Off-season 2025

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

D Rihards Simanovics has committed to BG from the portal. Latvian defenseman comes north from Miami, where he appeared in 63 games the past 2 seasons. Big body - 6’3, 205.

EDIT: Trent Singer, the Augustana beat reporter, has a cool spreadsheet showing ins and outs for all CCHA teams: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... 1574399124

McMahon has him ranked as the 25th d-man in the portal though with how gawd awful horrible Miami was on the back end last year, either this guy is a diamond in the rough waiting to explode and Noreen missed the signs or Noreen knows something Willy doesn't. Does this mean Leslie is signing?

This is what I have for next year's lineup. I removed Parker from the previous list. Currently at 30, I'd think more might still end up in the portal.

YOE Name
Forwards (19)
1 ~ #Jackson Niedermayer
1 Brett Pfoh
1 Jaden Grant
1 Quinn Emerson
2 Ben Doran
2 Brody Waters
2 Matvei Kabanov
2 ~Tyler Hotson
3 Adam Zlinka
3 Max Martin
4 Luke Pfoh (26-27?)
4 Ilya Rogovsky
4 Jeremie Minville
4 Tanner Scott
4 Jake Sloan
4 Noah Morneau
4 Connor Levis
4 Brandon Whynott
4 Camden Bajzer

Defensemen (9)
1 Jack Blake
1 Dalton Norris
2 Breck McKinley
2 Gustav Stjernberg
2 ~Rihards Simanovics
3 Ivan Korodiuk
4 Brayden Crampton
4 Ty Higgins
4 Mazden Leslie

Goaltenders (2)
2 Cole Moore
4 Jacob Steinman

~ Portal transfer
# Medical redshirt

[vwfalcon]

Ferschweiler's comments about support and resources from the WMU administration needs to reverberate today with BG's brass. It's frustrating to see a school on equal footing with BG in football and basketball absolutely kill it in hockey. It's the model BG needs to strive to mimic. Football and basketball are such a lost cause.

Using this article as reference from 2024 (https://sportsdata.usatoday.com/ncaa/finances), while we might be in the same conference in all sports but hockey, we are in very different situations. Their athletic department budget is $13 million higher and collects double the student fees/state funds ours does.

For comparison
BG had revenue of $25,573,967 expenses of $25,353,769 with $13,760,180 allocated (student fees/state funds) and the percent allocated if 53%
WMU had revenue of $39,162,014 expenses of $34,322,527 with $26,309,236 allocated with the percent allocated of 67%

We have the second smallest budget in the MAC while they have the second largest.

[pdt1081]

Ferschweiler's comments about support and resources from the WMU administration needs to reverberate today with BG's brass. It's frustrating to see a school on equal footing with BG in football and basketball absolutely kill it in hockey. It's the model BG needs to strive to mimic. Football and basketball are such a lost cause.

When you think about where the two programs were during the "Why Western" campaign, both programs have advanced similarly.

The damage done to this program by Christopher is criminal. Announce an Ice Arena renovation, then quietly take that money and use it on field turf. Killing the program became the answer when questioned where the Ice Arena money went. It's sickening. He's not the one who started trying to kill it, but he sure tried to finish it.

DVDM seems to have the vision that BG can be successful. He has shown that he will not tolerate programs falling into disarray before making changes. Rebuilding the relationships with alumni and instilling confidence in donors has been his number 1 priority. BGSU One Day is starting show donors are regaining the confidence their money will be used as intended. I don't think it's far off to think there's another Slater type donor shows up.

[mgmarko]

D Rihards Simanovics has committed to BG from the portal. Latvian defenseman comes north from Miami, where he appeared in 63 games the past 2 seasons. Big body - 6’3, 205.

McMahon has him ranked as the 25th d-man in the portal though with how gawd awful horrible Miami was on the back end last year, either this guy is a diamond in the rough waiting to explode and Noreen missed the signs or Noreen knows something Willy doesn't. Does this mean Leslie is signing?

It is certainly possible, but I just feel like a team would have signed him already to try to get him to play pro playoff games. Like you mention there could be more going into the portal, but also there could still be some settlement uncertainty too.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

D Rihards Simanovics has committed to BG from the portal. Latvian defenseman comes north from Miami, where he appeared in 63 games the past 2 seasons. Big body - 6’3, 205.

McMahon has him ranked as the 25th d-man in the portal though with how gawd awful horrible Miami was on the back end last year, either this guy is a diamond in the rough waiting to explode and Noreen missed the signs or Noreen knows something Willy doesn't. Does this mean Leslie is signing?

It is certainly possible, but I just feel like a team would have signed him already to try to get him to play pro playoff games. Like you mention there could be more going into the portal, but also there could still be some settlement uncertainty too.

Oh. Yeah. Good call on him signing for the playoffs. Hadn't thought about that.

[pdt1081]

McMahon has him ranked as the 25th d-man in the portal though with how gawd awful horrible Miami was on the back end last year, either this guy is a diamond in the rough waiting to explode and Noreen missed the signs or Noreen knows something Willy doesn't. Does this mean Leslie is signing?

45 points in 53 games in the NAHL. Kid has potential in the right situation.
https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/5 ... simanovics


Leslie is eligible for the NHL draft this season. Not sure if he's able to sign a pro contract until after the draft.

After the last hearing on the House Settlement, it's possible coaches are being told they don't have to plan on roster limits, at least for next season. The judge acted like she wasn't impressed with the limits being implemented so quickly.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

CCHA Top 10 for BG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4meEh_kToko

[mgmarko]

So should we be in favor of Leslie getting drafted? Would NHL teams be more likely to hold his rights and ask him to play college?

[mgmarko]

So should we be in favor of Leslie getting drafted? Would NHL teams be more likely to hold his rights and ask him to play college?

Ranked 133rd in Central Scouting's final rankings btw

[pdt1081]

So should we be in favor of Leslie getting drafted? Would NHL teams be more likely to hold his rights and ask him to play college?

Drafted players choosing to play at BG is almost always a good thing. It does make things easier to manage for the staff. Only have to worry about the player signing with one team. Free agents have 32 NHL teams available, along with their AHL affiliates, the entire ECHL, the SPHL, etc. Simply put a player that's been drafted is easier to manage. It's very possible Leslie gets drafted and the NHL team tells him he needs another year to develop.

Wonder if a player can sign an NIL deal with an NHL team? Probably against the CBA, but.....

[mbenecke]

There had been portal speculation about Brody Waters on here previously.

This doesn’t officially confirm anything, but he was the player who called me (seemingly from his personal cell phone? It popped up from a town in Ontario near where he’s listed as being from…?) to thank me for my BGSU One Day donation on behalf of the team. So like… it’s good that he is still operating as a Falcon, at this point. We’ll see what happens, but I take that as a positive development for next year.

[pdt1081]

There had been portal speculation about Brody Waters on here previously.

This doesn’t officially confirm anything, but he was the player who called me (seemingly from his personal cell phone? It popped up from a town in Ontario near where he’s listed as being from…?) to thank me for my BGSU One Day donation on behalf of the team. So like… it’s good that he is still operating as a Falcon, at this point. We’ll see what happens, but I take that as a positive development for next year.

Goose making calls as well.

[pdt1081]

Briggs article. https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/bgsu ... 250415105/

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

There had been portal speculation about Brody Waters on here previously.

This doesn’t officially confirm anything, but he was the player who called me (seemingly from his personal cell phone? It popped up from a town in Ontario near where he’s listed as being from…?) to thank me for my BGSU One Day donation on behalf of the team. So like… it’s good that he is still operating as a Falcon, at this point. We’ll see what happens, but I take that as a positive development for next year.

Goose making calls as well.

My call was from Doran.

[mbenecke]

Briggs article. https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/bgsu ... 250415105/

DVDM acknowledged the article on Twitter today.

“Challenge Accepted! #AyZiggy”