I am going to ask my fellow WCHA fans, am I the only one that is not impressed with Bruce McLeod and his failed leadership? In reading McClown's statements leading up to and following the Penn State announcement, I find McLeod to be unimpressive and his comments to be some what puzzling. The WCHA wouldn't be diminished, are you kidding me? I think the WCHA might want to consider moving the Final Five to another location, of course I would recommend Grand Forks, ND.
Star Tribune --"If, in fact, [a Big Ten hockey conference] does happen, we would be different, but we would not be diminished at all," WCHA Commissioner Bruce McLeod said.
"We are adding two new teams [Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha]. We will open two new buildings [in Bemidji and Duluth] that are going to be first class. We will be here after they leave."
The Final Five would stay in St. Paul, too, McLeod said. He said the Xcel is centrally located for the WCHA, and there have been years when the Gophers and Wisconsin have not qualified for it.
Perhaps the person most pleased outside Happy Valley with Penn State's announcement was Paul Kelly, executive director of College Hockey Inc., the education and marketing arm of Division I hockey.
"This is terrific," he said. "We've worked very closely with the folks at Penn State to help assist them. We've strongly encouraged this. And the rumblings Penn State was exploring hockey triggered other inquiries to us."
Kelly said he has discussed starting hockey programs with two other Big Ten schools that he would not identify.
