Saturday News
| Probably the biggest news of the day is the removal of Brian Meisner as head coach in Wichita Falls. I've known Brian for four years, and like most things in life it's tough to see someone let go. Wichita Falls Times Record News beat writer Zach Duncan laments on the dismissal of the only coach Wichita Falls has ever known. Still, I'm not sure this was unexpected. The Wildcats failed to make the playoffs, in fact Meisner's wins in Wichita Falls decreased each season he was coach. Attendance this season was down as well, with the average staying well under the 2,000 mark all season. There's a good core returning for next season, one that perhaps Meisner should have been allowed the opportunity to lead... but after what was painful grind all season long, in the end owner Rick Brodsky decided that new blood was needed to invigorate the franchise both on and off the ice. Good luck, Brian... Montreal not on the junior radar unless new facility opens... Chris Cochrane discovers a basic truth about the difference between the major league and minors/juniors - in the minors and juniors, playoff attendance almost always goes down... |
posted by Marc Foster at 3/31/2007 07:41:00 AM
Comments on "Saturday News"
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Anonymous said ... (8:09 AM, March 31, 2007) :
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Anonymous said ... (7:30 PM, April 03, 2007) :
post a commentAlthough Coach Meisner did have some success in Wichita Falls early and had Texas reeling last year in the playoffs...it really is a matter of what have you done for me lately. Earlier in this month he lamented that he did not do enough to help his young team when they were struggling and that he stood pat when maybe chages should or could have been made. I think the coach did a good job of recruiting quality youngmen to the program but maybe not the best hockey talent. The new coach must bring in better talent and/or have a proven track record of moving players to college to attract talent. There are several good young players in Wichita Falls and with an infuse of talent and some toughness they could compete for a playoff spot next year.
I hope we are not lamenting the lack of quality kids next year. Coach Meisner will land somewhere I just hope it isn't with a team we have to face. His committment to the program in Wichita Falls will have a lasting effect. The college signings finally started here in WF - Chris Nutini committed to the Univerity of Denver. That leaves a large hole in the defense that may return.
They need to hire a real offensive minded coach that can compete scoring wise with teams like St, Louis. The game has changed and you have to score to win and your special teams need to be excellant also. They also need this person to have a track record of moving players to the college level and a top notch scouting network. They need to start tapping into the top players from the Mid West Area (Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota). Wichita Falls is a great place to play and players would play here if they saw that.
What did the article say? Coach Meisner had moved 20 players on to college hockey in four years? Well, compared to a good share of USHL teams who move half that many or more to D-1 every year, 20 in four years isn't a very impressive mark.
Well, Wichita Falls isn't a USHL team is it? No NAHL team is going to compete with the USHL in terms of moving players on to the collegiate level. Wichita Falls lost a quality person and coach...