Hi -
 
On Wed, 30 Jul 1997, Paul Gentile wrote:
> What kind of league shift do you think we'll see?  HockeyEast takes
> Vermont and ECAC takes in Niagara makes about the most sense.
 
  Actually, I rather think Niagara joining the CCHA makes even more sense.
I doubt any of the established ECAC teams will jump to HockeyEast anytime
soon (despite the annual RPI to HEA HOCKEY-L rumour mill :-) so unless
Niagara can induce a travel partner to petition for ECAC membership with
them (Elmira, Mercyhurst, and Canisius seem the most logical, if far-
fetched, candidates) I don't see the ECAC accepting Niagara in the near
future.  HEA has only 9 teams at present, and could easily expand to 10,
but considering the nearest HEA school is UMass-Amherst, some 500+ miles
away, that would be a stretch to say the least.  I know, I know, both the
CCHA and WCHA have "stretched" to accomodate the Alaska schools, but the
relative geographic "compactness" of HEA member schools has always been
one of the league's strengths (and marketing selling points); how willing
is the league to forego that advantage ??  Niagara's proximity to most of
the CCHA member schools, however, is excellent, and I'd think in many ways
this would be a more advantageous "fit" for them.  Would the CCHA accept
them ??  Does Niagara even want to go this route ??  Time will tell, but I
expect that the imminent DivI-ready status of Mankato State, Nebraska-Omaha,
and Niagara (not to mention the "other" DivI League that's periodically
floated up for discussion every few years, i.e, Iona, UConn., Villanova,
Quinnipiac, etc.) will shuffle the established leagues around a bit in the
next few years; IMHO Northern Michigan's jump to the CCHA is only the first
of many league affiliations to change once the dust (or ice shavings :-)
settle out ....
 
  Cheers from (blessedly cool - finally) Solomons - Jim
 
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