Offseason 2022

[AZIce]

Well this team finished about where I thought they would at the beginning of the season.

They showed some promise around December and I thought they may over achieve and get home ice and maybe win a 1st round series.
However the youth on the back end and in net proved to be too much and they fell back.

When I coached AAA hockey I used to coach D and our D play pretty much all year was abysmal. Mainly from just being young and not as strong as most of the guys they were playing against, but also not understanding what they could and could not do at the higher level of play.

We basically had one good line, which they tried to distribute once Dougherty came back. However, that seemed to just lead to an offensive drought. Probably should have just left that Swankler, Norris, Burke line alone.

Overall about what I figured they would be......not sure who's going to score goals next year? Also wonder if Rose can stay/get healthy and be the guy they thought he would.

[pdt1081]

Swankler and Parker named to All-CCHA Rookie team.

[jpfalcon09]

Lindenwood will be making the jump to D1 next season according to reports.

[Schadenfreude]

Lindenwood will be making the jump to D1 next season according to reports.

Geographically, they'd probably fit better in the NCHC, but I assume that's a non-starter.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Here are travel times from each CCHA school to Lindenwood. It's not too bad for us, Ferris, Mankato, or the Fighting Ricos.

Code: Select all

School	 Travel Hours
BSU	    11:45
BGSU  	     7:15
FSU	     7:45
LSSU	    11:00
MNSU	     8:00
MTU	    10:45
NMU	    10:30
UST	     8:00

Personally, I don't know why we'd want to add another startup. While they're more in our geographic footprint than Augustana is, I question whether there's much in the way of cashola from the St. Louis college hockey market. I'd vote no, but I'm nothing more than a fanboy.

There are now enough teams to form the GNAHL or the Great North American Hockey League and cash in on the next NCAA autobid. There is even a spare school in case one of them gets a raging case of the Nachos.
o Alabama Huntsville
o Arizona State
o Augustana University
o Lindenwood University
o Long Island University
o University of Alaska
o University of Alaska Anchorage

[pdt1081]

Here are travel times from each CCHA school to Lindenwood. It's not too bad for us, Ferris, Mankato, or the Fighting Ricos.

Code: Select all

School	 Travel Hours
BSU	    11:45
BGSU  	     7:15
FSU	     7:45
LSSU	    11:00
MNSU	     8:00
MTU	    10:45
NMU	    10:30
UST	     8:00

Personally, I don't know why we'd want to add another startup. While they're more in our geographic footprint than Augustana is, I question whether there's much in the way of cashola from the St. Louis college hockey market. I'd vote no, but I'm nothing more than a fanboy.

There are now enough teams to form the GNAHL or the Great North American Hockey League and cash in on the next NCAA autobid. There is even a spare school in case one of them gets a raging case of the Nachos.
o Alabama Huntsville
o Arizona State
o Augustana University
o Lindenwood University
o Long Island University
o University of Alaska
o University of Alaska Anchorage

Did they reinstate Bobby Mo in the Atlantic? There's such a saga with the UA_s and Bobby Mo, it's almost too much to follow. Lindenwood has had kids committing to play D1 for over 2 years now.

[Schadenfreude]

Is there any scuttlebutt on where Arizona State ends up? Will the NCHC or the Big Ten bite?

If not, it would be fun to get them into our league. I know they are ridiculously far from Middle America, and tightening the footprint seemed to be part of the motivation for rebooting the CCHA. On the other hand: It's a flagship school. An annual road trip to to a warm weather state in winter might help recruiting across our league.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

I thought I'd read that Atlantic accepted Bobby Mo back into the fold but when I went looking for confirmation I came up empty. So throw Bobby Mo into the mix as the 8th team in the GNAHL.

As for ASU, I'm guessing we're a distant third. B1G needs an 8th team. Nacho's don't need a ninth. Scuttlebutt on the Nodak board is yes to ASU, yes to Mankato, NFW to Bemidji. And Miami State still wants out. So who knows. My initial post was not meant to be a serious analysis. FFS, no one is going to call a league the GNAHL!

[Schadenfreude]

My initial post was not meant to be a serious analysis. FFS, no one is going to call a league the GNAHL!

Yes, but it's not crazy to think the independents band together at some point. Think a CHA reboot, or something.

[pdt1081]

I thought I'd read that Atlantic accepted Bobby Mo back into the fold but when I went looking for confirmation I came up empty. So throw Bobby Mo into the mix as the 8th team in the GNAHL.

As for ASU, I'm guessing we're a distant third. B1G needs an 8th team. Nacho's don't need a ninth. Scuttlebutt on the Nodak board is yes to ASU, yes to Mankato, NFW to Bemidji. And Miami State still wants out. So who knows. My initial post was not meant to be a serious analysis. FFS, no one is going to call a league the GNAHL!

I think it was Bobby Mo's women's team that was accepted back to the CHA(?).

ASU is long travel, with no exempted games. And they will bolt to another conference the first chance they get. And the Big Ten is holding a spot for Illinois. You know, once they get out of the beginning phases of planning. So, in about 20 years they'll announce they're about 5 years away.

[pdt1081]

Theochardis signed with Adirondack of the ECHL.

[jpfalcon09]

Here are travel times from each CCHA school to Lindenwood. It's not too bad for us, Ferris, Mankato, or the Fighting Ricos.

Code: Select all

School	 Travel Hours
BSU	    11:45
BGSU  	     7:15
FSU	     7:45
LSSU	    11:00
MNSU	     8:00
MTU	    10:45
NMU	    10:30
UST	     8:00

Personally, I don't know why we'd want to add another startup. While they're more in our geographic footprint than Augustana is, I question whether there's much in the way of cashola from the St. Louis college hockey market. I'd vote no, but I'm nothing more than a fanboy.

There are now enough teams to form the GNAHL or the Great North American Hockey League and cash in on the next NCAA autobid. There is even a spare school in case one of them gets a raging case of the Nachos.
o Alabama Huntsville
o Arizona State
o Augustana University
o Lindenwood University
o Long Island University
o University of Alaska
o University of Alaska Anchorage

Arizona State will likely latch onto someone soon once their new arena is completed. Only thing I've really seen holding them back according to Mike McMahon's insider blog is the travel expenses that would be occurred from pretty much the rest of college hockey. NCHC and Atlantic Hockey already have schools in Colorado and the appetite isn't there from members of the NCHC (namely WMU and Miami) to have another long trip west. Atlantic Hockey members would have a similar issue, plus a school the size of ASU could dominate that league quite easily. I think the B1G eventually takes them on since all those schools have the athletic capital to afford a trip out there, and it gets the B1G into a new region of the country.

The rest seem destined to be in some sort of bastardized league and play for an AQ bid, or just remain independent and either hope to prove it on the ice and eventually end up getting an invite from an established league. IMO, the latter seems more plausible at this point.

[TommyG]

Leagues would balk at giving an AQ to a thrown together league. That AQ would take and at large away from someone likely much more deserving. Bringing a program D1 without a concrete plan to join a conference is foolish. All your doing is wasting money. ASU thought they’d get a conference invite by now…there is massive frustration in Tempe that they are still independent.

[pdt1081]

Leagues would balk at giving an AQ to a thrown together league. That AQ would take and at large away from someone likely much more deserving. Bringing a program D1 without a concrete plan to join a conference is foolish. All your doing is wasting money. ASU thought they’d get a conference invite by now…there is massive frustration in Tempe that they are still independent.

The leagues can whine, bitch, and moan all they want about it, it won't change the fact they would get an AQ. If the other leagues don't want them to throw something together to get an AQ, they better start adding teams to their conferences.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Kruser signed a PTO with the Henderson Knights.