The comments today from Western Hockey League commissioner Ron Robison in the Regina (Saskatchewan) Leader-Post are a comedy of intentional naivete, with the newspaper allowing itself to be the co-conspirator.

Robison is responding to the recent comments and efforts from Paul Kelly, the Executive Director of College Hockey Inc. Kelly, of course, has been out and about, critical of the Canadian Hockey League’s practices (the CHL is the governing body of the Canadian Major Junior system). All of the issues were summarized in our recent article and Q&A with Kelly.

Kelly has been admittedly aggressive in his condemnation of many of the Major Junior leagues’ practices. It’s true that, to a large extent, the CHL is doing nothing wrong, and is simply winning the recruiting war. However, Robison “hey, don’t blame us” attitude, leaves out numerous specific things the Major Juniors did to hamper NCAA efforts, as the NCAA had begun making major inroads. Robison makes it sound like they’re just the better option, so of course players would go there.

Well, no.

“We have never attacked or been critical of their programs whatsoever. If (going to the NCAA) is what a player chooses to do, we respect that. Our position has been simply to continue to raise awareness to the fact that in addition to having a great development league we also have an outstanding education program.”

Yeah, that great “education program” has been torn to shreds. Is that what Robison means about just making sure players have the “right information?”

The paper writes:

“We’ve always been the leaders of the development area, the leading supplier to the NHL and the national team programs. Consequently, the appointment of Paul Kelly to College Hockey, Inc., is a response to the success the Canadian Hockey League is having.”

In other words, when you’re on top, there’s always someone trying to knock you down.

Yeah, so that’s why they implemented a transfer agreement with USA Hockey that essentially cuts off U.S. kids’ options? That’s why they changed the draft age in the WHL to 14 from midget? That’s why they changed the Jr. B and Tier II rules to cut off the NCAA’s supply lines?

C’mon.

The Regina paper should take a hint from Jeff Hicks, the writer at the Waterloo Record in Ontario, who is the only Canadian writer I’ve seen consistently present all sides of this issue accurately, with seeing things through Major Junior-colored glasses, or regurgitating the party line.

Recruiting is hard enough as it is. Especially in the Ivy League. But now Dartmouth has lost a prized recruit, late in the game, to one of the behemoth schools — Wisconsin.

Matt Lindblad “decommitted” from Dartmouth, and switched to the Badgers. Wisconsin has been hit hard by losses to the pros, and this fills a big need. But is it right? Of course, the online community is on fire over it. Most non-Badgers fans are enraged.

Still awaiting from comment from Dartmouth and/or Wisconsin. Ivy League schools typically can’t comment on players until they are enrolled in the school. And, the big problem is, they don’t give Letters of Intent. A LOI locks a player into a school — but the Ivies don’t use them. Had they used them, Lindblad wouldn’t have been able to go anywhere.

So the question is whether Wisconsin actively went after the player, or this was completely driven by Lindblad. It really seems seedy and unfair — but on the other hand, shouldn’t a player do whatever he wants to do? I don’t know. It’s a tough call. I think it depends on how vigorously Wisconsin was involved. I do think the player should’ve honored his commitment though.

Of course, this also happens to Wisconsin. They’ve lost players like Nate Hagemo and Patrick Wiercioch late in the game, when Minnesota and Denver, respectively, had holes they needed to fill. So turnabout is fair play. Although, the WCHA is supposed to have a gentlemen’s agreement (heh), and Dartmouth never did anything to anyone.

Meanwhile, the Badger fan blog, “60 Minutes,” says that a Princeton recruit may be in the process of doing the same thing.

Here’s Bruce Ciskie’s take:

Basically, Eaves took advantage of Dartmouth’s rules governing athletics, and its standing as an Ivy League school, to grab an important recruit for the 2010-11 class. He has to replace eight forwards off last year’s team, including Hobey Baker winner Blake Geoffrion and top playmaker Derek Stepan, and Stepan’s loss wasn’t expected.

That left the coach in scramble mode, and he did something that’s been done to him by WCHA rivals twice.

In this observer’s opinion, it just isn’t right. If a player’s commitment didn’t matter, we wouldn’t have players committing. And if it didn’t matter, the WCHA wouldn’t operate under a gentleman’s agreement.

Not only that, but most fans hate this type of thing when it happens to them, and two wrongs don’t make a right.