Before I get to my main topic, I just wish to say that Dartmouth is one of
only *two* DivI league teams that will have ended the 1994-95 season with a
win and a winning streak.
 
Second, many people on this list are complaining because 40 of 42 league
teams (including UAF) make their respective league playoffs.  After reading
how this is not fair to the top teams, the fans, etc.., I wonder if any of
you have really thought this through?
 
First, and I think this is very important, this is not the pros.  This young
men (and women) are at school to gain an education, not just to play a
sport.  How would you feel playing for UMass Amherst or Ohio State and
knowing in January there was no realistic chance of making the playoffs?
What if you are a fan of those teams? Would you like knowing your team was
going to be sitting home in March?  It is still very unlikely that UMA or
OSU will win their league tournament, but they know they have a chance to do
so and to make the NCAA tournament.  That is why the leagues most likely
assign the automatic NCAA bid to the league tournament champion and not the
regular season champion.  Even the bottom teams still have something to play
for during the season and playoffs.
 
Back in 1966 Michigan State won the NCAA tournament as a huge underdog.  The
Spartans finished the regular season with a 9-11-0 record and a sixth place
conference finish.  I assume that the won their league championship, because
they were in the NCAA tournament (when only four teams were involved).  They
won, beating BU, 2-1, in the semifinals and Clarkson, 6-1,  in the final.
 
And last year Michigan Tech made a strong run for the WCHA tournament title
after finishing last in the regular season.
 
Second, not having the bottom teams making the playoffs could actually end
up hurting each league.  Many of the bottom teams have been their for many
years as they try to rebuild (or build period, like UMass Amherst).  As hard
as it is for this teams to recruit now, how much harder would it be if
recruited players knew that there was almost no chance of making the league
playoffs and NCAAs for some, or all, of their years to the school?  Yes, I
mentioned they players are in school for an education, which school would
you prefer to go to?   A school that could win a league and NCAA title, or a
school that has little chance of even making the playoffs?
 
As a fan, I do not like every team in the leagues making the playoffs.  I
would like all the leagues to only have the top eight teams in the playoffs.
 It would appear to make the regular season more important, but is that
really true?  Actually the ECAC and Hockey East do make the winner of the
regular season (top 2 teams in the ECAC) get a better deal than the WCHA and
CCHA league winners.  They play a team which is coming off a mid-week game
they had to win to be able to play the top team in their league.  As
mentioned in another post, Clarkson and Brown (and Maine in Hockey East)
have a better deal than the 3-4 ECAC teams and 2-4 Hockey East teams.
 
Maybe the WCHA and CCHA should change their league formats so that the
bottom teams must play the extra game first, instead of having the middle of
the league teams play an extra game in the middle of the tournament.  It
makes more sense to me for Notre Dame to play Ferris State and
Illinois-Chicago to play Western Michigan at the same time UAF plays OSU in
the CCHA.  The three winners would then go on to place the 1 thru 3 place
teams.  The WCHA could have Alaska Anchorage play at the seveth place team
and Northern Michigan at the eighth place team with the winners go on to
play the top two teams.
 
By the way, back in the old ECAC days the players and fans of the teams not
in the playoffs had to  go to the Boston Garden to watch the games, since
the tournament was not on TV.
 
Sean Pickett
Go BU Terriers, 1994 Hockey East Champions!
BU Hockey Page:  http://www.tiac.net/users/spickett/hockey.html
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