Finley, Frattin face disorderly conduct charges.

As most of you know by now Joe Finley and Matt Frattin had a run in with the law recently. It's in the newspapers around the region. I have already received numerous emails and phones calls from various people giving me their thoughts on the matter, before I even got out of bed this morning. Personally, I don't like commenting on conduct issues because a lot of times there is more to the story that what ends up in a police report/blotter or in the news paper.

Before you say, 'but, but Goon..." Yes! I know, this incident doesn't reflect well on Coach Hakstol, the University of North Dakota or the Fighting Sioux Hockey team. I am sure the Finley and Hakstol haters will have more ammunition to blast away now with this incident. I am sure there will be some in the media down in Fargo that will call for Frattin to be disciplined, suspended and or kicked off the UND hockey team. I’m also sure coach Hakstol will take care of this matter in a way that he sees fit. We may not hear what the actual punishment was, nor do we need to know the details. Again, this was a stupid incident and I am not defending it. I am also not going to spend all day condemning it as well.

Don’t get me wrong! I don't approve of this behavior, this is a silly incident that will be remembered long into next season, however, before you mean mouth these young men take this into account; did you ever get drunk and act stupid and have the cops called on you? When you were younger and alcohol was involved, did you ever do something like this? Did you ever get cited for underage drinking or a loud party or starting a fight? These guys make the same mistakes a lot of us have made but weren’t a member of the hockey team.

UNH loses Ryan Bourque to the QMJHL

Like father like son Ray Bourque's kid Ryan Bourque is going to play in the QMJHL and has backed out of his verbal commitment to UNH. Sounds like a significant loss for the Wildcats. You have to wonder how solid the Bourque's commitment to the Wildcats was? What is more interesting is the comments following this blog post and the debate on whether the NCAA versus CHL debate.

Bourque to skip UNH, head to QMJHL

Like his father, the youngest Bourque will play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Ryan Bourque, a Boxford native and son of Bruins legend and NHL Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, will forgo a verbal commitment to the University of New Hampshire to suit up for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League next season.

Bourque, 18, was Quebec's seventh-round choice in last year's junior draft. He was ranked 61st among North American skaters in this year's NHL Central Scouting midseason rankings. He will have up to three years of junior eligibility. The Remparts' owner, general manager and coach is NHL Hall of Famer Patrick Roy, a former teammate of Ray Bourque's with the Colorado Avalanche.

US Under-18 team coach Ron Rolston said Bourque is an elite player in his age group who will be productive at the next level.

"He does everything for us, and he provides leadership," said Rolston. "He'll be a valuable asset to Quebec."

A 5-foot-8, 165-pound left wing, Bourque played the last two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program. He had 19 goals and 24 assists in 47 games this year, second on the Under-18 team. He will play for the US in the Under-18 World Championships, which begin April 9.

Ray Bourque played three seasons for the now-defunct Sorel (later Verdun) Eperviers, or Blackhawks, of the QMJHL.