Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

[bucky15]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

and always remember ala Craig Smith they are not coming until they are dressed for the 1st game...and then they may jump at mid season ans that has happened before

I would think McCabe is the top candidate to jump at some point in the summer. I do not think Kerdiles will be leaving until next year. I was really shocked at Woods leaving, he was the 4th line center on a mediocore college hockey team. He should get an apartment in the city Carolina has there ECHL team, because that is where he will be spending most of his career.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

How many years since the expansion of the WCHA did we not have 8 games against Denver/North Dakota (2 each at our place and theirs)? The answer is EVERY ONE. First year we played Denver/NoDak 6 times and this season we played them 4 with NONE at the Kohl Center...repeating that NONE. Hell we had a total of ONE home game against Denver, Minny, and North Dakota this season. The WCHA had become not what the WCHA once was and it was never going back...so time to move on. I'm excited knowing we will get 12 games a year against Minny, MSU, and Michigan and have the schedule flexibility that we can play North Dakota, Denver, and more Eastern powers then we have been able to with the bloated WCHA.

It has been very exciting to see our non-con schedule fill up with good matchups now that we're in a 20-game conference schedule. That alone is a huge bonus for us being in the BTHC.

 

[markwojo]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

It has been very exciting to see our non-con schedule fill up with good matchups now that we're in a 20-game conference schedule. That alone is a huge bonus for us being in the BTHC.

We will still schedule some wins/stat sheet stuffers and home games where we don't have to reciprocate...but I get a real good feeling we will be playing more of the premier elite type programs and fewer of the unispiring types then we have the last couple years.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

I really don't get all the distain for B6. Initially I was apprehensive about it, but have grown to actually prefer that to status quo in a bloated WCHA. When the WCHA added Bemidji and UNO, it was time to go. For me the allure of the WCHA was getting to play the marquee programs and when you added 2 nonmarque...teams you watered down the abilty to play the North Dakota, Minnesotas, Denver, UMD, CC, SCSU. I have little interest in watching Tech, AA, Bemidji, UNO, Mankato...ever. UNO has the capability of being a solid program, but has little or no history with UW and the other 4 are perennially just not good. For me WCHA verses B6 is not any different in terms of quality of conference going in and the B6 has the potential to be MUCH better then what the WCHA was.

Here's my take on the old and the new:

Elites (National Championship pedicree, facilities, tradition, ect) WCHA:Minny, North Dakota, Denver, UW B6:Minny, UW, Michigan
MidTier (sometimes elite, but generally at least good to solid) WCHA: UMD, SCSU, CC, UNO B6: MSU
Basement (occasionally a blip on the national scene...but generally not) WCHA: AA, Tech, Mankato, Bemidji B6: Penn St, OSU

I was hesitant to put MSU in the 2nd tier as they are probably much closer to the top tier then any of the old WCHA teams I put in the next rung. When you compare the potential of Penn St & OSU to the teams in the bottom category of the WCHA...there is no comparison in terms of coaching, facilities, budget....generally the ability to get to at worst the mid tier. Oz and the comittment Pagula made to PSU will likely have both very very solid programs (hell, they already are). For every game against Tech, Bemidji, AA, Mankato, you weren't getting a game against North Dakota or Denver. How many years since the expansion of the WCHA did we not have 8 games against Denver/North Dakota (2 each at our place and theirs)? The answer is EVERY ONE. First year we played Denver/NoDak 6 times and this season we played them 4 with NONE at the Kohl Center...repeating that NONE. Hell we had a total of ONE home game against Denver, Minny, and North Dakota this season. The WCHA had become not what the WCHA once was and it was never going back...so time to move on. I'm excited knowing we will get 12 games a year against Minny, MSU, and Michigan and have the schedule flexibility that we can play North Dakota, Denver, and more Eastern powers then we have been able to with the bloated WCHA.

Not only do I agree with all of this, it's all 100% correct.

Guarantee me 6 games a year against Michigan, Minny and MSU?

See ya WCHA!

 

[WiscDC]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

I really don't get all the distain for B6...

Most, though not all, of the complaining was a knee jerk reaction from the "get off my lawn, this was Barry's fault because he thinks Indiana is a college hockey power, and Michigan and Michigan State have lower profiles than AIC and Bentley" crowd. This is why I literally jumped up and down to cheer this Big Ten Hockey video they played in the second intermission of games this year. I wasn't the only one. We would jump up and down and say, "Yay! Yay! [everything markwojo said]!"

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3a8GJyGeGnA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[GB Puck Fan]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

I really don't get all the distain for B6. .

To me, Wisconsin's hockey rivals are Minnesota, Duluth, NoDak, Denver and CC. You make a fair point about this year's scheduling, but they still played those teams every year. That's going away.

I don't care about Penn State for hockey, and only slightly more in the Michigan and Michigan State. Do you really think a 'casual' fan will say, "Oh goody, the Nittany Lions are coming, I'd better get tickets" when they wouldn't say that for Tech or St. Cloud? I doubt it.

And, while the new WCHA - arguably the leftovers - should have those teams excited for a better chance at the NCAAs, I worry that the loss of guaranteed games (particularly home games) against UW, Minn, Mich. etc. will hurt them overall.

The reshuffling may indeed open up slots for teams to add, but not every school has a Pegula waiting around. I'm not too optimistic any other B1G team will be added soon.

And, to some, change is just hard. Simple as that.

 

[icebadger]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

I have been on the fence about this whole B1G thing. More games against Michigan, MSU, etc are nice, especially in lieu of the recently deceased College Hockey Showdown. On the other hand, part of what made being a college hockey fan cool was that it wasn't B1G hockey. You had to want to be there if we were playing MSUM or UAA. In other words, you were more of a hardcore fan than Joe Schmo who wants to kill Michigan in all sports and doesn't know what a blue line is but may end up coming to games because now it's B1G hockey (!). That, and I'm always skittish about the BTN. Wasn't one of the promises when it was being dreamed up and rolled out that we would get a lot more college hockey? That never really happened. I'm worried that we'll somehow see less than we already do. Anyway, that's why I've been not so gung-ho about the B1G hockey conference. Now bring on next season (and the schedule soon, so I can decide if I get real-person season tickets for the first time).

 

[WiscDC]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

To me, Wisconsin's hockey rivals are Minnesota, Duluth, NoDak, Denver and CC. You make a fair point about this year's scheduling, but they still played those teams every year. That's going away.

Things change, and in the long term, it's not bad. When it comes to preferring a rivalry game over a non-rivalry game, it's really a mentality. There's more of an aura around a Wisconsin-Minnesota game than a Wisconsin-Bemidji St. or Wisconsin-Ohio State game. Even teams like CC and Minnesota-Duluth carry something in our matchups with them. Traditional college teams from the west, you know? In the WCHA of the upper midwest and rocky mountains. Sure, right now, Penn State is just Penn State. But over time, a six team league will be great. 4 games against each team every year. A prestigious athletic conference (better top-to-bottom academics than most, plus the AAU and CIC thing) with big universities. Over time, I'd feel more pumped for a game with Michigan State than our current WCHA traditional-but-not-really-a-rival opponents. Mighty battles of the upper midwest. And Penn State...over time their program will build. It's not like the state of Pennsylvania is devoid of hockey. They'll develop their own tradition. Hopefully their initially outstanding fan following will continue to strengthen. I can see it now. The Penn State Nittany Lions hockey team. Nice. And then there's Ohio State. Whatever.

Anyway, it takes time. And I'm buying into it. And that video is super cool.

 

[DoorCtyBadgers]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

I really don't get all the distain for B6.

it is very simple the future B6 hockey schedules is going to be controlled by the B10 basketball network....any questions.....oh yea when they star playing sun-mon series which will be the norm it aint gonna matter who the coach because 5-7 thousand fans will be there irregardless and that will be when attendence is up.........it is time to wake up and understand the destruction that is on the waay for college hockey as a whole

 

[DoorCtyBadgers]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

Most, though not all, of the complaining was a knee jerk reaction from the "get off my lawn, this was Barry's fault because he thinks Indiana is a college hockey power, and Michigan and Michigan State have lower profiles than AIC and Bentley" crowd. This is why I literally jumped up and down to cheer this Big Ten Hockey video they played in the second intermission of games this year. I wasn't the only one. We would jump up and down and say, "Yay! Yay! [everything markwojo said]!"

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3a8GJyGeGnA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

i remember them showing that video in between periods for the mn duluth playoff at the kC and some of the fans started booing absolutely priceless

 

[WiscDC]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

it is very simple the future B6 hockey schedules is going to be controlled by the B10 basketball network....any questions.....oh yea when they star playing sun-mon series which will be the norm it aint gonna matter who the coach because 5-7 thousand fans will be there irregardless and that will be when attendence is up.........it is time to wake up and understand the destruction that is on the waay for college hockey as a whole

Friday-Saturday series will continue to be the norm. Yes, there will be games on other days as well, but to say it's "the norm" is just going along with the "knee jerk" fans who assume the Big Ten wants to kill college hockey. What's best for college hockey is what's best for the Big Ten Hockey Conference, and what's best for that league is what's best for the Big Ten as a whole.

As far as attendance is concerned, the new league has very little to do with that. Think about the other schools, and think about what's contributed to the attendance decline here. A switch in conferences is not a factor. The biggest issue is enthusiasm built by the number one marketer for the Badgers, the UW Athletic Department, but most people talk about complaints the fans have. Those complaints involve scheduling, which got tough with the 12 team WCHA.

As far as BTN is concerned, basketball has nothing to do with it. Your scheduling complaint was what you said about Sunday-Monday series, so BTN influencing scheduling will have less to do with it. There's potential for great promotion from the Big Ten in the winter time, and cross-promotion in other sports. If people can get a steady dose of Big Ten hockey, it will be good.

 

[badgerhawk]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

I have been on the fence about this whole B1G thing. More games against Michigan, MSU, etc are nice, especially in lieu of the recently deceased College Hockey Showdown. On the other hand, part of what made being a college hockey fan cool was that it wasn't B1G hockey. You had to want to be there if we were playing MSUM or UAA. In other words, you were more of a hardcore fan than Joe Schmo who wants to kill Michigan in all sports and doesn't know what a blue line is but may end up coming to games because now it's B1G hockey (!). That, and I'm always skittish about the BTN. Wasn't one of the promises when it was being dreamed up and rolled out that we would get a lot more college hockey? That never really happened. I'm worried that we'll somehow see less than we already do. Anyway, that's why I've been not so gung-ho about the B1G hockey conference. Now bring on next season (and the schedule soon, so I can decide if I get real-person season tickets for the first time).

The way attendance has been dropping by the "hardcore" fans, hopefully Joe Schmo will come to the game. The best way to learn what a blue line is, is to go to the games.

 

[WiscDC]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

The way attendance has been dropping by the "hardcore" fans, hopefully Joe Schmo will come to the game. The best way to learn what a blue line is, is to go to the games.

Obviously, we'd all love 15,000 die-hard hockey fans at every game. The Joe Schmo instant transformation happens all the time when "non-traditional" NHL teams get good, so it shouldn't be hard for an individual in a place like Madison, Wisconsin. The more people at the games, the more those people want to come back. I've seen people develop a strong interest in hockey from nothing many times.

As someone from the Washington, D.C. area, I find it funny when people talk about how popular hockey is in different places. The Minnesota people all look down upon Wisconsin as if there's a state law about restricting hockey. It is highly inconvenient that the biggest non-hockey hole in the state is the biggest population center, but both state-wide and in the Madison area (which you depend on most for attendance), hockey is very popular. More hockey is played here than where I'm from, not including outdoors. It's amazing that I can just walk down to Vilas Park and play hockey with other random people. High school hockey in my area was just teams with all the people who happened to play hockey at the school and chose to play with the high school team. My house league team played high school teams; the players were the same. The Blackhawks and Wild following in Wisconsin is pretty good.

Wisconsin hockey should be an awesome cultural event here. Everyone has "joe schmo" fans, even Minnesota. Plenty of those Joe Schmo fans will become "real" fans. While all that goes on, there will still be the die-hards. I can assure you that an enormous chunk of us in the student section are discussing the goings-on in the WCHA and national college hockey scene, and really specific hockey stuff that the gophers fans would never give us credit for. We're still here. We won't buy season tickets our first year out of school. We'll buy other people's student tickets because of the steep discount and because we love it so much.

 

[Almington]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

with wisconsin now joing the ultra weak B6 hockey league and on paper looks as of they will be in the running to win it, you can see a second straight ncca tourney appearance for the boys....and if that happens then you can bet the farm eaves will be around no less then 2 more years.....in fact if you wanted eaves out that bad the wcha schedule would have done it alot faster then this very weak B6 schedule is going to do...and if your worried lack of attendance will alvarez and his B6 hockey league buudies will contribute to the cause and then who knows what time or night of the week we wil be playing is also going to be an absolute huge factor in lack of attendance......but dont worry like chuck says we will be on tv mre and playing B6 hockey teams so all will be well.....right now with all variables playing into this Eaves has no less then 3 years coaching in the B6 hockey league.....

Now you're not just wrong, you're also apparently drunk or a complete idiot.

By any measure attendance and fan enthusiasm for Badger hockey are at a low point and the truth of the matter is that isn't going to change simply because the team has made the NCAA tournament two years in a row. That level of success may stem the tide but it is going to take at least 3 or 4 years of steady success to build the positive momentum and get disenchanted fans back. That is why the 2013-14 season is CRITICAL, I don't think that Eaves survives a sub-500 season because I suspect that if that team struggles early, attendance will crash in the 2nd half and THAT will get the notice of the AD. Even if he does, the following year will likely be even worse because of the large senior class (this seasons So) who will have graduated. Eaves isn't going to be able to survive two more near-500 seasons because at that point they may as well just move the Men's games to LaBahn because that's about all the fans who will be left (figuratively speaking).

You're right Eaves will likely be around for 3 more seasons, but the only way that he's getting the noose off his neck is to win the NC next season. Eaves may not have lost the confidence of those in the AD, but it's clear that the fans are tired of his teams inconstancy (given the style of play)

 

[solovsfett]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

Friday-Saturday series will continue to be the norm. Yes, there will be games on other days as well, but to say it's "the norm" is just going along with the "knee jerk" fans who assume the Big Ten wants to kill college hockey. What's best for college hockey is what's best for the Big Ten Hockey Conference, and what's best for that league is what's best for the Big Ten as a whole.

As far as attendance is concerned, the new league has very little to do with that. Think about the other schools, and think about what's contributed to the attendance decline here. A switch in conferences is not a factor. The biggest issue is enthusiasm built by the number one marketer for the Badgers, the UW Athletic Department, but most people talk about complaints the fans have. Those complaints involve scheduling, which got tough with the 12 team WCHA.

As far as BTN is concerned, basketball has nothing to do with it. Your scheduling complaint was what you said about Sunday-Monday series, so BTN influencing scheduling will have less to do with it. There's potential for great promotion from the Big Ten in the winter time, and cross-promotion in other sports. If people can get a steady dose of Big Ten hockey, it will be good.

are you implying that the B10 is going help college hockey grow and/or it's going to automatically be the savior of the sport from niche/cult status. That's pretty arrogant.

What's good for college hockey is exposure and growth (b10 or no b10). does the B10 offer more exposure? maybe in Barry's mind but we don't know since they haven't dropped the puck. will sports sections across america suddenly notice NCAA hockey and write articles due strictly to the B10 conference? will ESPN suddenly broadcast mid-season highlights?

as for attendance it's been declining for about 4 years, it has a lot more to do with the following: mediocre or underachieving teams, and a plodding slow the game down defensive style of play that people have grown tired of

as for BTN, I don't know how they're going to handle next season but what I do know is this, NCAA hockey is a 3rd tier sport in the minds of most AD's, program directors, sports writers. if you think BTN will show a UW vs. MSU hockey game over a B10 roundball game vs. anyone that's fine, I'm going to await the empirical evidence on that one

 

[icebadger]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

As far as BTN is concerned, basketball has nothing to do with it. Your scheduling complaint was what you said about Sunday-Monday series, so BTN influencing scheduling will have less to do with it. There's potential for great promotion from the Big Ten in the winter time, and cross-promotion in other sports. If people can get a steady dose of Big Ten hockey, it will be good.

I completely disagree with that first statement. Didn't BTN interrupt a game for Crean's introductory press conference? They sold us the song and dance of broadcasting a ton of hockey before. More games between B1G teams just means more games for them to ignore.

 

[WiscDC]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

are you implying that the B10 is going help college hockey grow and/or it's going to automatically be the savior of the sport from niche/cult status. That's pretty arrogant.

I don't. That being said, I think that they would prefer to have their product do well. They're not going to pull a bunch of stuff just to make people mad.

as for BTN, I don't know how they're going to handle next season but what I do know is this, NCAA hockey is a 3rd tier sport in the minds of most AD's, program directors, sports writers. if you think BTN will show a UW vs. MSU hockey game over a B10 roundball game vs. anyone that's fine, I'm going to await the empirical evidence on that one

I don't think that at all. I'm not blinded by what I would prefer in an ideal world. I follow UW's basketball team. I'm trying to think of a time in the past 2 years that they've had a regular season game, whether home or away, on a Friday or Saturday night. I can't think of one. Basketball TV scheduling, for Big Ten teams anyway, is based around a national schedule. 2 hour blocks so you have games starting at 7 PM ET on weekdays, and starting at noon on weekends. All our weekend games are in the day. Otherwise, they're night games in the middle of the week. I'm not saying the Big Ten will treat hockey like it does basketball, but I see no reason why they won't try and make hockey work in addition to basketball. What I was saying wasn't about priorities, it was about them prefering everything to work, instead of just one thing.

 

[WiscDC]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

I completely disagree with that first statement. Didn't BTN interrupt a game for Crean's introductory press conference? They sold us the song and dance of broadcasting a ton of hockey before. More games between B1G teams just means more games for them to ignore.

I was simply unaware of this. When was it? That's freakin' stupid. I'm willing to give their "song and dance" a chance now that they have a stake in it. If we could get more local coverage, regardless of BTN, that would be even better! (Except when I'm back east, so I can watch )

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

I was simply unaware of this. When was it? That's freakin' stupid. I'm willing to give their "song and dance" a chance now that they have a stake in it. If we could get more local coverage, regardless of BTN, that would be even better! (Except when I'm back east, so I can watch )

That was way back in the first year of the BTN.

In their defense, the BTN's hockey coverage has grown by leaps and bounds since then. On the other hand, they did cut away from a Wisconsin-Minnesota game for a ****ing press conference.

 

[WiscDC]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol XXV: There's Hope! Or whatever...

That was way back in the first year of the BTN.

In their defense, the BTN's hockey coverage has grown by leaps and bounds since then. On the other hand, they did cut away from a Wisconsin-Minnesota game for a ****ing press conference.

Oh, the humanity! (Oh the huge manatee...) I can assure you, I'd be extremely mad at that.