College Hockey 2012/13 (non UND Hockey)

[scpa0305]

I don't even know how to reply to such a bizarre statement like this. In fact I can't, it's just too dumb,

Brush up on your hockey knowledge....your top recruit just decommited.

[scpa0305]

I see no facts to substantiate anything you said. I know this isn't the most scientific approach to measuring interest (the non-casual variety), but it's certainly more than you offered.

There are currently 40 people browsing the Bluejackets board on HFBoards and 64 people browsing the Wild board. Hardly a substantial difference. Are you suggesting the majority of people who attend Wild games are just there for the social experience?

I have a job that pays....I can't sit patrolling random boards all day long. I do know that the Und following alone (real fans) are night and day more than the blue jackets (the biggest joke in the NHL)

[keikla]

wouldn't he know going in what the expectations were in going to college? hate seeing guys leave this late in the game.

Probably not. I swam in college at a DII school (translation: significantly less time commitment than D1 hockey) and have always excelled academically, and it was way tougher than I ever expected to balance the two. Even if you can manage the two-a-day practices with classes, etc., it gets even tougher once road trips are involved.

I have tons of respect for all these athletes who manage to dedicate that much time to his or her sport and also excel academically (and even more respect for the ones that do it with a non-cupcake major).

Anyway, I say props to Vanelli for recognizing it so soon into the academic year.

[MNState0fHockey]

I don't care if it's common knowledge or not, no matter what the circumstance, I doubt you'd ever hear Dave Hakstol make a quote like Lucia did. Just another example of why players will skate through a cement wall for Hak and Lucia's players won't skate through a paper wall for him.

So much ignorance in this post. I have all the respect in the World for Hakstol, he's a great coach. But you have no idea what Gopher players think of Lucia. The guy is a very respected coach.

[MNState0fHockey]

I have a job that pays....I can't sit patrolling random boards all day long. I do know that the Und following alone (real fans) are night and day more than the blue jackets (the biggest joke in the NHL)

So, UND has more fans than Columbus? Care to substantiate that claim?

I'd guess you're probably wrong. And that isn't meant to be disrespectful to UND. I bet they have more fans than UMN as well. It's an NHL franchise in a pretty big market.

[GFG]

sorry fellow hockey fans our sport is 4th in the food chain and soccer is catching up fast. So who has the best college hockey fanbase...we do.

In all honesty, if soccer hasn't passed hockey yet, it's gotta be DAMN close to passing it. Especially the US National Team. For cripes sakes, the Seattle Sounders sell out the Seahawks stadium.

[scpa0305]

So, UND has more fans than Columbus? Care to substantiate that claim?

I'd guess you're probably wrong. And that isn't meant to be disrespectful to UND. I bet they have more fans than UMN as well. It's an NHL franchise in a pretty big market.

have you ever been to a small market hockey game? It honestly reminded me of a MN Swarm game....they have all these side show activities between every whistle simply to keep the fans somewhat interested....because lord knows they know nothing about the game being played. I honestly don't call them 'real' fans.

[scpa0305]

In all honesty, if soccer hasn't passed hockey yet, it's gotta be DAMN close to passing it. Especially the US National Team. For cripes sakes, the Seattle Sounders sell out the Seahawks stadium.

True....it definitely is very close if you include the entire country.

[Wilbur]

The same Ohio State that had a CCHA playoff series in a practice rink last year and drew around 2,300 people for the ENTIRE series.

628 for the decisive third game....

If it isn't made out of a pig with white stripes....they just don't care.....

[MNState0fHockey]

have you ever been to a small market hockey game? It honestly reminded me of a MN Swarm game....they have all these side show activities between every whistle simply to keep the fans somewhat interested....because lord knows they know nothing about the game being played. I honestly don't call them 'real' fans.

Doesn't matter how "loyal" or how knowledgable of fans they are. UND fans have them beat in both departments hands down. Those fans still show up at games. Ohio has over twice the population of Minnesota, which has roughly five times the population of North Dakota. That's not irrelevant. Ohio is a big market that can really effect ratings.

[GFG]

MNStateofHockey said

" the big brand names of Minnesota and Ohio State are going to draw in more viewers"

This was funny...now not only is OSU a big draw, but that powerhouse MN is a big brand name! Name in what?

There is that self proclaimed "King" attitude you and your fan base have. But usually the King has the most of something........Championships maybe? Oh yes, runner up banners....

If you go by merchandise sales, then yes they're both very large brand names. Minnesota is always between 30-40 in merchandise sales in the nation. Ohio State isn't exactly known because they're one of only 4 schools (Michigan State, USC and Oregon are the others) that don't use the Collegiate Licensing Company. But I've seen in quite a few places that they're easily #2 after Texas, who is still #1 by a long shot. This is not a shot at UND, so please don't take it that way, but in the past 5 years UND hasn't been in the top 75 merchandise schools once, and even the University of Texas-San Marcos has made the list (Who is that? ), indicating that they have a small, but very loyal fan base.

Not a shot at UND, the point I was trying to make is that Ohio State isn't really an awful choice to play this game (especially on the Big Ten Network, which is in the Big Ten footprint) when they're the third largest school in the nation with a very large fan base, albeit most of that is obviously football and basketball fans. They have A LOT of alumni, and there is a good chance to draw in a lot of Ohio State fans, who normally aren't big hockey fans, just to watch their school in an outdoor game. Hockey wise, obviously it's an awful choice, but TV dollar wise it could be a good thing. Could it get lower ratings than a Minnesota/UND game? Of course it can, and probably will. But it does have the potential to get much higher ratings than a Minnesota-UND game as well.

I don't believe any of that, though. I believe they're picked for the game because that's who was on the conference schedule when they wanted to schedule Hockey Day Minnesota. I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered if it were Penn State/Michigan State/Michigan or Wisconsin in town that weekend. Whatever team was on the schedule is the team who was going to play in it, is what I believe.

[MafiaMan]

The same Ohio State that had a CCHA playoff series in a practice rink last year and drew around 2,300 people for the ENTIRE series.

628 for the decisive third game....

If it isn't made out of a pig with white stripes....they just don't care.....

Wilbur, Wilbur, Wilbur...that's only because they played a lowly non-Big 10 team in the first round! Had they played MSU or Michigan, Buckeye Nation would have put 1,000 butts in the seats at their practice rink for that third game!

[GFG]

The same Ohio State that had a CCHA playoff series in a practice rink last year and drew around 2,300 people for the ENTIRE series.

628 for the decisive third game....

If it isn't made out of a pig with white stripes....they just don't care.....

I feel like with more familiar opponents their attendance will rise, but obviously not a lot. There were 26,000 in attendance for their outdoor game with Michigan in Cleveland 2 years ago. That's when they were ranked #2 in the country. Like most schools, if they can start winning attendance will start to take care of itself.

At home against Michigan last season they had 6700 on Friday night and closed in on 10,000 on Saturday night. Familiar opponents should start drawing in some more casual fans for a school like Ohio State. But it's going to take some time, obviously.

[Wilbur]

Wilbur, Wilbur, Wilbur...that's only because they played a lowly non-Big 10 team in the first round! Had they played MSU or Michigan, Buckeye Nation would have put 1,000 butts in the seats at their practice rink for that third game!

Well, if I'm an Ohio State fan and its between attending a BCS Bowl game in a warm weather city or watching an outdoor game where my team will likely lose in chilly Minnesota.....

Is Wisconsin available that weekend?

[southpaw]

Probably not. I swam in college at a DII school (translation: significantly less time commitment than D1 hockey) and have always excelled academically, and it was way tougher than I ever expected to balance the two. Even if you can manage the two-a-day practices with classes, etc., it gets even tougher once road trips are involved.

I have tons of respect for all these athletes who manage to dedicate that much time to his or her sport and also excel academically (and even more respect for the ones that do it with a non-cupcake major).

Anyway, I say props to Vanelli for recognizing it so soon into the academic year.

You've just been waiting for years for the perfect opportunity to let everyone know about being a college athlete

[MNState0fHockey]

Brush up on your hockey knowledge....your top recruit just decommited.

Top recruit? Hardly. Maybe from an NHL draft standpoint, but he was going to have an uphill battle to get playing time this year. Minnesota is pretty deep defensively this season. And out of all the commits coming in, I doubt he would have had the biggest impact. Guys like Cammarata and Kloos will be 3-4 year guys who have a larger impact. He wasn't even our most NCAA ready defensemen coming in. Tat would be Brodzinski. And with guys like Collins, Glover, and Lindgren in the pipeline (two of which are coming in next season) and guys like Jack Doughtry still uncommitted, this loss is hardly insurmountable.

[brianvf]

And it's official, Vannelli has left the Gophers - http://www.gopherspo.../091713aaa.html

He couldn't balance school/athletics

Couldn't balance school & athletics?

It's been like 2 weeks since school started. Official practices haven't even started yet and I'm guessing most of the freshmen classes haven't even gotten past explaining the syllabus yet.

If he can't hack it in college after 2 weeks, there's not much hope for the kid in the real world.

"Oh man, reading the first chapter of Introductory to Computers combined with a one hour captain's practice is just too much on my plate...I'm done!"

[as15]

I wouldn't bash the kid at all. Look at the college success rate overall, it is extremely low. Some people struggle in school, that's just how it is.

[as15]

Agree with Vannelli not being your top dman recruit. Its like us with Thompson, he might have the highest potential of the four freshman defenseman, but I think he will have the smallest impact this year.

[Goon]

I feel like with more familiar opponents their attendance will rise, but obviously not a lot.

I think that hockey in Ohio, is like way behind, oh let’s see, OSU Football, OSU basketball, Professional football and Baseball and I would be willing to bet that probably even Eldora Speedway, since they draw way more fans than OSU Hockey. If you don't believe me check it out.

[Melvin]

Top recruit? Hardly. Maybe from an NHL draft standpoint, but he was going to have an uphill battle to get playing time this year. Minnesota is pretty deep defensively this season. And out of all the commits coming in, I doubt he would have had the biggest impact. Guys like Cammarata and Kloos will be 3-4 year guys who have a larger impact. He wasn't even our most NCAA ready defensemen coming in. Tat would be Brodzinski. And with guys like Collins, Glover, and Lindgren in the pipeline (two of which are coming in next season) and guys like Jack Doughtry still uncommitted, this loss is hardly insurmountable.

Do you smoke a crack pipe and drink before you post on-line? To suggest that this kid wasn't going to have any kind of an impact on the Gophers this season is short sited. You have no idea, just like the rest of us, unless your part of the Gophers coaching staff. Let me guess, you got that information from the Hockey Stalker Hammy? So, what next? Are you suggesting that the Blues wasted a draft pick at 47 on the kid too eh?

[choyt3]

Top recruit? Hardly. Maybe from an NHL draft standpoint, but he was going to have an uphill battle to get playing time this year. Minnesota is pretty deep defensively this season. And out of all the commits coming in, I doubt he would have had the biggest impact. Guys like Cammarata and Kloos will be 3-4 year guys who have a larger impact. He wasn't even our most NCAA ready defensemen coming in. Tat would be Brodzinski. And with guys like Collins, Glover, and Lindgren in the pipeline (two of which are coming in next season) and guys like Jack Doughtry still uncommitted, this loss is hardly insurmountable.

Ahhhh,,,, Hammy's old "he wasn't going to play anyway" excuse. Isn't that the same thing said when a supposed "blue chip" recruit from the vaunted State of Hockey signs with another program?

[keikla]

You've just been waiting for years for the perfect opportunity to let everyone know about being a college athlete

You know it! And, if you notice, I snuck in the fact that I'm brilliant, too.

[MNState0fHockey]

Do you smoke a crack pipe and drink before you post on-line? To suggest that this kid wasn't going to have any kind of an impact on the Gophers this season is short sited. You have no idea, just like the rest of us, unless your part of the Gophers coaching staff. Let me guess, you got that information from the Hockey Stalker Hammy? So, what next? Are you suggesting that the Blues wasted a draft pick at 47 on the kid too eh?

He is a kid that was coming straight from high school. He needs to put on some serious weight. The Gophers have Marshall, Parenteau, Reilly, Skjei, and Holl returning and Brodzinski and Bisschoff (who both played in the USHL last season) also coming in. To suggest that Vannelli had an uphill climb to see ice time is nothing short of reality.

[MNState0fHockey]

Ahhhh,,,, Hammy's old "he wasn't going to play anyway" excuse. Isn't that the same thing said when a supposed "blue chip" recruit from the vaunted State of Hockey signs with another program?

He certainly would have played, but he wouldn't have played significant minutes this season. The loss will be felt more long-term than it will be this year. They have Collins and Glover coming in from the NTDP next year, but might have to pickup another 2014-2015 D commit if they lose more Dmen after this season than expected.