>>> "Greg R. Berge" <[log in to unmask]> 08/12/97 04:12pm >>> >>> >>> >> Did anyone ever think that maybe Crowley would like to finish >>> >> school and earn his degree? >>> >>> He can do both, of course. Joe Nieuwendyk jumped from Cornell but >>> returned for several summers until he gained his degree. I am sure >>> numerous athletes from other schools have done the same. >>> >>> There is a rookie salary cap in the NHL now, yes? This suggests >>> that Crowley can't do much better than 1 mil over three years, Hobey >>> or no. With injury such a real possibility in hockey, I think he'd have to >>> lack every ounce of risk-aversion to turn down the offer. >>> - Greg I think the rookie salary cap is about $950,000 a year, but they can exceed that with bonuses. The terms haven't been revealed yet on Thornton's contract with Boston, but I'm sure it approaches 3 mil over 3 years. Crowley is no Joe Thornton, nor do I think he can command better than 333,000 a year. But, I don't think all college players make their decision on whether they should stay or go based solely on $$$. From what I can see, Crowley is no guaranteed immediate success in the NHL. He needs a little bulking up. But, he is guaranteed a very high profile, highly successful year coming up with Minnesota. I imagine some Minnesotan boys dream more heavily of a Gopher National Championship than bringing a Stanley Cup to a bunch of fans in Anaheim, CA. I imagine quite a lot of them Bloomington kids dream of winning the big one for the home state. It might be different if Crowley was moving on the a Minnesota North Star team that could contend for the cup. The long and shot of it is these simple questions. Would Mike Crowley like to spend next season bulking up and getting ready to play professional hockey in some AHL/IHL camp ... and thereby watching the Gophers attempt to achieve their long-awaited National Championship from afar? Or, would he rather bulk up and play one more year for his "dream team" and then pursue his NHL career afterwards? Throw in some Hobey consideration as maybe a cherry on top of the sundae. I'm not sure how important that would be. He's not guaranteed it, especially with last year's runner-up (Drury) playing his senior year also. There are also several other candidates and a few unknown stars that have yet to rise. Finally, I'm sure quite a few short-sighted fans who would love to see Minnesota lose would also love to see them playing without Crowley. If I was a Minnesota rival, I'd rather beat them on their best day with their best team ... or lose to such a team ... rather than play and beat the "B" squad. Which is exactly what the WCHA would be playing without Crowley at Minnesota. Well, maybe a "B" rating is a bit harsh, but you get the idea. For the good of college hockey, let's hope Crowley stays, thereby keeping the competition as high as it can be. - Paul. HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.