ECAC 2024 Discussion Thread

[BearLover]

This conference sucks. Programs should be embarrassed by how much they have fallen since COVID. Yale, Princeton, Union and could go on, historically good programs who have just packed it in

Absolute joke

The conference sucked before COVID, too. As far as why things are currently particularly bad, i think the issue is the transfer portal. The Ivies basically can't take transfers, so they are at a huge disadvantage compared to everyone else. A couple of additional reasons: RPI canceled the 20-21 season like the Ivies, and then continued banning fans from attending in 21-22 for some reason. Union fired their coach and their best players (including Seger) transferred out.

[Trotsky]

and then continued banning fans from attending in 21-22 for some reason.

To keep them alive?

It is great that in the event that was probably an over reaction, but far better that than reigniting a public health emergency.

[BearLover]

and then continued banning fans from attending in 21-22 for some reason.

To keep them alive?

It is great that in the event that was probably an over reaction, but far better that than reigniting a public health emergency.

The vaccines had been widely available for months by that point. Banning fans from the games made no difference. Fans can make their own decisions whether to go to the grocery store, get on public transportation, attend any sporting event (RPI or otherwise). The administration banning them from choosing to attend a hockey game likely had zero effect on anything. By that logic, Lynah shouldn't allow fans ever again.

No need to relitigate this. The point is that many at RPI took the administration's decision to indicate that it didn't care about athletics. I'm sure the decision hurt recruiting.

[upprdeck]

keeping them from games made the whole mask policy issue and the crowding of public spaces thing easier to deal with.

and you still have to staff those things in a time where many staff were told to stay home.

when 40% of the country was ignoring the issue and helping the spread playing sports was always a dumb thing, but money talks.

[dag14]

Hindsight is always 20/20 -- what I remember from those days is marveling at how little anyone actually knew about the virus and the consequences of group behavior.  It was perfectly acceptable to me to go into isolation even when it was difficult to do and painful.  Because the worst-case scenario was being dead, and I will take unhappy over dead any day of the week.

So looking back, a lot of things could have been done differently but at the time, decisionmakers had to work with what they had.

[ugarte]

jesus christ can we not talk about this again? whatever the decision-making process was for public health, it's beside the point being made about the impact on hockey fandom.

[Trotsky]

28 days until the next Cornell game.  Talk about anything you want.

[Big Dingus]

The conference sucked before COVID? So you clearly didn't watch the ECAC before. Bearlover you have no idea what you're talking about lol

[BearLover]

The conference sucked before COVID? So you clearly didn't watch the ECAC before. Bearlover you have no idea what you're talking about lol

Ugh, I can't keep getting tricked like this. Here I thought I'd been avidly following the ECAC (.409 interconference win% in 2019-20, .481 in 2018-19, .457 in 2017-18, very similar to the post-COVID numbers), when in fact I was confused and actually had been watching Atlantic Hockey the whole time!

And remember, those numbers include Cornell—for our purposes (judging the quality of our opposition), those win% are actually considerably lower!

[Big Dingus]

Just do a pairwise comparison pre covid to now... Its not even close

Clarkson
Union
Princeton
Yale

Were all strong solid teams, now they are low every year in pairwise post covid

[Trotsky]

Just do a pairwise comparison pre covid to now... Its not even close

Clarkson
Union
Princeton
Yale

Were all strong solid teams, now they are low every year in pairwise post covid

By overall record:

Clarkson: bad 2009-2013, good 2016-2022
Union: bad 1998-2007, good 2008-2019, bad 2020-
Princeton: bad 2012-2023 except 2018
Yale: bad 1999-2007, good 2008-2016, mediocre 2017-2020, bad 2022-

This reminds me to do final PWR position for all ECAC team for as many years as we have history.  Anybody who wants to, I would appreciate it. Otherwise, I'll do it tonight.

[Big Dingus]

All yours Bearlover

[Trotsky]

ECAC Final PWR by Year, since 2001

[Trotsky]

0-5 OOC night for the ECAC.

ECAC teams in the PWR bands:
 

Code Select Expand


 1-16: 1
17-32: 3
33-48: 3
49-64: 5


For comparison, HE:
 

Code Select Expand


 1-16: 6
17-32: 4
33-48: 1
49-64: 0


[dbilmes]

The only good thing about the ECAC being so mediocore this year is that with the exception of games involving Q, there is a lot of parity in the league. Friday night, for example, Yale gave up the tying goal late to RPI in the third period only to respond with the winning goal just 40 seconds later. Brown, meanwhile, tied Union on an extra-attacker goal with just 26 seconds remaining and then won the game in OT.
It wasn't an ECAC game, but if Cornell ends up sneaking into the NCAAs by a few hundredths of a point in the PWR, that might be because UConn somehow failed to score on a 2-on-0 breakaway against UMass in OT. Although UConn won the ensuing shootout, that won't have an effect on the PWR. UMass didn't get the win, but at least it didn't get a loss either.