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URI to Hockey East...

P

pigglegg

Registered User
Yes, URI should join Hockey East. they'd obviously be a much better geographic fit than Notre Dame.

"but URI is a club team..."

Yes, and so was Penn State a year ago.

"but they'd get man-handled by the likes of BC, BU, Maine, UNH..."

remember when Union joined the ECAC? I do. they got man-handled on several occasions. They were on the short end of many lopsided scores. they were the conference punching bag for years. then they got better. And look what they've accomplished now.

URI is a successful ACHA division 1 club team in a state with a strong hockey tradition. They’ve got an ACHA National Title to their credit in 2006. Of the six flagship public universities in the six New England states, URI is now the only one not competing at the NCAA division 1 level in Hockey East. That should change. If UConn can make the move i think URI could too.

As for Notre Dame, the Big Ten should’ve invited them to join for hockey. Lets face it – Notre Dame is essentially a Big Ten team, regardless of their Big East affiliation. People have been saying that for years. Part of me thinks the Big Ten would’ve invited them if they were a true independent and not in the Big East. And I don’t think it’s out of the question for Big Ten hockey to make them an offer in the future. If they do, Notre Dame should take it. And if they were to make that move and leave Hockey East, URI would be the best and most logical replacement.

Food for thought.
 
Re: URI to Hockey East...

too bad 38pitches can't pay back that loan.... schilling rink has a nice ring to it.
 
Re: URI to Hockey East...

How about this:

Bring the Hartford Whalers to Hockey East. I know they're not a D-1 team right now but neither was Penn state a year ago. "They would probably get manhandled by Merrimack and Providence" but remember when some random other team was bad but got better?

The Whalers left Hartford and won a Stanley Cup just a few years later so you know they'll be good if we completely rebuild the team. Connecticut has a strong hockey tradition? Of the six states in New England, Connecticut is one of them. That shouldn't change. If something something then URI.

As for the Blue Jackets, the AHL should just invite them to join for hockey. Let's face it-the Blue Jackets are essentially an AHL team, regardless of their NHL affiliation. People have been saying that for years. Part of me thinks the AHL would have invited them if they were a good hockey team and not in the NHL (and if the AHL could just add teams). And I don't think it's out of the question for the AHL to make them an offer in the future. If they do, the Blue Jackets should take it. Basically, Whalers to Hockey East, Blue Jackets to the AHL, Red Sox to the AFC.


I hope this made sense.
 
Re: URI to Hockey East...

If they could get ice in the Ryan Center, I'd be all for URI upgrading to the ECAC (or Hockey East).
 
Re: URI to Hockey East...

URI's response to the news that UConn has been invited to join Hockey East:

Hey, we just read this,
and this is crazy,
but but we might upgrade,
so call us, maybe?
 
Re: URI to Hockey East...

Onion Man said:
If they could get ice in the Ryan Center, I'd be all for URI upgrading to the ECAC (or Hockey East).
Click to expand...

They built Boss Arena about a decade ago with the intention of expanding and updating it in the future if the school was to achieve D-I hockey. It currently seats between 1,500 and 2,500, depending on who you ask, and would probably be expanded to around 3-3,500 if the school went D-I.

However, given the school's budget shortfalls for almost everything (due in part to the building of the Ryan Center and the renovation of Meade Stadium), they don't really have the fiscal means to do anything right now, except maybe dorm renovations and simple things like that.

It will be a long time before URI is financially stable enough to get a hockey team. A lot of it has to do with the state's horrific financial situation, since it is a state school. I'd say Bryant has a better chance (in terms of feasibility) of getting a D-I team, since they are a private institution. But in reality, neither school is going to think about it for quite some time.
 
Re: URI to Hockey East...

When Boss opened there was some talk, and I think even some initial research into starting a hockey program at the AHA level, at least initially. My understanding was that there was opposition from folks who didn't think that was good enough, and the end result was nothing. At the time, there was a quote from the Hockey East commish that eventually they would like all 6 New England State universities, but that was A) more or less pro forma, and B) before Notre Dame had any interest in playing in Hockey East. Given the mess that URI is in now, I don't see any upgrade to any level of D1 in the forseeable future.
 
Re: URI to Hockey East...

URI to Hockey East isn't going to happen for a long time. The league isn't likely to ever expand past 12 teams and even if Notre Dame does leave for another conference (this is possible), Hockey East isn't going to take URI unless they've established themselves as a Division 1 NCAA team for a while.

Boss is a nice,well-kept arena and as a state university, might do pretty well in Atlantic Hockey. I'm finishing my grad program with URI and and as much as I'd love to see URI in Hockey East someday, I think it needs to take baby steps and try a few years in Atlantic before playing with the big boys. I know the university and Rhode Island in general isn't doing so well financially, so this could take time. With the right donors and a better economic climate, URI certainly would appear to stand as a likely D-1 candidate, just not Hockey East (yet).
 
Re: URI to Hockey East...

I'm owed 2 minutes. Ed, are you liable for this? Stanford's a better fit for HE.
 
Re: URI to Hockey East...

Salve Regina and Johnson & Wales both play at a higher level of college hockey than URI does right now. And that is D3.

The Boss Arena was built with a wall behind the benches side, and a large field behind that so the building could easily be expanded if they ever decided to go to D1 in hockey. So it is very possible someday, but unlikely any time soon.

Ironic that Rhode Island produces more D1 hockey players than it produces D1 athletes in any other sport. Yet the state university plays at the club level, with a potential D1 facility on campus.

They would need to take a lot of steps before Hockey East would even look at them, if ever.

But there are enough reasonable 'what ifs ...' for URI fans to fantasize about adding D1 hockey.
 
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