One of Bowling Green’s prominent hockey alumni is involved in an effort to make sure the program stays alive in tough times for the athletic department.
Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee said in a meeting with reporters in the second intermission of Saturday’s national championship game that he hosted a meeting Friday with Bowling Green athletic director Greg Christopher and other alums to talk about the program’s future.
“How did we get from where we were 20 years ago, as a hockey powerhouse, to this?” McPhee said.
A budget shortfall caused the school to postpone renovations to its arena, fueling speculation that the program was on its last legs.
Christopher said last month that the Falcons would play again next season, but the long-term future is unsettled.
McPhee, who won the Hobey Baker Award in 1982, two years before the Falcons won the national championship, said some plans are in the works to get the alumni involved.
“We’re going to have a group to work on the arena and a group to work on the program,” McPhee said.
He added: “I think we can get right back up to that [championship] level again.”
McPhee also addressed other subjects Saturday:
** On the tournament: “This is a nice trip down memory lane. We’re really pleased with how it’s gone. We thought the Washington market would respond to this, and they did.”
** On the potential for a Division I college hockey team in the area: “I think that’s something we’d like to discuss and see if we can get something going in the near future. It would be nice if we could get some Division I college hockey here in the near future.”
He added, though, that was “just a dream right now.” But he said there is “a lot of potential.”
