For the sports world, there was always bound to be long-term effects from the coronavirus pandemic. Leagues like the AHL are still trying to figure out how to hold a season without gate revenue, while the NHL is working hard to stay financially stable for the next few years as it rebuilds. College sports are perhaps taking it even harder and today a storied hockey program got the ultimate bad news.
The University of Alaska-Anchorage has decided to eliminate four programs from the sports roster, one of which will be men’s hockey. The changes will occur for the 2021-22 season, though obviously there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the upcoming year as well. In May, the WCHA announced a schedule that would begin in October.
While this isn’t a program that churns out NHL players every year, UAA does have a notable representative still alive in the 2020 playoffs. Jay Beagle, Stanley Cup champion and current Vancouver Canucks forward, spent two seasons with the Seawolves before starting his professional career. NCAA programs like this are the way many undrafted players get noticed, with names like Beagle and Curtis Glencross being perhaps the most notable examples from UAA.
The downstream consequences of shutting down so many aspects of life for questionable “scientific” reasons will be felt for many years to come. This is just but one instance of lost opportunities for young, aspiring hockey players. There will be more.
Let’s tell that to the 150,00 dead people’s families that their lives are worth sacrificing for NCAA hockey.
It’s just as upsetting as when there are other “instances of lost opportunities for young, aspiring hockey players” because tax cuts create budget shortfalls, right?
Here’s a little math project for you: What is the death per million number for 150,000 divided into 330,000,000? Let me know what you come up with. And while you’re at it, tell me where a third of all those deaths occured.
How about we first stop jacking up tuition costs, then we can discuss the tax angle of the equation.
People die everydAy, there is some very questionable math going into that 150000 any body that had a symptom and die was ruled COVID even when most weren’t even tested for it And then you have the terminally ill patients that can die from a cold or flu. Definitely not worth closing the world for 98.75 mortality rate
More people die of the flu…stop being a sheep
Not to get all technical here, but I believe it’s a 99.2% survival rate. 100% agree though
Evidently when you accidentally thumb up a comment, you can’t take it back…oh well, a free ditto for you.
Your river of tears for “instances of lost opportunities for young, aspiring hockey players” seems to dry up pretty quickly when it doesn’t serve an ulterior talking point.
Exactly, Met.
Everyone knows that 36,000 to 82,000 is way more than 170,000. Sheep.
Unlike some who’s ulterior motive appears to be based on the politicization of a vurus, I not only care about the lost opportunities of young atheletes, I know some of them.
Yep. As long as “the lost opportunities of young athletes” only costs other peoples lives instead of a few bucks in taxes, right there with pom poms.
Gbear sums up the attitude that permeates this country and has made it the laughing stock of developed countries around the world.
not to say we are doing good, but id guarantee most people in most countries in the world think the same way about their own counties. stupid people are all over the place, there’s just a larger population here because its a larger country.
No, dalrob, what makes us a laughing stock is not allowing our kids to go back to school when most of the rest of the world is doing just that. How’d you like to be a senior in High School looking to land a scholarship only to have your sports season canceled over something that poses virtually no harm to you as an 18 year old? But science, right?
They are sending their kids back to school because they have 9 new cases a day instead of 1,000’s of new cases a day.
They took the problem seriously and get the virus under control.
This is DIFFERENT than ignoring or denying the problem, all to pretend someone is actually wearing clothes.
So you approve of Sweden not locking down their society like we did? For once I agree with you!
Fact is, we closed off foreign travel long before other nations did and while certain people were criticizing that decision. It saved many lives and other nations have expressed remorse on not doing the same.
i understand the economics of the situation, but i bet hockey is more popular then most of the sports there, it just doesn’t pay the bills. that’s the true travesty.
It isn’t just about if you live or die from the virus. We don’t know the long-term effects (such as heart problems). Furthermore, when your parents die just remember that you said it was “statistically acceptable.”
And I’m sure you have the same concerns over the myriad number of other illnesses that effect the population at all age groups……or is it just this one?