First Troy J Taylor wrote:
> You can have your TOM POTI I've seen him play numerous times, must
> get caught up ice at least ten times a game, and is not physicall at
> all. I over heard the Might Ducks scout say he is the most overated
> player he's seen in some time, he went on to say he's not physical
> enough, and is a wing playing defense!
I think that others have already answered this much better than I
can, but I would like to mention a few things. I also wish to say
that this post was in reply to my post about the BU-CM myth. I
mention Poti as a non-CM player BU recruited.
1) I will take Blaise MacDonald's opion of Tom Poti over Troy's or
the namless Mighy Duck scout.
2) Not every player is physical, which the Ducks' scout should be well
aware of, as the Ducks' star player former Maine Black Bear Paul
Kariya is not physical either.
3) The scout. The scout is looking for NHL players, not college
players.
4) As for the scout saying that Poti was overrated I have my own
story about a NHL scout.
I talked to a scout about John Cullen during the 1986-87 season. He
stated in no uncertain terms that he was too slow and too poor a
skater to *ever* play in the NHL. I think Cullen has done quite well
in the NHL, including finishing 5th in league scoring with 110 points
for the 1990-91 season and being a two-time All-Star, for a player
wriiten off by a scout as "not NHL caliber." Now with the Tampa Bay
Lighting, Cullen is in his eighth season playing in the NHL.
So, not only can scouts be wrong, but they have been in the past and
I expect that they are often wrong now and will be often wrong in the
future.
5) - Sorry, I'm not dead yet! :-) It may be that BU will turn Poti
from a defenseman to a forward. BU recruited another very offensive
defenseman and Jack converted him to forward. David Sacco played
center (mostly) for 4 years and became the Terriers' second all-time
leading scorer and tied for all-time assist leader. By the way, he
has yet to make it in the NHL, but he was still a great college
player.
Then Mike Machnik wrote:
> I would have trouble labeling the BU-CM connection a myth when I
> have heard coaches and scouts talk about it. But it is more like a
> pipeline than a monopoly. I should not have used the word monopoly;
> I meant to convey the idea that if a CM kid is good and BU is
> seriously interested in him, he is usually not interested in anyone
> else.
Just because it is talked about does not make it a pipeline, although
the talk does reinforce the idea in peoples minds. I dispute it is a
pipeline, and I have more to say below. On the matter of whether CM
players would like to play for BU, I have no idea.
> Clearly, this is true. However, it is also true that CM produces
> more of the best non-private players in Mass than any other HS.
I am not sure what Mike means here, as I thought CM was private. At
least I have always assumed that all the Catholic schools in the
state are private.
> I don't believe the CM pipeline began until recently (last 5-6
> years) nor that it is something BU should be ashamed of.
So, we both agree that the BU-CM connection began 6 years ago when
the 4 CM players came to BU for the 1989-90 season. Still, no CM
players came to BU in 1990 or 1991, one in 1992, one in 1993, 3 in
1994 and one this year. I would not call that a pipeline at all,
athough maybe in the future... :-)
Also, Chris O'Sullivan only played his senior year of high school
hockey at CH, as he played at Governor Dummer Academy for 3 years.
> But how many more CM players went to prep for a year and then went
> to BU? There were none last year, but I am not sure that there
> weren't any in the past.
I would say it does not matter. The BU media guides list the last
high school team each player attended and played hockey. For example
both Mike and Mark Bavis went to CH then spent a year at Cushing
Academy, but the 1989-90 media guide list CM for their high school.
Then Dave Hendrickson wrote:
> Although there have been exceptions, Jim Carey is one that has been
> mentioned and Tim Regan (who went to RPI) is another, there can be
> no doubt that in recent years the cream of CM's crop has almost
> always gone to BU.
I must also dispute that BU has almost always gotten the best CM
players in recent years. Looking at the players from CM
year-by-year:
1983-84 Bob Deraney - Three year starting goalie at CM with several
honors. A walk-on at BU.
1984-85 ?
1985-86 none
1986-87 none
1987-88 Tony Campanale - Four year center at CM, Captain & All-Star
as a senior. A walk on at BU (?). Did not make team.
1988-89 none
1989-90 Mark Bavis - standout forward and several honors
Mike Bavis - three-year varsity forward
Stephen Foster - three-year starting defenseman
Kevin O'Sullivan - three-year starting defenseman and many honors
1990-91 none
1991-92 Mike Prendergast - standout forward and many honors
1992-93 none
1993-94 Chris O'Sullivan - only senior year at CM
1994-95 Jeff Kealty - three-year starting defenseman and several
honors
Tom Noble - three-year starting goalie with many records and
honors
Mike Sylvia - three-year staring center with many honors
1995-96 Brendan Walsh - I have no idea
I personally don't think that several of the CM players were the
best players at CM, altough I am glad most of them attended BU. I
think that the 4 players in 1989-90 and the thre last year are the
big reasons people are now thinking that BU has some 'pipeline' from
CM, but what about the years that only one, or no players attended
BU?
If in another year or two another three or four CM players all attend
BU the same year I may have to change my mind, but for know I am
remaining firm in my opinion on the matter.
Sean Pickett E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Go Terriers 1995 NCAA, Hockey East and Beanpot Champions
BU Hockey: http://www.tiac.net/users/spickett/hockey.html
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.
|
