNH - the longer Souza remains the longer the wait will be, and the lower we could fall.
5) VT - even socialists deserve a chance!
6) MC - c'mon it's freaking Merrymack!
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
With some time to kill between games and discussions of the blatantly obvious need for new leadership with UNH Men's Hockey, here is the very compelling story of Henry Boucha and his trials and tribulations in and around hockey.
Look for interesting bits and cameos including the likes of future Dead Wing and HHOF member Vaclav Nedomansky, UMichigan coaching legend Red Berenson, and of course AIC's only NHL player to date, Dave "The Assailant" Forbes, who was involved in one of the most highly-charged incidents in the NHL of that era while skating as a spare parts winger for the Bruins. The lead-up to the featured incident, and the aftermath of the incident itself is on the video (WARNING - graphic blood spurtage). Something the video also touches on briefly was a '70 stick-swinging incident between Forbes (at AIC) and a Northeastern player during the "College Hockey Dark Ages" (CHDA). There is also vintage footage of the '72 Olympics when the US surprisingly took Silver, and of Boucha's time in the WHA. See-through boards and dashers feature here more than once.
The first (only?) NHL player to wear a headband while with the Wings, Boucha's career was star-crossed to put it mildly. In the aftermath of the Forbes incident, I'd forgotten that several of Forbes' B's teammates threatened to boycott the NHL All-Star Game if Clarence Campbell didn't lift or lessen the 10 game suspension (severe back then, a pittance nowadays - see Bertuzzi, Todd). And in the "everything goes" climate of the Flyers' Era of goon hockey, eventually Boucha became the "bad guy", and Forbes became the sympathetic character. I can vouch for that slant, as I was still a wide-eyed B's fan due to Bobby Orr still being with the team in what would turn out to be the latter stages of his way-too-short career, and the Cusick/Pierson slant - some folks forget, but they were not too far behind Johnny Most as uber homers - was definitively a Forbes-friendly take.
Anyway, I found this a compelling and inspiring piece on a long-forgotten but landmark incident, and its impact on the two players who clashed and saw their promising careers also come to a premature end as a result ...
Look for interesting bits and cameos including the likes of future Dead Wing and HHOF member Vaclav Nedomansky, UMichigan coaching legend Red Berenson, and of course AIC's only NHL player to date, Dave "The Assailant" Forbes, who was involved in one of the most highly-charged incidents in the NHL of that era while skating as a spare parts winger for the Bruins. The lead-up to the featured incident, and the aftermath of the incident itself is on the video (WARNING - graphic blood spurtage). Something the video also touches on briefly was a '70 stick-swinging incident between Forbes (at AIC) and a Northeastern player during the "College Hockey Dark Ages" (CHDA). There is also vintage footage of the '72 Olympics when the US surprisingly took Silver, and of Boucha's time in the WHA. See-through boards and dashers feature here more than once.
The first (only?) NHL player to wear a headband while with the Wings, Boucha's career was star-crossed to put it mildly. In the aftermath of the Forbes incident, I'd forgotten that several of Forbes' B's teammates threatened to boycott the NHL All-Star Game if Clarence Campbell didn't lift or lessen the 10 game suspension (severe back then, a pittance nowadays - see Bertuzzi, Todd). And in the "everything goes" climate of the Flyers' Era of goon hockey, eventually Boucha became the "bad guy", and Forbes became the sympathetic character. I can vouch for that slant, as I was still a wide-eyed B's fan due to Bobby Orr still being with the team in what would turn out to be the latter stages of his way-too-short career, and the Cusick/Pierson slant - some folks forget, but they were not too far behind Johnny Most as uber homers - was definitively a Forbes-friendly take.
Anyway, I found this a compelling and inspiring piece on a long-forgotten but landmark incident, and its impact on the two players who clashed and saw their promising careers also come to a premature end as a result ...
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