Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

[oldtyme25]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

Was the most prized recruit to ever come out of your state coming over to the good side of the river the start of this? Actually kind of a serious question in terms of when you think this "issue" started.

While it is an interesting question, I don't think anyone who knew Little Phil ever thought he would end up at Wisconsin. With Kessel leaving the NTDP program and heading to college prior to his draft year, Little Phil was looking for a program that best fit his skill set. If you honestly look at the history of the two coaches involved, Mike Eaves had a history of playing a tight checking structured system where you win a lot of 3-2 games. Whereas Don Lucia teams got up and down the ice and played a lot of fire wagon hockey. Basically Phil thrived in games you won 7-6 where he scored a lot of goals! Easy decision from the outside looking in.

 

[The-C2]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

Just out of curiosity, how did we get Kerdiles? Was Wisc always somewhere he wanted to play, did Eaves go super hard for him or something else?

 

[oldtyme25]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

You seemed to forget McCabe and his 25pts. Schmaltz was a lost cause before we even got started....once his brother flipped to follow the family legacy to Sue's a girls name, we weren't winning that recruiting battle. Butcher I know we were all over, but he prefered following the Sun Prairie connection of Steve Miller to DU. McCoshian was not for a lack of effort either. Don't remember the particulars on McCormick. In the end, no one gets every guy they want and no one can hang onto even the local guys they want (some kids want to get away from home for school). With hindsight, I would imagine Lucia would not have minded having Barnes on his team this year (he would have been the 7th or 8th leading scorer on their team all four years...and you are comparing different styles offensively for these teams).

I do agree Eaves comes up short on the recruiting trail and takes a lot of sloppy seconds, but I don't care where they come from....Wisconsin, Minnesota, Canada, Illinois, California, Europe....we just need a little upgrade in recruiting. You might be able to convince a high end kid like Kerdelies or McCabe to stay if your freshman class weren't Besse, Soleway, & Cavallini. No offense to those guys (I like Besse and think he'll evolve into a very good college player and Soleway has some potential), but they are not elite level blue chip studs (Besse at least is sniffing that caliber). My point is, if you can land a Kerdelies and McCabe caliber player every year, you have a better chance of having them hang around for their 3rd or 4th year if they have a team they know they have a real chance at winning a title or worst case it is not as painful when they leave because you have 4 or 5 guys of that caliber still on the roster.

I agree with much of what you said, we do get some blue chip players, but why year in and year out do we get no secondary scoring? Why is it that we have one line of scorers and then have to endure watching 3 lines of dump and grind hockey? After watching Eaves teams for years, I have a couple thoughts on the subject....

1. I don't think he recruits enough smaller/quicker forwards like BC and Duluth (during the Jack Connelly era), thereby reducing our team to a slow poor puck moving team.
2. If you watch his 3rd and 4th lines play, it is like groundhog day every season, never allowing for any creativity with the puck, just dump and send in one fore-checker while the F2 and F3 assume a defensive position. If you are not a blue chipper, why would you want to come to Madison to assume that role.
3. On that same theme, watch a game some time and watch closely how much ice time the lower lines actually get, He rides one PP, rarely give a second unit a chance. When a penalty ends or after a TV timeout, he almost always goes back to the top line, leaving his 3rd/4th lines to languish on the bench.

These may not seem like big issues, but if you are being recruited and are not a high NHL prospect, you see how he treats the guys who are going to be 4 year players and it is a big turn off to them. You want to attract more talent, bring in a coach who isn't afraid to take the leash off the players and let them grow offensively before their Senior year.

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

While it is an interesting question, I don't think anyone who knew Little Phil ever thought he would end up at Wisconsin.

A co-worker of mine's son played on Team WI as a goalie with Little Phil, and he has told me many times Little Phil had no intentions of going to UW.

 

[MadCityRich]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

A co-worker of mine's son played on Team WI as a goalie with Little Phil, and he has told me many times Little Phil had no intentions of going to UW.

I don't think Phil ever played for T.WI

 

[TUSCHWI]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

Sorry, but I'm just not seeing it for next year. Even if all of Soleway, Besse, LaBate (and hell....you can even throw Zullnick in there) take GIGANTIC steps forward, your still not that close to Zengerle, Kerdlies, Mersch, Barnes, and McCabe productivity. Next years team will be pretty limitted in firepower. My realistic hope at this point is that a few guys do step up and with what appears to be a lot of rebuilding in the Big 10 (only Minny looks particularly strong....but who knows what they lose to the pros) we can work through some growing pains early and be over .500 by the end to have a strong foundation going into the following season.

I'm not either, sorry if it came across that way. I am not doom-and-gloom entirely, especially with the B16 teams (other than Minn) in flux, but I too think 14-15 will be another tough rebuilding year before more expectations in 15-16. I hope I'm wrong, I want to be wrong, but that's my take.

 

[icebadger]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

Per a Baggot tweet, Mark Osiecki chosen to oversee Team USA entry in the 2015 World Junior Championships. Also on his staff are Don Granato and Kevin Patrick.

 

[sweatpants]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

I don't think Phil ever played for T.WI

Yep. About 99% sure he went straight from the Capitols to the US Dev. Team. And Kessel was definitely in play for UW. His parents will tell you he went to Minny because he was very close with Stoa and Frazee, but I heard there were other factors involved. Like the brutal dryland conditioning under Eaves and style of play.

 

[sweatpants]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

This is what I have been saying for some time....why is Eaves and company only getting one or max two blue chip prospects a year? Why does it seem that Wisconsin only gets the sloppy seconds on the in-state players? Look at the players from the state and the ones that he let get away....why is it that players from the state no longer want to play at Wisco?

Just a quick look at who we chose from in state and just a couple who had ties to the state and went elsewhere....

We kept:

Davidson: Red Shirt
Paape: 0-1-1
Hartzog: 1-0-1
Little: 2-6-8 Now I feel that Little was a great value for a partial scolly - made a significant contribution
Drake: 3-5-8
Navin: 4-5-9
Meuer: 3-5-8 Like Little, a large contributor for a player who got very little scholarship $$
Dahl: 4-15-19 Contributor in a lot of areas and a big jump in production in his Sr year, but ask your self if Minnesota or BC would have a 2nd line center
who scored 4 goals and 19 points for a season? Have our standards fallen that far?


Just a view of a couple who got away.....

Will Butcher 16 pts
Jordan Schmaltz 23 pts
Max McCormick 35 pts
Ian McCoshian 13 pts
Ross Mauermann 36 pts - Yeah I did not see this happening either...but threw it in anyway.

But my whole point is the head coach of our only in-state D1 hockey program that used to be the dream destination of all of Wisconsin's best players is now losing the competition for its best players. If we can win the war for talent at home how do you expect to challenge for the best players nationally??

I guess we will have to wait 4 more years for another senior laden team to make the NCAA's and underachieve!!

Pretty alarming isn't it? It's a big reason why I don't like what the state of the program is in right now. I've mentioned before that Eaves has gained a reputation of being a bit of a weirdo around the state, maybe that has caught up to him.

 

[wjefwhite]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

per a baggot tweet, mark osiecki chosen to oversee team usa entry in the 2015 world junior championships. Also on his staff are don granato and kevin patrick.

great opportunity for oz. Nice sconnie ring to the staff as a whole. Hope they do well.

 

[MadCityRich]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

Per a Baggot tweet, Mark Osiecki chosen to oversee Team USA entry in the 2015 World Junior Championships. Also on his staff are Don Granato and Kevin Patrick.

How can he be HC? He's not even good enough to coach tOSU?

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

Still no more early departures, right? Good.

 

[solovsfett]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

Per a Baggot tweet, Mark Osiecki chosen to oversee Team USA entry in the 2015 World Junior Championships. Also on his staff are Don Granato and Kevin Patrick.

When they're done there can they come (back) to Madison?

UW isn't where it should be pretty obviously. If they come out and win 20-22 games next year I'll pull the spurs in but... Almost everything I've read from Oldtyme re: recruiting is spot on.

I'd be curious for Joeyv's take on the past 2 seasons and the state of the program but I fear he's so put off by Eaves now that he just doesn't care to comment

 

[Go4PuckFan2.0]

When they're done there can they come (back) to Madison?

UW isn't where it should be pretty obviously. If they come out and win 20-22 games next year I'll pull the spurs in but... Almost everything I've read from Oldtyme re: recruiting is spot on.

I'd be curious for Joeyv's take on the past 2 seasons and the state of the program but I fear he's so put off by Eaves now that he just doesn't care to comment

What ever happened to Joey V?

Whereabouts unknown?

 

[DPlaya]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

I think Eaves changed his recruiting philosophy two years ago, but the effects of that really will only take hold beginning with the 2015-2016 class because recruiting is done so far in advance of players' arrival. Up until that point he was, as he once stated at a State High School Hockey Coaches meeting many years ago, going to try to "throw a fence around Wisconsin and keep Division I players in-state". I think he realized he was getting too many guys from Wisconsin who weren't difference makers, and elected to try a different tact. Starting with the 2014-2015 class and definitely the 2015-2016 class and beyond you have seen the UW Coaches methodically building each class from the top end down by getting verbals from a number of top players each year, and then being content to wait for the right players to add to the class as that class gets closer to making its way onto campus. Unfortunately it takes time to change a recruiting strategy, and UW is in that interim period. Add to that a few "misses" on some in-state players that have been mentioned (mainly ties to other schools/coaches) and a bunch of early departures and I think that explains where UW is in their recruiting at this point.

I think UW's recruiting going forward looks really good, but it's going to take time before those classes get to campus. I do also think the unbalanced classes hurt, and the staff has got to find ways to try to get more balance. My thoughts are to bring in transfers or maybe even walk-ons that would know you would attempt to recruit over them in subsequent years and be willing to come anyway. At some point the staff has to do something to help "break the cycle".

Somebody mentioned not recruiting Ross Mauermann. Ross was literally headed to a state Division III program if not for a late coaching change at Providence that led to them bringing him in. Here's the story. I actually had talked to a coach at a private DIII school here in Wisconsin that was recruiting him (and that he had come to visit) and he was excited about the possibility of having Ross join their program before he headed to Providence.

 

[TUSCHWI]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

When they're done there can they come (back) to Madison?

I have to agree with MadCityRich about my reservations about Osiecki as a HC here. Don't get me wrong; he was a great assistant and recruiter. But something about his style didn't click at OSU. Personally, I would rather see Steve Rohlik return here, if that was the direction things headed. I base that on limited number of games seeing OSU play and his style and interaction with players. But something about what he's doing at OSU, so far, is good. Especially the powerplay

 

[markwojo]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

I have to agree with MadCityRich about my reservations about Osiecki as a HC here. Don't get me wrong; he was a great assistant and recruiter. But something about his style didn't click at OSU. Personally, I would rather see Steve Rohlik return here, if that was the direction things headed. I base that on limited number of games seeing OSU play and his style and interaction with players. But something about what he's doing at OSU, so far, is good. Especially the powerplay

From what I have read, the crime Oz committed at OSU was demanding a serious commitment to mens hockey.

 

[TUSCHWI]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

From what I have read, the crime Oz committed at OSU was demanding a serious commitment to mens hockey.

Serious commitment by the University (I'm sorry: The Ohio State University) itself?

 

[markwojo]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

Serious commitment by the University (I'm sorry: The Ohio State University) itself?

Yes THE university, or AD, or whoever controls the purse strings. That is at least what was being discussed in forums by OSU fans. Otherwise, why would you fire a guy that had your program strongly trending the right way with killer recruits (at least relative to your norm) lined up...thank you very much Jack Dougherty (and I'm sure Mankato thanks you for Stepan too).

 

[TUSCHWI]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXIX: Yes, this is the Rumpel Rink!

Yes THE university, or AD, or whoever controls the purse strings. That is at least what was being discussed in forums by OSU fans. Otherwise, why would you fire a guy that had your program strongly trending the right way with killer recruits (at least relative to your norm) lined up...thank you very much Jack Dougherty (and I'm sure Mankato thanks you for Stepan too).

Thanks for the info. That's good to know. I never looked into that story as much as I probably should have. The whole Oseiki tenure and firing was odd in many ways...