I have to (gut feeling) agree with Greg on this point. I have NEVER (since
being on the list starting in about 1994) understood how, with such little
out of conference play by boht the CCHA and WCHA, they can claim to be
stronger.  One year you win a bit more of the few games you play and bang,
you automatically have an edge right there, seems to me.  As I have said
before, I think hockey would be better off if it did take a clue from
college roundball (I know, heresy:-)  .... typically out of 30 games, a
team will play 14-22 league games, leaving room for LOTS of
intercofnerence games, even late in the season.  This to me would validate
interleague comparisons, which are continually made in theroundball
circles, eg. compare ACC to Big West, and it is perfectly clear the ACC
does more than beat up on one another, they routinely handle the teams
from the rest of theconferecnes all over the country.
 
Not only that, but look at games like UCLA-Duke, MI-NC,etc, that routinely
draw lots of coverage. I think it would be good for college hockey in general.
 
Having said that, yes, I know, budgets preclude travel. But yet, if a more
valid interleague comparesion is to be made, it seems more interleague
play is indicated.
 
Enough of the soapbox!
 
Let's get to the weekend already!
 
Tony Buffa
RPI '64
 
==================
 On Tue, 17 Mar 1998, Greg R. Berge wrote:
 
> 4.  The RPI reflects such slight interleague play, that comparisons between
> leagues have no statistical significance whatever.
 
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