Ah yeah, I know they put together a decent program down there.  We considered going down there for a trip, but we ended up playing Flordia Gulf Coast instead, who’s also got a surprisingly great program (made up entirely of Canadians).  We picked the wrong schools I think. 

It was the last place on Earth you’d expect to have a quality hockey program: The University of Arizona. Evidently, they had been to the national tournament something like 8 years in a row, they had an unbelievable facility ONLY for them that held 7,000 screaming fans (who could buy tickets at Ticketmaster or in a season ticket package), and former pros manning their bench.

It was wild. We laughed about going to Tucson for a hockey game until we realized we were SORELY outmatched. 

What team was it?

Our worst loss was against the eventual DI champions 12-4.  Strangely enough, we had beaten them earlier that year (we almost always split with them), but they came back and just had one of those games where every damn thing went in.  It was embarrassing, but after I got pulled the other guy missed 6 more so I didn’t feel quite as bad. 

The team we played was a D-I school (we were a D-II school) and they went to the national tournament that season. We went 7-17-1 (back when it was okay to tie). 

It was bad, but it was good at the same time. When you get a little comfortable in your own little world, you forget that there’s a big gap in talent in every step in hockey. Alternatively, we played a D-III team at one point during the season, and destroyed them 15-1. 

Presumably, it’s a similar jump from the AHL to the NHL. The best team in the minors is still a far sight from the worst team in the NHL (okay, maybe they could beat the Maple Leafs) and that’s why you’ve got to give players who make the jump a little while to get adjusted. 

Could I have played a game for a D-I school and not looked terribly out of place? Maybe. But it would absolutely help to ease into that and build up to it. Much like Eaves or Helm will have to do to jump up from Four to One/Two. Or Cory Emmerton will have to do to become a regular NHLer after being a competent AHLer. 

Ouch. Although getting smoked by one of the best in the nation on a road trip is probably less painful than having ten run up on you in your own barn by the St. Louis Blues.

We’re all friends here, and we encourage openness and honesty. Go I’ll be honest. 

We were smoked. The night before, we lost 16-1. It didn’t go well. 

The day I was in the game, I think we tightened up a tiny bit (or, much more likely, they took their foot off the gas because they felt bad for us) and we lost 14-3. I want to say I was a -3 or -4. I was definitely on the ice for one goal for, and at least three against, but very likely more. 

These games were the two worst outings of the season, BY FAR. I think the largest deficit we lost besides these games was two, maybe three. I can’t remember any other game allowing 6, let alone 14.