WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

Rick Comley loved going to Alaska on short notice back in March!

Kidding aside, no sympathy for teams having to do a playoff series in AK...us and UAA have every right to be rewarded like everyone else. If other teams don't like it, win more games in the regular season.

I would assume the playoff travel costs would come out of conference tournament moneys anyway?

 

[4four4]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

As far as the main point of the thread goes:

Both leagues have to at least discuss merging as a last-resort / fall back / doomsday scenario. If the AHA-4 balk, either one adding Huntsville doesn't do any good, one would still be stuck at 5 teams.

That said, I don't think a merger happens. The auto bid is too much of a recruiting tool to give up. What would you rather compete for - a bid against 7 other teams, or 9?

Ideally, this is how this all shakes out:

WCHA: UAA, BSU, MTU, Mankato, NMU, SCSU.
CCHA: UAH, BGSU, Canisius, Ferris, Mercyhurst, Niagara, RMU

That leaves both with 6 solid teams. UA_, Lake State, and Western are the "wildcards" that could go with either conference and be fine. WMU could still end up in the Nat, for all we know. If Moorhead gets the funding, they have a slot open in the WCHA.

If it plays out well, Alabama-Huntsville gets a home and both conferences have at least seven teams each, pending what the three wildcards end up doing.

Where does UAF play?

 

[5hole]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

Rick Comley loved going to Alaska on short notice back in March!

Kidding aside, no sympathy for teams having to do a playoff series in AK...us and UAA have every right to be rewarded like everyone else. If other teams don't like it, win more games in the regular season.

That would be another issue for the AHA4. And I can tell you from experience that short notice for group travel to Alaska is a nightmare. Our Gwinnett ECHL team had to play the Kelly Cup finals against Anchorage a few years back. We needed to get a travel party of around 35 to Anchorage with about two or three days to to get them there from the time we found out who we were playing (Alaska beat Fresno, so we found out at about 1a.m. - we had travel agents on standby to begin booking right away). A charter flight was not feasible and I think we had guys on about seven different flights. AND ... it absolutely blew away our travel budget. I am sure the AHA4 will continue to say "NO THANK YOU!" to that idea.

 

[Squarebanks]

I would assume the playoff travel costs would come out of conference tournament moneys anyway?

I'm not sure how it works for conference tourneys.

 

[5hole]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

I'm not sure how it works for conference tourneys.

And how much money does anyone think that a tournament in the reconstituted CCHA would generate? Who knows what type of Tournament the revised league would come up with ... if there were just six or seven teams in the league, it could end up somewhat similar to the old CHA tourney - a very intimate little party.

BTW, last week I looked up the last time Niagara and BGSU played ... it was a few years back (2007?), a home and home ... attendance at Niagara was ~1800, at Bowling Green it was barely 1000.

 

[uaafanblog]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

July/August 2001 USCHO -- Post a new thread about conference alignment, talk about exactly the same things that were discussed at length in all the other conference alignment threads, rinse, repeat.

 

[Squarebanks]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

July/August 2001 USCHO -- Post a new thread about conference alignment, talk about exactly the same things that were discussed at length in all the other conference alignment threads, rinse, repeat.

Only about 7 more weeks until the puck drops. Can't get here soon enough. The Mariners suck so I've been getting MLS kickball shoved in my face all summer.

 

[4four4]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

Only about 7 more weeks until the puck drops. Can't get here soon enough. The Mariners suck so I've been getting MLS kickball shoved in my face all summer.

Then go read a book.

 

[Squarebanks]

Then go read a book.

Oh snap!

 

[bigmrg74]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

When you win the lottery isn't Grand Valley going to the CCHA?

As long as there's a CCHA left, yeah, that's the plan. Short of that, I'm upping the antie and move to restart GVSU's rivalry with North Dakota in the NaCHO!!

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

As long as there's a CCHA left, yeah, that's the plan. Short of that, I'm upping the antie and move to restart GVSU's rivalry with North Dakota in the NaCHO!!

Rivalry?

 

[darker98]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

As long as there's a CCHA left, yeah, that's the plan. Short of that, I'm upping the antie and move to restart GVSU's rivalry with North Dakota in the NaCHO!!

Unlike D2 Football. In D1 Hockey we'll do a lot of B!+ch slapping.

 

[MinnesotaNorthStar]

As long as there's a CCHA left, yeah, that's the plan. Short of that, I'm upping the antie and move to restart GVSU's rivalry with North Dakota in the NaCHO!!

Cute. You want North Dakota to have a rivalry with you in hockey? Become relevant, or North Dakota State.

 

[uaafanblog]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

That would be another issue for the AHA4. And I can tell you from experience that short notice for group travel to Alaska is a nightmare. Our Gwinnett ECHL team had to play the Kelly Cup finals against Anchorage a few years back. We needed to get a travel party of around 35 to Anchorage with about two or three days to to get them there from the time we found out who we were playing (Alaska beat Fresno, so we found out at about 1a.m. - we had travel agents on standby to begin booking right away). A charter flight was not feasible and I think we had guys on about seven different flights. AND ... it absolutely blew away our travel budget. I am sure the AHA4 will continue to say "NO THANK YOU!" to that idea.

Do you people read what you type? Do you think it would an equal nightmare for the Aces to have to schedule a trip to Gwinnett on the exact same notice?

It's the exact same thing. Yet somehow because it's "unusual" then a sudden trip to Alaska is the end of the freaking world? It's not like an Alaska team (college or pro) knows their playoff opponent any earlier than the opponents know theirs.

WOW.

 

[bigmrg74]

Unlike D2 Football. In D1 Hockey we'll do a lot of B!+ch slapping.

Which was why you guys left D2.

 

[bigmrg74]

Cute. You want North Dakota to have a rivalry with you in hockey? Become relevant, or North Dakota State.

Silly Siouxy! You do realize I was saying that a little tongue in cheek there.

 

[5hole]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

Do you people read what you type? Do you think it would an equal nightmare for the Aces to have to schedule a trip to Gwinnett on the exact same notice?

It's the exact same thing. Yet somehow because it's "unusual" then a sudden trip to Alaska is the end of the freaking world? It's not like an Alaska team (college or pro) knows their playoff opponent any earlier than the opponents know theirs.

WOW.

Sensitive, aren't we? And where did I say it would not be an equal nightmare? Where did I say it was "unusual"? Where did I say it was the end of the freaking world? Stop making things up.

I gave a real life example of what did happen and what could happen to any of the AHA4 if they go into a conference with an Alaskan team. It is just another reason why these four told the CCHA right up front that they would not be interested if UAF was still in. The AHA4 know the geographic challenge of joining and are not willing. Your team decided to get into hockey knowing the geographic challenges, live with it and qyb.

 

[uaafanblog]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

Sensitive, aren't we?

Don't project.

And where did I say it would not be an equal nightmare? Where did I say it was "unusual"? Where did I say it was the end of the freaking world? Stop making things up.

Where did I say you said those things? What part of "you people" did you internalize to mean "5hole"? Have you read any of these realignment threads and followed any of these discussions about travel to Alaska? Those questions are all rhetorical.

I gave a real life example of what did happen and what could happen to any of the AHA4 if they go into a conference with an Alaskan team. It is just another reason why these four told the CCHA right up front that they would not be interested if UAF was still in. The AHA4 know the geographic challenge of joining and are not willing. Your team decided to get into hockey knowing the geographic challenges, live with it and qyb.

And it was lovely that you're "real world example" applied on both sides of the picture. Natch, you neglected to grasp that concept. Nobody up here bats a freaking eye at any travel situation. Yes, we're big people and know the earth is round and other people that live on it are sometimes far away. Perhaps some provincially minded folks in the lower-48 ought to take that to mind as well.

 

[5hole]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

Don't project.


Where did I say you said those things? What part of "you people" did you internalize to mean "5hole"? Have you read any of these realignment threads and followed any of these discussions about travel to Alaska? Those questions are all rhetorical.



And it was lovely that you're "real world example" applied on both sides of the picture. Natch, you neglected to grasp that concept. Nobody up here bats a freaking eye at any travel situation. Yes, we're big people and know the earth is round and other people that live on it are sometimes far away. Perhaps some provincially minded folks in the lower-48 ought to take that to mind as well.

I didn't internalize ... when you replied with quote - my quote - it directed the questions toward me. Don't quote me, then reply to comments made by others!

I think you are the one that is not grasping the situation ... it does not matter if anybody up there bats a freaking eye at any travel situation. My comment was from the perspective of those (provincially minded folks? ) in the AHA who are evaluating the situation and making a decision based on the best interests for their schools. Quite apparently, they have reasons for not wanting to travel to Alaska on a regular basis ... reasons that you obviously are not grasping since you do not seem to think it is a problem.

 

[uaafanblog]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

Quite apparently, they have reasons for not wanting to travel to Alaska on a regular basis ... reasons that you obviously are not grasping since you do not seem to think it is a problem.

On the contrary. I'm full on making fun of them for holding the views they hold.

And as an aside, I could care less about any of those AHA teams and what they plan or don't plan to do. It's just that irony amuses me.