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by WCHBlog on Feb 23, 2012 11:14 AM PST
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PrintI was on Buzzing the Net's weekly chat this week, talking a little bit about Paul Kelly's resignation from College Hockey Inc. You can see the transcript here. We put our heads together and tried to figure out what the conference commissioners actually do. I've still got nothing. This story is far from over.
WCHA commissioner-for-now Bruce McLeod still wants to hold the WCHA tournament at the XCel Center, though admits that what was once the top conference in college hockey has now been relegated to third in the pecking order for that event. Explain to me again why he still has this job? Even if his pipe dream came true, there's no way attendance at the X for that tournament would be anything but embarrassing, and geographically, it doesn't even make sense any more now that St. Cloud left the league too.
And I don't like the idea of Bruce McLeod discussing future playoff options for the WCHA. I wouldn't trust him with my order at Chick-Fil-A(and they have like, what, four things on the menu), let alone with something like this. I'm not even that comfortable with the idea of him attending this year's Final Five. If anything, he should be allowed in to kiss the casket of the beautiful thing he helped destroy and then humiliated into leaving 15 minutes in, like Bobby Brown at Whitney Houston's funeral.
According to ESPN3's programming guide, the first semifinal of this year's NCAA Frozen Four will only be televised on ESPNU, with the second semifinal and final making it onto ESPN2. The good news is that there's at least eight programs in college hockey that consider playing on lower tier cable station that few people get as "increasing exposure," so hopefully they're the ones that get stuck with that game.
The New York Times wrote an epic article on former Gopher Evan Kaufmann, who is now a member of Germany's national hockey team, despite his Jewish roots.
Some members of Minnesota-Duluth's student section offered up an apology for their poor behavior.
Denver has suspend forward Dan Olszewski indefinitely for violating team rules. Olszewski wasn't a major contributor to the Pioneers this season.
A nice feature on Michigan State's Torey Krug, who has made a pretty convincing case to be an All-American this year.
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The fact that McLeod can only see the Xcel Energy Center as a viable option for the future WCHA tournament shows what lack of leadership and vision he possesses. Seven of the nine future WCHA schools are not from Minnesota or any bordering state—unless you count Lake Superior between Grand Marais and Isle Royale a border.
He should be looking at Milwaukee, Chicago or even alternating with Detroit. He should stop trying to keep status quo for a league that will be anything but. If the new WCHA is going to be third fiddle in St. Paul then go somewhere else! Staying in St. Paul will reinforce that you’re in charge of a second-rate conference. Build a new identity!
I know the CCHA schools chose the WCHA for stability, but it ain’t going to be the same league without Minnesota, North Dakota, Denver and others. Dump McLeod and dump the nonsensical “Western” label. Hire Fred or anybody else and keep the CCHA name before Bruce ruins another league.
