Wide right in one case, the crossbar in the other

Got to the Schott today to see the Ohio State Hockey team take on Penn State. It was also an afternoon in which the program celebrated 50 years of Ohio State Hockey, which has been operating my whole life now it seems.

Before the game, the team honored a couple of dozen of former players by bringing them out to center ice. It was cool to see them all, but hard to hear all the names due to the muffled sound system. In a perfect world, it would have helped to have the player named, then the years they were in the program, for additional historical context, but that may have taken more time.

It was very nostalgic to see former players Ryan Jestadt, Craig Patterson, Lee Spector, Jeff Maund, and a few other players from the mid-nineties represent. This was the time I started following the sport.

Between the first and second period the All Buckeye Team was named. On the team are goalie Jeff Maund, defensemen Greg Kostenko and Jim Witherspoon and forwards Hugo Boisvert, Paul Pooley and Paul Tilley.

Most of these players were a bit before my time in Columbus but not Maund and Boisvert. Those two were an key part of the Buckeyes only Frozen Four appearance in 1998. I have Hugo's game-worn jersey from that year and wore it today.



The game itself had Penn State jump out to a 2-0 lead after the first period. There must have been some words said in the locker room since the Buckeyes scored two quick power play goals early in the second period and added a late period goal to take the lead for the rest of the game. Final score was 5-2.

In other nostalgic Hall of Fame news it was great to see Andre Reed finally selected to the Football Hall of Fame. Reed was one of the best wide receivers of his era for the Buffalo Bills as he helped his team to that four in a row Super Bowl run in the early nineties. He would have been in sooner if they won, just one.

That brought back a flood of memories on a day in which was filled with bittersweet things. Back to a time when the Bills were probably just a little too important. Which was followed by a time where college hockey was also a little too important.

Waiting for scores and other numbers

There's been a lot of activity with and around me the past week. Some of the busy has been positive and beneficial, some has been stressful and have given me guilt.

The latter is tough to write about, I'm neither ready nor comfortable telling it here - a story that may not be over. I've said it before and I'll say it again though - distance is hard.

In three nights we took in two hockey games. The first was to see the Blue Jackets play Chicago.



The Blue Jackets have been on a roll recently. They have earned a point in ten straight games, a franchise record. The game with the Black Hawks was number nine of that streak. It was a very tense, well played and entertaining game. Both teams played well and the game was tied at one at the end of regulation. A crazy overtime in which both teams played for the extra point was a thrill to watch and it was a shame the Blue Jackets lost in a shoot out. I hate the shoot out, win or lose.

Saturday night we headed to the olde Ohio State Ice Rink to see game two of a playoff series between Ohio State and Ferris State.



It's a small barn, the ice rink. The ceiling is low and play stops when the puck hits it, which happened at least twice on Saturday night. You're right next to the game and can hear everything that happens on the ice. You can also be heard if your lungs are in good shape. I went here a lot in the late 90's, during the team's frozen four run of 1998. A lot of memories, most of them pretty good.



My wife had never seen a game here. It's tough when you're used to seat backs and video replay, but the old experience came back and I rolled with the change and had a great time watching OSU force a third game, which is happening as I write this. (3-2 OSU in the third period)



The winner of the series goes to the CCHA tournament at the Joe Louis Arena next weekend, the last games the CCHA will have.

Edit: Ohio State wins and goes to the Joe!



Saturday also had the poetry auditions for the Columbus Arts Festival. The poets were excellent and represented such a diverse element of the talent Columbus and Ohio has. Announcements of who made it will be out soon. I've been working on the math and am very excited with who is going to be on the Word is Art Stage in June. You will not want to miss this!

All I've got is a photograph

In a week of death, cancer and breakups there had to be a time to get away from things, and even in the middle of that I found a sense of sad finality.

We went to our first Ohio State Hockey game of the season last night. The Buckeyes were playing the #6 ranked team in the country, the Western Michigan Broncos. The first period was a back and forth match that had the visiting side up 2-1 at the end of the first period.

In the second the Broncos went up 3-2 but Ohio State fought back and went ahead with the final score being 6-3. I was very impressed with both sides and the play of senior OSU goaltender Brady Hjelle, who did some rather remarkable gymnastics making a few saves. He even picked up an assist.

The star of the game was Junior winger Alex Szczechura, who scored a hat trick. The third coming off a play that had some dandy passing. It was a game I enjoyed watching, and in between periods the band came out and did Script Ohio on the ice.



Toward the end of the game I realized this is most likely going to be the last CCHA game I ever see. The conference is being made redundant after this year since the Big Ten conference is being started up. I really enjoyed seeing the smaller schools, Western Michigan, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Alaska-Fairbanks, Bowling Green and others play the so called larger school and often play them well or even better the home side.



I've been following the league for about 15 seasons now and it's odd to know that it is all going away, all the history of the league will simply halt. The Big Ten will start with at least six teams, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and the newly started Penn State. It will be different and I'm sure we'll see a few of those familiar teams, such as Miami, come through town to fill out the schedule. The rivalries will be changed though.



Maybe The Buckeyes will have a home playoff game in March I can attend.

Never Drove the Zamboni

Around 1995 that a new sport came into our lives.



It was sometime in 1990 or 1991 that we took in our first Ohio State Hockey game. They were playing Michigan and neither team, especially the Buckeyes was very good. The old ice rink was sold out and we ended up in the standing room only area behind the north goal. Ohio State got beaten rather convincingly. For whatever reasons we never went back.

Fast forward a couple of years and my wife has a couple of the players in one of her classes, including the team captain. We end up going to another game, and the team has deteriorated. The coach's contract was not renewed and he resigned. The interim coach, John Markell, was trying to turn the team around and become the permanent coach.

Somehow my wife landed a position writing about the team for a Michigan hockey publication and leveraged her way into writing about the CCHA for a national college hockey website.

I started going to the games as my work schedule allowed and watched John Markell turn the team from a horribly coached team into something slightly short of mediocre to a league upstart in the matter of two seasons. The ice rink began filling up, the pep band played in their corner and the little rink rocked. It was a dump, but it was our dump. And the team was going to be moving out into the newly built Value City Arena in early 1999.

I think the best game at the ice rink was in 1998 when number one ranked Michigan State came to town. The building was rocking and Todd Compeau added to the atmosphere when he scored less than a minute into the game. He also added the game winner on a sweet feed from Dan Cousineau that I caught on a crappy camera.



This was the magical season the Buckeyes went to their first and so far only Frozen Four in Boston, only to lose to Boston College in the semi-finals. About all my wife and I had left was my crappy work situation and this hockey team. So when the season was over, there really was not much of anything left. The marriage officially ended in the autumn of 1998, but I still went to the games, including the last one in the ice rink against Notre Dame.



The team's first game at the Schott was in January of 1999. I was supposed to bring a date, but got stood up. It was for the best. I ended up taking this picture, had it blown up to poster size and signed by the team. They loved it and one of the player's parents asked for the negative. I gave it to Ryan Skaleski's parents and have not seen it since.



The old ice rink had some seating taken out to finally make the ice regulation size (it was fifteen feet short) and now houses the Women's Hockey Team.



Got to know a few of the players a little during this time. The first athletes I met who were not interested in throwing me into a locker or deliberately trying to break my glasses during dodge ball. Good kids. Fine, respectful young men. Their parents are devoted, they get that way through taking their kids to practice at 5AM. You get a few stage parents, but they're rare. One Dad would sit in the end where the opposing goalie was, to see his kid try and score goals. He'd switch ends between periods. Other parents would let the refs hear it, and not just when their son was hit. One hockey mom called the Athletic Director during a road game, demanding the coach be fired.

Like the fan dork I am I have a couple of old, game worn jerseys from this era. Because of this experience my respect for hockey players and what they do increased a hundred fold.

Hard to get to many games these days. I go when I can, the team has been through some changes. Markell was relieved of his duties, the new guy had an epic collapse in the second half of this season, but that's hockey.

That's perfect on this cold, dim, December morning

My son had the day off school today so it was my turn to look after him. I had a bunch of errands to run and I wanted to get them done early.

A couple of years ago I filled out an immigration form wrong and had to overnight an envelope to the UK ($42), the clerk at the Main Post Office was amazing as she helped a panicking me get the paperwork done to get it there in time. I had a thank you package to mail out this morning and expected a line at the Post Office. To my surprise, there was none and the same clerk got my package out to its destination.



Errand two was to get myself a coffee and bagel I went to Colin's Coffee. I do not get up here much, it's out of the way, but I really like the atmosphere. The owner and I follow each other on Twitter so I finally got to introduce myself. He said hello to my son, I explained why he does not converse. Colin asked if he could get him a book, and went to the bookshelf and got a couple of books for my son to look through.

This is the type of service and treatment I do not usually get at Stauf's. There you get your beverage in an assembly line that is as bitter as the coffee can be there. Have to get to Colin's Coffee more, it's worth the time.

Errand three was to the Schottenstein Center for OSU Hockey tickets. Got a pair for Friday night against Miami. Should be a great game. While at the arena we stopped to look at one of Archie Griffin's Heisman's. Someone's kid was not impressed.



A quick trip to the library and we got home before 11AM. Cold and miserable out there.

Tonight at Writers' Block Poetry is the Grand Slam for the Women of the World Poetry Slam. No fake feminists here, all eight of the contenders have got the motts, but only one of them is going to represent WB at the WoW finals in Denver. Starts at eight at Kafe Kerouac.

Men in Morphsuits

Instead of trying our luck and scalping tickets to the Blue Jackets game, we went a safer and less expensive route and went to see the Ohio State Mens Hockey Team for the first time this season. They've been playing well, on a four game winning streak as they faced Northern Michigan.

Not many people have been going to the game, when 2,000 people go to an arena that seats 17,000, it can feel like a tomb. The band was there though, and these dudes in front of us made the night extra special.



I was told that there were two members of the Red Man Group at yesterday afternoon's game. Tonight, the unit doubled in size.



They did some truly filthy things to the first Wildcat player who was penalized. Unfortunately the camera app froze on me, but I was able to catch security having a few words with the gentlemen.



Buckeye goal!



All was forgiven as they received approval from the second most important Buckeye. Only Gordon Gee's attendance would have given them more cred.



Later, some young ladies came down to take a closer look at the redness.



So awesome, they had to appear on the Jumbotron.



Oh dear. What are they doing?



OSU wins 4-1! Red Man Group makes my day!



All Joking aside, I was very impressed with the team I saw tonight. They can finesse it when they can and compete physically when they need to. Five wins in a row, well done!

At Least We Did Not Pay to See That

Full day as I went in for an eye exam in the early afternoon. My vision has been messed up and I have not adjusted well to progressive lenses. My peepers were poked, prodded and given a thorough once over for about two hours. Vision is worsening. I have to be wary of retinal tears and other disturbances.

Had a couple of new to me procedures done, a 3-D eye scan, which produced a cool picture that looked not unlike an ultra sound of the uterus. No baby in my eye, or nothing else really, a good thing.

Also had an ultrasound done on my optic nerve. A dab of goop was put on the end of a probe and placed on my eyelid. Very interesting look at the nerve too. Again, no problems were noted.

Ended up buying a set of reading glasses, which will be ready in three weeks.

Had to get home after the exam, which was a bit tricky walking around in the sunshine with dilated pupils. Put on the shades and walked a couple of blocks to pick up the #7 bus. No way I could drive in that condition.

Later, the eyes did improve and we headed to the Ohio State Hockey game.

When we got to the ticket office, we were approached by a kid of about 13-14, and he offered us free tickets. I'm a skeptic, so I tried dismissing him, but he was persistent. I looked at the tickets, which were legit, and thanked him profusely for them.

I was so gobsmacked I forgot to pick up our complimentary Thundersticks.

The team had been playing well, and I thought it would pick up attendance. I was mistaken, there were not many people - and they were fairly quiet, except for the student section. They had thundersticks and used them very appropriately

Sitting in front of us, in sparsely attended section, a Packer legend's jersey was at the game.



The student section and band support is growing. This is good to see.



Before the game, Michigan State Head Coach, Rick Comley, who is retiring at the end of the season, was given a plaque and a nice send off by OSU coach Osiecki. Class move by the team. Comley's one of the good guys of college hockey.

The game itself was rather close. Michigan State played well and their defense did not give OSU many chances to score. MSU picked up a goal right off a faceoff in the second period and the score stayed 1-0.

Late in the third, OSU thought they managed a goal, but it was waived off after the referee said the puck had been kicked in. I was on the other side of the rink and had no idea how the puck went it. There was no replay shown to the crowd but all reporters, bloggers and message board pundits think that was the right call. I was amused that after the red light went on and the team celebrated (prematurely) that two teddy bears were thrown onto the ice in anticipation of tonight's Teddy Bear Toss.

The Buckeyes have now lost four straight, and have only scored three goals in their last four games. The offense has to step up if they want any reasonable chance to move on in the playoffs or post season.

You Can't Win Them All

As I write this, the Blue Jackets have beaten St. Louis 5-2 for their first back to back road wins since November.

Tonight we braved the cold temperatures and headed to the Ohio State Hockey game. Last night they beat Notre Dame 6-1. I suspected that there would not be a rout tonight, and I was partially right. Notre Dame dominated and won 4-1.

The Fighting Irish are a very good team. Not sure if they're in first or second in the CCHA. There was no way they were going to be embarrassed two nights in a row and came out ready to play.

That readiness combined with Buckeye defensive errors, too many trips to the penalty box and, sad to say, poor play by goalie Cal Heeter were all factors in the defeat.

There was a good crowd on hand, the upper level was partially opened up. We were seated a section up from and just to the right of a growing student fan section.



It's encouraging to see the student support, and a growing fan interest. I think coach Mark Osiecki has a lot to do with this, he's certainly brought me back to the games putting a refreshing style of play and better attitudes on the ice every night. We'll be back in a couple of weeks when they return home to play Michigan State. The Friday night game has a teddy bear toss. I've been hearing about these things and await seeing this event happen.

Escaping to a Game

The latest car ordeal has ended. The bearing has been replaced. The car started right up in single degree temperatures this morning. Let’s keep our fingers crossed this will be the last major repair for a long time.

After getting the car back we decided to get out of the house, since I really had not been out for two days. Went to our first Ohio State Hockey game this season.

Got great seats on center ice, we were also given complimentary souvenier cowbells. Ohio State Cowbells. Block "O" Cowbells. Anyone else here thinking “Columbus Clippers Ring Your Bell” here? The crowd did use their cowbells to great effect during power plays, penalty kills, whenever an OSU player did something good.

OSU was playing Miami University, who were ranked seventh in the country coming into the weekend. This is a good hockey team. What I saw out of OSU was surprising. They came right out and started hitting, and maintained this pace the whole game. Miami gave it right back, and this was a great hockey game to watch. The average size of a Miami defenseman is over six feet, their back line is huge, what are they feeding them in Oxford?

This was the first game I’ve seen since OSU coach Osiecki took over and the new attitude of the team impressed me. I have not seen a determined OSU hockey team in years. Win or lose, it’s very refreshing to see the program begin to be lifted from some a very stagnant team philosophy.

Miami outshot OSU by plenty but it was Sergio Somma who scored on a power play goal with 8.9 seconds left in the second period to make it 1-0 for the home team. Now it was up to the Buckeyes to hold the lead for the final period.

There was a lot of shaky play and giveaways by the OSU defense all night, but somehow a teammate always managed to clear out the puck. The most important player on the ice was goalie Cal Heeter, who not only cleaned up the mistakes of the tea, but stopped every shot put to him by a ferocious Miami attack. Heeter was the man of the night as OSU hung on to win 1-0. A well earned shut out, but the game really could have gone either way.

There was a very good crowd on hand, at least 5,000 in good voice. I was quite impressed that there was a large and vocal student section behind one of the goals. It’s very important to have some student tradition and great to finally see the kids come out to support the team. I’d like to think Coach Osiecki finally got the athletic department to reach out to the dorms to get the students to the games.

I missed last night’s OSU win, which was just as exciting. They were down 2-0 going into the third period but scored five straight goals to get the sweep. Great weekend for the team.

Looks like I’ll be back at a few more games this season.

The less said about the Blue Jackets, the better.

I Got Your Plumber's Butt

A fix merely removed the mask of other problems.

Plumbing.

The toilet has been flushing itself for awhile. I've been in denial about it, until yesterday.

If Nationwide Arena did not charge $10 for parking for a Ohio State Hockey game I may not be making this entry today. I do not like paying for parking, but $10 for a game that costs $11 for a ticket is pretty ridiculous.

So I was home yesterday afternoon, and bought new fixtures for the toilet yesterday morning. That's what I did, instead of going to the hockey game.

It took less that 45 minutes to install the new valve and flapper. There was little cursing. The toilet flushed when you flushed it, and that's all. Not a bad job for someone who is not mechanically inclined.

Later, we went out to dinner. When we came home there was audible dripping in the kitchen and a ceiling tile was soaked through.

There has been a minor drip coming from the bathroom pipes for a long time. The tile was not in perfect shape. The work I did though seemed to take away one problem and cause a faster drip in the pipe.

It's not raining in the kitchen but it's annoying.

Shane MacGowan has Teeth Now

I do not know much about North Korea, few do as it's a country and culture that keeps hidden in the dark. Their regime, in an appropriate use of the term, should die in a fire.

Learned a bit how sad and horrifying life is there after reading Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick. The book is an oral history of six people, their lives, loves and belief in a system that brainwashed the population and eventually betrayed them. There is a lot of bleakness and at times the book is hard to read. Depictions of starvation and food deprivation will do that to you. A few more pictures of the people interviewed would have helped in putting faces to the story but I understand how difficult it would have been as some of the defectors still have family struggling in the north.



In other news, the Ohio State Hockey Team did not renew coach John Markell's contract. After fifteen years of inconsistency, he's been let go. I called it in a post I made about this very subject last year around this time. Now speculation about who the next coach begins. Going to be an interesting off season, for the wrong reasons. Again: I have no grudge or animosity toward Markell, but it was time for him to move on. I wish him well and am glad he was coaching the team during a very rough transition. He ran a clean program, recruited and successfully taught many young men. He should be proud of that accomplishment.

Loss and Perspective

If you've been reading this you know I watch sports and write about it here. The teams I follow, at this point in time, are losing, badly.

The NHL Blue Jackets are in the middle of a nine game losing streak, tying the longest streak of futility in team history. If you know anything about the team's history, right now they're sucking hard. The time to do something about this was last month, and only now are we hearing rumors of a trade from General Manager Scott Howson. Shaking them up should have been done a month ago. Now, the rot has set in and this team is very unlikely to make the playoffs. While you can't fire 22 players, you can replace a coaching staff. The time to save the season is over.

The Ohio State Hockey team is in the midst of another season of below average play. Coach John Markell's contract is up at the end of the year. It's time for a change in the hockey program, one that has seen dwindling performance and attendance.

The New York Mets were dreadful last year and are showing me no indication that they will be improving the team next year. The outfield lacks power, there's no true first baseman and I could do just as well as middle relief than the slop that's been passing for a pitching staff.

I support the Everton Football Club in the English Premier League. As I write this, they are besieged by injuries and the club is close to being relegated to a lower league next year. I am hopeful that Manager David Moyes can pull the team toward the middle of the league in 2010 and keep the team together and fit next season to make a run at the big four. They're also still in the fray for the Europa League and F.A. Cup so there's potential for more play. MLS MVP Landon Donovan is being loaned to the team next week - it will be interesting to see if he can improve the team, as he gains some international experience.

Celtic F.C. in the Scottish Premier League is trailing Rangers, as it usually is in the Old Firm dominated league. It's sad to watch the Glasgow teams continue to be one-two as the rest of the league falters. It's a sad game to watch players who are not good enough for the better European league teams come to Scotland and its mediocre game. I'd like to see the quality improve, but with little cash it's unlikely to happen.

The Columbus Crew played well enough to win the Supporters Shield but got knocked out in the first round. Now the team's (and league's) best player, Guillermo Barros Schelotto is rumored to not being resigned for next season unless he takes a massive pay cut. The Crew have shown some very skinflint ways in its financial matters in the past. Letting a great player simply go away would be an insult to the fan base, and the ability of a great player.

Then there's the Buffalo Bills. An organization that is once again preparing to rebuild. There's no proven quarterback. No defensive line depth. No offensive line to speak of and the coaching staff needs a complete overhaul. The team's owner, Ralph Wilson is 91 and his obit could come over the wire at anytime. When he dies, the worry of the city of Buffalo is that the team will be sold and move. It will be a darn shame if that happens and the city and the team are entwined economically and in the very marrow of the residents. If this happens, my allegiance to the NFL will end. Heck, I've watched only about three Bills games this year. I've seen them lose before and know how that movie ends. It's not worth it anymore.

I'm excited about the World Cup, and am looking forward to June 12th, when the USA will play England. After that, we'll see how the rest of the draws look as June approaches.

Not much a follower of Ohio State Football. It's nice when they win, but they're not my team. College football is a mystery to me. Growing up on Long Island there really was not a team to follow.

My team rarely wins it all. I've had a World Series win in 1986, a Crew Championship last year and that's about it. Forty five years of fandom and two championships. In between there have been a lot of playoff losses and the big four straight Super Bowl losses in the nineties. I'm not sure what makes me go back to it anymore - to turn on the TV for a 2-1 loss. To watch my team lose 9-1 in person. To go to a sports bar for a 2-nil defeat. Is my money and time invested worth it?

Well, there's a game on tomorrow night, but so is Men of a Certain Age.

Life offine

Been a busy few days. My Mom flew in Friday night and is staying through tomorrow. Been shopping, eating and hanging with Mom. My son's been a lot of fun too.

So busy I did not get to see most of the Everton draw on the road at Chelsea. I'll take that point! Even the Bills won today and I did not see a minute that that.

As for Ohio State Hockey, losing two to Miami this weekend, I really think the A.D. should consider a new coach for next year and not extend Markell's contract.

If all goes according to plan the tree will be decorated tonight.

Edit: Ok, the tree is decorated.



Merry Christmas, twelve days early!

Getting My Rink On

This was the week we finally hit the hockey rinks this season. On Wednesday we went to see the Blue Jackets take on the Detroit Red Wings. I've seen my teams play many games live in my life. Wednesday night's game was the worst I had ever seen live. It was horrible, embarrassing to watch and I missed Smokey Oolong show up at Writer's Block to see a putrid spectacle. The Blue Jackets lost 9-1.

Here's part of a poem I wrote after wards.

We're left mopping up mud puddles after heavy loss
 Ones evaporating dreams, ambitions, abilities
-  our projections of what success should be
When we enter a sporting arena
Wondering why we observe well paid young men
To hit each other on a slippery surface,
with sticks
Tomorrow, what happens outside of the two hours spent
forgetting about the troubles of the day is always more important
Maybe it's the Zamboini we desire
With its quiet resurfacing of the ice,
readying it for a fresh start,
for every period, every game.
It's the calm grace of the swirling of the organ music
in the background we're seeking out - and
Waiting for a small version of the Zamboni
to drive around in our heads and lives
as we sleep

Last night we made the first trip to the Schott to see the Ohio State Hockey Team play Western Michigan. That the opposition did not score a minute into the game was an improvement over the game we saw two nights previous. I had known that OSU had problems winning on Friday nights this year and that they were down 1-0 going into the third period was not a good sign.

But our fears were eliminated after the Buckeyes tied it up, then went ahead and added another. They scored three goals in a raucous 49 seconds to put the game away.



We were sitting a couple of rows behind the OSU bench and were tickled to see the players fist bumping the kids who gathered before and after the game. Even the Broncos did something nice. A puck went into their bench during the game and one of the WMU assistants tossed it over the glass to a kid. Classy act Western Michigan!

Bring it!

The visa is now in her hot little hands, waiting to be opened upon entry.

Went out and bought a proper mattress for my son tonight. He's been sleeping, when he sleeps, on a box spring with a pad on top. It's something I felt guilty about, not being able to provide him with a real bed. Now he has something else to bounce on at five in the morning.

It's game seven between the Penguins and Capitals tonight. What I've seen of this series has been spectacular. I have to admit to rooting for Washington, not because of Federov, but because of OSU alumni Dave Steckel.



I hear that Ovechkin kid is a good player too, there may be a future for him in the league.

I'll watch the game and clean between periods. Most of what I need to do is downstairs now, so I'll be able to at least hear the game.

Ohio State Hockey: A Post Mortem

The following numbers are sports scores that have a common result.

4-2
1-0
1-0
3-2
8-3

These scores mark the last five times the Ohio State Hockey team played in the NCAA tournament. They were on the losing end each time. The team has not seen victory in the tournament since their frozen four run, ten years ago.

I was surprised that they got into the tourney this year, they did beat three of the number one seeds during the season and got creamed yesterday by the only team they did not play - Boston University.

Next season is an important one for the OSU Hockey program. They're only losing three seniors. Only one of these seniors, Corey Elkins, was productive offensively. The other two, Zak Pellitier and Nick Biondo, provided veteran leadership and little else in their four years. They're really not losing much. It's also the final year of the head coach's contract.

A large number of underclassmen will be returning. Will Zac Dalpe, who is a high draft choice of the Hurricanes? Heck, will goaltender Dustin Carlson? Ok, he will be back.



In other words, there should be no excuses next season for the Buckeyes being a "young team."

Honestly, I heard that so many times this season I thought my head would fly off each time I read it.

Under John Markell, this program has always had excuses for consistent mediocrity, at best. The team was young, so and so got hurt, so and so (Hugo Boisvert) left the program early and my favorite - "the reason we've lost so many games is that we have played a lot of games."



One thing that has been consistent in the program's lack of consistency is John Markell. He came on and, admittedly, did bring the program into the eye of the athletic department and brought the program to its only NCAA frozen four appearance. However over his fourteen year tenure as coach it's been a couple of years of above average performance followed by a few more years of below average play, under achieving and excuses.

It's said that in in order to be considered a good college hockey team, winning twenty games in a season is a benchmark. In his time has coach, Markell's teams have won twenty or more games seven times. Half of his time here.

Ohio State, I suspect, wants to be considered one of the elite programs in the country for college hockey. After all, they invested millions of dollars into building the Schottenstein Center, untold sums of money in state of the art training facilities and the recruiting of top athletes to play for the Buckeyes. Here are the numbers for some of the elite college hockey programs.

Miami University's coach Enrico Blasi has won twenty games seven times in his decade as head of the Redhawks, the same as Markell.

Boston University's Jack Parker has hit the twenty win mark sixteen times in the last twenty years.

Jerry York has won twenty games 11 of his sixteen years as coach of Boston College.

The University of North Dakota has had three coaches in the last twenty years and has won twenty games fourteen of those years.

Now. Here's the staggering one.

Red Berenson's Michigan teams have won twenty or more games twenty two years in a row.

Markell has a long way to go to approach the elite status. I'm not sure he's the guy who is going to take your team to the next level. He's shown that his team can win, a little bit, during the regular season with an inability to win in the post season. One CCHA Championship in his time as coach is not enough. The University is not getting the proper return on its investment in the facilities and the program.

John Markell should not have his contract extended next season.

I like John Markell and want him to do well. I want the program to succeed and do well. In an ideal world Markell would be welcomed with open arms at Bowling Green, his alma mater, and return that program to its past successes.

Who comes here? Who knows? Rumors of former North Dakota coach Dean Blais have been around for a couple of seasons, but would Blais want to return to a city where he did not do well as a Blue Jackets assistant coach?

Attendance is horrible. An arena that seats 17,000 is barely a third full, at best for games. Part of this is the marketing of the program. Part of this is the coach providing a good hockey tradition. It's time for the Ohio State University Athletic Department to look at the talent that is coming into the hockey program, see how they are being coached and act appropriately.