Hockey East: A New Big 4?

[Drew S.]

Hot take: BU is more likely to slip out of the so-called "top 4" than either PC or Lowell is. Quinn is a mediocre coach, and after a few years of underachieving despite having extremely talented rosters, he won't be able to sustain his recruiting success. Frankly, he lucked out with Eichel and that's the only reason the program isn't considered to be in a "rebuilding" stage right now.

Meanwhile, Leaman and Bazin continue to prove that they are elite coaches and can recruit top talent - and then actually develop it, too. I won't be surprised if, in a few years' time, we're talking about how Northeastern or UConn has displaced BU as a Hockey East top dog (I'm really happy all three of those teams have dog mascots).

*ducks*

I wonder how Providence gets on next year. They lose like 10 players. I don't think there is a big four anymore, league is wide open.

[Snively65]

Re: Hockey East: A New Big 4?

Wow, what a stupid thread. The whole premise of a HEA "big four" is a straw man, if there ever was one.

[kdiff77]

Re: Hockey East: A New Big 4?

no, good point. GQ is insisting on bringing in 17 and 18yo kids and not going the pc/umlol route of 22yo fr. only jrrrrrry can win that way. lucia can't and GQ can't.

Brown has had the same problem. We had three draft picks come in last season - all under the age of 19 - and none of them have come close to playing as well as you might expect of a future NHL player. Some flashes of high-end talent here and there, but overall, underwhelming.

It's tough to get teenagers up to speed mentally and physically against guys that are a few years older, and it's a credit to Jerry York that he's been consistently successful with lots of younger talent.

[kdiff77]

Re: Hockey East: A New Big 4?

I wonder how Providence gets on next year. They lose like 10 players. I don't think there is a big four anymore, league is wide open.

I'm certainly not an "insider" or anything, but I've heard they have impressive recruiting classes lined up for the foreseeable future. It's not exactly a hard sell - Nate is one of the most respected coaches in the business and the athletics department has really put itself on the map from a branding perspective with recent success in hockey and basketball.

I actually disagree that the league is wide open. IMO, it's BC, PC, Lowell, BU and then everyone else (NU can certainly force their way into that group if they continue their outstanding play next year). The likes of Vermont, Merrimack, UNH, UConn, Maine and UMass just aren't close to giving the top teams any sort of fight over the course of a season. On a game-by-game basis, we've seen them pull occasional upsets, but they simply can't match the talent and coaching at the top. I think the league was more open a few years back.

I'm also not including Notre Dame in this discussion, since they'll be gone after next year anyway.

[RENCEB]

Re: Hockey East: A New Big 4?

um, we now have yoga pants. nothing else is needed or will ever be needed again.

Highly contingent upon the wearer

[The Zlax45]

I wonder how Providence gets on next year. They lose like 10 players. I don't think there is a big four anymore, league is wide open.

I heard the same thing when they lost Gillies and ended up having a goalie that ended up having the best season in school history.

PC is bringing in Penn State's Scott Conway from two seasons ago who was kicked out of school. He scored a ton in the BCHL this year with 56 goals and 60 assists in 56 games.

We will see if he replaces some scoring which we know PC didn't do at the end of the year.

Foley is a highly skilled forward as seen by his high drafted spot and showed flashes in the second half of the year.

Does Ellis come back for his senior year? That is one spot that PC isn't really worried about as Hawkey is highly regarded.

Plus with the Walman injury, do the Blues sign him or see him play another year? He was the best offensive d-man in the conference before his injury in Decemeber.

[sterlippo1]

Re: Hockey East: A New Big 4?

Wow, what a stupid thread. The whole premise of a HEA "big four" is a straw man, if there ever was one.

missin the point, have some fun waiting for FF will ya?

[J.D.]

Re: Hockey East: A New Big 4?

This year:

1.BC
2.PC
3.ND
4.UML
5.BU
6.NU

7.MC
8.UConn
9.UVM
10.UNH
11.Maine
12.UMass

Last year:

1.BU
2.PC
3.BC
4.UML
5.ND
6.NU

7.UVM
8.UNH
9.UConn
10.Maine
11.MC
12. UMass

Hard to say the league is wide open when nobody from bottom half of the league broke into top half this year.

[RENCEB]

Re: Hockey East: A New Big 4?

This year:

1.BC
2.PC
3.ND
4.UML
5.BU
6.NU

7.MC
8.UConn
9.UVM
10.UNH
11.Maine
12.UMass

Last year:

1.BU
2.PC
3.BC
4.UML
5.ND
6.NU

7.UVM
8.UNH
9.UConn
10.Maine
11.MC
12. UMass

Hard to say the league is wide open when nobody from bottom half of the league broke into top half this year.

Hey, Merrimack gets the trophy for "Most Improved"!!

[Kepler]

Re: Hockey East: A New Big 4?

It may just be that the old Big 4 has finally reduced to the Big 2 (BU and BC) that we always figured would eventually happen. Except for Maine's one great decade, nobody else among the members has had staying power as a national contender.

[ticapnews]

Re: Hockey East: A New Big 4?

It may just be that the old Big 4 has finally reduced to the Big 2 (BU and BC) that we always figured would eventually happen. Except for Maine's one great decade, nobody else among the members has had staying power as a national contender.

A decade is now 20 years?

[Elbowing]

Re: Hockey East: A New Big 4?

This year:

1.BC
2.PC
3.ND
4.UML
5.BU
6.NU

7.MC
8.UConn
9.UVM
10.UNH
11.Maine
12.UMass

Last year:

1.BU
2.PC
3.BC
4.UML
5.ND
6.NU

7.UVM
8.UNH
9.UConn
10.Maine
11.MC
12. UMass

Hard to say the league is wide open when nobody from bottom half of the league broke into top half this year.

UCONN is knocking at the door with 3 less scholarships, and with a full slate in 2016-2017 they have a good chance to buck the trend.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: Hockey East: A New Big 4?

UCONN is knocking at the door with 3 less scholarships, and with a full slate in 2016-2017 they have a good chance to buck the trend.

Thanks for sharing, Coach Cavanaugh.

[zoofer]

Re: Hockey East: A New Big 4?

Here's a thought guys....BC and BU will always have beaucoup bucks, so take them out of the discussion for now, but of PU, NU, UML, and UVM and MC for that matter, who besides UNH is spending money on Football? Therefore they have the $$$ and Admin backing for their hockey to become better.....in a state that funds it's State University 50th, how can UNH provide for both football and hockey programs to be premier?

[Snively65]

Here's a thought guys....BC and BU will always have beaucoup bucks, so take them out of the discussion for now, but of PU, NU, UML, and UVM and MC for that matter, who besides UNH is spending money on Football? Therefore they have the $$$ and Admin backing for their hockey to become better.....in a state that funds it's State University 50th, how can UNH provide for both football and hockey programs to be premier?

I do not buy the lack of spending argument. We have the same number of scholarships as the others, and now a Jumbotron. I also do not buy the lack of training rooms and the other hoopla as an excuse. I think that what has changed at UNH has been a huge drop off in coaching and recruiting skills over the past decade.