Was downsizing the ice a mistake?

[theTurning]

Did the Olympic sheet give us an advantage and was downsizing a mistake in retrospect?

 

[bonin21]

Advantage if you recruit a good fast team. Also if you can make a pass. Gophers are slow and miss guys by feet not inches. It would probably be even uglier on the big sheet.

 

[GopherJack]

In retrospect, we made the wrong hire at head coach.

 

[bonin21]

In retrospect, we made the wrong hire at head coach.

Hindsight is 20/20

 

[GopherJack]

On a different note. What's up with Gopher women losing yesterday? Frost needs to be shown the door along with Bob.

 

[cheeseburgerphil26]

No lol. If you’re gonna win it all you aren’t gonna be playing on Olympic ice, prepare for the real thing.

Also we used to always be the fastest team, now we’re not.

 

[WinMinGophers!]

In theory it gave an advantage but where is the beef.

Would the history be better or worse? No known correlation.

 

[Yoke]

Things probably would’ve gone exactly the same. Just not a quick enough group.

 

[Ope3]

No lol. If you’re gonna win it all you aren’t gonna be playing on Olympic ice, prepare for the real thing.

Also we used to always be the fastest team, now we’re not.

Even the Olympics do not use "Olympic" size ice sheets any more.

I think it is a noticeable improvement for fans at Mariucci in terms of sightlines.

 

[caliGopher]

Hindsight is 20/20

This one was clear before it was made.....

Even when Motzko assembles good teams, he underperforms.

 

[Yoke]

On a different note. What's up with Gopher women losing yesterday? Frost needs to be shown the door along with Bob.

Frost was just shown the door

 

[bonin21]

Overdue.

Frost was just shown the door

 

[TruthSeeker]

Bob isn't going anywhere if Frost was fired so quickly after their season finishing. What is Coyle doing?

Are they going to try to get Darwitz back, or are those bridges burned?

 

[BradDad]

Not having to adjust your game to fit a smaller sheet when you go on the road seems like a positive.

 

[MaxyJR1]

St. Cloud is downsizing their rinks this off-season.

 

[#2Gopher]

Classic thread with a question in regard to the ice and it turns into a coaching discussion. Good grief.

 

[trixR4kids]

Did the Olympic sheet give us an advantage and was downsizing a mistake in retrospect?

No, the main goal of college prospects is to play in the NHL and having a sheet of that size makes more sense.

 

[Ope3]

No, the main goal of college prospects is to play in the NHL and having a sheet of that size makes more sense.

When Mariucci (& St Cloud NHC) opened Colleges were a direct feeder to Olympic Hockey which used the larger sheets. It made sense to aid that effort in some capacity for development.

That's not a thing anymore, it's NHLers or even in Games they do not participate, it's still pros.

The Olympics have given up "Olympic" size ice in favor of something more like NHL rinks or even playing in North American Arenas home to such franchises.

No point for Mariucci at 3M and the now Herb Brooks NHC to keep the larger rinks.