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Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

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Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

4 wins may be a good season at this point. Every time I get an email saying last chance to get season tickets, I am more resigned to the fact I made the right choice to scrap the tixs. I really don't blame Opika for bailing a dumpster fire with a dead man walking as head coach. The blame really falls at the feet of Alvarez and the athletic department for completely misreading the landscape of the program. The fan base, potential recruits, and alumni (players) have abandon the program in mass. Most no longer believe that it was just a down year and Eaves will turn things around and rebound ever much less quickly. At some point, whether Eaves is a "good" coach, knows his x's and o's, is great with cliché's doesn't matter if no one will come play for him. Everyone loses guys to the OHL at some point (or even a verbal commit to another school), but the recent quality/quantity of that happening at UW is a telltale sign of where the program is at.

Wisconsin hockey edges closer and closer to the dark days of the Blackhawks when I finally abandoned a part of a season ticket package to the Hawks and traded my entertainment dollars into getting season tickets to the Badgers the season they moved into the Kohl. Rock bottom will be when there are as many rodent or sue fans in the Kohl as there are Badger fans like when Wing fans outnumbered Hawk fans in the United Center.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

markwojo said:
4 wins may be a good season at this point. Every time I get an email saying last chance to get season tickets, I am more resigned to the fact I made the right choice to scrap the tixs. I really don't blame Opika for bailing a dumpster fire with a dead man walking as head coach. The blame really falls at the feet of Alvarez and the athletic department for completely misreading the landscape of the program. The fan base, potential recruits, and alumni (players) have abandon the program in mass. Most no longer believe that it was just a down year and Eaves will turn things around and rebound ever much less quickly. At some point, whether Eaves is a "good" coach, knows his x's and o's, is great with cliché's doesn't matter if no one will come play for him. Everyone loses guys to the OHL at some point (or even a verbal commit to another school), but the recent quality/quantity of that happening at UW is a telltale sign of where the program is at.

Wisconsin hockey edges closer and closer to the dark days of the Blackhawks when I finally abandoned a part of a season ticket package to the Hawks and traded my entertainment dollars into getting season tickets to the Badgers the season they moved into the Kohl. Rock bottom will be when there are as many rodent or sue fans in the Kohl as there are Badger fans like when Wing fans outnumbered Hawk fans in the United Center.
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I should have scrapped them too. I renewed, but I gave up friday. Will keep the saturday seats and see what happens after this year.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

WiscTJK said:
I should have scrapped them too. I renewed, but I gave up friday. Will keep the saturday seats and see what happens after this year.
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My thoughts were that following last years abomination with another mediocre year (which is slowly turning into more likely another abomination then even a double digit win season) would erode the season ticket base so far, that you'll have choice of virtually whatever seats you want if things turn around and are on the upswing with a new coach, quality recruiting, and positive results start showing on the ice. At this point with the hole dug as deep as it is, even a home run hire (after this season) as coach will take some time to turn things around. This offseason was the year to get a Granatoesque guy as head guy, let him hire absolute elite assistants, and hopefully add a couple good pieces while also not losing others already in the program/committed. Instead we have a lame duck coach, have good/solid assistants (by virtue of overpaying and unprecedented 2 year deals), and have roster players, commits, potential recruits going elsewhere. I'll come back when the product on the ice is watchable, instead of a boring style combined with division 3 talent filling far to many of the roster spots.
 
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Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

mark, everything you say makes sense. I needed this advice last week:)
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

WiscTJK said:
mark, everything you say makes sense. I needed this advice last week:)
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Last week we still has some hope, with not so much good news, but the absence of disasters and public errors. This week we are right back to disasters and public errors.

Just waiting for UW to announce that the UW athletic ticket database has been hacked and our CC information has been compromised (but just for the hockey fans). Then again, the athletic department may not even notice.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

There is an extremely tight timetable right now to find a goalie. Not only do you have to recruit one out of thin air, but you have to get him accepted to school. We know how hard it is to get some kids into UW. Coaching staff better be BURNING up phone lines right now.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

Chuck Schwartz said:
There is an extremely tight timetable right now to find a goalie. Not only do you have to recruit one out of thin air, but you have to get him accepted to school. We know how hard it is to get some kids into UW. Coaching staff better be BURNING up phone lines right now.
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I get the sense a Brian Elliott isn't going to appear out of thin air this go around.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

Chuck Schwartz said:
There is an extremely tight timetable right now to find a goalie. Not only do you have to recruit one out of thin air, but you have to get him accepted to school. We know how hard it is to get some kids into UW. Coaching staff better be BURNING up phone lines right now.
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Garrett Metcalf - did he sign a NLI to Lowell yet?
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

WiscTJK said:
he never has responded to me, but I know he has responded to others.
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I have emailed him 3 times, (the first was actually to barry) Jason King responded to me within 2 hours. He's been always really quick to respond to me (unless it was on a friday and he'd get back to me on Monday.)
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

Red_Rob said:
I have emailed him 3 times, (the first was actually to barry) Jason King responded to me within 2 hours. He's been always really quick to respond to me (unless it was on a friday and he'd get back to me on Monday.)
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He responded back to me fairly quickly....but the reply seemed to be almost a canned standard response rather then addressing anything I specifically brought up. In the end, no one in the AD office seems overly interested in what the masses think...so a 3/4ers empty building will hopefully get their attention this fall.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

Should have a replacement in relatively short order, possibly as soon as Monday. May not go public for a while though, as I'm sure they'll want to make sure he can get into school before announcing anything.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

Chuck Schwartz said:
Should have a replacement in relatively short order, possibly as soon as Monday. May not go public for a while though, as I'm sure they'll want to make sure he can get into school before announcing anything.
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Is the player any good or will he be playing third fiddle to Grunwald/Miller?
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

I can't say for certain, but Matt Jurusik is a name I'm hearing could be a potential goaltending replacement. He had a huge year for Janesville (NAHL) and is likely the top uncommitted goaltender out there right now.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

Chuck Schwartz said:
I can't say for certain, but Matt Jurusik is a name I'm hearing could be a potential goaltending replacement. He had a huge year for Janesville (NAHL) and is likely the top uncommitted goaltender out there right now.
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.939sv % and a 1.57GAA in 40 games. Pretty solid.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

IndianaBadger1995 said:
.939sv % and a 1.57GAA in 40 games. Pretty solid.
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Better save percentage than Landon Peterson had in the NAHL. Of course, they're different players in different situations, but it's something I thought of.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

Gurtholfin said:
Look at me. I was once a rabid and combative fan with tix to both nights.

I went to one game last year and regretted wasting the hundo.

I may go to a game this year, but that will only be for my youngest son who always asks to go as Badger hockey games are his favorite event to attend.


Beyond that, I doubt I'll even watch or listen to too many games. Apathy is firmly rooted and there are thousands of others just like me.

It's not that they're losing, it's that they (the powers that be) are incapable of even recognizing a problem, let alone know what to do about it - Just like the Blackhawks of 1998 - 2006.

If you're not even trying to be successful, why would I waste my time and emotion on you?
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It didn't take St. Louis long to get in his head. I heard the news while traveling yesterday morning. ****ing unbelievable.

Gurt, you are me, except I went to 4 games last year, all losses. I'm not a bandwagoner, I've literally been going to games for decades. I'm in protest mode, as I posted in the past. The money is going for NHL games. **** it.
 
Re: Wisconsin Hockey Recruiting Vol. XXXIV: Go pick me out a winner, Strand

According to Jeff Cox, Wisconsin has contacted Casey DeSmith about the open goaltending job. Would be a graduate transfer.


He was kicked off UNH's team for a domestic arrest. You can google his history.


I'm sure they've talked to a number of options, so this isn't a surprise at all.
 
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