Chuck Murray
WIS & Effingwoods Hockey Almanac
Re: UNH Wildcats 2019 Offseason - How Much Progress Did We Really Make This Past Seas
OK - there's room for disagreement here. My point - from a UNH perspective, we've been sending way too many players into the ECHL wars unprepared for the realities of professional life at that level. Imagine we were sending out Business Majors into the real world with light and airy liberal arts courseloads, for example. Would we expect them to succeed? Heck no, they'd crap the bed. Same thing with "protecting" our future hockey professionals from future beatdowns. We want these guys to live their dreams, so we have to give them a fighting chance, no? Imagine an opportunity for UNH volunteer assistant coach Jay Miller? Talk about hands-on experience.
All I ask is that you keep an open mind. There is a method behind the madness. Leading me to …
(7) Legalize Retroactive Financial Aid - Coach Shawn Walsh (RIP) was a college hockey visionary in his lifetime, but this idea was something he got lambasted for, yet I think 25 or so years on now, it deserves a second look. D-1 programs recruit a wide range of prospects, ranging from blue-chip prospects with NHL ambitions, to fifth line walk-ons as roster filler/fodder/depth players. But what if, with most of the scholarship money allocated to the top kids, one of the lower profile kids emerges as a key player for the future? Sometimes you have to get creative … and the "Walshy Rule" would recognize that, allowing the programs flexibility to keep all of their key players happy, and not so easily distracted by Major Junior or ECHL or Euro pro opportunities.
(8) Loosen up the Redshirt Rules - imagine if you have a perfectly fine, undersized, successful D-1 player who has no real prospects for long-term professional employment in the sport, unless it's as a regional assistant sales rep for a hockey equipment supplier. But you're really very good at your "job" as a player in your current D-1 program. Each program should get to keep one such player at a time on its roster, past their usual four-in-five eligibility window. Given a chance between continuing at UNH as a 6th/7th/11th year "super-senior" or "grad" player, cementing a place in the community AND an on-ice leadership role within the program, as opposed to spending a year-and-a-half in Wheeling WV or Toledo OH before shipping out for some third tier team in Europe … seems like this would be a great opportunity to pick the right player to be the "face of the franchise". Said player would be tasked with weekly community outreach assignments to talk up the program, and hopefully boost ticket sales. And if the guy can't handle those aspects of the job - well, c'est la vie. Goodbye and good luck in the real world, and "next man up" to step in.
(9) Open Interview Process for HE Commish - we've got a year now to replace JB, we know he is professional enough to give the league the same solid effort he has for the last decade of <s>solid progress</s> utter stagnancy until he departs next year. I say, let's have an open ballot process at all HE arenas this coming season, and any fan can vote for any candidate. There would be no names on any pre-prepared printed ballots. Only write-in candidates allowed. No one currently employed by any of the member schools would be eligible. Each program nominates a candidate in this fashion, based on vote totals at each home arena through 12/31/19. The eleven "winners" advance to an open form debate, to be held between games at the Beanpot Finals on the second Monday in February in Boston. Four are selected from that field by a panel made up of all inactive Hockey East on-ice officials in attendance for the event, and the final two advance to a similar debate in between periods (twice) of the HE Finals. Next HE commissioner is then determined by a voice vote of all fans who are in attendance that evening. This allows the new HE commish to pal around at the FF with the "legendary" outgoing commish to learn the ropes (and his/her future adversaries).
Yes, I realize I've barely scratched the surface on HE's future media policy. Please be patient; this may seem like a logical and semi-coherent platform, but I'm getting some strange calls from the 317 area code lately, so I can't afford to be reckless. Stay tuned …
OK - there's room for disagreement here. My point - from a UNH perspective, we've been sending way too many players into the ECHL wars unprepared for the realities of professional life at that level. Imagine we were sending out Business Majors into the real world with light and airy liberal arts courseloads, for example. Would we expect them to succeed? Heck no, they'd crap the bed. Same thing with "protecting" our future hockey professionals from future beatdowns. We want these guys to live their dreams, so we have to give them a fighting chance, no? Imagine an opportunity for UNH volunteer assistant coach Jay Miller? Talk about hands-on experience.
All I ask is that you keep an open mind. There is a method behind the madness. Leading me to …
(7) Legalize Retroactive Financial Aid - Coach Shawn Walsh (RIP) was a college hockey visionary in his lifetime, but this idea was something he got lambasted for, yet I think 25 or so years on now, it deserves a second look. D-1 programs recruit a wide range of prospects, ranging from blue-chip prospects with NHL ambitions, to fifth line walk-ons as roster filler/fodder/depth players. But what if, with most of the scholarship money allocated to the top kids, one of the lower profile kids emerges as a key player for the future? Sometimes you have to get creative … and the "Walshy Rule" would recognize that, allowing the programs flexibility to keep all of their key players happy, and not so easily distracted by Major Junior or ECHL or Euro pro opportunities.
(8) Loosen up the Redshirt Rules - imagine if you have a perfectly fine, undersized, successful D-1 player who has no real prospects for long-term professional employment in the sport, unless it's as a regional assistant sales rep for a hockey equipment supplier. But you're really very good at your "job" as a player in your current D-1 program. Each program should get to keep one such player at a time on its roster, past their usual four-in-five eligibility window. Given a chance between continuing at UNH as a 6th/7th/11th year "super-senior" or "grad" player, cementing a place in the community AND an on-ice leadership role within the program, as opposed to spending a year-and-a-half in Wheeling WV or Toledo OH before shipping out for some third tier team in Europe … seems like this would be a great opportunity to pick the right player to be the "face of the franchise". Said player would be tasked with weekly community outreach assignments to talk up the program, and hopefully boost ticket sales. And if the guy can't handle those aspects of the job - well, c'est la vie. Goodbye and good luck in the real world, and "next man up" to step in.
(9) Open Interview Process for HE Commish - we've got a year now to replace JB, we know he is professional enough to give the league the same solid effort he has for the last decade of <s>solid progress</s> utter stagnancy until he departs next year. I say, let's have an open ballot process at all HE arenas this coming season, and any fan can vote for any candidate. There would be no names on any pre-prepared printed ballots. Only write-in candidates allowed. No one currently employed by any of the member schools would be eligible. Each program nominates a candidate in this fashion, based on vote totals at each home arena through 12/31/19. The eleven "winners" advance to an open form debate, to be held between games at the Beanpot Finals on the second Monday in February in Boston. Four are selected from that field by a panel made up of all inactive Hockey East on-ice officials in attendance for the event, and the final two advance to a similar debate in between periods (twice) of the HE Finals. Next HE commissioner is then determined by a voice vote of all fans who are in attendance that evening. This allows the new HE commish to pal around at the FF with the "legendary" outgoing commish to learn the ropes (and his/her future adversaries).
Yes, I realize I've barely scratched the surface on HE's future media policy. Please be patient; this may seem like a logical and semi-coherent platform, but I'm getting some strange calls from the 317 area code lately, so I can't afford to be reckless. Stay tuned …
… but thanks for the encouragement, '32. Hope you're enjoying your summer as well!!
) at Center Ice? I guess I don't remember that...? Anyway...getting close gang!!