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we all know that there is plenty of politics in all of hockey. the question is does it hurt the sport? are the best players getting on the teams they should be getting on? at all levels

A college hockey D1 coach (most) gets paid pretty well for being involved in a game. Not to say that it is not stressful, hard work etc... But you are involved in hockey every day (that's a pretty good thing) and you make good money.

College coaches get fired if they don't meet the standards of the university (for a lot one of the standards is winning).
So to keep your job you play to win. To win you play the kids you think are the best. So, no, not much politics (unless daddy is a billionaire guaranteeing your after hockey life).

Coach Lucia plays player Lucia. Nepotism, politics. Not in my mind. The kid plays well.

If you do not get recruited into a D1 program, you are 1) a D3 player, 2) not scholastically fit, or 3) a head case of some sort (alcohol, drugs etc..).

Some kids mature and improve after they start college, but very few get overlooked.

I agree with you, although I do thinks politics play a huge role at the squirt peewee and bantam level.

Yes, we know there are politics at the younger levels, but this is a college board and the guy asked about college teams.

Ask Mankato how bad they got greased last weekend at Minnesota! The officating and politics will even out once the WCHA tourneys starts and the Maroon and Gold won't get all the calls

That's pretty tough casual. It's pretty hard to get calls in the WCHA just because of the name on the sweater. I'm pretty sure Greg Sheppard doesn't work that way.

Maybe not Greg, but watch his son and a couple of the other kronies working the WCHA and you'll see who gets the calls and doesn't. Keep objective and watch the tourney and you'l see a different reffing style!

Have you seen Mankato play? They clutch and grab up and down the ice, always getting chippy after the whistle. I'd say the penalties against them are more of a product of their own style. It's no surprise that they are always at or near the top of the WCHA in penalties.

casualfan wrote:Maybe not Greg, but watch his son and a couple of the other kronies working the WCHA and you'll see who gets the calls and doesn't. Keep objective and watch the tourney and you'l see a different reffing style!

I think you are apparently not watching the games close enough. Calls get missed both ways, in the one referee - two AR system, it's very hard to see every penalty on the ice and I'm more than sure refs at this level are not going to be biased. I'll also have to agree with Mankato being a clutch and grab team, but when playing against a team like Minnesota, most teams have to be due to their abundance of speed and offensive power. Other teams will have trouble with teams like Minnesota and Wisconsin due to their speed and will receive more penalties in trying to slow them down.

Yes 4 times and I agree. My whole thought process is watch how the reffing changes once the tourney begins. They don't want to decide outcomes in yet they do in some cases during league play. Case in point with Shephards call at end of Gopher game on Kyle O he never touched him in yet he was whistled for a cross check. The old adage I learned many years ago when playing is the best officiating is one's that are never noticed. If some of the WCHA officials check the attitude/ego at the door they would do a much better job. I do know that Greg does keep a close eye on this and will replace a crew if need be before series is over.

If the calls change in the post season, it is because that's how the majority of the coaches want it (since the coaches tend to run most leagues from high school on up) and referees are not the deciding factor in games.

If players don't play hockey and take penalties, that is not an officials doing, it is the players. The teams that tend not to notice officials are the teams that worry about playing the game and focus on scoring goals and stopping them, not what a referee is going to call next.

Sounds like this is mainly just excuses for Mankato losing to a better team. You will definately have to clean it up as well, what cross check in what game are we talking about here?

At the end of the Gopher game Sheperd czlled a phantom penalty on Kyle which could have allowed Wisconsin to tie the game. As stated before take the ego out and all would be fine!

Casual, I think you need to just give it up man. It sounds more or less like you are just debating against the gophers.

I love the Gophers if SCSU doesn't win, but just venting about inconsistent officiating whic takes place all over-so yes I'll put it to bed-thanks!