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

[Hockey John]

I love when Tech comes to Mankato. You bring a lot of fans who bring a lot of fun.

And I thought we were starting to get a nice rivalry going with Bowling Green, but I guess not, since apparently nobody in B1G and MAC country cares about us.

Yea, Minnesota State cares about BG and the WCHA. So much so that they have been trying for 2 years or more to get in the NCHC. Both schools are just trying to look out for themselves. There are eight D1 college hockey teams closer to BG than our nearest WCHA rival Ferris State. Just like Minnesota State is closer to Duluth and most other NCHC teams than BG. I enjoy the games with Minnesota State more than than other WCHA teams because our series has been so even and hard fought. But, I am not the typical college hockey fan. I am a diehard college hockey fan.

[gfmorris]

It’s actually my wife’s preferred maple syrup and probably the best out there for the real stuff and it’s available throughout the conference

I've never seen it, and last I checked, we hadn't been thrown out ...

GFM

[DrunkTrainPolka]

.
since i can't do attachments... for whatever its worth;

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r3-...ew?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_nK...ew?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xtC...ew?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AGi...ew?usp=sharing
.

[Shirtless Guy]

I've never seen it, and last I checked, we hadn't been thrown out ...

GFM

I don’t know what you have in Huntsville but they list multiple places in the “South.” That sell the stuff: https://andersonsmaplesyrup.com/index.php?pg=ms&page=storelocator#south

[joecct]

.
since i can't do attachments... for whatever its worth;

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r3-...ew?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_nK...ew?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xtC...ew?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AGi...ew?usp=sharing
.

Map 1: What happened to Big Rapids?
Map 4: A dagger in the heart of college hockey!

[DrunkTrainPolka]

.
some of these loops include schools (e.g., FSU) inside said loops.

what i find interesting is how far the colorado schools are... and that UAH is really not that far from WMU, MU, and BGSU.

geographically, and for the good of the game, there are tons of opportunity - and then comes what to do with ASU, UAA, and UAF...

which in my opinion should be in a conference that is really close to big cities; in the case of the new-WCHA, its not MTU, MQT, LSSU, etc, etc...

but could be denver, omaha, grand forks, cincinnati, minnie, etc, etc... places that commercial planes land more then two or three days per day.

pipe dream... but hoping MTU plays better teams PWR-wise is not. need to make that happen.
.

[JohnsonsJerseys]

.
since i can't do attachments... for whatever its worth;
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xtC...ew?usp=sharing

Oh, that would be the sweetest justice ever. DU with CC, AF, ASU and two AK teams in a "Far West" hockey conference. I would pay good money to see DU get stuck playing in that conference. The only thing better would be to stick North Dakota with Canadian colleges.

Ryan

[DrunkTrainPolka]

Oh, that would be the sweetest justice ever. DU with CC, AF, ASU and two AK teams in a "Far West" hockey conference. I would pay good money to see DU get stuck playing in that conference. The only thing better would be to stick North Dakota with Canadian colleges.

Ryan

i am working on it...

hell... however crazy that is;

its only a six-team conference.

the number of NC games available, they can still play ND, UMD, and SCCU. and let's not even bother with omaha, miami, and western.

again, the idea of splitting the WCHA in two regions could help lots...

GO TECH GOLD!
.

[Lost_Husky]

You appear to be one of the learned hockey fans that does not know the difference between "Alaska" and "Alaska-Anchorage". I thought you Kentucky boys were smarter than that.

LOL. There are more truth in your "Kentucky boys" comment than you realize.

[joecct]

i am working on it...

hell... however crazy that is;

its only a six-team conference.

the number of NC games available, they can still play ND, UMD, and SCCU. and let's not even bother with omaha, miami, and western.

again, the idea of splitting the WCHA in two regions could help lots...

GO TECH GOLD!
.

6 team conferences get AQs.

That would make the Great Plains Hockey League of:
UMD, BSU, MSUM, SCSU, UND, UNO
(I see full barns on weekends)

[DrunkTrainPolka]

6 team conferences get AQs.

That would make the Great Plains Hockey League of:
UMD, BSU, MSUM, SCSU, UND, UNO
(I see full barns on weekends)

CONF1 (6) - DU, CC, AF, ASU, UAF, & UAA

denver and phoenix have direct flights to anchorange and air force does not need help. all other places would only have one connection.

CONF2 (6) - UMD, BSU, MNSU, SCSU, UND, & UNO

no comment. its perfect.

CONF3 (6) - MTU, NMU, LSSU, FSU, WMU, & BGSU (or MU)

five michigan schools and a red-headed stepchild from ohio. BGSU is closer to all teams then MU.

then send UAH to replace AF in AH and send MU (or BGSU) to the B1G making it an even number at eight.

tons of NC opportunities with these six-team conferences.

[DrunkTrainPolka]

.
CONF1

1,701 mile driving loop, 25 hours (does not include both AK schools since flying is the only option)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q1d...ew?usp=sharing

CONF2

1,321 mile driving loop, 21.4 hours

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nID...ew?usp=sharing

CONF3

1,383 mile driving loop, 21.9 hours

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OV5...ew?usp=sharing

[pdt1081]

again, the idea of splitting the WCHA in two regions could help lots...

GO TECH GOLD!
.

One auto-bid per conference, no matter how many "regions or divisions.". Be better off just forming two conferences.

[DrunkTrainPolka]

One auto-bid per conference, no matter how many "regions or divisions.". Be better off just forming two conferences.

yeah, i get the bid thing. the reason for the divisions, two of them, would hopefully mean less travel and also more NC games.

in the current WCHA, put BSU, MNSU, MTU, and NMU on one side and LSSU, FSU, BGSU, and UAH on the other. and leave the two AK teams to float.

the top two from each side plus the next four best records (independent of side) make the playoffs. then seed them independent of regions.

again, reduce travel, play more NC games.

[manurespreader]

yeah, i get the bid thing. the reason for the divisions, two of them, would hopefully mean less travel and also more NC games.

in the current WCHA, put BSU, MNSU, MTU, and NMU on one side and LSSU, FSU, BGSU, and UAH on the other. and leave the two AK teams to float.

the top two from each side plus the next four best records (independent of side) make the playoffs. then seed them independent of regions.

again, reduce travel, play more NC games.

I don't see that flying, but you could at least schedule those teams against each other more often and against the other sideless often. I don't think that's too much to ask.

[gfmorris]

6 team conferences get AQs.

That would make the Great Plains Hockey League of:
UMD, BSU, MSUM, SCSU, UND, UNO
(I see full barns on weekends)

Yes, but that's a new conference, and new conferences have typically had to wait their turn before getting the AQ. The CHA didn't have an AQ until 2004, after five years of operations. (I think that some of the wait there was because of the whole Findlay debacle and MAAC schools dropping the Oilers from their schedules at the last minute.)

GFM

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

I've never seen it, and last I checked, we hadn't been thrown out ...

GFM

Also never seen, nor even heard of it here in Detroit.

[MavsFan]

Yea, Minnesota State cares about BG and the WCHA. So much so that they have been trying for 2 years or more to get in the NCHC.

I was speaking for myself, not for the university.

[joecct]

Yes, but that's a new conference, and new conferences have typically had to wait their turn before getting the AQ. The CHA didn't have an AQ until 2004, after five years of operations. (I think that some of the wait there was because of the whole Findlay debacle and MAAC schools dropping the Oilers from their schedules at the last minute.)

GFM

HEA got one right off the bat in 1985. IIRC, so did the NCHC.

[gfmorris]

HEA got one right off the bat in 1985. IIRC, so did the NCHC.

Thanks. Why didn't I think of that? Ugh.

GFM