Conference Teams Musings
When this was announced with Miami in the mix, I thought "Well, all eyes are now on Notre Dame." And then Coach Blashill left WMU. So, we're back to six looking at eight. I'm no longer certain that WMU is in the mix. Blashill would have made it a shoe in, and yeah, it's saying a lot that a coach can make a break a team's chances at conference alignment. So, where do we go?
I was thinking go get Notre Dame for #7 and perhaps SCSU or BSU for #8. Now, scratch SCSU out. I'm not sure why SCSU attracts so many weirdos in high administrative positions but Potter channeled Saigo and voila, welcome to Weirdoville. What's mystifying is that Gino Gasparini is advising SCSU. I would have thought that a positive towards inclusion. Guess Not. Giving the benefit of the doubt, perhaps SCSU wanted to be the big fish in the small pond instead of being maligned at times of being Minnesota's Jan Brady. SCSU fans will not be heard saying "Marsha Marsha Marsha!" in 2013-2014, that's for sure.
As for BSU, look at the intangibles: They've been very competitive as of late. They have a HIGH quality head coach in Serratore. They have brand new state of the art facilities. They have a positive rapport with the current Super League members (except Miami, of which BSU has a neutral stance). Also, without BSU, they only have one Minnesota school: tUMD.
I'd love to see Notre Dame and BSU round out the eight. I don't see going up to ten, which I'd think the next two teams would be WMU and... who? I'd say SCSU but... well...
League Name
Please please please please please please (how many more pleases can I say?) dump the name "College Hockey Super League." I hate it. It's too pretentious and arrogant. It's too bad the MCHA is taken (it's a DIII league) because the Midwest College Hockey Association would be a great name. Perhaps go back in time and call us the Western Collegiate Hockey League (WCHL)?
I keep up coming up with already existing hockey leagues. What do you all suggest?
League Leadership
I know Goon seems to think Gino Gasparini would be a shoe in for the new commissioner but I'm not so sure he'd take the job even if he was offered. He walked away from the USHL when the USHL was willing to give him whatever he wanted. He'd be a good candidate for sure, but I just don't see him taking it. I'm not connected enough with Hockey Administration to know who would be a good candidate to run this league.
I just hope they don't hire a politician to run the league like they did with McLeod. I guess if I wanted to be completely unrealistic, the person I'd love to have is Lou Lamoriello. He has been a DI head coach and he was the HEA Commissioner for a while before bolting for the NHL. However, Lou is as likely to leave New Jersey for this job as I am likely to leave Omaha to buy the LA Dodgers. I'll give McCourt $1000 for the team but otherwise I'm broke.
But on the side of Director of League Officiating.... I'd love the CHSL to adopt a pro style of officiating. Using NCAA and USA Hockey guidelines, the CHSL should be officiated as close to the NHL style as is realistically feasible. It is true that this would cause certain problems, namely compatibility with how other leagues call the game, but it still would be nice to be known as a league that competes with MJ, Europe, and the USHL when it comes to developing NHL caliber officiating talent. To do that, I think we should make a big splash... and go after arguably the most respected name in officiating: Bill McCreary. He may be Canadian, but that's hardly a drawback. He's available (he just retired). He knows hockey and how games SHOULD be called. The whole thing with USA Hockey is something that can be developed, especially since USA hockey is on the upswing and there are resources such as College Hockey, Inc. available to help. The bottom line, no one knows what an NHL style called game looks like and what good officiating talent looks like better than a guy who has been around the top tier of hockey for 20+ years.
