> From: Nathan Eric Hampton [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>
> Seems to me the UNH vs. Maine battle pales in comparison to BU
> Vs Maine. Parker thinks the shine off his grey hair is a halo.
> It wasn't UNH that tried to keep Maine out of the Hockey East
> playoffs the year of their suspension was it?
>
> Nathan Eric Hampton
 
Hockey East tried to keep them out as a result of the already announced
forfeits, which shifted Maine from a home-ice team to an 8th place team,
record-wise.  There was some speculation that even more problems would
surface, and that it would thus be best if they not participate.  In the
end, that was proven to be true, as even more punishment, including a ban
from post-season play, was later handed down.
 
The sad part was that this was the year in which the team had the
violations, and thus should have been the year when the punishment of no
post-season was handed down.  Instead, Maine took Hockey East to court and
got an injunction to prevent them from being barred from the post-season.
Once the post season banishment happened (the following year?) [by the NCAA,
not HE], the wrong team ended up being punished.  Players who weren't part
of the violations ended up having to serve the punishment for those who
were.  Quite unfair, but it was the only possibility once the earlier
attempt at punishment was prevented.
 
Even if Parker were the impetus for the attempt (which I haven't heard
except from Maine fans) to ban Maine from the post-season, it was all of
Hockey East that chose the punishment.  And, in the end, Maine only had
themselves to blame for that situation, not Parker.
 
Perhaps that is why some people still consider Maine a problem program...
they blamed others for their problems (Parker, the compliance officer, the
cafeteria worker, etc.) first and in the end spent more time dodging the
resulting punishment than taking a stand and removing the coach who should
have had a better handle on his program.  I won't argue that he isn't a good
coach, I just wouldn't trust him to run a clean program.  And, I probably
never will.
 
 
Adam Bryant
BU '89
NU '96
p.s. I would have rather spent my time writing a post about the Beanpot ("Go
NU! BU shouldn't win it every year!"), but instead, this issue came up
again.  *sigh*
 
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