Non-UND College Hockey 2021-22

[AJS]

The NCHC is going to be tough next year no doubt. If UND is able to procure another legitimate Top-6 guy from the Portal, I think they'll still have as good of a chance as anyone next year.

One of the major components you have to look at when analyzing how a team will be is their performance this year. I'm going to pick on Western. They were awful this year. The players that are returning are great players, but, unless they really upgrade elsewhere, I still don't think they are a Top half team.

[Wilbur]

If all SCSU's guys come back I'll pick them to win the league.  Well coached, and gave a good UND team a run for their money every time they locked horns this year. 

Way......way.........way.........too early (and likely wrong) predictions for 21-22 NCHC end game. 

1. SCSU

2. Duluth

3. UND

4. Denver

5. Western

6. Omaha

7. CC

8. Miami 

[petey23]

3 hours ago, AlphaMikeFoxtrot said:

If their D was truly on par with ours they would have had at least one player sign.

LaFontaine better get ready for another Thanksgiving Massacre!

I think they were second to UND as a group on D. One factor was the experience factor of JBD and Kierstad.

One of those equations has changed and the other hasn't.

[cberkas]

15 minutes ago, AJS said:

The NCHC is going to be tough next year no doubt. If UND is able to procure another legitimate Top-6 guy from the Portal, I think they'll still have as good of a chance as anyone next year.

One of the major components you have to look at when analyzing how a team will be is their performance this year. I'm going to pick on Western. They were awful this year. The players that are returning are great players, but, unless they really upgrade elsewhere, I still don't think they are a Top half team.

Western Michigan’s goaltending was the problem once Bussi got hurt

[brianvf]

31 minutes ago, AJS said:

One of the major components you have to look at when analyzing how a team will be is their performance this year. I'm going to pick on Western. They were awful this year. The players that are returning are great players, but, unless they really upgrade elsewhere, I still don't think they are a Top half team.

Their 5 game win streak at the end of the season made their record look a lot better than what it was.

[brianvf]

26 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

If all SCSU's guys come back I'll pick them to win the league.  Well coached, and gave a good UND team a run for their money every time they locked horns this year. 

Way......way.........way.........too early (and likely wrong) predictions for 21-22 NCHC end game. 

1. SCSU

2. Duluth

3. UND

4. Denver

5. Western

6. Omaha

7. CC

8. Miami 

I agree on the bottom three.
I think UND and UMD flip spots in your rankings, especially if UND manages to pick up another good experienced portal forward.
And then DU with their large freshmen group and WMU with all their returning seniors fight it out for the last home ice spot.

[nodakvindy]

2 hours ago, The Sicatoka said:

So WMU, SCSU, and UMD are keeping their "extra year" seniors. 

Tell me how that works out when their freshmen don't get playing time and are still effectively freshmen as sophomores. 

If nobody leaves, how many freshman do you bring in.  Or do you cut underclassmen who haven't produced.  Remember that to keep a player for the extra year doesn't count against scholarship limits, (not sure if that will continue to apply until all classes have aged out).  That means you will have a lot of depth and can more easily get guys a night off and weather injuries.  Coaches have several years to figure it out, I'm sure the good ones will.

[Wilbur]

Dale Lennon with some TV time as UMARY wins the ACHA D2 national championship.  

[farce poobah]

20 hours ago, Wilbur said:

If all SCSU's guys come back I'll pick them to win the league.  Well coached, and gave a good UND team a run for their money every time they locked horns this year. 

Way......way.........way.........too early (and likely wrong) predictions for 21-22 NCHC end game. 

1. SCSU

2. Duluth

3. UND

4. Denver

5. Western

6. Omaha

7. CC

8. Miami 

At this stage in the offseason, I tend to give goaltender rankings a higher weighting.  I'd say the top two aren't separated from UND at all in that regard.

20 hours ago, brianvf said:

I agree on the bottom three.
I think UND and UMD flip spots in your rankings, especially if UND manages to pick up another good experienced portal forward.
And then DU with their large freshmen group and WMU with all their returning seniors fight it out for the last home ice spot.

And then DU and WMU fight it out for the last at-large bid to the NCAA's.    Or maybe this is a year that 5 NCHC get in.

[ubish]

On 4/20/2021 at 4:51 PM, AJS said:

The NCHC is going to be tough next year no doubt. If UND is able to procure another legitimate Top-6 guy from the Portal, I think they'll still have as good of a chance as anyone next year.

One of the major components you have to look at when analyzing how a team will be is their performance this year. I'm going to pick on Western. They were awful this year. The players that are returning are great players, but, unless they really upgrade elsewhere, I still don't think they are a Top half team.

They were awful to start the year, no doubt about that but they finished with 6 wins over top five teams.  There aren't many other teams in the country that could say that this past season. 

[tnt]

1 hour ago, ubish said:

They were awful to start the year, no doubt about that but they finished with 6 wins over top five teams.  There aren't many other teams in the country that could say that this past season. 

... and if not for a botched faceoff, who knows?  I think they are a top half team next year.  They took down good Duluth and St. Cloud teams last year, and just wait until they get fans in their building again.  UND has had problems with Western even when they are loaded, and they will most likely take a little time to come together next year. 

[ubish]

1 minute ago, tnt said:

... and if not for a botched faceoff, who knows?

 

1 hour ago, ubish said:

They were awful to start the year, no doubt about that but they finished with 6 wins over top five teams.  There aren't many other teams in the country that could say that this past season. 

I just checked.  

WMU finished 6-7-0 vs top 5 teams

Other teams in the NCHC vs top 5 teams

 

St. Cloud - 6-4-0 (7-5-0 including NCAA tournament)

UMD - 2-6-1 (3-7-1 including NCAA tournament)

UND - 3-1-1  (3-2-1 including NCAA tournament)

Omaha - 3-6-1 

Denver - 2-9-0

Miami - 1-12-0

CC - 2-7-0

I'm not saying that WMU should have been a top 5 team, but there is a enough talent on this team to beat top teams night after night.  The consistency wasn't there due to goalie problems and a huge freshman class, but everyone should be older and theoretically they'll be playing more like they did at the end of the year when they went 8-4-1 rather than at the beginning of the year when they went 2-8-2.

[ubish]

27 minutes ago, tnt said:

UND has had problems with Western even when they are loaded, and they will most likely take a little time to come together next year. 

WMU's team was the same this past season.  We knew they would take some time to gel, which isn't a very good time to play so many teams so quickly in the pod.  The Bussi injury was just salt in the wound. 

[I Ranger]

1 hour ago, ubish said:

 

I just checked.  

WMU finished 6-7-0 vs top 5 teams

Other teams in the NCHC vs top 5 teams

 

St. Cloud - 6-4-0 (7-5-0 including NCAA tournament)

UMD - 2-6-1 (3-7-1 including NCAA tournament)

UND - 3-1-1  (3-2-1 including NCAA tournament)

Omaha - 3-6-1 

Denver - 2-9-0

Miami - 1-12-0

CC - 2-7-0

I'm not saying that WMU should have been a top 5 team, but there is a enough talent on this team to beat top teams night after night.  The consistency wasn't there due to goalie problems and a huge freshman class, but everyone should be older and theoretically they'll be playing more like they did at the end of the year when they went 8-4-1 rather than at the beginning of the year when they went 2-8-2.

If not I would like to get some of that potion! 

[ubish]

1 hour ago, I Ranger said:

If not I would like to get some of that potion! 

Andy gives up some of his life essence every year to keep his players from getting older.  So far it has had no noticeable effect on his own aging........

[Rebel_Sioux]

On 4/20/2021 at 3:57 PM, Wilbur said:

If all SCSU's guys come back I'll pick them to win the league.  Well coached, and gave a good UND team a run for their money every time they locked horns this year. 

Way......way.........way.........too early (and likely wrong) predictions for 21-22 NCHC end game. 

1. SCSU

2. Duluth

3. UND

4. Denver

5. Western

6. Omaha

7. CC

8. Miami 

Denver always seems to be competitive despite their coaching carousel since George Gwozdecky (still not sure why they fired him, but it's worked out ok for them I guess).

That being said, I'd also put WMU over Denver. They've got a lot of talent.

In any case, it'll be another great year in the NCHC. Would be fun if we could send 6 teams to the tournament again!

[Blackheart]

2 hours ago, ubish said:

Andy gives up some of his life essence every year to keep his players from getting older.  So far it has had no noticeable effect on his own aging........

Yeah, he doesn’t look a day over 130...

[Kevin G]

9 hours ago, ubish said:

Andy gives up some of his life essence every year to keep his players from getting older.  So far it has had no noticeable effect on his own aging........

"...life essence..." 

Now I'm going to have to rewatch Dr. Strangelove.

[MDtoGF]

ear from Chris Van Os-Shaw on why he chose AIC, and from Eric Lang on what he brings to that group. 

https://seamoresports.com/2021/04/21/chris-van-os-shaw-looking-for-a-fresh-start-at-aic/

[Wilbur]

I don't follow GPL on Twitter, but somebody liked a post of theirs and it came up that they had 10 d men on the roster last season?  Right now they've got 8, and they are still looking to add on the blue line they say?  

My question becomes how thin the scholarship dollars get stretched?  You've got your all American Goalie coming back (for sure scholarship), and a few good young kids like Lucius that are for sure on full rides.  The NCAA to my knowledge did not allow for adding scholarship dollars even with retaining super seniors.  Are there that many kids at Minnesota on partials?  I mean 28 kids rostered seems like a lot.  In retrospect UND was at 26 this past season, so not a huge difference, but two more mouths to feed for Minnesota.    

[The Sicatoka]

17 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

... they had 10 d men on the roster last season?

Yup.

https://gophersports.com/sports/mens-ice-hockey/roster 

[siouxforce19]

41 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

I don't follow GPL on Twitter, but somebody liked a post of theirs and it came up that they had 10 d men on the roster last season?  Right now they've got 8, and they are still looking to add on the blue line they say?  

My question becomes how thin the scholarship dollars get stretched?  You've got your all American Goalie coming back (for sure scholarship), and a few good young kids like Lucius that are for sure on full rides.  The NCAA to my knowledge did not allow for adding scholarship dollars even with retaining super seniors.  Are there that many kids at Minnesota on partials?  I mean 28 kids rostered seems like a lot.  In retrospect UND was at 26 this past season, so not a huge difference, but two more mouths to feed for Minnesota.    

I think they are insane if they are going to roster 10 d-men. I thought the same this year. Your 9th and 10th d-men will rarely, if ever, play, so I’m not sure what kind of players you’re going to find to fill that role. 

[nodakvindy]

51 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

I don't follow GPL on Twitter, but somebody liked a post of theirs and it came up that they had 10 d men on the roster last season?  Right now they've got 8, and they are still looking to add on the blue line they say?  

My question becomes how thin the scholarship dollars get stretched?  You've got your all American Goalie coming back (for sure scholarship), and a few good young kids like Lucius that are for sure on full rides.  The NCAA to my knowledge did not allow for adding scholarship dollars even with retaining super seniors.  Are there that many kids at Minnesota on partials?  I mean 28 kids rostered seems like a lot.  In retrospect UND was at 26 this past season, so not a huge difference, but two more mouths to feed for Minnesota.    

Actually if you are retaining players already at the school you can exceed the scholarship limit. Kind of like the Larry Bird rule to NBA salary cap.  

[The Sicatoka]

5 minutes ago, nodakvindy said:

Actually if you are retaining players already at the school you can exceed the scholarship limit. Kind of like the Larry Bird rule to NBA salary cap.  

You are allowed to go over the 18 limit, but many schools don't have the budget to do so in these most curious times. 

[DL Sioux]

4 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

You are allowed to go over the 18 limit, but many schools don't have the budget to do so in these most curious times. 

I believe I read somewhere that the scholarships over the limit can't come from the athletic budget.  They would have to be from another source.