UND's New Hockey Conference

[GFG]

I'm not into the politics of the change and will miss the old WCHA. To me, the best reason for the change is to GET NEW REFS!

Here's to hoping the Shepherds and Adam stay in the WCHA! *holds beer up*

[Goon]

Here's to hoping the Shepherds and Adam stay in the WCHA! *holds beer up*

I heard at the Final Five that the Shepherds were going to retire...

[bale31]

I heard at the Final Five that the Shepherds were going to retire...

All of them or just Big Shep?

[Goon]

All of them or just Big Shep?

A least Greg but it sounds like they might all be done, this is a rumbling that I have heard twice in the last year, color me skeptical, but I don't see the NCHC using the Shepherds as officials and I don't see Greg being the NCHC Hockey Operations guy.

[GFG]

I heard at the Final Five that the Shepherds were going to retire...

So we're down to Don Adam...how do we get rid of him?

[The Sicatoka]

So we're down to Don Adam...how do we get rid of him?

Flush?

[Goon]

So we're down to Don Adam...how do we get rid of him?

We hand him over to the B1G or the AHA. he can reg Air Force games and the WCHA games.

[Goon]

Flush?

I think we need to hire Sicatoka as Hockey Operations guy of the NCHC.

[The Sicatoka]

I think we need to hire Sicatoka as Hockey Operations guy of the NCHC.

Well, now that I have my new job (thanks Goon!) I'm going to assume I only answer to the Commissioner and that the Head of Officials works for me.

Knowing that, I'm pulling the second referee off the ice. Yup, off the ice. Instead they'll be sitting in a designated seat in each league rink and they'll be connected wirelessly to the on-ice refereee. The off-ice referee will still call penalties but do it through the on-ice referee (hence the wireless connection). The off-ice referee also be responsible for video reviews.

How many times have you sat in your seat and wondered "how'd the on-ice officials miss that?" Well, let's get one referee out to a broader view of the game. We have the technology. Let's use it.

I believe my plan will:

- open up some ice

- speed up video reviews

- help ensure the right folks get called during scrums and such

- do a better job of keeping track of "behind the play" stuff

- work toward a safer, cleaner game

I'm The Sicatoka, and I approved this message.

[Goon]

How many times have you sat in your seat and wondered "how'd the on-ice officials miss that?" Well, let's get one referee out to a broader view of the game. We have the technology. Let's use it.

I believe my plan will:

- open up some ice

- speed up video reviews

- help ensure the right folks get called during scrums and such

- do a better job of keeping track of "behind the play" stuff

- work toward a safer, cleaner game

I'm The Sicatoka, and I approved this message.

I like that idea. I was wondering if you were one of the 120 to apply for the job?

[Ice Arena Man]

I'm disappointed with everyone. The difference in my mind is that the NCHC schools had a choice. MN didn't. They weren't going to be able to damage the other sports at MN just to stay in the WCHA. That's not even a choice. You can say the NCHC schools were backed into a corner and I would disagree. I think they took the easy way out when they saw the opening. Reasonable minds can disagree about this. The fact is, many of us outside the NCHC see a lot more to be unhappy about from the NCHC schools than MN. You can argue that it's unfounded, but again, there is a lot of reasons this happened and it's NOT just the Big Ten. Yes, they started it, but it didn't HAVE to continue on this path forward. It's done.

I do not know why you are getting down so much on UND, As I recall when Minnesota State first went D1 in the mid 90's UND was one the few WCHA schools that scheduled Mankato. Where was Minnesota when they first went D 1. I was a Puple Cow season ticket holder then and it also seens to me that some of the biggest crowds at the Midwest Wireless Center (Verizon) were when UND played there.

[fightingsioux4life]

I do not know why you are getting down so much on UND, As I recall when Minnesota State first went D1 in the mid 90's UND was one the few WCHA schools that scheduled Mankato. Where was Minnesota when they first went D 1. I was a Puple Cow season ticket holder then and it also seens to me that some of the biggest crowds at the Midwest Wireless Center (Verizon) were when UND played there.

It's pretty simple: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.

[sioux7]

I do not know why you are getting down so much on UND, As I recall when Minnesota State first went D1 in the mid 90's UND was one the few WCHA schools that scheduled Mankato. Where was Minnesota when they first went D 1. I was a Puple Cow season ticket holder then and it also seens to me that some of the biggest crowds at the Midwest Wireless Center (Verizon) were when UND played there.

Excellent point. UND has always reciprocated. For years Minnesota would never play Bemidji State until they were admitted into the WCHA and were forced to play them due to scheduling.

[Goon]

Excellent point. UND has always reciprocated. For years Minnesota would never play Bemidji State until they were admitted into the WCHA and were forced to play them due to scheduling.

UND was playing MSU-M when there were first moving up to Division I hockey and while they were getting into the WCHA and traveling to BSU and MSU-M long before any of the other teams were and their fans are still mad at UND about the NCHC. I don't get it, and UND and BSU are going to continue to play after they go to the NCHC. The Chances of Wisconsin or Minnesota going to BSU or Mankato on a regular basis aren't very good.

Edited April 24, 2012 by Goon

[Mariucci]

Excellent point. UND has always reciprocated. For years Minnesota would never play Bemidji State until they were admitted into the WCHA and were forced to play them due to scheduling.

Gophers were at Bemidji in 2000 I believe, maybe 2001.

[siouxkid12]

Gophers were at Bemidji in 2000 I believe, maybe 2001.

Just checked past Bemidji schedule's (they only go back to the 01-02 season) and the last time Minnesota was in Bemidji was the 10/11 season.....Shows how much they help up and coming programs!

[BigGreyAnt41]

Just checked past Bemidji schedule's (they only go back to the 01-02 season) and the last time Minnesota was in Bemidji was the 10/11 season.....Shows how much they help up and coming programs!

That was the first year BSU was in the WCHA. So that Bemidji visit was a conference series. What would be interesting to see is how many non-conference series' they played there prior to 2010. According to Mariucci, it was 2000 or 2001.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

That was the first year BSU was in the WCHA. So that Bemidji visit was a conference series. What would be interesting to see is how many non-conference series' they played there prior to 2010. According to Mariucci, it was 2000 or 2001.

The Gophers played at Bemidji in October of 2000. They beat the Beavers 9-3.

[SiouxAlum01]

If it were Wisconsin and UND leaving, the Gophers would have done the exact same thing w/ DU. Don't tell me otherwise. They think they are the hockey gods and everyone else should just fall in line. Tired of Minnesota playing the innocent victim here. They didn't support the smaller schools in their own state like UND has/will. Sick of this arrogance that Minnesota is doing everyone else a favor by scheduling them. Talk to me when your BC.

[bale31]

I do not know why you are getting down so much on UND, As I recall when Minnesota State first went D1 in the mid 90's UND was one the few WCHA schools that scheduled Mankato. Where was Minnesota when they first went D 1. I was a Puple Cow season ticket holder then and it also seens to me that some of the biggest crowds at the Midwest Wireless Center (Verizon) were when UND played there.

I all fairness, the 3 years that MSU was D1 and NOT a part of the WCHA is a pretty small sample size. As for right now, MN is the school that is committed to helping MSU through the transition period. I also admit that UND is reaching out to MSU for scheduling arrangements. That's been acknowledged by everyone. The reality is, though, that MN has committed to scheduling and coming to Kato for at least the first 2 years after the conference split (and I've heard that a scheduling arrangement for 4 years is being worked on) in addition to the MN Cup.

As for why I'm down on UND, I think you're reading with an assumed bias on my part. Yes, I do hold UND responsible for some of this, but I have also acknowledged on multiple occasions that there are MANY responsible parties. That includes everyone from all the Big Ten schools to the schools that are cutting bait with the NCHC and to a degree the schools that are being left behind (as this was building up to a breaking point for years). My only argument on any of this is that any party (in the case of this thread, UND) didn't have a hand in it and was FORCED to make the actions they did. Yes, the Big Ten started it, but was it really a necessity for any other schools to make a change? Or was it just the cover that was needed to align with schools that were wanted. In any case, the motives from the Big Ten schools and the NCHC schools were the same....additional money. In the Big Ten's case, they thought there was additional money to be made. In the NCHC's case it was to prevent those schools from having to give up earned money. I've been hearing lots of NCHC schools blaming the Big Ten without realizing there was another potential decision to make. it's just that they chose not to.

[siouxrunner]

That was the first year BSU was in the WCHA. So that Bemidji visit was a conference series. What would be interesting to see is how many non-conference series' they played there prior to 2010. According to Mariucci, it was 2000 or 2001.

Look here

Minnesota played a home-and-home with BSU in 2000-01. Minnesota has played 5 total non-tournament out-of-conference road games since 2000. One was against Bemidji, the others were a series each against Ohio State and New Hampshire. Since then they have visited Bemidji once more for a two game series.

[I Ranger]

Look here

Minnesota played a home-and-home with BSU in 2000-01. Minnesota has played 5 total non-tournament out-of-conference road games since 2000. One was against Bemidji, the others were a series each against Ohio State and New Hampshire. Since then they have visited Bemidji once more for a two game series.

Just off the top of my head I know that Minnesota played at BU in there. They opened up BU's new rink.

[bale31]

It's pretty simple: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.

That's just simply not true. If you want to play the victim card, go ahead, but that has nothing to do with it. It is possible to be critical of an organization without having an ax to grind.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Just off the top of my head I know that Minnesota played at BU in there. They opened up BU's new rink.

They also made a trip to Michigan State this past season.

[bale31]

UND was playing MSU-M when there were first moving up to Division I hockey and while they were getting into the WCHA and traveling to BSU and MSU-M long before any of the other teams were and their fans are still mad at UND about the NCHC. I don't get it, and UND and BSU are going to continue to play after they go to the NCHC. The Chances of Wisconsin or Minnesota going to BSU or Mankato on a regular basis aren't very good.

Coming from the coaches and administration, MN has been first class to work with. So has UND and UMD to a degree have, but not to the extent that MN has. UNO and SCSU are likely going to play us on a yearly (or almost yearly basis) as well. WI, DU and CC are not at all, but that really wasn't all that unexpected. Those are the schools that want nothing to do with any of their former conference mates.

Again, it's not just UND people are annoyed with. It's the entire situation. The fact that UND and DU were the ones that were the figureheads (and by most accounts driving it) is the reason that they are getting the heat. They were the ones that everyone saw smiling at the press conference. They are the ones that are associated with it most due to those facts. MN isn't getting as much because many of us feel they didn't want this to happen and many of already know that Alvarez is a d-bag and has wanted the Big Ten to do this for a long time. I, personally, was caught off guard by the NCHC and reacted very negatively toward it due to the feeling that the WCHA could have been saved, but the schools that left didn't have the will or motivation to make it work. Again, that was their right. They didn't do anything wrong. It just felt as though the NCHC schools were turning their backs on us at the time.