Thanks to Wayne for reporting that Merrimack AD Bob DeGregorio has
been named interim commissioner of HE.  I don't have anything to add
yet, but if I learn anything interesting I'll speak up.  I will say
that however long his tenure lasts, I think it was a good choice.  Bob
is a great guy and although some of the other HE ADs may be big hockey
people, none is a bigger supporter of the game of college hockey than
Bob.  He was a guest on the air a few times last season, once right
after the NC$$ convention, and we spent quite a bit of time discussing
the problems hockey faces within the structure of the NC$$.  We share
many of the same opinions on that subject.  Since he's not one of the
three final candidates, it doesn't look like he'll have much of a
chance to make his mark (so to speak), which is too bad because I see
him as someone who would fight hard to get hockey recognized and build
its support.  I hope he'll get his chance someday.
 
BTW, Bob was both AD and coach of the perennial powerhouse softball
team at Merrimack until this past season when he reluctantly stepped
down as coach to devote more time to the AD duties.  BTW2, he's very
visible - Bob is present at every Merrimack home game and nearly every
away game.
 
Also...
 
I was watching a tape I have of Hockey Night in Boston last night from
1985, when I was still in HS...they ran through the top Mass. scoring
leaders and it was incredible how many of them went on to star in
college.  Tim Sweeney was first...Dave Vater & Jim Alcott were 2-3 and
both played on that great Merrimack team of 1986-89.  John Messuri
from Princeton, Mike Kelfer from BU.  There was also a great interview
with a 19-year-old Tommy Glavine, introduced as "last year's state HS
scoring leader with over 90 points (in 20 games)."  The guy asked him
whether he might give up baseball to play hockey at Lowell (where he
had a scholarship waiting for him whenever)...Tommy said so far he was
happy with how baseball was going but that he'd see how it went.  I
guess it didn't go too badly. :-)
 
Which brings up my next question.  If whenever Glavine retires from
baseball, he decides he wants to go to college and get his degree, can
he still play hockey?  Let's say he retires at 35 or so.  It's only
hypothetical, so no need to point out that he might be too old and
slow or anything else. :-)  I know you lose one year of eligibility
for each year of organized hockey you play after turning 20, but that
wouldn't affect him.
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Mike Machnik           [log in to unmask]          [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                  *HMN* 11/13/93