Spring Classic
This time of year is nothing short of awesome; with the onset of April comes the NCAA Frozen Four as college hockey takes the center stage. The Sioux have made the Frozen Four for a third time in a row as the Fighting Sioux invade Scott Trade Center in St Louis, home of the St Louis Blues and former MSU-M Star David Backus. Hopefully the third time is a charm. Why is this an exciting time of year? Next week starting on Wednesday the NHL's Stanley Cup starts as 16 teams will battle for the Stanley Cup. March also starts a marathon of hockey until about June 1st and it doesn't get any better than that.
This year there will be no grand prediction for this weekend's Frozen Four, frankly last season because I blew it, and I am not going out on a line to make any predictions. There will also be no column written by my lab Dakota, he has officially retired to concentrate on hunting and being a house dog. My dog has a winning percentage of about .750 so he will definitely be laying at my feet as I watch the Sioux game tonight.
This year the Sioux started slow and finished strong just like the previous two seasons. The Sioux were 7-10-1 18 games into the season and looked as if they were at the crossroads of the season. To say I was concerned at the half way point would be an understatement, but they made believers out of us again. The Sioux got healthy and kicked it in losing only one game in regulation in 2007.
Goon's World adds new Team Member
Sioux_7 joins Goon's World Team and will be posting blog entries from time to time. Earlier this year he was a guest writer and tackled the re-alignment issue. I am sure Sioux_7 will touch on some of those issues such as well as other hot button issues. I look forward to seeing some of his work. I go to all the home games with Sioux_7 and he is also one of my hunting buddies. Together Sioux_7, his brother and I have shot many holes in the sky in pursuit of the elusive Green Head Mallard.
Link to the Frozen Four
Mankato's Travis Morin on this decision to stay for his senior year of school. looks like Travis made the right decision. I wish more pro teams would have this approach let the athlete stay in school and graduate with their senior class.
HF: Why did you not turn pro last year and go back for your senior year?
TM: Actually Washington thought it would be better for me to go back and spend another year in Mankato. That’s what they wanted and I was all for it. Looking back on it I’m happy I did go back, finish my senior year there with my classmates. We had a pretty good season up there and I wouldn’t have changed it for anything.
The tale of two Johnson's, it's an interesting story of two highly skilled young defensemen.
When Michigan fell in the NCAA hockey tournament, defenseman Jack Johnson stayed behind in Denver and tried to strike a deal to join the Los Angeles Kings immediately.
He hoped to play the final six Kings games of the season, then return to Ann Arbor to finish school.
Erik Johnson wasn’t as eager to leave Minnesota after the Golden Gophers fell to North Dakota.
“It hurts to have it go down this way,” Johnson told the St. Paul Pioneer-Press, “but we can always look forward to next year.”
The Blues are highly interesting in signing Johnson for next season and getting him prepared for his first NHL training camp. College is a great play to develop skills — especially in a quality program like Minnesota — but Johnson is clearly ready for the next test.
In the past, the Blues signed top collegiate stars like Tony Hrkac and Petr Sejna (two Hobey Baker Award winners) and put them right to work.
