6. Tyler McGregor ends the 2006 NCAA West Regional Semis in shocking fashion
The 2006 West Regional Finals was supposed to feature the mighty Minnesota Golden Gophers against either college hockey powerhouses Michigan or North Dakota. A funny thing happened on the way to the final in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Little Holy Cross crashed the party and upset the Golden Gophers after Tyler McGregor's overtime goal. This truly was a ‘Miracle on Ice' moment for college hockey. Heading into the game, the Crusaders had never won a NCAA tournament game and Minnesota's roster featured 14 NHL draft picks compared to 0 for Holy Cross.
[Puck Daddy]
Lucic edges closer --- A welcome sight for the Bruins at the Garden this morning: Winger Milan Lucic skating with the team during the pre-game skate before tonight’s match against the Florida Panthers. Lucic has been sidelined since breaking a finger in Dallas Oct. 16. He has been skating on his own for the past week or so, but took an important step today and said he is hoping to return to the lineup in the opener of the B’s upcoming four-game trip, in Atlanta Thursday. If he’s not quite ready then, it’s a safe bet he will play at some point on the trip. Lucic plans to take part in practice today.
Center Marc Savard (broken foot) has not yet resumed skating.
The Bruins are looking for their third successive win tonight, with the red-hot Tim Thomas expected in nets. Thomas blanked Pittsburgh Tuesday, 3-0, and has allowed only six goal in his last five games.
[Boston Herald]
Entering perhaps their toughest stretch of the season on Friday at second-ranked North Dakota, the St. Cloud State men's hockey team will get a boost with the return of two forwards from injury. However, it might take both Travis Novak and David Eddy to make up for the loss of another, Huskies leading scorer Garrett Roe, who will miss the series opener against the Sioux because of a one-game suspension.
Roe, a junior who has two goals and six assists through eight games, will be a healthy scratch for the first time in his college career because he "broke a team rule," according to SCSU coach Bob Motzko, who would not elaborate.
Roe missed one game because of an army injury as a rookie — and has 101 career points while appearing in 85 of 86 career games. He practiced with the Huskies' fifth line on Monday and Tuesday at the National Hockey Center and again Wednesday at the Municipal Athletic Complex.
He also had a bruised left eye, but both Motzko and Roe maintained that had nothing to do with his suspension. When asked why he wouldn't be playing Friday, Roe — who is making the trip to Grand Forks — referred questions to Motzko.
"I really can't say — but it was nothing big and it wasn't because of a fight, I'll tell you that," said Roe, who wouldn't explain his bruised eye. "Other than that, I can't tell you anything. I can't give details on my personal life." [Saint Cloud Times]
The University of Minnesota, in a highly unusual move, issued a news release denying rumors that sophomore center Jordan Schroeder is leaving. Here is the release sent at 6:27 p.m.
If I was a conspiracy buff, I might suspect that somone was trying to sabotage the U's recruiting efforts with this gossip.
Here is the U of M statement:
With rumors surrounding the future of Jordan Schroeder, the Gophers’ sophomore forward has stated he has no intention to leave the University of Minnesota men’s hockey program.
“I am fully committed to this team and university,” said Schroeder, who serves an assistant captain this season for the Gophers. “I have no intention of leaving college early to play pro hockey.”
“It is unfortunate that these rumors continue to come out and I have no idea where they begin. I think it’s important for me to publicly state that I am going nowhere. I am dedicated to this team and plan to help us reach our goals for the remainder of this season and future years.”
Schroeder was a first-round draft choice last summer by the Vancouver Canucks and has been the center of several internet rumors over recent months regarding his future in college and professional hockey.
NESS BUZZ
Then there was the Aaron Ness rumor. I got several e-mails on it. Ness is looking into transferring to North Dakota, where his father went to school.
I had talked to Ness, a sophomore defenseman, for a few minutes earlier in the day. Obviously, I didn't ask him if he was thinking of leaving. I had not heard the rumor yet. He seemed his normal self.
To check out the rumor, I called his father Jay in Roseau.
"He loves it there," Jay Ness said, referring to the U of M. "Obviously he wants to win, but it's early in the season."
No hint of family discontent with the U program.
But the hockey situation at the U has been a little chaotic lately. First defenseman Nick Leddy suffers a broken jaw. Then four days later, forward Jay Barriball suffers a season ending knee injury and has surgery last Friday.
And, Monday, sophomore defenseman Sam Lofquist tells coach Don Lucia he is leaving the team.
[Star and Tribune]
If there's a drill that helps hockey players gain composure, you can bet University of Michigan coach Red Berenson will implement it in practice Monday.
Berenson described his players' behavior as amateurish after Michigan's 5-1 loss to Miami (Ohio) on Saturday. The Wolverines racked up 65 penalty minutes, including 51 minutes in the third period as the RedHawks pulled away.
Tristin Llewellyn, Kevin Lynch and Chad Langlais each received 10-minute misconduct penalties.
"I'm embarrassed," Berenson said. "We played like a bunch of spoiled brats, and we've gotta suck it up. When you're getting beat, you just keep working hard for the team. You don't take it out on the other team and take stupid penalties that are going to hurt your team even further. That's not the way we play hockey, and this team will learn that."
The education begins Monday, said senior defenseman Chris Summers.
"We need to be a better-composed team, and I think it starts with the upper-classmen and seniors," Summers said. "It starts at practice. It will be addressed on Monday." [Annarbor.com]
Red Baron® WCHA Offensive Players of the WeekMoose from KBUN Radio and the Hockey Show has posted the latest pictures to the Bemidji Regional Events Center. Ironically The Beavers will open the BREC in October of 2010 by playing against the Fighting Sioux, this will also be the Beavers first WCHA series. [Click to see pictures]
Evan Trupp, Jr., F, North Dakota
Sean Wiles, Jr., F, Alaska Anchorage
A pair of third-year forwards who played key roles for their respective teams last weekend - Evan Trupp of the University of North Dakota and Sean Wiles of the University of Alaska Anchorage - are Red Baron® WCHA co-Offensive Players of the Week for Nov. 10-16, 2009.
Trupp, a 5-8, 164-pound junior from Anchorage, Alaska, scored three goals - including a game-winner - to help visiting North Dakota to a two-game conference road sweep at Michigan Tech on Nov. 6-7. He tallied once in a 4-2 win last Friday and then came back with a two more goals on Saturday, including the game-winner, as the Sioux completed the sweep with a 4-1 victory.[WCHA]
Minnesota sophomore defenseman Sam Lofquist has decided to leave the university’s men’s hockey team and withdraw from school.Apparently Pioneer junior goalie Marc Cheverie who was hurt in game against the Mankato a few weeks ago, is hopeful he can play in next weekend's series against the UND Fighting Sioux. With Cheverie the Pioneers have been really good, without Cheverie in net the Pioneers have been, well not so good.
Lofquist, a Somerset, Wis. native, has played in three of the Gophers’ eight games this season and did not register any points. He appeared in 35 of the team’s 37 games as a freshman, totaling one goal and three assists.
The Gophers have only 22 active players on their roster now, with forward Jay Barriball (knee surgery) out for the season and defenseman Nick Leddy (broken jaw) out until mid-December.
The good news is Leddy will be back and come January the team will get another forward, Jacob Cepis.
[Star Tribune]
Chevy wants to start.The Lets Go DU Hockey Blog is reporting that the Magness Arena is almost sold our for the UND and DU hockey series on the 20th and 21st of November. I would recommend that if you want to go to the DU and UND series you will need to order your ticket now or look for a scalper outside the Magness Arena.
Cheverie, who leads the NCAA in save percentage (.959) and shutouts (three), remains on crutches to keep weight off his calf, which required 30 stitches from a skate-blade accident.
Doctors originally said he would miss two to four weeks. The North Dakota series begins three weeks from the injury.
"He's bound and determined to be back before doctors say he is, so we'll see," Gwozdecky said. "It's probably good that he's feeling like he's going to be back, but that's a typical competitive athlete talking."
[Denver Post Hockey Blog]
9. Bemidji State upsets Notre Dame, 2009 NCAA men's hockey tournament
In 2009, we finally were given the answer to an annual scholastic hockey mystery: The hell's a Bemidji State anyway?
Turns out it's a small liberal arts college in Minnesota that was ready to shock the NCAA.
The Beavers were technically a No. 4 seed in the Div. I tournament, but were actually the lowest seed in the 16-team field. Which made their emphatic 5-1 stunner against No. 2 Notre Dame all the more unbelievably -- along with the facts that it was Bemidji State's first D-I tournament win in school history and just the second tourney victory in CHA conference history.
Because of the university's size and budget, the Wall Street Journal ranked the upset as the third most-shocking in recent NCAA sports history.
The Beavers would qualify for the Frozen Four, losing to Miami (Ohio) in the semifinals. But the win over the Irish sparked a Cinderella run that, for a moment, captivated the hockey world.[Puck Daddy]
WILMINGTON - Bruins' center David Krejci returned to practice this morning at Ristuccia Arena for the first time since being diagnosed with the H1N1 virus last Wednesday. Krejci, who worked out on his own yesterday because the Bruins had a day off, missed Thursday and Saturday's games but could be back in the lineup tomorrow night when the Bruins host the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Garden.
Michael Ryder did not skate. Coach Claude Julien said he was under the weather but was not suffering from H1N1.
Milan Lucic (broken right index finger) skated before practice in full gear with a puck and was out on the ice for about 40 minutes. Julien said he couldn't give a timetable for his return.
AFA 2008-2009 ScheduleFast forward to this season the Beavers have started the season going 7-0-1. The Beavers only blemish on their record was a tie against NMU; before you knock NMU this was the same team that also beat the UMD Bulldogs earlier this season.
Win Sacred Heart
Win Sacred Heart
Win Bemidji State
Win Bemidji State
Win American Int'l
Win American Int'l
Win Bentley
Win Bentley
Win Holy Cross
Win Holy Cross
Win Sacred Heart
Win Sacred Heart
Win Colorado College
Loss Denver Univcersity
By: Tu-Uyen Tran ---- Grand Forks Herald The State Board of Higher Education is being told by a district judge that it may not retire UND’s Fighting Sioux nickname until a hearing Dec. 9.
The temporary restraining order, dated Monday, came from Judge Michael G. Sturdevant of Bottineau, N.D., as part of a lawsuit against the board brought forward by the Committee For Understanding and Respect, a group of Spirit Lake nation nickname supporters.
The group’s spokeswoman, Eunice Davidson, said 67 percent of the voters on her reservation agreed to keep the name in a vote earlier this year and felt the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe should be given an opportunity to do the same.
The complaint that sets off the lawsuit argues that the tribes are the owners of the nickname and the state board is merely a trustee, and, therefore, can’t decide to end use of the nickname on its own.
Word of the lawsuit reached the Herald late Monday night and there wasn’t an opportunity to show any state board members the relevant documents.
Tribes in charge
The complaint that sets off the lawsuit takes issue with the way the state board unilaterally changed the deadline, contrary to a settlement between the state and the NCAA.
The NCAA considers American Indian nicknames offensive and the settlement gives UND until Nov. 30, 2010, to win the support of both the state’s Sioux tribes.
But the state board moved the deadline forward to Oct. 31 of this year. If the Standing Rock chairman doesn’t state his intent to move forward with a referendum at the reservation, it appeared the board could enforce that deadline and direct UND to retire the nickname at its Nov. 19 meeting.
But in doing so, the board would be ignoring the rights of the Sioux people, as stated in the NCAA settlement, according to the complaint.
The NCAA settlement says the Sioux tribes “have important contributions in determining whether, to what extent and in what manner the ‘Sioux’ name and the ‘Fighting Sioux’ nickname or logo should continue to be used.”
The complaint interprets that to mean that “the SBHE has become the ‘trustee’ of the nickname and logo for the Sioux People of North Dakota.” In other words, the tribes own the nickname and the state board is only holding on to it until the tribes can decide what to do with the nickname.
Nickname supporters said in the complaint that “the plaintiffs are bringing this action because they strongly believe to lose… this identification with North Dakota’s oldest institution of higher education will cause isolation and diminishing of public interest, knowledge and respect for Sioux history and culture and will be detrimental and not in the best interest of their people.”
The complaint says the supporters are not seeking monetary damages.
Nickname supporters also said the 30-year agreement for use of the nickname the state board wants from each tribe is not in the NCAA settlement. They’re asking the court to order the board to back off that requirement.
Time running out for Savard-Bruins pact
The agent for star center Marc Savard says contract talks continue with the Boston Bruins, but time is also becoming of the essence.
"We continue to discuss regularly," agent Larry Kelly told ESPN.com Monday night at the Hockey Hall of Fame. "Both sides are interested in getting something done. But obviously there are issues we are working through."
The longer it takes, the closer Savard gets to July 1, when he would become an unrestricted free agent. It's clear from what Kelly said that the clock is ticking. [ESPN]
The NHL has suspended Calgary Flames forward Curtis Glencross for three games, without pay, for delivering a high hit to an unsuspecting Chris Drury of the New York Rangers on Saturday night during the Flames' 3-1 win.
Glencross hit Drury 48 seconds into the game. Drury was helped off the ice and did not return to the game. New York coach John Tortorella said Drury suffered a concussion. No penalty was called on the play.
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and based on his average annual salary, Glencross will forfeit $18,652.86. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
Glencross will miss games at Montreal (Nov. 10), Buffalo (Nov. 13) and Toronto (Nov. 14). He will be eligible to return Nov. 17 against Colorado.
[NHL.COM]
NCAA tourney formula drives changes
Eaves said recent adjustments in how strength of schedule factors into an NCAA tournament resume is driving the changes. In the past three years, the value of an opponent's winning percentage has decreased significantly in the power rating equation (from 50 percent to 21) and a school with a record under .500 can no longer qualify for an at-large berth regardless of its schedule strength or where it stands in the Pairwise Rankings.
Alabama-Huntsville, projected to be an NCAA Division I independent in 2010-11, and Massachusetts, a consistent second-division club in Hockey East, will play series here next season.
Mike Cerniglia, the UW director of hockey operations, said another non-conference home series will likely be added for 2010-11 because the Icebreaker is exempt from the normal 34-game regular season and UW prefers to have 20 home dates per season.
[Madison.Com]
BOSTON, MA - Boston Bruins General Manager Peter Chiarelli announced today that the club’s medical staff has confirmed a diagnosis of H1N1 for David Krejci. Based on Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations, Krejci will be isolated from the rest of the team until he is symptom and fever free for 24 hours.
“Like most people, we are taking many precautions to try to prevent our players and staff from contracting the H1N1 virus,” said Chiarelli. “Our medical staff is working with David to get him healthy as soon as possible, and our players and staff will continue to take precautions with hopes of preventing the spread of the virus to others in the organization.”
Jay Barriball, the right winger on the first line of the Gophers men's hockey team, is expected to have season-ending knee surgery on Friday.
Preliminary results from a magnetic resonance imaging exam taken Wednesday indicated that Barriball will require surgery, but a final decision likely will be made today. The senior was injured in a routine drill during Tuesday's practice.
"It is not a [torn] ACL," coach Don Lucia said, referring to a common knee injury in contact sports, "but it is serious enough that if you have surgery, it is a four-, five-month deal."
Barriball scored a goal and had two assists last weekend vs. Alaska Anchorage to reach the 100-point milestone. He has 39 goals and 63 assists for 102 points in 125 career games.
"[His loss] leaves a big void," Lucia said. "The good thing for Jay is he did not get past the threshold" to apply for medical redshirt year this season. The threshold is one-third of the season. If the NCAA gives Barriball a redshirt year, he would have another year of eligibility in 2010-11. [Star Tribune]
Toronto, ON - The Ontario Hockey League today announced the results of its review of an incident which occurred in the game played in Kitchener on Friday, October 30th, 2009 between the Kitchener Rangers and the visiting Erie Otters.
The incident in question involved player Michael Liambas of the Erie Otters who was assessed a match penalty for boarding as the result of his hit on Kitchener Rangers player Ben Fanelli who sustained an injury to the head on the play.
In making the announcement as the result of the review, Commissioner David Branch stated that…”players must understand they shall be held accountable for their actions. We must all work towards improving the level of respect players have towards opposing players and the game in general”.
“It is the position of the Ontario Hockey League that player Michael Liambas of the Erie Otters Hockey Club be suspended for the balance of the 2009-10 playing season including playoffs”. [ontariohockeyleague.com]
Nobody in Boston wants to hear this, but these Bruins sure could use Kessel. Somebody in the Bruins dressing room mentioned Kessel's stats from the Toronto game and it was met with an ugly look from one of the Boston players. The look was clear. Kessel is gone; nobody here wants to know how he's helping another team.
Julien said as much on Monday, even before his team turned in another zero.
"We made a deal and we've moved on," Julien said. "We've got guys who have moved in and done a pretty good job with (replacing Kessel). It is what it is. Phil Kessel has moved on and we've moved on."
If only the part about replacing Kessel were true. It's not easy to replace 36 goals. The hope was that a healthy Marco Sturm would help.
"We replaced one (30-goal scorer) with another," Mark Recchi said.
Sturm has two goals. Another potential 30-goal scorer, Michael Ryder, has three. David Krejci has one. Recchi has two.
Not the goal totals of players jumping in to pick up scoring production that left with Kessel.
"When you replace people, it takes a little time," Recchi said. "We've got guys who can do what he was doing. Right now, it's just not happening. Eventually it will." [Sporting News]
This year, the Bruins have done a complete 180. Through their first 13 games, they have scored a total of just 31 goals, good enough for 27th in the league and have the worst pp scoring 11.5 percent of the time. In the eight games the Bruins have lost, they have scored one goal or less in six of them. This year, their leading goal scorers are Patrice Bergeron and Blake Wheeler, with four goals each.
There can be many different excuses for why this has happened. The first is the fact that the B's traded their No. 1 goal scorer last year Phil Kessel to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kessel scored 36 goals to lead the Bruins. While he put up some great numbers a big reason was because of the playmaking abilities of Marc Savard. So this is not the reason why the Bruins are slumping as much as they are.
A second reason would be the losses of Marc Savard and Milan Lucic. Both were lost earlier in the year to injuries and won't be back for at least another 10-15 games. Savard is the Bruins best playmaker finishing with 63 assists last year. Losing him really hurt the Bruins because he could make the pass that no one else could on the team. [Bleacher report]
Bad news out of today's Gopher practice... Barriball reportedly injured. Doesn't sound good... season ending?If true the guys at Goon's world hope that Jay Barriball isn't hurt too bad and will make a speedy return to the line soon for the Gophers. Also, add to the Gophers injuries Nick Leddy.
I like going to Wisconsin," Lucia said. "The fans are into it. They have a good band there and you don't have the vile language or anything like that. The fans are just into the game which is the way you like to see it. From that standpoint, it fires us up. We have always had pretty good luck at the Kohl Center over the years."
Last season the Gophers played a series there in late October. The first game was a 2-2 tie, the Gophers won the next night 5-2.
"We have played well there," Lucia said. "It is a good rivalry but again it is not the swearing, the hatred, the viciousness as in some other buildings we have to go in our league."
Wonder which ones he was referring to? I can guess one pretty easily.
[Goal Gophers]
After speaking with Greg Shepherd QuickFacts does not expect any further discipline against Alaska's Portwood on for his hit on Nick Leddy.I think the Gophers coach Don Lucia is a hypocrite in this instance after what Brian Schack did to MSU-M Maverick defenseman Channing Boe last season with his Todd Bertuzzi style attack and now wants the league to look at the Portwood hit on Leddy and possibly level a game or two suspension for something that is about ten times less serious. The first question I have to ask is, “are you kidding me?” Why doen’t Lucia suggest that the league also suspend the league officials working that game as well?
Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman Charlie Murphy has written a letter rejecting a deadline on UND’s Fighting Sioux nickname, but there are differences of opinion among State Board of Higher Education members about what that actually means.
Board Chairman Richie Smith said it’s pretty clear to him that the tribe won’t work under a deadline. If that’s the case, “I wouldn’t personally extend the deadline,” he said today. “This issue is more or less holding UND back from going on about its business,” he said.
Without a deadline extension, the board likely would ask UND to begin retiring the 79-year-old nickname, which some have called racist.
Board member Grant Shaft, who’s from Grand Forks, took a different view.
“I took it as though they are wanting to dialogue with this, as though the month of November would be useful to them,” he said. If there was indication that Standing Rock leaders are working to make a decision on the nickname, he said he doesn’t see a problem giving the tribe more time.
“I don’t want the deadline to be a deterrent in itself for the tribe from being able to speak on the issue,” he said.
The board is scheduled to meet Nov. 19 at Minot State University, and Smith said he expects the nickname deadline will come up then. There would be no special board meeting earlier than that.
Shaft said he understands there’s a Tribal Council meeting Nov. 9. If the tribe reaches a consensus on the nickname then, he said, it would affect the board’s discussion.
--------------(snip)--------------
Summit League
For some board members, Dec. 31 is another deadline. Shaft said no board member is willing to cross that threshold.
The driving force behind the deadlines is UND’s desire to apply to the Summit League athletic conference as soon as possible. The mostly Midwestern league is seen as a good fit for the university, but the league won’t consider an application until the nickname issue is resolved.
With the start of the new year, league members will begin working on scheduling, Shaft said, and it would be harmful if UND still was struggling with the nickname.
In recent meetings, board members have indicated they were anxious to move on after shuffling deadlines to wait out the Standing Rock tribe.
The Tribal Council at the Spirit Lake Dakotah Nation, the other Sioux tribe in the state, has approved the nickname after a referendum in which 67 percent of tribal members gave their approval.
Shaft recognized that many board members feel what he called “issue fatigue.”
“Those of us here in Grand Forks, we’re more on the front line of the issue,” he said. “This issue for board members that aren't here in Grand Forks isn't as front and center." [Grand Forks Herald]
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) - Standing Rock tribal Chairman Charles Murphy says the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname is not at the top of his administration's priorities right now but he's willing to talk about it if no deadlines are imposed.
In a letter to University System Chancellor William Goetz, Murphy says tribal members clearly are divided over the nickname and Indianhead logo.
The NCAA considers the nickname and logo hostile and abusive. The state Board of Higher Education plans to drop them unless the Standing Rock and Spirit Lake Sioux tribes sign off on long term agreements.
Murphy says he's aware of the desire for a 30-year agreement but he says those types of conditions are "better discussed and agreed upon rather than stipulated."
His letter says he's ready to meet with board members if they're willing to talk about it without deadlines and stipulations.
It was a tough hit. I don't think it was anything intentional with the kid but it was still, in my view, after watching the videotape --- the paper had an unbelievable shot of it. [See Sunday's Star Tribune Sports section.] It was a shot to the head.
"As much as you want to say it was a good hit, there are rules put in. And that's why there is zero tolerance for shots to the head. Just as in football, you don't allow crackback blocks. You don't allow blows to the head. You have rules in there to protect the players for a reason. I don't think the kid tried to, but still it was a shot to the head."
Lucia said he has already talked to Greg Shepherd, the supervisor of officials, about the play. "I talked to our referee in chief and I forwarded it and I think those things have to be looked at because that is a dangerous play," Lucia said. "Even though you are in a vulnerable position, that doesn't mean you can make that hit like that. That is my opinion. That is why the rule is in there."
One reporter after the Gophers' 4-1 victory over Alaska Anchorage, asked Lucia how a player can avoid a hit like that? "You just can't hit him in the head, plain and simple," Lucia said. "That's why it is in the rulebook. Zero tolerance.
"Look at the concussions in the game today. [Leddy] gets out because of a fractured jaw. Those are the kind of hits you want to eliminate from the game."
Lucia said he does not think Leddy will have to have his jaw wired. "I am hoping that within a week or two he can come out and skate a little bit," Lucia said, "so he can stay in conditioning. We'll see how it goes from here."
Shepherd was at the Gophers vs. Alaska Anchorage game on Sunday. But the on-ice action was very tame compared to Friday's game when there were 35 penalties called for 78 minutes.
On Sunday, there were eight minorrs, four per side, for 16 minutes total .
After the league reviews Portwood's hit on Leddy near the end of the first period, I expect he will suspended for at least one or two games. And it should happen quickly, by Monday or Tuesday.
Portwood is a 6-3, 207-pound sophomore from Victoria, British Columbia.
[Star Tribune]
KITCHENER, Ont. -- A junior hockey player remains in critical condition with skull and facial fractures after a hard check into the glass during a game Friday night.
Kitchener Rangers defenseman Ben Fanelli fell to the ice after getting hit by Erie's Michael Liambas during a 4-0 victory in an Ontario Hockey League game.
Fanelli's helmet went flying during the collision, and a pool of blood from a cut on his face formed on the ice under his head. The 16-year-old player was conscious when he was airlifted to a Hamilton hospital.
Rangers CEO Steve Bienkowski said in a statement posted on the team's Web site Sunday that Fanelli was in critical but stable condition.
Liambas received a boarding penalty and was ejected from the game for delivering the hit.
