I seem to have missed something....
What's the story of Tyler Hirsch? Anyone wanna let me in on it?
OK...here's a topline...anyone else feel free to give thoughts.
Two years ago...on a very good, but extremely young team...junior Tyler Hirsch emerged as one of the most talented playmakers in the NCAAs. He passed sophmores Ryan Potulny, soon to be a Hobey Baker finalist, and Danny Irmen, another extremely prolific and talented player. Tyler ended the year as the team's top scorer in a flury of scoring.
Then at the end of the year, the team lost a heartbreaker and Tyler kind of snapped. He skated out on the ice all by himself after everyone else had left, took a puck down the ice, shot it in the net and just crashed into the net, falling over in the process. Although initially it was just positioned as an isolated incident...Tyler did not take the ice in that year's NCAA playoffs and was said to have 'personal issues'. As the Gophers lost in the final 4, Hirsch could potentially have made the difference in a national championship.
The thinking was that it was a short term issue and there was a lot of optimism for the following year, as most of the young team plus its top scoring Tyler Hirsch would return and take another run at the NC. But soon it was announced that Hirsch would take a 'red shirt' and sit out the following year keeping his remaining year of eligibility. The word on the street was that Tyler had some substantial issues to work through. The Gophers with Potulny and Irmen carrying the team cruised to the #1 team in the country. However, in a gruelling 8-7 WCHA playoff loss to St Cloud, Potulny and Irmen short circuited and floundered in the NCAAs and unable to carry the team, #1 Minnesota lost a well publicized game to extreme underdog Holy Cross. Again, a leading scorer Tyler Hirsch, a year older, IMO would have meant a likely national championship.
Fastforward to this year as Minnesota had one of the most heralded recruiting classes in NCAA history. And a key component, was a single veteran playmaking wizard forward in Tyler Hirsch (as Potulny and Irmen moved on). Tyler joined the team but warning signs were early. Tyler showed up later for practice before the first game...and was suspended. Hirsch evidently reported regularly for practice in the following weeks. His play was (as expected) spectacular...making passes that I have never seen in 25 years of watch NCAA hockey. His PPG was among the nations top. Then he was reported to have some school problems and was benched again. The team continued to win...but Tyler Hirsch would have been good for probably 2 more goals a game. Tyler returned to his amazing ways...but something appeared to be bothering him on the ice. In a 8 - 2 blowout of rival Michigan, I saw Tyler stand around and then look for a perfect pass (which often he found).
But something was clearly wrong. As the weeks progressed, and much of the extremely talented Minnesota team went to the WJCs, Tyler Hirsch was to be relied on heavily. But as the Dodge Holiday classic unfolded, word was that Tyler was playing some of his worst hockey ever (I didn't see the game) and was benched in the 3rd period of a game. The next day a press release from the University of Minnesota program said that Tyler Hirsch...perhaps the NCAA's most talented playmaker of the last 5 years...was released and would not play college hockey again.
Its a sad story of a stunningly talented player who just couldn't focus on the game.