UND got some very good news today when they found out that junior forward Chris VandeVelde will return to UND for his senior season. I have to admit that I am just a bit giddy with reading this announcement. Also, it would be the first time in a very long time that UND probably won't lose any underclassmen to the NHL/pros. Also, Vandy scored a number of goals at the end of the season with a separated shoulder, that is my definition of tough.
VandeVelde will stay at UND for senior season
Brad Elliott Schlossman --- Grand Forks Herald
The power forward from Moorhead confirmed today that he will return to UND for his senior season, meaning the Sioux are unlikely to lose anyone early.
It has been 10 years since the UND men’s hockey team didn’t lose anyone early to the pros, and this offseason is starting to look eerily similar to 1999.
Back then, a MacNaughton Cup champion team with eight seniors fell short of making the NCAA Frozen Four and watched its leading scorer, among others, graduate.
The most likely candidate to leave school early that summer was 6-foot-3, 205-pound power forward Lee Goren. He decided to return to school and UND went on to win the national championship. Goren was the most outstanding player of the Frozen Four.
Chris VandeVelde can only hope that history will repeat itself.
UND again had a MacNaughton Cup champion team with eight seniors fall short of making the Frozen Four, and it had to say goodbye to its leading scorer, among others.
The most likely candidate to leave was VandeVelde – a 6-foot-2, 205-pound power forward. But today, VandeVelde announced he’s returning to UND for his senior year.
That means UND expects to have all of its underclassmen back for the first time since 1999-00 – which also marks UND’s last national title.
Great news although I think the Herald was a bit late on this.
ReplyDeleteNothing new there.
When was the last time the Sioux didn't have a player leave school early for some pro ranking? It's not like I'm a die-hard Sioux fan, but it's gotta be pretty darn rare. So it appears as though North Dakota and St Cloud will be the only two WCHA teams to not have any players leave school as underclassmen, correct?
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