UNH Offseason Contract Edition.

[Chuck Murray]

It was a Whale of an eclipse today in Burlington!

Hanging out with the dirty hippies in the offseason, eh 'Ref? ;-) Burlington is still one of my favorite stops.

I posted some cool video footage of the eclipse over in the Faculty Lounge today, if anyone wants to see it ...

 

[Chuck Murray]

'Ref, you'll be disappointed to learn Tommy Scarfone (RIT) - legit paisan - will be going to Wisconsin, not UNH. :-(

 

[HockeyRef]

Hanging out with the dirty hippies in the offseason, eh 'Ref? ;-) Burlington is still one of my favorite stops.

I posted some cool video footage of the eclipse over in the Faculty Lounge today, if anyone wants to see it ...

Yep and wore my UNH hockey hat proudly. Sighhh tho we are still on 89...2 hrs of stop and go we thought we were gonna be ok leaving alittle later.

Still...totality was worth it...right?!? Right?!?

 

[Snively65]

Yep and wore my UNH hockey hat proudly. Sighhh tho we are still on 89...2 hrs of stop and go we thought we were gonna be ok leaving alittle later.

Still...totality was worth it...right?!? Right?!?

If I had known how amazing would be the 90 seconds of totality that I experienced this afternoon, I would have tried harder to reach totality in southeastern Wyoming from Denver in late August 2017, despite the several hours of stop and go on I-25 for the return to Denver. More amazing than Adam Berkhoel during the final 90 seconds between Denver and Maine at the 2004 Frozen Four in the Garden.

 

[HockeyRef]

If I had known how amazing would be the 90 seconds of totality that I experienced this afternoon, I would have tried harder to reach totality in southeastern Wyoming from Denver in late August 2017, despite the several hours of stop and go on I-25 for the return to Denver. More amazing than Adam Berkhoel during the final 90 seconds between Denver and Maine at the 2004 Frozen Four in the Garden.

Have to say it was worth it...even tho it took twice as long to get home. We were in South Carolina for the one in 2017 and had clouds during most of totality so this was even more grand. Everyone there for the same reason...did not disappoint!

 

[HockeyRef]

'Ref, you'll be disappointed to learn Tommy Scarfone (RIT) - legit paisan - will be going to Wisconsin, not UNH. :-(

I deleted my original GodFather post...but I will say there's just no loyalty in this town Chuck!! Ha!

Souza and Scarfone...just imagine the possibilties!

 

[TheGrouchyCat]

'Ref, you'll be disappointed to learn Tommy Scarfone (RIT) - legit paisan - will be going to Wisconsin, not UNH. :-(

To keep things in the family, Chuck, we need to hire Cafarelli as a Graduate Assistant. With his "gift of gab" and gentle tactics of "recruitment", we can turn UNH into the ultimate Family Business north of Boston.

 

[TheGrouchyCat]

Yep and wore my UNH hockey hat proudly. Sighhh tho we are still on 89...2 hrs of stop and go we thought we were gonna be ok leaving alittle later.

Still...totality was worth it...right?!? Right?!?

So with the moments of totality in a UNH hat, did you feel like MS7 hiding in the shadows from the glare of public perception and accountability?

 

[TheGrouchyCat]

Umile made the rounds at local Rotary Clubs etc. He understood the "all politics is local" and that part of his job was to keep the Hockey team top of mind. That keeps the build full(er) even in down times. It also keeps the wolves more at bay because there is a relationship. This leads to greater community support and giving via the Friends (at the time). With the NCAA changes around NIL that is where you are going to find that support as well.

At the end of the day, the business of hockey is all about gate receipts. Without massive television deals, hockey is reliant on ticket purchases to drive revenue. It's one of the reasons by the sport seems so accessible to the average fan (despite prices at the Garden); players, coaches, alumni are typically more active in the community than let's say a $30mm MLB start of the juggernaut that was Tom Brady. Because there is access and the the team and players are more relatable to the fan base, fans will spend discretionary income to support their team of choice.

If UNH Hockey can be in the top ten of attendance with its track record of futility over the last 15 years, imagine how many more tickets or jerseys could be sold if MS7 and the team had a larger public presence in the state?

 

[HockeyRef]

So with the moments of totality in a UNH hat, did you feel like MS7 hiding in the shadows from the glare of public perception and accountability?

Quite frankly MS7 was the farthest thing on my mind...I did get a few looks at a restaurant in Winooski
tho....

Ps I did feel inspired on the way home in the midst of traffic to donate to the 603 Challenge...

 

[Chuck Murray]

If UNH Hockey can be in the top ten of attendance with its track record of futility over the last 15 years, imagine how many more tickets or jerseys could be sold if MS7 and the team had a larger public presence in the state?

Just a timely place to remind everyone where UNH was as a statewide presence before the arrival of minor league hockey (The Kings of New Hampshire Hockey) after which the marketing dynamo f/k/a BS+30 sat on his hands and ceded the rest of the state beyond a 10 mile radius of Durham to the Monarchs.

I keep waiting for those in charge now at UNH to realize that market has been vacated, and available to be mined again. Y’know… before those undermotivated laggards in Hooksett get the crazy idea of putting their name on the biggest arena in the state, going D-1 and taking that market as their own … ???

 

[TheGrouchyCat]

Just a timely place to remind everyone where UNH was as a statewide presence before the arrival of minor league hockey (The Kings of New Hampshire Hockey) after which the marketing dynamo f/k/a BS+30 sat on his hands and ceded the rest of the state beyond a 10 mile radius of Durham to the Monarchs.

I keep waiting for those in charge now at UNH to realize that market has been vacated, and available to be mined again. Y’know… before those undermotivated laggards in Hooksett get the crazy idea of putting their name on the biggest arena in the state, going D-1 and taking that market as their own … ???

You mean UNH is a STATEWIDE university and just doesn't doesn't serve Rockingham and Strafford Counties? Who knew?

 

[Chuck Murray]

You mean UNH is a STATEWIDE university and just doesn't doesn't serve Rockingham and Strafford Counties? Who knew?

And UNH wonders why they struggle with the powers that be in Concord.

I mean, it’s not like they played a whole season in Manch when they were building The Whitt. Oh, wait …

 

[TheGrouchyCat]

And UNH wonders why they struggle with the powers that be in Concord.

I mean, it’s not like they played a whole season in Manch when they were building The Whitt. Oh, wait …

Oh man, I actually attended those game and I seem to have forgotten them as well. Then again, I was a college student and may have been slightly lubricated from a few pre-game pitstops before the games.

 

[Snively65]

I keep waiting for those in charge now at UNH to realize that market has been vacated, and available to be mined again. Y’know… before those undermotivated laggards in Hooksett get the crazy idea of putting their name on the biggest arena in the state, going D-1 and taking that market as their own … ???

Who are dey “under-motivated laggards in Hooksett”? Saint Mary’s College for women founded by the Roman Catholic Church in 1934 closed in 1978. For a while, NH College (later SNHU) used the property for some graduate programs but then consolidated their operations in Manchvegas.

St. Anselm’s College is located in Goffstown, but they continue to profess no interest in going Div 1 in anything. Ditto SNHU. Ditto PSU. I think that because hockey is a niche sport at all levels, it is hardly missed anywhere in Cow Hampsha. I find it surprising that UNH has been able to recruit any decent players for Div 1 men’s and women’s hockey given the lack of success over the past 10-15 years. Thanks for athletic scholarships. Maybe all that is about to change!

 

[Snively65]

Darius is our hero for holding the Board Servers accountable.

 

[Darius]

Darius is our hero for holding the Board Servers accountable.

 

[TheGrouchyCat]

St. Anselm’s College is located in Goffstown, but they continue to profess no interest in going Div 1 in anything. Ditto SNHU. Ditto PSU. I think that because hockey is a niche sport at all levels, it is hardly missed anywhere in Cow Hampsha.

Is it really niche sport? I see my niece and nephews struggle to get ice time with their "elite" programs all throughout New England? If it was such a niche sport, why are there small businesses popping up everywhere, even more so than in the past, for power skating, off ice conditioning, mental training not to mention all the travel, pay to play leagues for kids as young as five with equipment and uniforms and swag that rival even NCAA teams? Perhaps you mean that hockey is a niche spectator sport in NH. I'd argue that hockey always has been a niche sport concentrated around certain geographic locales, even in NH. Throw in social media, cable TV and you realize that there are many avenues to watch a game without ever having to leave your house.

Now, from a recruiting standpoint there has been a lot of discussion about bringing in top recruits and it isn't like it was back in the day. Yes, we touched upon coaching and facilities playing a factor, but what about the fact there are simply more NCAA Division I (and III) programs competing for a limited pool of players compared to 20, 30, 40 years ago? As such, the quality of talent, while strong, is getting diluted across a wider swath of teams.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Who are dey “under-motivated laggards in Hooksett”? Saint Mary's College for women founded by the Roman Catholic Church in 1934 closed in 1978. For a while, NH College (later SNHU) used the property for some graduate programs but then consolidated their operations in Manchvegas.

Not sure what "consolidated operations in ManchVegas" means, but at least half of SNHU's campus is in Hooksett.

If there's a college/university in NH with more ambition than SNHU, I'm all ears. I believe they have an on-campus enrollment around 3,000 full-time students, which is comparable with Holy Cross (just over) and Stonehill (just under), over twice that of AIC, and not a million miles away from the likes of Bentley, Merrimack and even PC (all at or just over 4,000). Of course, all of those schools are D-1 hockey schools, and none of them have a 10,000 seat arena 5-10 minutes across town, with their school's name already on it. By comparison, St. A's has a few more enrollments than AIC, but still under 2,000.

I do appreciate the reference to St. Mary's College further north in Hooksett, Snives. One of our daughters lives nearby, and the old main campus building for the old school is still a striking presence on the eastern side of Route 3.

 

[Sparkee]

Not sure what "consolidated operations in ManchVegas" means, but at least half of SNHU's campus is in Hooksett.

If there's a college/university in NH with more ambition than SNHU, I'm all ears. I believe they have an on-campus enrollment around 3,000 full-time students, which is comparable with Holy Cross (just over) and Stonehill (just under), over twice that of AIC, and not a million miles away from the likes of Bentley, Merrimack and even PC (all at or just over 4,000). Of course, all of those schools are D-1 hockey schools, and none of them have a 10,000 seat arena 5-10 minutes across town, with their school's name already on it. By comparison, St. A's has a few more enrollments than AIC, but still under 2,000.

I do appreciate the reference to St. Mary's College further north in Hooksett, Snives. One of our daughters lives nearby, and the old main campus building for the old school is still a striking presence on the eastern side of Route 3.

For SNHU add another 37,000 full time online students, and 120,000 part time online students.