Mike Eaves is a good coach. Fourteen years at one educational institution is a tremendous accomplishment. To do so in the pressure packed environment of Wisconsin as an alumni makes the feat that much greater.
Mike Eaves though, is now no longer the Head Coach of Wisconsin after being relieved of his duties. High profile jobs are rewarding when there is success, and unforgiving when expectations are not met. Welcome to the business side of College Hockey.
Looking at the Wisconsin roster there were 12 freshmen. Seven of the twelve entered school before their 20th birthday. Five entered as 20 year old freshmen or older. Of those five, two were redshirted.
Wisconsin is a young team. The Big Ten is a young players division of NCAA Hockey. Everyone is aware of the Big Ten rule change proposal that would skew all NCAA hockey recruiting toward younger players. TJHN is adamantly against that proposal and it is simply bad for hockey.
With such a young team, the audacity that Wisconsin along with the rest of it’s Big Ten brothers has shown with the rule change proposal is at the core of the Big Ten believe system.
The numbers simply don’t lie. With the majority of NCAA programs recruiting older more mature players, Wisconsin and the Big Ten can’t compete.
Rather than change how Wisconsin and the Big Ten recruits its younger players, they expect the rest of college hockey to change how they recruit.
One could easily argue now with the Eaves firing, that the arrogance of recruiting practices shown to not be successful in the Big Ten has lead to his demise as the Wisconsin coach.
Wisconsin and the Big Ten have some excellent young hockey players. Many of whom will end up in the NHL. Many of whom will also leave school early for the NHL. The double edged sword strikes.
Considering the NHL discussed raising the entry draft age to 19 as recently as last week, you would think NCAA programs would get the message.
The NHL wants older, more experienced, more physically and mentally mature players.
The 18 year old that makes it to the NHL is the exception to the rule. Most players do not make it until they are in the 22 to 25 year old age range. Clearly the number of NCAA players signing NHL deals after three or four years of NCAA experience at the age of 23 to 25 years old shows what the NHL is looking for.
The argument that NCAA hockey should be more like the traditional sports of Football and Basketball does not hold water. Those sports really do not have established development systems. Baseball is very similar to hockey in its development with the exception that players may enroll in school and then have to play their way up through the minor leagues afterward. Not many 18 year olds make major league baseball and avoid college.
Clearly Wisconsin’s recruiting has not been successful as it translates to NCAA play. Yet they still send young players to the NHL. The coaching principle of balance would then dictate that instead of recruiting all the young blue chips, you balance your lineup with age and experience.
Would Big Ten schools lose out on some of the high profile players if they changed their recruiting practices? Yes. But those that want to play NCAA hockey will find another school. If the Big Ten changes its practices all of college hockey benefits.
The question now is a simple one. Next month when the NCAA meets to vote on the rule change proposal, who will remember Mike Eaves being let go specifically because the team did not meet school expectations? Who will then realize that it is the Big Ten who should change and not the rest of the NCAA.
Unfortunately Mike Eaves is the guy who had to walk the plank first. The question now is; will he be the last?
Joe Hughes
