Well, at the risk of doing a 1996-97 preview, I'm going to cruch some
numbers for each team in the WCHA and see what they lose.
 
Under senior points, I have listed total points, in conference, scored by
the seniors (goals plus assists). Total points are the goals and assists
scored by ALL players on the team. Percentage is just the first number
divided by the second number times one hundred, or the percentage of a
team's points scored by that team's seniors.
 
In order of finish in 1995-96:
 
1) Colorado College*
Senior points: 190
Total points: 469
Percentage: 41
Departing seniors: 5
 
2) Minnesota
Senior points: 153
Total points: 384
Percentage: 40
Departing seniors: 10
 
3) Denver
Senior points: 80
Total points: 374
Percentage: 21
Departing seniors: 4
 
4) Minnesota-Duluth
Senior points: 100
Total points: 329
Percentage: 30
Departing seniors: 6
 
5) North Dakota
Senior points: 176
Total points: 398
Percentage: 44
Departing seniors: 7
 
6) Wisconsin
Senior points: 179
Total points: 312
Percentage: 57
Departing seniors: 6
 
7) Michigan Tech
Senior points: 81
Total points: 312
Percentage: 26
Departing seniors: 4
 
8) St. Cloud
Senior points: 74
Total points: 282
Percentage: 26
Departing seniors: 5
 
9) Alaska Anchorage
Senior points: 75
Total points: 217
Percentage: 35
Departing seniors: 6
 
10) Northern Michigan**
Senior points: 25
Total points: 194
Percentage: 13
Departing seniors: 4
 
* I did not take into account Ryan Bach, who has one year of eligibility
left, but was supposed to graduate from the school this year.
 
** These numbers are for the *graduating* seniors, and not the players who
were removed from the team mid-season.
 
 
I have not taken into account any players leaving for reasons other than
graduation.
 
From this information, I have to respectfully disagree with any of the
prognosticators picking Wisconsin to finish in the top five. With nearly
everyone who could put the puck into the net leaving, and an unimpressive
recruiting class, they are in for a tough time this year.
 
These numbers justify what I told J. Michael Jackson in Cincinnati about
Denver. They lost almost nothing, and if Mullin has another impressive
year, they should do very well. They are my preseason pick for first in
the conference.
 
                                -Lee-nerd
                                [log in to unmask]
 
 
"It is not written in the stars that I will always understand what is
going on - a truism that I often find damnably annoying."
                                -Robert Heinlein
 
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