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Wisconsin Hockey 2024 Offseason

solovsfett said:
Whitelaw is the first big loss. But… maybe this is indicative of the late season slide. Maybe some kids weren’t buying in?

in Hastings I trust.
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Yes, it will be fine. It will take another 1-2 years then Powerhouse. I do wonder how Hastings and Knott will adjust, or have adjusted to the resources they have at UW compared to Mankato. They can't, in my opinion, just get their standard system guys and become a 1970-80's type UW program. And yes, I think with Hastings track record that should be the goal of the program. Aim high! They need to get a few more ballers to put in there with the 4 and 5 year guys. And another 1-2 years to develop the winning attitude that they seemed to lose at the end of the season.
 
I see twitter Minnesota guys saying Hastings is going old.

He can't do that to succeed in the Big7. I hope he gets his guys and has a mix of the high end talent. We will need them to compete with Minnesota, Michigan and MSU.

Rumor mill on Buckyville is saying Quinn Finley is moving on too. They are going to need some high end guys to replace those talents.
 
Yikes... I didn't expect this.

Turn a program around and make it successful and a bunch of me-first malcontents bolt.

The transfer portal is terrible for college sports. Not just UW or UW hockey - all sports, all colleges.

There will be guys that want to come here - possibly the better or best players at lesser programs. Good for us, bad for those programs and the overall competitive balance. Over time, there will be super programs (again, every sport) that every best player wants to get to.

You see it happening in women's volleyball (Nebraska and even UW to a lesser degree) and we saw it in women's hockey with all the talent OSU brought in this season.

The NCAA will need to reevaluate this situation although of course they'll still find a way to screw it up. They should have to sit half a season so at least there is an opportunity cost for the player and a cost for the team that wants to bring them in.

Or maybe contracts of some sort or restrictions as to how many transfers a school can bring in per year. There can't be unfettered movement.

.02
 
WiscTJK said:
I see twitter Minnesota guys saying Hastings is going old.

He can't do that to succeed in the Big7. I hope he gets his guys and has a mix of the high end talent. We will need them to compete with Minnesota, Michigan and MSU.

Rumor mill on Buckyville is saying Quinn Finley is moving on too. They are going to need some high end guys to replace those talents.
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Minnesota people will always rant about Wisconsin. Hastings defeated the gophers often at Mankato and will do so in Madison as well.

I personally don’t care who he recruits (prefer more Canadians generally) so long as he wins like he ALWAYS does.

didn’t Hastings also just get 2 young USNTDP players?

if Finley leaves with Whitelaw I would say they’re selfish brats.

you can’t do better than Wisconsin. I think even the playoff game showed how close Wisconsin is with Hastings to being a legitimate rational title contender.

OT loss to QU who in turn loses in OT to BC who is the best team in the country this year.

question: who did Finley play with prior to coming to Wisconsin? That’s likely who he’ll reunite with.

it’s all follow the leader now with these kids and their friends.
 
digitalbooya said:
Hastings going full Hastings. Don’t expect top draft picks at Wisco anymore.
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For one player you’ve decided how Hastings and Knott will recruit?

jesus. RELAX!

also…I could be mistaken, but didn’t Hastings coach Mankato to two consecutive frozen fours the two years prior to arriving in Madison?? I don’t care if the team is all 23-24 year olds, if they win I’m happy.
 
solovsfett said:
For one player you’ve decided how Hastings and Knott will recruit?

jesus. RELAX!

also…I could be mistaken, but didn’t Hastings coach Mankato to two consecutive frozen fours the two years prior to arriving in Madison?? I don’t care if the team is all 23-24 year olds, if they win I’m happy.
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I agree with this. Win and I'll be happy. And getting a very successful player from Tech is good and covers some of the losses we've seen.
 
digitalbooya said:
Hastings going full Hastings. Don’t expect top draft picks at Wisco anymore.
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I don't care if we ever have an NHL draft choice again as long as we're back in the championship picture. Denver has won a few lately and BC might break the trend, but a lot of these superstar teams haven't taken home the hardware in quite awhile. Minnesota and Michigan load up with top draft picks and it's been 20+ years for them. I'm sure we'll still get some, but I'm content with lower picks who will stay 4 years. Hastings got Mankato to the Frozen Four; I have zero knowledge to tell me he can't do that at Wisconsin.
 
Some of the guys we see leaving I understand like Stange and Strammel. It just never clicked here under either coach for them, best wishes. Matty wants to get paid to play, I don't blame him one bit. The young guys who have been here a year I don't understand at all. It's not about YOU, it's about the team. When the team wins, YOU win. They have to earn the playing time, it's just not going to be handed to them. That's where the older players get it. They understand how much hard work has to go into playing the game the right way, you earn it. Many times the higher draft picks feel like they are entitled to playing time and responsibility. You are not. See ya.

This guy they picked up from Tech fits the bill perfectly.

I would love to hear that Kyle, Lindy, and Silye are coming back. These dudes get it and they can be the backbone of the team next year too. Let's finish the unfinished business boys.
 
Really no surprise to see roster turnover after the first season of a new coaching staff. Some of the guys leaving had roles defined they were not hoping for (limited or pressbox) and in the age of the portal, those guys bail to preceived greener pastures in every sport at every school. In order to bring in transfer like Silye, Tassy, & Fitzgerald like last Summer, guys need to go so even if a guy or two were (or we hope might become) productive. I can go out on a limb and say we end up with a net gain of talent/production when the music stops with the portal with Mosley the first step toward that. Until Hasting actually has a losing season, I'm going to bet on the track record of results.

And I concur on the NHL draft picks, I am a fan of Wisconsin hockey not what the Wisconsin players do in the pros after they leave. I like NHL talent and I am not opposed to seeing it in Madison, but not at the price of success in college. K'Andre Miller has turned into a fine pro, but was disappointing and did very little in Madison.
 
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I forgot Whitelaw is good friends with Stramel. Maybe that was part of it the decision making.

re NHL draft picks, outside of Caufield who really performed over the past 10 years? Holloway? Maybe. Turcotte? NO. K’Andre? Not really.

I’ll take the 1990 and 2006 teams 10x out of 10 over any gopher, weasel or BC teams loaded with draft picks who are too selfish to come together as a team.
 
The coping language is out in full force. “Selfish” LOL

I’m not convinced Hastings knows how to develop players. He’s got an excellent system and a track of record of going after older refined players. The guy from Tech is 24. Their target from RIT (Wilkie) is 24.
 
digitalbooya said:
The coping language is out in full force. “Selfish” LOL

I’m not convinced Hastings knows how to develop players. He’s got an excellent system and a track of record of going after older refined players. The guy from Tech is 24. Their target from RIT (Wilkie) is 24.
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And with his track record of winning the problem is...?

The guys that are leaving obviously don't want to be here and I don't know the reason(s). Would you prefer that they stay if they don't want to be here? Or should we just hire a coach that can placate every player's deepest desires? Maybe finding a coach with a winning track record and finding players who want to play for the name across the front instead of the one on their backs is a better strategy.

I doubt the guys that are leaving are being driven out, unless your definition of driven out is losing playing time for lack of performance. The remedy for that is to step up and outwork the guy in front of you. I've never competed at this level, but this was still the expectation on every team I've been on. Maybe Hastings is treating them unfairly, but I very seriously doubt it. Everything I've seen of the man screams integrity and fairness, but I think he expects players to own their performance and continue to improve. He just doesn't have the Mike Eaves vibe.
 
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