Gee I wonder who Lucia is talking about?

It would appear that Gophers hack Brian Schack has gotten away with his act of thuggery and will only receive the one game disqualification that he was awarded last Friday night. I have yet been able to find any press release or announcement that states any additional punishment or sanction by the league office. It wouldn't surprise me one bit, Gophers coach Don Lucia has been pleading his case all week in the media about how the refs aren't protecting the players, yada, yada, yada.

For those that don't read the Star and Tribune check out the latest nugget from Roman Augustoviz now we are going to blame the ugliness towards the Gophers on the arenas that serve alcohol in their arenas? Huh? WTF is that? Let me guess; tDon is talking about Mankato and North Dakota? Lets try this on for size; it is the attitude your program displays towards the rest of the league. Its the in your face attitude of FSN announcers and the various off handed shots your assistant coach makes in his pre-game comments.

This is why the various fan bases around the league hate your team. It's the pompous holier than though, elitist attitude that your bring with you when you travel on the road. The Gophers hockey program oozes arogance and it showing more this year than others when the Gophers prima Donna's are getting it handed to them on a nightly basis. Who are you going to blame this week when the Badgers slap your butt around Marriucci? Word of advice to the Badgers players you better look out for Flynn and Schack they like to jump the oppostion from behind.

RIVALRY GOOD WITH BADGERS

Lucia said the Gophers have a healthy rivalry with Wisconsin. “Some of the others ones, and I won’t mention names or anything like that, are a little bit more ugly as far as fan treatment and everything else,” Lucia said. “I never felt that way with Wisconsin. Our games have been much more disciplined over the years than maybe years ago.

“I never felt when I go to Kohl Center – I think the fans react in a real positive manner. Ya, once in a while, when you come off the ice, you get a little [grief] from a student. But that’s OK. That’s all fun. But I never felt when I go there, it is over the top and that’s me as a college coach. I have no issue with fans cheering their team and getting involved. I don’t particularly like the vulgarity. ‘F the Gopher’ chant that we hear.

“And I think, to be honest, and I spoke [Monday] about it [to WCHA officials]. I’m probably being more candid, maybe it is the steroids I took this morning than normal. I think as a league – my own personal opinion is, I am not sure if alcohol is served at some of the venues is a real positive in our league.

(Lucia is taking weekly IV steriod treatments for a nerve problem which causes numbness on the left side of his face.)

“I am a purist,” Lucia said. “I don’ have an issue if it is served in club rooms or in suites or in a beer garden. But I have an issue and, I think it lends to problems, when you got guys sitting with beer after beer sitting right behind the visitors’ bench. Nothing good can happen.

“And we have venues that you can literally sit and have cocktails all game long whether it’s hard booze, wine or beer. I think that is where some of the ugliness gets. As a league, I think we have to take a look at that.”