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UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
- Thread starter Chuck Murray
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Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
I know Tirone has goalie coach Mike Buckley but I agree the program misses Lassonde especially with three former forwards on the bench!
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
I know Tirone has goalie coach Mike Buckley but I agree the program misses Lassonde especially with three former forwards on the bench!
NCAA watcher
Registered User
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
What standing? Players and recruits started voting with their feet in June. I remember the post from the insider (pro from Dover?) saying "be careful what you wish for.." when the Borek news was about to break. While I continue to think Borek was not the best for this, I think we are seeing the significant obstacles he faced trying to sell kids on Umile.
Only three more years of this, until his stranglehold is relinquished and UNH can begin a real rebuild. (I imagine Souza and Stewart will face the same difficulties selling the next three years.)
On the positive side, this makes one less reason for Umile to bench McNicholas.
edit: For you Chuck. Umile reminds me of Assad. He'll allow his country to be destroyed for the sake of staying in power. Pretty soon Canada will be speaking about its "UNH asylum seeker" problem. Providence will step up and volunteer to take the top asylum seekers. Regrettably, those who cannot get offers of asylum elsewhere will be forced to live in conditions the Red Cross will call inhumane, notwithstanding the new Jumbletrorn.
Last one out, please shut off the light. OK, we know Coach Umile will insist on being the last one out.
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
What standing? Players and recruits started voting with their feet in June. I remember the post from the insider (pro from Dover?) saying "be careful what you wish for.." when the Borek news was about to break. While I continue to think Borek was not the best for this, I think we are seeing the significant obstacles he faced trying to sell kids on Umile.
Only three more years of this, until his stranglehold is relinquished and UNH can begin a real rebuild. (I imagine Souza and Stewart will face the same difficulties selling the next three years.)
On the positive side, this makes one less reason for Umile to bench McNicholas.
edit: For you Chuck. Umile reminds me of Assad. He'll allow his country to be destroyed for the sake of staying in power. Pretty soon Canada will be speaking about its "UNH asylum seeker" problem. Providence will step up and volunteer to take the top asylum seekers. Regrettably, those who cannot get offers of asylum elsewhere will be forced to live in conditions the Red Cross will call inhumane, notwithstanding the new Jumbletrorn.
Last one out, please shut off the light. OK, we know Coach Umile will insist on being the last one out.
Last edited:
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Ha ha, I was thinking the same thing!
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Ha ha, I was thinking the same thing!
HockeyRef
Well-known member
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
And my auto correct finally got it right. Well, like I said, wishing him well and hope he flourishes. Sigh.... Thank you Warren; I will miss your excellent skating and wicked shot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yyop7amjwec
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
And my auto correct finally got it right. Well, like I said, wishing him well and hope he flourishes. Sigh.... Thank you Warren; I will miss your excellent skating and wicked shot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yyop7amjwec
Last edited:
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Wasn't Foegele a Tortorella recruit? I thought I remember an insider posting here a while back that Tortorella had "discovered" Foegele? (Which also means, of course, that JT must have been moonlighting for the Hurricanes.)
If only they had put him on the jumbotron more often he might still be here.
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Wasn't Foegele a Tortorella recruit? I thought I remember an insider posting here a while back that Tortorella had "discovered" Foegele? (Which also means, of course, that JT must have been moonlighting for the Hurricanes.)
If only they had put him on the jumbotron more often he might still be here.
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Some players figure out that The UNH Head Coach "plays favorites"
Foegele figured that out ( no power play time) ....Eiserman is the next to go ......
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Some players figure out that The UNH Head Coach "plays favorites"
Foegele figured that out ( no power play time) ....Eiserman is the next to go ......
Last edited:
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
All very depressing. I think that Warren Foegele (34 g, 5 G+11 A = 16 pts) and Shane Eiserman (35 g, 4 G + 11 A = 15 pts) did well last season, scoring more points as freshmen than the three seniors on this year's first line have scored collectively in three seasons, and deserved to be the guts of the second line and second PP unit this season. Umile gave them ice time as freshman; I simply do not understand the flip flop this season.
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
All very depressing. I think that Warren Foegele (34 g, 5 G+11 A = 16 pts) and Shane Eiserman (35 g, 4 G + 11 A = 15 pts) did well last season, scoring more points as freshmen than the three seniors on this year's first line have scored collectively in three seasons, and deserved to be the guts of the second line and second PP unit this season. Umile gave them ice time as freshman; I simply do not understand the flip flop this season.
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Tremendous post once again ... and a killer punch line delivered right at the end. Ouch (and bravo
)!!
On one hand, if the kid is so impatient with the way things are unfolding that he needs to get out less than a month into the season, then part of me says "good riddance". He was a solid contributor with obvious upside as a frosh ... but I don't remember him making anyone's Hockey East All-Freshman Team either. So he sulks for a few weeks when things aren't going his way, puts up mediocre production, and instead of buckling down and working to earn his corn, he takes the first train out of town, back to the Great White North.
Not exactly "Profiles in Courage" stuff, and before I even think of letting the kid off the hook for basically quitting (and qualities like that will eventually make you a legend in some backwater ECHL town), let's not forget that (as Greg has reminded us several times recently) this pattern of reliance on seniors early in seasons isn't exactly a new page in the Umile Coaching Manual. Even if Foegele was brought in primarily by Tortorella, and may have had a secondary recruiting tie-in with Borek, IF those were reasons for his departure, then why wait this long before leaving??
Winners never quit, and quitters never win. See you in a few years in Wheeling, Warren.
But now for the other side of the coin. And I'm afraid this falls under the umbrella of "the old dog needs to learn some new tricks". When you as the Head Coach do silly things like pretending that your senior checking line is your first line - even strength and on the PP - then maybe this kind of stuff is going to happen to you from time to time? These kids face each other in practice almost every day, and when you see obviously inferior-talented players - again, at the risk of repeating myself ad nauseum, players who did not even dress in your team's most important games last season - now taking YOUR quality ice time, then you at least do have the right to have some questions in your mind if this is indeed the right place for you. And Coach has to know that since these new players were probably in first grade the last time UNH appeared in the Frozen Four, your currency as an elite D-1 coach well-positioned to better their career is up for questioning.
Back in the day, if you had a draft pick coming in who might be a little full of himself, all you had to do was point to the older guys who were skating on the top 3 lines, let the newbies get pushed around and put in their place for a couple of weeks in practice, and let all that harsh reality all sink in. No longer the case at UNH, though. Now, if you're a Foegele, Eiserman or Vela etc. in your mind you're probably handling the competition for ice time from the so-called top-liners pretty well. You are being asked to respect players with letters on their jerseys who didn't even wear those jerseys when guys like Willows were commanding their respect down the stretch last season.
So in the end, we probably shouldn't be too surprised when players refuse to accept a "fiction" and decide they might not want to play along. I'll tag the player with 70% of the blame for quitting, but I'll assess the other 30% to Coach for being too stubborn, and giving the player (and potentially others to follow?) some justification to quit.
opportunity now knocks not only for players down in the mix, but also for the assistant coaches to fill unexpected openings on the roster ...
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
What standing? Players and recruits started voting with their feet in June. I remember the post from the insider (pro from Dover?) saying "be careful what you wish for.." when the Borek news was about to break. While I continue to think Borek was not the best for this, I think we are seeing the significant obstacles he faced trying to sell kids on Umile.
Only three more years of this, until his stranglehold is relinquished and UNH can begin a real rebuild. (I imagine Souza and Stewart will face the same difficulties selling the next three years.)
On the positive side, this makes one less reason for Umile to bench McNicholas.
edit: For you Chuck. Umile reminds me of Assad. He'll allow his country to be destroyed for the sake of staying in power. Pretty soon Canada will be speaking about its "UNH asylum seeker" problem. Providence will step up and volunteer to take the top asylum seekers. Regrettably, those who cannot get offers of asylum elsewhere will be forced to live in conditions the Red Cross will call inhumane, notwithstanding the new Jumbletrorn.
Last one out, please shut off the light. OK, we know Coach Umile will insist on being the last one out.
Tremendous post once again ... and a killer punch line delivered right at the end. Ouch (and bravo
)!!On one hand, if the kid is so impatient with the way things are unfolding that he needs to get out less than a month into the season, then part of me says "good riddance". He was a solid contributor with obvious upside as a frosh ... but I don't remember him making anyone's Hockey East All-Freshman Team either. So he sulks for a few weeks when things aren't going his way, puts up mediocre production, and instead of buckling down and working to earn his corn, he takes the first train out of town, back to the Great White North.
Not exactly "Profiles in Courage" stuff, and before I even think of letting the kid off the hook for basically quitting (and qualities like that will eventually make you a legend in some backwater ECHL town), let's not forget that (as Greg has reminded us several times recently) this pattern of reliance on seniors early in seasons isn't exactly a new page in the Umile Coaching Manual. Even if Foegele was brought in primarily by Tortorella, and may have had a secondary recruiting tie-in with Borek, IF those were reasons for his departure, then why wait this long before leaving??
Winners never quit, and quitters never win. See you in a few years in Wheeling, Warren.But now for the other side of the coin. And I'm afraid this falls under the umbrella of "the old dog needs to learn some new tricks". When you as the Head Coach do silly things like pretending that your senior checking line is your first line - even strength and on the PP - then maybe this kind of stuff is going to happen to you from time to time? These kids face each other in practice almost every day, and when you see obviously inferior-talented players - again, at the risk of repeating myself ad nauseum, players who did not even dress in your team's most important games last season - now taking YOUR quality ice time, then you at least do have the right to have some questions in your mind if this is indeed the right place for you. And Coach has to know that since these new players were probably in first grade the last time UNH appeared in the Frozen Four, your currency as an elite D-1 coach well-positioned to better their career is up for questioning.
Back in the day, if you had a draft pick coming in who might be a little full of himself, all you had to do was point to the older guys who were skating on the top 3 lines, let the newbies get pushed around and put in their place for a couple of weeks in practice, and let all that harsh reality all sink in. No longer the case at UNH, though. Now, if you're a Foegele, Eiserman or Vela etc. in your mind you're probably handling the competition for ice time from the so-called top-liners pretty well. You are being asked to respect players with letters on their jerseys who didn't even wear those jerseys when guys like Willows were commanding their respect down the stretch last season.
So in the end, we probably shouldn't be too surprised when players refuse to accept a "fiction" and decide they might not want to play along. I'll tag the player with 70% of the blame for quitting, but I'll assess the other 30% to Coach for being too stubborn, and giving the player (and potentially others to follow?) some justification to quit.
opportunity now knocks not only for players down in the mix, but also for the assistant coaches to fill unexpected openings on the roster ...
HockeyRef
Well-known member
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Good morning 'Cat fans! Happy Halloween!
Of course no one knows the exact reasons why Warren Foegele decided to leave UNH...but somehow this doesn't surprise me. It's obvious that MOST if not ALL of the players we get of his caliber come to UNH with one thing in mind: to play professionally (duh). They usually come to UNH being what, 20 years old? Few are 'true freshmen like TyK (as was WF? sorry I'm being lazy) Thought he was a catch for the U, sorry to see him go.
Question, this OHL...are they similar to the AHL? Hubby thinks it's a league more similar to the ECHL and hope he doesn't get 'chewed up' with injuries...This is just a stopping over point I would imagine for him until the 'Canes decide they want/need him? Personally, if UNH wasn't doing it for him, and a bigger opportunity presented itself, what's the point in staying...just not looking at it in a negative way (although if he wanted to leave, wished it would've been after the season...sigh.) Chuck I hear you about the quitter thing...just seeing it as his chance to break out and chase his dream sooner than later. I know I'm prob. in the minority in this opinion not that it matters in the grand scheme o' things!
Guess we are moving on. Big one tonight. 'Mack coming off a win over BU. Heading to Lawler after umpiring a prep game looking forward to seeing the 'Cats and the adjustment in the line up....come on McNick!!!! Hoping we get a treat tonight...rather than..a trick. 
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Good morning 'Cat fans! Happy Halloween!
Of course no one knows the exact reasons why Warren Foegele decided to leave UNH...but somehow this doesn't surprise me. It's obvious that MOST if not ALL of the players we get of his caliber come to UNH with one thing in mind: to play professionally (duh). They usually come to UNH being what, 20 years old? Few are 'true freshmen like TyK (as was WF? sorry I'm being lazy) Thought he was a catch for the U, sorry to see him go.
Question, this OHL...are they similar to the AHL? Hubby thinks it's a league more similar to the ECHL and hope he doesn't get 'chewed up' with injuries...This is just a stopping over point I would imagine for him until the 'Canes decide they want/need him? Personally, if UNH wasn't doing it for him, and a bigger opportunity presented itself, what's the point in staying...just not looking at it in a negative way (although if he wanted to leave, wished it would've been after the season...sigh.) Chuck I hear you about the quitter thing...just seeing it as his chance to break out and chase his dream sooner than later. I know I'm prob. in the minority in this opinion not that it matters in the grand scheme o' things!
Guess we are moving on. Big one tonight. 'Mack coming off a win over BU. Heading to Lawler after umpiring a prep game looking forward to seeing the 'Cats and the adjustment in the line up....come on McNick!!!!
Hoping we get a treat tonight...rather than..a trick.
Last edited:
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
The Western Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League are the best Major Junior Leagues in Canada.
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Good morning 'Cat fans!
Of course no one knows the exact reasons why Warren Foegele decided to leave UNH...but somehow this doesn't surprise me. It's obvious that MOST of the players we get of his caliber come to UNH with one thing in mind: to play professionally (duh). They usually come to UNH being what, 20 years old? Few are 'true freshmen like TyK (as was WF? sorry I'm being lazy) Thought he was a catch for the U, sorry to see him go.
Question, this OHL...are they similar to the AHL? Hubby thinks it's a league more similar to the ECHL and hope he doesn't get 'chewed up' with injuries...This is just a stopping over point I would imagine for him until the 'Canes decide they want/need him? Personally, if UNH wasn't doing it for him, and a bigger opportunity presented itself, what's the point in staying...just not looking at it in a negative way (although if he wanted to leave, wished it would've been after the season...sigh.) Chuck I hear you about the quitter thing this just doesn't sit that way with me. I know I'm prob. in the minority in this opinion.
Guess we are moving on. Big one tonight. 'Mack coming off a win over BU. Heading to Lawler after umpiring a prep game looking forward to seeing the 'Cats and the adjustment in the line up....come on McNick!!!!
The Western Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League are the best Major Junior Leagues in Canada.
Greg Ambrose
Registered User
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Pretty funny. UNH Hockey is kind of run like a monarchy, isn't it? Charlie Holt (King George?), to Bob Kullen (Prince Edward to a degree, although under much more tragic circumstances, to Umile (playing the part of Queen Elizabeth?), to Souza (Prince William?). And behind the scenes we have Marty, no doubt a Margaret Thatcher type, pulling the strings.
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Pretty funny. UNH Hockey is kind of run like a monarchy, isn't it? Charlie Holt (King George?), to Bob Kullen (Prince Edward to a degree, although under much more tragic circumstances, to Umile (playing the part of Queen Elizabeth?), to Souza (Prince William?). And behind the scenes we have Marty, no doubt a Margaret Thatcher type, pulling the strings.
NCAA watcher
Registered User
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
I don't begrudge Foegele his right to decide where he wants to play. Unlike Bracco, he demonstrated a desire to attend college, and make it work. If he were voting with his feet in isolation, showed limited commitment to education, and had not given it the old "college try" (aka, Bracco), we could question his motives. But he played at a lower level (Ontario Prep) rather than juniors, attended UNH a year +, and unfortunately, is the fourth player/recruit who decided UNH/Umile did not hold enough inspiration for him. That speaks to a larger issue of a lack of "buy-in" by players and recruits. When you can't get kids to believe, that is fatal to a program.
as an aside, his fellow Torontonian, and teammate at St.Andrews, Justin Fregona, is having quite the breakout year in the BCHL. I wonder what sort of discussions are occuring there. The letter of intent period is next week.
And beating the dead horse some more, asking kids to "buy-in" to what might happen in 3 years is ludicrous. As good as Souza might be, that is a pretty big detriment to his recruiting. A change must be quick, suffer the harm of kids beholden to the old coach leaving, and having a new coach in place to get his guys. Denver did that in harsher circumstances (firing a 59 year old two time NCAA Champ coach), but took their losses of players and recruits (Gamez, Butcher, etc.) and started building a new foundation. Two years later they are #5 in the Country.
I guess UNH likes slowly pulling the bandaid for a painful three years.
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
I don't begrudge Foegele his right to decide where he wants to play. Unlike Bracco, he demonstrated a desire to attend college, and make it work. If he were voting with his feet in isolation, showed limited commitment to education, and had not given it the old "college try" (aka, Bracco), we could question his motives. But he played at a lower level (Ontario Prep) rather than juniors, attended UNH a year +, and unfortunately, is the fourth player/recruit who decided UNH/Umile did not hold enough inspiration for him. That speaks to a larger issue of a lack of "buy-in" by players and recruits. When you can't get kids to believe, that is fatal to a program.
as an aside, his fellow Torontonian, and teammate at St.Andrews, Justin Fregona, is having quite the breakout year in the BCHL. I wonder what sort of discussions are occuring there. The letter of intent period is next week.
And beating the dead horse some more, asking kids to "buy-in" to what might happen in 3 years is ludicrous. As good as Souza might be, that is a pretty big detriment to his recruiting. A change must be quick, suffer the harm of kids beholden to the old coach leaving, and having a new coach in place to get his guys. Denver did that in harsher circumstances (firing a 59 year old two time NCAA Champ coach), but took their losses of players and recruits (Gamez, Butcher, etc.) and started building a new foundation. Two years later they are #5 in the Country.
I guess UNH likes slowly pulling the bandaid for a painful three years.
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HockeyRef
Well-known member
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Thank you Sonar...I have some work to do to catch up on this. I looked at it briefly yesterday. I'll be following his progress no doubt. Oh still have the sage I burned for the 2014 HE championships...time to get some new stuff.
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Thank you Sonar...I have some work to do to catch up on this. I looked at it briefly yesterday. I'll be following his progress no doubt. Oh still have the sage I burned for the 2014 HE championships...time to get some new stuff.
Greg Ambrose
Registered User
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Chuck, never forget that once these kids, particularly from Ontario, opt for college, the Major Juniors don't give up. I guarantee you that all summer all he heard is what a mistake he had made, not only playing college hockey but playing it for an also ran like UNH. I am sure that up in Toronto the only college teams that count are North Dakota, Michigan, and BC. So Foegele blocks out the noise, rationalizes that he had a decent freshman year and, with his potential, will play more minutes this year and in more significant roles. Instead, he sits there watching guys who couldn't even get ice time last year taking on roles that he knows he can play just because they are seniors. Like you, I have mixed feelings about the thought process the likes of Foegele go through, first, when the choose college over juniors and, second, when they decide to leave. At this point he has a very narrow needle to thread. In juniors he basically has this year and maybe next to turn peoples heads. The fact that he hasn't been a world beater as of yet makes his decision very problematic. Mind you this leaving school happens all over college hockey. BC lost a kid this past week as well.
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Tremendous post once again ... and a killer punch line delivered right at the end. Ouch (and bravo
On one hand, if the kid is so impatient with the way things are unfolding that he needs to get out less than a month into the season, then part of me says "good riddance". He was a solid contributor with obvious upside as a frosh ... but I don't remember him making anyone's Hockey East All-Freshman Team either. So he sulks for a few weeks when things aren't going his way, puts up mediocre production, and instead of buckling down and working to earn his corn, he takes the first train out of town, back to the Great White North.
Not exactly "Profiles in Courage" stuff, and before I even think of letting the kid off the hook for basically quitting (and qualities like that will eventually make you a legend in some backwater ECHL town), let's not forget that (as Greg has reminded us several times recently) this pattern of reliance on seniors early in seasons isn't exactly a new page in the Umile Coaching Manual. Even if Foegele was brought in primarily by Tortorella, and may have had a secondary recruiting tie-in with Borek, IF those were reasons for his departure, then why wait this long before leaving??
But now for the other side of the coin. And I'm afraid this falls under the umbrella of "the old dog needs to learn some new tricks". When you as the Head Coach do silly things like pretending that your senior checking line is your first line - even strength and on the PP - then maybe this kind of stuff is going to happen to you from time to time? These kids face each other in practice almost every day, and when you see obviously inferior-talented players - again, at the risk of repeating myself ad nauseum, players who did not even dress in your team's most important games last season - now taking YOUR quality ice time, then you at least do have the right to have some questions in your mind if this is indeed the right place for you. And Coach has to know that since these new players were probably in first grade the last time UNH appeared in the Frozen Four, your currency as an elite D-1 coach well-positioned to better their career is up for questioning.
Back in the day, if you had a draft pick coming in who might be a little full of himself, all you had to do was point to the older guys who were skating on the top 3 lines, let the newbies get pushed around and put in their place for a couple of weeks in practice, and let all that harsh reality all sink in. No longer the case at UNH, though. Now, if you're a Foegele, Eiserman or Vela etc. in your mind you're probably handling the competition for ice time from the so-called top-liners pretty well. You are being asked to respect players with letters on their jerseys who didn't even wear those jerseys when guys like Willows were commanding their respect down the stretch last season.
So in the end, we probably shouldn't be too surprised when players refuse to accept a "fiction" and decide they might not want to play along. I'll tag the player with 70% of the blame for quitting, but I'll assess the other 30% to Coach for being too stubborn, and giving the player (and potentially others to follow?) some justification to quit.
opportunity now knocks not only for players down in the mix, but also for the assistant coaches to fill unexpected openings on the roster ...
Chuck, never forget that once these kids, particularly from Ontario, opt for college, the Major Juniors don't give up. I guarantee you that all summer all he heard is what a mistake he had made, not only playing college hockey but playing it for an also ran like UNH. I am sure that up in Toronto the only college teams that count are North Dakota, Michigan, and BC. So Foegele blocks out the noise, rationalizes that he had a decent freshman year and, with his potential, will play more minutes this year and in more significant roles. Instead, he sits there watching guys who couldn't even get ice time last year taking on roles that he knows he can play just because they are seniors. Like you, I have mixed feelings about the thought process the likes of Foegele go through, first, when the choose college over juniors and, second, when they decide to leave. At this point he has a very narrow needle to thread. In juniors he basically has this year and maybe next to turn peoples heads. The fact that he hasn't been a world beater as of yet makes his decision very problematic. Mind you this leaving school happens all over college hockey. BC lost a kid this past week as well.
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HockeyRef
Well-known member
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
In other news Brett Pesce gets his first (of many no doubt) NHL points in an assist in last nights 'Canes win over the Avs... Congrats Brett! About 3:09 ish in this highlight vid...gets props from announcer on his pass to Skinner. "Cool" to see him out there with Hanafin
http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hlg=20152016,2,148&navid=sb:highlights
and..
https://twitter.com/NHLCanes/status/660270107030106112/photo/1
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
In other news Brett Pesce gets his first (of many no doubt) NHL points in an assist in last nights 'Canes win over the Avs... Congrats Brett! About 3:09 ish in this highlight vid...gets props from announcer on his pass to Skinner. "Cool" to see him out there with Hanafin
http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hlg=20152016,2,148&navid=sb:highlights
and..
https://twitter.com/NHLCanes/status/660270107030106112/photo/1
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Darius
Go 'cats!
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Might there be other Foegele (contributing) factors? Being closer to family and friends? School being difficult? We just passed mid-terms.
It wasn't like he was scoring a goal a game. if you want more PP playing time...
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Might there be other Foegele (contributing) factors? Being closer to family and friends? School being difficult? We just passed mid-terms.
It wasn't like he was scoring a goal a game. if you want more PP playing time...
HockeyRef
Well-known member
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Thanks for the balance Darius...it's always appreciated!
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Thanks for the balance Darius...it's always appreciated!
Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
sonar has answered the OHL thing, so I'll move on to discuss the rest of the post above.
You see, I don't want UNH to simply be a "stopping over point". Realistically, I understand that's how it works with a certain level of player, and in most cases, a four year commitment does not mark the end of the road for most D-1 players. There are a huge number of minor league and lesser foreign league opportunities out there for the players who don't have (realistic) NHL prospects. And for the players who don't have those realistic NHL "dreams", then the D-1 college experience is likely going to be the apex of their competitive careers. Yes, players will get paid at their next stops. But player turnover in the minors is heavy, and players rarely stick around in a town or a program for more than a year or two at a stretch. D-1 (and in our case, UNH) offers players an opportunity to "stick" and to call a place or a school "home" for an extended period of time. It should not be confused with the mercenary nature of minor leagues, where you can get promoted, demoted, traded, sold, cut and/or waived, etc.
Foegele is a draft pick, sure, but he's a low level choice, and if he just views himself as 'Canes' chattel, then good for him. He's the one who chose to come to UNH, and he knows there was/is a four year opportunity there. If he (or anyone else) views D-1 as nothing more than the next step to "the show", then he probably was ill-advised to come here in the first place, and should have been a Major Junior player LAST season. But the idea that it took the first month of the UNH season for "light to dawn on Marblehead" gives it away that this is a reaction to not having been given a more prominent role in the UNH set-up so far this season. God forbid if he knuckled down and worked harder to earn that more prominent role. Poturalski doesn't seem to have been held back, and he's a sophomore too ... so you can only take the "Coach plays favorites" thing so far. The only other realistic explanation is that WF couldn't (or just didn't want to) handle the bothersome school-related part of his scholarship.
I'm not saying this viewpoint is right, wrong or indifferent. Over the years, more and more players have come through D-1 (and UNH) to play in the NHL, so things have changed, and D-1 is viewed as a more viable developmental option by the NHL than it used to be. But let's not confuse things ... from the standpoint of UNH and its fans, this is still a college hockey program, and not someone else's minor league affiliate. And if you come here, put in the effort, and earn your keep, then most folks on here will wish you well in your post-grad (or at least post-eligibility) pro career. If you act and treat the program like it's nothing more than a stepping stone to your (probable) sub-NHL career, and leave the first time things aren't going your way ... don't let the door hit you in the rear on the way out.
I've now convinced myself the blame pie rests at 90% on the quitter, and 10% on the stubborn guy in the turtleneck.
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
sonar has answered the OHL thing, so I'll move on to discuss the rest of the post above.
You see, I don't want UNH to simply be a "stopping over point". Realistically, I understand that's how it works with a certain level of player, and in most cases, a four year commitment does not mark the end of the road for most D-1 players. There are a huge number of minor league and lesser foreign league opportunities out there for the players who don't have (realistic) NHL prospects. And for the players who don't have those realistic NHL "dreams", then the D-1 college experience is likely going to be the apex of their competitive careers. Yes, players will get paid at their next stops. But player turnover in the minors is heavy, and players rarely stick around in a town or a program for more than a year or two at a stretch. D-1 (and in our case, UNH) offers players an opportunity to "stick" and to call a place or a school "home" for an extended period of time. It should not be confused with the mercenary nature of minor leagues, where you can get promoted, demoted, traded, sold, cut and/or waived, etc.
Foegele is a draft pick, sure, but he's a low level choice, and if he just views himself as 'Canes' chattel, then good for him. He's the one who chose to come to UNH, and he knows there was/is a four year opportunity there. If he (or anyone else) views D-1 as nothing more than the next step to "the show", then he probably was ill-advised to come here in the first place, and should have been a Major Junior player LAST season. But the idea that it took the first month of the UNH season for "light to dawn on Marblehead" gives it away that this is a reaction to not having been given a more prominent role in the UNH set-up so far this season. God forbid if he knuckled down and worked harder to earn that more prominent role. Poturalski doesn't seem to have been held back, and he's a sophomore too ... so you can only take the "Coach plays favorites" thing so far. The only other realistic explanation is that WF couldn't (or just didn't want to) handle the bothersome school-related part of his scholarship.
I'm not saying this viewpoint is right, wrong or indifferent. Over the years, more and more players have come through D-1 (and UNH) to play in the NHL, so things have changed, and D-1 is viewed as a more viable developmental option by the NHL than it used to be. But let's not confuse things ... from the standpoint of UNH and its fans, this is still a college hockey program, and not someone else's minor league affiliate. And if you come here, put in the effort, and earn your keep, then most folks on here will wish you well in your post-grad (or at least post-eligibility) pro career. If you act and treat the program like it's nothing more than a stepping stone to your (probable) sub-NHL career, and leave the first time things aren't going your way ... don't let the door hit you in the rear on the way out.
I've now convinced myself the blame pie rests at 90% on the quitter, and 10% on the stubborn guy in the turtleneck.
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Warren Foegele is a hard-working, committed teammate. The important decision to leave a college hockey program always involves on-ice and off-ice factors. Claiming that he left because he was upset over limited power play minutes or playing on the 3rd line with Vela-Eiserman and on the 4th line with Nazarian/Miller misses the mark.
Re: UNH Wildcats 2015-2016 (Part One) - Return of the "Champions of December"??
Warren Foegele is a hard-working, committed teammate. The important decision to leave a college hockey program always involves on-ice and off-ice factors. Claiming that he left because he was upset over limited power play minutes or playing on the 3rd line with Vela-Eiserman and on the 4th line with Nazarian/Miller misses the mark.
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