Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

[markwojo]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

Take this with the requisite grain of salt. From a friend in Madison:

This is consistent with things I've heard a week and a half ago although from a little different end of this situation. My perspective was from someone in the inner circle of a person that would be on everyone's short list of replacement coaches.

 

[bucky15]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

I spy Chuck/Andy viewing this thread. Oh how nice it would be know his opinion and inside knowledge.

Hi Andy! You are missed.

 

[SteveP]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

I spy Chuck/Andy viewing this thread. Oh how nice it would be know his opinion and inside knowledge.

Hi Andy! You are missed.

I assume you're referring to Andy Baggot. Had the pleasure of meeting him when I was there three years ago with that team you played last night. He's one of the good guys.

 

[UWisco]

I assume you're referring to Andy Baggot. Had the pleasure of meeting him when I was there three years ago with that team you played last night. He's one of the good guys.

He's talking about Andy Johnson/Chuck Schwartz. A man who should go up in the rafters of the USCHO Fan Forum.

 

[drury192]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

I haven't posted on this site in years due to my loss of interest in Wisconsin hockey, which is something I never thought I would have said before. I played hockey for 12 years, so did both my brothers.... my parents had season tickets for 25 years then got rid of them a few years ago. I'm interested now because of the rumors that Eaves is going to be replaced. I've been outa the loop so long that I have no idea what is going on with recruiting or how the Big Ten hockey conference is doing or who would be a good coach to replace Eaves. The point is myself and my family were the people that always watched games on FSN or on tape delay and we would always know the recruits coming in and would watch a hockey game over basketball any day of the week.... and its crazy to say that we were just not interested any more after years of this crap. So, I hope that Alvarez gets a good coach that can bring Badger Hockey back. Those hockey games when the building was packed and the crowd was nuts were fun as hell!!! I'm a badgers basketball fan but I mean come on those fans are really just a bunch of golf clappers (j/k not really). Hockey fans are the craziest so im looking forward to having a good team on the ice again.

 

[WiscDC]

The end of the 3rd period with all the pressure and chances was amazing. They got a line change in while holding the O zone, they looked like the UW women for awhile. The Kunin/Besse/Hughes line has been great the last month or so, I hope they all come back next year. Kunin's instincts are the best I've seen in years, probably since the 2010 team (WAY too long of a drought).

They were consistently making harder, quicker, and more precise passes during that stretch than they were able to for most of the game. What in the world happened? That sequence was nuts.

 

[MadCityRich]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

He's talking about Andy Johnson/Chuck Schwartz. A man who should go up in the rafters of the USCHO Fan Forum.

+1. I always wanted to meet Andy and blow some froth off of a few beers....and oh yes to talk hockey.. I probably walked by him, or was standing or sitting next to him at many a AAA, high school, or USHL game and didn't know it. I had my "connections" back 10 to 15+ years ago and would post what I could. I would love to hear what Andy has to say these days.

 

[WiscDC]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

Take this with the requisite grain of salt. From a friend in Madison:

According to a guy we bowl with who apparently knows someone in the athletic dept., eaves is a done deal. Barry is asking the alumni associate for the money to buy him out and they are going to make a deal which includes using pat richters 's consulting group to replace him

This is consistent with things I've heard a week and a half ago although from a little different end of this situation. My perspective was from someone in the inner circle of a person that would be on everyone's short list of replacement coaches.

A little bird (that would definitely be in the know/loop/have connections within Badger nation) told me that there's probably going to be a major shake up with Badger hockey. Not earth shattering or surprising in the least given we are on pace for a two year win total that would be a troubling total over a single season much less two and that fan support/season ticket base has cratered to a catastrophic level, but reassuring that changes are apparently imminent. I am assuming at this point of the season, Eaves will finish the season and whatever shakeup may occur will be upon completion of the season. By the way, this little bird happens to be in the circle of a person that if we sat around and speculated on potential coaching replacements, I would guess that that person would be in the two handful of names everyone would come up with. Sorry about being cryptic and I will gladly share more once the season ends and whatever transpires does.

I don't personally know you guys, and "some people on the internet" isn't the greatest source for me to cite when talking to others (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXLgz3wH2n8). That said, established users on this board talking about this topic is about as good as "some people on the internet" can get as a source, so I'm pretty much convinced. (That is, unless you guys developed well-established accounts with thousands of posts to fool fans like me! )

 

[BuB]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

Kind of unrelated, so sorry to all the posters here - but I am watching the WIAA Championship game right now on TV and the crowd at the Coliseum looks small. I know there could be scheduling conflicts, but is there any way they could move the State Tournament to LaBahn into a smaller barn to have a full house for these games? 1500-2000 or so people in an arena that seats 8000 doesn't have the same feel as that same number of people at a much smaller facility.

 

[DoorCtyBadger]

Kind of unrelated, so sorry to all the posters here - but I am watching the WIAA Championship game right now on TV and the crowd at the Coliseum looks small. I know there could be scheduling conflicts, but is there any way they could move the State Tournament to LaBahn into a smaller barn to have a full house for these games? 1500-2000 or so people in an arena that seats 8000 doesn't have the same feel as that same number of people at a much smaller facility.[/QUOTE

High school hockey attendance across the state has been on the decline for years. Plus Madison is a bad place for this tourney. It will move to green bay in the near future after they decide what they are going to do with the coliseum

 

[Buck 'em]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

At this point, I think even the most strident Eaves apologist would agree it's time for a change.

 

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

Kind of unrelated, so sorry to all the posters here - but I am watching the WIAA Championship game right now on TV and the crowd at the Coliseum looks small. I know there could be scheduling conflicts, but is there any way they could move the State Tournament to LaBahn into a smaller barn to have a full house for these games? 1500-2000 or so people in an arena that seats 8000 doesn't have the same feel as that same number of people at a much smaller facility.

I've never understood why they don't have it at Labahn.

 

[MadCityRich]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

Kind of unrelated, so sorry to all the posters here - but I am watching the WIAA Championship game right now on TV and the crowd at the Coliseum looks small. I know there could be scheduling conflicts, but is there any way they could move the State Tournament to LaBahn into a smaller barn to have a full house for these games? 1500-2000 or so people in an arena that seats 8000 doesn't have the same feel as that same number of people at a much smaller facility.[/QUOTE

High school hockey attendance across the state has been on the decline for years. Plus Madison is a bad place for this tourney. It will move to green bay in the near future after they decide what they are going to do with the coliseum

Not only is attendance down, but talent is way down as well. Compare the current pool to the birth years 1984 to 1989 or so. There have been a sporadic few, but those aforementioned years had amazing talent. I was there this afternoon, it was like playing shinny in a cave.

 

[IndianaBadger1995]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

So, we won huh? Would have been nice to watch the game...

 

[DoorCtyBadger]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

I've never understood why they don't have it at Labahn.

Labahn is to small for this event......you need around a 6000 seat rink for this event

 

[IndianaBadger1995]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

Anyone know why Eaves choose to have a penalty instead of a penalty shot? That seems really strange to me, even if the penalty would have given us a 5-on-3.

 

[bucky15]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

Not only is attendance down, but talent is way down as well. Compare the current pool to the birth years 1984 to 1989 or so. There have been a sporadic few, but those aforementioned years had amazing talent. I was there this afternoon, it was like playing shinny in a cave.

I feel you have a pretty good handle on this, based on a few of your comments over the years. My view is quite close to yours. It seems the overall depth of the high school teams has gotten worse, but the top end players are better. I think with Team Wisconsin and other teams available there are more top end players in the state than years back. The overall team play has declined.

 

[GBBadger14]

I feel you have a pretty good handle on this, based on a few of your comments over the years. My view is quite close to yours. It seems the overall depth of the high school teams has gotten worse, but the top end players are better. I think with Team Wisconsin and other teams available there are more top end players in the state than years back. The overall team play has declined.

I can't speak for the whole state, but being from the Green Bay area, it seems like more players from the area are playing in college since pretty much all of the area high schools created WIAA teams about ten years ago (GBU, Notre Dame, Bay Port, Ashwaubenon, DePere).

 

[shiftyjedi]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

As a Gophers fan my whole life, reading this thread and seeing stuff like Barry Alverez needs to go is a reminder of how incredibly entitled, naive, and spoiled many Wisconsin Badger fans are. Ever since Barry stepped on the UW campus the UW athletics went from a bottom feeder athletic program most of the country wouldn't look at unless you were cross-country or hockey fan. Since, he arrived the athletics have transformed into program that is one of envy across the nation. Now I'm certainly giving too much credit to Barry for all the success, but even since he just took the athletics is beyond it's right of success. In the last three years no program has been as high profile in the two by far highest grossing college sports, except maybe Michigan State. The fact that Barry hasn't fired the hockey coach and the women's basketball program is bad in most people's mind is a minor inconvenience when it comes to the program that was in the National Championship game in Men's Basketball and winner's of a Bowl game in college football on a rebuilding season. Even in Wisconsin down year in basketball they are going to make the tournament for the 17th straight season. Your previous legendary coach had an extramarital affair and it was news for about two seconds yesterday. I get why you want Mike Eaves gone, it's been two historically bad seasons. Just remember he also won a National Championship and was a National Championship Runner-up during his tenure. Sure he swung and missed on a few guys and didn't get a player like Will Butcher, but times have changed the era of plucking the best Gopher/Sioux rejects and cream of crop Chicagoland players is gone (UMD, SCSU, MSU-M, Omaha for MN players and Notre Dame, Miami for Chicagoland). The program thrived in the middle to late 2000's, because the state of Wisconsin produced a good amount of talent. However, just like every other program, players jumped ship to the pros early and the other factors have caught up to them. I no doubt expect the program to be competent in the coming years, but you might want to get used to down years, because you cannot reload like the Gophers just because you have six national titles. Also, if you think Barry needs to go, just let me tell you as a U follower the bleep going down in Dinkytown makes all the news out of Madison look like page 8 buried stories. Barry is trying to get money to buy out the Hockey coach speaks more to what Alvarez has to deal with when his former U counterpart who was outed for sexual harassment/assault got the freedom to offer the basketball coach who couldn't even make the NIT a ridiculous bonus and buyout so he wouldn't jump ship to Alabama for BASKETBALL.

 

[oldicecoach]

Re: Wisconsin Hockey XXXVII: Waiting for the axe to fall

shiftyjedi, stirring the pot before next weekend? Or are you feeling a little testy after being shutout by the Spartans 5-0?