Mike Machnik wrote:
> These are both good points and they work together.  The big reason why I
> can see some coaches not opting to award a scholarship to a Maine senior is
> that he would only be around for a year and that scholarship could be used
> on a player who would be able to develop.  Still, nothing says that someone
> like Lovell couldn't choose to pay his own way to BU or anyplace else even
> if not offered a scholarship.  That would surprise me; I don't think it
> would be worth the cost just to get to play in the postseason.  Not my call
> though and anything can happen.
 
Over the years I've found myself on the same side as Mike during arguments to
an increasing degree.  I guess this means Mike has been getting smarter.  :-)
However, I'll have to disagree here.
 
I don't really understand the logic that a scholarship would be better
spent on a player who would later be able to develop.  This logic makes
sense for teams that are building, for those whose future is perceived to be
brighter than the present.  But for teams that are already at the top this
seems spurious logic.
 
For example, if we were discussing last year's bottom three teams in Hockey
East -- Merrimack, UMass-Amherst, and Northeastern -- I would agree that all
three programs would be better served using the scholarship on a player who
will still be playing for them beyond the 96-97 season.  Of these, Northeastern
is rumored to have scholarships available and could be a possible destination
for Lovell.
 
To my mind, this seems like a strange marriage (a redundant phrase
to be sure).  Lovell wants to play in the postseason, but Northeastern
is projected to be the worst team in the league.  Northeastern, for its part,
is clearly entering a rebuilding phase.  What would Lovell offer Northeastern?
He certainly would make them a much better team this year.  That, combined
with the Bruce Crowder magic, could lift a team that looks like a dead ringer
for last place out of the cellar.  This could foster optimism and make
recruiting easier next year.  It's easier to recruit for a 6th or 7th place
finisher than a ninth place one.  It may also be true that at this late date
Crowder finds all available recruits to be wanting so going with Lovell is
simply a way to use the scholarship best for this year and then next year
Northeastern would use the scholarship on a presumably better candidate than
they can get this year.
 
That said, none of these arguments would apply to BU.  BU has been a lock in
recent years to make championship weekend.  Although the early departure of
Grier and O'Sullivan could mean an end to that this year, they still appear
to be the class of Hockey East and the addition of a player like Lovell would
seem to put them back into the championship mix.  On paper, they still might
not match up to Michigan (though who does?), but championships aren't won on
paper and if you can get in the mix, then you gotta go for it.
 
What do they lose if they grab Lovell?  They can't use the scholarship on a
second-tier recruit this year.  So what?  They'll be able to use the
scholarship on a first-tier recruit next year.
 
Lovell would put BU back where they want to be this year while simply deferring
for one year when that scholarship would be used to serve BU's future, not to
mention using it on a presumably stronger candidate.
 
Since there have been some irrational attacks in the last month or so to what
I considered well thought out pieces (not that this blather of mine falls into
that category), I'll add the following to avoid Flame-Roasted Rump of
Hendrickson.  :-)   I am NOT encouraging Lovell to make any such move.  It
is simply reality that he is a senior who is considering a transfer and to
my mind BU would seem a very logical fit for a player who pines for a
post-season that matters.
 
Dave Hendrickson
 
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