Bruins ranked 5th and Wild 21st in power rankings.

Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated has the NHL power rankings up. Interesting the Stanley Cup first round chokers the San Jose Sharks are ranked second. In my opinion I think that the Wild and Kings and Leafs should be ranked higher than they are.
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (45-28-9)
2. San Jose Sharks (53-18-11)
3. Detroit Red Wings (51-21-10)
4. Philadelphia Flyers (44-27-11)
5. Boston Bruins (53-19-10)--- GM Peter Chiarelli took care of business, re-signing Vezina-winner Tim Thomas, breakout star David Krejci and vet Mark Recchi, but the B's will be hard-pressed to hold on to the top spot in the East without leading scorer Phil Kessel. The two sides aren't close and may not come to terms until midseason, when Phil The Thrill is expected back after offseason surgery.
6. Chicago Blackhawks (46-24-12)
7. Calgary Flames (46-30-6)
8. Carolina Hurricanes (45-30-7)
9. Anaheim Ducks (42-33-7)
10. Vancouver Canucks (45-27-10)
11. Washington Capitals (50-24-8)
12. New Jersey Devils (51-27-4)--- Will Brian Rolston regain his touch under new/old coach Jacques Lemaire? Will David Clarkson break through as former Fighting Sioux Travis Zajac did last season? Who will replace Brian Gionta and John Madden? Lots of questions surround the Devils, including what they'll look like under Lemaire, who returns to the swamp after eight years in Minnesota. But as long as that Brodeur kid stays healthy, they're still a threat to win the Atlantic.
13. St. Louis Blues (41-31-10)
14. Edmonton Oilers (38-35-9)
15. Columbus Blue Jackets (41-31-10)
16. Dallas Stars (36-35-11)
17. New York Rangers (43-30-9)
18. Montreal Canadiens (41-30-11)
19. Ottawa Senators (36-35-11)
20. Buffalo Sabres (41-32-9)
21. Minnesota Wild (40-33-9)--- Too low? Maybe. Tough to say what this group will look like under new coach Todd Richards (ex-San Jose assistant), but the betting is that they'll risk moving out of the right-hand lane on occasion. Do they have the horsepower to handle life in the fast lane? The loss of Marian Gaborik was potentially offset by the signing of Martin Havlat, but new blueliners Greg Zanon and Shane Hnidy are ill-suited for an uptempo passing game.
22. Los Angeles Kings (34-37-11)
23. Nashville Predators (40-34-8)
24. Toronto Maple Leafs (34-35-13) ---- It didn't take GM Brian Burke long to recast the Leafs in his image. He snared prized FA goalie Jonas Gustavsson and added some junkyard bite to protect him by signing Mike Komisarek and Francois Beachemin and trading for Garnet Exelby. Now he has to turn one (or more) of his nine defenders into a top-six forward. The Leafs scored a respectable 250 goals last season, but any team that counts on former Fighting Sioux Jason Blake to be its top weapon clearly needs help.
25. Tampa Bay Lightning (24-40-18)
26. Florida Panthers (41-30-11)
27. New York Islanders (26-47-9)
28. Atlanta Thrashers (35-41-6)
29. Colorado Avalanche (32-45-5)
30. Phoenix Coyotes (36-39-7)

Save UAH Hockey.

As well all know earlier this week the CCHA has denied UAH's application for membership in the CCHA. In response to that awful misguided decision here is a new college hockey blog that might be worth your time to check out [Save UAH Hockey] The new college hockey blog it is maintained by Geof F. Morris and there will probably be a few posts from the guy that wrote the great retort to UAF AD Forrest Carr. There is also a twitter page for this blog. [Twitter.comsaveuahhockey] There is also a new face book page [Save-UAH-Hockey] there are currently 1,033 members already when I signed up there were like 750.

Dany Heatley to the Wild?

I saw this rumor over the Hockey Wilderness. I have to wonder about this rumor. First last night there was a rumor floating around the Internet that had the Wild trading their star defenseman Bret Burns to Senators in a package deal for Heatley. However, there was nothing about this rumor over on Russo Rant's. Michael Russo is ussually dialed in on what is going on with the Minnesota Wild. One rumor that was floating around last night had Burns going to the Senators but now the rumor has been squashed. Now the rumor is Koivu being traded in a package deal to the Senators for Heatley. I don't know if I can see Koivu being traded. The fact that it's on Hockey Buzz makes it less credible than if it had come from TSN, or Russo.

Here we sit, the night before the deadline in the Dany Heatley sweepstakes and it sounds like the Minnesota Wild have tabled an offer that will be tough for Murray to turn down. While the proposed deal does not include stud defenceman Brent Bruns, it does apparently include Mikko Koivu, Nick Schultz and Tyler Cuma. Rumours are there would be other pieces involved both on Ottawa's end as well as Minnesota's. Sounds like the swap could include a salary dump on Ottawa's end and potentially Colton Gillies coming back from Minnesota. By all indications there is a very solid offer coming from Minnesota although Ottawa is trying to see if they can include Martin Havlat in the package. Even if the Wild decide not to include Havlat, they will still have a very legitimate offer on the table for Heatley. [SensChirp]

Check out this post

This was in the comments section of the Newsminer.com article about the CCHA not accepting the UAH Chargers. It kind of addresses the CCHA's claims and shoots holes in them. Like I said before I smell bullshit and this stinks to the high heavens. I could throw a bunch of clichés around to but I won't, the glass houses one would really fit though.

I am a photographer for the UAH hockey program. To say that we were stunned by the decision of the CCHA yesterday is an understatement. To read this article and see the words spoken by Mr. Karr has only added to it. While he may have been speaking generally, he makes some very specific claims that has infuriated not only those of us in the Charger nation, but college hockey fans as a whole.

For starters, how much more commitment must a team entering it's 31st season and 25th at the varsity level have to show? UAH has bent over backwards to show it's commitment to the sport and to the CCHA. We've brought every AD in to tour our facility and campus. We've given presentation after presentation showing our school, fans, and community's commitment to the sport. Committed? You'll be hard pressed to find anyone more committed than the Chargers.

Our agreement with the Von Braun Center has never been stronger. And it has never been an issue throughout the 31 years that UAH has played there. Despite our sometimes lousy start times, we get preferential treatment from the facility. Even so far as the semi-pro team that shares the facility has to play second fiddle to our schedule on the VBC's insistence.

Low attendance? According to the USCHO we had 20 fewer butts in the seats than UAF last season. And the really interesting thing there is the Nanooks had twice as many home contests as we did. Similar story with Notre Dame. In fact the only teams that pack them in more than UAH did during the same period are Michigan, Michigan State, UNO (who is leaving the CCHA anyway), Ohio State and Northern Michigan. And that was with twice as many home games.

As to the statement that we are not in a major recruiting market, who is anymore? The sport has grown to a point where kids are coming from all over, not just the traditional locales of before. Players are coming out of Texas, Florida, California, and even Alabama. If the statement by Mr. Karr had any semblance of truth to it then every NCAA D-I school would be based in the provinces of Canada.

And finally the economic/student welfare/long bus trip trifecta. This is probably the greatest red herring of the stated reasons for denial. UAH had already committed to paying for teams to travel to Huntsville just as UAF and UAA do. From what I have been told it is comparable to what your program pays for opponents to come to Fairbanks. Combine this with the fact that Huntsville is only 34 miles farther away from CCHA schools than UNO is and every stated reason for our denial is a wash.

Are we mad? One shouldn't have to ask. Are we mad at Mr. Karr? Not necessarily. While he may bear the brunt of anger, until we know for certain how he voted, any anger towards him is simply venting out of frustration. What we are angry at is those statements which I hope you now understand to be complete and utter garbage. For Mr. Karr's part I hope he did vote to allow us in.

More UAH.

In an e-mail, Anastos said major issues of concern for the CCHA Council included economics, facilities and location. As you can see that is a really flimsy argument and a child could shoot holes in it.

This blog post will poke a few holes in the facilities and location argument for the reason on why the CCHA denied UAH. All you have to do is look at the web page on the Von Braun Center. I have talked to many people that have been there and they were really impressed with that arena. If UAH would have been accepted to the CCHA it would have been one of the biggest in the CCHA. So it's not the facility.

Attendance isn't a really good argument as well. Below I have included the number for attendance for the CCHA. The first number is the # of games, second number is attendance average and the last number is percentage of capacity.


Michigan 19 6714 6,637 101.2
Michigan State 15 5473 6,470 84.6
Ohio State 20 4181 17,500 23.9
Northern Michigan 19 2932 3,754 78.1
Alaska 20 2708 4,324 62.6
Notre Dame 18 2703 2,667 101.3
UAH 10 2688 7,000 38.4
Miami 19 2491 3,200 77.8
Lake Superior 18 2257 3,373 66.9
Western Michigan 21 2112 3,667 57.6
Bowling Green 20 2044 5,000 40.9
Ferris State 18 1424 2,493 57.1
[Goon's World]

It's not about travel distances

Flying driving to Omaha Nebraska? There isn't much of a difference in mileage. One could make the argument that UNO is a lot closer to the schools in the WCHA than the CCHA. I checked the mileage on a few of the distances of travel and this is what I came up with for distances to UAH. I don't buy that argument. That isn't the reason for not allowing UAH or it's not a very good one.

UM - UAH 651 miles
BGSU - UAH 585 miles
OSU - UAH 510 miles
MSU - UAH 672 miles
NMU - UAH 990 miles
ND - UAH 560 miles
LSSU - UAH 951 miles
NMU - UAH 657 miles
MU - UAH 442 miles
UAF - UAH 4137 miles
FSU - UAH 768 miles

Here is the distances from UNO to the various schools in the CCHA.

NMU - UNO 684 miles
UNO - MSU 672 miles
UNO - UM 692 miles
UNO - UMiami 707 miles
UNO - UAF 3270 miles
UNO - NMU 765 miles
UNO - FSU 684 Miles
UNO - ND 545 miles
UNO - OSU 781 miles
UNO - LSSU 903 miles
UNO - WMU 597 miles
UNO - BGSU 897 miles
[Goon's World]

In conclusion, I believe the denial of UAH's bid to the CCHA is about the CCHA pouting about losing a team and basically showing the commissioner of the WCHA Bruce McLeod that the CCHA isn't going to dictated to on what teams they accept to their league. Fine take your ball and go home, that's what we tell the spoiled, snotty, pouty kids that act like elitist brats. This is also about grand standing and thumbing their nose at UAH. Like I said before I really don't think that the CCHA is above UAH. Look at the teams that make up the bottom rung of the CCHA it's not an impressive group of teams. In essence this could be the second team the CCHA will have killed, first it was Wayne State out of Detroit and now possibly UAH.

I still smell B.S.

Like I said yesterday, "I smell Bullshit with the CCHA's rejection of UAH's bid to become a member of the CCHA." Their reasons for rejecting UAH just don't add up. Don't give me this crap that they are concerned about UAH's commitment to college hockey. Maybe the CCHA should concerned about the health of FSU, BGSU, WMU and LSSU as well. Bruce Ciske does a pretty good job of illustrating this. Attendance, yeah ok. I believe that the CCHA is throwing a hissy fit because they are unhappy that UNO has decided to move to the CCHA. Like I said earlier it's laughable to suggest that UAH isn't at least on equal footing as the power houses that line the bottom of the CCHA standings on a year to year basis.

I also believe that if the NCAA loses anymore division one college teams the NCAA will start pulling at large bids. It will happen folks. This is why we can't allow any teams to disband and fold. Also, if Huntsville folds what college in their right mind is going to want to start a divsion one hockey program? Why should they?

The CCHA's stance just doesn't make sense. The 2,688 fans per game UAH averaged in ten dates equals more than four of the 12 teams currently in the CCHA. While schools like Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Lake Superior State, and Ferris State have the inherent advantage of being able to host the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Notre Dame virtually every season, UAH drew more per game with home dates against Bemidji State (2), Niagara (4), and Robert Morris (4). The Chargers drew 2,795 for an exhibition game against Tennessee's club team.
[Ciske Blog]

I smell B.S.

This is an interesting take from the UAH beat writer blog. I have to say that I smell bullshit here. Something doesn't add up and I am not buying it. So are we to believe that UAH isn't good enough to play in the CCHA? This is a league that includes FSU 12-19-7, LSSU 11-20-8, and BGSU 11-24-3. The bottom half of the league is stuffed with mediocre - crappy teams that would have a very tough time beating UAH. UAH also has a nicer arena and draws better crowd than the teams deemed worthy of being in the CCHA.

I want to remind college hockey fans; when the NCAA pulls an auto bid or two you can blame the CCHA and their commissioner Tom Anastos. Way to stand firm Tom. When your favorite team stays home from the NCAA tourney when they would have went under the old 16 team NCAA tourney you can blame the elites in the CCHA.

Meanwhile, the Chargers would have been a good fit for the league, which now has an odd number of teams (11).

It's also interesting that Commissioner Tom Anastos earlier (pre-UNO leaving) said scheduling for a league with an odd number of teams is not feasible and, while making a visit to UAH this summer, said the CCHA has a firm, solid commitment to having a program in Huntsville.

In an e-mail, Anastos said major issues of concern for the CCHA Council included economics, facilities and location. That may be just a smoke screen.

The economics are a non-factor compared to other colleges.

The facilities (6,600-seat Von Braun Center) argument is a non-issue. The VBC administration went out of its way to accommodate CCHA scheduling demands during a visit here last month. [Slap Shots blog]

UAH officials stunned by CCHA decision

Personally I have to say that I am shocked by the decision as well.

HUNTSVILLE, AL - The University of Alabama-Huntsville's application to join the Central Collegiate Hockey Association has been denied, the CCHA Council voted today.

According to a short statement, the council "voted by acclamation to deny the University of Alabama in Huntsville's application to become a member of the conference."

UAH officials were stunned by the decision.

"We are certainly disappointed in the decision and feel like our program has a lot to offer to any league," said UAH director of athletics Jim Harris. "We are going to look at other options that are available to us and then move forward."

Harris said the decision will not affect the upcoming season, which is the team's 25th year as a varsity sport. It will also be the final year of College Hockey America, which UAH helped found in 1999. Three other remaining members of the CHA - Bemidji State, Niagara and Robert Morris - have all been admitted to other conferences.

"Many people have put a lot of work into trying to make this happen; from all of the Chargers past and present through to Dr. Williams and the leaders in the city of Huntsville," said head coach Danton Cole, who is in Slovakia as an assistant coach with the U.S. Under 18 Select Team. "I do not know what the future holds for the program, but we will be looking at our options and move forward in the best interest of the University."

CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos said the council, comprised of athletic administrators and faculty athletic representatives, discussed "various issues" before voting to "maintain our membership at its current level."

"The CCHA will remain focused on maintaining and strengthening our existing members to ensure the conference's continued success and long-term viability," Anastos said in the statement.

CCHA turns down UAH.

So the CCHA is going to turn up it's nose at UAH. This is elitist. Let's be clear, this is not good for college hockey and it's basically the CCHA thumbing it's nose at UAH and saying you're not good enough to be a member of our league but bottom feeder teams like BGSU, LSSU, are?

Like one of my friends said it's the league taking it toys and going home like a spoiled kid. So folks; when the NCAA starts pulling at large bids because division one hockey teams are dropping hockey, the blame can be laid at the feet of the CCHA.

The CCHA announced today that the CCHA Council, comprised of athletic administrators and faculty athletic representatives, has voted by acclamation to deny Alabama-Huntsville's application to become a member of the conference.

“The league completed its due diligence of the application for membership submitted by the University of Alabama in Huntsville with careful consideration and discussion of various issues,” CCHA Commissioner Tom Anastos said. “At this time we have chosen to maintain our membership at its current level.”

“The CCHA will remain focused on maintaining and strengthening our existing members to ensure the conference’s continued success and long-term viability.”
[CHN Staff Report]

Ryan Jones resigned by the Preds.

This is one guy that I wish the Wild hadn't traded away. Think about this; Jones scored twice as many goals as our heraled first round draft choice James Sheppard, had roughly the same amount of points as Cal Clutterbuck and scored more points than the Wild's first round draft choice Colton Gillies in the same amount of games. I think in the end this is going to go down as being a bad move for the Wild. This illustrates the reason it was a good move to get rid of the former GM Doug Risebrough.

The Nashville Predators announced today that they have re-signed former RedHawks captain Ryan Jones. The deal is a two-year, one-way contract that will pay Jones roughly $975,000 per season.

In 46 games with Nashville last season, Jones registered ten goals and seven assists. His first NHL goal came on October 15, 2008 against Dallas and CCHA alum Marty Turco. [The Brother Hood]

UML goalie cleared of drug charges

I had posted a tweet about Nevin Hamilton's arrest on my twitter account. Recently, Hamilton has been cleared of the charges against him.

UMass-Lowell goaltender Nevin Hamilton has been cleared of all charges stemming from his arrest last month in his hometown.

Hamilton, a rising senior from Ashland, Mass., was arrested on July 24 and charged with possession of a Class B drug. A Framingham man, 23-year-old Adam Neshe, was arrested at the same time and on the same street, facing the same charges.

Today, the university announced that Hamilton has been absolved of all the charges related to the arrest.

“Nevin was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” UMass-Lowell coach Blaise MacDonald said in a statement. “Fortunately, justice has prevailed and he has been exonerated of all charges.” [hockeyjournal.com]

CCHA could vote on UAH hockey team's admission this week

Picture of UAH's Von Braun Center Arena. It's Time for the CCHA to step up to the plate and do the right thing. I am not so sure they want to be the league that let UAH's hockey program fold? They are also a 11 team league right now and I can't imagine them wanting to schedule eleven teams as opposed to twelve teams.

Personally, I believe that UAH would be a good fit in the CCHA and we have broken down the distances from UAH to the various CCHA schools. There was some good news about a week and a half ago when it was announced that BGSU getting four (4) million dollars for it's hockey arena. It would appear that one obstacle had been removed for UAH to possibly join the CCHA.

The future of the University of Alabama-Huntsville hockey program could be decided within 48 hours.

The Chargers applied to join the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, which includes Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Notre Dame. League representatives meet today and Tuesday, but UAH has no guarantee it will be admitted.

"It would be the equivalent of us getting into the SEC if we had a football team," said UAH coach Danton Cole, who is in Slovakia as an assistant for the U.S. Under-18 select team. "It is that big and I think an important part of growing the reputation and visibility of our university and city.

"They could approve us, they could say no. Or they could just not make a decision."

UAH is the lone member of the soon-to-be-defunct College Hockey Association without a new conference. Other teams in the league - which will fold after the upcoming season - have found new homes: Bemidji State joining the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, and Robert Morris and Niagara will entering Atlantic Hockey.

CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos - who toured the UAH campus and Von Braun Center in June - was noncommittal about a decision.

"Our goal will be to make a decision just as soon as we can," Anastos told the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch. "The next time we meet ... we will have plenty of discussion on this topic. However, there is no guarantee that we will make a final decision by our August meeting."

The Chargers' application is not the only issue facing the CCHA. It is also considering the state of Bowling Green's program, where the athletic department had to slash millions from its budget. [AL.com]

Lamoureux gets closer to NHL dream

Here is a really nice story on former Fighting Sioux goalie Jean-Philippe Lamoureux and how he has caught the eyes of the Buffalo Sabres. It will be interesting to see how Lamoureux's year plays out in the AHL.

Considering the impressive numbers he put up as a first-year pro with the ECHL's Alaska Aces, it's really no surprise that goaltender Jean-Philippe Lamoureux is climbing the ladder.

Lamoureux, who turns 25 on Aug. 20, impressed Buffalo Sabres brass at a prospects camp last month and was rewarded with a one-year contract. The Grand Forks, N.D., native went 33-16-2 with a 2.29 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage. He also set an ECHL record with eight shutouts.

The next likely stop for Lamoureux will be the Portland Pirates in the American Hockey League -- just one step away from where the undrafted goalie wants to be.

"You work to play in the NHL someday," Lamoureux told NHL.com. "My first year of pro, my goal was to get a two-way deal with an NHL team and that was what I was able to accomplish."

As sharp as Lamoureux was during the regular season, it may have been his performance in the ECHL playoffs that caught Buffalo's attention. In 21 appearances for Alaska, Lamoureux went 15-6 with a 1.95 GAA and a .934 save percentage. He helped the Aces reach the Kelly Cup Finals, where they lost to the South Carolina Stingrays in seven games.

"Anytime you get a phone call and someone wants to take a serious look at you, you've got to show up and play well," Lamoureux said. "I was just coming off our playoff run (with Alaska). I didn't have too much time to get prepared for it, so I just wanted to play real solid and work hard. I felt pretty good. I wasn't lights out by any means, but I felt I was real consistent throughout the week."
[NHL.COM]

Team Illinois/Wisconsin.

The illegal curve has Team Illinois/Team Wisconsin up.

One of the readers of our 2010 State Olympic teams asked me why I didn’t put together a Team Illinois or Team Wisconsin since I had mentioned them in the list of 6 States which were the highest producers of U.S. born NHL players. My response was that while they did help to contribute, their input was almost half of what the 4th State (Team Massachusetts) provided so it might be difficult to put together a competitive team. Even by going to the AHL & College ranks it was difficult to put together a team that could contend in this ‘fantasy’ tournament.

However being up for the challenge I decided that since these two states border each other, why not combine the two and see what kind of team we could have. (as could be seen with Team Maritimes, when you don’t have enough players from one region, why not combine).

So without further ado, here is Team Illisconsin.

You can see the following teams:Team Quebec, Team Maritimes, Team Ontario, Team Saskatchewan, Team Michigan, Team Manitoba, Team Alberta, Team British Columbia , Team Minnesota, Team Massachusetts.

No need to rush on signing Kessel.

It kind of makes sense, he might not be able to play till December. Eventually he will have to sign a contract or risk sitting out all season because no team has offered him a offer sheet.

For those fretting about Phil Kessel remaining unsigned, remember that there is no rush for either side to put pen to paper. The 21-year-old forward might not be ready to play until December because of rehabilitation following shoulder surgery. Kessel can continue his rehab and see if the Bruins sputter at the start, which could put pressure on the club to lock him up. On the other side, the team has a deep lineup up front. Three summers ago, Patrice Bergeron, also an unsigned restricted free agent, didn’t agree to his five-year, $23.75 million extension until Aug. 22 . . . [Boston Globe]

NHL asks Court to toss out Jim Balsillie's bid for Coyotes

I knew this was going to happen. The NHL has the right to choose who they want to own a team and in the case I think they can decided that they don't want Jim Balsillie to be an NHL owner. I also think the Buffalo Sabres or the Toronto Maple Leafs don't want another team in their area. If the Yotes go any where I would like to see them go back to where they belong in Winnipeg.

PHOENIX -- The NHL has asked a bankruptcy judge to throw out Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie's bid to buy the Phoenix Coyotes based on the league's overwhelming rejection of him as a potential owner.

The 26-page motion, accompanied by declarations from Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs and Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold, says the owners have concluded that Balsillie would be untrustworthy and that the court has no right to overturn their July 29 vote.

The owners say their opinion is based on Balsillie's behaviour in earlier attempts to purchase the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators.

"We voted to deny approval to Mr. Balsillie because we concluded he lacks the good character and integrity required of a new owner" required under NHL bylaws, said Jacobs, chairman of the league's board of governors.

The board, made up of a representative from each NHL team, voted 26-0 against Balsillie's application. Three abstained and one representative was absent, according to Jacobs.

UND receives another honor. (sort of)

Actually I am on my way out of town to decompress at the hunting shack and scout for Canadian Honkers, the season opens next weekend for North Dakota early goose season, really I am. Yeah the geese will be out with their sunglasses sitting in the ponds sunning themselves as hunters try sneaking up on them or will be laying in the decoys when it is 70-90 degrees or not.

Okay! I may consume one or two beers by the fire pit both nights. Donna from Running with the Dogs sent me this link. Apparently not only is UND a great party school, their students don't spend much time in the classroom either. That being said it's a pretty impressive list, UND is on par some of the cooler schools in SEC.
1. West Virginia University (Morgantown, W.Va.)
2. University of Maryland -- College Park
3. State University of New York -- University at Albany
4. University of Mississippi (University, Miss.) aka, "Ole Miss"
5. University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, N.D.)
"Size and affordability are very nice draws" at the University of North Dakota. The number of undergrads here is ideal, and UND offers "the best bang for the buck anywhere." Student activities at UND run the gamut. There are more than 200 clubs and organizations. The student recreation center is enormous and state of the art. Intramural sports are quite popular, and many students are "huge supporters of the Fighting Sioux," the intercollegiate athletic teams. Specifically, "hockey is king here." The team is formidable year in and year out, and it has won several national championships. Home games in the "breathtaking" arena are well attended and "extremely fun." Students describe the overall academic experience at UND as "pretty good" "and not too stressful." Students report the fraternities and sororities loom large in the social scheme of things. Beginning on Friday (or maybe Thursday), "everybody is on a quest to entertain themselves."

Students who considered University of North Dakota also looked at Concordia College, Minot State University, Saint Cloud State University, University of Minnesota -- Crookston, and University of Minnesota -- Duluth.
6. Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, La.)
7. Florida State University (Tallahassee, Fla.)
8. University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.)
9. Florida Southern College (Lakeland, Fla.)
10. University of Georgia (Athens, Ga.)

Friday Linkorama.

Mike Russo the Minnesota Wild beat writer has an interesting article on whether the Wild would be interested in Nikolai Zherdev. I am going to say no don't do it.

Bruins forward David Krejci is ranked second in the top 10 Czechs in the game. Martin Havlat of the Minnesota Wild is ranked seventh.

Former Wisconsin Badgers goalie Brian Elliott has a new two year deal.

Props NHL.COM Former Fighting Sioux hockey coach and current UNO Maverick and USA WJC coach Dean Blais is looking for the right mix of players for Team USA.

"They've got questionnaires on them, you have all the stats on these guys, but we want to see how they get along with teammates. Can they jell? Can they be team players? Can they do the little things to win that we ask them to do?

Sidney Crosby had his day with the Stanley Cup.

More on the Dany Heatley Saga: Dany Heatley's Ottawa Senators teammates could/would accept Heatley back this season but they want an explanation. This is what Chris Neil had to say.

Everyone's in the dark here. I think guys would want an explanation.
"But, if Dany shows up at camp and he's ready to go, we'd welcome him back.

Nice article on Carter Rowney.

Here is a really good article on incoming Sioux freshman Carter Rowney. I can't wait to see this Carter Rowney in a UND Fighting Sioux uniform this season. Rowney was not drafted during the 2009 entry draft.

If the Grande Prairie Storm repeat as AJHL champions this season, they’ll do so without the services of all-star forward Carter Rowney.

Rowney will forfeit his final year of junior eligibility to leave for the University of North Dakota, where he’ll play NCAA Division I hockey with the Fighting Sioux.
He’ll also continue his education, working towards a business degree.

The forward had the option of joining the Fighting Sioux either this season or in 2010, and while he’s been leaning towards making the jump for some time, everything has now been made official. He’ll be on his way in about two weeks.

“The plan is right now, I’m going down to North Dakota,” Rowney said.

“I’ve gone through it all now. I think I just finished doing all my paperwork finally.”
--------(snip)-----------
Rowney was a scorer with the Storm, but his role with North Dakota has yet to be decided.

“It’ll all come down to the type of opportunity that they give him,” Vandekamp said.

“He’s a good enough player. It’s going to be a jump for him for sure, as it is for all players to go from junior A to Division I college.

“North Dakota has a very competitive program so he’ll be competing with some very good players to get ice time, but I think he’s ready.”

Rowney has his sights on getting consistent playing time.

With the calibre of hockey as high as it is in the NCAA, Rowney has been working hard to help make that goal a reality.

He spent two weeks in Vernon, B.C., to train earlier in the summer and then he spent another two going through orientation with his new team.

He said he hasn’t taken a night off from working out to help build up his strength – something he sees as an area of his game that needs improvement.

Rowney doesn’t know how North Dakota will play out, but he’s optimistic his first year of college will be a good one.
[Daily Herald - Tribune]

Judge expands bidding for Coyotes to any buyer

This is going to get really ugly. The NHL owners don't want Balsillie to have an NHL team. This is going to test the league office and it will be interesting to see how this turns out. I still think it is an uphill battle for Balsillie because I believe the NHL can still ultimately decide who they want to own the Coyottes.

PHOENIX (AP) - A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge has expanded bidding for the Phoenix Coyotes to include potential buyers who would move the team.

Judge Redfield T. Baum ruled Wednesday that all bids, those to keep the team in Arizona or to move it elsewhere, would be accepted for the Sept. 10 auction.
He specifically said the $212.5 million offer from Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie would be considered. That sets up another showdown between Balsillie and the NHL, because the league's board of governors has unanimously rejected him as an owner.

Balsillie's bid is contingent on moving the team to Hamilton, Ontario.

Balsillie spokesman Bill Walker praised the judge's for creating a "fair and transparent" sales process.

Team Massachusetts

Our friend Kyle from the Illegal Curve has team Mass up.

As part of our ongoing project of choosing Olympic teams based on states and provinces, I volunteered to take Team Mass., thinking it would be pretty easy to find a solid squad. While I was able to round off the defensive corps pretty quickly, the forwards took some work, with a search of the American League made necessary by the lack of NHL calibre forwards hailing from the state.

You can see the following teams:Team Quebec, Team Maritimes, Team Ontario, Team Saskatchewan, Team Michigan, Team Manitoba, Team Alberta, Team British Columbia , Team Minnesota.

Add team New York.

David from the Illegalcurve.com posted team New York today. As you can see from the other teams posted there are some impressive players from the teams from Michigan, Minnesota and New York. It's a matter of fact that Michigan is loaded.

Team New York is an interesting mix. The 27th largest state in the union based on total geography, it ranks as the third in total population. As a result one would expect that New York state would be well represented in the NHL. Turns out that it currently ranks third, behind Michigan and Minnesota.

Very talented group of forwards without alot of pop from the back end. The goalie contingent looks like a future Red Wings goalie camp. To complete our trio we had to coax a goalie out of recent retirement to have a full compliment of tenders.

You can see the following teams: Team Quebec, Team Maritimes, Team Ontario, Team Saskatchewan, Team Michigan, Team Manitoba, Team Alberta, Team British Columbia , Team Minnesota, team New York.

Avery on Donald Brashear.

Interesting interview with Sean "sloppy seconds" Avery. I still wonder how some of his Rangers team mates will feel about having Donald Brashear in locker room after he took out their team mates Blair Betts with a cheap shot last spring during the Stanley Cup playoffs.

On Donald Brashear: “I know he’s a scary dude…I’ve never fought him; I’ve never been dumb enough to do that… It’s always good to have a presence physically on the team, whether it’s a guy on the back or a guy upfront, I think it’s something that’s important, and as much as people say it’s not a part of the game, it is. It was certainly bittersweet to see Colton (Orr) go, I’m happy that he got a nice contract and he definitely deserves it. But it’s a new season and Brash will definitely be welcome in this dressing room and be part of our team for sure.” When reminded that Brashear---a former Flyer---had received tips from Joe Frazier during the lockout, he said: “I don’t know if Joe Frazier has enough left in the tank, I know Brash does, that’s all I’m worried about [Newsday.com]

“

Hey Olympians don't get hurt.

I saw this posted by Alan Walsh on Twitter last night and I couldn't believe it when I first read it. The NHL is stopping its season to play the Olympics; why in the hell would they do this? The NHLPA doesn't want its players skating in the camps because there isn't adequate insurance coverage for their elephantine contracts. Personally, I think there would be more injuries from the compacted season then there is from the Olympic games.

I don’t know if there is any way around this; the countries participating in the Olympics are going to need to have some kind of an evaluation camp so they can decided which players are going to be the best fits for their countries’ Olympic team. This is just shameful. Maybe the Olympics needs to go back to having amateurs play in the Olympic Games.

So the NHLPA has told players not to participate in any on-ice drills at the upcoming orientation camps for the Olympics. Apparently the NHL has now also sent out a memo that dissuades player involvement as well, as the memo apparently states that the league will not honour NHL contracts for a player injured at a summer camp.

Call me crazy, but wasn't it the NHL and the NHLPA that agreed to participate in the Olympics? [Shaune Vetter, Hockey Buzz]

Top Ten USA Hockey Players.

NHL.COM has the top ten ranked American players in the NHL. Nice to see the ex-college hockey players getting recognized. As an alum of UND it's nice to see Zach Parise ranked number one.

1. Zach Parise, F, New Jersey (UND)-- Parise was a big reason the Devils won the Atlantic Division in 2008-09. He ranked third in the League in goals (45), fifth in points (94), tied for first in overtime goals (3) and tied for seventh in game-winning goals (8) while setting a team record for shots in a season (364). The 2009 All-Star also is regarded as one of the NHL's finest defensive forwards, accruing 65 hits, 34 takeaways and a career-best plus-30 rating.
2. Tim Thomas, G, Boston (UVM)
3. Patrick Kane, F, Chicago (OHL)
4. Ryan Miller, G, Buffalo (MSU)
5. Brian Rafalski, D, Detroit (UW)
6. Mike Komisarek, D, Toronto (Mich)
7. Jamie Langenbrunner, F, New Jersey
8. Phil Kessel, F, Boston (UMN)
9. Dustin Brown, F, Los Angeles (OHL)
10. Paul Stastny, F, Colorado (DU)-- Stastny was born in Quebec has opted to play for the United States in international competitions.

Team Minnesota.

Here is the team that Kyle asked me to submit to the illegal curve.
You can see the following teams: Team Quebec, Team Maritimes, Team Ontario, Team Saskatchewan, Team Michigan, Team Manitoba, Team Alberta, Team British Columbia .

As supplied by Goon of Goon’s World:

Coming as no big surprise, Team Minnesota looks like the class of the south of the border entries. A potent forward group and young, mobile defensive corps make the 10000 Lakers a team to beat. The Achilles Heel seems to be their goaltending, which, while talented, is a little shy on experience.

Coach: Dean Blais- While he lacks professional experience, Blais is a keen motivator who knows how to handle this group, mainly former collegians. He won’t take any shit and will get the most out of any underachievers.

Goalie:

1. Alex Stalock

2. Adam Berkhoel

3. John Curry

Defense:

1. Keith Ballard

2. Tom Gilbert

3. Andy Albers

4. Erik Johnson

5. Paul Martin

6. Alex Goligoski

7. Mark Stuart

Forwards:

1. Kyle Okposo

2. David Backes

3. TJ Oshie

4. Zach Parise

5. Dustin Byfuglien

6. Jamie Langenbrunner

7. Blake Wheeler

8. Matt Cullen

9. Jason Blake

10. Ryan Carter

11. Brandon Bochenski

12. Peter Mueller

13. Toby Petersen

The Minnesotans boast a pretty impressive back end. All young, mobile guys, there will be no problem with puck movement or with the power play. While none are all-stars, as a group they represent a formidable top 6. In an quick tournament such as the fictitious North America Cup, they can really hurt you.

I see them paired as follows:

Johnson-Gilbert

Ballard-Martin

Goligoski-Stuart

I have Andrew Albers as my extra.

Up front, a wealth of firepower awaits anyone standing in the way of the Maroon and Gold (assuming?). The top 6 all have elite level talent and can all put the puck in the net. Additionally, there is enough of a veteran presence to calm the ship should they fall behind to a team. While they might lack in overall grit, players such as Langenbrunner and Byfuglien are no strangers to the corners and Mark Parrish is at home at the top of the crease. I see the lines like this:

Okposo-Oshie-Parise

Wheeler-Cullen-Backes

Byfuglien-Langenbrunner-Blake

Carter-Mueller-Bochenski

Toby Petersen is my extra guy.

Robbie Bina game worn jersey.

Sioux fans you can bid on a Robbie Bina Stockton Thunder game worn Jersey

Single-game tickets on sale Sept. 12 for hockey

I have had a bunch of people ask me about when single game tickets go on sale for Fighting Sioux hockey. It's official Single game tickets go for Fighting Sioux Sports go on sale September 12, 2009. Per a tweet from UNDathletics, "the Single-game tix on sale Sept. 12 for FB, M/W hockey, M/W basketball and volleyball."

Here is the official press release for the ticket sales linked below. Funny, this also shoots some holes in a certain bloggers theory on what a college hockey team makes for a hockey game as far as ticket prices go. The only tickets that are 15.00 are youths ages 2-12. We rounded the figure off to 25.00 dollars a ticket x 8,500 per game(8,500 X 25.00 x 20 = 4,250,000). You can see that UND and REA makes a lot of money from Fighting Sioux hockey and this isn't even counting concessions and other stuff that is sold in the Sioux shop. I wouldn't be surprised if it's another million or so based on suite sales.

GRAND FORKS, N.D.—University of North Dakota Director of Athletics Brian Faison announced today that single-game tickets for Fighting Sioux football, men’s and women’s hockey, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball will go on sale on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 10 a.m.
Men’s hockey
Manitoba, Merrimack, USA World Juniors, Mankato & Michigan Tech Adult $25.
Youth (2-12)$15.
Student $7 – increases to $9 after the one month threshold
Minnesota $45.
Wisconsin and Denver $40.
St. Cloud State, Minnesota-Duluth $30.
Subway Holiday Classic
4 game ticket packages
Adult - $69
Youth - $49
Students - $20

Single Session (2 games on same day)
Adult - $40
Youth - $20
Students - $10

Tickets for all UND home events can be purchased at the UND Box Office at Ralph Engelstad Arena, the Alerus Center, all Ticketmaster outlets and at www.TicketMaster.com.

Oshie Sports Celebrity Benefit and Golf Tournament Pictures.

These are some of the pictures that were sent to me in email from Coach Osh, I also taken a few of the pictures as well.

ESPNU comes to MIDCO.

There is some really good news for college hockey and sports fans that have Midcontinent communications as their cable provider. The most unavailable channel on the television dial ESPNU is now part of the Midcontinet Communications line up and is on channel 320 in the Greater Grand Forks, ND area.

During the NCAA division one hockey regional(s) You will not have to have travel to one of the local bars in town to be able to watch a important NCAA hockey games. This move is long over due and should have happened a long time ago, I have called hundreds of times to complain about not recieving this channel. I am sure that all of those calls that fans made during the college hockey season might have finally paid off.

NFL Network/HD, ESPNU, NHL Network Added to Preferred Cable Lineup in August

Sports heaven is upon us! The NFL Network/HD, NHL Network, and ESPNU will be added to Preferred Cable in a many systems on August 1. The Sioux Falls area will receive ESPNU and NFL HD on August 25. Contact us for more information.

Oshie article.

In today's Grand Forks Herald, Fighting Sioux beat writer Brad Elliott Schlossman has a nice article on former Sioux hockey player T.J. Oshie if you remember last year the Oshie pummeled Rick Nash twice in two games. [Pummel number two]

Oshie’s popularity shot up in the second half of the season after a sequence of highlight-reel plays that included devastating hits on star players of opposing teams.

On March 24, Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown — known as a tough forward — picked up the puck near the boards and turned around to face the Blues goal. As he turned, Oshie closed in and delivered a shoulder check, knocking Brown off of his skates to a stand-ing ovation by the St. Louis crowd.

On March 26, Oshie picked up a puck in the neutral zone, skated around a Vancouver Ca-nucks defenseman, deked out another, got All-Star goalie Roberto Luongo to commit early and he shelved it. NHL.com named it the goal of the year.

On March 28, Columbus Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash was standing in the corner with the puck, looking to make a centering pass. Right after the 6-foot-4, 218-pound Nash released the puck, Oshie came in and delivered a devastating hit that knocked Nash off of his skates.

The next night, Columbus and St. Louis played again, and Nash was looking to even the score. Oshie carried the puck behind the net, looking to start a rush the other way. Nash made a run at Oshie, but the Blue Jackets captain once again got knocked off of his skates with a huge hit.

After that, Blues fans started campaigning to have Oshie elected mayor. In nearby O’Fallon, Mo., a fan took a cell phone picture of his vote for Oshie on the mayor ballot, anger-ing city officials because it is illegal to take pictures of a ballot.

At home games, “You got Oshied,” signs popped up frequently, and t-shirts were made with the most popular definition of the newly created verb: To destroy with reckless abandon.

Moron(s) of the Week

From the comments section of the article we also have our candidates for Moron/douche bag of the Week. Anyone want to guess what team they probably cheer for? It’s like give it a rest already. Please put aside your pettiness. The Oshie Sports celebrity golf tournament was a blast and all of the Celebrities acted with respect and were very gracious and fun to interact with.

Joel P.
08/02/2009 2:13 AM

I hear at the "celebrity" golf tournament, all of the port-a-potty's were converted to elevators for all the players to use the bathroom in.
-----------------------
scott e.
08/02/2009 1:07 AM

You should have seen him campaigning in the local bars this weekend, begging for waitresses to sign his shirt and for them to give him their phone numbers. Seems like there's nothing better for him to do. I can understand having a blast in the offseason, going out in a community where you were once respected (until you started urinating all over it) waiting for people to approach you, and "ask" for your autograph, not demanding it, is something to be appreciated. show some class now that you're representing a professional organization. oh, and be sure to make sure daddy's credit cards are paid in full. hope when you go back to st. louis you can play on the ice as well as you think you can play the barmaids

Celebrity hockey game video featured ex-Fighting Sioux.

Check out this video there are a lot of ex-Fighting Sioux hockey players in this video; you have Jonathan Toews, Zach Parise, Jason Blake, Drew Stafford. This would have be a fun game to go to and watch, an incredible amount of talent participated in this game.

The Heatley Saga marches on.

Former Wisconsin Badger Dany Heatley will not be going to the Oilers and the funniest quote I have seen on this matter comes from Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy, "Whatever the case, the Oilers formally announced today that they're tired of being the fat girl at the dance ("More To Love" made the world safe again for that analogy) and are moving on from the Heatley Saga." That is some funny stuff right there, unless you're the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers.

Steve Tambellini held a "Friday before the long weekend" press conference to talk about the soap opera that has become the Dany Heatley trade.

Tambellini said Ottawa has been informed that the Oilers are no longer involved in any trade participation for Heatley. He stated their #1 priority was goaltending and their #1 name was Nikolai Khabibulin. They are moving on.

Jim Matheson asked the "Heatley holding you hostage" question, and Tambellini said (apparently they were using the Pizza Hut order center phones) it was never a problem with regard to the player. He did say that they told Ottawa after last weekend about the opt out.[Lowetide]

Here is the audio of the Dan Tencer interview of Oilers GM Steve Tambellini [click for the interview] Interesting stuff here. Tencer asks some good tough questions.

Fargo Force roster for the 2009-2010 season.

This came in my messages from the Fargo Force Face Book Page. Nice to see a couple of North Dakota boys on the team.
GOALTENDERS
Cody Campbell, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Zane Gothberg, Thief River Falls, Minn. (North Dakota)

DEFENSEMEN
Dan Rychalet, Calgary, Alberta
Tom McCarthy, Maple Grove, Minn.
Grant Scott, Sewickley, Penn.
Eamonn McDermott, Shaker Heights, Ohio (Colorado College)
Nate Schmidt, St. Cloud, Minn. (Minnesota)
Blake Doerring, Plymouth, Minn. (Vermont)
Kodie Curran, Calgary, Alberta
Nick Romanick, Bismarck, N.D.

FORWARDS
Chris Stafne, Duluth, Minn (Minnesota-Duluth)
Mark Zengerle, Rochester, N.Y. (Wisconsin)
Garrett Allen, Delafield, Wis.
Duncan McKellar, Phoenix, Ariz. (Bemidji State)
Joey Benik, St. Francis, Minn (St. Cloud State)
Johnnie Searfoss, Colleyville, Texas (Maine)
Nick Oliver, Wannaska, Minn. (St. Cloud State)
Corey Leivermann, Mankato, Minn. (MSU-Mankato)
Gavin Hartzog, Pewaukee, Wis. (Wisconsin)
Chase Grant, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Nate Condon, Wausau, Wis. (Minnesota)
Chad Demers, Grafton, N.D.
Joey Rehkamp, Plymouth, Minn (Air Force)
Matt Leitner, Los Alamitos, Calif. (MSU-Mankato)
Colten St. Clair, Gilbert, Ariz. (Colorado College)

No Progress Between Kessel and Bruins

Sounds like more of the same, nothing new to report and the Bruins are no closer to a deal with their RFA Phil Kessel. I think the Bruins should move on the deal that sends Marco Sturm to the Islanders, that could probably land the Bruins a prospect or a draft choice, which could free up some cap space to get Kessel signed to a deal.

I spoke to Phil Kessel’s agent, Wade Arnott, on the ride up Thursday night and got the latest on Kessel and his contract negotiations with the Bruins.

“Nothing really new to update,” Arnott said. “I wish I had some new news for you, but there’s really nothing major to report.”

Arnott said that he and Kessel have had some discussions with Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli recently, but nothing serious. Both sides have made it clear that they would like to reach an agreement, but unfortunately, that has been about the only common ground found so far.

“We’ve had a few more discussions recently," Arnett added, "but are we any closer to an agreement? I’d have to say no at this point.”

Interestingly, unlike many, Arnott said that neither he nor Kessel believed the Aaron Ward trade was made as a precursor to re-signing Kessel.

“No not at all,” Arnott said.

So that is where the two parties stand. There were no reports of offer sheets, and while there have been recent rumors of the Islanders and Sharks inquiring about a Kessel trade and the Islanders possibly looking at Marco Sturm, follow-ups have turned up nothing substantial.

As of now, it appears both sides would like to make this work, but the chance is still very real that this might trickle into camp. With Kessel reportedly not due back from shoulder surgery until late November or December, a holdout is very possible. From the Bruins’ stance, Kessel is already out for almost two months into the season, so a holdout during that period would be rendered meaningless on the ice.

As for any moves by the Bruins, all is quiet. As Chiarelli promised last week, “I’m done for a while.” [NESN]

Thursday Morning Linkorama.

*Former Fighting Sioux goalie Jean-Philippe Lamoureux has a new contract with the Buffalo Sabres organization. "Last season, he set the ECHL’s record for shutouts in a season and also led the league in wins."

*Speaking of goalies; Minnesota Wild Goalie Josh Harding has a new deal with the Minnesota Wild. So one could say that the Wild's stable is full of goalies, the Wild have 1.) former DU Pioneer Wade Dubielewicz, 2.) Josh Harding and 3.) all world goalie Niklas Backstrom as their goalies, you would have to think that Harding is going to be traded for an offensive player. How do you keep all three happy, when Backstrom is going to be the man between the pipes.

*Per the Grand Forks Herald, The voice of Sioux hockey won’t change either, as Tim Hennessy again will call all UND games. Hennessy also is expected to be the host of the coaches show. This is good news for Sioux fans.

*Today is the Oshie Sports Celebrity Benefit and Golf Tournament hopefully the weather will co-operate and not rain on us. I have to say that the weather this summer has been less than stellar. Also, Brett Bergman from St Louis Simply Put is also playing in this tourney.

*The Fighting Sioux have picked up a nice goalie recruit in Zane Gothberg from Thief River Falls Minnesota. [Western College Hockey]

*The Phil Kessel Saga continues as he is still without a contract. [Puck Daddy]

*Per Quickfacts Lord Stanley's Cup is coming to Grand Rapids, MN in August. Pittsburgh Penguin Alex Goligoski who turned 24 today, will have the Stanley Cup in his hometown of Grand Rapids Minnesota on August 19th.

2009 "Meet the Celebrities" Event.

Here are a few pictures from the "Meet the Celebrities" for the Oshie Sports Celebrity Golf Tourney. Please keep in mind I am not a photographer which was confirmed by my wife this past weekend. Pictured at the table was Tim Oshie, Lamoureux, Nick Fuhrer, Brad Miller, Aaron Walski, Andrew Kowzek, Brad Miller, T.J. Oshie and Jean Philippe Lamoureux.

Rick Wilson named associate coach of the TB Lightning.

Former UND assistant coach Rick Wilson has a new job. You can bet that the Lightning will be better defensively.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have agreed to terms on a multi-year contract with Rick Wilson, naming him associate coach today, Executive Vice President and General Manager Brian Lawton announced. He will be looked upon to coach and groom the team’s defensive corps.

Wilson, a native of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, has spent the previous 16 seasons with the Dallas Stars, winning the Stanley Cup in 1999 working along side head coach Ken Hitchcock. During his tenure with the Stars, Wilson helped lead the team to seven division titles, two Western Conference championships and two President’s Trophies. He had most recently served as associate coach for the previous six seasons, focusing on the team’s defense and penalty kill. Under Wilson’s guidance the Stars finished in the top three for fewest goals against in the NHL during the 2007-08, 2006-07, 2003-04 and 2002-03 seasons.
------------------snip------------------
Wilson began his coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater, the University of North Dakota, where the Fighting Sioux won the 1980 NCAA Division I Championship and two WCHA crowns during his two years there. While he was a student he played hockey and football, earning his degree in education. [NHL.com]

UND gains another honor (sort of)

This came out when I was on my family vacation. I can just imagine the comments; 'what else is there to do in North Dakota.' I can give you a list of about 10 other things to do. Our WCHA buddies from Wisconsin also had higher honors they are in the top twenty.

The nation's top party schools, according to Princeton Review's 2009 survey of 122,000 students.
1. Penn State University, State College, Pa.
2. University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.
3. University of Mississippi, Oxford, Miss.
4. University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
5. Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
6. West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.Va.
7. University of Texas, Austin, Texas
8. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
9. Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla.
10. University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Calif.
11. University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.
12. University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
13. Union College, Schenectady, N.Y.
14. Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.
15. DePauw University, Greencastle, Ind.
16. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn.
17. Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee, Tenn.
18. University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, N.D.
19. Tulane University, New Orleans, La.
20. Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz. [Princeton Review]

Pictures of the BREC.

Here are the latest pictures of the Bemidji Regional Events Center. I was in Bemidji on vacation and finally got to see the site of the BREC, I was there the week before and forgot to get pictures. The BREC will be on the south end of Lake Bemidji just to the east of the Hampton INN. That will be an awesome place for an events center. My father is the one posing in the pictures.

Blais has out in his contract.

I found this to be interesting, but it makes sense. That being said I don't think Gophers or Mavericks fans need to worry just yet.

Dean Blais, who was recently named the new head hockey coach at Nebraska-Omaha, has an out in his contract that allows him to apply for the Gophers job if it becomes available. [Bayside Puck Chatter] [Husker Mike]

Dubay sentenced to workhouse.

It would appear that Jeff Dubay has hit rock bottom. Now, I hope Jeff can get his act together, beat this thing and move on with his life. I think one thing we all might want to consider is human beings make mistakes and have issues and I hope Jeff works his way through this mess and turns his life around.

Former KFAN-AM radio personality Jeffery Dubay was taken into custody this morning on a drug possession conviction from October after he failed to complete two substance abuse programs issued by the court.

Ramsey County District Judge Joanne Smith ordered Dubay, 41, of Plymouth, serve a sentence of 180 days in the county workhouse with credit for 18 days served and a stayed sentence of up to five years probation.

Dubay also must complete a chemical dependency program and recommended aftercare. He must abstain from mood-altering substances, submit to random drug and alcohol tests, and remain law abiding.

Dubay was taken into custody immediately after his sentencing.

"I think it's appropriate at this time that Mr. Dubay understand the consequences of his actions," Smith said.

The drug charge came from an Oct. 15 traffic stop in Maplewood. An officer saw Dubay throw what looked like a yellow napkin out the window, according to a criminal complaint. The officer retrieved the item and found a small plastic bag containing a substance that tested positive as cocaine. It weighed 0.45 grams, or about 0.016 ounces.

Dubay later said he was in Maplewood to pay a drug debt of $200, the complaint stated. [Pioneer Press]

Forney not coming back to UND.

We get news today that former Fighting Sioux forward Michael Forney will not be returning to UND but instead giving up his final two years of eligibility to play with the AHL team the Chicago Wolves. There was a chance that he might return to UND for his Junior season. While at UND Forney never really got going offensively and suffered a couple of injuries that held him out of the line up.

Michael Forney wrestled with the decision for three months.

Should he sign with the Atlanta Thrashers or return to UND, where he spent two injury-plagued years before rediscovering his game in the United States Hockey League?

The answer came on Monday morning.

Forney signed a multiyear, two-way contract with the Thrashers, giving up his final two years of college eligibility.

The Thief River Falls native is expected to start his pro career with the American Hockey League’s Chicago Wolves this fall, possibly alongside former UND teammates Rylan Kaip and Andrew Kozek. [Grand Forks Herald]

Smaby avoids arbitration.

Former Fighting Sioux defenseman Matt Smaby has signed a two year contract and has also avoided his arbitration hearing. In looking at the arbitration list it appears that only one RFA has gone to their hearing.

The Tampa Bay Lightning avoided arbitration with defenseman Matt Smaby today, signing him to a two-year contract, Executive Vice President and General Manager Brian Lawton announced.

"We are pleased to announce this agreement with Matt today," said Lawton upon making the announcement. "He is big, physical and really skates well for a man that stands 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds. He played well for us last season and I expect his personal development to continue in 2009-10."

Smaby, 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, has played in 57 career NHL games, all with Tampa Bay. He has recorded four assists and averaged 17:22 in ice time during his career. Smaby made his NHL debut last season after being recalled on March 17, 2008. He has played in 149 AHL games with the Norfolk Admirals and Springfield Falcons, recording five goals and 28 points with 139 penalty minutes.

A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Smaby played in a career-high 43 games with the Lightning last season, recording a career-best four assists and 50 penalty minutes. His 19:05 average ice time was also the highest of his career and was fourth among NHL rookie defensemen with 20 or more games played. Smaby ranked fourth on the Lightning in hits with 122 and blocked hots with 68. He was recalled to Tampa Bay on December 27 and finished the season with the Lightning despite suffering a broken bone in his foot. Smaby recorded his first NHL point with an assist December 27 against Florida. [NHL.COM]

Boston Bruins updated salary breakdown

With the signing of defenseman Derek Morris it would appear that the Bruins are going to have to move someone to make room for RFA Phil Kessel. My best bet would be Patrice Bergeron or more likely Chuck Kobasew.

Forwards

Marc Savard, $5 million
Patrice Bergeron, $4.75 million
Michael Ryder, $4 million
David Krejci, $3.75 million
Marco Sturm, $3.5 million
Chuck Kobasew, $2,333,333 million
Glen Murray, $1,383,333 million (buyout)
Mark Recchi, $1 million
Blake Wheeler, $875,000
Milan Lucic, $850,000
Steve Begin, $850,000
Byron Bitz, $687,500
Peter Schaefer, $566,667 (buyout)
Shawn Thornton, $516,667
Patrick Eaves, $258,333 (buyout)

* Phil Kessel is a restricted free agent.

Defensemen

Zdeno Chara, $7.5 million
Dennis Wideman, $3.875 million
Derek Morris, $3.3 million
Matt Hunwick, $1.45 million
Andrew Ference, $1.4 million
Mark Stuart, $1.3 million
Johnny Boychuk, $500,000

Goalies

Tim Thomas, $5 million
Tuukka Rask, $850,000

Current cap hit: $55,495,833. [Boston Globe]

Pointer back and skating.

There is some really good news on the blue line for the Fighting Sioux. Junior defenseman Derrick Lapoint is making a speedy recovery after suffering a horrific leg injury last winter against the MSU-M Mavericks (video included). I have to wonder how Derrick can watch the video as well? This is good news and reason for Sioux fans to be excited about Derrik Lapoint's return to the line up for the 2009-2010 season. Lapoint brings veteran experience and poise. So we can rest asured that the young defensem an back running, skating and will be ready to go when the season starts.

Derrick LaPoint sat down with his teammates and watched the gruesome video.

Not the one you saw on the Internet that clearly shows his leg shattering upon impact with the end boards during a February game. This recording of the play was taken from the bench area.

“It looks way worse,” LaPoint says. “Too graphic for YouTube.”

Some UND players nearly lost their lunch. Others asked LaPoint how he could watch it.

“It hurt more the first time around,” he says. “Watching it isn’t all that bad.”

By all accounts, LaPoint is excelling in his comeback from the tibia-fibula fracture that silenced Ralph Engelstad Arena five months ago. He’s putting on some pounds in the weight room. He’s running a mile a day. And now, he’s back on skates, too.

LaPoint is on schedule to be 100 percent come the team’s opening exhibition game against the University of Manitoba on Oct. 4. [Grand Forks Herald]

36 times last season...

Time to get Phil Kessel signed to an NHL contract, the season is slowly approaching and goal scorers are not a dime a dozen. I have read a lot of comments from other Bruins fans that say, 'oh we don't need Kessel we will be fine, Sturm and Bergeron can pick up the slack.' Yeah, ok! It takes brute force and offensive imagination to win hockey games, we can not beat every opponent into submission. Not everyone can score goals at a 30-40 point clip and not everyone can check their opponent through the boards and drop the gloves. I would love to come home from my vaction and see that the Bruins have everyone signed up for the 2009-2010 season.