Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

[joeyv]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Mike Eaves was asked his thoughts on his teams performance in the regular season. He had no comment. <a href="http://t.co/LjJdtuULip">pic.twitter.com/LjJdtuULip</a></p>— Andy Johnson (@AndyJohnsonB5Q) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndyJohnsonB5Q/status/576954886425718784">March 15, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Are you F!@#$%^ kidding me? Let me help you out Eaves:

"I have checked out just like my team, my staff, and our athletic department. I would have to think about how I rationalize running one of the premier hockey programs in the country into the ground, but I really am not sure how it happened. And hey...DYK: We have been shut out in 4 of our last 6 games- isn't that some kind of record?"

This guy has GOT to be canned. Did you ever think that you would see a Wisconsin Hockey team win 4 games in a season? Hell, I have seen this club win 5 games in a week with a weekend sweep followed by the WCHA Final Five title!

This program needs to pony up and get the VERY best guy for the job. That person will have a ton of work to do, but UW Hockey cannot suffer through any more of this. I am deeply concerned about hearing talk of a "short leash". Just rip that band aid off and let's get this program back in perennial national title contention.

Dammit.

Wisconsin Hockey: Disillusioned.

 

[purpleinnebraska]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

Mike Hastings is my #1. I could be totally off, but what a turn around he has done at Mankato. Plus he comes from the USHL and that helps too.

Hey now. Enough of that talk.

Hastings is a Minnesota guy. Grew up in Crookston, went to St. Cloud. He's decently paid. I'm not sure he's ready to bail, particularly for a job outside of Minnesota (unless it was UNO).

 

[WiscTJK]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

Hey now. Enough of that talk.

Hastings is a Minnesota guy. Grew up in Crookston, went to St. Cloud. He's decently paid. I'm not sure he's ready to bail, particularly for a job outside of Minnesota (unless it was UNO).

Bob Johnson was a Minnesota guy at one time.... Just saying.

He continues to be my first choice.

 

[UWisco]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

What is Chelios doing? Seems like he could be a good recruiter and a great defensive assistant coach.

 

[oldicecoach]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

And hey...DYK: We have been shut out in 4 of our last 6 games- isn't that some kind of record?"

I think you are shortchanging the Badgers, they have been shutout 5 of the last 7 games. On the bright side they have scored a total of 4 goals over that 7 game stretch.

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

Bob Johnson was a Minnesota guy at one time.... Just saying.

He continues to be my first choice.

Sauer was from WI but played and coached @ CC (and UW) before taking the head coach job.

I vote for tDon, Blaisi, Hastings, Jim Montgomery, Oz, D Granato in that order. Too bad Rohlick isn't doing great @ OSU, or he'd be on the list too.

It sure seems like Eaves is shell-shocked.

All this being said, all we need is 3 wins in 3 days lads. Shock the world. Finish strong. (Please let Besse and Hughes be healthy enough to play!)

 

[TUSCHWI]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

It sure seems like Eaves is shell-shocked.

This is a good description of how he looks and sounded (based on the "need time to think about it" quote).

 

[markwojo]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

Count me in on the pass on Mark Johnson crowd. The reason he didn't get the job when Sauer got a gentle nudge out the door is because the program had deteriorated and Johnson as the lead assistant had a significant hand in the lackluster recruiting around that time. If you subtract out the 2 Heatley years (yes they did land him and he was an Eichelesque landscape changing talent....but he was a fall in your lap legacy recruit that you shouldn't screw up the recruitment of to begin with), Sauer had losing records 4 out the other last 6 years he was here with Johnson at his right hand. I have never understood the Johnson love that has been an undertow in the program from day one of Eaves being hired. I hope if Johnson doesn't get hired as Eaves replacement, that that same undertow is not there for the next coach. Johnson is a dozen plus years removed from the men's game and while at some level hockey is hockey, on the other hand he is long since removed from the landscape of recruiting 15, 16, 17, 18 year old boys. Could he hire two knockout assistants with all sorts of connection....sure. But why not hire a head coach that has been in the trenches with those connections over the past few years and have a head guy that has some cache walking in the door of junior hockey rinks.

To me, Don Granato coming from the Development Program is the guy that makes the most sense. Direct connection to the top uncommitted US players having coached U17 last year and U18 this. With recruiting/evaluations portion of NDT, he will have many current connection to the circle of top up and coming players. Only 47, so a guy young enough to connect with kids and maybe enough fire to be the guy here for a decade or two.

After that, you would have to gage interest with Blasi (although prying him from his alma mater where I believe he is also well compensated seems like a long shot) and Gwoz (but to me he may be a bit to long in the tooth).

 

[RedFreak]

Mark Johnson who failed as a recruiting coordinator for the Men's side

That was 15+ years ago. Anybody know whatever happened to him?

 

[Hammy]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

To me, Don Granato coming from the Development Program is the guy that makes the most sense. Direct connection to the top uncommitted US players having coached U17 last year and U18 this. With recruiting/evaluations portion of NDT, he will have many current connection to the circle of top up and coming players. Only 47, so a guy young enough to connect with kids and maybe enough fire to be the guy here for a decade or two.

Most of the current NTDP players are committed to schools so I think that connection is overrated. Heck... a decent chunk of the very best 1999s that are trying out for next year's U17 team are already committed as well. I'm not sure your focus on those things are really worthwhile.

Besides, Eaves is staying.

 

[markwojo]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

Most of the current NTDP players are committed to schools so I think that connection is overrated. Heck... a decent chunk of the very best 1999s that are trying out for next year's U17 team are already committed as well. I'm not sure your focus on those things are really worthwhile.

Besides, Eaves is staying.

We don't need or even have room for "most of the current NTDP players". Jones, Kholarenko, Tkachuck, & Mathews are all uncommitted and represent some of the absolute top players in their birth years. Hell, Mathews may be the number one overall draft pick in a couple of Summers, so any "in" that a potential coach has with him would certainly be a huge positive for that coach having more success out the gate. We have Boesser's money and whatever we were allocating for Ford available to potentially add two high end guys (I assume for the right guy, we can find some spare change in the sofa cushions to add to whatever we might be short with just Ford's scholarship commitment). As far as younger players (99's), we've come to learn quite painfully over the years that those are totally meaningless (Boesser, Gagner, & Dovrak being some of the lowlights and Robbie Earl being a highlight when Eaves got hired and backed out of his commitment to Michigan).

You certainly don't hire a coach only because he may have short term connections to certain prospects, but in comparing him to Mark Johnson who will have few if any connection to top end male players and is a dozen plus years removed from that circuit...there is no comparison.

 

[Hammy]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

By the way, good to see joeyv around. Even if he's (rightfully) grumpy.

 

[drop_the_puck]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

That was 15+ years ago. Anybody know whatever happened to him?

I've had this thought as well. Johnson sure seems to get any women players he wants, maybe it can translate, or maybe it can't. If the guy sat down in my living room and said come play for me, I'd ask where do I sign. There's a prestige about to the 1980 Olympic team that is pretty special. He's a winner and obviously knows how to coach players to win. It's not like he hasn't shown any success.

I see the other side of the argument, I just don't like everyone writing him off because of his time as an assistant. He didn't have full control of how the program was run them and has done nothing but win since. We could use some winning.

 

[solovsfett]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

I'm writing MJ off based on his recruiting. That's harsh to say but **** those years were pretty ugly and he certainly could have turned that ship around with great recruiting.

He was an amazing player for UW and team usa and a great player in the NHL, he's also become a great coach for the women's team. But given his experience as a recruiter for the men under Sauer I'd be skeptical at best...my thought would be it could turn into a Bart Starr/Packers situation if he were hired. How long would they retain him if he's .500 or worse? Probably longer than most due to history...

 

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

One thing I worry about Mark Johnson is his personality. You guys have listened to him, does he have the ability to really lay into a 20 year old male hockey player that needs a kick in the ***? Coaching women's hockey is significantly different in how you approach players. I talked to a former women's player about this the other day and she totally agreed that it's two different animals entirely when trying to motivate men's and women's hockey players. MJ has a smooth, laid back personality. Will that work with testosterone driven men's players? I don't know. Even a guy like Kevin Patrick struggled in that regard when he was at Wisconsin. From what I've heard the players at Wisconsin didn't treat him with a lot of respect because he wasn't a guy who was going to raise his voice, so to speak. Maybe he was the perfect balance with Oz and Eaves, I don't know.

Regardless, at the end of the day it doesn't matter if they hire Scotty Bowman or solovsfett. The most important hires will be the assistant coaches.

 

[Chuck Schwartz]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

This is probably the most critical I've seen Baggot on Eaves to this point. I thought he did a nice job, credit where credit is due. LINK

 

[RedFreak]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

Baggot said "The answer is that I count 26 redeeming qualities about the Badgers this season. That’s how many players are on the roster and how many individuals have given maximum effort to the cause, regardless of circumstance."

I wish more people had hung around after the game last Saturday to applaud this team. They really do deserve our respect and appreciation.

 

[WiscDC]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

Baggot said "The answer is that I count 26 redeeming qualities about the Badgers this season. That’s how many players are on the roster and how many individuals have given maximum effort to the cause, regardless of circumstance."

I wish more people had hung around after the game last Saturday to applaud this team. They really do deserve our respect and appreciation.

It did seem like more stayed than usual, at least. After a loss, people get out of there pretty quickly, even only considering those who stayed to the final horn. That said, I don't think I paid much attention to the fans in the regular seats after the game was over. I mainly paid attention to the students - both those on the ice (i.e. the players) and off it (i.e. the Crease Creatures).

 

[Gandalf the Red]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

Are you F!@#$%^ kidding me? Let me help you out Eaves:

"I have checked out just like my team, my staff, and our athletic department. I would have to think about how I rationalize running one of the premier hockey programs in the country into the ground, but I really am not sure how it happened. And hey...DYK: We have been shut out in 4 of our last 6 games- isn't that some kind of record?"

This guy has GOT to be canned. Did you ever think that you would see a Wisconsin Hockey team win 4 games in a season? Hell, I have seen this club win 5 games in a week with a weekend sweep followed by the WCHA Final Five title!

This program needs to pony up and get the VERY best guy for the job. That person will have a ton of work to do, but UW Hockey cannot suffer through any more of this. I am deeply concerned about hearing talk of a "short leash". Just rip that band aid off and let's get this program back in perennial national title contention.

Dammit.

Wisconsin Hockey: Disillusioned.

Less wins than total National Championships has to be a threshold for something, and I'm not holding out any hope for any wins this weekend. I expect the season to end on thursday night. If we had 20 NCs that would be a different story, but at this point I can't imagine ever seeing #7 in my lifetime.

I feel bad for the players, I realized sitting there friday night that I've really been down on the team, but my scorn isn't directed at the players. I can see how hard they play (for the most part), but their coaching staff has put them in a situation where success is difficult. Eaves "system" doesn't seem to have the capacity to deal with a lower talent level with a huge mass of new players. The man has little to no creativity. From early on, he should have made changes to maximize the talent that was on this team instead of just doing what he does and the result be ****ed.

I agree with others that Eaves looks clueless on the bench and almost disinterested far too often. Hard for a team to give their best effort if the head coach isn't giving his.

 

[drop_the_puck]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey Vol. XXXII: No Where To Go But Up!

Regardless, at the end of the day it doesn't matter if they hire Scotty Bowman or solovsfett. The most important hires will be the assistant coaches.

This is very true, we were good when Eaves had Patrick and Osiecki, I have no major complaints about that era.

I still remember going to basketball camp and talking to Bo Ryan at Platteville. The guy could coach anyone up on basketball. Still remember everything he said and it all was wonderful advice and made me better.

I'd like to see players get coached up to improve, not keep the same stat line for four years like many of this year senior class had.

I wonder how much recruiting Bo does versus his assistants?

I see a little of this in Johnson. He can coach, has the prestige, give him assistants to recruit and it could be great. He's been coached by Bob Johnson and Herb Brooks, pretty good people to learn from.

Maybe he wouldn't be tough enough on the men and it'd blow up, or maybe it could be like hiring Bo Ryan, who not many people wanted before he was hired. We may have a good thing on the payroll already. I bring up the pros of a Johnson hiring because a lot of idiot fans want Johnson if you look at the comments for Andy's articles on B5Q, but don't put much reasoning behind it. The cons are also well documented here.

I would love a solovsfett hiring, would bring alot of fire to the program. Where do we start the petition?