I’d like to think that our over reliance on grad transfers

I’d like to think that our over reliance on grad transfers
by NH74Domer (2022-11-22 22:27:02)

In reply to: Freshman versus Graduate students posted by wearendhockey

is one or two seasons thing, presuming we can keep the incoming class together.

I think it also worth pointing out that there is a tendency to think of hockey freshman as 18 year olds. In reality, many are older - in MSU’s case none are under 20. (MSU also have five grad/upperclassmen transfers on their roster.)

I think that in either case, the clock is ticking; whether they are an older kid enrolling as a freshman or coming into the program as a grad student they may not be around long enough to leave their mark on the locker room.

We are probably not ever going to be a destination for many

guys who will end up one and done. But the sport still has plenty of ultra-productive upperclassmen and other upperclassmen who mean way more than what their play on the ice brings, and who are traditional three and four-year guys at the school they started with.

Our best teams have had a mix of experienced juniors and seniors (some leading the team in scoring, but always leading the team in all of the important intangibles) and some brash top-flight college hockey players who were freshmen and sophomores. We don't get to the 2008, 2011 and 2018 FFs without seniors like walk-on Mark Van Guilder, Ryan Guentzel or Jordan Gross and Jake Evans.

The sport may be changing and right now I'm of two minds. One, I hate change and two, it might be changing to a model that Notre Dame won't succeed with.