He didn’t believe the portal would have solved the departures
I find it incredibly hard to believe that zero veteran puck moving defensemen were attainable in the portal. If they didn’t want to come here, then something was wrong with his recruiting pitch. Bob squandered last offseason’s portal because coming off Wood’s successful season, he could’ve capitalized on that as an example to show non-Minnesotan transfers who want to polish their game for a year or two before going pro.
I agree. You would like to respect Bob’s loyalty to players, but in this era of college athletics you have to be willing to be more cutthroat.
Pains me to say that as I think loyalty is huge character trait, but there’s very little of it on any side nowadays.
@maroon_and_gold I'm going to sound like an idiot here, but does he have ties to the U? I'm not sure that's a deal breaker, but just curious more than anything.
@maroon_and_gold I'm going to sound like an idiot here, but does he have ties to the U? I'm not sure that's a deal breaker, but just curious more than anything.
I’m bad at using technology so idk how to find what post you’re replying to but assuming you’re asking about Barr, no he does not. Neither did Lucia though and he hung two gold banners.
Regarding Barr...
__
In 2008 Barr got his first permanent position in college as an assistant for Union, the Engineers' long-time rival. Barr's arrival coincided with the Dutchmen's rise to prominence, going from 8th place in ECAC Hockey to 1st in just three years.[3] In his final year with the team, Barr helped Union reach the Frozen Four.
Providence
In 2012 he rejoined Nate Leaman, who had hired him at Union, in Providence. He spent just two years with the program but both seasons saw the Friars post winning records, the first time the program had consecutive winning seasons since the early 1990s.[4]
Western Michigan
In 2014, Barr left Leaman's shadow and became an associate head coach at Western Michigan. This time the positive results weren't forthcoming. The Broncos finished 7th out of 8 teams for two consecutive years in the NCHC and couldn't reach 10 wins in 2016.
UMass
Barr left the program and moved back east, taking an assistant position with Massachusetts under new head coach Greg Carvel. the Minutemen were recovering from a disappointing 4-year stretch under the previous bench boss and the abrupt change in scheme led to the program's worst record in 38 years. After the first year, however, the team took great strides and UMass won its first regular season title in 2019. The team reached the championship game that season but fell to defending champion Minnesota Duluth.[5] Two years later, however, Barr's team got its revenge against the Bulldogs in the national semifinal and then went on to win the championship two nights later.[6]
Maine
Shortly before Barr helped Massachusetts win the championship, Red Gendron, the head coach at Maine, died suddenly.[7] The athletic department began a search for Gendron's replacement and, after a month of deliberation, hired Barr as the program's 5th head coach.[8] Barr was noted as a strong recruiter when hired and announced his first three signees that July.[9]
___
The past 4 seasons including 2025-26 so far Maine has gone 76-47-15 overall and 44-34-11 in HEA. Struggling a bit this season in conference admittedly at 8-9-0. They did make the NCAA tournament the past 2 seasons after having missed it the previous 11 seasons, and the resources at Minnesota should be an upgrade to what they have at Maine.
He's not a slam duck choice but he has to be in the conversation.
Another thing not in the write up here: Union and Providence each won national championships a year after he left with the players Barr recruited.
@maroon_and_gold Yeah, thanks. That's what I was referring too. I agree, Lucia was an "outsider" and that isn't a make or break for me either. I'll take titles over being provincial. I was just curious where his name is coming from.
**Edited because I should probably learn how to quote a post so you know what the hell I'm babbling about**
@maroon_and_gold Yeah, thanks. That's what I was referring too. I agree, Lucia was an "outsider" and that isn't a make or break for me either. I'll take titles over being provincial. I was just curious where his name is coming from.
**Edited because I should probably learn how to quote a post so you know what the hell I'm babbling about**
He is a Faribault, MN native and went to Shattuck so that’s his MN connection. Not nothing.
My money is on Raboin.
i’ve been doing a lot of research on this and here are my thoughts. If the goal is to win at the highest level, the answer is not complicated. Barr has already done it.
He did not just inherit success at UMass. He helped build it. He recruited the core of a national championship team, installed the systems, and proved he could develop players into winners. Before that, Union and Providence both won national titles with rosters built largely from his recruiting classes. That is not coincidence. That is a track record.
Minnesota is not a learn on the job position. It is one of the top jobs in college hockey. You need someone who has been to the Frozen Four, who understands championship standards, and who has lived inside programs that actually finished the job. Barr checks every one of those boxes.
He is a proven recruiter, has Minnesota roots through Shattuck, and has shown he can rebuild and modernize programs with fewer resources than the Gophers have. Give that profile the resources, facilities, and talent pool at Minnesota, and the ceiling is obvious.
The reality is that Raboin is probably the one who gets the job. Not necessarily because he is the most proven championship builder, but because Coyle is not a hockey guy and will likely lean on Motzko for recommendations. Raboin worked under Bob and is the comfortable and familiar choice.
To be clear, Raboin is a very good coach. But if the question is who brings the strongest championship resume, the deeper national experience, and the proven ability to build title caliber programs from the ground up, the answer is Barr.
At a place like Minnesota, the standard should not be comfort or familiarity. The standard should be banners. Barr’s resume already points in that direction.
Conclusion: If I had to put money on it, I’d say Raboin. If I were the AD, I’d pick Barr.
i’ve been doing a lot of research on this and here are my thoughts. If the goal is to win at the highest level, the answer is not complicated. Barr has already done it.
He did not just inherit success at UMass. He helped build it. He recruited the core of a national championship team, installed the systems, and proved he could develop players into winners. Before that, Union and Providence both won national titles with rosters built largely from his recruiting classes. That is not coincidence. That is a track record.
Minnesota is not a learn on the job position. It is one of the top jobs in college hockey. You need someone who has been to the Frozen Four, who understands championship standards, and who has lived inside programs that actually finished the job. Barr checks every one of those boxes.
He is a proven recruiter, has Minnesota roots through Shattuck, and has shown he can rebuild and modernize programs with fewer resources than the Gophers have. Give that profile the resources, facilities, and talent pool at Minnesota, and the ceiling is obvious.
The reality is that Raboin is probably the one who gets the job. Not necessarily because he is the most proven championship builder, but because Coyle is not a hockey guy and will likely lean on Motzko for recommendations. Raboin worked under Bob and is the comfortable and familiar choice.
To be clear, Raboin is a very good coach. But if the question is who brings the strongest championship resume, the deeper national experience, and the proven ability to build title caliber programs from the ground up, the answer is Barr.
At a place like Minnesota, the standard should not be comfort or familiarity. The standard should be banners. Barr’s resume already points in that direction.
Conclusion: If I had to put money on it, I’d say Raboin. If I were the AD, I’d pick Barr.
I totally agree with you. I think Barr is the guy who will have the instantaneous recruiting connections that the program needs right from the beginning. Raboin might be a great coach, but he is currently at a small time program and his previous experience was with Motzko which probably means the continuation of the same program.
I think Barr brings with him immediate mid-level Canadian recruits that could follow him to Minnesota, a better non-Minnesota recruiting pipeline than exists now, and a better shot at the elite MN guys.
And frankly, it is a move that should have been done a year ago.
I have to imagine Barr would at least get an interview (assuming he's interested) and they wouldn't just hire whoever Motzko wants (without at least doing that much).
I think a lot of us might be underestimating the lack of urgency or ambition from the AD’s office when it comes to hockey. His primary focus is clearly football and basketball. Hockey is treated as a nice revenue-generating program for the university, but it doesn’t feel like there’s real internal pressure to chase national championships the way there should be at a place like Minnesota.
Until that mindset changes at the top, the hire may end up being more about comfort and continuity than about proven championship pedigree.
But perhaps I’m wrong.
His primary focus is clearly football and basketball. Hockey is treated as a nice revenue-generating program for the university
Per the recent GPL reporting, at Minnesota the men’s hockey team is an order of magnitude more profitable than men’s basketball.
we had a very good team last year and each of the last five years; this year the bottom fell out from under us relatively suddenly. Between on ice success and good ticket sales, there’s been no reason for the AD to have Bob on a short leash until now
That could be true, I think it just has more to do with the fact that this year probably gets looked at as an aberration and Motzko only has two years left on his contract. They probably just keep him another year due to that, loyalty, and the optics of firing a coach after one bad season. That's assuming Motzko doesn't want to retire which I assume he doesn't (but I don't pretend to know).I think a lot of us might be underestimating the lack of urgency or ambition from the AD’s office when it comes to hockey. His primary focus is clearly football and basketball. Hockey is treated as a nice revenue-generating program for the university, but it doesn’t feel like there’s real internal pressure to chase national championships the way there should be at a place like Minnesota.
Until that mindset changes at the top, the hire may end up being more about comfort and continuity than about proven championship pedigree.
But perhaps I’m wrong.
The AD has to be smart enough to know that this is an educated fanbase living near two major cities with an abundance of entertainment options. The fanbase knows what a contender looks like and shows up when the product meets the standard of Gopher hockey. I don't know exactly how important single game tickets and merch sales are to the overall health of the budget but it's probably not insignificant. The department as a whole is in an interesting spot where none of the major revenue generators are all that competitive and at the very least they need to figure out how to generate more revenue to fix that. PJ has been pretty vocal about that and I don't follow basketball closely but I have to imagine Medved is aware of it too.
you’re 100% right that hockey is currently more profitable than basketball, and honestly that’s a great fact to be able to point to. At the same time, the men’s basketball program has really struggled competitively, and if they were winning at a higher level, the revenue upside there is exponentially larger. That’s probably why the bulk of the $20.5M revenue-share pool flows to football first and then men’s basketball.
I still don’t expect the AD to make a move, but Barr and Raboin do seem to be the names that keep coming up. And to be fair, there are some people on here who would push back on your take and say there were reasons the AD may have already had Bob on a short list. Personally, I’m not in the “bash Bob” camp.
What I do find interesting is how surprised he seemed that Chesley and Kurth left. In the NIL and portal era, communication is everything. When players’ decisions come as a last-minute surprise, it can signal a disconnect or a breakdown in trust somewhere along the line. It doesn’t automatically mean the staff did something wrong, but it does raise questions about how strong those day to day relationships really are.
How much will alumni opinion factor in to the decision? Whether it’s this year or two years down the road. I figure guys like LaCombe, Faber, Knies will be pumping Rabs tires since they played for him.
That’s the one thing Barr doesn’t have, Gopher connections. He’s the total Lucia hire. Yeah he might’ve stayed too long but you can’t deny when he had the ship running, he had it running. Whoever comes in to replace Bob is here for one reason and one reason only: a gold banner. Preferably more than one.
Carrying over the discussion from the game thread. Yeah it’s time for Bob to hang it up.
Blowing up a roster goes against everything he’s shown he is as a coach. He won’t do it. Not to mention he’s on his way out anyway. Time to put the program over yourself Bob.
At this point I feel like I've seen enough, Motzko is gonna turn 65 when the frozen four happens and even if he turned things around the next two years his contract runs out after that. As far as I know he doesn't plan to coach after that anyhow and even if he did it'd be a suspect plan on the U's part to extend him. It seems like they'd be better off just addressing it after the season instead of waiting, this becomes even more true if you have some (actually) unexpected departures.
I don't want to trash what he's accomplished here or dwell on that one game but I just don't see what keeping the guy around for 2 more years accomplishes other than not having to pay the buyout or push out a coach who's largely been successful here. Any turn around next year relies on a number of different assumptions all going right and as we saw last year that's not necessarily a sure bet. The needs of this team are significant and as good as some of the recruits look it doesn't really fix the need for first pairing D or top 6 centers (I really don't want Clark or Pahlsson playing 2C much less 1C, Lamb shouldn't even be doing that currently). This isn't even getting into the potential lost revenue, the need to not lose out on future recruiting pipelines (CHL) to our competitors, and some of the valid questions regarding his coaching style. It just seems like it'd make more sense to move on now rather than just delaying this for 2 years.
The Whioux cleaned house last year! They are for sure enjoying our meltdown, they need the Gophers to steal a couple of these next games. I'm hoping they do and make a run in the Big Ten tourney and win it. Less surprising things have happened, everybody loves an underdog.
How much are season ticket sales gonna drop if Bob is back next year?
How much are season ticket sales gonna drop if Bob is back next year?
It will show who the true Gopher fans are. You can still support the program, and want a coaching change. By canceling season tickets, it affects the program in terms of arena improvements, hockey players amenities, etc. So, you are really hurting the players and the program. To be honest, the Twin Cities really isn't a strong Gopher Hockey market. In an area of that has about 3.5 million people, and having only 4500 or so season tickets prove that. There is no reason that there should not be at least 7000 season tickets after the success the team has had the prior 5 years. Look at road trips. Even the past successful years, there are very few fans that travel. Of course when they make the Frozen Four, everyone wants to show up. The excuses get old. Fans can get in the building for most games for a decent price. They offer State Fair discounts, Black Friday sales etc. Season Tickets start at $500, (about $25 a ticket if they play 20 home games) and then you can choose to upgrade them by where you sit. Bottom line-- people have choices, and I choose to support this program, and student athletes with my season tickets no matter who is coach.
Looking down from my High Horse
Morality Police
Not very objective
I will say this in Raboin’s favor: you can pretty much mark the exact moment recruiting started to fall off as the exact moment Rabs left.
When Rabs was here we got guys like Knies, Faber, Cooley, LaCombe, Eiserman, Ziemer, Rinzel, Moore. Sure we’ve gotten our share of good recruits after he’s left too, most recently this past summer with Cullen, Conboy, Harper, etc., but it really does seem like Rabs was the one doing a lot of heavy lifting in that area.
I don’t care who the coach is today or 2 years from now, just figure it out whoever you are.
“Good pace, a lot of north and south, or it could be east and west, I’m not sure but either way…” Wooger
@trixr4kids tBob acts like this is SCSU having a down year. This is the GOPHERS with more recruiting advantages than any other D1 program. This is their 1st utter THROWAWAY year since the turn of the century. And 100% of the players on this roster were recruited under tBob watch. And he constantly makes excuses for this embarrassment of a season. We’re young, boo fricken hoo. 13 NHL draft picks on the team and he’s cries poor? it’s absolutely UNACCEPTABLE. And even with historic talent in 2023, arguably the Gophers most talented team EVER, up 2-0 in the ship, that star studded group failed to close the deal under his leadership. With their best D on the bench (Faber) to start OT. And he turns 65 in April. C’mon, if Coyle cared or gave 2 shits about this hockey program, there wouldn’t even be any discussion of what needs to happen at season’s end. tBob a nice guy & a good coach but…Coffee is for CLOSERS.
I am old School and I would prefer a former Gopher as a new head coach
Aloha!
How much are season ticket sales gonna drop if Bob is back next year?
It will show who the true Gopher fans are. You can still support the program, and want a coaching change. By canceling season tickets, it affects the program in terms of arena improvements, hockey players amenities, etc. So, you are really hurting the players and the program. To be honest, the Twin Cities really isn't a strong Gopher Hockey market. In an area of that has about 3.5 million people, and having only 4500 or so season tickets prove that. There is no reason that there should not be at least 7000 season tickets after the success the team has had the prior 5 years. Look at road trips. Even the past successful years, there are very few fans that travel. Of course when they make the Frozen Four, everyone wants to show up. The excuses get old. Fans can get in the building for most games for a decent price. They offer State Fair discounts, Black Friday sales etc. Season Tickets start at $500, (about $25 a ticket if they play 20 home games) and then you can choose to upgrade them by where you sit. Bottom line-- people have choices, and I choose to support this program, and student athletes with my season tickets no matter who is coach.
I agree with the sentiment, but the coach and the players matter. If there's a breakdown with either one, the product suffers.
This season has tested my patience, not my loyalty, but as a season ticket holder, I've only been to a couple of games because the team is unwatchable. Apathy has set in for me and I don’t need to see another minute of the carnage. Judging by the size of the Mariucci crowds, about half the fans or more feel the same way.
This team is like a carcass on the savanna, and vultures like OSU and Notre Dame are picking at their bones.
I am old School and I would prefer a former Gopher as a new head coach
So with that who would that be. You just can't bring in someone with 0 experience. Ben Gordon and Grant would be the only 2 out there
I was not on the fire Motzko bandwagon which picked up steam this past summer and I would stand by it given the track record he had before this year. Given his combination of age, contract situation, and roster construction, there does seem to be a tidy off-ramp this offseason. Motzko knows it I would imagine as getting more tasty when the press gets after you is a sign of a coach feeling the heat.
I do not have strong opinions on the next coach. Do not really care about where they came from as long as they understand the modern game.
I think Mike Guentzel would fit in right away
Aloha!
Time for Coyle to cook up one of those “senior advisor” roles for Motzko’s last two years of his contract.
I hope there’s a plan to support the few stud players on the roster and those guys know there’s one otherwise I fear the best programs playing in April that they’re watching on tv will become their plan.
“Good pace, a lot of north and south, or it could be east and west, I’m not sure but either way…” Wooger
I think Mike Guentzel would fit in right away
Can’t tell if this is a joke or not so I’ll bite. Great coach, but no way in hell we’re hiring a coach of his age to deal in the NIL era of college hockey.
I hope there’s a plan to support the few stud players on the roster and those guys know there’s one otherwise I fear the best programs playing in April that they’re watching on tv will become their plan.
If we do in fact spring for a new coach he’ll surely be announced before the portal opens after the FF. So that’s a positive.
I hope there’s a plan to support the few stud players on the roster and those guys know there’s one otherwise I fear the best programs playing in April that they’re watching on tv will become their plan.
If we do in fact spring for a new coach he’ll surely be announced before the portal opens after the FF. So that’s a positive.
yep. Unless the guy is coming from a FF team, typically the announcement comes out like a week prior to the portal opening at least. College Hockey is one of the few sports where they don’t do midseason firing
I’m just concerned about our stud players jumping ship to a better program.
“Good pace, a lot of north and south, or it could be east and west, I’m not sure but either way…” Wooger
In 1972 we went 8-24. Two years later we won a Natty. So it can happen. Of course it helped that we hired a literal Miracle Worker for a coach after the '72 season.
In 1972 we went 8-24. Two years later we won a Natty. So it can happen. Of course it helped that we hired a literal Miracle Worker for a coach after the '72 season.
so we just need to ask Lou who to hire and we're back
If the Gophers win the National championship this year, it would be even more of a miracle than Miracle 🤣
So say you can change only one:
Would you rather blow up the roster (whatever that means to you) through the portal and get everyone you want from the committed recruits
OR
Swap Bob out for the coach you most want
OR
Roll with the same coach and his plan (guessing this doesn't get much support)
I realize this is more nuanced, and one may involve the other, but just curious where people's thought lie on this question.
So say you can change only one:
Would you rather blow up the roster (whatever that means to you) through the portal and get everyone you want from the committed recruits
OR
Swap Bob out for the coach you most want
OR
Roll with the same coach and his plan (guessing this doesn't get much support)
I realize this is more nuanced, and one may involve the other, but just curious where people's thought lie on this question.
the top. I’ve seen Bob assemble a good team here. I like some guys coming in. Does he have the heart/energy to get rid of some guys to make room for better ones? I dunno but that’s what it’ll take
I get nervous when people start talking about who is a true fan and who isn’t. And generally we don’t hear that when the program is in a good place.
If the Gophers win the National championship this year, it would be even more of a miracle than Miracle 🤣
it’s more or less mathematically impossible now. No autobid teams from outside the top-16 have made a Frozen Four in the modern era. We are essentially where Canisius was in 2023
So say you can change only one:
Would you rather blow up the roster (whatever that means to you) through the portal and get everyone you want from the committed recruits
OR
Swap Bob out for the coach you most want
OR
Roll with the same coach and his plan (guessing this doesn't get much support)
I realize this is more nuanced, and one may involve the other, but just curious where people's thought lie on this question.
I feel like option B inherently comes with option A so I guess I’ll do that
So say you can change only one:
Would you rather blow up the roster (whatever that means to you) through the portal and get everyone you want from the committed recruits
OR
Swap Bob out for the coach you most want
OR
Roll with the same coach and his plan (guessing this doesn't get much support)
I realize this is more nuanced, and one may involve the other, but just curious where people's thought lie on this question.
I feel like option B inherently comes with option A so I guess I’ll do that
I think we'd have to see. Between Lucia's last and Motzko's first (acknowledging yes we are in a wildly different era with the portal), we saw
At D: Glover, Johnson graduated. Lindgren left early. Nanne, Phillips, Rossini, Sadek, Zuhlsdorf all back. Brinkman, Denman, Stucker Fr (3 in for 3 out)
At F: Bristedt, Szmatula, Hurley graduated. Mittelstadt left early. Gates, Marooney, McManus, Munson, Norman, Novak, Pitlick, Ramsey, Reedy, Romanko, Sheehy were back. Wait, Ranta, Burke, McLaughlin in as Fr (4 for 4)
No Goalie changes
We basically kept everything the same and we took Ranta from Wisconsin because he didn't qualify if memory serves right.
Not a ton left UND (and I think they'd argue they're better off removing them), but that was with going internal with their hire. Wisconsin had quite a bit of flux when they hired Hastings, but that was a massive style change and guys who are local still.
Now I think this gets way easier now with the portal and guys being able to bring some of their team with, but I could also see that being very dependent on who you hire and who they choose to hire as the replacement (such as if you take Barr, do you think all these kids from Canada and the NE are going to follow him?). Think they probably have an easier time cutting bait on the Rud/Begley/Harris players, but the roster only has 4 skaters not from MN and 2 of those are definitely not guys you want leaving (Mooney and Whipple). Think that part would be quite fascinating to watch when we get there (whenever that may be)
How much are season ticket sales gonna drop if Bob is back next year?
It will show who the true Gopher fans are. You can still support the program, and want a coaching change. By canceling season tickets, it affects the program in terms of arena improvements, hockey players amenities, etc. So, you are really hurting the players and the program. To be honest, the Twin Cities really isn't a strong Gopher Hockey market. In an area of that has about 3.5 million people, and having only 4500 or so season tickets prove that. There is no reason that there should not be at least 7000 season tickets after the success the team has had the prior 5 years. Look at road trips. Even the past successful years, there are very few fans that travel. Of course when they make the Frozen Four, everyone wants to show up. The excuses get old. Fans can get in the building for most games for a decent price. They offer State Fair discounts, Black Friday sales etc. Season Tickets start at $500, (about $25 a ticket if they play 20 home games) and then you can choose to upgrade them by where you sit. Bottom line-- people have choices, and I choose to support this program, and student athletes with my season tickets no matter who is coach.
100% agree with frozenc4champs statement.
but the roster only has 4 skaters not from MN and 2 of those are definitely not guys you want leaving (Mooney and Whipple)
Whipple is from Minnetonka. I otherwise agree that a coaching change doesn’t inherently mean the roster gets blown up, players will always want to be Gophers regardless of who’s the coach.
but the roster only has 4 skaters not from MN and 2 of those are definitely not guys you want leaving (Mooney and Whipple)
Whipple is from Minnetonka. I otherwise agree that a coaching change doesn’t inherently mean the roster gets blown up, players will always want to be Gophers regardless of who’s the coach.
You can debate Whipple's origins given he spent a lot of his youth in New Jersey as well as time at Minnetonka. Not much germane to the topic at hand, though I would imagine his connections to the state was big in his recruitment.
but the roster only has 4 skaters not from MN and 2 of those are definitely not guys you want leaving (Mooney and Whipple)
Whipple is from Minnetonka. I otherwise agree that a coaching change doesn’t inherently mean the roster gets blown up, players will always want to be Gophers regardless of who’s the coach.
yes sorry you’re correct. Pulled his CHN bio and didn’t think about it enough (Tonka listed on his Gopher bio) though he has split time
So say you can change only one:
Would you rather blow up the roster (whatever that means to you) through the portal and get everyone you want from the committed recruits
OR
Swap Bob out for the coach you most want
OR
Roll with the same coach and his plan (guessing this doesn't get much support)
I realize this is more nuanced, and one may involve the other, but just curious where people's thought lie on this question.
I feel like option B inherently comes with option A so I guess I’ll do that
I think we'd have to see. Between Lucia's last and Motzko's first (acknowledging yes we are in a wildly different era with the portal), we saw
At D: Glover, Johnson graduated. Lindgren left early. Nanne, Phillips, Rossini, Sadek, Zuhlsdorf all back. Brinkman, Denman, Stucker Fr (3 in for 3 out)
At F: Bristedt, Szmatula, Hurley graduated. Mittelstadt left early. Gates, Marooney, McManus, Munson, Norman, Novak, Pitlick, Ramsey, Reedy, Romanko, Sheehy were back. Wait, Ranta, Burke, McLaughlin in as Fr (4 for 4)
No Goalie changes
We basically kept everything the same and we took Ranta from Wisconsin because he didn't qualify if memory serves right.
Not a ton left UND (and I think they'd argue they're better off removing them), but that was with going internal with their hire. Wisconsin had quite a bit of flux when they hired Hastings, but that was a massive style change and guys who are local still.
Now I think this gets way easier now with the portal and guys being able to bring some of their team with, but I could also see that being very dependent on who you hire and who they choose to hire as the replacement (such as if you take Barr, do you think all these kids from Canada and the NE are going to follow him?). Think they probably have an easier time cutting bait on the Rud/Begley/Harris players, but the roster only has 4 skaters not from MN and 2 of those are definitely not guys you want leaving (Mooney and Whipple). Think that part would be quite fascinating to watch when we get there (whenever that may be)
Reading back over all of the guys who left or stayed between Lucia leaving and Motzko coming in reminds me of just how strange of a spot the program was in from basically 2017-2020. One could argue going back to the first round boat racing we received from Duluth in the NCAAs in 2015 just a year after losing to Union in the final and bringing everyone back. The apathy that set in around the program in the back end of the last decade was dreadful. Gopher hockey had become a punch line, the team’s post season aspirations were just making the tournament, and a “good night” attendance wise was like 6,000 actual scanned tickets. At this point the thing that matters the most to me is not going back to that scenario and ending the championship drought. If that means a new coach then so be it but this program cannot afford another year like this without the risk of that same apathy once again setting in and having to climb out of that hole once again. Ironically, it was obviously Motzko who led the way in bringing Gopher hockey back to where it belongs. Which is why it sucks to have this conversation. There is so much to appreciate that he’s done for the program and I don’t want this season or even coming up short in tournament time to change that. My biggest worry when we lost to Quinnipiac was “I just hope that he and the team can bounce back so he doesn’t go out like the Wooger”. That’s not an insult to Woog. The man is a legend. But unfortunately every single time he’s brought up someone always mentions “you just wish he could have won the big one. Even just once”. I’m afraid we’re getting there with Bob. That’s why I would love for him to turn it around and, as I’ve mentioned before, go out in two years with a championship and ride off into the sunset. But as much as I’d like that for him I stand by what I said above. This program cannot afford another bad season. To be honest it can’t even really afford a mediocre season but unfortunately that’s the trajectory we’re headed, even with a coaching change. As much as I like Bob and appreciate all he’s done, if moving on from him this offseason is the best thing for the program then that has to be done. No one is bigger than the program.
Yeah all good points, I remember thinking the team could be back in the frozen 4 after the Union loss and then we lost Guertler to the DUI thing, had whatever was going on the year after (the team seemed checked out and got stomped by Duluth in the NCAA opener, this was also the start of the era where they couldn't beat the in state teams), recruited a bunch of big untalented Dmen and the team alternated between barely missing and being a one and done until Lucia was finally done. The recruiting of that era just wasn't great (or at best uneven) and winning the B1G conference was barely worth celebrating because the other teams weren't making the tourney. All those things combined meant a lot of half attended games at Mariucci and more uneven recruiting. Lucia had a great run up until like 2007 but the talent level of those teams compared to the teams after those years was night and day. Some of that might've been due to navigating the changes of the NHL CBA changes and college hockey getting older.
After he was gone Motzko was the guy I wanted and he did an outstanding job of recruiting and filling the building again, the team played an exciting brand of hockey. I definitely don't regret hiring him and I don't think there was a better option available (I didn't want Hastings, would've been fine with Guentzel but wasn't sure how much the bad D they recruited was on him). It sucks that they couldn't win that Natty or break through either of the years before where they lost to Mankato, winning a B1G tourney at home would've added to the legacy as well. Either way those were all fun seasons and it sucks that we're here.