Romano will not be back next year

[calgARI '07]

He'll be playing with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League alongside the probable #1 overall pick at the draft Patrick Kane (from Buffalo) and another definite top 10 pick, Sam Gagner.

Maybe Milo will be back on the team now.  Or they'll get someone else but it's pretty late.  Regardless, 14 forwards isn't enough IMO.

[Roy 82]

Gosh darn it. This is why I hate reading this board in the off season.

I figured that we were safe from defections for another year.

[bothman]

Interesting.  Not trying to flame, but two of the more highly recruited freshman, known for their ability to play on the offensive side of the puck, are going in other directions.

Is this just coincidence?  Is this the result of stagnating in Schafer's defensively oriented system?

When's the last time Cornell lost two freshman like this?  A down Cornell team is bad for the ECAC and I hope they can fill the void.  Hopefully, the Devins can step it up - although they certainly did not put up awe-inspiring #'s in the BCHL....

[ursusminor]

Bothman,

While I agree that a down Cornell team, or for that matter any down ECAC team, is bad for the league, as long as other teams improve, it should not hurt the league. One thing good about the ECAC is that although there are several teams that usually can be counted on as being in the elite of the league, there is some turnover.

It surprises me that both Milo and Romano have left the Cornell hockey team. I had thought that Schafer was abandoning his defensively oriented system and going for a more offensively oriented one. I guess that is not necessarily the case. On the other hand, maybe Romano just didn't think that college was right for him.

[Robb]

[quote ursusminor]
It surprises me that both Milo and Romano have left the Cornell hockey team. I had thought that Schafer was abandoning his defensively oriented system and going for a more offensively oriented one. I guess that is not necessarily the case. On the other hand, maybe Romano just didn't think that college was right for him.[/quote]
Yeah - that's the problem.  There are so few players and every situation is unique, so it's often dangerous to draw general conclusions.  Hopefully there's nothing "beneath the surface" and Milo and Romano simply made individual choices about what was best for their futures.

I will certainly miss Romano - he was explosive with the puck and very exciting to watch.  We haven't had a player like him in a very long time.

[calgARI '07]

It was not Milo's choice to not be on the team anymore.

Losing Romano will hurt but I don't think it'll be the difference in Cornell being good or not next season.  When he was on, he was a spectacular offensive player with significant issues on the other side of the ice.  When he was off, he contributed nothing.

[ftyuv]

[quote calgARI '07]When he was on, he was a spectacular offensive player with significant issues on the other side of the ice.  When he was off, he contributed nothing.[/quote]I mean, he was a freshman.  A talented one, it sounds like, but you can't expect the frosh to come in and play both sides of the ice perfectly every night.

I'll be honest, I'm not as much concerned for the ECAC as I am for Cornell.  I don't want the league to win the ECAC tourney next year, I want Cornell to.  Without going back and compiling stats, it seems like there have been a lot of coincidences this year that we've tried to point out are single instances and not necessarily trends.  I hope I'm just being paranoid about that...

Ceterum censeo, Harvardo Clarksonque delendae sunt.

[calgARI '07]

[quote ftyuv]I mean, he was a freshman.  A talented one, it sounds like, but you can't expect the frosh to come in and play both sides of the ice perfectly every night.

[/quote]

There's a difference between making freshman mistakes in the defensive zone and being completely inept in the defensive zone.  The good news for Romano is that he won't need to commit to defensive zone hockey in London - they play a high octane, run-and-gun style that should suit Romano's current game well.  Doesn't mean it'll prepare him better for the NHL though.  

No doubt that e's a top notch talent, but his decision-making with the puck leaves a lot to be desired.

[redhair34]

[quote calgARI '07][quote ftyuv]I mean, he was a freshman.  A talented one, it sounds like, but you can't expect the frosh to come in and play both sides of the ice perfectly every night.

[/quote]

There's a difference between making freshman mistakes in the defensive zone and being completely inept in the defensive zone.  The good news for Romano is that he won't need to commit to defensive zone hockey in London - they play a high octane, run-and-gun style that should suit Romano's current game well.  Doesn't mean it'll prepare him better for the NHL though.  

No doubt that e's a top notch talent, but his decision-making with the puck leaves a lot to be desired.[/quote]

I totally agree with Ari.  He'll put up big numbers playing along side Kane and Gagner.  But, he won't compete against older/stronger players or learn to play defense--two things he'll need to do to prepare him for the next level.  His linemates (especially Kane) won't put in any effort in the defensive zone, but they have elite offensive talent and can afford (to some extent) to be lazy defensively whereas Romano can't.

This move makes no sense to me.  Why come to a school that doesn't award scholarships and play for a coach that puts such a premium on playing defensive style only to jump to a team and a league that is all about offense when you need to improve defensively?

[KeithK]

[quote redhair34]This move makes no sense to me.  Why come to a school that doesn't award scholarships and play for a coach that puts such a premium on playing defensive style only to jump to a team and a league that is all about offense when you need to improve defensively?[/quote]
This is exactly why the "players stagnate in Schafer's defensive system" line seems too simplistic.  When he agreed to come to Cornell Romano had to know that Cornell has played a defense first style for years and would still emphasize defense even while trying to improve the offensive talent.  (I suppose Schafer could have lied during recruiting and claimed that they were changing the system completely but I really doubt it.)

[calgARI '07]

The idea behind him coming to Cornell was to round out his game and 'get him ready for the NHL.'  Whether he has NHL talent is debatable IMO.  There are a ton of smallish players with big time ability in Europe who play very similar hockey to Romano and never come close to the NHL.  Some do make it obviously so I'm not saying Romano won't but going to London is not necessarily going to separate him from them.

[DILLIGAF]

This is a good move but also a bit of a gamble for Tony.  He will get the opportunity to play two times the games but his production expectations will be very high.  I would think that anything less than scoring 75+ points will be considered a bust.  

For a player who wants to play in the NHL, there is no better place to develop than the CHL.    

Good luck in London and with the US Junior National team.

[ithacat]

http://www.londonknights.com/default.asp

I noticed on the Cornell hockey site that Romano is already gone from the roster, as is the story about him having been invited to the US Junior camp.

There's also a little note on Romano on http://www.ushr.com. Not surprisingly, coach isn't happy.

"We were the last to know," Schafer said.

[plrd78]

Its sad we lost such a talented player. We all wish him well and we are sure we will see big things from Tony in his hockey career. The CHL is the best place to develop talent and thats why over 75% of the NHL is from these three leagues(Q,W,O).
Hope they bring Milo back, I agree with Ari, IMO 14 forwards are not enough and if Milo can score goals he will add to our offensive threat!
Good Luck Tony in London, where better then to play for the Hunters, and maybe the Best team in all the CHL. They have placed more NHL talent then any other team the past 6 years...
You will be missed greatly!!!

[DILLIGAF]

Question:

Does the departure of Romano affect Riley Nash?  If he is drafted as projected, is it possible that he sees the writing on the wall, so to speak, and bolts for major junior as well?