NCAA Hockey Expansion Thread

[mk80]

Worth noting that Chris Heisenberg's recruiting site appears to have started tracking Lindenwood's recruits.

Also, I saw this on the junior boards but didn't want to derail the NAHL thread, Lindenwood managed to pass an important milestone without having a varsity program: having a player bolt for major junior.

Daniel was a young player at 18 when he came to LU, decided he wanted to try out in the Q and Zombo and assistant coach Ted Sator at that time I think connected him with the Armada. From there he was drafted by the Rangers, then was involved in a trade with Tampa and has been with them and Syracuse since.

There is quite the handful of LU players that have gone on to play pro in the ECHL, SPHL, FPHL, and various European leagues. Walcott is the most high profile Lindenwood hockey alum, except on the women's side with Nicole Hensley.

 

[SemireliableSource]

Looks like Lindenwood has another one. When are they going to make this official? If this is anything like football recruiting, they have to have the coach's blessing before they go public with a commitment so it has to be set in stone pretty much. Just go ahead and pull the trigger.

 

[JMCx4]

Presuming the rumored LU men's DI ice hockey program won't start play until the 2022-23 season, and seeing that lack of a formal announcement has not measurably reduced future player commutments, what is the harm in delaying the news conference? I'm rather enjoying the suspense as something to look forward to other than my next home grocery delivery or my 2-year oil change appointment.

 

[S E P H]

I saw a report back in 2017 which claimed that Illinois, Lindenwood, and Pitt were all thinking of starting a hockey team. Whatever happened to the University of Pittsburgh rumours? That's as perfect of a club you'd want for the next expansion IMHO.

 

[mk80]

Looks like Lindenwood has another one. When are they going to make this official? If this is anything like football recruiting, they have to have the coach's blessing before they go public with a commitment so it has to be set in stone pretty much. Just go ahead and pull the trigger.

Caleb Price is an interesting commitment he was previously committed to ASU a few seasons ago when he played for Jamestown Caleb Price commits to ASU He was supposed to start there this season.

Another quiet acquisition has been Trent Burnham, a goaltender playing for the Sioux Falls Stampede Trent Burnham at eliteprospects.com

See answer attached with @JMCx4's post

Presuming the rumored LU men's DI ice hockey program won't start play until the 2022-23 season, and seeing that lack of a formal announcement has not measurably reduced future player commutments, what is the harm in delaying the news conference? I'm rather enjoying the suspense as something to look forward to other than my next home grocery delivery or my 2-year oil change appointment.

There's always an abundance of players looking for teams coming out of juniors, and the added 5th year players because of Covid also pushes the number of spots lower. LU is able to assemble a nice collection of guys wanting to build a program and collect an ACHA championship (on home ice with LU hosting next year) along the way as Freshmen.

I'd like to stress for everyone the following is my own speculation on the matter:
The timing of the announcement I think is influenced by a couple of things in and out of LU's control. First I think it will happen after the team concludes their run at ACHA Mens D1 Nationals next weekend. Second I think the university is trying to wait out the continually improving virus numbers in the STL region so they can do a big press conference, with media, probably some influential STL area hockey people, fans, and since they play at Centene likely some Blues personnel, etc.

I would bet an announcement will come around the end of the month. Until then everyone is happy letting things progress more or less behind the scenes.

I saw a report back in 2017 which claimed that Illinois, Lindenwood, and Pitt were all thinking of starting a hockey team. Whatever happened to the University of Pittsburgh rumours? That's as perfect of a club you'd want for the next expansion IMHO.

I haven't seen anything on Pitt before, but I wouldn't doubt their name came up in something, especially with the growth in the Penn State, and the Robert Morris programs. The most common ACHA programs I continually see are Lindenwood, Illinois, Liberty, Navy, and UNLV's club always claims they're making efforts to get an NCAA team, but I'd be surprised to see that come to fruition especially since with the AHL now in Vegas, I figured the best shot for that program was Bill Foley being generous after the success of the Knights. But now the Silver Knights essentially occupy any of the remaining hockey market share in Vegas.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

I saw a report back in 2017 which claimed that Illinois, Lindenwood, and Pitt were all thinking of starting a hockey team. Whatever happened to the University of Pittsburgh rumours? That's as perfect of a club you'd want for the next expansion IMHO.

There weren't ever any credible rumors for University of Pittsburgh. Illinois and Lindenwood had actual credible rumors because of their actions. Illinois had the very well publicized feasibility study, funding campaigns, and announcements from their AD. Lindenwood has had a well-documented history of pushing for NCAA Div I hockey since the 2000s.

The Pitt rumors were always "Pitt should do this" and "Pitt could do this" rather than pointing out what was going on. What was going on was absolutely nothing. No movement by the school. No movement by alumni. No movement by University of Pittsburgh hockey stakeholder. The people who thought Pitt actually had a chance for a NCAA DI team are the same people who thought Kanye West was going to win the American presidency election.

 

[mk80]

There weren't ever any credible rumors for University of Pittsburgh. Illinois and Lindenwood had actual credible rumors because of their actions. Illinois had the very well publicized feasibility study, funding campaigns, and announcements from their AD. Lindenwood has had a well-documented history of pushing for NCAA Div I hockey since the 2000s.

I still think Illinois will happen in the near future, at least announced by 2025 if not playing by then.

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

I still think Illinois will happen in the near future, at least announced by 2025 if not playing by then.

I will believe it when I see it considering how many "imminent announcements" have come from Camp Illini. See: Illusory truth effect

 

[JMCx4]

I will believe it when I see it considering how many "imminent announcements" have come from Camp Illini. See: Illusory truth effect

 

[BOS358]

I will believe it when I see it considering how many "imminent announcements" have come from Camp Illini. See: Illusory truth effect

I have passed that point long ago.

As dismissive and critical as I am when I hear these rumors start up again, when something is made official for Illinois, Lindenwood, or even Oakland, my response will be "About (bleeping) time!"

 

[mk80]

I will believe it when I see it considering how many "imminent announcements" have come from Camp Illini. See: Illusory truth effect

I have passed that point long ago.

As dismissive and critical as I am when I hear these rumors start up again, when something is made official for Illinois, Lindenwood, or even Oakland, my response will be "About (bleeping) time!"

That's fair, I only really started paying attention to the Illinois rumors the last few years. So I gess I haven't been let down as much by them yet.

Two more commitments today for LU, the roster is quickly taking shape for next season.




I'm interested to see if LU pops up on a couple of NCAA team schedules this offseason. There's a couple of teams that may be looking to fill some dates that LU might be able to fill as part of it's reported hybrid season.

 

[mk80]

Accidental double post sorry

 

[BOS358]

That's fair, I only really started paying attention to the Illinois rumors the last few years. So I gess I haven't been let down as much by them yet.

Two more commitments today for LU, the roster is quickly taking shape for next season.




I'm interested to see if LU pops up on a couple of NCAA team schedules this offseason. There's a couple of teams that may be looking to fill some dates that LU might be able to fill as part of it's reported hybrid season.

Not much to add, but one of the tweets you posted rang a bell. Specifically, the one from the player named Caige Sterzer. Why does that name sound familiar? Oh yeah, there was a man named Craig Sterzer who was involved in junior hockey in Texas not too long ago. Don't think too hard about what I'm referencing. I hope they're not related!

 

[mk80]

Not much to add, but one of the tweets you posted rang a bell. Specifically, the one from the player named Caige Sterzer. Why does that name sound familiar? Oh yeah, there was a man named Craig Sterzer who was involved in junior hockey in Texas not too long ago. Don't think too hard about what I'm referencing. I hope they're not related!

Not sure but it's possible they're related somehow, the EliteProspects profile for Caige Sterzer only lists a cousin and sister. He's a BC native and played in the BCHL prior to this year with Lone Star.

 

[RabidBadger]

I have passed that point long ago.

As dismissive and critical as I am when I hear these rumors start up again, when something is made official for Illinois, Lindenwood, or even Oakland, my response will be "About (bleeping) time!"

Yeah I'd never hold my breath on Oakland. I live pretty close to it and I've heard more banter about Wayne State bringing hockey back than I have re: Oakland becoming DI.

 

[mk80]

Breaking away from Lindenwood talk for a moment, it looks like we'll be seeing at least a new DI women's team at D'Youville College. They are transitioning from DIII to DII and currently don't sponsor any hockey.

Head Women's Ice Hockey Coach in Buffalo, NY for D'Youville College

Also not expansion but worth noting: in the DIII Hockey landscape, we are losing the Becker College men's and women's teams as the entire university is closing at the end of this semester. Becker College closing permanently at end of academic year

 

[JMCx4]

... it looks like we'll be seeing at least a new DI women's team at D'Youville College. ...

D'WHO-ville???

 

[CrazyEddie20]

D'WHO-ville???

It's one of several small Catholic colleges within the City of Buffalo and surrounding suburbs - you'd never be expected to have heard of D'Youville unless you lived in Western New York at some point in your life.

 

[JMCx4]

It's one of several small Catholic colleges within the City of Buffalo and surrounding suburbs - you'd never be expected to have heard of D'Youville unless you lived in Western New York at some point in your life.

Well, that sure takes a load off MY mind.

 

[mk80]

D'WHO-ville???

That was my reaction exactly.

 

[mk80]

Very interesting article posted to day with quotes from Head Coach Rick Zombo and LU Athletics Director Brad Wachler

Private Missouri college aiming to add Division I men's hockey within two years | The Rink Live

If it asks you to register for an account just go to the homepage then click the article from there and you should be able to read it, that's what worked for me

 

[JMCx4]

... If it asks you to register for an account just go to the homepage then click the article from there and you should be able to read it

Not if you've reached your 4-articles-free limit. Cookies adjustment required.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Very interesting article posted to day with quotes from Head Coach Rick Zombo and LU Athletics Director Brad Wachler

Private Missouri college aiming to add Division I men's hockey within two years | The Rink Live

If it asks you to register for an account just go to the homepage then click the article from there and you should be able to read it, that's what worked for me

Funny how Zombo is saying that it's full speed ahead and Wachler admits that they still don't have the money.

Here's another interesting quote from Wachler: “From my perspective, we’re going to go all in on this, and we’re not just going to do it to say we have a program. We want to be successful, and in order to do that, you have to recruit kids capable of playing at that level.”

Funny, they didn't really go all-in on the women's program beyond establishing its existence...

 

[mk80]

Funny how Zombo is saying that it's full speed ahead and Wachler admits that they still don't have the money.

Here's another interesting quote from Wachler: “From my perspective, we’re going to go all in on this, and we’re not just going to do it to say we have a program. We want to be successful, and in order to do that, you have to recruit kids capable of playing at that level.”

Funny, they didn't really go all-in on the women's program beyond establishing its existence...

Wachler is usually a bit more measured in his statements about anything. But overall the sense is when not if the fundraising goal is met/exceeded.

As for the women's team, when they were added into the NCAA sports during the NAIA to NCAA transition, the school wanted to bring both men's and women's hockey to NCAA. But the old arena was determined to be insufficient to host NCAA DI men's hockey, so women's hockey in a sense just became a Title IX filler.

After Wachler was hired as AD in 2016, there began to be a shift. More money for scholarships was allocated to women's hockey, but the team's play and recruiting dropped off.

Then LU got involved with the Blues and the Centene project, hired Head Coach Shelly Looney and made a full investment into scholarships for the women's team. With the move to Centene the hockey program definitely became more shall I say valuable to the school as it elevated from being a Title IX filler, now with men's hockey on the horizon the thought is, let's do it right from the start unlike what happened before.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Wachler is usually a bit more measured in his statements about anything. But overall the sense is when not if the fundraising goal is met/exceeded.

Ok, but it's still duplicitous to be recruiting players like it's a done deal when it's not. They're way out over their skis with their certainty that "it's going to happen." It's not like the school will lose much face if it doesn't happen, but the recruits and their families who were sold on the school because the kids were told they'd be playing NCAA Division I hockey only to be told, "Whoops! We couldn't raise the money!" are the ones left holding the bag.