Awkward moment? Brendan Lemieux interviewed by Red Wings at the Combine

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This might qualify as an awkward moment. Former UND hockey recruit Brendan Lemieux was interviewed by the Detroit Red Wings. Brendan's dad probably doesn't have a lot of fans in Detroit, especially after he destroyed Chris Draper with a dirty hit during the 1996 Western Conference Finals.

Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com --- One of the more intriguing interviews for Brendan took place with the Detroit Red Wings. It was during Game 6 of the 1996 Western Conference Final that Claude Lemieux, then with the Avalanche, hit Detroit's Kris Draper from behind, driving Draper into the top of the boards near the Red Wings' bench and leaving Draper with a broken jaw, cheek bone and orbital bone.

Draper, now a special assistant to Red Wings general manager Ken Holland, was on hand when the interview took place with Brendan.

"We had a great conversation," Brendan said. "He's a really nice guy. I did not think I was going to get interviewed by them, let alone have it be serious. I thought they were going to walk in, make a few jokes and I was going to leave, but I have nothing but good things to say about their organization. They were extremely professional and they barely brought it up. I tried to joke about it and they weren't even budging.

"I have no problem playing in Detroit after that interview, for sure."

There's your answer it's was Kiszla

So there's video of Cooke throwing elbow at MacKinnon's head and kneeing Barrie. Hope my Q to Yeo was reasonable.
— Mark Kiszla (@markkiszla) April 23, 2014

Earlier this week, a beat writer  from the Denver Post asked Minnesota Wild head coach Mike Yeo if he sent Matt Cooke out to run the Av's players. We knew it was either been Adrian Dater or Mark Kiszla that would ask such a objectionable question. Now it would appear that we know the answer. I am glad that Kiszla realizes his team is a bunch of saints either.

Mark Kiszla, Denver Post --- When I asked Minnesota coach Mike Yeo on Tuesday if the often-suspended Cooke represents the NHL well, Yeo bristled and said: "I'm not going to get into that. Listen, you're asking me to criticize my player. I'm not going to do that. I don't want to get into a whole laundry list of things trying to defend him."

So then I went back and watched video of Cooke making a blindside run at Avs teenager Nathan MacKinnon in the first period of Game 3, swinging and missing the NHL's top rookie with an elbow.

There's no defending the Wild's decision to give Cooke a $7.5 million contract to wear Minnesota across his chest. The great state of hockey deserves better than a coward who has repeatedly demonstrated utter disrespect for the health of fellow competitors in a tough, violent sport.

It's true: The Avs are not always angels. When Claude Lemieux shattered the face of Kris Draper of Detroit on the boards during a playoff game in 1996, I called for a suspension. Cody McLeod is a good dude, but when he blasted Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall between the numbers from behind this season, I applauded the five-game suspension.

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Brendan Lemieux committed to college route

Here is an article about future Fighting Sioux forward Brendan Lemieux and him attending the Green Bay Gamblers try out camp. There is also some good new for UND Hockey fans - Brendan's mom is a big fan of the college hockey game and that will be a big plus going forward.

Weston Hodkiewicz, Green Bay Press-Gazette --- When Brendan Lemieux was little, he didn’t With Claude’s successes at a young age in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, there were some questions about which direction Brendan would go in his development after being drafted by the Ontario Hockey League in April.

However, Lemieux’s mother, Deborah, was a big proponent of going the college route and Brendan concurred, especially after taking a visit to North Dakota. The day after he signed with Green Bay, Lemieux committed to UND, where he’ll play alongside fellow Gamblers forward Nick Schmaltz.

Since Lemieux is a the son of a former NHLer Claude Lemieux who is also a former QMJHL alum there will probably always be questions or rumors about Lemieux going to the Majour Junior route - we heard it with other players that were high end recruits. I doesn't look like we need to worry about Brendan Lemieux.