Thursday Links - Is the winter ever going to end addition???

Back Row (L to R): Jordan Parise (Pro Europe), Kyle Okposo (NY Islanders), Casey Boer (Carolina Hurricanes), Chris Porter (St. Louis Blues), Travis Zajac (NJ Devils), Paul Matin (Pittsburgh Penguins), Scott Bjugstad (Shooting Coach), Diane Ness, Troy Stevens Front Row (L to R): Troy Davenport, Chris Student (MN Gopher), Zach Parise (NJ Devils), Drew Staffor (Buffalo Sabres), Andy Ness

First off, RWD sent me this picture on Twitter and I must say that I am very disappointed in former Sioux forward Drew Stafford, I wouldn't be caught dead wearing that God awful Minnesota jersey. Noticed former Sioux Zach Parise with the correct wear on... :)

There are quite a few hockey related things out there that might be of interest to hockey fans. For those wondering about Chay Genoway and Carter Rowney, according the Sports Information Director for UND Fighting Sioux hockey Jayson Hajdu said that Chay Genoway made the trip but he won’t play on Friday night, Carter Rowney didn’t make the trip. Rowney was hurt during the Sunday game between BSU and UND.

N.D. Senate panel to hold Fighting Sioux hearing on Monday [Grand Forks Herald]

Here is an interesting article about college hockey. Fighting in hockey begins long before games [Boston Globe]

Air Force coach Frank Serratore says that the Atlantic Hockey Association playoff format is a joke and after looking at their league playoffs format I have to agree that it's a joke. It would be interesting to know who was the genius that designed that playoff format? [Gazette.com]

Dan Meyers from College Hockey News has his WCHA Playoff Prognostications posted. [College Hockey News]

If case you have haven't heard it yet Rob Port from sayanythingblog interviewed Terry Ree; the Sioux Indian half of the comedy team "the Indian and the White Guy," during the Scott Hennen show yesterday. [Click to listen to the Interview]

There was an interesting news tidbit that surfaced from that interview between Terry Ree and Rob Port, apparently the Indian and the White guy were in the process of being booked to perform at the Alerus in Grand Forks, however, the show was never finalized because of the Fighting Sioux nickname issue.

Grand Forks Herald --- Williams and Ree, the longtime comedy duo who bill themselves as “the Indian and the White Guy” and play off race for some of their material, were negotiating in February to play Grand Forks this month when UND’s Fighting Sioux nickname controversy apparently derailed the talks.

Williams and Ree frequently perform on Indian reservations as well as in Las Vegas and at other major venues. They performed two shows at the Spirit Lake Casino near Devils Lake on Feb. 28.

In a video clip posted on sayanythingblog.com, Ree talks about the unscheduled concert and his reaction when Battle told him the engagement would not happen – but might if they agreed not to make references to Indians.

“When I pulled myself up off the floor and stopped laughing, I told him yeah, we’ll do it.”

He hinted, though, that the performance might have included some new material drawn from the UND nickname fight.

“I was going to hang this son of a bitch out to dry, any moron who could be that narrow-minded,” he said.

“I don’t know any Indian that doesn’t like Fighting Sioux,” Ree said in the undated video. “I don’t know any. I’m a Sioux and I think it’s a hell of a deal. I like to see that Indian head on there.”

Bloggers who favor keeping the nickname and logo have been citing the incident as evidence of “political correctness” influencing the debate.

If this isn’t an example of political correctness run amuck I don’t know what is? There is no other way they can spin this.

According to Roman Augustoviz @eyeonupuk  the Minnesota Rule is still in affect... I guess the WCHA front office figures that Minnesota fans won't take time off work like the rest of us other WCHA hockey fans to go to the Final Five if their team had to play in the afternoon game.

That being said, I wouldn't worry about this yet since their is still a good chance that Minnesota Gophers wont make the Final Five anyways. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that If UMN has to play the SCSU Huskies I could see their season ending at Mariucci Arena, just a hunch. If I am wrong Gopher fans  can send me love letters at the end of the playoffs. What are the Gophers going to do when the Big Ten Hockey Conference no longer fawns over them like the WCHA front office does.

Also checked on the Gophers' rule at the Final Five. It's still alive. If Gophers get in, they will play in night session on Thurs.

And if they win first game, Gophers also will play at night on Fri. Theory there is, Gophers fans will flock to X after work both nites.

Darren Dreger has a new up date on the Coyotes situation.  [TSN.COM]

Here is what Trevor Gillies had to say about his attempted decapitation of Cal Clutterbuck; "I went over and finished my hit," Gillies told Newsday. "There was no intent to injure him. I saw him hit DiBo, and I made a hit on him. That's it." [Star Tribune]

It amazes me that Islander fans can defend the hit by Trevor Gillies. [Light House Hockey]

Tuesday Linkorama – shuffling through the B.S.

There is a lot of news in college hockey this week. It’s the dog days of winter, no pun intended since three of our teams in the WCHA are named after dogs, Huskies (X2) and Bulldogs. The Huskies (X2) aren’t having very good seasons but the Bulldogs are coming off a three point weekend against the not so Golden Gophers. Mike Connolly had a magical night in Duluth as he lit the lamp 5 times. s/t Ciskie blog

Contrary to what Delusions of Grandeur says the story that he has linked on his blog was an A.P story that was posted on the Herald site and was not what was printed in the Grand Forks Herald. Hell, let’s not let facts get in the way of a good blog post. His latest dissertation is really a piece of work as well. If the state of North Dakota is so bad, why do I see a humongous boat parade every fall from Minnesota?

delusions of grandeur - a delusion (common in paranoia) that you are much greater and more powerful and influential than you really are delusion, psychotic belief - (psychology) an erroneous belief that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary megalomania - a psychological state characterized by delusions of grandeur

Chuck Schwartz from 60 Minutes, No Alibis, No Regrets has his latest addition of Bracketology up and he has the Sioux in St Louis playing the BU Terriers followed by the winner of the DU and Notre Dame game. That would be a region of death in my opinion.

Without a Peer has the Fighting Sioux out east playing in Manchester as a number two seed against Michigan with the winner getting WMU and or University of no hardware UNH. Personally unless UND stumbles down the stretch I see UND finishing as a one seed and not a two seed playing out east. Just my humble opinion, but you never know with the NCAA.

According to Mike Chambers DU's freshman hockey class is as good as advertised, I would have to agree. I hope the Wild sign Zucker after the Pioneers lose in the first round of the NCAA tourney. [Denver Post]

The Bemidji State University Beavers ended a seven-game losing streak to the Purple Cows Mavericks dating back to the 2006-07 season. The Mavericks won the first night on a goal by Bemidji boy Channing Boe in overtime. The Mavericks won game one 2-1.