Off-season 2025

[pdt1081]

I'm good with home and homes or 2 there, 2 here. But I'm less okay with 3 to 1 types of arrangements.

Home and homes should be the standard, and not spread across more than 2 seasons (back to back). I really like the "travel partner" arrangement as well. I think Tech has that with LSSU this season playing Clarkson and St Lawerence (I think). BG has done that in the past (90s ish) and it worked out really well.

MSU and scUM were the first two teams I thought of when he made that comment. Same with Notre Dame.

Clint also made an intriguing comment about still being in the CCHA, at least for now...

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

CCHA schedule dropped:

[mbenecke]

Non-conference will come at another time.

One thing I noticed - it appears that essentially every home league contest next year will happen with students on campus. Playoffs are still a conflict with spring break, but huge improvement otherwise.

[pdt1081]

The mesh seat backs have been removed from Section C in the Slate. Fan surveys pushed the decision.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

A Tech guy put together the table below (UA s/b AU but whatever). The league does scheduling "clusters" where patterns rotate through the clusters every year. That's why we did 2 games at Bemidji two years ago then two here last year. The cluster with 3 games would also rotate each year but with the Fighting Rico's departing next year it won't matter going forward. Bottom line, you play your cluster home/away for 4 games OR 3 games with a rotation of 4 games/2 games through the other two clusters. Our cluster includes Ferris and Lake State. Hopefully my explanation makes some sense.



Next year the league will go back to two 4-team clusters. I suspect Northern will join us and the league will protect the Tech/NMU rivalry like the MAC did with us and the Scuds when football was East/West.

[BG84]

One thing I noticed - it appears that essentially every home league contest next year will happen with students on campus. Playoffs are still a conflict with spring break, but huge improvement otherwise.

Fantastic!

[BG84]

The mesh seat backs have been removed from Section C in the Slate. Fan surveys pushed the decision.

Mrs. BG84 and I support this. I appreciate the back support, but we found the seat bottoms to be uncomfortable and they made moving in the rows more difficult.

[Hockey John]

A Tech guy put together the table below (UA s/b AU but whatever). The league does scheduling "clusters" where patterns rotate through the clusters every year. That's why we did 2 games at Bemidji two years ago then two here last year. The cluster with 3 games would also rotate each year but with the Fighting Rico's departing next year it won't matter going forward. Bottom line, you play your cluster home/away for 4 games OR 3 games with a rotation of 4 games/2 games through the other two clusters. Our cluster includes Ferris and Lake State. Hopefully my explanation makes some sense.



Next year the league will go back to two 4-team clusters. I suspect Northern will join us and the league will protect the Tech/NMU rivalry like the MAC did with us and the Scuds when football was East/West.

It still bothers me to see an imbalanced league schedule for 2025. With this being the only season with all 9 teams playing a complete schedule, there will not be a follow up schedule to balance this year off with St. Thomas leaving. Tell me what is really noticeable with the schedule.

Tech, Bemidji, and Lake State 14 home 12 road.
Augie, Minnesota State, and St Thomas 13 home and 13 road
BG, Ferris, and Northern 12 home and 14 road.

The CCHA just finds more ways to irritate me. No Minnesota area school plays 12 home games. Still not a fan of the CCHA league office.

[pdt1081]

It still bothers me to see an imbalanced league schedule for 2025. With this being the only season with all 9 teams playing a complete schedule, there will not be a follow up schedule to balance this year off with St. Thomas leaving. Tell me what is really noticeable with the schedule.

Tech, Bemidji, and Lake State 14 home 12 road.
Augie, Minnesota State, and St Thomas 13 home and 13 road
BG, Ferris, and Northern 12 home and 14 road.

The CCHA just finds more ways to irritate me. No Minnesota area school plays 12 home games. Still not a fan of the CCHA league office.

Augustana is going to be BG's new Nebraska-Omaha. 25 away games vs 10 home all time.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Michigan released their OOC schedule, no surprise we aren't on it.

[pdt1081]

Michigan released their OOC schedule, no surprise we aren't on it.

Mercyhurst Oct 3-4
@Providence Oct 10-11
Robert Morris Oct 16-17
V/@ Western Mich Oct 24-25
@harvard Nov 28-29

Their only home Non-conference is against 2 Atlantic teams, and one with Western. Perhaps the 2 for nones aren't working the way they thought they should.

[mbenecke]

Shocking move in the CCHA:

Joe Shawhan is out as the head coach at Michigan Tech, and he’s being replaced by Bill Muckalt.

[pdt1081]

Shocking move in the CCHA:

Joe Shawhan is out as the head coach at Michigan Tech, and he’s being replaced by Bill Muckalt.

I saw that announcement and my first thought was "raise your hand if you knew Tech was looking for a coach." My hand wouldn't be raised. Tech's website has no mention of Shawhan's departure. Tech and Lindenwood players now have 30 more days to enter the portal.

[TalonsUpPuckDown]

Shocking move in the CCHA:

Joe Shawhan is out as the head coach at Michigan Tech, and he’s being replaced by Bill Muckalt.

I saw that announcement and my first thought was "raise your hand if you knew Tech was looking for a coach." My hand wouldn't be raised. Tech's website has no mention of Shawhan's departure. Tech and Lindenwood players now have 30 more days to enter the portal.

The UP reporter who had us going to Atlantic Hockey posted on Twitter that he was blindisded by the news.

The Tech Hockey Guide guys have mentioned that Shawhan found out 20 min before the announcement. Not sure what to believe on that one. Regardless, it's amazing Tech was able to keep this so quiet. What I don't get is that Tech is a public university...don't they have to post the job opening publicly?

Tech players now have 30 days to portal out if they want (so do Lindenwood's guys as that's where Muckalt is coming from). Not sure it matters much, their top 2 guys portaled out 5 weeks ago and they don't have a ton left.

[pdt1081]

Atlantic Hockey released their composite schedule. BG and Robert Morris have an exhibition game on October 4th. The schedule has BG as the "home" team, but the location being "Moon Township, PA." Not sure what that's all about.

On October 10th and 11th, BG is at Niagra.

And that's the extent of BG playing the Atlantic this season.

https://atlantichockeyamerica.com/calen ... th=mhockey