Hypothetical: D1 champion vs ECHL

[Amazinmets73]

I'm curious in consensus opinion. Who would be the likely winner in a best of 7 between the worst team in the ECHL and the best NCAA D1 team?

I'm assuming the ECHL team wins the majority of the time.

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[CrazyEddie20]

I don't think you're going to find a consensus opinion on this.

I think an NCAA Division I team, even a national champion, is going to have a wider talent gap from top line to fourth line, first pair to seventh D, and starting tendy to the guy who never gets in games.

Fourth line/third pair/backup goalies in the ECHL are generally far better than the guys occupying that spot on the depth chart in college.

But put an NCAA Champion against the worst team in the ECHL, and they'd handily win a best-of-seven series.

The teams that are at the bottom of the ECHL generally have bad coaches, coaches who can't recruit, guys who are a problem in the room, or all three.

An NCAA champion has more top end talent and doesn't have those problems.

 

[JMCx4]

I don't think you're going to find a consensus opinion on this. ...

Even if it was the best NCAA D1 team vs. CLASS-A HOCKEY!?

 

[JMCx4]

I'm curious in consensus opinion. Who would be the likely winner in a best of 7 between the worst team in the ECHL and the best NCAA D1 team? ...

My standard answer to this question (which comes up often in minor pro & college hockey chat forums) is that *IF* the competing ECHL team focuses on physical play, they will intimidate & wear down a university-level opponent in a multi-game series despite any skills advantage the top-flight D1 team may have.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

My standard answer to this question (which comes up often in minor pro & college hockey chat forums) is that *IF* the competing ECHL team focuses on physical play, they will intimidate & wear down a university-level opponent in a multi-game series despite any skills advantage the top-flight D1 team may have.

Alabama-Huntsville, then a Division II team, played an exhibition against the ECHL's Huntsville Blast. The Blast played like an ECHL team of that era. UAH threw in the towel and refused to continue during the second period, if memory serves.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Even if it was the best NCAA D1 team vs. CLASS-A HOCKEY!?

The Danbury ToiletBoys might be able to pull it off.

 

[Amazinmets73]

Alabama-Huntsville, then a Division II team, played an exhibition against the ECHL's Huntsville Blast. The Blast played like an ECHL team of that era. UAH threw in the towel and refused to continue during the second period, if memory serves.

Which year?

 

[CrazyEddie20]

Which year?

It would have been in 1993-94 - the only year the Blast existed. They moved to Tallahassee after their one season in Huntsville.

 

[Amazinmets73]

It would have been in 1993-94 - the only year the Blast existed. They moved to Tallahassee after their one season in Huntsville.

Oh my. Well, things would be quite different from a physicality standpoint in 2021...

 

[Amazinmets73]

My standard answer to this question (which comes up often in minor pro & college hockey chat forums) is that *IF* the competing ECHL team focuses on physical play, they will intimidate & wear down a university-level opponent in a multi-game series despite any skills advantage the top-flight D1 team may have.

That's what I was thinking. Experience as well. I might take the 26 year old ECHL vet in a high-pressure situation as opposed to the higher skilled 20 year old D1 player.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

That's what I was thinking. Experience as well. I might take the 26 year old ECHL vet in a high-pressure situation as opposed to the higher skilled 20 year old D1 player.

There are plenty of 24, 25 and even 26 year olds playing Division I these days. Not to mention the fact that those older guys often played in some of the rougher Tier II Jr. 'A' leagues in Canada.

 

[Amazinmets73]

There are plenty of 24, 25 and even 26 year olds playing Division I these days. Not to mention the fact that those older guys often played in some of the rougher Tier II Jr. 'A' leagues in Canada.

Fair. So, let's assume the Heartlanders are the worst ECHL team. They have an average age of 24.3 vs 21.3 for Umass, the '21 D1 champs.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

I mean, I think if you put that UMass team that won the championship in April '21 up against the worst ECHL team of April '21 and played the game in April 2021, it wouldn't be much of a series. Shitty ECHL teams just want the season to be over in April. The top college players are trying to show their skills and move on.

There's a difference in the game between college and the ECHL with regard to physicality and how games are officiated. It's really hard to gauge how that difference would affect a game between a team from each level. But the top-end talent of UMass-Amherst coming off an NCAA championship is way above the top end talent of an ECHL bottom feeder. The game would hinge on whether the ECHL team could defend the top line, how good the respective goaltending was, and how good the UMass fourth line is relative to their ECHL counterparts. If you're playing with ECHL lineup rules where you can only dress 17 and two goalies, that fourth line becomes less of a factor.

 

[JMCx4]

The OP is rapidly building a consensus-of-one here.

 

[CrazyEddie20]

The OP is rapidly building a consensus-of-one here.

To quote Kingsfield in The Paper Chase, "Speak louder, Mr. JMCx4! Fill the board with your intelligence!"

In case you haven't seen the movie:

 

[Amazinmets73]

I mean, I think if you put that UMass team that won the championship in April '21 up against the worst ECHL team of April '21 and played the game in April 2021, it wouldn't be much of a series. Shitty ECHL teams just want the season to be over in April. The top college players are trying to show their skills and move on.

There's a difference in the game between college and the ECHL with regard to physicality and how games are officiated. It's really hard to gauge how that difference would affect a game between a team from each level. But the top-end talent of UMass-Amherst coming off an NCAA championship is way above the top end talent of an ECHL bottom feeder. The game would hinge on whether the ECHL team could defend the top line, how good the respective goaltending was, and how good the UMass fourth line is relative to their ECHL counterparts. If you're playing with ECHL lineup rules where you can only dress 17 and two goalies, that fourth line becomes less of a factor.

So, let's say there's a financial incentive. 250k to the winner to be divided evenly amongst the roster.

 

[JMCx4]

... In case you haven't seen the movie:

One of my favorite films from back in the day. And the TV spinoff was surprisingly watchable as well, largely on the strength of John Houseman's reprisal of the Prof. Kingsfield part.

 

[SoupNazi]

We're done here.