fightingsioux4life

The biggest problem is that extra COVID year. It has screwed up the pipeline and caused younger players to sit and watch, which ruins their development. As time goes on, this problem should go away by itself.

Nothing to lose in trying.

Fair enough. Here is to a better 2023-24 season and happier moods on this forum.

Only the coaching staff knows what they are looking for and what they think they need. And we won't know if our moves will pan out until next season. I am just crossing my fingers that our moves work out.

This comment is why @Irish, @SIOUXELEVENS and others feel it necessary to point out the very serious problems this program is facing right now. There are people who seem oblivious to these inconvenient truths and want only positive things posted. Well, it doesn't take long for a program to decay and it can be difficult to rebuild it (Wisconsin is a current example). I would rather avoid that if possible. It is entirely possible we will bounce back next season and earn a high seed in the NCAA tournament. And I think the whole COVID extra year has been detrimental to this program and the further away we get from that, the better. Next season will be important for this coaching staff and the program as a whole.

Not a bad idea.

We could go back to the old two-game total goal series (a 120 minute game spread over two nights), but I was never a big fan of that.

It is no trouble at all. I enjoy brainstorming.

Here is the corrected version for you all. Here is an on-campus post-season format for the NCHC if we added St. Thomas: Quarterfinal Round The last place team is eliminated from post-season contention. The other eight teams are matched up by regular season finish: #1 hosts #8 in two out of three game series (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) #2 hosts #7 in two out of three game series (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) #3 hosts #6 in two out of three game series (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) #4 hosts #5 in two out of three game series (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) Semifinal Round Highest remaining seed hosts lowest remaining seed in two out of three game series (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). Second highest remaining seed hosts second lowest remaining seed in two out of three game series (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). Finals Highest remaining seed hosts lowest remaining seed in two out of three game series (Thursday, Friday, Saturday)*. *Final Series is pushed back one day to avoid conflicting with Selection Sunday. If we stay at 8 teams, everyone will be included in the Quarterfinals and everything else stays the same.

I have deleted the post and will repost after I fix it.

Yeah, they would be a huge asset for that league.

Travel partners? What is this, NCC basketball? If everything should remain as is, then people need to stop complaining about the Frozen Faceoff and poor attendance. And I still think St. Thomas is a school we must get in our league before another conference snatches them up.

I wasn't "bagging" on the fans as much as on the poor location of Miami relative to the rest of the league. Also, I said "like Miami", which would include the Colorado schools as well.

And yet the NFL draft remains one gigantic crap shoot. As does college recruiting.

Yeah, "drop" is a little harsh. Maybe "persuade" is more diplomatic? People complain about the NCHC tournament format and how bad it is, but don't seem open to possible solutions. And the lack of fans teams like Miami bring to the tournament is one of the problems that is unlikely to change anytime soon. I have heard some scuttlebutt in the past that some people at Miami think they should get out of the NCHC because of their lack of competitiveness since joining the league 10 years ago. Let them leave without paying the exit fee, invite St. Thomas in and I think the Frozen Faceoff may have better attendance in the future. Western Michigan is a solid program and an asset to the league and they did bring some fans with them to the 2022 Frozen Faceoff. So I think I was a little impulsive including them on the "drop" list. But I still think St. Thomas would be 10 times the asset to the league that Miami is.

Add Mankato and St. Thomas. Drop Miami and Western Michigan. Much better geographically for the Frozen Faceoff and other things as well.

Nope, don't need him. We want "culture guys" here. (sarcasm)

Possibly. But the NCHC has to get them in first.

ASU.........maybe. But the snobs that run the B1G will never admit a small, private school like Denver.

If the $$$$$ was right, it would merit thoughtful consideration. But I don't see that happening.

That sounds very familiar. Where have I recently heard about a three year contract exte............oh yeah, different thread.

If they would make it worth our while ($$$$$), I would at least be open to it. But they are too stuck up and snobbish to "lower themselves to our level", so I think the odds of it happening are very remote.

Some of those slow starts involved teams that shouldn't have started slow. But people like you would not tolerate any criticism of Hakstol and denigrated anyone who dared question anything he did. But if you want to defend our current approach, then by all means do so.

Which will only happen if he gets actual playing time. And not just during the Manitoba and/or U.S. Under 18 games.