Schedule for round three of the SCP...

If Detroit wins tomorrow, Round 3 starts Friday in West. If Chicago wins, there will be a doubleheader on Saturday night with East and West.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) May 29, 2013

These tweets should shed some light when round three will be played. So, we need the Chicago Blackhawks to beat the Detroit Red Wing tomorrow night... That means if Chicago wins we're going to end up with two games on Saturday. I guess, that's the scenario that I would rather see. I believe that the L.A. Kings and Chicago would be a much better series to watch. The Bruins game will be on Saturday anyways.

Pens-Bruins in East final will start Saturday at 8 p.m. regardless and then go Mon, Weds, Fri, Sun, Tues, Weds.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) May 29, 2013

So no matter which teams are playing, if both series are still going, two Game 7s on June 12. RIP, us.
— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) May 29, 2013

Pavel Datsyuk drills Jonathan Toews

s/t to Paul from Kukla's Korner... The puck is nowhere around when Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk drills Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews. I remember the play from last night’s game and don’t know why a call wasn’t made on the play, checking the box score there was no penalty called. Whatever… The Red Wings have done everything they can to get Toews off of his game and last night he didn’t take the bait even though Henrik Zetterberg was hacking him up one side and down the other. I can’t wait for game seven.

Detroit's Joakim Andersson scores a knucklepuck goal

I was beginning to think we were watching Mighty Ducks. What next? The flying v... Detroit Red Wing forward Joakim Andersson scores a knucklepuck goal and Chicago Blackhawks goalie Cory Crawford didn't have a chance on the goal.

Jonathan Toews high stick on Justin Abdelkader...Was this Embellishment?

Former Fighting Sioux forward Jonathan Toews had a rough night for the Chicago Blackhawks, he beat a path to the penalty box, taking three minor penalties, this one was laughable based on some of the calls the on-ice officials have missed this season. Sure there was a penalty but, come on! Abdelkader sold this one big time with his Academy Award winning acting job. On this play, Johnny was assessed a two minute minor for high sticking Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader. So, what do think? Was there was some embellishment on the play from Abdelkader? I do believe there was. Thoughts and feelings…

SCP: Blackhawks (Toews) vs. Wild (Parise)

Wild (26-19-3) 8^th vs. Blackhawks (36-7-5)1^st

Game 1: at Chicago Tuesday, April 30, 2013 7:00 PM CT, CBC, FSN, NBCSN

Game 2: at Chicago Friday, May 3, 2013 8:30 PM CT, CBC, FSN, NBCSN

Game 3: at Minnesota Sunday May 5, 2013 2:00 PM CT, CBC, NBC

Game 4: at Minnesota Tuesday, April 30, 2013 May 7, 8:30 PM CT, CBC, FSN, NBCSN

GAME 5: at Chicago Thursday May 9, 2013 TBD (If Necessary)

GAME 6: at Minnesota Saturday May 11, 2013 TBD (If Necessary)

GAME 7: at Chicago Sunday May 12, 2013 TBD (If Necessary)

On paper this series looks like a mismatch and one that could be very short series if the Wild don’t right their ship. You have the President’s Trophy winner versus a team that basically backed into the Stanley Cup Playoffs on the last day of the season. The Wild went 1-2 against the Chicago Blackhawks this season.

How bad were the Wild?

The Wild went 5-8-1 during the month of April and had to be the lowly Colorado Avalanche 3-1 on the last game of the season, to gain the eighth and final playoff spot.

Two Former Sioux go head-to-head  

 There is an interesting series side note; you have two former Fighting Sioux forwards Zach Parise (18g-20a—38pts) and Jonathan Toews (23g-25a—48pts) who both played two seasons at the University of North Dakota. Currently, both are leaders on their current squads, as well.

While neither player played with each other, while they were at the University of North Dakota.  Parise (49g-67a—116pts) played at UND from 2002-04 and Toews (40g-45a—85pts) played at UND from 2005-07. Both players enjoy icon like status at the University of North Dakota and in city of Grand Forks.

It's on Zach Parise vs. Jonathan Toews

Tonight on NBCSN at 7:00 p.m. (C.T.).

Jonathan Toews Short Handed Goal vs. Anaheim Ducks

Beautiful goal by former Fighting Sioux forward Jonathan Toews as he makes Aniheim Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller look sick. The Blackhawks ended up losing the game 4-2.

The Canucks Ryan Kesler show us how to dive and then get a penalty

Diving is ruining the game of hockey, on all levels and there is no excuse for it. Punish the offending players and it will evaporate from the game of hockey, almost over night.

Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler is dead to me, there is no excuse for the way he plays the game of hockey, while he might be a great young American forward, he's a fraud. Kesler is no better than his buddies  Alex Burrows and Maxim Lapierre who are also a disgrace to the game of hockey.

All three of these clowns are a text book examples on how to flail, dives, embellish. Disgusting.

Jonathan Toews vs Joe Thornton fight. Feb 15th 2013

With that tilt, former Fighting Sioux forward Jonathan Toews has been in three fights during his professional career. I guess that's why he wears the "C" and I have to tip my hat the Blackhawks center. Joe Thornton has been known to drop the gloves a little more frequently.

He looks upset. #Blackhawks twitter.com/MarkLazerus/st…
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) February 16, 2013

Wild win in a Shootout 3-2

The WCHA was well represented tonight. Here is the video of the shootout. Shooting is former Fighting Sioux forwards Zach Parise and Jonathan Toews. Also, Mikko Koivu, Patrick. Kane, former Saint Cloud State Husky Matt Cullen and Patrick Sharp shootout attempts.

Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews has a 50 percent success rate in the shootouts. That's incredible in my opinion.

Jonathan Toews finally back to 100 percent

English: Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews during warm up prior to a National Hockey League playoff game against the Calgary Flames, in Calgary. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here is one person the lockout probably helped. Former Fighting Sioux forward Jonathan Toews suffered a concussion during the 2011-12 season and is now just finally getting back to normal.

Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune --- The Blackhawks captain wasn't 100 percent healed in July. Or October. In fact, it wasn't until late last week that Toews was convinced he's completely over the concussion that caused him to miss the final two months of the 2011-12 regular season before he returned in the postseason against the Coyotes.

While Toews was symptom-free and had cleared all the NHL-imposed concussion protocols before returning to the Hawks' lineup, there were lingering effects from the injury that even the 24-year-old center didn't realize were affecting him. They included balance and eyesight issues that were discovered and solved during a five-day stint at an Atlanta-area chiropractic neurology facility last week.

"Even if you don't feel something and you think you're symptom-free, there's probably still something there that's kind of hindering you and affecting the way your brain works," Toews told the Tribune on Wednesday. "It was just a lot of eye-movement things. My eyes didn't track very well. They didn't look from one target to the next very well. My balance with my eyes closed and my head turned a certain way was terrible. (There were) little things that I would think were normal because I didn't feel something in my head.

Former Sioux forward Jonathan Toews on the CBA negotiations

#Blackhawks on the back page of the Sun-Times today. Seems fitting with the negotiations today: instagr.am/p/Q7kJeXJExz/
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) October 18, 2012

Today former Fighting Sioux forward was one of 18 players that was at the CBA negotiations between the NHLPA and the NHL led by commissioner Gary Bettman and this is what he had to say on the matter. Based on what I have read today, it doesn't look good.

#Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews isn’t buying what NHL is selling. My story to go with that Sun-Times back page: suntimes.com/sports/1581670…
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) October 18, 2012

You can read the blog by Adam Jahns here.

#Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews: "It's funny how the league claims to negotiate in good faith when they wait this long ... (more)
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) October 18, 2012

Toews continued: "... to give us their so-called 'best deal possible.' ... As players we know we tabled a great deal today."#Blackhawks
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) October 18, 2012

#Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews on the NHL: "They're still unwilling to come to the table and really talk."
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) October 18, 2012

Updated @tramyerscsn report with Jonathan Toews' comments on today's NHL labor negotiations: cmcst.sn/aabjHG #LockoutTalk
— Comcast SportsNet (@CSNChicago) October 18, 2012

Here is another great comment from Jonathan Toews that was in another article at CSN.COM.

Toews, who went to Toronto for today’s negotiations, told the media “we want the league to honor current contracts. That’s pretty much all we’re asking.” [CSN.COM]

Here is the list of the 18 NHL players that were in attendance today.

Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, Jarome Iginla, Eric Staal, Shane Doan, Shawn Horcoff, Craig Adams, Brad Boyes, Chris Campoli, David Clarkson, Dan Cleary, Carlo Colaiacovo, Mathieu Darche, Robyn Regehr, Matt Stajan, Shawn Thornton, Kevin Westgarth and Daniel Winnik.

(Video) The Lockout Song - (No More Merch)

One of my buddies had this video on his Facebook page today. It was too good not to post - I think the video gives us some good advice - I think I will hold off wearing any of my NHL tee-shirts until they settle this thing. Also, why should we buy anymore merchandise until there is a settlement of the CBA?
#noNHLlockout - #NoHockeyLeague

Toews on Owners; 'who knows if they're willing to do it again'

When I read articles like this one, I get the feeling that this labor disagreement might have the possibility of going for a very long time and there could be a chance that it might not get it settled next season.

s/t to KK… This article is a good read, also, I haven’t see a lot lately that gives me any hope… Former Fighting Sioux forward Jonathan Toews is quoted in this article as well.

Stu Hackel, Red Light Blog --- From the players’ perspective, the owners’ stance borders on self-destruction. Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, among the most respected leaders in the game, articulated that on Monday after an informal practice by Chicago players. “We saw what the (owners) did in ’04-05, and who knows if they’re willing to do that again,” Toews said (quoted by Chris Kuc of The Chicago Tribune). “To me, it’s just carelessness. It’s them just trying to show everyone that they’re the owners and they’re the league. They can do whatever they want. If they want to hurt their own game and drive it into the ground, that’s what they’ll do. Even if it comes down to that, it doesn’t matter as long as they get what they want.”

Precisely what they want is now fairly well-known: They want to pay the players quite a bit less than they did under the previous agreement. Ownership’s contention is that the economics of the game don’t work, even after they overhauled them in the recently expired CBA by locking out the players for a season to achieve a salary cap system that was designed to fix things. If that tactic worked once for them, the owners are prepared to do it again.

But when that system also brings about record revenues and the healthiest state the NHL has ever been in, it’s worth asking if the economics are as bad as the owners claim. “I know it’s tough to muster sympathy for multimillionaires,” Siegel writes, “but when most of these owners say they’re losing money every year, they’re telling the truth.”

As Siegel points out, Forbes magazine listed 18 NHL clubs that lost money last season in their 2012 team valuations while simultaneously pointing out that the game’s economics have never been more favorable to the owners. (As a caveat, the NHL has always said the Forbes numbers are not accurate; but they remain the best information we have and constitute legitimate estimated and educated guesses.)

When I read articles like this one, I get the feeling that this labor disagreement might have the possibility of going for a very long time and there could be a chance that it might not get it settled next season. I understand why the players don’t want to lose a big chunk of the gains that they have made during the last CBA – I also don’t think that they should have to. This lockout is on the owners – the players wanted to keep playing – the owners locked them out. Now the fans are hostage of the owners and the NHL players.

BCHL recruit Wade Murphy commits to UND

UND picked up a pretty big recruit this week when the school signed forward Wade Murphy of the Penticton Vees (British Columbia Hockey League). Last season Murphy scored (36g-55a—91pts) in 60 games - this is the same Murphy who had recently decommitted from Merimack College.

I found this little tidbit while reading the Mack Report yesterday – just for the record Mike McMahon is not saying this happened; just this is what the USHR has said.

Additionally, according to a report on USHR:

"There were whispers in Chilliwack that a certain WCHA school may have nudged the Victoria, BC native (Murphy) to decommit.”

Just for the record Murphy played on the same team as Notre Dame recruit Mario Lucia (42g-51a—93pts) last season and finished right behind him in points. Murphy should be one of the top players on the Pentiction Vee's this season as well. Here is what Murphy told the Times Colonist about his decision to play for the University of North Dakota.

The Victoria native on Wednesday officially committed to the University of North Dakota which has produced the likes of current NHLers Jonathan Toews, J.P. Parise and T.J. Oshie and former NHLers like Ed Belfour, Dennis Hextall, Craig Ludwig, James Patrick, Dave Tippett and Garry Valk.

“I saw the rink, the facilities are unbelievable and the coaching staff is terrific, and the players’ passion is just as great,” Murphy, a member of the RBC Cup-champion Penticton Vees, said over the phone on Wednesday.

“This was the choice from the get-go,” added Murphy, who zeroed in on UND shortly after deciding not to attend Merrimack. He will head to UND next season.

(Video) Former Sioux Jonathan Toews appears in the message from the NHL Players to the fans

I hate to say this, but today kind of feels like a funeral. It's also kind of a case Deja Vu all-over again, we have seen this act before - and we didn't really like it very much. Here is the video from the NHLPA players and former Fighting Sioux forward Jonathan Toews is in the video.

Related articles

• How Fans Can End the NHL Lockout (insidehockey.com)
• Unable to Reach Deal, NHL Officially Begins Lockout (forbes.com)
• NHL enters lockout as sides stay away from bargaining table (vancouversun.com)

Hump day in the No Hockey League…

Good morning everyone – its 31 days until UND the Fighting Sioux plays the Manitoba Bison in the first exhibition game of the season. To quote Dean Millard of the Pipeline Show, it’s hard to not refer to UND hockey as the Fighting Sioux.

But I digress.

Jess Myers has the latest - INCH A-Z: and UND’s Brendan O’Donnell makes the cut… Also, last week Jess Myers revealed on twitter that he will for the most part only be covering two teams for ESPN 1500, the Minnesota Gophers and the Minnesota Wild. Myers said that he would write an occasional article for INCH but will not be doing it on a full time basis.

The WCHA pre-season ballots have been mailed out and it's getting to be that time of the year again. The third annual blogger poll should come out in a few weeks.

Joe Paisley has his Wednesday links up on his Paisley’s hockey blog.

Apparently a few of the Golden Rodents were interviewed at the Minnesota State Fair and Senior forward Zach “riding mopeds are dangerous" Budish’s said that his favorite game last was the one against the Fighting Sioux at the Midwest Regional at the Xcel Energy Center. From the looks of it - it appears that UND hockey team needs to refresh Mr. Budish’s memory that most games against UND are not all fun and games.

"Definitely the regional final against North Dakota. They kind of embarrassed us a week before, and it was nice to get back at them. It was just a great game for us...so much fun and such a great atmosphere." [Gopher Sports]

A Tradition of Excellence has it's Wednesday links up as well Toews, Freshmen, & Recruits By the Numbers

Here are my pre-poll rankings - feel free to cut them to pieces if you want. These might also change a bit... I will be putting up a WCHA season preview on INSIDE HOCKEY later this month.

1. Minnesota
2. UND
3. Wisconsin
4. Denver
5. UMD
6. C.C.
6. MTU
8. UNO
9. SCSU
10. BSU
11. Mankato
12. UAA

Andrew Weisss of the Hockey Guys, had the UND incoming freshman ranked 8th and I think personally that is a little low. Then again titles are won on paper they're won on the ice so these rankings will be meaningless once the season starts.

The No Hockey League - CBA

According to Scott Burnside of ESPN.com, it looks like the Coyotes might have a new owner finally, as Greg Jamison who used to be the CEO of the San Jose Sharks has gotten his financials in order and is set to purchase Coyotes from the National Hockey League for $170 million dollars.

The NHLPA wants to return to the bargaining table and kick start talks – stay strong boys – don ‘t let the NHL Owners take you to the cleaners again this time around.

James Mirtle breaks down the numbers on what a NHL player can make if they decide to play overseas. Mirtle says that a fair number of players are looking at playing overseas including Alex Ovechkin.

This is what Henrik Zetterberg of the Detroit Red Wings had to say about the current state of the NHL CBA talks. In reading Henrik’s comments, one really can’t remain positive any more. This could be a very long work stoppage.

“There's no two-way street in their proposal," Zetterberg said. “We're trying to find a way to partner up with them. We have problems in the league. We have to find a solution, players and the league together, and both help out.

“But in their proposal, they want us to (sacrifice) everything. [Mlive.COM]

This is the day that none of us want to see – the 13th of September is D-Day for the NHL and the NHLPA – this is the day that condescending, pompous, little Jerk Gary Bettman is going to ask the owners if they want to lock the NHL player out for a third time since 1994 and I am sure the owners will agree with Bettman. #FIREBETTMAN

Tim Panaccio, CNSPHILLY.COM --- On Sept. 13, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will address the league’s Board of Governors in New York City.

According to governors, who spoke anonymously with CSNPhilly.com, Bettman will outline where both sides are in the collective bargaining process.

He will then ask them – via a vote – whether they are supportive of his strategy to lock the players out on Sept. 15 if there is no agreement on a new, long-term – not short-term – CBA.

Tort's favorite New York Rangers beat writer Larry Brooks tells us that the lines of communication are open but there isn't much going on right now.

Alex Ovechkin is pretty clear where he wants to play hockey this season. “But I don’t want to be there; I want to be here,” Ovechkin said in a conversation with beat reporters Tuesday. “But, again, my contract is here and I hope the NHL and NHLPA are going to sign a deal before the 15th.” [Washington Times]

Here are a few familiar names of few NHL players that are just now turning 25 or will soon be 25 years old. It’s seems like a long time ago – eight years – when a 17 year old Jonathan Toews showed up to play for the University of North Dakota.

Roy MacGregor, the Globe and Mail --- It was also the season in which he was 25 years of age.

And what of Claude Giroux. Last year, the young Philadelphia Flyers forward scored 93 points and soared to the highest echelons of the game. Giroux will turn 25 – perhaps his greatest season, who knows? – on Jan. 12, 2013. He has no idea where he might be playing at that moment.

Jonathan Toews, the brilliant captain of the Chicago Blackhawks, who won the Stanley Cup, the Conn Smythe Trophy and an Olympic gold medal at 22, will turn 25 on April 29, when normally he would expect to be well into the 2013 playoffs.

And then, of course, there is Sidney Crosby, whose contract and number both salute the day, month and year of his birthday: August 7, 1987.

He turned 25 this summer.

Hopefully, next month we are talking about something other than player and owner squabbles and just hopefully, we will have an NHL season. #FIREBETTMANNOW

College Hockey players in Top 40 Fantasy Hockey Center Rankings

Here are some familiar former WCHA players in the NHL.COM's Top-40 Fantasy Hockey Center Rankings.

1. Evgeni Malkin
2. Steven Stamkos
3. Sidney Crosby
4. Claude Giroux
5. Anze Kopitar
6. Jonathan Toews - UND Fighting Sioux
7. Henrik Sedin
8. John Tavares
9. Eric Staal
10. Pavel Datsyuk
16. David Backes - MSU Mankato
31. Travis Zajac - UND Fighting Sioux
32. Derek Stepan - Wisconsin Badgers
34. Paul Stastny - Denver Pioneers
35. Mike Cammalleri - Michigan
36. James van Riemsdyk - New Hampshire

Time for the Hawks to flush Kane

Dead Spin Photo

It would appear that Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane needs to grow up and start acting like an adult and not a punk. Also, maybe Kane could learn a think or two from his fellow teammate Jonathan Toews on how to behave in public and not some spoiled brat.

Chris Kuc, Tribune reporter --- After a subpar postseason series against the Coyotes during which he had four assists in the six-game loss and was off the ice in the final minutes of Game 6 following a misconduct penalty for, as Kane put it, "just kind of slashing (Coyotes) like Paul Bunyan out there," the offseason arrived.

Not more than a few weeks into it, photos of an allegedly intoxicated Kane attending the Mifflin Street Block Party on Cinco de Mayo in Madison, Wis., were published on deadspin.com. They showed Kane cavorting with college students, apparently passed out at a bar and, in one, appearing to walk away while talking with a police officer.

At first, it fueled more head-shaking and "that's just Kaner being Kaner" thoughts. Things suddenly got much more serious when the website began quoting anonymous sources alleging Kane choked a woman before being thrown out of a party and also hurled an anti-semitic slur during another altercation.

Personally, if I was the general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks I would trade this punk and get rid of the distraction that comes with this clown, while Kane had a down season last year, the GM could still try to get a decent replacement that comes with less baggage than Kane.

This isn’t the first incident with Kane; he was arrested in 2009 for roughing up a Buffalo Cab driver when the cab driver didn’t have the correct change. Kane and his punk cousin James ended up beating up cabbie over 20 cents, no that’s not a misprint, he assaulted someone over 20 cent’s. It’s not like 20 cents was going to break him, he is rich from playing a kids game.

Most normal people can fathom beating up a cab driver over a minuscule amount like that – most normal people would have also landed in jail for an assault like that because most of us don’t the ability to buy an expensive defense team like Kane can. Seriously! Maybe Kane should learn to control his anger and stop acting like a spoiled entitlement kid; if I was in the Blackhawks front office I would put this punk on double secret probation and would cut him the next time he gets out of line and embarrasses the Blackhawks organization. There is no way you can excuse this type of behavior and I haven’t seen anyone doing so, yet.

Brock Nelson named Inside College Hockey All-American

University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux athletic logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Official Press Release

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota sophomore forward Brock Nelson has been named to Inside College Hockey’s 2011-12 All-America Third Team. Nelson enjoyed a breakout sophomore season in 2011-12, leading the Fighting Sioux in points (47) and goals (28) in 42 games and becoming the program’s youngest 20-goal scorer since Jonathan Toews scored 22 in 2005-06.

A native of Warroad, Minn., Nelson led the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) in goals and was the WCHA’s only player to score 20 goals during league play. He ranked third nationally in goals, tied for third in game-winning goals (6) and tied for sixth in power-play goals (10). His six GWG tied him for the 10th-best single-season total in school history.

Earlier this month, Nelson was also named to the All-College Hockey News Second Team, as well as the Red Baron WCHA Final Five and NCAA West Region All-Tournament teams. He helped guide the Sioux to their league-record third straight Broadmoor Trophy as WCHA Final Five champions, as well as the No. 1 seed in the NCAA West Regional. Following the season, Nelson signed with the New York Islanders and is currently playing for their American Hockey League affiliate in Bridgeport, Conn.

The 6-foot-4, 192-pound Nelson was a first-round draft pick of the Islanders in 2010, when he was selected 30th overall. Nelson finished his collegiate career with 36 goals and 32 assists for 68 points in 84 games.