A former University of North Dakota defenseman, Wilson brings a ton of experience to the Wild's relatively-inexperienced bench. He has spent the past 20 years as an assistant or associate coach with the New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning.There has been an on going debate this summer about the state of college hockey and how College Hockey has been losing top blue chip recruits to the OHL. While I don’t like seeing players leave early and sign with their professional teams, I would rather see that player play with their college team for one or two seasons than not have them play in college at all.
Wilson began coaching hockey 24 years before Todd Richards’ playing career even ended. In fact, when Wilson began coaching his alma mater, the University of North Dakota, in 1978 as an assistant, Richards was just 12 years old.
He turns 60 today and summers in Bemidji. As I've mentioned on here and Twitter, the delay had to do with working out the contract because Tampa Bay and Dallas each have to pick up a portion of his two-year deal.
After spending one season with the North Stars in 1992-93, Wilson moved to Dallas with the franchise’s relocation and spent the next 15 seasons with Dallas. Over that time, Wilson helped guide the team to seven division titles, two conference championships, two President’s Trophies and a 1999 Stanley Cup. [Russo's Rants]
Julie Robenhymer from hockey buzz has a really good story on this subject.
I was then asked why I thought NCAA players were leaving school for the CHL or AHL. We could talk about the difference in educational opportunities and the number of games they can play or not play and the time available for them to spend in the weight room or not, but that's rather pointless because it's really all about having options.I think the NCAA could improve if they gave a kids more options like major junior hockey does. Personally, I like the option where if a kid tries out with his professional team and doesn’t make his NHL team, that player has the option of going back to his junior team and continuing his development. While I know it’s never going to be an option with NCAA division I hockey, I can see why some players might choose the CHL over the NCAA. Like others have said there is no one size fits all route to the NHL and college is still getting great players into NHL. I am not going to bash one or the other.
What's the difference between what Cam Flower did in signing a pro contract and Nick Leddy signing a pro contract?? Fowler has the option of going back to his junior team if he doesn't make the cut in Anahiem where as Leddy had to cut ties with the University of Minnesota because of NCAA eligibility rules. He doesn't have the same options that Fowler does and in my opinion, is making more of a commitment.
Some guys think they're ready. Some guys just want a change of scenery. Maybe there was a coaching change and the new coach wants to make changes that don't allow a particular player to develop into the best player he can be... The real problem is that we only see college players leaving for juniors because they can, but we NEVER see junior players leaving for the NCAA because they CAN'T and it really skews the perception that one is better than the other when really they're just different paths with different options available to them.
Another thing that I don’t like is the fact that once a kid signs with a CHL team he is considered a professional and is no longer eligible for division one hockey, I think it is a dumb rule and I would like to see college hockey change that rule.
Fetch from the college hockey blog takes a stab at this issues in a blog post titled Two Early Departures, Very Different Circumstances [Click to read]
I do think that Sid Hartman should stick to writing about things that he knows about like football, basketball and finally baseball. I should think twice about quoting this Sid Hartman post on anything that relates to hockey but it does make for some interesting reading.
The Big Ten commissioner didn't see the 18-game conference basketball schedule being extended. But he did say that on the table is a possible Big Ten hockey championship, once another school adds hockey as a sport. Five conference schools now play the sport: Minnesota and Wisconsin in the WCHA, and Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.Sid are you sure they aren't talking about maybe a possible Big Ten Hockey Championship and maybe not a Big Ten Hockey Conference?
Maybe just maybe there is more to this than Jarred Tinordi backing out of his commitment to Notre Dame Fighting. I mean things aren’t always as they seem. However you look at it, it’s a big loss to the Fighting Irish. Also, I guess we can mark Dale Hunter down as not being a fan of Jeff Jackson or a fan of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Ouch! I was always told if you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all.
The London Knights have run against an old foe in the battle to sign Montreal Canadiens first-rounder Jarred Tinordi.
The coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is Jeff Jackson, a former Guelph Storm coach who once accused the Hunters' Knights of playing "prehistoric hockey."
Tinordi has committed to suit up for Jackson in South Bend, Ind., this fall. The Knights, who own the big defenceman's OHL rights, aren't giving up hope.
"We think he's a very good player," London coach Dale Hunter said, "and it's not like they're (Notre Dame) the best team in their league.
"They're not Boston (University) or anyone like that."
The Knights aren't the same club Jackson remembers, either. After his Storm departure in 2003, the Hunters transformed London into a team dominated by skilled forwards with puck possession and power-play success.
Jackson is regarded as one of the top coaches in U.S. college history. He guided Lake Superior State to two national titles in the 1990s, helped build the foundation of the United States national development program (where Tinordi played and captained the under-18 team to gold this year) and turned the Irish program around.
But Notre Dame finished a combined 13-17-8 last season. The Knights won 49 games and Hunter was named OHL coach of the year for a third time.
[London Free Press]
