If the WCHA is going to a 4-against-five, 2-against-four
schedule, wouldn't it make more sense to go to two five-team
divisions, and a 4x4 + 2x5 = 26 game schedule? Since everyone makes
the playoffs anyway, you could have the first-round matches be A1(1st
place-A division) vs B5, A2 vs B4, A3 vs B3, A4 vs B2, A5 vs B1. The
winner of MTU's division gets the McNaughton Cup, of course. For
purposes of comparing teams in different divisions (home ice in the
first round, re-seeding for the Final Five, determining whether A1 or
B1 gets the NC$$ bid), they could count record against the other
division double, so everyone's effective SoS was the same. (My
inclination would be to use the raw conference record for the first
round pairings, and the adjusted one, even between teams in the same
division, for subsequent re-seeding, but obviously there are some
options here.)
The WCHA could also sidestep the issue of how to divide the
divisions by having each school rank their rivals in order; first, try
to make the divisions so as not to split up any primary rivalries,
then secondary, etc. Speculating, I'd guess the top chosen rivalries
would be:
Minn picks Wisc
Wisc picks Minn
NoDak picks Minn or Wisc
UMD picks Minn
SCSU picks Minn or UMD
MTU picks NMU
NMU picks MTU
DU picks CC
CC picks DU
UAA I'm not sure about (since UAF isn't an option), but let's
say they pick Denver because it's easy to fly there. Then the
divisions are:
_"Mariucci"_ _"McNaughton"_
Minnesota Univ. of Denver
Wisconsin Colorado Coll.
Minn-Duluth Michigan Tech
St. Cloud St. No. Michigan
No. Dakota Alaska-Anchorage
Sure, it's a bit complicated, and it'll never happen, but it
seems fairer than the current plan...
John Whelan, Cornell '91
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<http://www.physics.ucsb.edu/people/john_whelan/jphock.html>
1996 Cornell Hockey: Ivy League Women's Champions
Ivy League Men's Champions/ECAC Men's Champions
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