The compliance officer:  The current acting compliance officer at
UMaine is Tammy Light, who was assigned after former compliance
officer Woody Carville was forced out/resigned, whatever you wish to
term it.  Since taking over Tammy has already dealt with problems
concerning the football team (and I believe the field hockey team)
and some ineligibility problems there arising from problems last
year.  The situation was never fully explained because the athletes
in question were under 21 and protected by a university Privacy Act.
 
The university has changed its operation concerning compliance, IMO
the most important change being the upgrading of the computer system
so that checking records is done with far greater accuracy and efficiency.
I worked with Tammy when I was at Orono and I am quite sure that while
she is in charge it will be an efficient, honest and competent process,
and hopefully that will carry over when the permanent compliance officer
is named.
 
Mike's eligibility:  Judging from past NC$$ decisions, I would guess
that the NC$$ will choose the path of least resistance and do whatever
will cause the least amount of change in what has already happened (IE:
taking away our championship and awarding it to LSSU would be a major
change, and I'd say its unlikely.)  That would mean allowing Mike's
92-93 and 93-94 seasons to stand, and "allowing" him to have his "senior"
season be the second year of eligibility lost.  There is already a
precedent in the Jeff Tory (and UNLV) case(s).  Tory is being allowed to
sit his senior season rather than his sophomore year.  With the ambiguity
built into the rules, the NC$$ can go along with that ruling in this
case, and it would be tough to say they were wrong (it will be tough
to say they were wrong no matter how they eventually rule).
A couple of questions about the NC$$: A) Can anyone say with any certainty
WHEN a ruling can be expected, and B) Exactly WHO will make the ruling?
 
Mike's scholarship: Given what I know about how the University gives out
scholarships, I can practically guarantee he was not given a "free ride"
(guaranteed scholarship for four years).  It is more likely that he
received a pair of two-year deals (freshman-sophomore, then a
junior-senior year agreement). It is also likely that the terms of the
agreement say that he has to participate in hockey in order to receive
the scholarship.  The university has a way to "protect" itself in the
event that the athlete can no longer play (and under a contract, that
means that they broke their end of the deal).  I do not know the specifics
of Mike's scholarship agreement, but I am hopeful that even if they have
the right to revoke his scholarship, they will let him keep it.
 
In order to reduce the bandwidth I use, I'll put this in this post:
I have offered a couple of subscribers to hockey-l a weekly update
on former college players now in the AHL.  If you would like an update
on a certain player (or a couple of players) email me at  jforsy41@maine
with the player's name and what AHL team he plays for.  The information
I'll send out (usually on Tuesday) will be box scores and other data
from games they play against the Pirates, or anything I hear about the
player during Pirates radio broadcasts or in the local papers which you
may not get in your paper.  So if you don't hear from me, it means
your guy hasn't played us, or I haven't heard anything.  :->
 
Thats all for now.
 
John Forsyth