On Tue, 17 Mar 1998, Nathan Eric Hampton wrote:
 
> Okay, try this on for size:
> Between 1997 and 1987 (choose your own years)
> the WCHA had 12 teams in the final four, and 4 NCAA champions
> the CCHA had 12 teams in the final four, and 4 NCAA champions
> Hockey East had 13 teams in the final four, and 2 NCAA champions
> and the ECAC had 7 teams in the final four, and 1 NCAA champion.
>
> Gut feelings aside, is that weak enough for anyone willing to claim the
> ECAC is equal to the other three? Does 25% of the leagues, and even a
> larger percentage of total teams, and less than 10% of the NCAA titles
> mean anything?
 
Not necessarily. Those are merely matchups of the very top ends of
conferences. It may be that the WCHA and CCHA are more capable of
producing one or two good teams, and seven to nine crappy teams. Let's
take two hypothetical conferences:
 
Conference A:            Conference B:
Manitoba:  10- 0-0       Green Beer State: 5-3-2
Brandon:    5- 5-0       Leprechaun Tech:  5-4-1
Winnipeg:   0-10-0       St. Patrick U.:   3-6-1
 
Would Manitoba winning the national championship (hey, I can dream :-) )
make Conference A stronger, on its own?
 
I would argue that relative conference strength is more properly measured
by a wider variety of interconference matchups. What I would like to see
is more interregional games. This would help give us a better idea of
relative strength.
 
I was hoping that the WCHA going to 28 conference games from 32 would
lead to this, but instead (at least last year) it seems that teams have
instead decided to fill the schedule space with UNO and Mankato State.
Perhaps previous schedule commitments were a factor, and there will be more
east-west games in 98/99.
 
For the most part, though, the question of which conference is better is
a question of aesthetics and background. If one likes the ECAC's style
better, one will claim the ECAC to be a superior conference. If one
prefers CCHA hockey, one will claim the CCHA to be superior, etc. I
assume we all realize that it is a question that will never find a
consensus, because 99 44/100% of all commentators on it have a bias. :-)
 
See you later,
John
 
--
John Edwards - Carleton (ON) '96, Manitoba '00 - [log in to unmask]
                         Behold the power of cheese.
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