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| sportsnet.ca photo |
It looks like former Fighting Sioux forward Matt Frattin and former Badger defenseman Jake Gardiner have made the Toronto Maple Leafs out of training camp. So congrats to Matt Frattin and Jake Gardiner.
Mike Brophy; Sportsnet.ca --- Frattin's story has been told and told again. He was sent home from the University of North Dakota and had his scholarship revoked because of some teenage pranks, but returned to the team, at his own expense, and became one of the best college players in the nation. He was a cut above the rest of the pack at rookie camp and didn't skip a beat when he joined the Toronto veterans. Frattin also had five points, including two goals, in the pre-season.There are still tickets available for this weekend's Ice Breaker tourney. [Fighting Sioux]
He said he really wasn't overly surprised that he made the varsity squad.
"Well, maybe a little bit," he said. "We have a bunch of guys out and Clarke MacArthur is suspended. I got put into his role s hopefully I'll play on that line for the first two games. Every game you get opportunities and you just have to build from there. You have to take advantage of them. Coming to practice today I had no clue what to expect. We did a workout and the next thing I know I'm on a line with Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Gabovski. I had a great practice today and I feel good."
College Hockey INC has a preview to this weekend's Ice Breaker Tournament. [College Hockey Inc]
Speaking of College Hockey Inc they have revamped their web page. [College Hockey Inc]
The Minnesota Golden Gophers head hockey coach Don Lucia seems to think that the Minnesota Gophers are going to be able to wear down their opponents this season. [Roman Empire]
Chris Peters from the USA of Hockey breaks down the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the Hockey East move. [USA of Hockey]
The Irish would have helped legitimize the NCHC a little bit more. At the very least it would have made the move to leave the WCHA seem smart as opposed to selfish. It leaves the rest of us questioning whether or not the schools that left for the NCHC significantly improved their situations by leaving the WCHA.Again the WCHA bloggers/website preseason poll was conducted and the Fighting Sioux were picked to finish third in this season's poll. [Goon's World], [A tradition of Excellence]
The WCHA could have done much more to keep these schools from leaving, no question. A failure of leadership and foresight might have killed the WCHA as we know it. There are still many questions to be answered, and with the NCHC failing to gain one of the richest athletic departments in college sports, the answers may be harder to come by.
