MikeM wrote, in part.. >At 2:31 PM -0500 2/25/97, Deron Treadwell wrote: >> At 02:21 PM 2/25/97 -0500, Cathy Hart wrote: >> >> >IMHO, they picked the right guy for HE Commissioner!! >> >> I was curious why you think this? > >A few reasons I can think of: > >1) He has no ties with any of the HE schools. >2) He is a hockey man. >3) He has experience running a league (several of them). >4) He is well-known and liked around the game. I don't put any stock in any of the concerns that Deron has (not shown here), but I have some concerns of my own. My understanding is that Mike's reasons #2-4 are right on. But I've heard that Bertagna is a relatively laid-back personality, and I'm of the opinion that the HEA Coaches and ADs need a strong personality in order for the association to do the right thing over time. Coach Walsh had nothing but glowing things to say about Bertagna on tonight's WZON Coaches Show. Shawn also stated or strongly implied Mike's reason #1, but I think it was only his class and apparent wish to work well with Bertagna and the HEA coaches that caused him to say this. (Anyone with contradictory information, please correct my sometimes fuzzy memory, but ...) That Bertagna "has no ties with HE schools" is a bit of a stretch. Bertagna has been best of friends with Jack Parker for many years. Six or so years ago, Parker was head of the hockey coaches association. That association always did its work with volunteer members, but during Parker's "reign", the association created the position of Executive Director and hired ... Bertagna. This is a paid position that Bertagna still holds. (story continues below) >I guess anything is possible re: America East, but unless it looks like a >real possibility and I know more, I can't really comment on whether that >would be a good move or not. HEA had some interest in America East ... perhaps a lot of interest, but someone in the know would be better to tell us how interested. The America East Commissioner was a former commissioner of HEA, yet he is retiring (has retired?). HEA wanted someone with experience in hockey for the new commissioner and when America East named someone that had no hockey background, the office/commissioner sharing possibility dried up. The lead HEA person in this search was/is the BU AD. Enter Jack Parker? Say "Hello!" to Bertagna and welcome to the new HEA office in Marblehead. If Parker's influence over HEA was been waning, I suspect we have just seen the first sign of a comeback. So much for stories. How about conflict of interest? Yes, Bertagna is liked and has held many important hockey jobs, including ECAC commissioner, but he oversees the HEA coaches as commissioner and yet the coaches hire him as their coaches association Executive Director. On a couple of different subjects .... - Coach Walsh explained the stick banging and talk with Referee Cole on the Coaches Show ... perhaps someone could write about it here on ME-HOCKEY? - What a complete and wonderful performance last week with UNH and BU! Jeff Libby has been a favorite of mine since seeing him play in High School. Perhaps he didn't have all of the goals of Cullen and Mansoff, but his incredible, confident, consistent, dominating defense made him my 1st star. OK, my 2nd star goes to Alfie. I just hope the NCAA doesn't investigate the impersonator we watched last Fall. My 3rd star goes to everyone else ... it was a complete team effort from every player, to Coach Walsh, to all the student and community fans that showed up and FoMH and the post-game celebration. I can hardly wait for the next FoMH newsletter, Dave ... and bring on the end of season banquet (April 12th?), it should be a great event! It was a week of contrast at the Alfond. Just a couple of weeks ago we were discussing the empty seats and quiet fans. The mood was often glum, as we reeled from the violations and repercussions. It was so wonderful to experience the excitement and watch the fans leave after each game, each with a big silly grin on their face. Fill the Steins for Dear Ol' Maine! (We're back!) cheers, wayne smith -- old town landing