WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

[Wisko McBadgerton]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

How long has it been since this team was feared on an annual basis? About 18 years fellas.

This is not meant to be a defense in any way, but I would say that it is much tougher today to consistently produce the kind of dominance that many of us grew up with. Back then, there were maybe a half dozen NCAA teams that could pull real talent from Canadian Major Juniors; Wisconsin being one of them. While there is assuredly many more good players today, the NCAA is all around a much more viable alternative and we see really good players going to places like Q or SCSU or UNO, etc. In the past it was much more of a rarity, and the disparity of talent between the top and the middle was a much greater gulf then now.

That being said, there's still no reason for WI to not be a top ten team 4 of 5 years as there are other programs getting the (perhaps more difficult) job done.

 

[TUSCHWI]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

don't know if it helps any or not but Barry was in the crowd last nite.....Mike Eaves time as UW coach has expired...from the northern Michigan series through tonight it is quite evident he has lost any kind of apptitude of what that it takes just to be an average ncaa hockey coach.....hell we got a so called college hockey team who can't score...these guys have been scoring goals since the age of 5....as long as the BT is taking college hockey down we might as well go down with a new coach and a new system....bring in alot of those 3-4 years college hockey players....throw a top nhl draft pick here and there and start getting this program back to where at least they are fun to watch

This the best news I've read about last night. If BA was there and saw another 3rd period collapse, another sparse crowd, another game of boring play, then I have some hope that the change that needs to be made will be made.

 

[joeyv]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Its not about talent. The talent is there. Its about stifling creativity, its about rigid adherence to a system without regard for situations, its about a coach who would rather "break a player down" than improve upon his strengths and weaknesses, its about an athletic department that has tolerated mediocrity and watched as attendance dwindles.

You cannot tell me Kerdiles, Zulinick, Schulze, and some of the other young players are not supremely talented. They just are not allowed to be creative, and are constantly being stifled.

It is about a system that isn't working and the results are showing. I do not tolerate mediocrity. I expect this program to compete for titles every year. It isn't happening and its time for a change.

Wisconsin Hockey: Frustration Boils Over.

 

[TUSCHWI]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Its not about talent. The talent is there. Its about stifling creativity, its about rigid adherence to a system without regard for situations, its about a coach who would rather "break a player down" than improve upon his strengths and weaknesses, its about an athletic department that has tolerated mediocrity and watched as attendance dwindles.

You cannot tell me Kerdiles, Zulinick, Schulze, and some of the other young players are not supremely talented. They just are not allowed to be creative, and are constantly being stifled.

It is about a system that isn't working and the results are showing. I do not tolerate mediocrity. I expect this program to compete for titles every year. It isn't happening and its time for a change.

Wisconsin Hockey: Frustration Boils Over.

Here here! I'll second that.

 

[JDUBBS1280]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

I'm sorry, but I can't help but laugh at the completely unjustified sense of entitlement from this fanbase. Even PSU fans on Twitter were joking about it on Twitter last night.

NEWS FLASH: Your school hasn't made hockey a priority.

NEWS FLASH: Your school doesn't have the advantage of being in a top tier recruiting market. You import your talent, and that IS NOT a recipe for SUSTAINED success in ANY sport in today's sports environment unless you make that sport an absolute priority (Denver, Miami, UND, etc...).

Michigan had a 17-year tournament drought in an era with LESS parity and they are in a top tier recruiting market.

Instead of calling for Eaves head, you should be calling for Barry's head. You're absolutely kidding yourself if you think his presence hasn't had anything to do with the decline of your hockey program. UW is no longer a hockey school.

But getting rid of Barry would mean putting hockey before football and basketball and I doubt even many of you here are willing to let go of your recent football and bouncy ball success.

 

[TUSCHWI]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

But getting rid of Barry would mean putting hockey before football and basketball and I doubt even many of you here are willing to let go of your recent football and bouncy ball success.

I would be happy to dump BA and let go of football and bball success. But I know I'm in the minority.

 

[SanTropez]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

I think parity has leveled the "playing field" more than some want to accept. Think Bemidji State, Ferris, Union, Miami etc... 20 years ago those teams would have never had a chance at a Frozen Four. Now this year it's Quinny, parity parity parity.

 

[JDUBBS1280]

I would be happy to dump BA and let go of football and bball success. But I know I'm in the minority.

And I'm sure there are others like you. Just giving an outsider's perspective. UW used to be regarded as a hockey school. A destination for hockey. Slowly but surely that is fading. I think that is a big factor that is being ignored. No school is top tier at everything. School's prioritize. hockey is just no longer a priority at UW. Just my two cents.

 

[joeyv]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Our sense of "entitlement" is that even with the so called "imports", we have six national titles. So my expectations are not "entitlement", they are expectations of certain performance. UW's gotten the talent...it hasn't performed...and that's coaching...not administration.

I do not disagree that the athletic department has not made UW Hockey a priority. No question about that. But, UW Hockey was never the "flagship" program at UW...even in the past...and regardless it built one of the most storied traditions in college hockey.

However, you cannot seriously argue that Eaves has gotten the job done. You're just sandbagging anyway about keeping Eaves around. Its kind of like Glenn Mason used to be with the football program at Minnesota...you hoped he'd do just well enough to stay around and perpetuate the mediocrity.

Eaves has got to go. This team has missed the NCAA's in 5 of the last 7 seasons. It isn't because Barry Alvarez is meddling...its because Eaves isn't getting the job done. Period.

Wisconsin Hockey: Entitled? You Bet.

 

[JDUBBS1280]

Our sense of "entitlement" is that even with the so called "imports", we have six national titles. So my expectations are not "entitlement", they are expectations of certain performance. UW's gotten the talent...it hasn't performed...and that's coaching...not administration.

I do not disagree that the athletic department has not made UW Hockey a priority. No question about that. But, UW Hockey was never the "flagship" program at UW...even in the past...and regardless it built one of the most storied traditions in college hockey.

However, you cannot seriously argue that Eaves has gotten the job done. You're just sandbagging anyway about keeping Eaves around. Its kind of like Glenn Mason used to be with the football program at Minnesota...you hoped he'd do just well enough to stay around and perpetuate the mediocrity.

Eaves has got to go. This team has missed the NCAA's in 5 of the last 7 seasons. It isn't because Barry Alvarez is meddling...its because Eaves isn't getting the job done. Period.

Wisconsin Hockey: Entitled? You Bet.

A lot more parity in college hockey these days. No program is entitled to success these days, and if there were, UW wouldn't be near the top of the list. It's hard to take these entitlement comments seriously when your own administration doesn't make hockey a priority.

Enjoy your six titles. With the mindset you have I get the feeling it will be a long time before UW gets another. They certainly don't have the conference hardware to show they are a consistent contender.

 

[Go4PuckFan2.0]

A lot more parity in college hockey these days. No program is entitled to success these days, and if there were, UW wouldn't be near the top of the list. It's hard to take these entitlement comments seriously when your own administration doesn't make hockey a priority.

Enjoy your six titles. With the mindset you have I get the feeling it will be a long time before UW gets another. They certainly don't have the conference hardware to show they are a consistent contender.

Duck...

 

[Dirty]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

Duck...

Duck...GOOSE!!!

 

[JDUBBS1280]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

BTW - My comments aren't inteded to be instigational. I'm just pointing out something I think gets danced around quite a bit. If you really want change, everything should be on the table for discussion. And I genuinely feel like the perception of UW has changed from a "hockey school" to just a school that has hockey under Alverez.

 

[TUSCHWI]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

And I'm sure there are others like you. Just giving an outsider's perspective. UW used to be regarded as a hockey school. A destination for hockey. Slowly but surely that is fading. I think that is a big factor that is being ignored. No school is top tier at everything. School's prioritize. hockey is just no longer a priority at UW. Just my two cents.

I appreciate an outsiders perspective Dubbs. With the emergence of FBall and BBall, hockey would naturally suffer to a point. Even so, there's no excuse for missing the NCAA's and not getting home ice in the WCHA playoffs with the facilities and everything else WI has. Heck, other football heavy schools (Michgan besides this year, and Notre Dame) are able to do it. And like I said before I think, if we're going to lose, at least play an exciting style style and lose 5-4...but score some goals.

 

[Tipsy McStagger]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

UW's gotten the talent...it hasn't performed...and that's coaching...not administration.

How can you be sure, though? Because they have some high draft picks? I just don't think that you can say that it is all coaching when you have the same guy that has had two championship caliber teams.

 

[markwojo]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

There is not a simple explanation (the lack of sucess relative to expectations at a school like UW). Hockey has slipped down the totem pole as football and basketball has risen in prominence, while money has poured into new facilities for basketball and renovations of Camp Randall (and no the Kohl is not there because of hockey and hockey is a mere afterthought often bounced for womans basketball and freaking high school wrestling), hockey has largely been ignored until the construction of LaBahn. The fact that the mens program was practicing in the Collosium for as long as they were is an embarassment. One of the bigger problems has been the uneven classes where it is feast of famine of either a veteran team or one devoid of virtually any upperclassmen (we are heading for that crash again in 2 seasons)...and Eaves has had a decade to fix that and has not. There has been a talent issue as well. While Eaves has gotten his share and done particularly well with Dmen recruits...he is always missing an elite forward or two and the goalies between Elliott and Rumpel have been mediocre at best. There has rarely been enough scoring depth and that only gets compounded when guys like Turris, Stepan, Smith, or Murray leave a year sooner then hoped/expected.

At the end of the day, the buck stops with Eaves and the results speak for themselves. In 11 years, no conference season or tourney championships, rarely in the tourney, and mediocrity at best. This trainwreck is on par with the end of the Barney era.

While you can argue Wisconsin's entitlement, please list how many teams have more advantages then Wisconsin in the college hockey world? There are certainly schools that do....North Dakota, Minnesota, BC....but there are not 14 programs (figure with 2 autobids....you only have to be in the top 14 to make the tourney) where Wisconsin should not be in the tourney at the least most years instead of rarely which is what we have evolved into.

 

[Almington]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

How can you be sure, though? Because they have some high draft picks? I just don't think that you can say that it is all coaching when you have the same guy that has had two championship caliber teams.

The issue is how Eaves handles the talent that he gets into the program. One National title, Two Frozen Four Appearances, ZERO Final Five Titles, ZERO Regular Season titles, 5 NCAA bids and an overall 0.550 winning percentage in 10 Years.

Eaves runs the program like a professional hockey organization, where each player is brought in to fill a very specific roll and then Eaves develops that player to fill that specific role. Thus by the time they are seniors they fill those roles with excellence (or they don't play). The problem is that not every player can make the transition to the next level (particularly in an offensive role) and when Eaves "misses" on one of the players he has counted on for offensive production their is no one of the team who can step up to fill the missing production because that is not what they are trained to do. For the most part, Eaves led teams are lacking in secondary scoring.

Even with UW's administration not making Hockey it's #1 priority, it is still putting more resources towards the program than 90+% of all the other schools. If the administration is guilty of anything it is being far to laissez-faire attitude towards the program and apathetic with regards to the results provided that revenue didn't decline and no NCAA violations were committed.

 

[DoorCtyBadgers]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

A lot more parity in college hockey these days. No program is entitled to success these days, and if there were, UW wouldn't be near the top of the list. It's hard to take these entitlement comments seriously when your own administration doesn't make hockey a priority.

Enjoy your six titles. With the mindset you have I get the feeling it will be a long time before UW gets another. They certainly don't have the conference hardware to show they are a consistent contender.

you dont need conference hardware to be national champions......

 

[JDUBBS1280]

I appreciate an outsiders perspective Dubbs. With the emergence of FBall and BBall, hockey would naturally suffer to a point. Even so, there's no excuse for missing the NCAA's and not getting home ice in the WCHA playoffs with the facilities and everything else WI has. Heck, other football heavy schools (Michgan besides this year, and Notre Dame) are able to do it. And like I said before I think, if we're going to lose, at least play an exciting style style and lose 5-4...but score some goals.

I agree, not saying it's impossible to be successful at both sports. But look at Michigan, the school you used as an example. They had a 17 year tournament drought at one time. Granted, they have been a model of consistency lately, but it just goes to show that few programs, if any, are immune to down periods.

One big advantage that Michigan also has that UW doesn't is being in the flagship program in one of this country's most fertile recruiting grounds. They get a ton of top kids just because they grew up Michigan fans.

We've seen a lot of success recently at smaller schools where hockey is the school's primary (or in some cases only) D1 sport. These schools prioritize hockey and put a lot of emphasis on their programs. Inversely, we have seen a lot of the big schools where hockey isn't the only big show on campus struggle more than they have in the past.

Minnesota had a 3-4 year down stretch, Michigan is horrible this year, and UW has been struggling as of late. These schools are just not guaranteed to be successful year-in and year-out any longer with the parity in college hockey.

I think it has been a bit easier for Michigan and Minnesota to minimize the down-swings because of the recruiting advantage I discussed earlier. UW will have some really great years moving forward, but unless they change the perception of just being a school with hockey instead of a hockey school, I don't think they'll see the same consistency they have seen in the past.

 

[DoorCtyBadgers]

Re: WISCONSIN Hockey Vol. XXIV - Craziest Season Of All Time

I appreciate an outsiders perspective Dubbs. With the emergence of FBall and BBall, hockey would naturally suffer to a point. Even so, there's no excuse for missing the NCAA's and not getting home ice in the WCHA playoffs with the facilities and everything else WI has. Heck, other football heavy schools (Michgan besides this year, and Notre Dame) are able to do it. And like I said before I think, if we're going to lose, at least play an exciting style style and lose 5-4...but score some goals.

tuschi you hit the nail on the head, if the badgers were at least playing some brand of exciting hockey then you wouldn't have as fans bailing at the rate they are...play great hockey, keep it exciting and all the rest takes care of itself