UNH Offseason Contract Edition.

[freak]

If I can ask ... what are the two (coaching?) records listed in your signature, freak?

I was confused by this question at first because apparently my settings were not set to show sigs, so I couldn't even see mine.

The records, which were out of date (but now updated), were Witt and McCloskey, respectively.

The real kicker is that Mac still has a .672 winning percentage even after 4 losing seasons at the end.

 

[Dan]

A late coaching change at Northern Michigan will give UNH another opportunity to fill Jakob Hellsten's place in the Wildcat crease. NMU sophomore forward Grant Slukynsky and incoming freshman goaltender Hampton Slukynsky (4th, LAK) are taking advantage of the 30-day portal window afforded them due to Potulny's departure...

I've heard the Wildcats are high on Whale, but the opportunity to add a goalie of the future - one capable of competing immediately - may/should be too good to pass up. Slukynsky will certainly generate quite a bit of interest; but what/if any other program could provide him a similarly immediate path to significant playing time behind a veteran defense?

Does UNH have the scholarship dollars? Could they target Grant, too? He could certainly fill a role offensively, in addition to what the brother's may hope is another opportunity to play together...

https://www.eliteprospects.com/playe...pton-slukynsky

 

[Snively65]

A late coaching change at Northern Michigan will give UNH another opportunity to fill Jakob Hellsten's place in the Wildcat crease. NMU sophomore forward Grant Slukynsky and incoming freshman goaltender Hampton Slukynsky (4th, LAK) are taking advantage of the 30-day portal window afforded them due to Potulny's departure...

I've heard the Wildcats are high on Whale, but the opportunity to add a goalie of the future - one capable of competing immediately - may/should be too good to pass up. Slukynsky will certainly generate quite a bit of interest; but what/if any other program could provide him a similarly immediate path to significant playing time behind a veteran defense?

Does UNH have the scholarship dollars? Could they target Grant, too? He could certainly fill a role offensively, in addition to what the brother's may hope is another opportunity to play together...

https://www.eliteprospects.com/playe...pton-slukynsky

I thought that MS7 already picked up a second goaltender besides Whale from the portal (several pages back in this thread, but now I cannot find the name). But if there is still scholarship money available, the Slukynsky bros would be a nice get, I think.

 

[Dan]

I thought that MS7 already picked up a second goaltender besides Whale from the portal (several pages back in this thread, but now I cannot find the name). But if there is still scholarship money available, the Slukynsky bros would be a nice get, I think.

Eliot Seguin-Lescarbeau

Elite prospects lists ESL as a 2025-26 matriculation. As the roster stands right now, you'd have to think he's coming this fall, but I would guess his date is at least flexible...

Ignoring when he might arrive, it is not clear - at least to me - what his role will be as a Wildcat. For every Connor Hellebucyk the NAHL has produced dozens of non-scholarship, third-string back up goalies. Is ESL a replacement for Muszelik or a replacement for Foreman/emergency replacement?

If I had to guess - I have zero insight, and may be way off base - I'd think he's more likely to be a third goalie type moving forward. Rafe Gaughan exhausts his eligibility in 24-25, so taking an emergency flyer while identifying your future third-goalie upon Hellsten's late/sudden departure seems like a reasonable play.

Maybe theyre sold on ESL as at least a dependable back up to Jared Whale & Ryan Grout. I don't know enought about him to be sold, and Slukynsky appears to lines up seamlessly with UNH's future goalie plans. He would give them a chance to have well-above average tandems through the 29-30 season...

24-25: Slukynsky / Whale
25-26: Slukynsky / Whale
26-27: Slukynsky / Grout
27-28: Slukynsky / Grout
28-29: Grout / TBD
29-30: Grout / TBD

 

[Chuck Murray]

Eliot Seguin-Lescarbeau

Elite prospects lists ESL as a 2025-26 matriculation. As the roster stands right now, you'd have to think he's coming this fall, but I would guess his date is at least flexible...

Ignoring when he might arrive, it is not clear - at least to me - what his role will be as a Wildcat. For every Connor Hellebucyk the NAHL has produced dozens of non-scholarship, third-string back up goalies. Is ESL a replacement for Muszelik or a replacement for Foreman/emergency replacement?

If I had to guess - I have zero insight, and may be way off base - I'd think he's more likely to be a third goalie type moving forward. Rafe Gaughan exhausts his eligibility in 24-25, so taking an emergency flyer while identifying your future third-goalie upon Hellsten's late/sudden departure seems like a reasonable play.

Maybe theyre sold on ESL as at least a dependable back up to Jared Whale & Ryan Grout. I don't know enought about him to be sold, and Slukynsky appears to lines up seamlessly with UNH's future goalie plans. He would give them a chance to have well-above average tandems through the 29-30 season...

24-25: Slukynsky / Whale
25-26: Slukynsky / Whale
26-27: Slukynsky / Grout
27-28: Slukynsky / Grout
28-29: Grout / TBD
29-30: Grout / TBD

Remember when our coaching staff actually had a long-term plan to bring in quality goalies every two seasons, and most of them played the full four (if eligibility allowed)? It would be nice if MS7 could reconnect with that planning, it would go a long way towards convincing many of us he's actually got a long-term plan (as opposed to seat-of-the-pants, hit-and-hope strategy that otherwise currently seems to be in place).

And kudos, intentionally or otherwise, for adopting the ESL moniker I'd suggested for our probable 3rd string goalie.

 

[Chuck Murray]

I was confused by this question at first because apparently my settings were not set to show sigs, so I couldn't even see mine.

The records, which were out of date (but now updated), were Witt and McCloskey, respectively.

The real kicker is that Mac still has a .672 winning percentage even after 4 losing seasons at the end.

Thanks for clarifying, freak. Knowing your interest in the Women's program, I thought that might be the comparison. As I said at the time, and as I still believe to be the case ... McCloskey got a ridiculously raw deal from UNH, and to some degree UNH Hockey has been reaping nothing but deserved bad karma since. This was (is) a thoroughly decent guy who ultimately was one of the first high-profile victims of woke ideology, and I know my opinion of Coach Umile took a hit when he didn't do enough to try to rescue a guy who was directly responsible for the highest achievements of the Umile Era (and the totality of UNH Hockey history). Maybe Umile was already starting to feel the heat to step down, and maybe he felt McCloskey was a threat? Or maybe Blue Skies and Captain Turtleneck wanted to clear the field of Mac (and Scotty Borek?) for a paisan like MS7? Answers, we will likely never get ... but it would be nice if someday a real journalist asked, and we could compare answers provided by the two guys who were in the best position to save Coach Mac from the trumped-up charges that led to his dismissal.

It was at that point that it become pretty clear to me that McCloskey was never more than the "Jimmy Burke/Conway" character from Goodfellas, who despite being THE key Mob operative, could never rise to the level of a "made man" in his organization. That the UNH Ministry of Truth has all but expunged McCloskey's accomplishments on both the Men's and Women's side of the ledger reflects poorly on the school. Now that BS has taken his road show to the Catskills (or wherever), and Coach Umile is playing out the string at Bow Lake, it would be a welcome (late) gesture if AD Rich would reach out and extend an olive branch to the guy while he is still among the living.

I mean, if Yogi Berra and George Steinbrenner could put aside their differences, so could UNH with Mac.

Do it.

Now.

 

[Snively65]

Eliot Seguin-Lescarbeau

Elite prospects lists ESL as a 2025-26 matriculation. As the roster stands right now, you'd have to think he's coming this fall, but I would guess his date is at least flexible...

Ignoring when he might arrive, it is not clear - at least to me - what his role will be as a Wildcat. For every Connor Hellebucyk the NAHL has produced dozens of non-scholarship, third-string back up goalies. Is ESL a replacement for Muszelik or a replacement for Foreman/emergency replacement?

If I had to guess - I have zero insight, and may be way off base - I'd think he's more likely to be a third goalie type moving forward. Rafe Gaughan exhausts his eligibility in 24-25, so taking an emergency flyer while identifying your future third-goalie upon Hellsten's late/sudden departure seems like a reasonable play.

Maybe theyre sold on ESL as at least a dependable back up to Jared Whale & Ryan Grout. I don't know enought about him to be sold, and Slukynsky appears to lines up seamlessly with UNH's future goalie plans. He would give them a chance to have well-above average tandems through the 29-30 season...

24-25: Slukynsky / Whale
25-26: Slukynsky / Whale
26-27: Slukynsky / Grout
27-28: Slukynsky / Grout
28-29: Grout / TBD
29-30: Grout / TBD

Thanks, Dan. ESL is the goaltender name that I was trying to remember, but I did not realize that he had such limitations.

Your scenario for the NMU bros coming to UNH would be ideal, but who knows whether MS7 has any remaining schollie money available.

 

[jeteye1717]

Nice article on the late UNH Women's Hockey head coach Russ McCurdy in this weekend's U-L, pages C1 & C4, courtesy of Alex Hall. Sounds like he was a wonderful mentor, and right person/right place kinda thing.

I've been away, so only today freed up some time to comment on McCurdy's passing ...

As the founder of women's hockey at UNH, he directed a juggernaut of a program as Wildcat coach; it's just a shame his efforts (72-0-1 to start his career!) were not recognized as an 'official' NCAA sport until much later, when the advent of Title IX pushed women's sports into the limelight. I took in a few of his team's games at Snively in the early '80s, including one memorable afternoon vs. Boston College when he sauntered over to the group of us students standing behind the chain link fence at the pool end of the rink to ask if any one of us would volunteer to be a goal judge. So I stepped up/filled in and just about wore off my trigger finger switching the goal light on/off; I think UNH scored something like 15 goals that afternoon vs. the Eagles, and were so dominant it seemed like 95% of the play was in the BC defensive end(s). UNH would score, followed by a face-off at center ice invariably won by the 'Cats, leading to continual pressure again and again on the BC netminder until - boom - another goal was scored. Rinse and repeat. He was a man ahead of his time; as good a coach as you'll ever find in the women's game, past or present. The fond memories expressed by his former players in the UL article (and UNH honoring him/his teams in the McCurdy Gallery at the Whitt) would seem a fitting tribute to a man who truly loved his job ...

 

[Scott]

PSA for season ticket holders, if you have not yet renewed your tickets for the 2024-25 season -

The current website for ordering tickets is not working, as I found out when I went on to renew today. I spoke with Pete Souris and he advised me to wait until July 1, when they are rolling out a brand new ticketing website, supposedly a much more user-friendly system. I told him that I thought the deadline for Mens Hockey ticket renewals was July 1, but he said that it's August 1.

FYI, FWIW

 

[Snively65]

I've been away, so only today freed up some time to comment on McCurdy's passing ...

As the founder of women's hockey at UNH, he directed a juggernaut of a program as Wildcat coach; it's just a shame his efforts (72-0-1 to start his career!) were not recognized as an 'official' NCAA sport until much later, when the advent of Title IX pushed women's sports into the limelight. I took in a few of his team's games at Snively in the early '80s, including one memorable afternoon vs. Boston College when he sauntered over to the group of us students standing behind the chain link fence at the pool end of the rink to ask if any one of us would volunteer to be a goal judge. So I stepped up/filled in and just about wore off my trigger finger switching the goal light on/off; I think UNH scored something like 15 goals that afternoon vs. the Eagles, and were so dominant it seemed like 95% of the play was in the BC defensive end(s). UNH would score, followed by a face-off at center ice invariably won by the 'Cats, leading to continual pressure again and again on the BC netminder until - boom - another goal was scored. Rinse and repeat. He was a man ahead of his time; as good a coach as you'll ever find in the women's game, past or present. The fond memories expressed by his former players in the UL article (and UNH honoring him/his teams in the McCurdy Gallery at the Whitt) would seem a fitting tribute to a man who truly loved his job ...

Great story, jeteye! I am really sorry that I was not following UNH women’s hockey when McCurdy was coach. I was out West during the mid-1970s until 1981, and then in western Massachusetts until 1987, so I did not get to see many UNH hockey games during this time, although I did watch the 1977 and 1979 FF games on TV.

IF ONLY the men’s hockey succession plan had included Mac as men’s head coach rather than the ridiculous, decade-long quest for the NRR. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

 

[Dan]

Slukynsky to WMU.

 

[Chuck Murray]

IF ONLY the men’s hockey succession plan had included Mac as men’s head coach rather than the ridiculous, decade-long quest for the NRR. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

NRN, Snives. And I'm sure the NRN was more of a paisan exit strategy/marketing ploy than anything else. Coach Umile would probably still be there screaming and kicking to try to reach 700 (and beyond?) had his teams' performances not fallen off a cliff at the end. But no matter how you slice it, marketing spin or not, it certainly turned out to be a dismal failure. And what a shame, too.

As a silly aside, yours truly is approaching the NRBRN in my (admittedly inferior) little universe in the next year or so ...

 

[Snively65]

NRN, Snives. And I'm sure the NRN was more of a paisan exit strategy/marketing ploy than anything else. Coach Umile would probably still be there screaming and kicking to try to reach 700 (and beyond?) had his teams' performances not fallen off a cliff at the end. But no matter how you slice it, marketing spin or not, it certainly turned out to be a dismal failure. And what a shame, too.

As a silly aside, yours truly is approaching the NRBRN in my (admittedly inferior) little universe in the next year or so ...

Oops, yes, NRN.

NRBRN = next roller ball round number?

 

[Chuck Murray]

NRBRN = next roller ball round number?

next really big round number lol

 

[Chuck Murray]

Slukynsky to WMU.

You didn't really expect MS7 to interrupt his vacation to chase after a couple of kids to potentially further strengthen the program?

 

[Snively65]

next really big round number lol

Oh, of course. Yes, turning 50 is a pretty big deal. So are turning 60 and 70, I think. Trick is knowing when to retire before a NRBRN.

 

[NCAA watcher]

With CHC's update that Eliot Seguin-Lescarbeau is spending a year in the USHL, the sequencing seems to allow only a Transfer Portal goalie for this year (and non-scholarship 3rd string - J. Forman 4 mins per season type). That seems to narrow it to Cole Brady (Gavin Enright with very little track record as a senior).

24-25: TP {Brady} / Whale / 3rd
25-26: ELS / Whale /3rd
26-27: ELS / Grout /3rd
27-28: ELS / Grout /3rd
28-29: ELS / Grout /3rd
29-30: Grout / TBD

 

[HockeyRef]

With CHC's update that Eliot Seguin-Lescarbeau is spending a year in the USHL, the sequencing seems to allow only a Transfer Portal goalie for this year (and non-scholarship 3rd string - J. Forman 4 mins per season type). That seems to narrow it to Cole Brady (Gavin Enright with very little track record as a senior).

Oh my well back to the drawing board geeze this wasn't on my Wildcat bingo card! (Goalie dilemma)

 

[HockeyRef]

Thought the schedule would be in the cookout invite as it has been previously I do know we are playing one at RPI in late Dec. Wonder if there will be a Union game as well that weekend.

Just what I need this season..a trip to Schenectady ha!

(I vowed I was done after the last trip)

 

[HockeyRef]

Warren Foegele roofs it!