Image via WikipediaHere is my Thursday afternoon discussion; I have been thinking about this subject and I am throwing out there for discussion purposes. I decided to expound on the subject after seeing the story linked below from yesterday's St. Cloud Times.I do believe that the Minnesota Golden Gophers hockey team is going to want to play the UND Fighting Sioux on a regular basis for financial reasons, it's advantageous to both programs to continue the storied rivalry, next to the Badgers, the UND Fighting Sioux are one of the top rivals of the Minnesota Golden Gopher's, it's a fact. Before you throw the Fighting Sioux nickname out there, the nick name issue will be resolved before the NCHC conference plays it's first game (just a prediction, UND is not going to give up a chance to pay in the Big Sky Conference). I don't care what the so called self described experts say, (I am sure we know who these people are), UMN needs UND too. Let's not kid ourselves, UND is going to sell more tickets than a match up against OSU, MSU-M and or SCSU.
Mick Hatton; Saint Cloud Times --- The University of Minnesota men’s hockey team is in preliminary discussions with St. Cloud State, Bemidji State and Minnesota State-Mankato about playing nonconference games and a tournament both on an annual basis, according to Gophers coach Don Lucia.So when the nickname issue is worked out do you think the Gophers and Sioux will play on a "semi-regular" basis? I do, because it's beneficial to both parties.
Lucia said he has talked with Huskies coach Bob Motzko, Beavers coach Tom Serratore and Mavericks coach Troy Jutting about the Gophers playing games against their programs beginning in 2013-14, which is the first season that the Gophers and Wisconsin leave the Western Collegiate Hockey Association for the Big Ten Conference.
Lucia also said that he plans to talk with Minnesota-Duluth coach Scott Sandelin about the same arrangement with the Bulldogs, who also leave the WCHA after the 2012-13 season and will join the newly formed National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
“We have 14 nonleague games to work with and our goal is to play those (four) teams every year,” Lucia said. “It would be good for our program, all the other programs and for the state of Minnesota.
“I think it’s a win-win for everyone, for our fans and the proximity of playing each other. We should continue playing each other.”
