Nieuwy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Sorry, Roy.  Most NHLers usse the composite sticks.

I think a lot of college players use them too.  A co-worker of mine who coaches high school and midget hockey says you're even seeing them at that level.  Why anyone else who doesn't make NHL kind of money would spend a few hundred bucks on a stick that will break so easily is beyond me, but you see them doing it.

JH

[Josh '99]

[Q]Jeff Hopkins '82 Wrote:
 Sorry, Roy.  Most NHLers usse the composite sticks.
[/q]In fact, if I'm not mistaken, Nieuwendyk is now the only NHL player who still uses an entirely wooden stick.

[Dingus]

I just put on the Leafs/Sens game, and the top story in pregame is that Joe is not with the team tonight... He went to the airport sometime this afternoon, though the announcers aren't 100% sure where he went... They're speculating that his bad back is flaring up and he's returned to Toronto to see the doctors, but nothing official yet from the Toronto side...

Hope he's okay!!!  

[Al DeFlorio]

[Q]Dingus Wrote:

 I just put on the Leafs/Sens game, and the top story in pregame is that Joe is not with the team tonight... He went to the airport sometime this afternoon, though the announcers aren't 100% sure where he went... They're speculating that his bad back is flaring up and he's returned to Toronto to see the doctors, but nothing official yet from the Toronto side...

Hope he's okay!!!  [/q]
ESPN box score gives "back injury" as reason for scratch.  Leafs lost big tonight.

[David Harding]

[Q]Jeff Hopkins '82 Wrote:

 Sorry, Roy.  Most NHLers usse the composite sticks.

I think a lot of college players use them too.  A co-worker of mine who coaches high school and midget hockey says you're even seeing them at that level.  Why anyone else who doesn't make NHL kind of money would spend a few hundred bucks on a stick that will break so easily is beyond me, but you see them doing it.

JH
[/q]

I haven't been paying attention.  Sounds like it's the opposite of the situation in baseball where the lower levels use aluminium bats and only the pros use wood.  Confusing...

[dss28]

And some pros use cork :-P

[CUlater 89]

Although one wonders whether Tim Goldstein would still have transferred to CU (or whether Richie Moran would have seen a need to go after him).

[billhoward]

[Q]David Harding Wrote:

 [Q2]Jeff Hopkins '82 Wrote:

 Sorry, Roy.  Most NHLers usse the composite sticks.

I think a lot of college players use them too.  A co-worker of mine who coaches high school and midget hockey says you're even seeing them at that level.  Why anyone else who doesn't make NHL kind of money would spend a few hundred bucks on a stick that will break so easily is beyond me, but you see them doing it.

JH
[/Q]
I haven't been paying attention.  Sounds like it's the opposite of the situation in baseball where the lower levels use aluminium bats and only the pros use wood.  Confusing...
[/q]

There are kids in my boys' roller hockey league who want composite sticks. Sheesh.

I love technology advances but I wonder if the NASCAR approach isn't better here -- everyone uses a cost-controlled technology (wood) and then everone's equal in terms of equipment.

When I was playing pickup hockey after hours at Lynah while in school, I thought the cost of wood sticks was exhorbitant. Still do. It's just being overshadowed by the cost of ice time and composite sticks. (I'll never gripe about the cost of helmets, though.)

[ben03]

[Q]billhoward Wrote:
...I'll never gripe about the cost of helmets, though. [/q]

As a lacrosse player, alpine skier, and cyclist I couldn't agree more.

[Al DeFlorio]

[Q]CUlater 89 Wrote:

 Although one wonders whether Tim Goldstein would still have transferred to CU (or whether Richie Moran would have seen a need to go after him).[/q]
Goldstein, Wurzburger, and Nieuwendyk at attack.  Second coming of French, McEneaney, and Levine, I'd say.

[jkahn]

I'll be at the Air Canada Centre tomorrow night to root for Joe.  I hope he's back, unlike the October Wolves game when I went basically to see Baby play, and he was a healthy scratch.  It'll be strange rooting for the Leafs though.  I've always found it easy to root against Tie Domi, and, going back in history, Tiger Williams.  Last time I was up there was the same week two years ago, and I was wearing an Islander sweater at a very vicious game 5 vs. the Isles.  
Anyway, I won't be wearing Leafs attire, but I'll have on my Cornell hockey hat and pull for Joe to win his fourth Cup.  

[ben03]

[Q]Al DeFlorio Wrote:

 [Q2]CUlater 89 Wrote:

 Although one wonders whether Tim Goldstein would still have transferred to CU (or whether Richie Moran would have seen a need to go after him).[/Q]
Goldstein, Wurzburger, and Nieuwendyk at attack.  Second coming of French, McEneaney, and Levine, I'd say.[/q]

OT a bit ... and I know I'm gonna take sh*t for this (b/c I wasn't wournd when French, McEneaney, and Levine were) but ... Hess - Hubbard - Massey '98 (680 career points in 60 games together; four consecutive ivy league titles, three consecutive national championships and multiple player of the year honors ... are IMHO the best attack line ever to play together (even if they did play for Princeton)

just my $.02:-)

[Al DeFlorio]

[Q]ben03 Wrote:

I know I'm gonna take sh*t for this (and I know I wasn't wournd when French, McEneaney, and Levine were) but ... Hess - Hubbard - Massey '98 (680 career points in 60 games together; four consecutive ivy league titles, three consecutive national championships and multiple player of the year honors ... are IMHO the best attack line ever to play together (even if they did play for Princeton)

just my $.02[/q]
Who can really say?  

In the two years French, McEneaney, and Levine played together (1975 and 1976), they combined for 493 points (French alone had 202), and I can't find how many assists Levine had as a junior (probably another 15-20 to add to the 493).  Might have hit 1,000 had they played four years together. ;-)

With only three years of eligibility back then, the trio combined for 727 career points.  Eamon was a year behind the other two, so they didn't get them all while playing together.  Both Eamon and French were named Player of the Year as seniors, and between them they were five-time first-team All-Americans, with one third team (French as a sophomore, when he scored only 94 points).  Levine was honorable mention and second team A-A, respectively, as a junior and senior.

More taste...less filling.

[billhoward]

[Q]Al DeFlorio Wrote:

 [Q2]ben03 Wrote:

I know I'm gonna take sh*t for this (and I know I wasn't wournd when French, McEneaney, and Levine were) but ... Hess - Hubbard - Massey '98 (680 career points in 60 games together; four consecutive ivy league titles, three consecutive national championships and multiple player of the year honors ... are IMHO the best attack line ever to play together (even if they did play for Princeton)

just my $.02[/Q]
Who can really say?  

In the two years French, McEneaney, and Levine played together (1975 and 1976), they combined for 493 points (French alone had 202), and I can't find how many assists Levine had as a junior (probably another 15-20 to add to the 493).  Might have hit 1,000 had they played four years together.  

With only three years of eligibility back then, the trio combined for 727 career points.  Eamon was a year behind the other two, so they didn't get them all while playing together.  Both Eamon and French were named Player of the Year as seniors, and between them they were five-time first-team All-Americans, with one third team (French as a sophomore, when he scored only 94 points).  Levine was honorable mention and second team A-A, respectively, as a junior and senior.

More taste...less filling.[/q]


It's most useful to place a player's performance in the context of his era. The French, McEneaney, and Levine point totals are incredible now and unheard of then. This was before the Gaits and Powells hit Syracuse and before Princeton's late-1990s attackmen came on the scene. Wood sticks had only just departed the scene, and the plastic / composite sticks that helped shooting accuracy hadn't yet been perfected.

Had those three had four years of eligibility - could 1,000 points have been possible from just three players?

Had McEneaney and the Class of '77 been eligible as a freshman and had that extra year of varsity seasoning, maybe Cornell would have made it three straight, too. They also would have had future All-Americas Chris Kane '78 and Bob Henrickson '78 available in 1975.

If only ...

[ben03]

Never having seen them play in person I can't really say ... so please allow me to rephrase, "Hess-Hubbard-Massey are the best attack line I have ever seen in person." I'm sure French, McEneaney, and Levine were nothing less than AMAZING ... but I feel like we are comparing apples and oranges here. The eras in which these players played are drastically different, as is the way the game is played and coached. If technology has increased shot accuracy as you say ... I counter that the depth of talent is much-much greater across the board now than it was then. As breath taking as the greats of the 70's were ... as effortless as they made it look ... there is no they would put up number anywhere close to what they did then. It just would not happen.
I do believe they would be exceptional today and they would certainly be the Powell's and Gait's of our time.

:-)