Michigan Wolverines Hockey

[AlabamAlum]

3>2.

[THE_WIZARD_]

STFU

[Mike]

Take this bullshit somewhere else so I can sulk in peace.

[THE_WIZARD_]

No

[lineygoblue]

Never thought I'd see the day when The Wizard would extol the virtues of UC Boulder

C'mon man! Have you no pride?

[THE_WIZARD_]

Ralphie is a girl.

[lineygoblue]

Well, you definitely know femininity when you see it.

[THE_WIZARD_]

I hate you.

[Mike]

John Bacon has an initial reaction to the Wilmer Hale report on the hockey program and, based on his take, I reckon Mel Pearson's remaining time as the head coach at Michigan is measured in minutes.

https://johnubacon.com/2022/08/the-i...ockey-program/

It’s clear former trainer-turned-operations director Rick Bancroft bullied and harassed former secretary Lora Durkee, nutritionist Caroline Mandel, and communications director Kristy McNeil. Bancroft officially retired this spring.

The investigators raise the question of Pearson’s “inability or unwillingness to hold Mr. Bancroft accountable for his conduct.” In other words, Pearson was well aware of the abuse, or should have been, and did nothing.

The third issue, retaliating against the players, is not a crime, but goes to the core mission of a university, which is to develop, enrich, and support the students. The case of Strauss Mann, the first goalie be named captain in Michigan’s 99 years of varsity hockey, and a student in good standing in the business school, is particularly troublesome.

Apparently, when he and some fellow seniors-to-be tried to bring their concerns about the team culture to Pearson in the spring of 2021, Mann felt sufficiently retaliated against, and worried about Pearson bad-mouthing him to NHL teams, that he saw fit to forego his senior year to play minor league professional hockey in Sweden.

At the end of the 2022 season, the entire senior class approached Josh Richelew to express their concerns – another eye-opener.

Also troubling: the investigators make clear their belief that Pearson lied to them repeatedly on serious issues – in one case denying an important conversation took place, until confronted with the tape recording of that conversation. That alone seems reason enough to terminate his employment at U-M.

Hmmm... me after the OT loss to Denver in the Frozen Four:

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard....

I’ve never seen a team do less with more. The coaching staff needs to look in the mirror. That performance was shameful and embarrassing. Denver waltzed in and took our lunch money.

And now we know that the entire senior class - having exhausted their eligibility - went to a UM administrator to express their concerns. Something was rotten in that dressing room and it cost Michigan a national championship. Mel needs to go.

More from Mlive:

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor...port-says.html

The investigation was sparked by former UM goalie and volunteer assistant Steve Shields in October 2021.

Shields filed the complaint to UM’s Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office last fall, alleging that Pearson retaliated against him by firing him for reporting these allegations. While the investigators did not determine that Shields was retaliated against, they raised multiple concerns about the program related to Shields’ complaint.

Concerns over team culture were brought to Pearson’s attention in the spring of 2021 by former goalie Strauss Mann, as well as other rising seniors, the report shows. Mann left the team after the 2020-21 season to play minor league hockey in Sweden, which Shields alleged was due to Pearson retaliating against Mann.

Pearson initially told investigators he never spoke with Mann about issues with team culture, until witness interviews and recordings showed Pearson did in fact have those conversations, the report states.

“We do not find (Pearson’s) account of his interactions with and regarding Mr. Mann around April 2021 credible,” the report states.

Investigators also determined that Pearson told Mann “his position in the hockey program was at risk” after the April 2021 interactions, the report states.

The entire senior class also approached UM administrator Josh Richelew after the 2021-22 season to express their concerns, the report states. The team made the Frozen Four before losing in the national semifinals to the University of Denver.

“Senior student athletes on the hockey team told Mr. Richelew that (Pearson) would dock playing time for raising complaints and described their fears of suffering the same damage to their future careers that they believed (Pearson) had inflicted on Mr. Mann,” the report states.

GTFO

[lineygoblue]

Not cool. Bye, Mel.

[Mike]

I should have withheld comment until I read through the actual report which wasn’t available at the time.

I’m not quite through it all but it’s not nearly as bad as has been made out to be. The basis of the whole investigation is this: Former goalie and volunteer assistant, Steve Shields, made the formal complaints to multiple university departments: HR, Title IX, and Equity and Civil Rights.

The report reads like a gossip column with Rick Bancroft (director of hockey ops) being the main bad guy. He sounds like a certified asshole who often yelled at staff. Mel was implicated in just one instance of raising his voice to a female staffer who subsequently retired.

Shields was clearly grinding an axe and WilmerHale cleared Mel of the harshest claim; retaliation. He also appears to have lied on a couple occasions which could be grounds for dismissal on its own.

Most of the 16 people who agreed to participate in the investigation stated on the record that they never heard or saw Mel do the things he was accused of.

I recommend giving the full report a quick scan. It doesn’t come off as harsh as the early reports suggest. Frankly, Shields doesn’t look good either. It’s a real bummer to me. He was a freshman the first UM hockey game I ever attended (GLI in 1990-91) and went on to set the all-time NCAA wins mark (later broken by Marty Turco).

Brian Wiseman was interviewed and indicated on several key points that Shields had shared info with him. A close observer of the program told me today that Wiseman is “their Brady Hoke”. We may have hockey factions duking it out. JFC.

[Jeff Buchanan]

We may have hockey factions duking it out. JFC

This is classic M athletics. I don't follow M Hockey that closely so appreciate Mike's analysis but he's right, "JFC" hockey factions fighting. That shit killed RichRod. If any national program can fuck things up for otherwise talented teams that should win games and championships, not manage to lose them due to infighting, it's Michigan.

Harbaugh's current skirmishes with the academic "faction" at M that pushes this holier than though BS that includes not weaponizing NIL and the portal so as to maintain the "scholar athlete" character of M sports is an example. Meanwhile M's conference and national competition treats football exactly as it is, the NFL's minor league.

[froot loops]

I think the factions are given way too much credit for the demise of Rich Rodriguez. Notice his trail of success following Michigan.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I think the factions are given way too much credit for the demise of Rich Rodriguez. Notice his trail of success following Michigan.

I agree with this. But, going in he had the cred as a HC, never mind he was a hillbilly and his wife paraded around in cowboy hats, furs and go-go boots. That gig was a non-starter in AA. Prior to that, RR had a stellar resume and was way out front as a spread offense coach. No one in college football had run the spread offense better than his football teams dating back to his West Virginia Mountaineer days with Pat White and Steve Slaton. He was fired when Dennard Robinson was coming into form and defenses hadn't caught up to the spread. While it is true, he had a lot to do with his own demise at M, if he had lasted another season with a pre-injury Robinson as his QB, winning would have put all of that shit on the back burner.

[froot loops]

The thing to know about football is it is a copycat sport. The advantage you may have with an innovation doesn't last long. In college sports you are much better off getting a coach who is an great recruiter than some innovative x and o guy.