UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Chairs?

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Cha

Coaches cannot be on ice with a full squad until Oct 2nd or 3rd this year (don't hold me to exact date).

However, coaches can be on the ice with small groups until then.

Jeff does that include HC's?

 

[Scott]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Cha

Hmmm...looks like another "Coach Mac" may be in trouble....

http://www.uscho.com/2015/09/08/for...ach-chris-mackenzie-alleging-hazing-bullying/

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Cha

Hmmm...looks like another "Coach Mac" may be in trouble....

http://www.uscho.com/2015/09/08/for...ach-chris-mackenzie-alleging-hazing-bullying/

I'm afraid this is going to be a trend, at least until most programs are able to hire female coaches for their Women's teams. If nothing else, what it tells me is that if you're recruiting on the Women's side, you'd better be prepared to live with your recruiting *mistakes*. The male coach/female player dynamic simply leaves male coaches vulnerable to opportunistic allegations if/when things don't pan out the way the athlete expects. We saw UNH cave in to those pressures ... it will be interesting to see how UConn handles this situation.

I realize this is not a fair statement to make when 99% of female athletes are not going to go down this road, and the UConn players likely feel just as ambivalent about the situation that's been created around their program as did the UNH players two seasons ago.

I'm sorry, but when everything's okey-dokey until after a scholarship is pulled, you do get to question motives ...

 

[wildcatdc]

I'm afraid this is going to be a trend, at least until most programs are able to hire female coaches for their Women's teams. If nothing else, what it tells me is that if you're recruiting on the Women's side, you'd better be prepared to live with your recruiting *mistakes*. The male coach/female player dynamic simply leaves male coaches vulnerable to opportunistic allegations if/when things don't pan out the way the athlete expects. We saw UNH cave in to those pressures ... it will be interesting to see how UConn handles this situation.

I realize this is not a fair statement to make when 99% of female athletes are not going to go down this road, and the UConn players likely feel just as ambivalent about the situation that's been created around their program as did the UNH players two seasons ago.

I'm sorry, but when everything's okey-dokey until after a scholarship is pulled, you do get to question motives ...

Please, let's open this can of worms again... How exactly did UNH cave?? I'm pretty sure the facts bore out a good decision by the administration. I know you have zero love lost for the Scarano et al, but at least be intellectually honest and admit when your original conclusions didn't pan out - the old Scarano thread is a precious read if anyone needs context. Or at least keep the random trial balloon like the one above in its hangar.

It's getting tiresome.

 

[wildcatdc]

Naming a presumptive HC diffuses the "change" that one can sell, and also ties UNH to someone who would have been available to them in 2018. On the plus side, everyone is recruiting for 2018 now, so perhaps getting a head start will be a positive. The results of the next few months, as they fill the 2018 class, will begin to tell whether Mike can sell a 16 year old kid on the "trust me, I'll be your HC when you arrive, you'll be one of my first core guys" speech.
.

This is an interesting take, and I think you've swayed my opinion. My original take was that the HCIW approach was akin to CEO succession planning in the corporate world, which generally keeps employees, investors and customers pretty happy.

Then your point brought me back to my senses... that only works when the company is on top of its game, with happy investors, employees and customers.

Our situation reeks more of McDonald's or RIM, and you lose the "shaking things up" value by doing things this way.

Thanks for the insight.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Cha

Please, let's open this can of worms again... How exactly did UNH cave?? I'm pretty sure the facts bore out a good decision by the administration. I know you have zero love lost for the Scarano et al, but at least be intellectually honest and admit when your original conclusions didn't pan out - the old Scarano thread is a precious read if anyone needs context. Or at least keep the random trial balloon like the one above in its hangar.

It's getting tiresome.

Simply put, UNH "caved" when BS35+2 failed to back his coach. Brief recap - the offending player was already a disciplinary issue, Coach Mac wanted to drop her from the program, BS35+2 pleaded with him to keep the player on for Title IX requirements, Coach Mac said OK, disciplinary issues continued with the same player and the same issues, all culminating in a home game against OSU when said player was pulled from her shift earlier than expected, skated back to the bench with a profanity-laced tirade directed at Coach Mac, who then forcefully seated her and grabbed her by the mask to tell her that kind of conduct would no longer be tolerated.

Player whines to her parents, parents complain to the school, BS35+2 has a choice to make between an underperforming player with an established attitude problem and an underperforming (and highly paid) head coach who he can now opportunistically fire "for cause".

BS35+2 fires Coach Mac, and UNH bumps the offending player - a borderline bottom of the roster type - from partial to full scholarship for her final two seasons (including last season). This is a player who started her UNH career as a forward, and has a grand total of four (4) goals combined over those three seasons.

In the meantime, Coach Mac has been hired this summer as head coach of the professional Boston Blades. Ironically, by a woman. And backed one of UNH's greatest ever women's player.

If that's not "caving" then maybe I guess we just have different standards for the term.

You say UNH made a "good decision". I say they took the easy way out; to me "easy" does not equate to "good".

What's "tiresome" to me is the PC mindset that allowed BS35+2 to take the easy way out with ample cover. Admittedly, Coach Mac put himself in a tricky position when he let the player continue with his program, and complicated that when he physically accosted her while he was chewing her out on the bench.

Long and short, someone was eventually going to pay the price at the coaching level to set a precedent, and unfortunately for Coach Mac it was him. I'm guessing the situation now down in UConn will be the next test case on "bullying" etc.

I'll leave it for you to comment on whether the fact that the players involved in both the UNH and UConn situations were bottom-roster players who were facing the potential loss of their scholarships was just a coincidence OR something perhaps more ...

 

[FDNY99]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Cha

Simply put, UNH "caved" when BS35+2 failed to back his coach. Brief recap - the offending player was already a disciplinary issue, Coach Mac wanted to drop her from the program, BS35+2 pleaded with him to keep the player on for Title IX requirements, Coach Mac said OK, disciplinary issues continued with the same player and the same issues, all culminating in a home game against OSU when said player was pulled from her shift earlier than expected, skated back to the bench with a profanity-laced tirade directed at Coach Mac, who then forcefully seated her and grabbed her by the mask to tell her that kind of conduct would no longer be tolerated.

Player whines to her parents, parents complain to the school, BS35+2 has a choice to make between an underperforming player with an established attitude problem and an underperforming (and highly paid) head coach who he can now opportunistically fire "for cause".

BS35+2 fires Coach Mac, and UNH bumps the offending player - a borderline bottom of the roster type - from partial to full scholarship for her final two seasons (including last season). This is a player who started her UNH career as a forward, and has a grand total of four (4) goals combined over those three seasons.

In the meantime, Coach Mac has been hired this summer as head coach of the professional Boston Blades. Ironically, by a woman. And backed one of UNH's greatest ever women's player.

If that's not "caving" then maybe I guess we just have different standards for the term.

You say UNH made a "good decision". I say they took the easy way out; to me "easy" does not equate to "good".

What's "tiresome" to me is the PC mindset that allowed BS35+2 to take the easy way out with ample cover. Admittedly, Coach Mac put himself in a tricky position when he let the player continue with his program, and complicated that when he physically accosted her while he was chewing her out on the bench.

Long and short, someone was eventually going to pay the price at the coaching level to set a precedent, and unfortunately for Coach Mac it was him. I'm guessing the situation now down in UConn will be the next test case on "bullying" etc.

I'll leave it for you to comment on whether the fact that the players involved in both the UNH and UConn situations were bottom-roster players who were facing the potential loss of their scholarships was just a coincidence OR something perhaps more ...

Chuck here is the story that was done on Ch 3 about this:
http://www.wfsb.com/story/29937670/...-alleged-bullying-hazing#.VeeKCG4Y8Ac.twitter
This is the most telling quote from the interview and is said at the end by Shannon Godin's father:
“The changes they need to make are very simple[​IMG]. They need to tell an athlete when there’s a coaching change and that they’re protected,” said Godin’s father Shawn Urlocker.
Here is another tell tale quote from this story: According to the lawsuit, in 2014 MacKenzie allegedly told Godin's parents, shortly after he got the coaching job, that “he did not recruit Shannon, did not like her as a player, that she would hate UConn and be gone in a year.”

There are always 3 sides to every story..in this case Godin, MacKenzie, and what really happened. I will say this about UCONN Athletics right now...the President and AD aren't playing around. Wade Manuel gave Heather Linstad the option of resigning or he was going to fire her after the HUGE issues she had with in her program. If Mackenzie is indeed guilty of this he won't be around long...BUT the fact he still has his job after the school did a hazing investigation indicates to me there is more to the story.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Cha

Chuck here is the story that was done on Ch 3 about this:
http://www.wfsb.com/story/29937670/...-alleged-bullying-hazing#.VeeKCG4Y8Ac.twitter
This is the most telling quote from the interview and is said at the end by Shannon Godin's father:
“The changes they need to make are very simple[​IMG]. They need to tell an athlete when there’s a coaching change and that they’re protected,” said Godin’s father Shawn Urlocker.
Here is another tell tale quote from this story: According to the lawsuit, in 2014 MacKenzie allegedly told Godin's parents, shortly after he got the coaching job, that “he did not recruit Shannon, did not like her as a player, that she would hate UConn and be gone in a year.”

There are always 3 sides to every story..in this case Godin, MacKenzie, and what really happened. I will say this about UCONN Athletics right now...the President and AD aren't playing around. Wade Manuel gave Heather Linstad the option of resigning or he was going to fire her after the HUGE issues she had with in her program. If Mackenzie is indeed guilty of this he won't be around long...BUT the fact he still has his job after the school did a hazing investigation indicates to me there is more to the story.

Very interesting stuff ... the incoming coach/incoming recruit from the prior regime angle is one I didn't realize until you shared this. I'll say this - you gotta begrudgingly give Coach MacKenzie credit for his honesty. Nothing passive/aggressive about it. I'm not sure I'm a big fan of the approach of the new guy dumping on the unwanted recruits to try to open up more scholarship money for players he does want. Maybe it's his version of "tough love" and "show me"? Not defending the approach - frankly, I don't like the approach - but I don't want to be naïve here, as this is D-1 athletics after all. And if he's done this (the forcing out part) with UConn's backing, then so be it. He and his program will pay the price out on the recruiting trail in the future, when would-be future recruits and their families grill him over his handling of the situation. And rest assured, he WILL lose some recruits over this. That's why I'm not sure just keeping the player on board in a minor role wasn't the best approach? But it's Coach MacKenzie's program, so he gets to make those decisions.

I thought it was interesting to see how the complaint cites how the player played the final 15 games of the season, after being benched early in the season. Not knowing the situation - were there injury and/or eligibility issues with the team?

I'm glad the story contains the obligatory nod to "culture change" to keep the PC folks onside ... considering Coach Aurrigemma (sp?) is running the pre-eminent Women's college program in the country on the same campus, it's hard to believe the UConn AD and higher-ups will let a disaffected hockey player dictate the athletic department's overall policy. Talk about an itty bitty tail wagging a huge dog.

Just what we need - more legal intervention into the world of sports - now THAT is getting tiresome ...

 

[FDNY99]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Cha

Very interesting stuff ... the incoming coach/incoming recruit from the prior regime angle is one I didn't realize until you shared this. I'll say this - you gotta begrudgingly give Coach MacKenzie credit for his honesty. Nothing passive/aggressive about it. I'm not sure I'm a big fan of the approach of the new guy dumping on the unwanted recruits to try to open up more scholarship money for players he does want. Maybe it's his version of "tough love" and "show me"? Not defending the approach - frankly, I don't like the approach - but I don't want to be naïve here, as this is D-1 athletics after all. And if he's done this (the forcing out part) with UConn's backing, then so be it. He and his program will pay the price out on the recruiting trail in the future, when would-be future recruits and their families grill him over his handling of the situation. And rest assured, he WILL lose some recruits over this. That's why I'm not sure just keeping the player on board in a minor role wasn't the best approach? But it's Coach MacKenzie's program, so he gets to make those decisions.

I thought it was interesting to see how the complaint cites how the player played the final 15 games of the season, after being benched early in the season. Not knowing the situation - were there injury and/or eligibility issues with the team?

I'm glad the story contains the obligatory nod to "culture change" to keep the PC folks onside ... considering Coach Aurrigemma (sp?) is running the pre-eminent Women's college program in the country on the same campus, it's hard to believe the UConn AD and higher-ups will let a disaffected hockey player dictate the athletic department's overall policy. Talk about an itty bitty tail wagging a huge dog.

Just what we need - more legal intervention into the world of sports - now THAT is getting tiresome ...

Here is another article on the situation:
http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-uconn-womens-hockey-hazing-20150903-story.html
Here are some more interesting quotes:
"Defendant MacKenzie admitted he was aware of this culture of drinking," the complaint states. "He in fact made the senior who led most of the hazing captain of the hockey team."


A native of Ontario, Canada, Godin attended UConn on a full athletic scholarship last year, choosing the Huskies over Princeton, Brown, Cornell and Middlebury. According to her family, she was recruited by MacKenzie's predecessor, Heather Linstad.

"We loved it, she loved it, we were on cloud nine," Godin's father, Shawn Urlocker, said Thursday of the family's first visit to UConn. Godin was distraught after her first semester, Urlocker said, but she decided to return to UConn after Christmas break.

According to UConn's roster, Godin skated in 17 games for UConn last season. Her scholarship was revoked after the season, Sullivan wrote in the lawsuit. She did not bring the hazing allegations, or the complaints about MacKenzie, to the school's attention until after her scholarship was cut.

"The reasons for the non-renewal were a sham," Sullivan wrote in the lawsuit. "Defendant MacKenzie would not have played her in 15 games if she did not earn that privilege."

Urlocker, Godin's father, said the scholarship was partially reinstated through the appeals process, but his daughter chose not to return to UConn this year. According to the complaint, Godin is traumatized and cries at the prospect of returning to UConn or the mention of MacKenzie.


I thought that Captains were voted on, not chosen by the head coach. Like I said there is no way if these allegations are anywhere near true that Mackenzie would still be employed at UCONN, especially after the mess that Heather Linstad left when she was forced to resign. I'm not sure how many players were left on the roster when Mackenzie was hired.

 

[wildcatdc]

Simply put, UNH "caved" when BS35+2 failed to back his coach. Brief recap - the offending player was already a disciplinary issue, Coach Mac wanted to drop her from the program, BS35+2 pleaded with him to keep the player on for Title IX requirements, Coach Mac said OK, disciplinary issues continued with the same player and the same issues, all culminating in a home game against OSU when said player was pulled from her shift earlier than expected, skated back to the bench with a profanity-laced tirade directed at Coach Mac, who then forcefully seated her and grabbed her by the mask to tell her that kind of conduct would no longer be tolerated.

Player whines to her parents, parents complain to the school, BS35+2 has a choice to make between an underperforming player with an established attitude problem and an underperforming (and highly paid) head coach who he can now opportunistically fire "for cause".

BS35+2 fires Coach Mac, and UNH bumps the offending player - a borderline bottom of the roster type - from partial to full scholarship for her final two seasons (including last season). This is a player who started her UNH career as a forward, and has a grand total of four (4) goals combined over those three seasons.

In the meantime, Coach Mac has been hired this summer as head coach of the professional Boston Blades. Ironically, by a woman. And backed one of UNH's greatest ever women's player.

If that's not "caving" then maybe I guess we just have different standards for the term.

You say UNH made a "good decision". I say they took the easy way out; to me "easy" does not equate to "good".

What's "tiresome" to me is the PC mindset that allowed BS35+2 to take the easy way out with ample cover. Admittedly, Coach Mac put himself in a tricky position when he let the player continue with his program, and complicated that when he physically accosted her while he was chewing her out on the bench.

Long and short, someone was eventually going to pay the price at the coaching level to set a precedent, and unfortunately for Coach Mac it was him. I'm guessing the situation now down in UConn will be the next test case on "bullying" etc.

I'll leave it for you to comment on whether the fact that the players involved in both the UNH and UConn situations were bottom-roster players who were facing the potential loss of their scholarships was just a coincidence OR something perhaps more ...

Let's use facts, Chuck....

1. Coach M (as you acknowledge) forcefully handled the player on the bench

2. As adjudicated in the court system, (we're not in Tallahassee, apparently), the Coach admitted to 3 simple assault charges

Simply stated, the coach's actions represented an EXISTENTIAL LEGAL and REPUTATIONAL risk to the university. Using FACTS, his dismissal, as any good risk manager will tell you, was a good decision, and not caving.

No amount of imagined dialogues between parties, assumptions about negative intent, or psychic interpretations of what was going on in any party's mind throughout the incident and afterwards is going to change those two facts. Wish those facts away at your own peril - they remain incontrovertible and led to the decision taken by the AD and administration.

The creep from the hoops team is another example where presented with the facts, the AD took a rapid decision based on the risk to UNH.

For the record, I am of the mindset that indeed, the coach was a GREAT guy (as evidenced by the testimony of people I respect a ton on this board), and that it most probably is true that the player was and perhaps continues to be a petulant, huge pain in the rump. I am also on record as saying the handling of the press release was borderline horrendous. But the coach went over a very clear line, admitted it, and unfortunately, paid the price.

I am extremely happy that he landed in a good spot - people make mistakes, learn, and succeed in spite of said mistakes. I am equally certain that if this player continues to exhibit behaviors that got everyone into this mess in the first place, she will be in for some very rude awakenings when the real world calls.

I won't comment again on this. the season is upon us. If you'd like to continue to drop references from now to eternity, have at it. It's not going to alter the facts, and frankly, I don't have the energy to try to dull the axes some have to grind.

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Cha

Media day has come and gone...pics are up of our 2015-2016 'Cats!!!!! Won't be long now....!!!!!

 

[wildcatdc]

Media day has come and gone...pics are up of our 2015-2016 'Cats!!!!! Won't be long now....!!!!!

When does the guide come out? It's the "most wonderful time of the year" for my mom when the guide hits her (virtual, PDF) doorstep.

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Cha

Just for the record ... I wasn't overly eager to re-engage in this debate any more than you were, dc. And happily I think we can pretty much agree we stand on common ground on the second half of your most recent post ...

The creep from the hoops team is another example where presented with the facts, the AD took a rapid decision based on the risk to UNH.

For the record, I am of the mindset that indeed, the coach was a GREAT guy (as evidenced by the testimony of people I respect a ton on this board), and that it most probably is true that the player was and perhaps continues to be a petulant, huge pain in the rump. I am also on record as saying the handling of the press release was borderline horrendous (I say libelous - CM). But the coach went over a very clear line (respectfully disagree on "very clear" - CM), admitted it, and unfortunately, paid the price.

I am extremely happy that he landed in a good spot - people make mistakes, learn, and succeed in spite of said mistakes. I am equally certain that if this player continues to exhibit behaviors that got everyone into this mess in the first place, she will be in for some very rude awakenings when the real world calls.

Now onto our main point of contention, and yes, I really hope this is the last I have to say on the topic ...

Let's use facts, Chuck....

1. Coach M (as you acknowledge) forcefully handled the player on the bench

2. As adjudicated in the court system, (we're not in Tallahassee, apparently), the Coach admitted to 3 simple assault charges

Simply stated, the coach's actions represented an EXISTENTIAL LEGAL and REPUTATIONAL risk to the university. Using FACTS, his dismissal, as any good risk manager will tell you, was a good decision, and not caving.

No amount of imagined dialogues between parties, assumptions about negative intent, or psychic interpretations of what was going on in any party's mind throughout the incident and afterwards is going to change those two facts. Wish those facts away at your own peril - they remain incontrovertible and led to the decision taken by the AD and administration.

I won't comment again on this. the season is upon us. If you'd like to continue to drop references from now to eternity, have at it. It's not going to alter the facts, and frankly, I don't have the energy to try to dull the axes some have to grind.

Sequence of events, if I recall correctly, went as follows:

* Complaints from the player's family resulted in initial UNH internal investigation;
* Unclear whether Coach Mac was dismissed first before criminal charges were filed, but it seemed that way;
* Criminal charges came to the surface around the time Coach Mac was talking to the Glob regarding his (wrongful) dismissal;
* Over a year later ... without a coaching job, and charges still pending, Coach Mac basically "pleaded out" via a diversion program;
* A short few months later, Coach Mac is hired as head coach of the Boston Blades.

I don't think it's a huge stretch in logic to see that Coach Mac was fighting the charges for over a year, and I'm sure that cost a lot (LOT) plus effectively prevented him from securing employment in his chosen field. At some point, he had to swallow hard and make a decision to either:

(1) commit a few more of his dwindling remaining years of coaching to fighting the legal battles; OR
(2) swallow very hard, sign off on a relatively benign deal, and get on with the rest of his life.

I think UNH should consider itself extremely lucky to have (in effect) leveraged Coach Mac into dropping what I think were viable claims for not only wrongful dismissal and breach of contract, but also libel for the ham-handed overtones/implications even neutral bystanders to this whole rotten situation conceded were reading into that press release.

OK then, I'm done. I'm sure this issue will raise its ugly head again in the future. It's just so disappointing Coach Mac was the test case for Round 1 of what promises to be a 15 round main event to be played out over the next generation ...

 

[wildcatdc]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Cha

Reset button pressed for me. Hopefully with better results than the Russian or Iranian reset button.

FWIW, the PC, trophy-for-all, overly-involved parenting generation makes me hurl my Cheerios.

I don't envy you having to deal with the soccer parents of today.

 

[HockeyRef]

When does the guide come out? It's the "most wonderful time of the year" for my mom when the guide hits her (virtual, PDF) doorstep.

Hey there no idea am waiting myself!!! Haha I always sing that song walking to the Whitt Speaking of going to the 'Whitt hope to see you and the future Mrs wildcatdc there!!

 

[Chuck Murray]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Cha

Reset button pressed for me. Hopefully with better results than the Russian or Iranian reset button.

FWIW, the PC, trophy-for-all, overly-involved parenting generation makes me hurl my Cheerios.

I don't envy you having to deal with the soccer parents of today.

I've been very fortunate, and have had the pleasure of seeing several of our players move onto the next level in recent years post-grad (including a few D-1 players). And all in all, the players' families have been supportive and grounded. I've never had a player run their mouth on me (as in Coach Mac's situation), and if one of them did, I'm pretty sure their folks would have ended that on the spot before any action was required on my part. Any collegiate coach who is recruiting players on the player's talents alone without consideration of the family behind that player - and their collective character - is only setting themselves up for future *pain* IF things don't work out for the player in your program.

And when you make a mistake with your recruiting (and all coaches do at some point), you had better be prepared to "own" that mistake, and find a way to make the player still feel wanted in the program. If it's not working out, and you at least try to work with the player in a fair and respectful way, the player will either adapt their expectations accordingly and accept the "demotion" OR they will quietly leave and seek another opportunity elsewhere. And beware those recruiting "promises" because the player AND family will never forget them. Best off, the only promise to make is to give the player an opportunity, and leave the rest to the player to attain (or not) on their own.

But I never lose track of the fact our players are someone else's kids, and if I treat someone poorly, then things could change quickly.

Sorry for the long response, but I know some of the kids read this, and others lurk so if I didn't vouch for them and their families, there would be heck to pay when we reconvene after the Fall ...

 

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Cha

If only society had developed some way of recording understandings between parties, and holding them to those promises, rather than having one party unilaterally change that understanding with few if any repercussions.

To credit Umile, he has owned his recruiting mistakes. To my recollection, he has not driven any of the recruits who failed to develop, away from UNH.

In contrast, a certain newly burnished NCAA champion has driven at least four kids off before they arrived, freeing room for new recruits.

Jake Henderson
Tom Aldworth
Terrance Amoroso
Dylan McLaughlin

 

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Cha

So, what you are saying, is these 4 players above WERE going to play for newly burnished NCAA Champ, but, because they turned out to be, shall we say, 'unfit' for the program, they were told go elsewhere...and new ones, more fit, were brought in? How often does that happen? Once a players is in, on campus, they are there to stay...yes? I get the impression you may feel that Umile has done just that; made recruiting mistakes, and rather than change course, brought them in anyway...even if they showed they didn't develop in whatever league they were playing in. If Im reading this wrong do correct.
I wonder how often this happens, when a recruit just isn't "panning out" and is told, sorry, we can't use you...enlighten me.

Its program by program, but now is a fairly pervasive practice among many teams (because recruiting now entails 3-4 year projections). Wisconsin did this a lot 8 years ago, North Dakota,

There is a debate about this, where it could be viewed as fair to the kid, telling him he will not be a contributor and will never see playing time (before he wastes a year sitting in the stands). Of course, a coach can control this, and tell even semi-competitive kids that they will rot in the stands, leading them to leave. Also, coaches can simply keep deferring kids to the point where they see the writing on the wall. So a kid like Amoroso, an NHL pick, could have played at PC, but got deferred an extra year. As we discussed with UNH's Robinson, being an NHL pick requires the player to enrol by at least the year following the draft. Amoroso's NHL team would have lost its rights to him had he been bumped, so telling him to spend a second USHL season was done knowing he would not accept.

Now, with UNH, they did defer kids (unfortunately not the right ones) leading those kids to jump. Having chosen to go that route, they picked the wrong kids and lost all-americans to other teams. Sigh.

 

[HockeyRef]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Cha

Its program by program, but now is a fairly pervasive practice among many teams (because recruiting now entails 3-4 year projections). Wisconsin did this a lot 8 years ago, North Dakota,

There is a debate about this, where it could be viewed as fair to the kid, telling him he will not be a contributor and will never see playing time (before he wastes a year sitting in the stands). Of course, a coach can control this, and tell even semi-competitive kids that they will rot in the stands, leading them to leave. Also, coaches can simply keep deferring kids to the point where they see the writing on the wall. So a kid like Amoroso, an NHL pick, could have played at PC, but got deferred an extra year. As we discussed with UNH's Robinson, being an NHL pick requires the player to enrol by at least the year following the draft. Amoroso's NHL team would have lost its rights to him had he been bumped, so telling him to spend a second USHL season was done knowing he would not accept.

Now, with UNH, they did defer kids (unfortunately not the right ones) leading those kids to jump. Having chosen to go that route, they picked the wrong kids and lost all-americans to other teams. Sigh.

Ok, I get it. And thanks for retrieving that post of mine because I thought I had deleted it since I wondered if it made any sense. I know the scenario in which you speak. I'm anxious to start reading on Twitter "committing to UNH..thanks to everyone who helped along the way" like I am for other schools...when should that start happening? Coach Souza must be out there...along with Stewart...looking for a 'few good men'. Starting to learn the ropes of how all of this goes while balancing the fan piece of it all. Sometimes, knowing less, is better. (or, ignorance is bliss, you decide )

 

[NCAA watcher]

Re: UNH Wildcats 2015 Offseason - Future Planning ...or Just Rearranging the Deck Cha

UNH has a desperate need for immediate D help, having lost their two top D recruits in Masonius and Ryczek. Dawson was a quick fix but not the top end kid they will need.
They also have a large number of needs for the 2018 class, replacing this year's sophomores.


Those kids are likely the 99s and 00s from USA, and the 98s and 99s in Canada.
The 98 and 99 New England are pretty well picked through, with BU getting the National kids, and Providence getting the NE kids. So I think the 2016, 2017 and 2018 D will come from Canada.

Coach Stewart has good connections with the younger BC kids. I imagine he has been spending time in the BCHL training camps and the opening games, and hopefully can get a couple of 99s to commit in the next few months.
I was hoping Souza would make a good splash at the 00 festival, since the 00s would start college in the 2018. However, BU, BC and U.Conn came away with the top kids. Nothing for UNH.

Maybe they were waiting for the Jumbletron to be raised.