Apparently Don Lucia is not happy with the idea that once a team get a verbal from a recruit they are basically hands off for the other coaches to recruit them. I think it is a great idea Denver's Coach George Gwozdecky does as well. It think the gist of it is that Lucia has lost some great recruits from the MPLS/St Paul area that committed early that he would love to have another crack at. I know UND has a few of those coveted recruits. I has said this before, I am not sure that Lucia wants to go there. I like the staus quo; I could also see a few of his prized recruits possibly changing their mind and deciding to go some where else.
While it appears that the gentlemen’s agreement will remain in place this year, it might not stay that way for long.
“It’s kind of a mess right now,” Western Collegiate Hockey Association commissioner Bruce McLeod said. “It’s a highly debated topic. Emotions are pretty strong about it.”
Minnesota’s Don Lucia is one coach who has publicly stated that he wants to do away with verbal commitments.
“And he’s got a few allies,” McLeod said. “It’s not a majority. But the problem is that the three or four guys talking about (recruiting committed players) are the leaders, the more veteran coaches. That’s what has caused a commotion more than anything.”
Lucia said that some Hockey East schools pushed a new gentleman’s agreement that would allow schools to contact verbally committed players until May 1 of their junior year. The thinking is that the recruiting age would go back up under this type of system.
“The whole issue here is ninth- and 10th-graders,” Lucia said. “What’s going on right now is not good for the players, colleges or anybody. It shouldn’t be a race to see who can first discover and get a ninth-grader.”
Gwozdecky, the most veteran coach in the WCHA, is on the other side of the issue. He says he’d hate to see the day when coaches are recruiting committed players.
This issue seems very case dependent, but in general, I think Lucia's request is worth serious consideration. Since the Gophers often have so many players verbally committed before their junior year of high school, this rule is more likely to backfire on them.
ReplyDeleteAs for a young player, its nice to keep the options formally open until you have collected all the information. Besides your life changes so rapidly in those days...
As a coach, you could get burned badly if you recruit a player early and see him not develop. This is especially true for goalies, which typically aren't asked to commit until their seniors. One exception was Jeff Frazee, who verbally committed as a junior. I'd say the Gophers got burned there.
To appease Gwozdecky, all current verbal commitments should be treated as "off limits".
Hakstol said that he likes the agreement. I think that the minute that someone took a recruit from Lucia you would hear him complain the loudest.
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that once the kid makes a verbal he is done being badgered from the other coaches.
Lucia knows that he can grab any UMD, SCSU, MSU-M or most other school's recruit any time a scholie becomes available or if a kid is a late bloomer.
ReplyDeleteAny guesses on who's on which side of the fence....
Grave Robbers
Lucia
Eaves
Motzko
Owens or Hakstol
Oral Surgeons
Gwozdecky
Sandelin
Jutting
Russell
Shaiak
Owens or Hakstol
Hakstol has come out and said that he doesn't want to the league to go away from the agreement. THis came up during a coaches show after Lou had shot his mouth off about recrutis.
ReplyDeleteHakstols words were something to the effect that they don't want to go there. That leads me to believe that he is ok with it. Gwoz said he like it too if I read right.
Turns out Eaves is on the Oral Agreement Team...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.madison.com/wsj/blogs/badger/baggot/285279