Sioux recruit Danny Kristo

Here is an interesting article on Sioux recruit Danny Kristo who is coming to UND in the fall of 2009. The article talks about Kristo being drafted by the Montreal Canadians and how the Les Habs are becoming a destination for players born and bred in the Gopher state of Minnesota. I can just imagine the Minnesota fans saying Montreal Minnesota's Pride on ice, LOL. Personally, I am really excited about Danny Kristo coming to the University of North Dakota and playing for the Fighting Sioux (or what ever name they come up with for the University of North Dakota Hockey team). Kristo is part of an incoming class of very talented and highly regarded recruits.

Les Habitants: America's Team on Draft Day
Last Friday night, the Montreal Canadians -- excuse me, les Canadiens de Montréal -- used their first pick in the NHL's annual Entry Draft to select Edina, Minnesota's Danny Kristo. It was a largely unremarkable pick, except for the fact that it was the third consecutive year in which the Habs drafted a Minnesotan with their initial selection (last year they nabbed St. Paul's Ryan McDonagh 12th overall and in 2006 they snagged Minneapolis-born David Fischer with the 20th pick).

"Just a coincidence," according to director of player personnel Trevor Timmins.

It's probably also a coincidence that the Kristo pick marked the sixth time this decade that Montreal has called an American-born player's name as their first pick (Ron Hainsey, Mike Komisarek and Christopher Higgins, drafted between 2000 and 2002, round out the Yankee half-dozen), and that the Habs took Americans with three of their five picks in this year's draft and with five of their nine picks last year (including first-rounders McDonagh and Max Pacioretty).

Coincidences aside, it's clear that the Habs aren't afraid to go south of the border for help of late (much to the chagrin of some of their fans and members of the local media). Upon being drafted last year, Pacioretty noted that it "seems like the Canadiens have a lot of confidence in U.S.-born players." Apparently so -- the "Bleu, Blanc et Rouge" has hardly (if ever) looked as red, white and blue as it might in the near future.

Here is what Danny Kristo had to say on committing to the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux. Yeah you got to love a kid that is a big fan of T.J. Oshie, you're are not alone kid, many of us are big fans of the Oshie.

When asked about committing to the Fighting Sioux, Kristo’s face lit up. “I am finishing up my junior year in high school, so I still have one more year. But I am definitely going to go there.” Kristo also considered staying in his home state and playing for the University of Minnesota, but after visiting both schools chose North Dakota. Although he seemed very sincere in being willing to give Minnesota a real look, Kristo did admit that “I just always wanted to play for the Fighting Sioux. My idol growing up played there and I always wanted to be like him.”

The fact that Oshie has now signed a professional contract and will not return to North Dakota did nothing to lessen Kristo’s resolve to attend North Dakota. When asked what did he want to work on prior to getting to college, the winger answered, “in the off-season, I am going to work in the weight room, putting on a couple of pounds. On the ice, I want to get more explosive, work on my shot and on my skating — you can never be too good of a skater.”