Canisius-Niagara game can't find a home
When the hockey schedules were released for Canisius and Niagara a few weeks ago there was a glaring omission — each other.
For the first time since the 1996-97 season, Canisius and Niagara will not play each other.
"As a coach and I think for the players and fans, it's a highlight that we talk about every year," Canisius coach Dave Smith said. "I think it's a great game for Western New York college hockey. It's like if Calgary didn't play Edmonton — there are no local bragging rights for the year."
Scheduling nonconference games is perhaps the most difficult part of the job for college coaches and athletic directors, and both schools have unique concerns when it comes to getting games.
For Canisius, in Atlantic Hockey, there are just six nonconference dates available.
For Niagara, in its last year of College Hockey America, there are 14 nonconference dates, creating the need to find quality competition and a good home-away balance.
And the home-away balance seems to be the sticking point in the Golden Griffins-Purple Eagles rivalry this year.
From Canisius' standpoint, the series was played under a "gentlemen's agreement" that home and away games would be alternated. This season would have marked the sixth year of such a rotation, with the Griffs holding the home-ice advantage.
"It's extremely disappointing not to have them on the schedule and unfortunately it's affecting our efforts to grow college hockey in our community," Canisius Athletic Director Bill Maher said. "The rotation wasn't in dispute. [Niagara] wanted a home game and we weren't going to go up there and play out of order. We didn't want to do that to our coaches and our players."
From Niagara's standpoint, it needed more home games and wanted to play the game in Lewiston.
"From my perspective, we had just finished a four-year rotation of home and homes and we're going into the same league a year from now so who gets the odd game?" Niagara coach Dave Burkholder said. "I don't know whose turn it is. David [Smith] and I couldn't iron that out and he needs home dates as do I. We couldn't get to a decision as to who should get the game."
"We were short on home games this year and didn't want to put another road game on the schedule for us in terms of our student-athletes and travel," Niagara Athletic Director Ed McLaughlin said. "We don't want to put kids on the road so much they don't have time to be college students. We didn't want to say that the game has to be at our place. You don't want to put an ultimatum on people. That's not how you do business."
The game has turned the spotlight on local college hockey, particularly in the last few years. Last season at Dwyer Arena the game was a sellout with 2,100 fans, including a record 684 students. Two years ago, Canisius set a program attendance record at the Buffalo State Ice Arena with 1,711.
Niagara leads the all-time series, 12-6-1. Over the last five games, Niagara holds a 3-2 lead.
. . .
Two Niagara hockey players were invited to NHL developmental camps while two are exploring professional opportunities.
Goaltender Juliano Pagliero is at the Chicago Blackhawks developmental camp while senior- to-be Egor Mironov is with Toronto. While each team runs its camp a bit differently, it's an opportunity for NHL teams to evaluate up-and-coming players.
Dan Sullivan signed a professional contract with Cortina, a first division team in Italy. Vince Rocco is looking to sign an AHL/NHL contract but also has an opportunity to play in the Italian league.
. . .
Niagara and UMass-Lowell did a staff swap of sorts.
Chris MacKenzie, a former Niagara player and assistant at Lowell, was named the head coach for the Niagara women's program.
Jerry Forton, associate head coach for the Niagara men's program, took MacKenzie's place on the Lowell staff. Forton, who has been with the Purple Eagles since the program's inception, will be working again with former Niagara coach Blaise MacDonald, who has been heading the Lowell program since 2001.
Canisius added Scott Gray to its coaching staff for next season. Gray, a native of Pickering, Ont., was a goaltender for Division III New England College from 2003 to '06.
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