I wonder how much the perception of the rivalry will shift now that Maine
is back in the mix.  Over the last few years, even as HE teams have
continued to go deep into the NCAA's, the general perception is that the
talent gap between the two leagues has been narrowing.  The ECAC's pasting
of HE in their head-to-head record this past year sure helped.  But Maine
would have (I am doing this from memory, folks, but I'm pretty sure) made
the NCAA's on the strength of their record the past two years, and along
with BU and UNH that is a heck of a triumverate for the ECAC to counter in
their quest to be the best conference in the East.
 
Does anyone think there are systemic processes that are working to pull the
ECAC and HE back to equivalence in talent?  Does the anticipated reduction
in HE TV converage, or the possibility that someone will be brought in to
run the ECAC who might actually have a clue how to market them, close the
gap appreciably?
 
- Greg
 
 
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