Canada is About to get Krzyznasty

Earlier today Hockey Canada announced their women's hockey roster that will be competing in this year's IIHF Four Nations Cup this November and UND sophomore defender Halli Krzyzaniak was one of the seven defenders named to the roster.

In her first season at UND, the Neepawa, Manitoba native did not miss a single game for UND on the blue line and was a huge factor when it came to positive plays. With 10 points and a plus 12 rating, the very disciplined defender is a key point to the UND blue line and will likely be the same for Canada as well.

The IIHF Four Nations Cup Will start on November 4 and will take place in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. Congratulations to Halli and best of luck to you on your first stint with the big club in Canada.

Dufault, Kohler, Krzyzaniak UND's Now, Canada's Future

The UND Women's Hockey Team  has had its fair share of dynamic players and probably none better than two time Olympic silver medalists Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux. However, there are three players on the roster who are leading the way for UND and are the future of Canadian Women's Hockey. Becca Kohler, Meghan Dufault, and Halli Krzyzaniak have done everything to solidify them in Hockey Canada's future plans.

This past weekend, the trio put their skills on display in UND's sweep against Mankato. Kohler tallied up five points this weekend and was named WCHA offensive player of the week. Her play out front of the net is some of the best in the country and look for her to do big things this season as UND looks to charge back into the NCAA tournament.

As for Meghan Dufault, she has been getting big line minutes since coming to UND, showing that size isn't everything, it's heart. Her hat trick this past Friday night is just a little example of her big time play on the ice. She is always someone you expect to produce and no matter what you throw in front of her, she usually gets at least one point out of a weekend.

Dufault also put on a show at Canada's development camp this past summer, stealing the show on offense and turning the heads of the women's hockey community, all be it no surprise to me.

Halli Krzyzaniak is the workhorse on the blue line for UND. Although Tanja Eisenschmid may be seen as the top defender in a UND uniform right now, Krzyzaniak is much to UND as Ryan Suter is to the Minnesota Wild. You will always find her on the ice at key points of the game, and will rarely take a penalty or make a costly mistake. She does not score often, but that's not her role with UND. She does have that ability, which is a nice added bonus with her, but her strength to play big minutes will only make the UND

blue line that much better.

These three have what it takes to take their games to the next level. Hockey Canada should be put on alert because there is a green wave about to take over in the likes of Dufault, Kohler, and Krzyzaniak, in the very near future.

Dufault Remains Hot with Two Goal Performance

Game two in the Canadian Women's Hockey Development Camp saw much of the same from game one, and that is team Yellow beating team Blue by a multiple goal margin with a score of 4-1. Team Blue would score the game's first goal, but Yellow came storming back, scoring four unanswered.

UND junior forward, Meghan Dufault, is showing why she belongs at this camp by scoring two more goals, helping solidify another team Yellow victory. She is showing all of Canada that size isn't everything in women's hockey, it's heart and a want to win the game. Halli Krzyzaniak also played once again, but held off the score sheet as she was in the previous game.

With the outstanding summer play of the two athletes, especially Dufault being able to find the net more and more, just makes the upcoming season look that much more promising for UND. Now I know it takes more than two players to change the outcome of a team, but two dynamic players on each side of the puck might be just what the locker room needs to find themselves back in the NCAA tournament for the first time in the post Lamoureux era.

Dufault, Krzyzaniak Take Part in Canada Development Camp

After a long summer of no women's hockey news to report, we finally get a taste of some with Meghan Dufault and Halli Krzyzaniak participating in Canada's development camp. Junior Becca Kohler was also invited, but was unable to attend this camp.

Today saw team Blue, with Halli Krzyzaniak, go against team Yellow, with Meghan Dufault. Krzyzaniak was held relatively quiet on the stat sheet with zeros across the board today in her team's 3-1 loss to team yellow. However, Dufault

was able to find her way on the score sheet as she opened up the games scoring to put team yellow up 1-0.

Even though Kohler was unable to attend this camp, I believe that her, along with Dufault and Krzyzaniak, will be a big part of Canada's women's hockey future. These three have the talent to take their games to the next level after they are done with the NCAA squad. It is going to be very exciting to see how their games progress over the next two seasons for Kohler and Dufault, and three for Krzyzaniak.

The Junior Hockey News: Fighting To Be Removed From Junior Hockey By The Start Of 2015 Season

#487239747 / gettyimages.com

Here some interesting, and breaking news that just popped up on twitter today. It looks like junior hockey is going to ban fighting, or make it less prevalent in their hockey games. I am sure the Anti-Fighting Cabal will be happy with this move. I am torn, and I am not sure what to think about this.

The Junior Hockey News --- TJHN has learned from multiple sources that USA Hockey is working in conjunction with Hockey Canada on a plan to remove fighting from Junior Hockey no later than the start of the 2015 – 2016 season.

In October of 2013, the Canadian Junior Hockey League, which is the governing body for the ten Junior A hockey leagues, voted to ban fighting starting in the 2014-2015 season.

In essence a player that fights will automatically receive a game ejection where as in the past a player would receive a five minute major penalty. Some CJHL leagues began instituting escalating suspensions for players who continually found themselves in fights this past season.

In January at the USA Hockey annual meeting a proposal was presented that would call for an automatic game ejection, and an automatic two game suspension for those players that instigate fights.

Since January, USA Hockey and Hockey Canada have been in talks discussing how the two governing bodies can work together toward making these rules standardized for both countries. The goal is to eliminate all fighting by the beginning of the 2015 season.

While the elimination of fighting may sound good to some, a rule will not totally eliminate fighting. There will still be fights in Junior Hockey, but the rules being discussed will place escalating, and very severe penalties for those who continue to fight.

Sunday Evening Links: Hockey is Just Around the Corner.

Czech NHL player Jaromír Jágr (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Newly acquired, Jaromir Jagr has indicated that this year could be his last season in the NHL. This will be Jagr's 20th season in the NHL and he will turn 42 in February.

Team Canada's players have started to arrive for the start of Hockey Canada's Olympic orientation camp.

Tim Bourcier of the Hockey Writers caused quite a stir with this post. Caps Back to Early Playoff Exit Status with Grabovski Signing. You can read the reaction to this post here and then Tim's response here. Good stuff.

A Tradition of Excellence has some good new tidbits on his Sunday Afternoon Post.

37 days 'till guys that play with torn rib cartilage, broken ribs, separated shoulders & punctured lungs go pic.twitter.com/2NW3OXkrcZ
— John Buccigross (@Buccigross) August 25, 2013

Over at the ESPN Sports Nation, they asked which team will win the Stanley Cup in 2013-14? My pick next season is the Detroit Redwings and no, I am not sucking up to Redwing77.

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CHL to have a players union

Canadian Hockey League (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This article caught my attention and is worth a read if you haven't seen it.

I wonder what kind of grievances you will see filed in regards to the education packages and compensation? I wonder if that zinger is too soon.

Mike Davies, Peterborough Examiner --- A union for Canadian Hockey League players has been in the works for 14 months and will soon go public, says a spokeswoman.

Sandra Slater, a consultant for the Canadian Hockey League Players Association (CHLPA), expects the group to go public within 10 days. The CHLPA aims to create better representation for junior hockey players regarding rights, education packages and compensation for their use in league branding as well as CHL and Hockey Canada events, particularly, the World Junior Hockey Championship.A union for Canadian Hockey League players has been in the works for 14 months and will soon go public, says a spokeswoman.

Sandra Slater, a consultant for the Canadian Hockey League Players Association (CHLPA), expects the group to go public within 10 days. The CHLPA aims to create better representation for junior hockey players regarding rights, education packages and compensation for their use in league branding as well as CHL and Hockey Canada events, particularly, the World Junior Hockey Championship.

“The CHL is big business. They make millions of dollars a year and these kids make it for them,” said Slater. “Hockey Canada is a big part of this as well.”

If a 60 per cent majority of players accept the union, Slater says the CHL will have no choice but to recognize it by law.

“We're hoping to have a good working relationship,” she said.

It also sounds like some of the same arguments that you hear surrounding the NCAA are also being talked about by the CHL players. Some have argued that college and universities should play the NCAA players especially in NCAA football and basketball because their schools makes so much off of the fruits of their labor.

D'Agostini said a QMJHL player he trains with mentioned it one day but that's the extent of his knowledge. He admits to mixed feelings. He says players should be compensated for the use of their image and he wouldn't turn down more money but he says: “I can't complain about the things I have gotten out of this league. The experience of playing for Team Canada. Playing in the Subway Series. You're always decked out in nice gear and are given free stuff. I'm sure I have gone through thousands of dollars worth of hockey sticks alone. I know I have been well taken care of. I don't know what to say.”

Changes coming to NCAA Hockey Recruiting?

Image via WikipediaRWD favorite beat writer Brad Elliott Schlossman has a very good article about the letter of intent and the college hockey recruits being poached by the CHL teams until after they have played their freshman year.

I honestly don’t know how they are going to get the CHL to honor those agreements? I don’t think the NCAA is going to get the CHL to agree to that. Why should they? I can’ t see the London Knight’s caring about a blue chip recruit signing a letter of intent to play for a division I college hockey team. It didn't seem to stop the Plymouth Whalers, because J.T. Miller had signed an LOI to play for UND. How did that end up working out for us? Obviously, they didn't care one bit. The thing I would want to know is how much money changed hands on that deal.

Brad Schlossman, Grand Forks Herald --- College Hockey Inc., is working to enact legislation — either with the oversight of the NHL or through the transfer agreement between USA Hockey and Hockey Canada — to bar Canadian major junior teams from stealing a player who has signed a letter of intent until after the player’s freshman year.

And while this is happening, there is a behind-the-scenes movement by some coaches to try to ditch the longstanding gentleman’s agreement between coaches that they won’t recruit players that have made verbal commitments.

If either happens, letters of intent will become big deals to the college hockey world.

The Canadian Hockey League, which routinely tries to poach college players and recruits, is driving these developments to an extent.

I am going to get some flak for this because there are a lot of fans college hockey fans that are against CHL players playing in NCAA Division I hockey once they have played in the CHL.

I am all for it. Why not let them play in the NCAA? I think the NCAA should reevaluate this stance, I think that this policy is out dated and wrong.

I would have no problem with allowing a player that has played hockey in the CHL play in the NCAA if they haven't reached their 19th birthday. The CIS teams don't seem to have a problem with these players playing for their teams and NCAA teams play them in the exhibition games at the beginning of the season.

Maybe that kid was recruited to go to the CHL when he is 16 and he has a change of heart and decides that he would like to play in the college ranks and get his college education. Why not allow him to play for an NCAA Division I team? 

Personally, I would have no problem with an NCAA college team going up to Canada or to a CHL team in the USA and recruiting one of their players to play in Division I hockey. The CHL is actively recruiting our players right now as we speak.They don't seem to care what our players have signed.

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