>>> Michael Farrell <[log in to unmask]> 06/19/97
12:32pm >>>
<snip>
    I think the NCAA should loook into extending their
schedule and making the college hockey season consist of
60-70 or so games, to be played on a
rotating schedule like Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and
Monday, Wednesday,Friday or college hockey will continue
to lose the top kids to the OHL and WHL-
===
I must respectfully disagree.  Part of the reason an athelete
goes to college is to get an education (at least I hope so).  If
colleges were to play a 60-70 game schedule, they would not
have time for class.
 
We're talking an NHL like schedule here.  Would I like to see
40 games, just on weekends - you bet.  Part of the benefit to
playing "weekend hockey" is the paractice time the team
spends Monday - Thursday.  The 8 hrs+ that the team is on
the ice will give them an opportunity to improve skills, work on
specialty teams that would not happen if you're on the bus
going from campus to campus.
 
The local NHL team has a full time *SKATING* instructor that
teaches the players just out from Jr how to skate properly.  If
the players had spent more time practicing and less time
playing, maybe their skating skills would not need
improvement.
 
I'm amazed that the roundball players can squeeze the same
number of games as hockey players in a two month less
leason and get an education.  I looked at Wake Forest's
schedule last year.  It *averaged* one game every 3 days.
There was *no* time, IMHO, for the student athletes to get
the student side down.
 
The 60-70 game schedule is what Jr's are for.  The highly
skilled player who is a #1 pick will, most likely, play Jr.  The
middle of the pack kid will pick betwen Tier II Jr A and
college.
 
Now if we went back to a draft age of 21......
 
Joe
 
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