U not alone with perplexing issues

This has been a trying and traumatic season for the Gophers men's hockey team. The two-time defending MacNaughton Cup champions are mired in seventh place going into this weekend's games, failing to score goals even on the power play, and suffering player losses to pro hockey, before and during the season.

The Gophers' problems are a microcosm of the issues facing Western Collegiate Hockey Association Commissioner Bruce McLeod, in his 14th season heading the league. McLeod's office is in Denver, but his adult roots are in Duluth. The native of Fort Frances, Ontario, played college hockey at Minnesota Duluth in the late 1960s, and he later worked at UMD for 25 years. He finished his stay at UMD as athletic director from 1983-96.

Here are McLeod's views on a wide range of topics:

The drop in scoring in the WCHA

The average number of goals per game this season is 5.12, down almost 1.5 goals from 2001-02. "It's a concern in hockey in general," McLeod said, referring to the six conferences in Division I college hockey. "We as commissioners have talked about it and what the remedy might be. We've also had long talks with the NHL. There is not a real consensus what has happened.''

More use of video for scouting, goalies using larger blockers and bigger gloves, and good defensive coaching are among the reasons McLeod offers for fewer goals in the WCHA.

Changing rules for overtime.

Seven of the Gophers' 10 overtime games have ended as ties. But McLeod said that, overall, there has not been a dramatic increase in tie games.

"So, rather than say let's eliminate ties, a better idea is to discuss how to reduce ties,'' McLeod said. "I'm a proponent of four-on-four in overtime, like in international hockey. But when I bring it up at rules meetings every four years, they kind of make fun of me."

Too nontraditional, McLeod figures. When it comes to shootouts, nobody agrees how to award points for them, or how they would affect the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), which is used to help determine the NCAA tournament field.

Players leaving college teams before their eligibility is up

McLeod believes that the NHL's new collective bargaining agreement is one reason for the increase in college players signing early. "Now NHL teams can sign two, three players for the same money they used to sign one for," McLeod said. "Some other reasons are the American Hockey League, which is in the midst of redefining its role in player development. They want to get younger."

Then there are agents. "They make good money for good people on their second contracts, and they want to get there sooner."

Yet another reason is the lack of restrictions for NHL teams when it comes to signing college players. The International Ice Hockey Federation and the major junior leagues in Canada both have deterrents. The leagues impose fines if a player does not make the NHL, or restrict dates when players can and can't sign.

"We have to come up with some kind of a deterrent -- you can't sign after July 15 or you can't sign until after your sophomore year," McLeod said

The NHL and the players' union would have to negotiate such rules in the collective bargaining agreement.

"Part of it is, we have to make sure they understand,'' McLeod said. "Three-quarters of general managers have Canadian backgrounds; they do not know how we operate. We have an educational component, we are not just hockey."

McLeod and the commissioners of the CCHA and Hockey East are meeting with NHL general managers on Tuesday in Naples, Fla.

The quality of WCHA officiating

Coaches' concerns about officiating seem to be higher than normal, McLeod said, possibly because there have been a couple real difficult situations. The same referee, in error, allowed a goal in one game, then disallowed a goal in another. He has been indefinitely suspended.

"The focus is on officials more than ever, but our officials are pretty darn good," McLeod said, "and on a par from what we received from them as a group in the past."

Younger players entering the WCHA

The Gophers are expected to have three players next fall who completed high school in three years.

"The trend of getting commitments from those kids early kind of leads to this type of thing,'' the commissioner said. "If Don [Gophers coach Don Lucia] wants a commitment, and the kid wants to come early, that's what you have to do. I'm sure Don, in his heart of hearts, would want them to play a year of junior hockey to mature physically and emotionally.

"But everybody is in a hurry, in a hurry to commit, to get to college, then in a hurry to get to the NHL. Everybody is in a hurry despite the small number of 19-year-olds who play in the NHL. Everybody thinks they will be the exception."

The WCHA's bottom line

McLeod said WCHA programs are as healthy as ever. He credits new buildings and improved marketing.

The league derives its income from the first round of the WCHA playoffs and the Final Five in St. Paul. A year ago the Final Five set an all-time attendance record of 88,900.

He's worried about lower attendance if the Gophers don't make this year's Final Five March 20-22 at Xcel Energy Center.

"That's something we have talked about forever," McLeod said. "We do not know what will happen until we experience it. But up to this point, actually two weeks ago when I checked, as far as tournament packages go, we were very close to where we were last year on the same date. Within less than 100. More and more people are buying packages no matter what."

Around 12,000 tournament packages are sold each year.