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What teams will be strong in 2013-2014?
- Thread starter brg
- Start date
mnstate0fhockey
New member
The Big Ten's decision to front load the non-conference schedules is one of my biggest concerns. I have faith that this Gophers team will be a strong one at the end of the year, but the inconsistency of youth could hurt us at the start of the year. Can only hope they can lean on Wilcox at the start of the season.
And yeah, realize I am preaching to the choir with you guys.
FlagDUDE08
Banned
Re: What teams will be strong in 2013-2014?
It's not our fault you westerners have an issue with traveling to the east at even keeling. Even a former Denver assistant has called you out on it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>6 WCHA teams that qualified for NCAAs played 35 non conference games at home and only 10 on road thats a joke/criteria needs adjusting</p>— Seth Appert (@SethAppert) <a href="https://twitter.com/SethAppert/status/317764636436996098">March 29, 2013</a></blockquote>
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It's not our fault you westerners have an issue with traveling to the east at even keeling. Even a former Denver assistant has called you out on it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>6 WCHA teams that qualified for NCAAs played 35 non conference games at home and only 10 on road thats a joke/criteria needs adjusting</p>— Seth Appert (@SethAppert) <a href="https://twitter.com/SethAppert/status/317764636436996098">March 29, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
mnstate0fhockey
New member
Can't speak for other program's, but Minnesota is traveling East more. Vermont this past season, Notre Dame this season, BC, BU, and Northeastern in the coming few years.
Unfortunately though, unless teams are willing to pay a significant sum to have Minnesota travel, I don't see them playing a significant amount of OOC games on the road. Hockey is a significant revenue producer at Minnesota.
Not to mention, now that the Gophers are in a different conference than all of the other MN schools, the priority becomes getting those other MN schools on the OOC schedule because those schools depend on the revenue they get from playing the Gophers.
Tough situation because I agree with your premise, and would like to see the Gophers play more schools away from Mariucci because I think it would bring with it neat travel experiences, but I just don't know how much they actually will anytime soon.
Re: What teams will be strong in 2013-2014?
According to Carlton the Doorman, y'all have Gretzky, Lemieux, and Orr coming in next year. #2014ChampionshipWrappedUp
Of course a fan boy would want to deflect attention away from BU, their new coach, the studs on the ice and a renewed excitement around the program.
Truth be told, anyone mentioning BC in this thread is relying heavily on the unproven talent of an incoming freshman class, goaltender included.
According to Carlton the Doorman, y'all have Gretzky, Lemieux, and Orr coming in next year. #2014ChampionshipWrappedUp
Re: What teams will be strong in 2013-2014?
That's a bit of a skewed comment though. MSU itself played 2 at UAH, 2 at the UCONN "neutral site" tourney (which I'm sure he's not including since MSU would account for almost 50% of his stat)and 4 at home. I'm guessing that he wasn't including neutral site games. Any more games on the road would start bankrupting our programs out west. It's not as easy as hopping on a bus and traveling to another school's barn like you're able to do in the east. We have to get on a plane and get a return trip (which was something that the eastern schools weren't able to do). That might change with conferences re-aligning, but up until now it was flat out way too expensive to travel without getting return trips. Maybe it's even more lopsided with the other teams than I realized, but I'm guessing the numbers were twisted just a tad. Next year MSU will be at Providence, at MN and 2 neutral ice games at the MN Cup.
That's a bit of a skewed comment though. MSU itself played 2 at UAH, 2 at the UCONN "neutral site" tourney (which I'm sure he's not including since MSU would account for almost 50% of his stat)and 4 at home. I'm guessing that he wasn't including neutral site games. Any more games on the road would start bankrupting our programs out west. It's not as easy as hopping on a bus and traveling to another school's barn like you're able to do in the east. We have to get on a plane and get a return trip (which was something that the eastern schools weren't able to do). That might change with conferences re-aligning, but up until now it was flat out way too expensive to travel without getting return trips. Maybe it's even more lopsided with the other teams than I realized, but I'm guessing the numbers were twisted just a tad. Next year MSU will be at Providence, at MN and 2 neutral ice games at the MN Cup.
FlagDUDE08
Banned
Re: What teams will be strong in 2013-2014?
It also looked at the WCHA as a whole. One team does not a conference make. You guys actually traveled to us the year before, so it's only fair we travel to you. I have no issue with that. I'm looking mostly at goofers, dammit, and even DU (although there is some remedy next year). There's also a certain former CCHA team that is a multiple offender, don't want to name any names, but they have ugly helmets...
It also looked at the WCHA as a whole. One team does not a conference make. You guys actually traveled to us the year before, so it's only fair we travel to you. I have no issue with that. I'm looking mostly at goofers, dammit, and even DU (although there is some remedy next year). There's also a certain former CCHA team that is a multiple offender, don't want to name any names, but they have ugly helmets...
mnstate0fhockey
New member
Like I said above, the Gophers have been traveling East and I'm not sure you'll see them travel East much more than they have been because of the reasons I outlined.
- Hockey is an important revenue sport at Minnesota
- Now that the other MN teams are in different conferences, the priority becomes using OOC games to play the, because the money it generates is important to those programs
Likewise, you don't see schools like BC and BU traveling West to play Bemidji or Mankato often either.
FlagDUDE08
Banned
Re: What teams will be strong in 2013-2014?
Don't get me started on BC or BU only having 5 NC games (they use one of the other two to play each other in the beanpot championship, as well as the other game in that tourney). Don't get me started on that one-and-done set of four that ugly helmets pulled a couple years ago, either. Granted, RPI can't talk TOO much concerning Atlantic teams, although we're starting to give them some home games. Look, I don't have any issue with you guys looking to play local NC teams at all. But those 2-for-1, 3-for-1, and so on deals that certain western teams do just because you want to make $5mil instead of 4, that's called asinine. Let's see if you guys even travel to play ECAC teams. Even if you only want to play the ivies.
Don't get me started on BC or BU only having 5 NC games (they use one of the other two to play each other in the beanpot championship, as well as the other game in that tourney). Don't get me started on that one-and-done set of four that ugly helmets pulled a couple years ago, either. Granted, RPI can't talk TOO much concerning Atlantic teams, although we're starting to give them some home games. Look, I don't have any issue with you guys looking to play local NC teams at all. But those 2-for-1, 3-for-1, and so on deals that certain western teams do just because you want to make $5mil instead of 4, that's called asinine. Let's see if you guys even travel to play ECAC teams. Even if you only want to play the ivies.
mnstate0fhockey
New member
Not disagreeing with the premise of your argument at all. And I would love to see the Gophers travel more. It would be fun to travel to some new places to see them play.
That said, when hockey is an important revenue sport for a school, it isn't surprising to me to see them limit the amount of travel they do. I was actually pleasantly surprised to see Minnesota give up two of their 20 school "mandated" home games to play in the MN Cup.
FlagDUDE08
Banned
Re: What teams will be strong in 2013-2014?
School mandated home games of 20? When you have 10 away league games? I rest my case.
School mandated home games of 20? When you have 10 away league games? I rest my case.
FlagDUDE08
Banned
Re: What teams will be strong in 2013-2014?
Who has won 5 of the last 6 NC's? Including one by *GASP* the EZAC!
Who has won 5 of the last 6 NC's? Including one by *GASP* the EZAC!
Re: What teams will be strong in 2013-2014?
I was curious as to the team I follow, North Dakota.
I just went back and checked the schedules during Hakstol's tenure.
First, last year UND played 4 at home and 4 on the road, so I guess the "joke" was on us.
In Hakstol's nine seasons, UND has played 39 ooc games at home and 34 on the road. This is skewed a bit by the Bemidji State numbers. In BSU's last couple of seasons in the CHA, UND scheduled some games with BSU, mostly in Grand Forks, but a couple in Bemidji. Without those games, UND played 33 ooc games at home and 32 on the road.
As for a breakdown, it looks like this:
AHA-- 8 total games against 5 different teams
ECAC-- 15 total games against 6 different teams
HE-- 25 total games against 7 different teams
CHA-- 8 games against BSU
CCHA-- 13 games against 5 different teams
WCHA-- 4 games against 3 different teams
I'm sure Hakstol would like to schedule some games against teams like RPI, etc..., but there are a limited number of games.
I realize you're not picking on everyone, but Appert did cast a wide net when he referred to the WCHA as a whole.
I was curious as to the team I follow, North Dakota.
I just went back and checked the schedules during Hakstol's tenure.
First, last year UND played 4 at home and 4 on the road, so I guess the "joke" was on us.
In Hakstol's nine seasons, UND has played 39 ooc games at home and 34 on the road. This is skewed a bit by the Bemidji State numbers. In BSU's last couple of seasons in the CHA, UND scheduled some games with BSU, mostly in Grand Forks, but a couple in Bemidji. Without those games, UND played 33 ooc games at home and 32 on the road.
As for a breakdown, it looks like this:
AHA-- 8 total games against 5 different teams
ECAC-- 15 total games against 6 different teams
HE-- 25 total games against 7 different teams
CHA-- 8 games against BSU
CCHA-- 13 games against 5 different teams
WCHA-- 4 games against 3 different teams
I'm sure Hakstol would like to schedule some games against teams like RPI, etc..., but there are a limited number of games.
mnstate0fhockey
New member
You never had to make a case to me. I wish our team would travel a bit more too. But like I said, it is hardly limited to programs in the West. And like I've explained, the mighty dollar rules all in some cases, and that appears to be the case with hockey at most (if not all) of the large programs in this country. Especially when hockey is relied on as a revenue sport to fund other non-revenue sports at the universities.
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Re: What teams will be strong in 2013-2014?
It's very simple for Minnesota - every home game they give up costs the program over $350K, and that's just tickets. Throw in concessions and parking and it's close to $500K. Since they are the third largest revenue sport the school has (and most profitable in % terms), they need to generate as many dollars as they can to support the other non-rev sports, of which Minnesota has many. I vaguely remember they carry more sports teams than any other school in the Big 10 but couldn't find any validation. Throw in that the athletic department is self sufficient and receives no $$$ from the school or state, and you have the current recipe for home vs. road. It's likely the reason the FB and BB teams play a very tilted home non-con schedule as well.
Regardless, they need the money, that's why they don't travel often. I personally loved the years when they had the shared schedule with the HE and we would see a couple of teams from that league every year, but that ended about 15 or 20 years ago.
It's very simple for Minnesota - every home game they give up costs the program over $350K, and that's just tickets. Throw in concessions and parking and it's close to $500K. Since they are the third largest revenue sport the school has (and most profitable in % terms), they need to generate as many dollars as they can to support the other non-rev sports, of which Minnesota has many. I vaguely remember they carry more sports teams than any other school in the Big 10 but couldn't find any validation. Throw in that the athletic department is self sufficient and receives no $$$ from the school or state, and you have the current recipe for home vs. road. It's likely the reason the FB and BB teams play a very tilted home non-con schedule as well.
Regardless, they need the money, that's why they don't travel often. I personally loved the years when they had the shared schedule with the HE and we would see a couple of teams from that league every year, but that ended about 15 or 20 years ago.
mnstate0fhockey
New member
Me too.
FiveHole12
Registered User
Re: What teams will be strong in 2013-2014?
If Yale hadn't gotten those 2 cream puffs in the regional, they never would have made it to the Frozen Four.
Lucky bahstahds.
No Chit!!!!
If Yale hadn't gotten those 2 cream puffs in the regional, they never would have made it to the Frozen Four.
Lucky bahstahds.