NCAA Skills Challenge Participants Announced

[www.uscho.com]

Moulson on the east team.

The two goaltenders will be John Daigneau of Harvard University...

If there is a strong contingent of Faithful in the stands, this could be the most entertaining skills competition in history

Is there a good reason that only players with no remaining NCAA eligibility are invited?

Maybe they're paid to appear?

nyc94
Is there a good reason that only players with no remaining NCAA eligibility are invited?

That is one of the criteria. They also can't be on a team that is participating in the frozen four, so Moulson's selection means they don't really expect us to get there.

Jacob '06

nyc94
Is there a good reason that only players with no remaining NCAA eligibility are invited?

That is one of the criteria. They also can't be on a team that is participating in the frozen four, so Moulson's selection means they don't really expect us to get there.

Yes, I see that that is one of the criteria. What I want to know is why.

I plan on being there and am praying and knocking on wood that Moulson is "otherwise busy" Go BIG RED !

nyc94

Jacob '06

nyc94
Is there a good reason that only players with no remaining NCAA eligibility are invited?

That is one of the criteria. They also can't be on a team that is participating in the frozen four, so Moulson's selection means they don't really expect us to get there.

Yes, I see that that is one of the criteria. What I want to know is why.

NC$$ rules prohibit athletes from performing in post-season All Star games or contests of this type. Since a player who has exhausted his eligibility is no longer covered by NC$$ rules he can participate. Think of all of the senior-only All-Star games in college football.

Jordan 04
If there is a strong contingent of Faithful in the stands, this could be the most entertaining skills competition in history

I don't see how it couldn't be the most (or least) entertaining skills competition in history...

KeithK
NC$$ rules prohibit athletes from performing in post-season All Star games or contests of this type. Since a player who has exhausted his eligibility is no longer covered by NC$$ rules he can participate. Think of all of the senior-only All-Star games in college football.

Fair enough but it seems odd to enforce this rule at the Frozen Four. I can't figure out if this is an NCAA event or is being sponsored by another organization (much like the football games you mentioned). That the advertisement for tickets on USCHO refers to the event as the NCAA Frozen Four Skills Challenge and uses their logos makes me think that this is an NCAA event and that they could allow all players to participate if they chose to.

nyc94
Fair enough but it seems odd to enforce this rule at the Frozen Four. I can't figure out if this is an NCAA event or is being sponsored by another organization (much like the football games you mentioned). That the advertisement for tickets on USCHO refers to the event as the NCAA Frozen Four Skills Challenge and uses their logos makes me think that this is an NCAA event and that they could allow all players to participate if they chose to.

If it is a sanctioned event then presumably hey could waive the rule. But I think it's a hard and fast rule that the NC$$ will not break. Then again, why should they? There are plenty of talented seniors to chose from for an event like this and everyone gets a chance to be eligible eventually. Well, those who go pro early don't, but that's one of the (very minor) tradeoffs coming with a pro contract.

Jacob '06
They also can't be on a team that is participating in the frozen four, so Moulson's selection means they don't really expect us to get there.

I don't understand why voting for someone to be on the skills team means that their team isn't expected to make it to the Frozen Four. On the West team, there is someone named from Wisconsin (Adam Burish), a team which I'm sure a bunch of people expect to make the Frozen Four.

Bio '04

Jacob '06
They also can't be on a team that is participating in the frozen four, so Moulson's selection means they don't really expect us to get there.

I don't understand why voting for someone to be on the skills team means that their team isn't expected to make it to the Frozen Four. On the West team, there is someone named from Wisconsin (Adam Burish), a team which I'm sure a bunch of people expect to make the Frozen Four.

Chris Collins was announced to be on the team when BC was the number 1 ranked team in the country.

I'm thinking that there are probably alternate players who they did not announce who will take any players whose teams make the frozen four. there are a lot of good players from good hockey teams, including Moulson, so they can't honestly expect none of them to make it. And even if they did...let's get on a roll and prove them wrong!

Let's Go Red!!!

Bio '04

Jacob '06
They also can't be on a team that is participating in the frozen four, so Moulson's selection means they don't really expect us to get there.

I don't understand why voting for someone to be on the skills team means that their team isn't expected to make it to the Frozen Four. On the West team, there is someone named from Wisconsin (Adam Burish), a team which I'm sure a bunch of people expect to make the Frozen Four.

I think this is supposition that follows from the requirement that a player no longer be eligible to play in NC$$ games. Since the competition is on Friday of FF weekend a player from a team that is in the championship game will still have one game of college eligibility left and possibly would not be able to play. Then again, maybe not - we may see on the 7th depending on which teams make the final.

The other question is would a coach allow one of his players to particpate in a meaningless skills exhibition the day before the national championship game? I'd be hesitant, but I'm not sure.

action jackson
I'm thinking that there are probably alternate players who they did not announce ...

The article does include alternates (lots of them). Here's the male East list:
[q]The East male alternates in alphabetical order are: Adam Dann, Bowdoin College; Torry Gajda, Providence; Josh Gartner, Yale; Ben Kemp, Plattsburgh State University; Andrew Martin, University of Massachuetts, Lowell; Keith McWilliams, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Mike Ouellette, Dartmouth College; Tony Quesada, College of the Holy Cross; Bryan Schmidt, Merrimack College; Kyle Wilson, Colgate University; Kurt Wright, Robert Morris University; Brian Yandle, New Hampshire.[/q]

KeithK
I think this is supposition that follows from the requirement that a player no longer be eligible to play in NC$$ games. Since the competition is on Friday of FF weekend a player from a team that is in the championship game will still have one game of college eligibility left and possibly would not be able to play.

I might be misinterpreting your post, but I understand the whole bit about the players eligibility (even if it does seem silly). I just don't get why a coach/judge wouldn't choose a person just because they're expected to be playing in Milwaukee.

The other question is would a coach allow one of his players to particpate in a meaningless skills exhibition the day before the national championship game? I'd be hesitant, but I'm not sure.

I assume this would only come up if they could play in the competition anyway. Perhaps it's not eligibility that's the issue with the skills competition, but the fact that it would be a distraction that a coach whose team is in the championship game probably wouldn't want.

[q]I might be misinterpreting your post, but I understand the whole bit about the players eligibility (even if it does seem silly). I just don't get why a coach/judge wouldn't choose a person just because they're expected to be playing in Milwaukee.[/q] All I'm saying is that by strict NC$$ rules a player who still has to play in the championship game the next day may not be eligible to particpiate in the skills competition. I don't think the likelihood of a player making the FF or finals has little to do with who they're selecting for the competition.

[q]I assume this would only come up if they could play in the competition anyway. Perhaps it's not eligibility that's the issue with the skills competition, but the fact that it would be a distraction that a coach whose team is in the championship game probably wouldn't want.[/q]If I were Mike Schafer I wouldn't want Moulson in a skills competition the day before the biggest game of our careers, whether he's eligible or not.

I don't think the likelihood of a player making the FF or finals has little to do with who they're selecting for the competition.

Ok, I think we're pretty much agreeing about the eligibility bit. I was just replying to Jacob's comment about the (likely) connection (according to him) between selection and probability of making the FF. (Which I also believe wasn't part of the selection process.)

If I were Mike Schafer I wouldn't want Moulson in a skills competition the day before the biggest game of our careers, whether he's eligible or not.

Once again, I completely agree.