Running College Hockey Thread

I'm probably outing my location, but it will never happen. The Michigan Tech hockey program tried the CCHA in the mid-80s and bolted after about five years. First off, the only difference in travel is two or three flights a year (Tech does not play at Alaska Anchorage this year) as opposed to one.

From Houghton to Oxford, Ohio (Miami) is 1,400 miles round trip, which is just 100 miles less than the road trip to Omaha and significantly less than it is to Grand Forks, Mankato and some of the other long WCHA bus rides.

Example: Houghton-Grand Forks: 479 miles
Houghton-Ann Arbor: 538 miles

Houghton-Mankato: 448 miles
Houghton-East Lansing: 494 miles

One of the delightful things about my post is that when tournament time rolls around, travel is a real pain. I think we could have teams at the finals in both volleyball and football, and both of those will be 1,000-mile round trips.

Anyhow, I believe they prefer the higher level of play, they recruit (and their coach is from) Western Canada, and most importantly, the rich folks that support the program with their donations all remember the good old days when Tech was coached by St. John MacInnes and went toe-to-toe with the Gophers, the Badgers and the like.

 

Because Sparty would never leave a division that UM and OSU are in, so I went with that premise...

Yes, UNO is going to the WCHA from what I have read as well...the rest needs to fall in line, there is no reason Alaska and Alaska-A should be in separate leagues

I'm a former Yooper, and I agree with Chip, it won't happen. Tech alumni can't see past their checkbooks to realize that rivalries in-state matter more (ie could get more coverage from Fox Sports Detroit)

Then again, FSD would just cover the MSU/UM/OSU/ND games anyway...so really, why bother?

 

There is one big reason the Alaska schools are in separate conferences- Financial.

Back in the early 90s when Fairbanks and Anchorage were seeking conference homes neither the WCHA or CCHA would take them both due to the fact it would mean double the travel to Alaska for all of their teams.

Eventually each league agreed to take one of the two teams as a compromise.

 

I'm amazed that either the WCHA or the CCHA took either Alaska school without a provision to the effect of "you pay every penny of travel costs -- forever."

 

Pretty sure that's the deal the WCHA has.

 

I thought I remember Anchorage ending that policy and they all pay their own way. If I remember right, though, I think that was part Mankato's pitch to join the league in 1999 -- that it would pay its own way to Alaska.

Also, as to the notion that Tech has no "natural rivalries" in the WCHA. For one, Duluth could be considered in that category. But Tech does have traditional rivalries with WCHA teams that have been playing against each other for decades -- Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, CC and Denver. It's just the way it's

 

How long does Dean Blais stay there?

Is it a Herb Brooks St. Cloud type of deal?

 

http://media.fans.kings.nhl.com/_Dean-Lombardi-Jack-Johnson-Is-Learning-His-CraftBelatedly/BLOG/1745920/122893.html?widgetId=282679

“This guy has never had any coaching [at the University of Michigan],” Lombardi said. “Jack just did what he wanted.”

“Michigan is the worst.” Lombardi added. “For hockey people, if you’ve got a choice between a kid—all things being equal—one’s going to Michigan and one’s going to Boston University, you all want your player [going to Boston University]. Michigan’s players—[head coach] Red [Berenson] doesn’t coach. It’s ‘do what you want.’ He gets the best players in the country.

 

Lombardi didn't pull his punches, did he?

He’s just like a thoroughbred. It’s like looking at a horse and saying wow! But then he gets on the track and he has no clue how to run the race. He might even run in the wrong direction.


Pretty funny stuff.

 

Saw this over on the USCHO board. Like they said over there, surprising coming from Lombardi. The Minnesota/Garth Snow thing I understand, but not this.


Edit: Out of context, off the record...


http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-elliott23-2010jan23,0,5491100.column

 

I really wonder where Ness will be playing next year.

 

Lombardi should know better than to play the "off the record/out of context" card.

Dean should think next time before he puts his mouth in gear. He's famous for this kind of shit.