Two 15 year-old goaltenders may be on DU's radar. Goaltender Billy Wager plays for the Pittsburgh Hornets Under-16 team and is looking at a dozen Division I teams, including Denver.
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Also 15 year-old goaltender Eric Comrie, the younger half-brother to former Pioneer star forward Paul Comrie is playing for the Los Angeles Selects. However, Comrie was drafted in the first round of the OHL Draft yesterday, so it looks like he will be playing Major Juniors. in Canada rather than play college hockey. The other Comrie brother, Mike, who went to Michigan and plays for the Edmonton Oilers, is engaged to Hilary Duff.----------
College Hockey News' Adam Wodon has an article about Coach Gwozdecky using Ohio State as leverage for a new contract at DU. Not much new info is in the article, as it looks like he couldn't get any of the participants to go on the record.----------
Former Pioneer Kevin Dineen is a candidate for the head coaching job with the NHL Columbus Blue Jackets. Its a pretty good article.
15 comments:
I dont understand the point of recruiting children... these individuals can't even drive a car
Don't need to,they can skate.
Looks like the players were not the only ones distracted heading into the post season...Gwoz's ego is beyond belief.
The reality is that major junior teams are also recruiting them at 14 as well as other top schools. If you can't offer a schollie at 15-16, you may lose out on the top kids.
That said, some of these kids peak at 16, so it's a risk.
No other NCAA sport has such a strong competitive junior system as the CHL.
And Gwoz' ego is exactly what I would expect from a top 5 current coach. It's up to everyone to maximize their own compensation for the job they do.
Yep, you earn a ton of respect from your players, future and present, by shopping around and then trying to spin it as something else.
IF Gwoz shopped around, it was DU's fault for not getting the deal done in the first place. The coach has won two National Championships at DU in the only revenue producing sport at the school. DU is in penny pinching mode and the blame goes straight to the top of the DU food chain.
You may be correct. However, he showed zero class by airing it out in public and then lying about why he was at ou.
How many years left in the current contract??? Bozo is washed up and he knows it!!!
if DU were into penny pinching mode they would drop athletics, as like all universitys, it runs at a deficit. Of course they won't. George got his panties in a twist because the nature of the beast, one of the top paid, and best, hockey coaches (george) makes less than a low end basketball coach at the same school... sorry george, those are the facts. Now what would piss me off if I were george is the money they are dumping into lax (which is a great sport to watch), just not too popular and won't generate revenue.
Basketball and football are the only NCAA spots that are revenue producers at the college level - provided you have one of the top teams year in and year out.
Hockey is still very much a minor sport at the college level and with the exception of a few locations/parts of the country. There is greater television coverage of NCAA lacross than there is ice hockey.
Ice hockey at DU runs at a deficit but it attracts new students and keeps alum proud (donating).
With respect to lacross at DU the money was specifically donated by a wealthy alum to build the stadium and pay for a top notch coach.
General theme this offseason is people getting their panties in a bunch over players/coaches not being "loyal" to DU.
Everyone really needs to get over it. Whatever Gwoz did we should all be grateful that he is coming back. Denver is finally at a point in it's program where I believe we don't rebuild, we reload. Minn, UND, Wisc, BC, etc. have been able to say this for years and we are finally there too. If Gwoz left for OSU, we would be back in rebuilding mode.
Don't hate on people for living their lives (Gwoz, Colborne, Patty, etc.) and trying to make the most of it. In fact, it even means more when people explore their options and still choose DU.
It almost sounds like the jealous boyfriend...telling his girlfriend she can't talk to another guy. Let the girl talk! If she leaves you for him, it's for the best (i.e. Colborne and Wiercioch). If they choose you, then you know you have somebody that is truely with you (i.e. Gwoz).
And like DG said, the best way to make sure your girl doesn't stray is to make sure that she is completely happy with you and provide more for her than any other guy ever could. In Gwoz's case, give the man a great freaking contract DU!! He's given us a great freakin program.
I agree with anon @ 12:01.
People just need to get over themselves. I think DU has to many noob fans since the '04 season and they are making the rest of us just look ridiculous.
To be honest, I have never been embarrassed of being a Pio fan but some of these returds are really getting to me, especially since the RIT loss...
Anon 11:39:
Hockey is a revenue producer at DU - it does not run at a deficit - they make good money on hockey. They sell 6,000 seats for 20 games at a 20 dollar ticket average and you are look at gate revenue alone of about $2.4 Million per year (conservative). When you add ancillary revenues from Crimson and Gold Clubs, parking, food and merchandise, you are looking at another million of so in revenue, for about a $3.5 Million gross on hockey, Take out the coaching salaries, and opertaing expenses such as travel, equipment, game night and medical expenses, and you are still looking at a profit of at least a million or more a year on hockey.
Of course, the rest of the athletic dept runs a deficit (as do most athletic depts.) but hockey is s net revenue producer.
To second Swami's last point, Hockey is the #3 $$ maker for the NCAA after football and basketball and probably the only $$ maker for most of the non big-10/Notre Dame and maybe the Ivy schools playing hockey.
I can't believe goalie Wager was not drafted by the USHL. I know this kid is really looking to play for a good D1 school. Maybe PA is not the place to get seen. I know he played well at the Denver showcase I saw him at. I am sure he will be snapped up in next week's draft.
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