Mike writes:
>What is interesting about this is that after I was out at Western
>Michigan last October to see the Warriors split with the Broncos, and
>John Hauessler made the drive to see one of the games, he asked me
>(John being a closet Merrimack fan) if Ron Anderson could somehow find
>a big, strong defenseman to do the dirty work in front of the net...and
>now there are TWO of them. :-)  The Twin Towers of Defense.  (Getting
>ready for my radio work this fall.)
 
With the loss of Tamer, Harlock and now Ward (all over 6'0" and 200
lbs. -- and over 1000 PIM between them), Michigan could use a big
defenseman.  :-)
 
Another funny slant on the MC-WMU game that Mike mentions is that my
wife I made the drive from Ann Arbor (wearing our MC jerseys, though)
and ended up sitting next to an obnoxious WMU fan.  We told him
several times that we were Michigan fans from Ann Arbor and we came
over to see some friends and the Warriors.  Of course, being a WMU
fan, he couldn't see past the MC jerseys and comprehend that we live
in *Michigan*.  :-)  He ranted and raved as if there was an East-West
civil war and the two of us represented Merrimack, Hockey East, the
ECAC and the remainder of the eastern coast.  "You eastern teams, ya
just can't handle a rough and tumble team like Western.  The Broncos
will bury you alive.  It's a different brand o' hockey out there.  You
eastern teams just can't compete in the west.  Your boys just aren't
cut out for this type of hockey...they're just not big enough.  Sure,
they can get by out there, but a team like the Broncos will bury 'em.
Blah-blah-blah."  He just wouldn't shut up.  Then, with WMU leading
4-1 after two periods, he mumbled something about "our boys" just not
being cut out for "real" hockey and he left.  Of course, Merrimack
scored four times in the 3rd to win that game 5-4.  I'd have given
anything to see the guy's face when he heard the final score!
 
Getting back to the point, my "western philosophy" did agree that MC
needed some beef at the blueline.  Now they have it.
 
RE:NHL draft --
I've only seen the results of the first four rounds.  At that point,
three Wolverines had been drafted: Brendan Morrison (2nd round), Kevin
Hilton (3rd) and Warren Luhning (4th).
 
RE:Cold rinks --
I haven't entered this discussion yet, 'til now.  I've only been at
Volpe (MC) in the summer...and it was a bit frigid then.  I haven't
noticed the temp much at most CCHA rinks, but a few minutes hanging
out at the Soo Locks prior to an LSSU game will chill the bones.  The
coldest rink I've ever been in was my high school rink, from about
1983-86.  We had one of those bubbles, you know -- supported by air
(I'm a statistician, not an engineer, so bear with me) with only one
way in and out, an airtight revolving door.  Basically, a mini-dome
with no heat.  The place had a set of bleachers that looked like they
were stolen from a softball diamond, and seated about 150.  Other than
the ice surface, the ground was a mix of dirt and sand.  The dressing
rooms were nothing more than large wooden ice shanties.  The place ran
8-12 degrees colder than the outdoor temperature.  I used to put my
hat and gloves on as I walked from the parking lot to the rink, because
I knew that I would need them once I got inside!  The place collapsed
during a stiff wind in 1986.  After a couple of years without a home,
we now have a real arena.
 
  John H
  U Mich