Former Sioux hockey player Kaip get married.

Nice piece on Rylan Kaip. Rylan Kaip got married this summer. I have to admit that I enjoyed Kaip's four years at UND. That being said, it sounds like Kaip made an impression in Traverse City Michigan at the rookie camp. I also agree with the assessment, Kaip is a player that plays with heart.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. – Speaking of settling down, there also happens to be another former collegian who was recently married in his hometown of Wilcox, Saskatchewan -- forward Rylan Kaip of the Atlanta Thrashers.

Kaip, who was selected by Atlanta in the ninth round of the 2003 draft, served as captain at the University of North Dakota last season when the Fighting Sioux reached the NCAA Frozen Four a fourth straight season. In 143 career college games, he had 15 goals, 38 points and 230 penalty minutes. Kaip joined former teammate and Traverse City prospect T.J. Oshie, the 24th pick in the '05 Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues, as the only Sioux players to sign professional contracts last summer.

"(Kaip) is another late-round pick who can skate and shoot," said Dan Marr, Atlanta's director of scouting and player development. "He's not the finesse player or the guy you lean on for offense, but Rylan possesses all the necessary intangibles that a guy brings to the table. He plays with heart, courage, is a responsible player and natural leader. He's played in winning organizations and winning traditions and we like a player who can bring that to the table; players who will go against anyone."

"I'm just trying to play one game at a time and play my hardest," Kaip said. "I don't want to leave Traverse saying I could have played better heading in training camp. I enjoy playing with an edge and while I'm no heavyweight, I've always been competitive and looked after the defensive zone. I enjoy giving our team a spark when needed."

Thrashers General Manager Don Waddell would suggest to every collegiate player to remain in college if undecided

Chicago Blackhawks Q&A with John Buccigross (Toews)

I saw this over on the Bleacher Report, there are a few mentions of former Sioux Jonathan Toews, Dustin Byfuglien and Adam Burish. It is a good read check it out.

Wagner: Do you think Jonathan Toews should be wearing the "C" for the Blackhawks?

Buccigross: Without question. He's a born leader for a franchise that is beginning anew.

Wagner: Do you believe that the Blackhawks will make the playoffs this season?

Buccigross: I picked them last year and they should be better this year. I'm not sure if I am going to pick them yet or not. We'll have to wait and see when my ESPN.Com season previews come out.

Wagner: Do you think Dustin Byfuglien will be an effect power forward in the NHL?

Buccigross: I think Dustin Byfuglien could be as good as Ryan Malone. Compare their stats this year.

Wagner: Is Adam Burish the next Sean Avery-type of player?

Buccigross: He should strive for bigger things.

Wagner: Just for fun, who would you rather have dinner with, Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews?

Buccigross: Whoever pays

Blake ready to redeem himself.

Here is a nice article on former Sioux star Jason Blake. Blake had a tough season last year in Toronto and is one guy that could use some good karma this season. When I found out that Blake was going to Toronto I felt that it was a bad place to play the fans in Toronto have no patience what so ever. That fact that he played all 82 games while fighting cancer speaks higly of his toughness.

Leafs' Blake looks for redemption
Kevin McGran -- Sports Reporter
Put simply, Jason Blake said the season he had last year – on and off the ice – was "a disaster."

The only good thing about it is that it's now behind him.

Blake was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer a few days into the 2007-08 season, then – perhaps distracted by thoughts of his own mortality – went on to the most disappointing season of his career.

"Last year was a disaster for me on the ice and personally," said Blake. "I was brought in to do something and it didn't happen. It was a tough year from start to finish. You close the book on that year.

"The good thing in sports is there's another year."

That year is really around the corner, with training camp opening Sept. 19. Practising yesterday with about 20 players in informal Leaf workouts at Lakeshore Lions arena, Blake says he's focused on hockey, not cancer.
(read the rest of the article here)

Hockey's Future on Bina

In case you haven't seen this over on the LetsGoDUHockeyBlog this is nice piece on former Fighting Sioux defensive star Robbie Bina.

Bina ready to start pro career
Written by: Guy Flaming on 09/06/2008
Three seasons after an injury nearly ended his hockey career, defenseman Robbie Bina is about to realize his boyhood dream of becoming a professional hockey player.

Born and raised in the hockey Mecca of Grand Forks, North Dakota, there was really never any doubt what he was going to do with his life nor was there a question that the University of North Dakota was going to be a part of it.

The diminutive blueliner will be long remembered by Fighting Sioux faithful. One reason would be his now legendary shorthanded goal against archrival Minnesota on Jan. 27, 2007 which he launched from deep in his own end and bounced past the goaltender.

The other reason is for his amazing return to the game after suffering a broken neck in his sophomore year.

It happened on March 18, 2005 during the WCHA Conference Playoffs against another heated rival, the Denver Pioneers. During the second period of their semi-final clash, with the Sioux about to be called for a penalty, the game took a decidedly ugly turn.

“The puck was coming around [the boards], it was a delayed penalty and I just went to touch it to get the whistle and then he kind of hit me from behind and I just went in head first and that’s about it I guess,” said Bina.

The Pioneers won the game and advanced to the Finals, but center Geoff Paukovich (EDM) was suspended by the WCHA after reviewing the hit. Denver would go on to capture the NCAA National Title that year with a 4-1 win over the Bina-less UND squad in the championship game.

Bina missed the rest of his sophomore year as well as the following campaign, but what could have ended as a tragic hockey story eventual became one of inspiration.

Despite the severity of the injury, including a crushed C-7 vertebrae, Bina says the early concerns that his hockey career was over were short lived.

“Just maybe the first couple of days when I found out how bad it was,” he admitted. “I talked to the doctor every day and he really made it sound like everything would be fine after the surgery and that I should take the year off and just go from there.”

So that’s what he did. Bina would spend the next year and a half wearing a neck brace, going through a long and arduous rehab schedule but never taking his eye off the goal. He knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel, just not how long that tunnel would last.

Through it all his teammates said he was always encouraging them, cheering them on from the stands and seldom seen without a smile. As it turns out, that was all part of Bina’s plan too.

“I wanted to keep my spirits up for me and for my team so that they didn’t have to worry about anything,” he explained. “It was [beneficial] mentally for me too, staying positive and trying to get ready to go.

Nineteen months later on Oct. 1, 2006 Bina made his triumphant return to the ice during an exhibition game against the visiting University of Manitoba Bisons (CIS). You can imagine what that night meant for Bina, his teammates and for the Sioux supporters as well.
(Read the rest of the article right here)

Free agents most likely to bust (Commodore)

I saw this article on Allan Muir INSIDE THE NHL. Apparently he seems to think that former Sioux Mike Commodore is not worth the 4th-highest salary on the Blue Jackets and that he is going to be a bust this season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Oh well! I guess this is why they pay these hockey writers all of this money to pontificate about hockey during the offseason.

Free agents most likely to bust
was driving on a rural road on the outskirts of Dallas a few weeks back when I happened upon something shocking: A station selling gas at $3.49 a gallon.

Considering what it would cost to fill up a tank in town, I paid my $40 and was happy to do it.

Of course, you know what's next. The same station is at $3.29 this week, and that $40 doesn't seem like such a great deal in hindsight.

Which brings me to the central theme of today's discussion: Though the concept of what qualifies as a good value is constantly shifting, the necessity of actually finding value is constant. And that's as true for NHL teams working under the constraints of a salary cap as it is for average Joes like us who are trying to afford a full tank without the lucrative benefits of free agency.

We're still more than two months out from the start of the new season, so at this point every team that played the free agent market probably feels like it got someone it wanted at a price it was happy to pay.

But did they?

History shows that more free agent signings lead to buyer's remorse than invites to speak at bargain hunter conferences. Odds are that there'll be a few spectacular busts among this year's crop. But whose deal will look the worst by the end of the season? The contracts of Jeff Finger (Toronto), Michael Ryder (Boston), Jose Theodore (Washington) and Ryan Malone (Tampa Bay) all have raised eyebrows, but they don't have the same whiff of potential failure as these.

4. Mike Commodore (five years, $18.75 million)
Go ahead. Roll those numbers around a bit, see if you can figure out exactly what the Blue Jackets hope to get from a deal that essentially makes a No. 1 blueliner out of a guy who's better known for a wheels-off hairdo and wearing housecoats than for anything he's done on the ice. It's not just the nearly $4 million per year -- the fourth-highest salary on the team -- but the term. This is the sort of deal that will hamstring Columbus GM Scott Howson when he gets serious about building a playoff-worthy defense.

Blues have surplus of talent

Here is another article that makes mention of T.J. Oshie. I think it would be accurte tosay that there is a lot of excitement surrounding T.J. Oshie and him being in camp with the Blue this season.

CENTER T.J. Oshie -- The Blues' first-round pick in 2005 may play the wing before he gets to center his own line, but the bottom line is the Blues expect Oshie to play in the NHL this coming season.

After three successful years at the University of North Dakota, Oshie gave up his fourth collegiate season to sign his first professional contract in May. Davidson said he will be given every opportunity to make the Blues' roster coming out of training camp.

"He's a dogged hockey player and a smart hockey player," Davidson said. "He can make plays at top speed. He can play the wing or center ice. There is nothing not to like about him."

Oshie, who is 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, showed remarkable consistency at UND. He had 45 points as a freshman, 52 as a sophomore and 45 again as a junior, but he told NHL.com that if it weren't for some injuries his junior numbers would have been even better. As it is, he led the Fighting Sioux to the Frozen Four for the third straight season.

Oshie was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and a first-team West All-American as voted on by the American Hockey Coaches Association.

"Everybody comes to camp to compete for a job and he'll have to do the same thing," said Jarmo Kekalainen, the Blues Assistant GM and Director of Amateur scouting. "He's been one of the best college hockey players in the country. He was a first-round draft pick. Those are the things that build the expectation and I think he has those expectations for himself, but it does come down to how he does in September."

Jonathan Toews the face of the Blackhawks ticket drive

Check out the Blackhawks season ticket campaign picture and it has a familiar face on it.

Former Fighting Sioux Dave Tippett signs extension with Dallas Stars

Former Fighting Sioux hockey player Dave Tippett will be rewarded for his great job behind the Dallas Stars bench as he was signed to a two year extenstion.

FRISCO, Texas - The Dallas Stars rewarded Dave Tippett for another solid season, signing the head coach to a two-year contract extension Monday.

Tippett led the Stars to a 45-30-7 record in 2007-08 and a berth in the Western Conference final, where they fell in five games to the eventual Stanley Cup-champion Detroit Red Wings.

"Dave Tippett has done an exceptional job as head coach of this hockey club," co-general manager Les Jackson said in a statement. "We are looking forward to getting back to work in preparation for the 2008-09 season."

Tippett has a record of 235-127-48 in six seasons with the Stars, amassing the best winning percentage of any active coach in the NHL. Dallas has reached the playoffs every year under Tippett, who was named 19th head coach in franchise history May 21, 2002.

Brian Lee turning heads in Ottawa

It appears that Brian Lee is making quite the impression at his second team's development camp. With the Senators losing Wade Redden to free agency expect former Fighting Sioux defenseman Brian Lee to play a bigger part with Otwawa Senators next season. I have to admit that I am very excited for Brian Lee, when Brian was here with the fighting Sioux Lee had a lot of doubters and people that focused on every mistake the kid made. When he left for the NHL there were all kinds of rude comments about Lee. It is nice to see one of our former players doing well. I guess Lee could ask the naysayers, "how do you like me now?"

Blueliner's stock rises as Senators get ready for life without stalwart Redden
By DON BRENNAN
For how long depends on the wooing abilities of GM Bryan Murray, but the Senators will have a couple of holes in their top four blue-line corps as of noon tomorrow.

At 12:01 p.m., Brian Lee will officially move into one of those slots on the depth chart -- and will stay there until Murray lands a better defenceman and signs restricted free agent Andrej Meszaros.

From looking like the neighbourhood paperboy when Ottawa made him its first pick (ninth overall) of the 2005 NHL draft -- and even a little too beanpole-lish upon his elevation from Binghamton for the Senators' final six games and playoffs last season -- Lee has carried a large and looming presence among the prospects during the team's development camp.

Off the ice, with the tan and long blond hair, he'll offer an appealing contrast to the team's female followers who are already missing Wade Redden, a stalwart the Senators hope Lee can help replace.

"I think I play a little bit like Wade," Lee said when asked what style and contribution he'll ultimately bring to the table. "Good first pass, solid defensively. I hope someday to be as smooth playing offence as he is, as smart offensively as he is."

Make no mistake, at just 21 and with only one season of pro hockey under his belt, the 6-foot-3 University of North Dakota product shouldn't immediately be expected to make anybody forget about Redden. And he knows it.

"I think there's a great D-corps here and I think all the guys will help kind of fill that void, because Wade is such a great player," said Lee, who had three goals and 25 points in 55 games with the Baby Sens. "I'm sure (management) will try and get somebody new, who will be a great player as well.
<-Read the rest of the story here->

Goehring to the Moose

Sioux fans will be able to watch former Sioux goaltender Karl Goehring play for the Manitoba Moose of the American hockey league. The Moose play about 145 miles away from Grand Forks, ND in Winnipeg MB, I suppose Sioux7 and I are going to have to make the trek up to see him play for the Moose, if the price of gas doesn't get too far out of wack. Karl was one of the best goalies to ever play for the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux posting 15 shutouts in a 118 games for the Fighting Sioux hockey team.

Moose sign Karl Goehring

Manitoba Moose Press Release

The Manitoba Moose, the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, announced they have signed goaltender Karl Goehring to an American Hockey League contract.

Goehring, 29, appeared in 26 games last season with the Syracuse Crunch where he posted a 2.12 goals against average, a .930 save percentage, with a 15-8-2 record as well two shutouts. The Apple Valley, MN native was named the AHL’s Goaltender of the Month for March after going 7-0-1 in eight games with a 1.59 goals against average and .951 save percentage. During that period, he was named the AHL’s Player of the Week for the week ending March 2/08. In the post-season, Goehring helped the Crunch eliminate the Moose in six games, and posted a 7-6 record throughout the playoffs with a 2.39 goals against average and a .922 save percentage.

Goehring has played in 247 AHL games in his seven-year career with Syracuse, San Antonio, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and Norfolk. He has a career goals against average of 2.66 with a save percentage of .913 and an overall record of 104-103-20. However, he is currently the all-time leader amongst Crunch goalies in games played (174), wins (78), and second in shutouts (10). He was selected to the 2003 AHL All-Star Classic in Portland where as a member of the PlanetUSA All-Stars, he tied for the top goalie award in the skills competition.

Goehring was also a member of the NCAA Champion North Dakota Fighting Sioux in 2000 where he was named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team as well as a first team All-American.

Landon Wilson to play for Dallas Stars.

I just came across this story over on hockeyfights.com, apparently former Fighting Sioux hockey player Landon Wilson is going to get one more chance to play in the NHL as the Dallas Stars have signed him to a two way contract.

Stars sign four minor-leaguers, including Landon Wilson
11:48 AM Thu, Jul 03, 2008
Mike Heika
The Stars signed four minor leaguers today, including Landon Wilson. The son of Stars associate coach Rick Wilson, Landon, 33, left the game because of a serious eye injury. He has been playing in Europe the last four seasons, and co-GM Les Jackson said they are bringing him as a potential NHL player and a guy they would like to keep in the organization for a while. He will probably be a Mike Keane type in Austin for a few years and then try to work his way into coaching.

Wilson, 33, has played the last four seasons in Europe, including the 2006-07 and 2007-08 campaigns with HC Lugano in the Swiss Elite League. In 30 games with Lugano last season, Wilson collected 20 points (13 goals, 7 assists) and 67 penalty minutes, and the previous season, he notched 31 points (20 goals, 11 assists) and 67 PIM.

Landon Wilson's NHL numbers: he has played in 348 games scoring 51 goals, and adding 60 assists for a career points total: 111 points. Landon Wilson has also spent 331 minutes in the sin bin.

Links to the Story:
Hockey News

Brad's Blog

NHL.COM story

Hale storm in the desert

Former Fighting Sioux defenseman David Hale has signed a two year contract with the Phoenix Coyotes. Hale is a stay at home defenseman that will add toughness to the Coyotes line up that is not afraid to stand up for a team mate.

GLENDALE, ARIZONA --- Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney announced today that the Coyotes have signed defenseman David Hale to a two-year contract. As per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Hale, 27, recorded two assists and 46 penalty minutes (PIM) in 58 regular season games with the Calgary Flames last season. He also appeared six playoff games for Calgary.

The 6-foot-1, 208-pound Hale began the 2006-07 season with New Jersey and appeared in 43 games for the Devils before being traded to Calgary on Feb. 27, 2007. Following the trade, he played in 11 regular season games and two playoff contests for Calgary.

In 215 career NHL games with New Jersey and Calgary, Hale has recorded 11 assists, 175 PIM and a plus-17 rating. The Colorado Springs, Colorado native has also collected two assists and 20 PIM in 17 career playoff games.

Hale was originally drafted by New Jersey in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2000 Entry Draft. He played three seasons of collegiate hockey at the University of North Dakota where he registered 10-16-26 and 191 PIM in 104 games. He was named a Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Third Team All-Star following his junior year and played in the 2001 NCAA National Championship Game as a freshman.

Matt Greene traded to the Kings

Thanks to Boosh for the heads up, it appears that his favorite player former Fighting Sioux defenseman Matt Greene has been traded to tinsel town.

The Edmonton Oilers have acquired defenceman Lubomir Visnovsky from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for defenceman Matt Greene and forward Jarret Stoll.

Oilers’ General Manager Kevin Lowe says, “Although it is tough to see good players and good people move on, we feel we’ve made a step towards improving our overall offense. Lubomir is a world-class defencemen who has been one of the premier offensive defencemen over the past five years.”

Toews going home to live with mom this summer.

I guess you can go home after spending a whirl wind season in the NHL. That is exactly what Former Sioux and current Chicago Blackhawk Jonathan Toews is going to do.

After a season in the spotlight, hometown hockey star Jonathan Toews is happy to return to Winnipeg for the summer -- even if it means moving back in with his folks.

"My mom always loves it when we come home," said Toews, who's just finished up his rookie season as a centre with the Chicaco Blackhawks. "Obviously, she misses us all year."

Toews arrived in Winnipeg on Monday for the first time since September, after competing with Team Canada in the IIHF World Hockey Championship in Quebec and Halifax.

"It's nice to be back home, and things have definitely changed for me around here," he said. "It's always one of those things you take in stride and enjoy."

Toews hopes to spend much of his summer in the city, catching up with friends and preparing for training. But it's not all rest and relaxation.

He'll also speak at an announcement this morning for the St. Boniface Hospital & Research Foundation's La Soirée Chocolatée Auction, a fundraiser chaired by his mother, Andrée Gilbert.

(read the whole story right here)

Toews Goal Voted Highlight of the Year

It has been announced on the Chicago Black Hawks team page that former Fighting Sioux star Jonathan Toew's fantastic, jaw dropping goal against the Avalanche was ranked as the number one highlight of the year.

The fans have spoken... Jonathan Toew’s amazing goal vs. the Avalanche at the United Center on Oct. 19 has been selected the highlight of the year in voting on chicagoblackhawks.com!

Check out this sweet versus Comercial; Toews leads it off.

This is a sweet commercial. I think Versus has some really good promos, while it is not ESPN I think the NHL on Versus has come a long way. I am sure most Sioux fans would agree that it is a pretty nice honor to see Jonathon Toews in this commercial with the likes of Lidstrom, Turco and Chara. Man how would he look in a Sioux jersey this season?

Last night the Rookie Jonathan Toews got his 20th goal of the season last night.

Hale vs Adams

Craig Adams and former Fighting Sioux David Hale go toe to toe.

David Clarkson vs Mike Commodore

This was a really short fight between New Jersey Tough Guy David Clarkson and former Fighting Sioux Mike Commodore, hey Mike it is easier to fight when you stay on your feet. According to hockeyfights.com Mike's fight record this season is 2-2-1.

Anthony Grieco leaves school.

What has been speculated all morning over on Sioux Sports and on Ryan Cardinal's WCHA blog is now official as Grand Forks Herald hockey writer
Brad Schlossman is reporting that Tony Grieco is leaving school and heading to the OHL.

Grieco headed to OHL By Brad Schlossman

Anthony Grieco, UND's backup goaltender, has left school and returned to Ontario, where he will play in the Ontario Hockey League, his father said Monday.

Grieco, an 18-year-old sophomore from Brampton, Ont., had not played this season for the Sioux. He saw action in eight games as a rookie, posting a 3-2-1 mark with a 3.49 goals-against average and .884 save percentage.

Grieco's father, Charlie, said it was essential for his son to get playing time as he recovered from a knee injury that he suffered at the end of last season.

"He needed some playing time or his skill level would be deteriorating," Charlie said.

Anthony will play for the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors, a team that drafted him in the 10th round in the 2004 OHL draft.

Anthony will play for the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors, a team that drafted him in the 10th round in the 2004 OHL draft.

Grieco drove through the night Sunday to return to Ontario, where he began practicing with the Majors this afternoon.

"He's built some really great relationships (at UND), so it was pretty emotional," Charlie said.

The departure leaves UND with two goaltenders starter Jean-Philippe Lamoureux and backup Aaron Walski. Lamoureux has started 32 consecutive games for the Sioux dating back to last season and was named the national player of the month in October by the Hockey Commissioners' Association.

"The team is playing solid and Phil has been playing well," Charlie said. "Being there a year and a half, (Anthony) needed playing time."

Grieco was a late addition to the roster last summer. He signed a letter of intent in June, just weeks before goaltender Jordan Parise freed up a roster spot by signing with the New Jersey Devils.

Grieco had been courted by the Majors throughout his tenure at UND, Charlie said.

Goon's World Perspective on the matter

While Grieco's numbers were not eye popping nor were they all-American like, I really did like what I saw with this kid. During the short tenure Grieco was here I thought he showed glimpses of greatness and promise, however, his juicy rebounds and a big five hole were also a big problem. I think Grieco's play against SCSU Huskies last season was huge as Grieco got 2 big wins against the Huskies while Phil was out, I also believe that it sort of saved UND's bacon. I can also see his side of this, the kid is young he wanted to play and decided to go to the OHL who wants his services. I also think he was rushed into the Fighting Sioux line up before we was ready or mature enough to handle the WCHA grind. It also seems that his mental prep wasn't very good. I believe that UND (who I liken to the FSU of college hockey) needs to employ a full time goalie coach, I believe that it would be very beneficial for the younger less seasoned goalies in the future. I wonder if UND could pry Howard away from the Badgers?

Funny thing Grieco is the first Fighting Sioux goalie over 6 feet in some time. Now the Sioux have an interesting dilemma, do they recruit a goalie and bring him in during the Christmas break Ala Josh Siembieda. What happens if Phil gets hurt? If I am not mistaken your supposed to have two goalies on the bench. Is Walski going to be able to carry the load if Phil gets hurt?