UNH Offseason Contract Edition.

[Chuck Murray]

I'll take the bait...what's your problem with podunk towns in Georgia!?

None whatsoever. The original Bee article linked to the photo was purportedly from Senoia GA, which I've confirmed since as very real, but very podunk as well. The same tag could easily be applied to my own hometown of Effingwoods NH, as I'm sure Grouchy can also easily confirm ... IF he's not too busy mowing down entitled snotty Ma$$-hole Extonian transplants who have the nerve to try to cross the street near the bandstand, that is.

Oud eldest daughter lived in downtown Exeter with her husband for a couple of years after they got married, before they bought a place in nearby Epping (which BTW does not claim to be a "Seacoast" community, unlike Exeter). Ironically, arguably the biggest business in Epping is Seacoast United Soccer Club, whose founder is also a prestigious resident in the otherwise podunk town of Effingwoods NH.

Quick poll: Do you folks think MS7 has cut short vacation plans to find two back-ups for his Whale of a goalie?

TGIF

 

[Chuck Murray]

Someone named Filip Engaras netted a hat trick earlier this week down in the Coast. 'Ref, you recognize the name??

Live from some place called "Cool Insurance Arena". You can't make this stuff up ...

 

[HockeyRef]

Someone named Filip Engaras netted a hat trick earlier this week down in the Coast. 'Ref, you recognize the name??

Live from some place called "Cool Insurance Arena". You can't make this stuff up ...

Uh yes? Saw it as it happened online!! Wonder where Patrick Grasso has been as he plays on the same team..injury? Filip has had great season!

 

[Felger]

Mixed-use redevelopment. Condos on the upper floors with retail and restaurant on the first level.

Thanks. Is the sign still there?

 

[Snively65]

Ey Snives, how bad is Nick Grabko(sp)? Money still talks!

I think that Nicholas Grabko would be a good goalie choice from the portal for MS7. Nick got only about 40% of the net minutes (851) this past season at Bentley where he split duties with sophomore Connor Hasley. Nick’s senior season was his best stat-wise with a 2.40 GAA and a 0.908 SV%. I cannot believe that it has been almost five years since UNH last played Bentley, a 3-2 ot win for home team in Waltham on 18 October 2019.

 

[Snively65]

Embarassed to say I haven't driven through downtown Exeter for a while. Whatever happened with the Ioka?

As my old Durham PCP Doc McGregor was known to say, “better late in Exeter than early in he11,” when he drove to deliver babies, including me, at the Exeter Hospital.

 

[HockeyRef]

Been discussing the recent departure of Jakob Hellsten with a friend..we wondered if Muzelick would have stayed if he played more...hindsight is 2020.

I maintain that MS7 needed to win games (and save his job??) and JH was the best he had to do both of those things.

Anyway read comments from Jared Whale that he's committed to get the number 1 spot and will work hard all summer to do just that.(right now he is the #1)

Obviously UNH will be looking for a 3rd goalie and just gotta ask those still hanging around posting is there any silver lining in all of this?

 

[HockeyRef]

I think that Nicholas Grabko would be a good goalie choice from the portal for MS7. Nick got only about 40% of the net minutes (851) this past season at Bentley where he split duties with sophomore Connor Hasley. Nick’s senior season was his best stat-wise with a 2.40 GAA and a 0.908 SV%. I cannot believe that it has been almost five years since UNH last played Bentley, a 3-2 ot win for home team in Waltham on 18 October 2019.

I remember going to that game...brand new arena. I left just as OT was starting and heard the roar of the crowd signaling the W for Bentley. Ecat was there too!

 

[norbert]

Been discussing the recent departure of Jakob Hellsten with a friend..we wondered if Muzelick would have stayed if he played more...hindsight is 2020.

I maintain that MS7 needed to win games (and save his job??) and JH was the best he had to do both of those things.

Anyway read comments from Jared Whale that he's committed to get the number 1 spot and will work hard all summer to do just that.(right now he is the #1)

Obviously UNH will be looking for a 3rd goalie and just gotta ask those still hanging around posting is there any silver lining in all of this?

I believe Moose stays if Jakob leaves 2 months ago. Problem is that JH played much better and Moose was terrible in his starts. Now they are gone, we have a coach with 3 years of freedom, and a beer league pickup as our backup goalie.

 

[Snively65]

I remember going to that game...brand new arena. I left just as OT was starting and heard the roar of the crowd signaling the W for Bentley. Ecat was there too!

Were you trying to beat the traffic?

 

[TheGrouchyCat]

Thanks. Is the sign still there?

No. It has been gone for years and is currently sitting at the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati

 

[TheGrouchyCat]

Have to laugh to myself when Exeter is referred to as a seacoast community, the person making the reference is always from Exeter.

Having grown up in Exeter and owning a house there for 20 years (before escaping 4 miles southeast), your observation is spot on. The town, despite basking in the glow of PEA, feels the need to compare itself to Portsmouth and Rye

 

[Snively65]

Having grown up in Exeter and owning a house there for 20 years (before escaping 4 miles southeast), your observation is spot on. The town, despite basking in the glow of PEA, feels the need to compare itself to Portsmouth and Rye

Either TGC’s post or one of Ralph’s RPI posts must have taken down this site on Friday night?

On this Monday night we will learn the sole remaining UNH alum in the NHL postseason.

 

[HockeyRef]

Were you trying to beat the traffic?

I got stuck parking in a dirt lot a good distance from the arena so yea...!

 

[Chuck Murray]

I believe Moose stays if Jakob leaves 2 months ago. Problem is that JH played much better and Moose was terrible in his starts. Now they are gone, we have a coach with 3 years of freedom, and a beer league pickup as our backup goalie.

I'm not really sure about that, norbie. I do agree Hellsten played Mucinex out of the job (and agree with 'Ref that MS7 rode Hellsten hard 'cuz he needed to save his job), but Tyler was at UNH for two full seasons, and never consistently showed an ability to be a successful D-1 goalie, so he was always probably going to be inclined to look to get a fresh start somewhere else. That the UNH coaching staff lost confidence in him for most of the 2023/2024 season was all the more reason to look elsewhere. I was on here literally for months predicting the kid would hit the portal, and it's not like I had any connections to base that on. Just pure common sense. Who wants to commit two more years of D-1 eligibility where you haven't learned anything new, and you've been leapfrogged by a transfer who was a career backup (like him) beforehand?

What this absolutely does highlight is that MS7 and his guys either mismanaged the situation OR simply didn't care if they lost both guys from last season. Again, no doubt they went with Hellsten, it was to save Souza's job AND it was the right decision for the program, which was in dire need of a winning season, and some fresh momentum and fodder to flak on the recruiting trails. The early decision on bringing in Whale, I read as a timely move to replace Mucinex, when in fact it was probably a pre-emptive move sold largely to Whale on the basis MS7 "suspected" he'd be needing him to be a #1 goalie THIS season. The fact that we're almost at Memorial Day, and there is no rostered back-up goalie, is a concern. I'm willing to be patient to see if there is a Plan B in the works, at least to the extent there have been no other key portal losses.

On a side note, I'm thrilled to know Grouchy is apparently a newly-minted resident of South Effingwoods. Kudos!!

 

[Chuck Murray]

Uh yes? Saw it as it happened online!! Wonder where Patrick Grasso has been as he plays on the same team..injury? Filip has had great season!

Must be an injury ... or a healthy playoff scratch, as it appears Engaras dropped down from Utica (AHL) to jump in with the Thunder for the Coast playoffs? A certain Will MacKinnon can be seen in some of the game highlights, too.

 

[TheGrouchyCat]

I'm not really sure about that, norbie. I do agree Hellsten played Mucinex out of the job (and agree with 'Ref that MS7 rode Hellsten hard 'cuz he needed to save his job), but Tyler was at UNH for two full seasons, and never consistently showed an ability to be a successful D-1 goalie, so he was always probably going to be inclined to look to get a fresh start somewhere else. That the UNH coaching staff lost confidence in him for most of the 2023/2024 season was all the more reason to look elsewhere. I was on here literally for months predicting the kid would hit the portal, and it's not like I had any connections to base that on. Just pure common sense. Who wants to commit two more years of D-1 eligibility where you haven't learned anything new, and you've been leapfrogged by a transfer who was a career backup (like him) beforehand?

What this absolutely does highlight is that MS7 and his guys either mismanaged the situation OR simply didn't care if they lost both guys from last season. Again, no doubt they went with Hellsten, it was to save Souza's job AND it was the right decision for the program, which was in dire need of a winning season, and some fresh momentum and fodder to flak on the recruiting trails. The early decision on bringing in Whale, I read as a timely move to replace Mucinex, when in fact it was probably a pre-emptive move sold largely to Whale on the basis MS7 "suspected" he'd be needing him to be a #1 goalie THIS season. The fact that we're almost at Memorial Day, and there is no rostered back-up goalie, is a concern. I'm willing to be patient to see if there is a Plan B in the works, at least to the extent there have been no other key portal losses.

On a side note, I'm thrilled to know Grouchy is apparently a newly-minted resident of South Effingwoods. Kudos!!

I suppose if you count eight years ago as recent. In fact, I think it's been seven years since I last spoke to my neighbor. Heaven!

 

[Dan]

On this Monday night we will learn the sole remaining UNH alum in the NHL postseason.

Looks like Edmonton will be moving on to the next round.

And a random peek at the ESPN.com roster for the Oilers reveals TWO New Hampshire hockey alums advancing to the WCF...

 

[HockeyRef]

Looks like Edmonton will be moving on to the next round.

And a random peek at the ESPN.com roster for the Oilers reveals TWO New Hampshire hockey alums advancing to the WCF...

Had to check this out for myself and yup...Warren Foegele and Ty Taylor!

 

[Chuck Murray]

Had to check this out for myself and yup...Warren Foegele and Ty Taylor!

In the words of the diminutive former NHL goalie Darren Pang ... "Holy jumpin'!" Yes, it does appear to be our one and only former UNH bust of a backup goalie. You may ask yourself ... well, WTF is Ty Taylor doing on an Edmonton Oilers roster?? That's a very good question, and unless someone at ESPN who is pals with TT is pranking the rest of the world, I can only guess he may be the Oilers' designated EBUG for home games.

The intrepid WIS research team has determined that after leaving UNH in 2021 after posting a compelling .802 save percentage over 5 games, the career back-up has since plumbed the depths of Canadian college hockey, spent one game in the Coast (the high point of his post-UNH career), and one season apiece in Glasgow (behind BC legend John Muse) and the hockey hotbed of Evansville IN to continue his journey in an effort to extend his already-less-than-impressive career, and avoid going the "day job" route. But while spending his most recent season playing in the goon league known as the SPHL (Southern Professional Hockey League) in Indiana, his paths crossed with fellow goalie Cole Ceci, who turns out to be the younger brother of veteran Edmonton blueliner Cody Ceci. And with all conventional routes to The Show having long ago shriveled up to die for the hero of our story, one thing led to another, and an offer of a free ticket plus a 0.00001% chance of actually being called into action, like the Toronto EBUG from a few seasons ago, proved to be an offer that Taylor simply could not refuse.

The only question remaining for the WIS research team then is, why wouldn't Ceci's kid brother leap at the opportunity to be EBUG himself? The working assumption is that perhaps the younger Ceci has a family and/or already has (better) free seats from the usual batch of comp tickets the real NHL players get for family and friends at home games, and values the superior sightlines and amenities over that 0.00001% chance of actually being called into action. Plus, if called upon, the younger Ceci could run the risk of submarining his older brother's team with a really fantastic effort for the opposition OR a really pathetic effort for the home team.

Suffice to say that if Edmonton were to win the Cup this year, I don't see Taylor getting his name engraved on it.