I believe the most deserving teams should get bids for the NC$$ tourney,
but I don't think it's right to compare teams across conferences and to rank
them using a series of mathematical models.  I would like to see a season-end
conference tourney, as is currently enstated.  But, reduce the number of teams
that make this tournament.  For example, 10 out of 12 teams get the chance to
play for a conference title.  Even as an RPI hockey fan/band member, I don't
think RPI should be able to upset higher ranked teams to capture the ECAC title.
RPI turned itself on and off throughout the season, and their performance cannot
compare to those of Harvard, Clarkson, and SLU.  RPI has wiggled into the
possibility of a ECAC title, and a bid to play in the Kinck.  At most, 1/2 of
the teams should be in the conference tourney.  I feel the most deserving teams
are those that consistently earned points through the season.  Points shold
also be awarded to non-conference games, as this is a hockey game just as
any other.  By earning points through season games, the team can qualify for
the conference title, and each conference could award a first, second, and third
place team following a playoff format similar to the Olympics.  These teams
are then mathced-up in the NC$$, preferably by a random draw of first vs
 third,or first vs. first, depending on how everyone else feels about this
 format.
 
     I think the most deserving team of the conference is the one with the
title.  And the runners-up and in the conference tourney also get bids.  Yes, it
sounds like a team that played terrific throughout the season can lose it
in one game, and that's true, and part of hockey.  A team that goofs up
a playoff game doesn't deserve to advance in the tourney.  The playoffs should
emphasize the end result of the hockey game a win or a loss.  Forget how many
goals were scored by team #1 against team #4 and this team #3 beat #4, but
#4 still gets a bid and #3 doesn't.
 
     It's as simple as this.  If an Olympic team loses in the first medal round,
they're out (except for consolation rounds which only place them for non-medal
positions), no matter how good they played against other teams.  Extend this
to college hockey and I think we have a fair, competitive system for finding
a conference tourney and NC$$ tourney champion who got there by playing
well in regular season and playoff games, and a bit of luck.  If the other
team's star goalie gets sick, all that can be said is better luck next year.
 
-Tim Richter
RPI '92
 
Let's Go Red!
 
P.S. Why is NC$$ NC$$ and not NC-followed-by-AA's ?