WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

[bigmrg74]

The word "week" implies that they'd play 4 games vs. Anchorage in one week then leave.

Then wouldn't the Alaska schools have to do the same thing the next year in the lower 48?? Hell, I bet MTU is really chomping at the bit to host anchorage on a Monday or Thursday night there.

[Flashy Man]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

Then wouldn't the Alaska schools have to do the same thing the next year in the lower 48?? Hell, I bet MTU is really chomping at the bit to host anchorage on a Monday or Thursday night there.

Hey, I like playing Anchorage at home.

[Goon]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

Correct. The BHHC will lose the market all together and kids today want to be seen on tv as much as possible. If by chance FSN can work out a deal with the WCHA then all the better. Mark my words the BHHC Twin Cities market within ten years will have dried up and only the kids watching Gopher games and maybe WCHA games will be shown to them. If the BHHC doesn't find a way to get on a weekly game on Versus imo leaving the WCHA was all for not. Who knows maybe ten years from now the WCHA will be finding a way to get four or more teams in the NCAA. It is going to be interesting.

That But Hurt Hockey Conference is one of the stupidest/silliest names for a hockey conference, sounds like sour grapes. Your scenario is just as silly if you think that MSU-M, SCSU, MTU and who ever ends up being in the WCHA is going to draw more of a television audience than UND, Miami, DU, UMD, UNO and C.C. yeah ok, I have some swamp land in Northern Minnesota to sell you.

[Pump It Up]

That But Hurt Hockey Conference is one of the stupidest/silliest names for a hockey conference, sounds like sour grapes. Your scenario is just as silly if you think that MSU-M, SCSU, MTU and who ever ends up being in the WCHA is going to draw more of a television audience than UND, Miami, DU, UMD, UNO and C.C. yeah ok, I have some swap land in Northern Minnesota to sell you.

What is swap land?

[Goon]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

Swamp land, the server at work wouldn't let me go back and change it. I had to wait till I got home.

[4four4]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

That But Hurt Hockey Conference is one of the stupidest/silliest names for a hockey conference, sounds like sour grapes.

Eric I am a Gopher fan and you know that. How is it sour grapes? IMO, sour grapes are when UND, DU etc. leave because they feel left behind and I am fine with them forming their own league.

Your scenario is just as silly if you think that MSU-M, SCSU, MTU and who ever ends up being in the WCHA is going to draw more of a television audience than UND, Miami, DU, UMD, UNO and C.C. yeah ok, I have some swamp land in Northern Minnesota to sell you.

If you look back at my post you will see I am talking about the Twin Cities market. IMO, the WCHA will have more people viewing their games on tv in the Mpls/St.Paul market vs. the new conference.

[Dirty]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

So this theory about UND, DU, etc. not getting Twin Cities player once they leave the WCHA. How does leaving the WCHA matter? I thought it was already decided that the Gophers were going to spend all their non-conference games against Minnesota schools, so what does it matter what league UND or DU are in? They won't play Minnesota either way and therefore won't ever be seen on FSN. Please do enlighten me as it seems that lately a few Gopher fans are all knowing about UND's future.

[bigmrg74]

What is swap land?

What the white man kept doing to Native Americans.

[Goon]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

If you look back at my post you will see I am talking about the Twin Cities market. IMO, the WCHA will have more people viewing their games on tv in the Mpls/St.Paul market vs. the new conference.

I would question that one as well and I would be happy to have a wager with you, there are a lot of UND fans in Minnesota and the Metro area and do you think more people would rather watch MSU-M and SCSU over say UND and UMD or UMD and DU? Whose to say that FSN keeps doing college hockey?

[Goon]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

Please do enlighten me as it seems that lately a few Gopher fans are all knowing about UND's future.

They all have crystal balls...

[darker98]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

What the white man kept doing to Native Americans.

Taking and swapping are not the same thing.

[4four4]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

I would question that one as well and I would be happy to have a wager with you, there are a lot of UND fans in Minnesota and the Metro area and do you think more people would rather watch MSU-M and SCSU over say UND and UMD or UMD and DU? Whose to say that FSN keeps doing college hockey?

Either way UND, UMD, DU etc. lose the Twin Cities market and it is the most important recruiting market west of Chicago. By losing the Twin Cities my guess is the new conference will have a harder time trying to penetrate it. As time goes by I bet more Minnesota kids choose to stay in state so their families and friends can watch them play within four hours of home.

[darker98]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

Either way UND, UMD, DU etc. lose the Twin Cities market and it is the most important recruiting market west of Chicago. By losing the Twin Cities my guess is the new conference will have a harder time trying to penetrate it. As time goes by I bet more Minnesota kids choose to stay in state so their families and friends can watch them play within four hours of home.

So UND will move out of ND?

[davyd83]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

So many WCHA and CCHA people (fans, administrators, etc) have played that "what's best for college hockey card. But it's funny, because some of the same people that were unhappy that Michigan and MSU didn't want to play them anymore because they weren't big enough or glamorous enough, are now opposed to playing Mercyhurst or Robert Morris because those schools arent big enough or glamorous enough. If they no do what's "best for college hockey," the WCHA will admit Alaska-Fairbanks, the CCHA will add Mercyhurst, Robert Morris, Canisius, Niagara and Alabama Huntsville. The big question is will those who talk about doing what's best, actually do what's best at this point?

[SJHovey]

Re: WCHA, CCHA talk merger (08-03-11)

Correct, but that is because they played in the WCHA and their parents could travel by car to watch them in state. They will only have one chance to do that in two years instead of four chances they had in the past. Plus by media I mean newspaper, TV news highlights and TV broadcasts. Not to mention even schools like UND have been getting way more twin city kids over the last ten years than ever before and a lot of that has to do with FSN and the final five. All that will be gone.

Don't get me wrong. Loss of exposure of a program is never a good thing, and I for one will miss terribly the Final Five and seeing UND play a lot of games close to Grand Forks.

But in the last 10 seasons, this is the roster of Twin Cities kids who have chosen to play at UND:

Brandon Bochenski
Brendan Connelly
Ryan Connelly
Scott Foyt (Andover, MN)
Matt Smaby
Todd Alexander
Taylor Chorney
Joe Finley
Ben Blood
Corey Fienhage
Joe Gleason
Danny Kristo

While there are some very good players on that list (and some forgettable ones as well) it's not like the Twin Cities is the primary source, or even a major source, of players for UND.

It's also interesting to see that at least lately, it's almost exclusively defenesmen, which I hadn't really thought about.