Ottawa U's hockey team put on ice

[11111]

Ottawa's games have been pulled from the schedule on the OUA website and on some of the team websites. There will be more to come though because everthing is out of balance right now - I believe the 9 other East teams were scheduled to play them twice, 8 of the West teams to play them once, Windsor to play them twice and they were not scheduled to play Lakehead at all.

Not sure how much more change will be necessary - as there is precedent for the OUA playing an imbalanced schedule due to teams dropping out late. When RMC cut their basketball teams just before the 2012-13 season, the league played a 21-game schedule in the west division, and 20 in the east (OUA basketball until last year used the same format as the new hockey format - 2x7 division opponents + 1x8 crossover opponents in a 16 team league). They did this because they knew it was only for one year with Algoma taking RMC's place the following season bringing the league back to 16 teams and 22 games each.

Assuming the Gee Gees return next year, we could see this happen again. There will need to be a slight adjustment though as you mentioned in regards to Windsor and Lakehead since they only cross over against 5 teams each. The easiest thing to do would be to split one of Lakehead's doubleheaders (since they still have their full 28 game schedule) and give Windsor one of those games. It's not a perfect solution but it will ensure the west plays 27 and the east plays 26 without having to redo the entire to schedule.

 

[MiamiHockey]

To have this drag on in the media would be an excellent move by the players. I sincerely doubt that UO wants to see national news reports pop up every time there is a court date or a press release. The reputation of this school is already trash I can't see them wanting to reinforce that message for the next 10 years.

It might be a bit of a stretch to suggest that UO's reputation is trash. There is only a very small percentage of the population that is even aware of this, and even that proportion of the population is split on what Ottawa should have done. This will blow over, and nobody outside of the (small) population of CIS hockey fans will ever discuss it again.

 

[AUS Fan]

I agree with MiamiHockey on this one. Speaking with Coach a couple of years ago I was told that with an enrollment of 40 K, they draw small crowds to hockey. A lot of students are foreign and have not interest or knowledge of hockey. No one will notice the absence of a hockey team this coming season.....

 

[Dutch]

Ottawa was looking for an escape to shut their hockey program. They got it. They won't revive the team from what I've been told.

 

[WilcoxHound]

Ottawa was looking for an escape to shut their hockey program. They got it. They won't revive the team from what I've been told.

makes sense, now they can use that new ice arena for intramural co-ed broomball or fill it with sand for beach volleyball.

No doubt similar thinking minds on the administration at UO as tried to quash the hockey program at UBC. Fortunately the NHL Canucks stepped forward with a great fund raising effort but with the controversy surrounding the alleged assault case I doubt that the Senators want to be the GG's white knight.

 

[WilcoxHound]

After suspending the entire team and firing the coaching staff at UO today the RCMP announced that 2 GG players have been charged with an incident which occurred while the team was on a road trip in Thunder Bay.
All the players completely innocent of any crime have been crucified by association through the press and by the schools knee jerk administrators who elected to appoint themselves as judge and jury well before the results of the RCMP investigation had been released. This is the type of travesty that occurs when reactionary leaders succumb to those whose mandate is to promote hysterical politically correct responses to protect their own positions and reputations at the expense of social justice.

 

[AUS Fan]

Hound, I agree with you in principle, but had the team not tried to "cover-up" this incident, perhaps there may have been a different result. I feel that this was also an easy out for the Administration to gas a program that was a consistent underachiever. Whatever the reasons, it's a done deal and the fact that there are charges laid by the RCMP indicates that it is serious.

Edit: http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2...t_scandal_highlights_campus_****_culture.html

From the Ottawa Sun : "The university is rebuilding the men’s varsity hockey program, and will be hiring a new coach.

Improved policies will also be put into place, such as new behaviour guidelines of student athletes."

 

[Mike Jones]

Hound, I agree with you in principle, but had the team not tried to "cover-up" this incident, perhaps there may have been a different result. I feel that this was also an easy out for the Administration to gas a program that was a consistent underachiever. Whatever the reasons, it's a done deal and the fact that there are charges laid by the RCMP indicates that it is serious.

This being said there still seems to be something unfair about punishing people who had made no contribution to this situation. For one thing, I'm glad many of the players are suing. Maybe that will push more universities and other organizations to think twice before they smear the many for the sins of only a few.

 

[AUS Fan]

Gee Mike. Life is Unfair. I don't see a lawsuit doing much except making a few bucks for some Toronto lawyer.

 

[Mike Jones]

Gee Mike. Life is Unfair. I don't see a lawsuit doing much except making a few bucks for some Toronto lawyer.

Well, life may be unfair but U of O officials shouldn't add to the stupidity the way they did. I guess my expectations of allegedly competent people are way too high.

Like I said, I hope the unguilty players get their say at some point.

 

[AUS Fan]

Again, I agree with both you and the Hound. But, when all is said and done, institutions will do what's "best" for them and not for us.

 

[11111]

Amid the charges finally being laid, and the team being suspended for the season some 2 months ago - has anyone noticed the OUA STILL hasn't adjusted the schedule, and seems to be proceeding as if it will just play the original slate without Ottawa?

The east is playing 26 games apiece (which is fine), and the west SHOULD be playing 27 games each - except the imbalance with Windsor and Lakehead still exists (due to Ottawa having been scheduled to cross over to play Windsor in a doubleheader and not Lakehead as per the new matrix). Anyone know if there's a new sched coming down the pipeline or if and when this will be corrected? They can't seriously play the season with this schedule - it's not fair to the other teams in the west and the standings will look a mess.

 

[SnipeShow91]

Amid the charges finally being laid, and the team being suspended for the season some 2 months ago - has anyone noticed the OUA STILL hasn't adjusted the schedule, and seems to be proceeding as if it will just play the original slate without Ottawa?

The east is playing 26 games apiece (which is fine), and the west SHOULD be playing 27 games each - except the imbalance with Windsor and Lakehead still exists (due to Ottawa having been scheduled to cross over to play Windsor in a doubleheader and not Lakehead as per the new matrix). Anyone know if there's a new sched coming down the pipeline or if and when this will be corrected? They can't seriously play the season with this schedule - it's not fair to the other teams in the west and the standings will look a mess.

McGill is the team that has to play one game vs Lakehead and one game vs. Windsor.

 

[11111]

McGill is the team that has to play one game vs Lakehead and one game vs. Windsor.

That's what I thought too before I posted this, after seeing only one game between McGill and Lakehead on the Thunderwolves' site. It hasn't been added to Windsor or McGill's sched though, nor have the changes been made to the OUA leaguestat master list. Suppose all will happen in due course.

 

[northvanman]

That's what I thought too before I posted this, after seeing only one game between McGill and Lakehead on the Thunderwolves' site. It hasn't been added to Windsor or McGill's sched though, nor have the changes been made to the OUA leaguestat master list. Suppose all will happen in due course.

The schedule has now been updated on the CIS site and on Windsor's - McGill's game at Lakehead on Nov 14 has been moved to Windsor. It's a 1pm start time on a Friday...likely because McGill is going to need to fly or bus to Toronto after the game to get up to Thunder Bay for Saturday's game. That'll be a fun road trip (assuming they fly or fly/bus to Windsor from Mtl), it will look something like this: Montreal to Toronto to Windsor to Toronto to Thunder Bay and back to Montreal (possibly though Toronto again) all in 4 days. So it does indeed look like the plan is to go with a 27 game schedule for the West and 26 for the East.

 

[AUS Fan]

The Latest News

http://www.thestar.com/sports/2015/...hockey_team_prompts_class_action_lawsuit.html

 

[WilcoxHound]

High profile Ottawa lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, representing all members of the 2013/2014 GeeGees Men's Hockey Team (except the 2 players charged) has filed a lawsuit against the University of Ottawa and university president Allan Rock:

$4M - for breach of fiduciary duty, negligence and misfeasance in public office

$2M - for punitive, exemplary & aggravated damages

Athletic Director at the time, Luc Gelineau, has conveniently left the employ of the university.

 

[WilcoxHound]

Just announced today by failed Liberal cabinet minister and now president of the Univ of Ottawa, Alan Rock, the GeeGee's will not be icing a team for the the 2015/16 hockey season. This is in response to the filing this week of a $6M lawsuit against Rock and the UofO. It appears to be another tantrum by the politically appointed Rock who based on his resume habitually reacts to confrontation by throwing stones then running to hide behind his mother's apron strings. A perfect example of the "Peter Principle" where an individual is promoted to a position which they are incompetent of performing.

 

[UNB Bruins Fan]

They don't have any intention of bringing the team back, IMO. The lawsuit just provides a convenient excuse to put off the official termination of the program for one more year.

 

[Dutch]

Pretty much what I heard back when it happened. If they really wanted to revive the program, a coach would already be in place, recruiting full time. Since it hasn't been done at the start of the season, they had no intention of reviving it, and the lawsuit just gives them an extra excuse not to.