The Official Maine 2009 season thread:The Revenge of TIMMAY!!!

[GoMaine24]

Re: The Official Maine 2009 season thread:The Revenge of TIMMAY!!!

By the way....if you ask me what the biggest change is this year: its the attitude and character of the players themselves.

[Hokydad]

Re: The Official Maine 2009 season thread:The Revenge of TIMMAY!!!

Cronin had a great year at Maine when Shawn was suspended? He won the first season but alienated the fanbase when he griped because people didn't come to Alfond in a blizzard and then was sub-.500 in Hockey East the next year. There weren't a lot of people clamoring for Greg Cronin.

True but that one streach was crucial to maine hockey over the next 5-6 years. many kids were lined up to leave and he kept the course. Could have turned into a donneybrook and when Shawn came back there could have been 3 walkons staring at him.

His game has never been to please the fans. players love him though

“The proudest moment I had in my tenure as interim head coach was at my press conference [when I was leaving] . Every single kid came up to that room and listened to me talk to the media for about half an hour. They waited for me to get done, and they all shook my hand and gave me a hug. That to me is why you’re in college athletics, to be able to have that relationship with players.”

Afterwards, Bourque said to Cronin, “I’ve never seen kids so devastated by somebody leaving. They may not say it because they want to make sure that they’re respectful of Shawn, but those kids are crushed.”

“From a human perspective,” said Cronin, “I think it’s great. When you have that kind of impact on kids, you’ve obviously done something very well to influence them in a healthy way.”


Dec. 26, 1996 — “Last July when I was entertaining some other opportunities, people were trying to keep me at Maine,” said Greg Cronin, who served a year as Maine’s interim head coach before recently taking a position with USA Hockey. “They were very disappointed that I might leave. Now a lot of people have opened the door and let me leave because we’re 7-7-1 and as far as they’re concerned, I haven’t done a very good job.”

"Greg Cronin saved Maine hockey."

— Maine Sports Information Director Matt Bourque
The dichotomy between Cronin’s supporters — like Bourque and athletic director Suzanne Tyler — and his detractors speaks volumes. Those who choose to look only at the surface see the Black Bears’ .500 record under Cronin this year and their even worse standing in Hockey East (2-5-1 for seventh place). Then they look at Shawn Walsh’s legendary track record. To them, the difference in results tells all they need to know.

“He did a fabulous job here,” countered Walsh, who returned Dec. 24. “You can get an idea for how highly he’s respected in the hockey community by [the fact that USA Hockey hired him.] I don’t think it’s coincidental that USA Hockey opened up the position for him right when he left here. They obviously held onto that position for him because they wanted him on their staff.”

“I’m not sure if people who haven’t been around our program understand the adversity and challenges that Greg went through,” said Bourque. “It would have been easy for things to fall apart so badly that we couldn’t put it all back together. If we’re successful ten years down the road, a lot of people will have forgotten about him, but he’s the guy who will have held it all together. Greg

[northeastern]

Re: The Official Maine 2009 season thread:The Revenge of TIMMAY!!!

Nice info on Coach Cronin.. i have to tell you, even today.. most players at NU feel the same way about him. The head coach's job must not be to please the fans, just stick to plan.

I think even with Whitehead's ups & downs.. i do not think you guys have a bad coach either. Actually he's pretty decent. And we have a keeper as well. My opinion of course..

Maine's playing great hockey right now. I think my Huskies have their work cut out for them this wknd.

[sandiegoblkbr]

Re: The Official Maine 2009 season thread:The Revenge of TIMMAY!!!

By the way....if you ask me what the biggest change is this year: its the attitude and character of the players themselves.

Out with the old and in with the new.

The new guys aren't drinking the TIMMAY kool-aid.

[Chris_NH]

Re: The Official Maine 2009 season thread:The Revenge of TIMMAY!!!

If Maine continues strong, there could be a boat-load of HE teams in the NCAAs...and not one of them named 'BU.'

[maineblackbear]

Re: The Official Maine 2009 season thread:The Revenge of TIMMAY!!!

interesting thread. the looming possibility is that both sides on the Timmay dispute are correct. that he was not a good coach or game manager for the last several years, but that he is learning. it is possible that he has had to internalize some of the criticism regarding the idiosyncracies of his style of play (see KIA's post for excellent explanation of obvious changes) and that he has learned. (Hey, I am Gonzaga grad, too-- and this year is Mark Few's best job working refs and clock managing--people learn--maybe Timmay is learning and all the criticism will have been good-- I learn from critiques--why wouldn't he?). thanks for reading-- mbb

[mainescores]

Re: The Official Maine 2009 season thread:The Revenge of TIMMAY!!!

Where do you people get your information? Jackson had taken a job that season with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League in 2000 and stayed there until the 2002-2003 season.

IF people insist on posting let's check the facts. If you have facts that dispute this feel free to post them. I don't agree with some of the opinions expressed on this board, but I can relate to opinions. However when people insist on posting inaccuracies that's when I think people should be called on the carpet.

You are welcome to return the favor. Jackson's history is detailed on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Ja...hockey_b._1955) if you want to research it.

So let me get this straight that {A.} Shawn Walsh never asked Jeff Jackson about taking over the UM Hockey program.....and {B.} That Jackson declined because of the inpending situation he was in along with the Illness in his family that he could not put forth the total effort in coming into the UM program and finally...{C.} That people don't continue to work even when there is a Illness to one of there family members....................

[rufus]

Re: The Official Maine 2009 season thread:The Revenge of TIMMAY!!!

Cronin had a great year at Maine when Shawn was suspended? He won the first season but alienated the fanbase when he griped because people didn't come to Alfond in a blizzard and then was sub-.500 in Hockey East the next year. There weren't a lot of people clamoring for Greg Cronin.

Right, and when Shawn came back, that same Maine team had maybe the best record in college hockey over the last half of the season.

[BoSox3066]

Re: The Official Maine 2009 season thread:The Revenge of TIMMAY!!!

interesting thread. the looming possibility is that both sides on the Timmay dispute are correct.

It's never been black and white. He can't move from great coach to poor coach and back again. It's impossible that he was the worst coach in America while going to 3 Frozen Fours in 4 years and it's also impossible that he's the best coach in America while putting together 2 straight DNQs and losses to Union and Bentley.

He is what his record says he is, and at Maine that record says he's an above average coach. He's closing in on 200 wins which in 9 years is pretty darn good.

None of them are won in a vaccuum. You can't look at 2007-09 without the context of the first six seasons, just like you can't look at all the Frozen Fours without the context of the swoons and the two 13 win campaigns.

[lkenney]

Re: The Official Maine 2009 season thread:The Revenge of TIMMAY!!!

JIM-MY HOW-ARD!!!! CLAP, CLAP, CLAP CLAP CLAP

[walrus]

Re: The Official Maine 2009 season thread:The Revenge of TIMMAY!!!

JIM-MY HOW-ARD!!!! CLAP, CLAP, CLAP CLAP CLAP

Sure was fun sitting behind him for two periods every game,

[ck1969]

Re: The Official Maine 2009 season thread:The Revenge of TIMMAY!!!

Yeah sure is great to see Jimmy finally getting...scratch that, earning his shot and excelling. One of my all time favorite Black Bears.

[Hokydad]

Re: The Official Maine 2009 season thread:The Revenge of TIMMAY!!!

Schneider, Dipietro, Dunham, Snow blah, blah , blah. many great goalies over last 10-15 years. You can thank Grant for all the studs there the past 20+/- years.

[Hockeypuck]

Re: The Official Maine 2009 season thread:The Revenge of TIMMAY!!!

Speaking of Howard if you have the NHL network Detroit plays St Louis tonight at 7:30 with Howard in net and St Louis has some guy named Kariya.

[ck1969]

Re: The Official Maine 2009 season thread:The Revenge of TIMMAY!!!

Watching Jimmy vs. Conklin on the NHL network. Very cool.