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RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

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  • Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

    Originally posted by Red Cloud View Post
    Graduated from RPI and isn't transferring, but rather becoming a graduate student with a year of eligibility remaining.

    See also Robbie Baillargeon.
    It would not surprise me if we would not have lost DM if it were not for that loophole.

    I think that Flaggie knew the rule, but he is faking it so I won't assume that he has the whole rule book memorized.
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    • Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

      Originally posted by Ralph Baer View Post
      It would not surprise me if we would not have lost DM if it were not for that loophole.

      I think that Flaggie knew the rule, but he is faking it so I won't assume that he has the whole rule book memorized.
      I'm just trying to find a way to weaponize both of you.

      Credit where it's due - big ups to the Flag for being about 300% more reasonable since about February.
      Keep an open mind. Just don't be so open-minded that your brain falls out.

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      • Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

        Originally posted by Ralph Baer View Post
        It would not surprise me if we would not have lost DM if it were not for that loophole.

        I think that Flaggie knew the rule, but he is faking it so I won't assume that he has the whole rule book memorized.
        Actually I did not know that rule, otherwise I would not have asked the question; thank you to RC for the clarification. It would be wise to not assume I have the whole rule book memorized, especially the Division I manual. I am much better versed with the ice hockey rules and regulations than I am the D-I bylaws, but I still do need to look things up every now and then.

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        • Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

          Originally posted by FlagDUDE08 View Post
          Actually I did not know that rule, otherwise I would not have asked the question; thank you to RC for the clarification. It would be wise to not assume I have the whole rule book memorized, especially the Division I manual. I am much better versed with the ice hockey rules and regulations than I am the D-I bylaws, but I still do need to look things up every now and then.
          I was kidding with my last comment. Note the .
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          • Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

            Originally posted by Ralph Baer View Post
            I was kidding with my last comment. Note the .
            Still, I might as well make the clarification just in case someone thinks I'm an encyclopædia of that. After all, I do cite some obscure stuff off the top.

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            • Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

              Originally posted by 25+years View Post
              I would look at this year's team being a success, no matter what the record winds up being, if they play a consistent game for 60 minutes and their opponents look at games against them as a challenge.
              I am in total agreement with that statement. I don't see how we can expect anything more at this point.
              Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
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              • Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

                Originally posted by Stay@homeDad View Post
                Rumor has it Hayhurst is looking to transfer as well but they are trying to talk him into staying. For those who have access or know how to access the financials when done for year end June 30th I would be interested in seeing what they say about the buyout price. Have heard it is a lot more than most speculated. Again a rumor at this point even though I was told true, do not know the source that well, and would be found on the year end financials.
                I would hate to see Hayhurst leave. He looked like he would turn into a top scorer. Something we haven't had in years. Of course, there is no way to know if he will advance to that status, but he sure looked good last year.
                Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
                Benjamin Franklin
                The harder I practice, the luckier I get.
                Gary Player

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                • Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

                  Originally posted by Red Cloud View Post
                  I'm just trying to find a way to weaponize both of you.

                  Credit where it's due - big ups to the Flag for being about 300% more reasonable since about February.

                  Agreed from me as well. But, let's see if all the progress he's made lasts. Does this mean that the loss of Appert means the loss of the smileys? One can only hope.
                  Uncle Mickey: July 23, 1950-July 22, 2003

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                  • Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

                    Originally posted by jericho View Post
                    Agreed from me as well. But, let's see if all the progress he's made lasts. Does this mean that the loss of Appert means the loss of the smileys? One can only hope.
                    Nobody likes a sour puss.

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                    • Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

                      Today is 12 May 2017. There are 142 days until RPI's next game.


                      This is based upon 1 October 2017 for the start of next season.
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                      • Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

                        An update on RPI hockey 1 month into Dave Smith’s tenure
                        http://www.troyrecord.com/sports/201...-smiths-tenure. Highlights are mine.

                        By Sam Blum , sblum@digitalfirstmedia.com, @SamBlum3 on Twitter

                        TROY, N.Y. >> It’s been one month and four days since Dave Smith was introduced as the RPI hockey coach. He entered a program in flux, with questions about the school’s commitment to its lone Division-I program being raised by its most prominent alumni.

                        And with more than a month under his belt, Smith has started to turn his new position into a stable foundation. But with an incomplete staff, an ever-changing roster and an out-of-date facility, there’s still a lot for him to do.

                        The Record sat down with Smith in his office on Thursday afternoon to discuss his first 34 days on the job.

                        On his coaching staff

                        One of Smith’s first comments during his opening press conference was to thank assistant coaches Nolan Graham and Bryan Vines for tending to the program during the month in between Seth Appert’s firing and Smith’s hiring. About two weeks ago, Smith made the decision to let Vines go, and keep Graham, an RPI alum, on the staff.

                        “With Nolan being an alum, that was a priority for me was to have someone who was familiar with the school and why they chose RPI as a student-athlete,” Smith said. “But having worked here and really Nolan and I share a lot of similar values and beliefs. I kept Nolan. I knew I was going to bring somebody else in. At least one of my own people, and the alumni piece was very important for Nolan.”

                        Smith said he’s currently in the beginning stages of a national search to find another assistant coach. Both Smith and Graham are more offensive-minded coaches, so it would make sense for the new hire to be defensively inclined, or a goalkeeper coach. Smith said, though, that the search wouldn’t be limited in that way.

                        On short-term and long-term facility improvements

                        On the day that Smith was introduced, RPI president Shirley Jackson broke news that a $20 million fundraising commitment was being made to the Houston Field House facility. The exact details of a timeline and specific improvements weren’t presented, but it gave the impression of a long-term commitment.

                        Smith said that project has been addressed about once a week with the administration’s office since he took over, and he’s very confident in its eventual implementation. The coordination is usually with people who work for Dr. Jackson.

                        That’s the long-term changes. But there is also a short-term plan for the facility, which Smith says is basically “modernizing the playing area” and making the whole place “fresher” and “crisper.”

                        “With our players lounge, let’s dress it up,” Smith said. “Lets change it from a big TV on a wall to a theatre classroom style. Just some tweaks. We have all the pieces necessary to modernize it a little bit, and there’s a plan in place to do that.”

                        He also wants to do a better job of commemorating the rich history of RPI hockey, which includes two national championships.

                        “Celebrating history throughout the building, that the players have a healthy pressure of the guys that walked before them,” Smith said. “They know that there’s a national championship two times. And there’s a lot of pressure them and we need to celebrate that.”

                        Smith didn’t commit to exact dates for specific changes to be made, but said it would be gradual. He said it’s important that many top recruits see top facilities on campus visits.

                        “We have more history and tradition than most programs,” Smith said. “I don’t believe it’s in a fresh, crisp manner.”

                        On alumni relations

                        Smith said he was aware of the palpable tension between athletic director Lee McElroy and program’s prominent alumni. But he also said that since he’s taken over the job, he’s felt supported by alumni who hope to see the program succeed.

                        “They love the program,” Smith said. “I think you could put anybody in this seat, and they’re going to support them. I’ve heard that support, from guys from the Class of 1955 all the way to the Class of 2016. They have been, ‘Hey, you’re the new head coach, what can we do to help?’”

                        He said some of the grievances that the alumni had was a result of “misinformation” and “speculation”.

                        “I think a lot of those was speculation and maybe misguided passion,” Smith said of the complaints.

                        Smith said they’ll also have a director of operations for the men’s hockey program, which would be a new addition this season. It was a shared position in the past.

                        On meeting with the new roster

                        Before Smith took the job, he’d watched tape on RPI and seen all the players and what they could do. When he took the job, he re-watched it in preparation meet with his players. He also watched them lift, work out and train.

                        During the 30-minute to one-hour-long meetings, they talked about hockey. But the meetings also included asking about their families, what their challenges are, what their strengths are. He starts off the meetings by saying, “tell me about your story.” He also took questions from the players.

                        “Finding out about them as people,” Smith said. “You can’t coach a chair, a chair has no personality. You’ve got to coach the person, and getting to know the person, it takes a lot of time. Even though I spent a lot of time with them in the last month, we need to continue to push the envelope of knowing each other.”

                        On roster fluctuation

                        RPI will enter next season without two would-be seniors in Lou Nanne and Drew Melanson. Smith wouldn’t comment on either, but both will be leaving with eligibility on the table.

                        There’s also possibility that extends to other players on last year’s roster, though Smith wouldn’t comment.

                        Smith did confirm that he released highly-rated recruit Bailey Conger, who didn’t want to join the program after signing a National Letter of Intent to play at RPI.


                        “We’re not talking about widgets, we’re not talking about a graphite hockey stick,” Smith said. “We’re talking about humans that have had plans and have made future plans and have feelings and want to have a say and ownership in their own careers. Both on and off the ice. That part is always hard.”

                        Of course, when dealing with roster flux with a new coach, it’s usually two-sided. There are certain players that want to play in a different situation, and then there are players that the new coaches don’t feel fit in their plans. It’s the reality of dealing with limited spots and limited scholarships.

                        Smith and Graham spend considerable time daily watching tape of players they’re recruiting, making calls, and traveling to speak with prospective student-athletes. The Record’s interview was pushed back 30 minutes as Smith met with potential recruits. On the schedule

                        With Seth Appert in charge, RPI would schedule a very tough out-of-conference schedule. It often featured the likes of Notre Dame, Boston University, Boston College, Denver, etc.

                        Smith said he likes to have a very balanced nonconference schedule. The program has yet to release its 2017-2018 schedule, though Smith indicated they would once the details and dates are finalized. This was a schedule that was put together before Smith took over, and Smith said he didn’t make any changes to it.

                        “Moving forward, I like to go east, I like to go west,” Smith said. “I like bigger schools, smaller schools, where is the geography of our recruits, and let’s have an experience as much as possible in those games.

                        “I think scheduling is about balance. You’d like to have some that you feel more confident in, and you want something you can challenge with and get a bonus point for the RPI (rating percentage index) on the road...There’s way too much to say, ‘This is what I want to do.’

                        “If I could pick it, we’d play every game at home, and we’d win every one of them. It wouldn’t matter who we play. But I don’t think that prepares you for the NCAA Tournament.”


                        And for Smith, everything he’s doing right now is with that main goal in mind. The last head coach reached the NCAA Tournament once in 11 years. Smith was brought on to make it a more regular occurrence. And he’s spent the first month laying the foundation.
                        Last edited by Ralph Baer; 05-12-2017, 06:30 AM.
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                        • Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

                          Coach Smith tweet on previous article

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                          • Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

                            Good to read the opponents aren't changing this time around. I assume the finalizing is based around us going to Ohio State when we were supposed to play Maine, as well as who is the 12th opponent (based on CCT's schedule, it looks safe we'll have a third game with them). I'm thinking maybe a Merrimack, Northeastern, or a third Atlantic game. Either way, it would probably be the week of the 6th-7th, since Maine and ND already have other games then, and the other eastern teams are full.

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                            • Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

                              Originally posted by FlagDUDE08 View Post
                              Good to read the opponents aren't changing this time around. I assume the finalizing is based around us going to Ohio State when we were supposed to play Maine, as well as who is the 12th opponent (based on CCT's schedule, it looks safe we'll have a third game with them). I'm thinking maybe a Merrimack, Northeastern, or a third Atlantic game. Either way, it would probably be the week of the 6th-7th, since Maine and ND already have other games then, and the other eastern teams are full.
                              It probably would be impossible at this time to make significant changes.
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                              • Re: RPI 2017 Off-Season (Part II): Mr. Smith Goes to Troy

                                I loved reading Ed Weaver's articles, but it is certainly good to read Troy Record articles that appear not to be full of typos and confusing and misleading statements. (He did say that this is RPI's lone D-I program. He forgot the women's team.)

                                My main complaint is that the coverage of RPI hockey appears to be less frequent.
                                Last edited by Ralph Baer; 05-12-2017, 07:53 AM.
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