I just had to get that stress off my chest like breast reduction

March 18, 2011

For the record, I’m wearing my jersey right now.

It is just kicking in that Hockey season is over. Give how much time and energy I’ve given towards following this team, its hard to just have it end (although it was inevitable). I’m glad we got those two extra games in the playoffs. 2 more times we could get drunk in parking lots, make green line jokes, draw the ire of the locals and, in general, be a nuisance.

Since Max already wrote his opus about the 2010-2011 season, and I am no longer contractually obigated to write about Hockey, I’ll make it easy and fun and go bullet point for the rest of this thing. Here we go

Stray Observations

• First and foremost, thanks to all the players who were so kind as to acknowledge the 5 of us creepily waiting outside of the Conte at the UMass bus sending our boys off with underwhelming claps. Thanks to those who were even more awesome and came to shake our hands and thank us for the support. No, that you. Kubby apparently does know about (and appreciates!) the Kubby Kounter, so thats cool. As does his Dad. We will, no doubt, miss the defensive brilliance that is Mr Douglas Kublin. As expected, Dainton was a class act and came over to talk to us for a bit. More than on the ice, everyone should miss Paul for being on the classiest players I’ve ever witnessed. As much as we, as fans, overanalyze on ice production, having a player be such a vocal supporter of the fans in addition to being a major part of the community is such an amazing thing to have.  Lastly, we got Toot, already on the bus ready to get the fuck out of Newton, to come back out and shake our hands. I mean, if Max got an apology for last year as a senior, I think we deserved a handshake for waiting outside for a bus. But he did, so thank you Toot. You are very much still alive to us.
• Where is my NCAA hockey videogame? Just take the NHL11 engine and put college hockey players in it. What will that take? A week? I would pay $60 for that. Also, do the same thing for college hoops and NBA2k11. I’m sorry but I can’t go back to College Hoops 2k8 after playing in the NBA2k11 engine. Just use the old stadium builds and recruiting engine and put the new gameplay engine in. Its not that hard. How is it that the only sport UMass isn’t D1 in (ok, FCS is D1 but you know what I mean) is the only good college game. Its spring break and I’m bored. FIX THIS.
• For the record, I’m 99.9% sure I’ll be at every home Hockey game next year, so you undergrads can write about the student section if you want, but I will be there to fact check. No lying about original chants if there are one. You kids should know about academic honestly by now.
• Not to echo Max too much, but a big thank you to Mark from Fear The Triangle for befriending is this year. It was a pleasure to talk hockey and, at times, life with you and I look forward to annoying you at future UMass sporting events (as well as posting groupons on your facebook wall.) In addition to Mark, its been a pleasure meeting many members of the UMass alumni community including Jeff, Andrew, Mark’s lovely wife Lori and the countless people I have been introduced to yet names escape me. This year was an absolute pleasure in that respect, and I look forward to seeing you in the future.
• Yes, Mark Dennehy was screwed out of the HE coach of the year, losing to Jerry York. If coach of the year means “coach of best team” then lets just leave it at that. Yes, York had the better record but the degree of difficulty for Dennehy has overwhelming. He took a team that we wouldn’t even commit a paragraph to in the Encyclopedia-Umassica and got them Home Ice and an all but certain trip to the NCAAs. He turned around a college that looks like a sears and plays in the worst home depot ever yet he made it work. He is coach of the year, obviously. Sidenote: is Mark Dennehy a candidate for the UMass job when Toot rides the Zamboni into the sunset? I mean, Toot retirement is inevitable, who is in line for the job? I can only see Merrimack as a stepping stone  to a more sustainable school, where will be go? Ah, offseason discussions. They are just awful.
• Captains Next year: Obviously, its either TJ or Danny for the C. Marcou is going to keep the A. Who takes the C, and who gets the extra 2 A’s?. I’m assuming Czepiel as a definite, and most likely Carzo, but does one of these freshmen have an outside chance? Would Perieria be that surprising?
• I got in a yelling match with a BC alumni while in the ticket line on Saturday. That was fun
• At least we have the Bruins to watch. Is it October yet?
• LAST TIME I WILL ASK IN THE 2010-2011 SEASON: LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE PLZ

Here’s to hoping the Sox can hold our interest. I miss hockey. Is it October yet?

-Matt

Written by blindspots88 Posted in Hockey