This afternoon, I was scanning my twitter feed when I saw a few tweets talking about Notre Dame wanting to leave Hockey East because they feel like outsiders.
My first reaction, more whining. Seriously, Hockey East is an awesome league and you’re complaining about, not feeling welcome.
Like Grant Salzano from B.C. Interruption said, “All aboard the WHAAAAMBULANCE“.
Alex Carson, the Observer — On WSBT Radio’s Sportsbeat broadcast Monday, Jackson told host Darin Pritchett that he was concerned the Irish were still treated as an “outsider” in the league and that there was a “double standard” in play against the team. And he’s absolutely right in that assessment. Because the Irish are outsiders.
We have been seeing it on the ice now, too, specifically from the guys wearing the white-and-black striped shirts. The Irish were denied an opportunity at overtime Friday when Northeastern directly benefitted from a missed slashing call in the final two minutes of the game. This non-call came on the heels of a conference game earlier this year when the Irish were denied a win against UMass Lowell after officials failed to review a missed offside call. Jackson asked for a review, the correct process in this situation, but none happened. Add these incidents to the growing list of referees’ decisions that have baffled the Irish coach over the past two seasons, and it’s not hard to see a trend developing.
Of course, as with anything, the element of money is involved. When Notre Dame joined Hockey East, it did it alongside the announcement of an agreement to air Irish home games on NBC Sports Network. That agreement got underway last year — Notre Dame’s first in the league — and puts the Irish on national television as much as any other college hockey program.
@Biddco @CornellWAFT required reading: http://t.co/7EixpFoZYw http://t.co/Ha8NwhxsZz
— BartRhett (@BartRhett) February 8, 2015
Bruce Ciskie of UMD Bulldog radio fame posted a few tweets and he’s got a point, if the Arizona State Sun Devils end up joining the NCHC, the league isn’t going to want to have an odd number of teams. They’re going to want to add another team to have an even number of teams.
@NateBauer Would make sense if they get Arizona State. Don’t want odd number of teams in current landscape. — Bruce Ciskie (@BruceCiskie) February 8, 2015
It will be interesting to see how this turns out. One of my concerns about adding a Big-Five School or two (to a league made up of Mid-Majors and Division II /III institutions) is that the Big-Five schools will want to flex their muscles and dictate everything. I don’t think anyone wants to have a Notre Dame rule where they must play the night game on Friday at the Frozen Faceoff.
The television deal with NBC could be an issue.
Also, if Notre Dame wants to leave a league after one and half seasons, what good are they? They could turn around and do the same thing to the NCHC or any other league in the future. I would hope the NCHC commissioner and the member schools are very cautious, moving forward.
Lastly, does the league want all the focus on a team that with all of the advantages that still can’t make the NCAA playoffs? Personally, I think the NCHC did the right thing rejecting Notre Dame the first time around. As a fan of the NCHC, I am not interested in adding them. I hope the conference doesn’t, either.
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