Two Games, Two Majors, Joey LaLeggia & Brandon Thompson Get Tossed

For Denver defenseman Joey LaLeggia the box score will read.

DEN-3 Joey LaLeggia (5-Contact to the Head) (Served by Matt Marcinew) PRV 2x4 10:37
DEN-4 Joey LaLeggia (10-Disqualification).

For Brandon Thompson the box score will read.

RIT 05:43 Brandon Thompson: Checking From Behind
RIT 05:43 Brandon Thompson: Game Misconduct

After watching the video, what do you think?

NCHC Final Award Nominees and Redwing77's Predictions

By Redwing77

I haven't posted in a while and I thought I'd do this.  The NCHC announced its award finalists today.  I'm going to go through and give my opinion on as many of the nominees as I feel comfortable opining upon and finish each section up with my predicted winner.

Herb Brooks Coach of the Year Award

Finalist #1:  Dean Blais (UNO).  You can't really argue with his body of work over most of the regular season.  UNO was pretty dominant despite not having a real star studded lineup.  Ryan Massa returned from personal problems to be every other teams' personnel problem.  He was very hard to beat for most of the year.  Freshmen Tyler Vesel, Jake Randolph, and defenseman Luke Snuggerud were very nice surprises coming directly from the USHL (coincidentally all from the Omaha Lancers) and Austin Ortega was everything advertised.  Blais is no stranger to these types of awards.  Most UND fans who were around during Blais' tenure will attest to how good of a coach he is.  Oh yeah, going 12-8-4-3 with one of the youngest teams in the nation tends to garner attention too.

Finalist #2:  Dave Hakstol (UND).  Not bad for all the "he should be fired" crowd, eh?  He led UND to the Penrose Cup and won it by 6 points.  His team is among the NCAA leaders in a variety of statistical categories.  That being said, most coaches who win the conference regular season title will be on this list.

Finalist #3:  Scott Sandelin (UMD).  Despite finishing 5th in the NCHC, UMD is top 6 in the nation in ranking.  His team plays well and is a very solid opponent.

My Prediction:  I'd LOVE for it to be Dave Hakstol, but my feeling is that it will be Dean Blais.  For most of the season, it was neck and neck with UND and Miami for the Penrose and he did it with a younger team that was picked to finish 6th in preseason NCHC polls.

NCHC Rookie of the Year Award

Finalist #1:  Louie Belpedio (D - Miami):  I do not know much about this player.  However, according to his stats, he's done quite well.  10 points, +7, 21 blocked shots.  Not at all bad.

Finalist #2:  Patrick Russell (F - SCSU):  10g-10a-20pts.  He won 3 Rookie of the Week honors.  He was very noticable on the ice.

Finalist #3:  Danton Heinen (F- DU):  Heinen was the only of the three players listed I looked up as to where he came from (Surrey of the BCHL).  What a diamond find for the Pios.  Rookie of the Month and 4x Rookie of the Week winner, he led all rookie skaters in points.  His 26 points not only led all rookies but was good for 3rd overall in the conference.

My Prediction:  Hard for it NOT to be Heinen, so I will play it safe and say Danton Heinen.

NCHC Goaltender of the Year Award

Finalist #1:  Ryan Massa (UNO):  2nd team All Conference, great stats, miserable to play against.  League-best .933 Save% and 2nd best 2.12 GAA.  Nominee for the Mike Richter Award.  He is the only senior up for this award.

Finalist #2:  Zane McIntyre (UND):  Junior goaltender led the NCHC in win percentage (.708), wins (16), and saves (704).  First Team All Conference.  Mike Richter nominee.  2nd only to Massa in Save Percentage (.931).

Finalist #3:  Kasimir Kaskisuo (UMD):  A freshman.  How about out of the gate good?  24 starts (only other to do that is McIntyre), .918 Save%, and 2.27 GAA.  Again, as a freshman.  (As an aside:  How can he be a finalist for this award and NOT be a finalist for the NCHC Rookie of the Year award?)

My Prediction:  Zane McIntyre (UND).  Best goaltender in the NCHC and a big reason (perhaps THE reason) why UND is where it is.

NCHC Forward of the Year Award

Finalist #1:  Jonny Brodzinski (SCSU):  Rocket shot, 13 goals (tied for first), 2 game winners, NCHC leading Power Play scorer.  Patrick Russell may be "tomorrow" but Brodzinski is definitely TODAY. 13g-10a for just under 1 point per game in 24 games.  First Team All Conference

Finalist #2:  Austin Czarnik (Miami):  A measely 4 goals on the year (3 in one game ... 2 short handed..  against UND ARGH!!!!) but is among the NCAA leaders in assists (he led the NCHC in assists with 22). Second Team All Conference.  46 points in 24 games means over 1 PPG.

Finalist #3:  Trevor Moore (DU):  Sophomore.  First Team All Conference.  13g-17a-30pts.  Tied for league lead in goals but won the scoring title outright.  NCHC best +15 as well.

My Prediction: This one is hard.  I want to say Trevor Moore and it wouldn't be far fetched, but I'm going to go with Brodzinski.

NCHC Defenseman of the Year Award and Offensive Defensemen Awards

Look at the stats folks.  It's going to be Laleggia and it's not even close (13 point difference to be exact).

Defensive Forward of the Year

Czarnik reappears to join DU's Doremus and UND's Mark MacMillan.  Defensive statistics for Czarnik and MacMillan are virtually identical (2 shorties, 17 blocked shots with +/- being a bit different).

My Prediction:  Ok, I'm going full homer on this one because I honestly don't know who will win this one so I'll go with Mark MacMillan (UND).  All 3 are deserving in my opinion.

NCHC Player of the Year

Jonny Brodzinski (SCSU), Joey LaLeggia (DU), and Zane McIntyre (UND) are the finalists.  I'm going to go right to my prediction on this one and say it is Joey LaLeggia (DU).  YES, I know that McIntyre has been THE man all year but how often does a player who DOESN'T SCORE win the big award?  LaLeggia has the vote.  Look:  Best offensive defenseman by a LONG SHOT, great on defense.  He's the total package this year.  An opportunity to give the big award to a defensive player who can score.  Zane gets snubbed.

DU could be the biggest winner in the amount of awards won this year.

Just my two cents.

THN Top 50 NCAA Players

Prospect expert @THNRyanKennedy counts down the top 50 NCAA players you need to know this season: http://t.co/pv5rmqCPkb
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) October 3, 2014

The Hockey News has ranked the top 50 NCAA Hockey players and 14 (.28%) are from the NCHC. Three of them are from the University of North Dakota. 

8. Riley Barber, Miami – Incredible offensive prowess has boosted the Washington pick’s stock since he came to RedHawks; look for more of the same from the junior.

9. Jordan Schmaltz, North Dakota – St. Louis first-rounder is a maturing, mobile defenseman who doubled his points as a sophomore last season.

12. Nick Schmaltz, North Dakota – Jordan’s younger bro joins him in Grand Forks. The Chicago first-rounder is blessed with a number of sick offensive moves.

17. Jonny Brodzinski, St. Cloud State – Gifted goal-scorer will once again light the lamp large for the Huskies; he’s a Los Angeles selection.

21. Evan Cowley, Denver – With Sam Brittain gone, Cowley can put his stamp on the crease with the Pios. The big netminder is a Florida pick.

27. Jake Guentzel, Nebraska-Omaha – Smaller Pittsburgh pick had an outstanding freshman season with the Mavs and they’ll need his playmaking prowess again.

28. Andy Welinski, Minnesota-Duluth – Mobile Anaheim pick with great size led the Bulldogs in points from the blueline as a sophomore.

33. Zane McIntyre, North Dakota – Boston prospect formerly named “Gothberg,” will hold down the fort in net for UND as the team eyes a national title.

34. Jaccob Slavin, Colorado College – The Carolina prospect is much bigger than he was when the Canes drafted him and he plays all situations on the back end.

35. Quentin Shore, Denver – The third of four hockey brothers, Shore is an Ottawa prospect who brings some nice scoring punch back to the lineup.

38. Paul LaDue, North Dakota – A late-blooming defenseman snagged by Los Angeles as a depth pick, LaDue was great as a freshman, grabbing all-conference rookie honors.

40. Teemu Kivihalme, Colorado College – Incoming freshman boasts a crazy set of wheels from the blueline; he’s a Nashville pick.

45. Aidan Muir, Western Michigan – Raw Edmonton project kicks off his college career in Kalamazoo; 

50. Joey LaLeggia, Denver – The skilled offensive blueliner is an Edmonton pick primed to put up big numbers as a senior.

Related articles

• Predictions for the 2014-15 NCHC Hockey Season
• UND Hockey: Zane McIntyre Selected to Preseason All-Conference Team

NCHC Shootout numbers

Today, I was bored and the topic of the Shootout has had a lot of discussion as of late. Some of the discussion has been in favor of the shootout and, others have down right slammed it.  I am in favor of the shootout, I think it’s a good way to settle “regular” season games that are tied after regulation and after the overtime is over.

Yesterday, Vancouver Canucks head coach John Tortrella said, "That gimmick should be out of the league."

November 8, 2013: Denver vs. C.C. Denver wins in a shootout against C.C. 2-1 in two rounds.

Shootout goals DU: Joey LaLeggia (1-1), David Makowski (1-1).

Shootout Goals C.C.:  0

Shootout Records DU: Joey LaLeggia (1-1), David Makowski (1-1)

Shootout Record: C.C.:  Charlie Taft (0-1), Alexander Krushelnyski (0-1)

DU Shootout Record 1-0 – C.C. Shootout Record 0-1

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November 22, 2013: SCSU vs. C.C., The Tigers win in a shootout against the Huskies 3-2 in three rounds.

Shootout goals C.C.:  Scott Wamsqanz (1-1)

Shootout goals SCSU: 0

SCSU shootout record: Joey Benik (0-1), David Morely (0-1), Kalle Kossila (0-1).

C.C. shootout record: Scott Wamsganz (1-1), Alexander Krushelnyski (0-1).

C.C. Shootout Record 1-1 – SCSU Shootout Record: 0-1

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December 7, 2013: UNO vs. C.C., the UNO Mavericks win in a shootout win against the Tigers (4-3) in four rounds.

Shootout goals UNO Mavericks:  Josh Archibald 1-1, Ryan Walters 1-1

Shootout goals C.C. Tigers: Alexander Krushelnyski (1-1)

Shootout records C.C. Tigers: Alexander Krushelnyski (1-3), Scott Wamsganz (1-1), Alex Roos (0-1), Jordan DiGiando (0-1), Jordan Slaven (0-1), Charlie Taft (0-1).

Shootout record UNO Mavericks: Josh Archibald (1-1), Ryan Walters (1-1), Michael Young (0-1), Johnnie Searfoss (0-1).

C.C. Shootout Record: 1-2 – UNO Shootout Record: 1-0

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As you can see by the data, there’s hasn’t been a lot of shootouts in the NCHC this season. They’re just not occurring with very much frequency. Ironically, there have been three shootouts in NCHC play and Colorado College has been involved in all of them.

Shootout Standings

UNO 1-0

DU 1-0

C.C. 1-2

SCSU 0-1 

Updated: Goon's 2012-13 Blogger All-WCHA Awards Poll

Western Collegiate Hockey Association logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A Tradition of Excellence Blog, a hockey blog dedicated to UND hockey, distributed a ballot for the Second Annual 2012-13 Blogger/Website All-WCHA Awards Poll to the various fan bloggers and fan message boards from around the WCHA.

The voters were asked to pick the first, second, third and rookie teams just like the WCHA voters from the media. We also picked the player of the year, rookie of the year, defensive player of the year and coach of the year.

The ballots had to be back by today (3/14/2013).  

This is the ballot that I submitted, I stand by this ballot. Your critique is appreciated and welcome; however, if your sole purpose is to attack me, you might want to think twice before posting.

You’re also welcome to include your ballot as well if you want.

Everyone sees the game of hockey a little differently and through a different scope/lens.

First off, this was a tough year, there are so many good players that could have been selected to be on this year’s ballot and I know from posting this ballot on my blog; in some fans’ opinion, I have slighted their favorite player(s).

To those people, I apologize.

For the most part, I have been able to watch most if not all of the players in the WCHA this season. This past weekend, I was able to get a closer look at the Minnesota Gophers live in Bemidji, Minnesota.

In my opinion, Nate Schmidt (8g-22a—30tps) is the best defenseman in the WCHA, if I was a Gophers fan I would be worried, the free agent is going to get offers from professional hockey teams in the offseason. Schmidt is the real deal.

I also think that Ryan Walters (21g-29a—50tps) is the hands down favorite for Players of the Year in the WCHA. Ryan Walters is also the real deal and will garner free agent offers from professional hockey teams in the offseason as well.

My pick for Rookie of the year is Jonny Brodzinski (19g-11a—30pts), this is the same kid that only scored (10g-12a—22pts) in 58 games with the Fargo Force of the USHL the year before. Brodzinski, the undrafted 6’1’ 200 pound forward from Ham Lake Minnesota is becoming an unstoppable force on the ice and the Huskies are 17-6-1 when he scores at least a point.  

Bob Moztko had this to say about his rookie forward after a series earlier this season, when he [Brodzinski] shoots the puck people are going to start see that it’s a big league shot, and it’s just deadly – he’s a big strong kid – he gets open, he reminds me of a kid [Matt Frattin] they had here a couple of years ago – a kid that shot every time he had the puck.”

Coach of the year, I thought Mike Hastings earned the award with his team’s finish, especially after finishing 11^th, the year before. I can see an argument for Bob Motzko from Saint Cloud State as well, but they had a lot of returning players, so the Huskies winning the league title this season wasn’t really a shock to anyone.

All-WCHA First Team

F – Corban Knight, UND

F – Ryan Walters, UNO

F – Erik Haula, UMN  

D – Nate Schmidt, UMN

D – Joey LaLeggia, DU

G – Stephon Williams, MSU

All-WCHA Second Team

F – Drew LeBlanc, SCSU

F – Danny Kristo, UND

F – Rylan Schwartz, C.C.

D – Mike Bovin C.C.

D – Nick Jensen, SCSU

G – Adam Wilcox, UMN

All-WCHA Third Team

F – Matt Leitner, MSU

F – Alexander Krushelnyski, C.C.

F – Nic Dowd, SCSU

D – Andrew Prochno, SCSU

D – Dillon Simpson, UND

G – Joel Rumpel, UW

All-WCHA Rookie Team

F – Rocco Grimaldi, UND

F – Alex Petan, MTU

F – Jonny Brodzinski, SCSU

D – Nolan Zajac, DU

D – Jordan Schmaltz, UND

G – Zane Gothberg, UND

WCHA Player of the Year – Ryan Walters, UNO

WCHA Defensive Player of the Year – Nate Schmidt, UMN

WCHA Rookie of the Year – Jonny Brodzinski, SCSU

WCHA Coach of the Year – Mike Hastings, MSU

*WCHA Goaltender of the Year will be the First Team Goaltender

Cross-posted at the Hockey Writers Combine.