This is my favorite article title ever
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I’ve gone awhile. Missed at least one full coaching tenure. Man the team hit the depths for awhile.
Well, if you were going to miss one coach… 
I assume the Bergeron era ended poorly. Completely missed who replaced him - though I followed the season records - and now there’s a new guy who seemed respectable this season. lol.
https://x.com/thenchc/status/2046348666924126290?s=46&t=ZH1fFGwu8Q0191V3SgsUtQ
Miami hosts Rico Blasi to open next NCHC season
I talked to Rico for my Hagel story last summer after I’d heard St. Thomas was coming to Miami early this season and asked if I could interview him for it.
He said “I’m going to be sick that week”. 
Rico should get a warm welcome back in Oxford. So many great moments under his leadership.
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Absolutely. It didn’t end well but this program would’ve never had the national-level success it did without him. Probably wouldn’t even have this rink without him.
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Oh. Bergeron lasted longer than I thought. What’s he doing now?
Never a thought to bring Rico back? Or to go back to CCHA?
Here was my Bergeron eulogy from March 2024 if you want to get up to speed.
Season wrap: What’s next for MU hockey? – View From the Glass
And amazingly, Berge is an assistant for AHL Cleveland under Trent Vogelhuber.
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Speaking of Rico, he opens his NCHC career in Oxford.
Edit: Oops…already posted, I’m late to the game.
Back to lurking.
Looks like the 3 teams we play twice in the NCHC next season are St Thomas WMU and UND 
And only one trip to Colorado and it’s to the Springs. Will I still drive down there for Miami hockey? Absolutely. I’m going to miss the days of the team coming to Colorado twice a year, though.
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Miami and Directional will always play four times and will play a home and home with 5 of the other 8 league opponents each season, now that the NCHC has 10 teams.
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good article of some movement across the country
”Though Lake Superior State was unable to retain its goaltender, Rorke Applebee, who went to Quinnipiac for a reported $25,000, the Lakers have been able to offer significant sums to others thanks to a recent large donation.”
”So, Arizona State got to work this past week trying to ensure a quick turnaround to 2026-27.
Among those that left are the program’s most-talented player – Potter – and three of their top defensemen – Brasen Boser, Sam Court and Joel Kjellberg. Greg Powers’ program receives a limited revenue share budget from the school, too, which can’t exactly help retain top talent. However, the Sun Devils have remained active in the portal and continue lure players with the prospects of NIL money.”
I really hope he didn’t go to Quinnipiac just for the $25K. Even though he looks like Dangle from Reno 911, he has talent and could play for a long time.
Playing for the best coaching staff is way more important than taking the type of NIL money college hockey teams are throwing out there.
Saying Show Me The Money didn’t work out for McKenna, so I wonder if that will ultimately make fewer players go for the cash grab.
Applebee goes from playing for Damon Whitten in the CCHA to playing for national championship winning coach Rand Pecknold in the ECAC plus he gets a (purported) sign on bonus of $25k. We may agree to disagree but this one is a no-brainer in my book.
McKenna is going to the show. Period, stop, the end. What’s the incremental boost he gets by playing for Nightengale at MSU vs. Gadowsky at PSU? Meh, Nightengale for sure, but if you’re going to the show regardless, getting a 6-figure spiff along the way ain’t all that bad.
Where I 100% agree with you is what happened between BUGS and ASU. Greg Powers is a lousy coach, way out over his skis, oversees a mass exodus to the portal every year with zero track record of getting guys to the show. Dennis Williams was trusted by Team Canada as THE MAN to coach their WJC team with rostered guys like Bedard and Fantilli and brings home the gold. That dude from Lindenwood commits to BUGS, Powers goes all sleezy and buys him, Williams says, “you do you, kid, good luck down there, I ain’t playin’ that game.” I guess I’m saying each situation is different.
Back to lurking.
Yep, that’s why I prefaced it by saying I hope that chump change wasn’t the driving force behind him leaving. It was more of a general statement, since obviously QU is always pretty good.
Of course McKenna is exceptional, but Penn State has no track record so I’m not sure what draw there would’ve been there other than they were the highest bidder.
My only point was I hope these players aren’t short-sighted about taking a cash grab in lieu of signing with a better school in terms of their personal development.
Fortunately for us I think we can all agree that Noreen is exceptional at selling Miami and his development vision for high-ceiling kids.
I thought Powers was great for a long time. He built that team from scratch to respectability as an independent, and I can’t knock that. But as we’ve seen first-hand, that’s a big step away from being a perennially competitive team in this league.