Ryan Robbins writes:
>Now that Hockey East has experimented with a "zillion-and-one"
>play-off formats, I think it's about time the league settled
>down and picked one to go with for a few years. Quite frankly, I
>don't take the league very seriously when it can't figure out
>what it wants to do with its play-off format.
>
>Does the league have any plans to stick with a format?
 
We will have to wait and see what happens in the offseason.  Of
course, this year the single elimination quarterfinal format is being
used because of the fact that playoff hockey will be on tap in the
Boston area for four straight weekends in March because of the East
Regional being held in Worcester and the final four in Providence.
The league feared oversaturation of the market this year.
 
>Secondly, regardless of whether people find him to be competent,
>I believe current HE Commissioner Robert DeGregorio should be
>replaced. Having a commissioner who's also an athletic director
>is a blatant conflict of interest, regardless of whether the
>commissioner has limited powers. No acting commissioner should
>have any current ties with any schools in the league.
 
It is difficult for me to take you seriously when you say that you
are not interested in whether he is competent.  Most people think that
is an important part of deciding whether someone should hold a job.
 
It seems to me that conflict of interest was not a problem with
HE's first commissioner, Lou Lamoriello, who was also AD at
Providence.
 
Likewise, I don't recall hearing any complaints about former WCHA
commissioner Otto Breitenbach, who was also employed by the Wisconsin
Athletic Department when he became WCHA commissioner.  And I believe
current WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod is still AD at Minnesota-Duluth.
 
I think you might have a stronger case if you were able to demonstrate
some way in which a conflict of interest is supposed to have affected
DeGregorio's decisions on any matters.  I would be interested to hear
this if you think it is true.  I can say that while I am admittedly
biased since he is from Merrimack and I get to speak to him often, I
have been more impressed than I thought I would have been with the job
he has done and with a number of things he and the league are ready to
unveil in coming seasons - things that will open up new markets to the
league and increase its visibility beyond anything it has experienced
before.
 
>Does the league have any plans to find a real commissioner,
>someone who can be impartial?
 
As far as I know, DeGregorio is slated to be commissioner at least
through next season, perhaps further beyond that.
 
In my experience, DeGregorio is quite professional and as impartial a
candidate for commissioner as you will find.  However, I am sure you
are welcome to voice any concerns you may have to either the league
office or any of the league athletic directors.
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93