WCHA 2018 Off-Season: Nobody's Walking Out On This Old-Fashioned Hockey Conference

[Shirtless Guy]

Brooks sounds good right about now, as I currently sit in Point Lay, a village of 200 people. Majorioty of the town went beluga hunting these past couple days. Took a picture of a small blonde grizzly they shot a couple weeks ago. Played basketball with some kids with a cloud of mosquitoes annonying us every step. Good thing I brought extra food as Ravn Airlines cancelles flights left and right, but arrive just to take off without mentioning hey there is an extra seat you could've used.

Diatribe done.

what are you doing there?

[Jimjamesak]

Thanks. I just puked a bit in my mouth.

After that experience I was so terrified of the concept of "natural women" that I couldn’t watch NatGeo for 3 months.

It took a lot just to able to type that. I think it’s easier that PJ’s was torn down.

[Shirtless Guy]

It took a lot just to able to type that. I think it’s easier that PJ’s was torn down.

That statement was like a giant brick being removed from my chest. I warn just about anyone going to Alaska to not go there...EVER.

[AKSWF]

what are you doing there?

Cleaning up chemical waste. Glycol was leaking from it's line and inginted Zappit 73. Suprised the whole building didn't burn down.

[huskyfan]

Girdwood is about a 45 minute drive down Turnigan Arm, near Mt Alyeska. There’s a cool new brewery in Girdwood and you can take the tram/gondola up the the bar/restaurant at the top. Pretty incredible time.

this sounds like a must do.

[huskyfan]

oh! hunting belugas! I'm not anti hunting in anyway shape or form. And one less grizzly ok with me. They are higher on the food chain than we are. but the belugas! saw them in Hudson Bay and they were such fun. followed our little zodiac and when we stopped they swam right up to the boat and poked their heads out of the water. to me they are one of nature's most beautiful creature. that's something I don't think I could ever kill.
well, the belugas and about 500 other animals!!

[Suze]

oh! hunting belugas! I'm not anti hunting in anyway shape or form. And one less grizzly ok with me. They are higher on the food chain than we are. but the belugas! saw them in Hudson Bay and they were such fun. followed our little zodiac and when we stopped they swam right up to the boat and poked their heads out of the water. to me they are one of nature's most beautiful creature. that's something I don't think I could ever kill.
well, the belugas and about 500 other animals!!

You and me both. I love eating moose, and hubby does hunt, but I don't think I could shoot and kill one unless my survival depended on it. Too much of an animal lover at heart.

[AKSWF]

Not trying to one-up myself but they also killed a baby seal about a month ago, village life is different. One snowstorm or a couple of more missed flights from Ravn and I would be forced to live off the land.

[Suze]

Not trying to one-up myself but they also killed a baby seal about a month ago, village life is different. One snowstorm or a couple of more missed flights from Ravn and I would be forced to live off the land.

Killing for subsistence is different.

[huskyfan]

way different.

[gfmorris]

You know, sometimes I think that UAH may rival BGSU for being the student body least likely to be missing for deer season. (This isn't a bad thing; my family is all over rural Dixie.)

UAH President Bob Altenkirch will retire at the end of the academic year, which makes me sad on a lot of levels. His predecessor may have been a hockey proponent, but he was terrible for the University as a whole. Bob the Builder has done a fantastic job with the breadth and depth of the school.

And yeah, this makes me a little bit worried about our hockey program. I'm not very worried, but we go from a known quantity to an unknown one.

GFM

[JohnsonsJerseys]

UAH President Bob Altenkirch will retire at the end of the academic year... His predecessor may have been a hockey proponent, but he was terrible for the University as a whole. Bob the Builder has done a fantastic job with the breadth and depth of the school. And yeah, this makes me a little bit worried about our hockey program. I'm not very worried, but we go from a known quantity to an unknown one.
GFM

If a new president worries you, keep an eye on how MTU's new president (started this month) handles Tech's hockey team down the road. We hired him away from LSU which I hear is the "Hockey Hotbed of the Gulf Region". (Well at least that's what Gary Bettman says but he said the same thing about Atlanta, Miami and Phoenix.) Maybe the new Huskies president will see the tiny amount we spend on our D-I team and will increase our ice hockey budget 20x so we can get more on par with what he was spending on LSU football? That would be nice...

Ryan J

[gfmorris]

If a new president worries you, keep an eye on how MTU's new president (started this month) handles Tech's hockey team down the road. We hired him away from LSU which I hear is the "Hockey Hotbed of the Gulf Region". (Well at least that's what Gary Bettman says but he said the same thing about Atlanta, Miami and Phoenix.) Maybe the new Huskies president will see the tiny amount we spend on our D-I team and will increase our ice hockey budget 20x so we can get more on par with what he was spending on LSU football? That would be nice...

Ryan J

I don't think that Susan's predecessor looked to kill the program. Also, what you'll see with someone moving from football to hockey country doesn't really equate to what happens with a President coming to the weird outpost of hockey in football country. Combine that with a Board of Trustees for the system that may impanel the new guy with a mandate to kill our program, and ...

Don't doubt that it could happen. Ask UAB football.

GFM

[JohnsonsJerseys]

Yeah but if UAH folds, who's going to play Louisville and Illinois? Oh UNLV and Iowa too, sorry I almost forgot about them. I think all the teams that are going to have D-I "soon" should have a double elimination tourney. The winner gets all the money that all the teams have saved up and that ONE team gets to start a D-I program. The rest of the teams start over the to try again in five years when the next tourney is held. Should make for some interesting games and keeps expansion under control. We can't just have D-I hockey teams popping up all over the country on a whim. Maybe we could even have the "I want a hockey team" championship game as a final game(s) during the Frozen Four weekend?

My prediction: Louisville will have D-I men's hockey before UAH folds their program. MTU football got taken to the brink a few years ago. When the university officially pulled the plug, the private supporters stepped up like never before. I would be very surprised if anyone would have the stones to shut down UAH hockey at this point after the effort that was just made to bring it back.

Ryan

[gfmorris]

My prediction: Louisville will have D-I men's hockey before UAH folds their program. MTU football got taken to the brink a few years ago. When the university officially pulled the plug, the private supporters stepped up like never before. I would be very surprised if anyone would have the stones to shut down UAH hockey at this point after the effort that was just made to bring it back.

I sure hope that you're right. The great thing is that Mack Portera retired years ago.

GFM

[davyd83]

Yeah but if UAH folds, who's going to play Louisville and Illinois? Oh UNLV and Iowa too, sorry I almost forgot about them. I think all the teams that are going to have D-I "soon" should have a double elimination tourney. The winner gets all the money that all the teams have saved up and that ONE team gets to start a D-I program. The rest of the teams start over the to try again in five years when the next tourney is held. Should make for some interesting games and keeps expansion under control. We can't just have D-I hockey teams popping up all over the country on a whim. Maybe we could even have the "I want a hockey team" championship game as a final game(s) during the Frozen Four weekend?

My prediction: Louisville will have D-I men's hockey before UAH folds their program. MTU football got taken to the brink a few years ago. When the university officially pulled the plug, the private supporters stepped up like never before. I would be very surprised if anyone would have the stones to shut down UAH hockey at this point after the effort that was just made to bring it back.

Ryan

Tech alumni and supporters have done an outstanding job in saving football and increasing the financial resources the hockey program needed to return to the upper echelon of college hockey.

The question for UAH is will they commit the resources their program needs to be successful? 20 hour bus trips the day before a playoff begins are not conducive to success.

[manurespreader]

I don't think that Susan's predecessor looked to kill the program. Also, what you'll see with someone moving from football to hockey country doesn't really equate to what happens with a President coming to the weird outpost of hockey in football country. Combine that with a Board of Trustees for the system that may impanel the new guy with a mandate to kill our program, and ...

Don't doubt that it could happen. Ask UAB football.

GFM

I was a big fan of UAB football. it was a real sad day when they stopped. I think the board really messed that one up. a lot of people in BHM were upset.

[gfmorris]

I was a big fan of UAB football. it was a real sad day when they stopped. I think the board really messed that one up. a lot of people in BHM were upset.

The UAS BoT is dominated by Tide folks, including Bear's son. If you aren't from UAT, you cannot trust the BoT.

GFM

[beaverhockeyfan]

With that changes to Anchorage's and Fairbanks' schedules, I hope I have updated everything correctly.

29 NCHC Games (0-0-0)
14-15 Big10 Games (0-0-0)
8 Hockey East Games (0-0-0)
7 Atlantic Hockey Games (0-0-0)
4-5 ECAC Games (0-0-0)
4-5 Independent Games (0-0-0)
0-1 Interleague Games (Not counted in league total)
9 Exhibitions (Not counted in league or team total)
TOTAL: 0-0-0

ALABAMA-HUNTSVILLE (0-0-0)
-at Miami (2)
-at Colorado College
-at Denver
-Arizona State (2)
-vs Vermont, TD Bank Catamount Cup, Burlington, VT
-vs Northeastern, TD Bank Catamount Cup, Burlington, VT

ALASKA (0-0-0)
-at Arizona State (2)
-St. Cloud State (2)
-at Denver (2)

ALASKA-ANCHORAGE (0-0-0)
-Colorado College (2)
-at North Dakota (2)
-at Nebraska-Omaha (2)

BEMIDJI STATE (0-0-0)
-Lakehead (EXH)
-North Dakota
-at North Dakota
-Merrimack (2)
-at St. Cloud State (2)
-at Air Force (2)

BOWLING GREEN (0-0-0)
-at Mercyhurst
-at Western Michigan
-at Robert Morris
-Robert Morris
-Western Michigan
-at Ohio State
-Ohio State
-at US Under 18 Team (EXH)
-Windsor (EXH)

FERRIS STATE (0-0-0)
-US Under 18 Team (EXH)
-Lethbridge (EXH)
-Western Michigan
-at Western Michigan
-Mercyhurst (2)
-at Michigan State
-Michigan State

LAKE SUPERIOR STATE (0-0-0)
-at Merrimack (2)
-Ni****ing (EXH-2)
-Michigan (2)
-at US Under 18 Team (EXH)
-vs. Michigan State, Great Lakes Invitational, Detroit, MI
-vs. Michigan Tech/Michigan, Great Lakes Invitational, Detroit, MI

MICHIGAN TECH (0-0-0)
-Minnesota-Duluth (2)
-at Wisconsin (2)
-at Clarkson (2)
-vs. Michigan, Great Lakes Invitational, Detroit, MI
-vs. Lake Superior State/Michigan State, Great Lakes Invitational, Detroit, MI

MINNESOTA STATE (0-0-0)
-Mount Royal (EXH)
-Boston University (2)
-at North Dakota (2)
-at Minnesota
-Minnesota
-vs. Minnesota-Duluth, Desert Hockey Classic, Glendale, AZ
-vs. Arizona State/Clarkson, Desert Hockey Classic, Glendale, AZ

NORTHERN MICHIGAN (0-0-0)
-at Michigan State (2)
-at St. Cloud State (2)
-Cornell (2)

[John J. MacInnes]

-Ni****ing (EXH-2)

This gets funnier every time I see it. I want everyone to get Ni****ing on the schedule just for this.