Tonight is the night! Get ready for some playoff action!

UMass vs. 3 Denver (2:00 EDT)
Cornell vs. Main (5:30)


RIT vs. 2 BU (5:00)
Omaha vs. Minnesota (8:30)

Seems Michigan is in the process of adding women's program. https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/momentum-va...27s-hockey

(03-29-2024 12:31 PM)nodak651 Wrote:  Seems Michigan is in the process of adding women's program. https://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/momentum-va...27s-hockey

Can't let Ohio State have all the fun!

Coaching carousel stuff, which I always find interesting as a referendum on whether schools really care about their programs:

Miami hired Anthony Noreen from Tri-City in the USHL. He played D-III at Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Assistant coaching roles at UWSP and Youngstown (USHL). Head coach of an ECHL team and Youngstown previously. Never really know with hiring junior coaches with no NCAA experience, so we'll see. He was in the running for the job at St. Lawrence at one point.

Stonehill hired a familiar name in New England- David Berard. He's been in administration at Providence the past few years and has been an assistant at Providence, UConn, and some D-III. He previously went 96-122-36 at Holy Cross as head coach. Maybe he raises the floor as a professional who has run a D-I program, but I don't see him turning Stonehill into anything exciting.

Bowling Green hired an alum, Dennis Williams, who has been the head coach/GM for the Everett team in the WHL. He's coached junior hockey all over, briefly been a D-I assistant (Alabama-Huntsville) and was at one point a D-III head coach. Interesting that he is coming from major junior, which isn't a path often trodden. Again, tough to say.

Princeton let go of Ron Fogarty after he went 90-169-27 and made one NCAA tournament in his tenure. Lindenwood remains open.

(04-03-2024 08:32 AM)ccd494 Wrote:  Bowling Green hired an alum, Dennis Williams, who has been the head coach/GM for the Everett team in the WHL. He's coached junior hockey all over, briefly been a D-I assistant (Alabama-Huntsville) and was at one point a D-III head coach. Interesting that he is coming from major junior, which isn't a path often trodden. Again, tough to say.

Falcon fans are delighted. They feel like we hit a home run here. Two other relevant parts of Williams' resume:

-- He coached Canada to a gold in the 2023 world junior championships, which implies he's quite respected in those circles.
-- He was an interim head coach at Bowling Green in 2009-10 after Scott Paluch resigned, a disastrous season in an era where they were talk of pulling the plug on Falcon hockey.

My understanding is that he will earn more than Ty Eigner did. This is cautiously seen as a decision by Bowling Green to invest more in hockey that also includes close to $6 million in renovations to our ice arena. https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/bgsu/...0240330041

Williams' success in Everett and his ability to recruit young men of college age may help in Bowling Green, especially if the NCAA goes ahead and allows major junior players to participate in NCAA hockey, which is thought to be a strong possibility, right?

Canucks in talks with Simon Fraser University to build practice facility on Burnaby campus
https://canucksarmy.com/news/canucks-sim...aby-campus
That's from seven months ago. At the same time, SFU still hasn't hired a new AD, and they have a huge budget deficit right now. They recently laid off all of the sports information people. https://www.sfu.ca/dashboard/faculty-sta...d-fin.html

Despite the huge budget issues, I think it's possible they do eventually get a team.

"As the club continues to look for a location to house its practice facility, CanucksArmy has learned that Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini has met at least twice with Simon Fraser University president Joy Johnson about the potential for SFU to house the Canucks’ practice facility. CanucksArmy also confirmed with multiple sources that Aquilini attended the SFU Hockey Club fundraiser that took place earlier this year."

"Individuals close to the situation have indicated that some of the SFU Athletic Department’s biggest donors are heavily in favour of bringing a Division 1 NCAA hockey program to the school. The school would need a place for their team to play, meaning the construction of a state-of-the-art facility on SFU’s Burnaby campus is something that both the Canucks and SFU would potentially benefit from."

Edit: Maybe not...
https://theprovince.com/sports/hockey/nh...renovation
"There have been talks between Canucks ownership and Simon Fraser University in the past — there are people on campus who have varsity hockey ambitions and Canucks chairman Francesco Aquilini is a proud SFU alum — but the Burnaby Mountain campus is remote from the airport and a long way from where the players live. The Doug Mitchell centre has a number of spaces they lease out, such as the dressing rooms and workout areas that St. George’s School’s prep hockey program uses."

Anything's possible. But I would take it a lot more seriously if they had said anything, at any time, about the money coming together. The Frozen Four is typically a great time to make a big announcement that you are starting a D-I program. Maybe we hear something this weekend.

The only school where I'd say anything is "imminent" is Binghamton. They had an actual athletic department announcement of exploration, which I put way ahead of "rumblings from within the club program" in the will they/won't they hierarchy. Binghamton doesn't have football, they have relationships with a lot of hockey schools, this seems like their move if they want to grow their athletic department.

Utica is the only other program I'd put on a "close" list, and that's just because they've all but said they can be ready tomorrow if Atlantic Hockey adds them. Unfortunately, it's probably one or the other. Seems like AHA is waiting for Binghamton's yes or no before acting on Utica.

Everything else falls into the pipe dream category. SFU may be an "elevated" pipe dream, but the money problems seem deeply entrenched and no deep pockets have been put forward.

(04-11-2024 10:09 AM)ccd494 Wrote:  Anything's possible. But I would take it a lot more seriously if they had said anything, at any time, about the money coming together. The Frozen Four is typically a great time to make a big announcement that you are starting a D-I program. Maybe we hear something this weekend.

The only school where I'd say anything is "imminent" is Binghamton. They had an actual athletic department announcement of exploration, which I put way ahead of "rumblings from within the club program" in the will they/won't they hierarchy. Binghamton doesn't have football, they have relationships with a lot of hockey schools, this seems like their move if they want to grow their athletic department.

Utica is the only other program I'd put on a "close" list, and that's just because they've all but said they can be ready tomorrow if Atlantic Hockey adds them. Unfortunately, it's probably one or the other. Seems like AHA is waiting for Binghamton's yes or no before acting on Utica.

Everything else falls into the pipe dream category. SFU may be an "elevated" pipe dream, but the money problems seem deeply entrenched and no deep pockets have been put forward.

In regard to SFU commenting about funding being in place, did you catch this post? https://csnbbs.com/thread-921217-post-19...id19543260
Agree with you on the money problems.

Mike McMahon said that Utica submitted an application to Atlantic Hockey over the winter, but he didn't hear anything either way about whether or not Binghampton did. I want to know what's going on with Atlantic Hockey... bad. Hopefully something leaks this weekend. LIU and Stonehill submitted applications as well. Hard to think Atlantic Hockey would open up an application process without intending to actually add someone. Would be a bummer if they only wanted one of Utica/Binghampton... didn't really think of that.

(04-11-2024 02:37 PM)nodak651 Wrote:  Mike McMahon said that Utica submitted an application to Atlantic Hockey over the winter, but he didn't hear anything either way about whether or not Binghampton did. I want to know what's going on with Atlantic Hockey... bad. Hopefully something leaks this weekend. LIU and Stonehill submitted applications as well. Hard to think Atlantic Hockey would open up an application process without intending to actually add someone. Would be a bummer if they only wanted one of Utica/Binghampton... didn't really think of that.

Atlantic Hockey is at 11 right now. I don't think they are going to go above 12, because as a one bid league it is just making it that much more unlikely that a given school will get a tournament bid. Unless Air Force decides to move west (don't see an obvious home there, they are out of the CCHA footprint and would be non-competitive in the NCHC), or Quinnipiac becomes Hockey East's #12 (why would they need to and would UConn like that) meaning the ECAC takes RIT, there's one spot available.

For years and years people said that spot was Navy's. It's probably been a decade since Navy was being seriously discussed as an expansion candidate. I have to imagine at this point it is deciding between Binghamton and Utica. LIU and Stonehill are probably further back due to facilities (both), investment (both), and just a general lack of competitiveness (Stonehill). Both of my (supposed) frontrunners have issues- Binghamton hasn't dropped a puck or even announced a program, Utica would have a period of ineligibility as a move up. But both are right in the heart of the league, geographically. Utica wouldn't be doing it halfway. Binghamton allegedly wouldn't either.

My guess for AHA expansion is Utica (40%), Binghamton (30%), no add (30%).

(04-11-2024 02:37 PM)nodak651 Wrote:  Mike McMahon said that Utica submitted an application to Atlantic Hockey over the winter, but he didn't hear anything either way about whether or not Binghampton did. I want to know what's going on with Atlantic Hockey... bad. Hopefully something leaks this weekend. LIU and Stonehill submitted applications as well. Hard to think Atlantic Hockey would open up an application process without intending to actually add someone. Would be a bummer if they only wanted one of Utica/Binghampton... didn't really think of that.

Written applications seem so formal and so likely to bruise egos for the schools not picked. I would have thought a lot of this would have been done via phone calls and conference calls, which I infer is how UMass was selected for the MAC.

I wonder if the documents these schools provided were really more like responses to requests for information and less formal applications.

(But I'm speculating. I certainly have no experience in sports management.)

Not really related to college hockey but the Coyotes may be moving to Salt Lake City.

https://www.ksl.com/article/50976889/rep...ve-to-utah

Just need to figure out how to revive the greatest logo in the history of sports.


The Wasatch Humpbacks

All hail the whale!


https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news...nter-storm

Interesting interview with Ferris and Mercyhurst coaches... starts at 42:20
https://www.collegehockeynews.com/images...l-show.mp3

Ferris coach thinks the CCHA will add a team, eventually.
Mercyhurst coach thinks that Atlantic Hockey could both add teams or lose teams to a different conference, and then he also mentioned the possibility of the Ivy League starting hockey. He thinks a shoe will drop soon but he says he doesn't know when.

Atlantic Hockey commissioner was on before that and she said she wants Atlantic Hockey to get up to 12 teams.

It's really intriguing how many different ways the conference alignment can get shaken up right now.

I still think NEC hockey is a great possibility and I think Atlantic May not get to 12.

I think Utica goes to Atlantic.

Robert Morris, Mercyhurst, Stonehill, AIC, LIU, and possibly Binghampton or an NE10 school like St. Anselm, and maybe Le Moyne eventually on a shoe string budget. The Alaska schools and Lindenwood could be in the mix as well, if they are needed to get enough teams for an auto bid. Travel would be bad, but all of the independents have to travel up there to get games in, as it is. Bently may have shied away from a D1 move up to the NEC, for all sports, if they got wind of something like this. Given they built a new arena, they would probably want to align with better hockey programs.

Ferris coach quickly tried to shut down Lindenwood, but nobody else makes any sense really, unless a team is added.

[insert obligatory prefacing for all the reasons it's unlikely to happen here] If a school is added, I think Roosevelt is probably the most likely, as they seem somewhat interested and have somewhat of a passible facility, and there is huge upside as they would make a name for themselves as the only college in Illionois with hockey, and on top of that, they are in the city. Despite their shortcomings, CCHA could be interested in them for recruiting and geographic reasons. Green Bay and Milwaukee would both make a ton of sense for all parties as well. Yes, there are reasons these schools wouldn't start hockey, which we all know already.

(04-11-2024 07:36 PM)jrj84105 Wrote:  Just need to figure out how to revive the greatest logo in the history of sports.


The Wasatch Humpbacks

All hail the whale!


https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news...nter-storm

Carolina would have words about that one. If Hartford ever got out of its own way and replaced that dump of an arena, I'm sure they could have a team again, and the NHL seems to enjoy pandering to Whalers nostalgia much more than other teams that left the league.

(04-12-2024 03:15 PM)nodak651 Wrote:  [insert obligatory prefacing for all the reasons it's unlikely to happen here] If a school is added, I think Roosevelt is probably the most likely, as they seem somewhat interested and have somewhat of a passible facility, and there is huge upside as they would make a name for themselves as the only college in Illionois with hockey, and on top of that, they are in the city. Despite their shortcomings, CCHA could be interested in them for recruiting and geographic reasons. Green Bay and Milwaukee would both make a ton of sense for all parties as well. Yes, there are reasons these schools wouldn't start hockey, which we all know already.

Roosevelt would need a new rink to play in to start a team. Right now their ACHA clubs are sharing one with a USHL program, and Bensenville's a bit of a hike from Schaumburg or their downtown campus. Bensenville is, however, close to Rosemont, where the AHL Chicago Wolves are. I guess they could play out of Rolling Meadows until they come up with something better if they're desperate.

(04-12-2024 03:15 PM)nodak651 Wrote:  Green Bay and Milwaukee would both make a ton of sense for all parties as well. Yes, there are reasons these schools wouldn't start hockey, which we all know already.

Green Bay is struggling financially. Staying D1 is a challenge. I could see Milwaukee starting a program if they ever manage to get an arena built on campus. The UWM hoops team can't draw flies playing downtown, so I doubt hockey would fair any better. Plus, between the hoops team, the Admirals and the Wave, I don't think the Mecca could handle another tenant. The on campus facility is terrible and doesn't have ice.

(04-12-2024 03:21 PM)Mav Wrote:  

(04-11-2024 07:36 PM)jrj84105 Wrote:  Just need to figure out how to revive the greatest logo in the history of sports.


The Wasatch Humpbacks

All hail the whale!


https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news...nter-storm

Carolina would have words about that one. If Hartford ever got out of its own way and replaced that dump of an arena, I'm sure they could have a team again, and the NHL seems to enjoy pandering to Whalers nostalgia much more than other teams that left the league.

They’ll take their $30M cut of the buy-in and like it.

(04-12-2024 03:28 PM)MU88 Wrote:  

(04-12-2024 03:15 PM)nodak651 Wrote:  Green Bay and Milwaukee would both make a ton of sense for all parties as well. Yes, there are reasons these schools wouldn't start hockey, which we all know already.

Green Bay is struggling financially. Staying D1 is a challenge. I could see Milwaukee starting a program if they ever manage to get an arena built on campus. The UWM hoops team can't draw flies playing downtown, so I doubt hockey would fair any better. Plus, between the hoops team, the Admirals and the Wave, I don't think the Mecca could handle another tenant. The on campus facility is terrible and doesn't have ice.

Playing literally next door to an NBA team is a really bad look for a mid-major, regardless of who was there first. I don't know what other options they have, but the status quo is pretty unacceptable.

I don't know much about the rink situation in Green Bay, but the Gamblers always seemed pretty well supported by USHL standards. UW branch schools never seemed very well supported by the system, and from what I understand the branches have a pretty toxic relationship with Madison, so I don't know if any D1 hockey would stand a chance of getting off the ground up there.

(04-12-2024 03:15 PM)nodak651 Wrote:  Ferris coach quickly tried to shut down Lindenwood, but nobody else makes any sense really, unless a team is added.

Miami. They seem to be in over their heads right now in the NCHC.

It’s official. Coyotes players have been informed the team is moving to SLC.

Univ Denver wins their 10th natty in men's hockey.

And the National Collegiate Hockey Conference wins their 6th trophy in the past 8 years.