Who's going to be on Team USA.

Well we know two of the players on "Team USA" they are Phil Kessel and defenceman Mike Komisarek. I would predict that Zach Parise, Paul Statsny, Patrick Kane, Tim Thomas, Ryan Miller, Jamie Langenbrunner are also locks to make the team.

EDMONTON – Leafs forward Phil Kessel and defenceman Mike Komisarek appear to have sewn up spots on the American Olympic hockey team.

Leafs coach Ron Wilson — who's also the coach of the U.S. team — let the cat out of the bag at Leaf practice when he was asked if the upcoming Olympic team announcements could be a distraction for players or even himself.

"Not at all. I know what the team is. To me it's not a distraction," said Wilson. "I think Phil Kessel knows pretty well and probably Mike Komisarek knows they're probably on the team. They've been talked to a lot about it.

"I think pretty much everybody on our team knows who's going, you're just waiting for an official announcement."

The Americans are set to announce their lineup on Jan. 1 as part of the festivities at the NHL's Winter Classic at Boston's Fenway Park. The Canadians are making their announcement Wednesday in Saskatoon at the world junior hockey championship.
[thestar.com]

Drew Stafford on fire.

Former Fighting Sioux star Drew Stafford was a healthy scratch in his team’s last game against T.J. Oshie and the St. Louis Blues’. Stafford took his benching to heart and responded by getting two goals and an assist, to help the Sabres over come a three goal deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sabres all world goalie Ryan Miller was pulled after giving up three goals.

Stafford also assisted on former Fargo resident Paul Gaustad's 8th goal of the season. So with Stafford two goals and an assist tonight Drew has(9g-10g-19pts)Stafford's two goals tonight broke a 15 game goaless streak.

Frattin back with the Fighting Sioux

The Fighting Sioux got some good news today as it was announced that Junior forward Matt Frattin has re-enrolled in school and will make a return to the Fighting Sioux line up. Frattin. Frattin was dismissed from the team last August after getting arrested for DWI in Grand Forks, ND.

This news was also on UND beat writer Brad Schlossman's twitter.com feed. This is pretty good news for UND, who have at times been offensively challenged.

Schlossman - Hakstol says Frattin returned to campus in good shape. "It's very apparent to me that he's done - not a little bit of work - a lot of work."
---------
Schlossman - Frattin will travel to Chicago, but Hakstol says it's too early to know whether he will play.
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Schlossman - Hakstol on Frattin: "To this point, he's done all the right things. It's one day at a time. He's eligible to play."
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Schlossman - Matt Frattin has re-enrolled at UND and will be at media day Thursday morning

Here is the offical press release.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - University of North Dakota head men's hockey coach Dave Hakstol announced today that junior forward Matt Frattin has enrolled in spring classes at UND and has resumed practicing with the Fighting Sioux.

A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Frattin is immediately eligible for NCAA competition.

Frattin was dismissed from the team in August due to a violation of team rules.

In 42 games with the Sioux last season, Frattin scored 13 goals and added 12 assists for 25 points. A fourth-round draft pick (99th overall) of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2007, Frattin has 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 85 career games at UND

Pension Plan Puppets has also picked up the story. To answer the blogger’s question, yeah its good news for Frattin because life has given him a second chance and it's time to make hay with the opportunity.

Coach Hakstol weighs in on the move: Here is what coach Hakstol had to say about Fratting being given another chance.

To this point, he’s done all the right things,” Hakstol said. “He’s eligible to play. I’m approaching it one day forward at a time. He needs to continue doing a good job day by day. If he continues to do the right things day by day, there will be another opportunity for him.

“I’m really impressed with the way Matt has handled everything right from Day One. He had other options. He probably chose the most difficult path in deciding to return to the University of North Dakota. He decided to do whatever it took.”

Frattin, a fourth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, had 13 goals and 25 points last season. He was the team’s third-leading goal scorer behind Ryan Duncan and Chris VandeVelde.

During the past few months, Frattin has been working out and skating near Edmonton.

“It’s tough to do things on your own, but he found a way,” Hakstol said. “It’s very apparent to me that he’s done. . . not a little bit of work. . . but a lot of work. He’s in very good condition judging by the two practices we’ve had — which were pretty competitive practices.”

Frattin is expected to address the media on Wednesday morning.

When Frattin was dismissed following a driving under the influence arrest, UND said that his status may be revisited. He has been reinstated for two main reasons.

“The program comes first,” Hakstol said, “and this is about having a good outcome for a good, young man that needed to get himself back on track.”
[Grand Forks Herald]

Head shots...

I am not sure why this doctor Dr. Charles Tator is picking a fight with Hockey personality and hockey legend Don Cherry? I have watched Don Cherry on the Coaches’ Corner for over 25 years and I have never heard him out there promoting hitting the opposition in the head. If anything I have heard the opposite, I have heard Cherry blast thugs like Ulfie Samuelsson that play the game cheap. During many shows I have heard Cherry speak against using some of the hardened equipment that players use today. Listen to video and what Cherry has to say, he isn't promoting head shots.

Recently, at the Regina workshop, I indicated that the "rock 'em, sock 'em" type of hockey espoused by commentators such as Don Cherry can no longer be the culture that dictates our game. We need to depart from the "win at all costs" mentality and return to the game when players had respect for their own bodies and respect for their opponents.

This message has been given by many others, such as the McMurtry report on amateur hockey violence in Ontario in 1974. In my book on sports and recreational injuries published last year, the cost of all sports and recreational injuries in Ontario was estimated at about $3 billion.

However, the costs in terms of grieving families and suffering athletes is much more important and of even greater magnitude than we had imagined, as demonstrated by the work from Boston University reported recently in the Star. This report included the case of former NHL player Reggie Fleming whose brain had major damage after repeated concussions.
[The Star]

Minnesota Wild equipment fire damage estimated at $100,000.

I couldn't believe it when I first saw that the Wild equipment fire damage was estimated at $100,000.00 that is a lot of money for hockey equipment. After watching last night’s games between the Wild and the Kings there seems to be no lingering effects of the fire.

Tony DaCosta stood in the middle of the Wild's dressing room Sunday morning at the Xcel Energy Center, holding an ice skate in each hand and exchanging wisecracks with players.

In the middle of packing the team's gear for its first road trip since fire destroyed more than two-thirds of it on Dec. 18 in Ottawa, DaCosta seemed in his usual good mood; the Wild had won two straight games, and everything appeared to be back to normal.

DaCosta put the skates down and shook his head.

"We're far from back to normal," he said. "We're about 50 percent."

DaCosta believes a blowtorch ignited in the back of the Ottawa Senators' equipment truck during the short drive from the Kanata Recreation Centre, where the Wild practiced, to Scotiabank Place, where the Senators defeated the Wild 4-1 on Dec. 19.

He estimated damages at about $100,000.

No one knows for sure if a blowtorch started the fire, but DaCosta knows one thing: "First of all, there'll never be a torch again on a truck that I'm on, that's for sure."

He's not nervous, just "more aware" as the team sets off on another road trip.

DaCosta, 42, the head equipment manager for the Wild from the beginning, reached into a cabinet and pulled out one of the blowtorches players use to custom bend the blades of their sticks. He pushed the ignition button and released it, and there was only a short burst of propane. He held the button, and the torch flamed to life.

For that to happen on the truck that day, he said, was "one in a million."
Equipment personnel go by the Boy Scout motto: be prepared.
[TwinCities.com]

Some of the best hockey of the decade CBC style.

I found this over at Kuklas Korner and I personally love CBC NHL hockey coverage because they just cover the games and don't get into all of the homerisms that you get when watch some of the hockey games on NHL Center Ice. The Duck's announcers are the worst in the business.

I believe 2000-2009 decade was definitely filled with some great hockey moments. For hockey events I would include the 2005 WJC tourney that was held at the Ralph. The NHL was locked out and the WJC tourney included many great NHL hockey players like Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Dion Phaneuf, Sidney Crosby, Ryan Getzlaf, Jeff Carter and Patrice Bergeron also current NHLers and former WCHA stars Drew Stafford and Phil Kessel were on Team USA. I must admit that I paid 100.00 to watch the championship game between Canada and Russia; I have never heard the Ralph rock like it did that night.

Minnesota Wild's James Sheppard copes with loss of playing time

When I saw this article I couldn't resist, however, my celebration was short lived because reality set in really fast. Unfortunately for the Minnesota Wild, the waste of a first round pick James Sheppard is going to be playing more because of the untimely injury to Chuck Kobasew who is out for at least a month with a leg injury after running into Keith Tkachuck in the third period of Saturday night’s game. The hit was a knee on knee hit but I didn’t think it was dirty or pre-meditated, Tkachuck is not known to be a dirty player.

According to Wild beat writer Michael Russo, the Wild will be without right wing Chuck Kobasew for four to six weeks with a sprained MCL. There's also some damage to the ACL, but the swelling needs to decrease before the extent is determined. This is a tough loss for the Wild because Kobasew can play defense and chip in offensively and is a nice third line player.

Forward James Sheppard, one of only two players to appear in every game for the Wild last season, has missed five games this season but returned to the lineup after a one-game absence when Minnesota played host to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.

Asked if being in and out of the lineup is frustrating or simply something he has to shake off and demonstrate in practice he's worthy of playing, he said, "It's both."

A 21-year-old forward who was grabbed ninth overall in the first round of the 2006 NHL draft, Sheppard went into Saturday's game with only two goals and three assists in 32 games and occasionally has become the odd man out up front in coach Todd Richards' offense.

All Sheppard can do, he said, is work to change that.

"I don't get the final say who's in," he added, "so I have to give them no choice but to put me in there." [Twin Cities.com]

Mason Raymond with the hat trick.

I love watching the former college hockey and WCHA stars do well in the professional ranks after their college career is over. Check out former UMD Bulldog and current Vancouver Canuck Mayson Raymond’s hat trick. Raymond is having one heck of a season; in 39 games he has (17g-12a-29pts). Raymond has already surpassed his career best in goals and assists in a season as well.

Fighting Sioux nickname #2 story of the year.

Let's see we have two wars, a horrible economy, companies bleeding jobs and this is the number two story of the year according to the Alerus center cheerleader, I mean Grand Forks Herald writer Tu-Uyen Tran,.

No. 2: UND nickname dispute

The dispute over UND’s Fighting Sioux nickname simmered and boiled into yet another year. True to form, it continued to defy anyone’s guess at how it might end. In theory, the university has until Nov. 30, 2010, to win approval from both the state’s Sioux tribes. That’s what it says in the settlement between the state and the NCAA, which opposes American Indian nicknames.

One of the tribes, the Spirit Lake Dakotah Nation, voted overwhelmingly in April to grant that approval. Yet the following month, the State Board of Higher Education put a crimp in their victory by imposing its own September deadline for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe to grant the same approval. The stated reason is UND wants to join the Summit League, but that athletic conference won’t consider an application until the nickname issue is settled.

With little movement from Standing Rock even to have a public vote, the board moved its deadline to Oct. 31 to see if the tribe would show any sign of granting approval. The board was on the verge of retiring the nickname in November when Spirit Lake nickname supporters sued the board to force it to abide by the original deadline. They lost, but the appeals process means the nickname issue will continue into next year.

Thomas save on Leopold

Check out this save by Tim Thomas at the end of the game to rob former Gopher Jordan Leopold. What a save.

A couple of Bruins things.

Stanley Cup of Chowder has Boxing Day Poll who is the best Bruins fighting of the Decade. In my opinion it's Milan Lucic. Why because he can fight but he can also play the game. Most of the other Bruins goon's were one dimensional. One NHL GM once refered to Lucic 'as a whole lot of nasty.'

There is also some good news on the Milan Lucic front, looks like Lucic is close to returning to the Bruins line up. We can only hope, because the Bruins could use Lucic's toughness in the lineup, especially with Mark Stuart out of the lineup with a broken sternum.

Milan Lucic is with the team on the road trip. But Lucic has yet to be activated from injured reserve, indicating that he will not dress in either game. This is the first time Lucic has traveled with his teammates since spraining his ankle against Minnesota last month. [Bruins blog]

NCAA Round Up: Half way looking at the pre-season top 20

Here is this weeks column that I wrote for the Illegal Curve.

This was my pre-season top twenty and their current record. It would appear that Notre Dame, Minnesota, Boston University, Vermont are not as good as I originally thought they would be. Also, we can infer that college hockey is going to be wide open this season, there is a lot of parity. I believe that Miami and DU are the favorites right now but that doesn’t mean either of these two teams are going to win the whole thing. I hope I don't upset my Canadian Friends from the Illegal Curve: Go Team USA and Merry Christmas.

1.) Denver University – 11-5-2
2.) Miami University – 13-2-5
3.) Notre Dame – 8-8-4
4.) University of North Dakota – 9-6-3
5.) Boston University – 4-9-3
6.) University of Michigan – 9-9-0
7.) Vermont University – 8-6-2
8.) University of Minnesota – 8-9-1
9.) University of Wisconsin – 11-5-2
10.)University of Mass Lowell – 10-6-1
11.)University of Minnesota Duluth – 11-6-1
12.) Boston College – 10-3-2
13.) Yale University – 7-3-2
14.) Princeton University – 4-8-1
15.) University of New Hampshire – 8-6-3
16.) Northeastern University – 6-8-1
17.) Saint Cloud State University – 8-7-3
18.) Northern Michigan University – 7-8-4
19.) Cornell University – 7-2-2
20.) U.S. Air Force Academy – 8-6-4

Team USA captains.

Here are the captains for team USA's. [USA Hockey Press Release]

• CAPTAINS OF THE SHIP -- On Christmas Eve, Team
USA’s players selected their captains for the 2010 IIHF
World Junior Championship:
Derek Stepan Captain
Jordan Schroeder Alternate
David Warsofsky Alternate
John Carlson Alternate

Adams hit on Alfredson

There has been a lot of discussion head shot the past season and if the NHL decides to change the rules on head shots it, "would prohibit contact with the head - even with a shoulder." I think it would mean that this hit would be ruled to be an illegal. [NHL.COM]

In my opinion this is a legal check and doesn’t appear to be a head shot. The thing that makes it look bad is Daniel Alfredson loses his helmet because it appears that it's not on tight enough. I can see where the ref would probably assume that he Daniel was hit in the head. Hockey is a physical sport and if they enact this rule it's going to cause hockey hitting to decline.

Merry Christmas...

Rex Howell from the Deer Camp Blog has a yearly Christmas card on his outdoor blog and I made it again this season. See if you can pick me out in the picture. I hope everyone is safe and sound at home and not trying to travel through the blizzard that is currently raising havoc on the Midwest. This morning while leaving my house for work I had to wade through 6-8 inches of new snow. It’s definitely hockey weather now. I am sure the sub zero weather will be up soon. 

ISS Top 30 2010 prospects, December

Fighting Sioux hockey recruit Brock Nelson is ranked 28th in the most recent ISS top 30 recruits. Edit: Thanks to RWD for pointing out that Fighting Sioux recruit Derek Forbort is also on the list... 


1 Hall, Taylor LW 14-Nov-91 L *6.00.75 186 Windsor
2 Seguin, Tyler C 31-Jan-92 R *6.00.75 180 Plymouth
3 Fowler, Cam D 5-Dec-91 L *6.02 195 Windsor
4 Kabanov, Kirill LW 16-Jul-92 R *6.01.75 176 Moncton
5 Gormley, Brandon D 18-Feb-92 L *6.02 187 Moncton
6 Tarasenko, Vladimir RW 13-Dec-91 L 5.11 202 Novosibirsk
7 Connolly, Brett LW 2-May-92 R 6.02 181 Prince George
8 Granlund, Mikael C 26-Feb-92 L 5.10 180 HIFK Helsinki
9 Gudbranson, Erik D 7-Jan-92 R *6.03.75 195 Kingston
10 Burmistrov, Alexander C 21-Oct-91 L *5.11.5 162 Barrie
11 Pysyk, Mark D 11-Jan-92 R *6.01 179 Edmonton
12 McFarland, John C 2-Apr-92 R *6.00 200 Sudbury
13 Forbort, Derek D 4-Mar-92 L *6.04.5 198 Under 18
14 Petrovic, Alexander D 3-Mar-92 R *6.03.5 192 Red Deer
15 Bjugstad, Nick C 17-Jul-92 R *6.03.75 188 Blaine
16 Sheahan, Riley C 7-Dec-91 L 6.01.5 202 Notre Dame
17 Watson, Austin RW 13-Jan-92 R *6.03 180 Windsor
18 Hishon, Joey C 20-Oct-91 L *5.09.25 172 Owen Sound
19 Skinner, Jeffrey C 16-May-92 L *5.10 197 Kitchener
20 Kitsyn, Maxim LW 24-Dec-91 L 6.02 194 Novokuznetsk
21 Niederreiter, Nino LW 8-Sep-92 L *6.01 205 Portland
22 Johansen, Ryan C 31-Jul-92 R *6.02.25 194 Portland
23 Tinordi, Jarred D 20-Feb-92 L *6.05.5 205 Under 18
24 Howden, Quinton LW 12-Jan-92 L *6.00.75 183 Moose Jaw
25 Schwartz, Jaden C 25-Jun-92 L *5.10 180 Tri-City USHL
26 Kuznetsov, Evgeny C 19-May-92 L 6.00 174 Chelyabinsk KHL
27 Faulk, Justin D 20-Mar-92 R *5.11.75 196 Under 18 USHL
28 Nelson, Brock C 15-Oct-91 L *6.02.5 205 Warroad MN
29 Merrill, Jonathan D 3-Feb-92 L *6.03.25 198 Under 18 USHL
30 Pulkkinen, Teemu RW 2-Jan-92 R 5.11 183 Jokerit FinE
[Hockey Futures] [Props]

Kristo one of the leaders on Team USA.

Here is an article that was written on Team USA. As a Sioux fan it will be fun to watch Kristo at the WJC and see how he performs as one of the top guys. This will be Danny’s second WJC. As a WCHA fan It will also be interesting to see how  Jordan Schroeder performs on the ice for Team USA.

There was a lot of disappointment within USA Hockey after the team sent to the 2009 World Junior Championship finished fifth.

One year later, three members from that squad will get a chance to avenge the team's worst finish since placing fifth in 2002. Forwards Jordan Schroeder, Danny Kristo and Tyler Johnson will be counted on to provide some of their less-experienced teammates with the knowledge they gained last year in Ottawa.

"Whether they (returning players) are captains or not, we'll let players vote on captains, and then we'll decide on how they vote," U.S. coach Dean Blais told NHL.com. "It certainly helps Jordan Schroeder especially, who's had success scoring, knows what it takes to be in the medal round and playing for a medal. Whether we have that ability or not we'll see real quick. Before we even start thinking about medals, we have to take care of getting there."

That road starts Dec. 26 against Slovakia (8 p.m., NHLN-US) at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, Sask.

"If we have any chance at all, we have to play with a lot of enthusiasm and energy and create turnovers," Blais said.

Schroeder will be at the front of the line leading the team. Playing in his third WJC, the Vancouver Canucks' 2009 first-round pick is just six points shy of Jeremy Roenick's all-time U.S. Under-20 scoring mark. At the 2009 tournament, he led the team with 8 assists and 11 points. This season, the University of Minnesota sophomore is second on the team with 12 points in 18 games.

"He's got to be the energy guy," said Blais. "He's got to be the guy killing penalties, the difference-maker on the power play. He's going to have to play above the checking line of whoever he's out here against. That's what he's going to get, especially when we don't get the last change. We're going to have to make sure he plays with a lot of energy and second-effort in his game. He's going to need it because he's going to be our marked guy."

Kristo had just 1 goal in six games last year, but he'll play a far more prominent role this season. He was impressive at a summer camp in Lake Placid, and the Montreal Canadiens' 2008 second-round pick has kept that pace up in his first season at the University of North Dakota, where he leads the team in scoring with 16 points in 18 games.
[nhl.com]

Merry Christmas from Goon's World.

The Goon’s World team would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Here is the Goon’s Christmas list for 2010.

1.)Return of Chay Genoway to the Fighting Sioux line up. The Sioux are 7-1-1 with him and 2-5-2 with him on the shelf.
2.)I like other Wild fans have become bored with James Sheppard and I would like to see the Wild first round bust sent packing. Honestly the kid is a waste of a uniform and has been held scoreless in the last five games that he has played in. Sheppard was an healthy scratch in last night’s game as well. Sheppard has been horrible this season in 32 games (2g-3a-5pts,-5).
3.)I would like to see the Boston Bruins make a run at getting a serviceable super star to replace Phil Kessel and play with Marc Savard.
4.)I would like to see a Healthy Milan Lucic in a B’s uniform again.
5.)I would like to see the Fighting Sioux win a few more series during the second half of the season and play more consistent hockey. No stupid penalties.
6.)Team USA WJC championship.
7.)A Stanley Cup run by the Wild or Bruins or both.
8.)An 8th NCAA title for the Fighting Sioux.
9.)See the Penguins lose in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
10.)Everyone have a safe and happy holiday season.


Lumps of Coal to the following organizations and people.

1.) To WCHA officials who’s performance during the first half of the season have been brutal at best. It’s time for a change at the top.
2.) Individual lumps of coal to the following WCHA officials: Don Adam, Bill Mason, Brian Thul, Scott Bokal your performance on the ice has been unacceptable and brutal during the first half of the season.
3.) To the CCHA for turning down UAH’s membership application.
4.) To Direct TV and not settling with VERSUS.
5.) The Commissioner of the NHL Gary Bettman, just cause.
6.) NHL Center Ice for not showing every that I want to see. Recently they didn’t pick up a Wild game that I wanted to see.
7.) Outdoor hockey games. Yawn, boring!
8.) To the people that disrespect the BSU Beavers for not being a legit team. How many times do they have to prove you wrong? Is beating Cornell, Notre Dame and Miami not enough for you? While their not a top 5 team they are worthy of being in the top 15.
9.) Aaron Marvin for [this dirty hit]
10.) Greg Shepherd for only giving said dirty hit a one game suspension.
11.) WCHA official Tim Walsh who overruled a Sioux goal against SCSU because he didn't/could blow the whistle, but he intended to.(props to Whistler). [Link to article]

Is this the end for Lucia?

Here is an interesting article in today's Minneapolis Star and Tribune. Personally if I was the beat writer for the Star Tribune I might wait till the season is over before I start the fire Lucia story line. You might not get much access after this zinger.

Seriously, things must be miserable behind the scenes if this article is making its way into circulation before the season is over. If I was Coach Lucia I would think twice before it let this beat writer into my team’s locker room again. I also think its funny how so many people assume that Lucia is going to automatically be replaced by Blais. We will see. Just because Blais has an out in his contract doesn’t mean he is a shoe in either.

Personally I think Donny Lucia is doing a great job in Minnesota. All season long I have read on the internet and twitter about how Minnesota fans are ready to be done with Lucia, this is the same coach that won a Spencer Penrose and Back to Back Titles and numerous league titles. I am surprised they would throw him under the bus so fast.

Athletic director Joel Maturi has heard the rumblings of discontent. Even diehard fans of the Gophers men's hockey program are disappointed with its struggles.

"Gophers hockey is expected to compete at the highest level each and every year," Maturi said, "and the belief is that's not where we are at."

Coach Don Lucia, who led the Gophers to back-to-back national titles earlier this decade, is having another trying season. The Gophers are seventh in the WCHA, and barring a strong second half, headed for their third consecutive middle-of-the-pack finish.
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Last season, the Gophers started 7-0-4 before a second-half tumble. They were fifth in the conference, lost in the Final Five play-in game to Minnesota Duluth 2-1 and did not get a spot in the NCAA field. Exacerbating the sting was that the West Regional was at Mariucci Arena.

"Growing up watching Gophers hockey, we saw them win national titles a couple years in a row and, year in and year out, be in the NCAAs," Carman said. "A lot of us thought it was a given."
------------------

Recruiting roulette

"Minnesota has missed on players like [Zach] Parise, [T.J.] Oshie, [David] Backes and [Ryan] McDonagh; we've missed some the last five, six years," said Reed Larson, a former Gophers defenseman who played in the NHL for 14 seasons. "There are some pretty good state players at North Dakota and Wisconsin. I am concerned with the school and the team; something's wrong."

Lucia said the Gophers will always primarily recruit Minnesotans, but he has to make offers earlier and earlier -- to compete with other colleges -- and it's harder to predict how good a 16- or 17-year-old player will be. Many WCHA teams stock their teams with Canadian talent. Lucia has brought in only a couple of Canadians; none have been impact players.

McDonagh committed to Wisconsin out of Cretin-Derham Hall as a junior days before Minnesota planned to make him an offer, Lucia said. McDonagh is a Badgers co-captain as a junior defenseman.

------------------

If Minnesota keeps floundering, though, the criticism of Lucia will undoubtedly increase. He has two more years left on his contract, which will pay him a base salary of $250,751 for the 2011-12 season.

"Most Gophers fans already got a guy picked out to replace him," Sonmor said.

That would be Dean Blais, who won two NCAA titles in his 10 years as head coach at North Dakota. Blais, 58, played for the Gophers in the early 1970s and was known for his no-nonsense style and tireless recruiting before he left the Sioux to become an NHL assistant. He is in his first season at Nebraska-Omaha, which joins the WCHA next season.

A couple of years ago, replacing Lucia would have been unthinkable. But with the storied history of the Gophers program, it only takes a couple of mediocre seasons for discontent to boil to the surface.

And it has.
[Star Tribune]

Final USA WJC roster released.

Here is the final USA roster for this years WJC. Here is the link to the press release. Here is the schedule fo the Team USA's games.

GOALTENDERS (2)

1 Jack Campbell, Port Huron, Mich. U.S. National Under-18 Team (USNTDP)
30 Mike Lee, Roseau, Minn. St. Cloud State University (WCHA)

DEFENSEMEN (7)

11 John Carlson, Colonia, N.J. Hershey Bears (AHL)
4 Matt Donovan, Edmond, Okla. University of Denver (WCHA)
24 Cam Fowler, Farmington Hills, Mich. Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
28 Jake Gardiner, Minnetonka, Minn. University of Wisconsin (WCHA)
18 Brian Lashoff, Albany, N.Y. Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
2 John Ramage, St. Louis, Mo. University of Wisconsin (WCHA)
5 David Warsofsky, Marshfield, Mass. Boston University (HEA)

FORWARDS (13)

17 Ryan Bourque, Boxford, Mass. Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
29 Jerry D’Amigo, Binghamton, N.Y. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (ECACH)
22 AJ Jenks, Wolverine Lake, Mich. Plymouth Whalers (OHL)
10 Tyler Johnson, Spokane, Wash. Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
20 Chris Kreider, Boxford, Mass. Boston College (HEA) New York Rangers
8 Danny Kristo, Eden Prairie, Minn. University of North Dakota (WCHA)
9 Philip McRae, Chesterfield, Mo. London Knights (OHL)
26 Jeremy Morin, Auburn, N.Y. Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
23 Kyle Palmieri, Montvale, N.J. University of Notre Dame (CCHA)
19 Jordan Schroeder, Prior Lake, Minn. University of Minnesota (WCHA)
21 Derek Stepan, Hastings, Minn. University of Wisconsin (WCHA)
14 Luke Walker, Portland, Ore. Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
16 Jason Zucker, Las Vegas, Nev. U.S. National Under-18 Team (USNTDP)

Nickname issue likely won’t be discussed at next board meeting

It would appear that the board has given the Standing Rock Tribe a little breathing room and some time to decide if they really want to have a referendum on the Fighting Sioux name. I can bet there isn’t a lot of time to waste here; the State Board of Higher Education will probably start transitioning the Fighting Sioux nickname if there isn’t some movement. The other athletic teams need a conference to play in. I would say that the nickname is on life support right now unless there is some movement at Standing Rock.

The State Board of Higher Education will meet in January but likely won’t take any action on the UND Fighting Sioux nickname, a board member said Tuesday.

Grant Shaft said the Jan. 21 meeting at UND would be the next opportunity to bring up the issue, but he didn’t think the board would be able to take any new action — even though a lawsuit from the Spirit Lake Dakotah Nation that attempted to block the board from changing the name was dismissed Dec. 18.

“I suspect that the matter will be under appeal at that time,” he said. “So, it will be very similar to what we’ve been doing up to this point.”

Options

Shaft said the nickname could come up for discussion at the January meeting “in reference to what action we’ve taken previously.”

He said he thinks the board would be prohibited from taking any new action on the issue if the appeal is still under way at the time, but members could possibly take action if it was subject to the appeal’s outcome.

Also possible would be going into executive session, which would allow board members to discuss the appeal with Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem. Still, he said there’s nothing about the nickname on the meeting’s agenda so far.

“From my standpoint right now, I think during the appeal process the matter is essentially on hold until that process is finished,” he said. “And the official position of the board is the action that we took back in October that just remains suspended right now until the legal process is concluded.”
[Grand Forks Herald]

Martin Havlat on a roll.

At the beginning of the season Martin Havlat wasn't producing much in the way of goals and or points, then all of a sudden it clicked for Havlat. Rencently Havlat has been red hot much like the equipment truck that burned up in Ottawa. Then over the last 6 games where Havlat has 9 points. If we break it down futher Havlat has 11 points in 9 games. Now Havlat is starting to earn that 5 million dollars a year contract.

Remember this guy?

This why the beat writers are talking about Chay Genoway when he has missed 10 games due to injury from this dirty hit.

I think if UND doesn't lose Genoway to that bush league hit you can probably add 2-3 wins to their total at the halfway point. Chay Genoway is an elite player who presence is missed in the Fighting Sioux line up. We can only hope that he makes his return to the Fighting Sioux line up soon.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR (so far): With all due respect to Denver goaltender Marc Cheverie and Wisconsin defenseman Brendan Smith, it's North Dakota defenseman Chay Genoway. With the All-American in the lineup, the Fighting Sioux were 7-1-1. Since he suffered a concussion vs. St. Cloud State Nov. 13, they are 2-5-2 with all five losses by one goal.

At last check, Genoway was so debilitated by the injury that he had to watch practice from a distance lest the moving forms on the ice cause dizziness and studying was an issue because he couldn't focus on a computer screen.

Regardless if Genoway is back in the lineup for the series at St. Cloud Feb. 12 and 13, it's reasonable to assume that some payback will be coming for Huskies center Aaron Marvin, whose illegal check injured Genoway.
[Madison.com]

Well that didn't take long.

I was wondering how long it would take before the Leafs fans would sour and get on former Bruin Phil Kessel. Now that Phil Kessel has zero points in his last three games, the questions are starting already. Where’s Kessel? Why isn't Kessel the man? Kessel is getting paid a lot of money for what?

Let's face facts Leafs fans, you should've known by now that Kessel doesn’t play defense, he never has. Kessel plays hockey one way, he is a one dimensional. Kessel isn’t going to check anyone either, that’s not his game. Phil’s game is shoot the puck on net a bunch of times and play on the first or second line. It is what it is. Don’t expect him to play defensively. It’s not like Kessel is an utter hack either he has 21 points in 25 games (13g-8a-21pts). Kessel now knows how Jason Blake feels after he came to Toronto with a nice new contract and the fans got on him he didn’t live up the fans hype.

The Leafs are in need of someone special to help get them over the hump, someone Phil Kessel was acquired to be. Never mind his goals per, it's really about goals when... for Kessel. He did nothing against Boston, nothing against Buffalo, so when??? When will his brilliance be effective? It's games like Monday's against the Sabres the Leafs need most, for morale and to keep up with the divisional Jones'... and really it's on "the star" like Kessel for not contributing. The rest of the team kept itself in the game long enough for that "special someone" to help it rise beyond. But again they, we are left without. Yeah yeah, 3 of 4 points is nice... but this team has to be better, something it won't be unless Kessel ultimately shakes Hansel and comes to terms with being the effin' guy. You ain't in Boston anymore, Phil. You're in Toronto. You're paid like it. Play like it. [Norman James Sports]

Here is a pretty good fan blog article that I found on the Boston Bruins. I have to agree with the writer that the Bruins went from being one of the best teams in the East to barely being able to score goals. I think the Bruins have to make a move to get more offense or they will be a one and done team in the NHL playoffs, if they make it that far. There is no way you can win hockey games when your team if offensively starved or a playoff series if your team is unable to score goals. You can't expect your team to win 2-1, 1-0 hockey games all of the time.

Compare and contrast: I think its funny how one of my favorite teams has gone from being one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NHL to as boring to watch as last season’s Minnesota Wild team. On the flip side of things; last night’s Wild game was amazing and are now more exciting to watch play hockey. I didn’t think it was possible but Martin Havlat has finally found his scoring tough and has been on a tear.

The Bruins need to find Marc Savard someone to play with fast or this season could go south in a hurry. Sturm and Wheeler are not getting it done; I think the Bruins should try to move one or both of these players along with a prospect. Also the Defense is pretty stacked at defense I think Dennis Wideman is now expendable as well.

It wasn’t that long ago that the Bruins were irrelevant in this town. Last year’s miracle season went a long way towards “making Boston a hockey town again” as Marc Savard recently put it. They were an entertaining team to watch last year, with the second best offense in the NHL, and several bangers and brawlers to put exclamation points on their wins and to give fans something to cheer about in their losses. Fans came back in droves. Attendance went up. TV ratings went up. Season ticket sales spiked. And the revival was underway.

But then things started to go wrong…

The Bruins had a very public, very messy divorce with one of their most popular players in Phil Kessel. Which reminded many of these casual Bruin fans of the days when the Bruins constantly put profit ahead of winning. It didn’t matter that this wasn’t one of those times. And the Bruins rushed right out and signed Lucic and Savard to long term deals, as if to send a message to these fans that they really weren’t being cheap- they just didn’t like Kessel’s game. But the damage was done.

The Bruins also failed to capitalize on all of their pre-season hype and excitement by flopping on opening night, and getting off to a miserable start. The fans that came back, eager to watch a winner, were suddenly getting turned off by a team that wasn’t winning.

To make matters worse- the Bruins were not very entertaining either. Their offense had gone from best in the conference last year to 2nd worst in the NHL by Thanksgiving. Their most entertaining non-scorer, Milan Lucic, was put on long-term-injury-reserve, only to come back for 4 games, get re-injured, and go right back on the LTIR. So even when they finally started winning games consistently, they were boring, low scoring affairs. And while hardcore hockey fans take plenty of gratification out of a hard fought, defensive win, the casual fans that the Bruins need to become relevant again- want to see goals, hits and fights.
[Lunatic Fringe]

Zdeno Chara on being booed in Ottawa

I have always wondered why Senators fans boo Zdeno Chara every time he touches the puck in Ottawa. Personally I can see why Phil Kessel is booed in Boston but “Big Z”?

"I don't know. I can't really control what the fans are doing, if they're booing me or not. I played hard when I played for Ottawa, I always did my best and the organization, at that time, chose Wade Redden and I was fine with that and I had to move on. So when they decided to sign Wade instead of me, I had to move on and obviously management back then — John Muckler and company — they made it look like I went for the money, but that wasn't the case. Basically I liked my chances and options that I had in Boston and that's why I chose Boston and I still believe in that and it's just too bad that they made it look, to the fans and to the public, like I went for the money." [Hockey Capital]

USA Roster Updated.

This is your updated USA WJC Roster. [Click for Roster]
Here is the video of coach Dean Blais discussing the roster cuts.

GOALTENDERS (2)

1 Jack Campbell, Port Huron, Mich. U.S. National Under-18 Team (USNTDP)
30 Mike Lee, Roseau, Minn. St. Cloud State University (WCHA)

DEFENSEMEN (8)

11 John Carlson, Colonia, N.J. Hershey Bears (AHL)
4 Matt Donovan , Edmond, Okla. University of Denver (WCHA)
24 Cam Fowler, Farmington Hills, Mich. Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
28 Jake Gardiner, Minnetonka, Minn. University of Wisconsin (WCHA)
18 Brian Lashoff, Albany, N.Y. Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
3 Max Nicastro, Thousand Oaks, Calif. Boston University (HEA)
2 John Ramage, St. Louis, Mo. University of Wisconsin (WCHA)
5 David Warsofsky, Marshfield, Mass. Boston University (HEA)

FORWARDS (14)

17 Ryan Bourque, Boxford, Mass. Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
12 Chris Brown, Flower Mound, Texas University of Michigan (CCHA)
29 Jerry D’Amigo, Binghamton, N.Y. RPI (ECAC)
22 AJ Jenks, Wolverine Lake, Mich. Plymouth Whalers (OHL)
10 Tyler Johnson, Spokane, Wash. Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
20 Chris Kreider, Boxford, Mass. Boston College (HEA)
8 Danny Kristo, Eden Prairie, Minn. University of North Dakota (WCHA)
9 Philip McRae, Chesterfield, Mo. London Knights (OHL)
26 Jeremy Morin, Auburn, N.Y. Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
23 Kyle Palmieri, Montvale, N.J. University of Notre Dame (CCHA)
19 Jordan Schroeder, Prior Lake, Minn. University of Minnesota (WCHA)
21 Derek Stepan, Hastings, Minn. University of Wisconsin (WCHA)
14 Luke Walker, Portland, Ore. Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
16 Jason Zucker, Las Vegas, Nev. U.S. National Under-18 Team (USNTDP)

WJC TV schedule

The TV schedule for the World Junior Championship was posted over on Sioux Sports. All the USA games will be on the NHL Network which is channel 307 on MIDCO in Grand Forks, ND and channel 215 on Direct TV in the Fargo Area. I am excited that Dave Starman is going to be doing the games again this season. Starman does a really good job breaking down a game and you might recongnize him from the CSTV days when he used call the CSTV games and do a weekly podcast with Elliot Olshansky.

A holiday-season tradition will return to the NHL Network-U.S. for the third-straight season, as once again the network will broadcast all of Team USA's games at the 2010 World Junior Championship.

Gary Thorne, Dave Starman and Fred Pletsch will be the broadcast team for the tournament, which runs Dec. 26-Jan. 5 in Saskatoon and Regina, Sask.

The network also will televise six other preliminary-round games, as well as all medal round games. For non-U.S. games, the network will utilize the TSN broadcast.

All 16 games will be aired in high-definition.

Thorne, who will handle play-by-play duties, boasts over 30 years of sports broadcasting experience. He served a 12-year stint (1992-2004) as the voice of ESPN's NHL telecasts and was also the lead hockey play-by-play voice of NBC's 2002 Olympic Winter Games. He currently serves as a play-by-play commentator for college football on ESPN and ABC, and for MLB on ESPN Radio.

Starman, who will serve as the color analyst, currently is the lead analyst for CBS College Sports' hockey coverage (AKA CSTV). He served as the analyst for the NHL Network's coverage of Team USA's games at the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship, as well.

Pletsch, who will serve as the rinkside reporter, is a college hockey analyst on Fox Sports Detroit and has worked as a sideline reporter for ESPN and for NHL Network for the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championship. He is the associate commissioner of the CCHA.

All times Eastern

Saturday, December 26
Latvia vs. Canada 4:00 pm
Czech Republic vs. Sweden 6:00 pm
Slovakia vs. USA 8:00 pm


Sunday, December 27
USA vs. Switzerland 4:00 pm
Czech Republic vs. Finland 6:00 pm


Monday, December 28
Canada vs. Switzerland 4:00 pm


Tuesday, December 29
Latvia vs. USA 4:00 pm
Sweden vs. Russia 6:00 pm
Canada vs. Slovakia 8:00 pm


Thursday, December 31
USA vs. Canada
8:00 pm

Saturday, January 2
Quarterfinal #1
5:00 pm
Quarterfinal #2
9:00 pm

Sunday, January 3
Semifinal #1 5:00 pm
Semifinal #2 9:00 pm

Tuesday, January 5
Bronze Medal Game 4:00 pm
Gold Medal Game 8:00 pm
[NHL.com]

A few things.

I really liked that picture that I stole off of the internet. Moving forward this is the best time of year, Christmas is so much fun and I have so many gifts that I am thankful for, health, my family and Fighting Sioux hockey. As the hockey season evolves and the year changes to 2010, the college hockey season is approaching the home stretch. I always say that championships are won in February, March and April. The NHL season is almost at the halfway point already, as this year’s season is more compressed due to the Olympic Games in Vancouver

As the calendar year changes to 2010 we will again see if UND has another run to the NCAA championship or a conference championship in them. I don’t know? This Fighting Sioux have many questions to answer. Most of the things the Sioux have to work on and or fix aren't all that difficult to fix. It's just a matter of playing more disciplined hockey including being more responsible in the defensive zone, stop taking mind numbing stupid, knuckleheaded bad undisciplined penalties. It will be fun watching the Sioux go forward into February, March and hopefully April.

Goon’s World would also like to welcome LGM of the now defunct blog Let’s-Go- Mavs. I kept asking her when she is going to return to blogsphere, so here she is. I am hoping for a spirited Archie and LGM debate soon.

Editing note: While I Welcome debate and discussion on my blog if you post insulting comments or demeaning comments directed at me, my team members, my family members or dead family members these comments will be deleted without apology. I don’t have to tolerate comments like that and it's my blog.

Claude Julien on College Hockey.

I found this quote very interesting; here is what the Boston Bruins head coach had to say about college hockey players. Personally I like College Hockey and I have watched college hockey for a very long time, but I don't have a problem with the CHL either. I had the privilege of attending a WHL game between Seattle and Portland in the late 1980’s and it was lot fun. They are more CHL players in the NHL. I personally would like to be able to see more of their games on television.

After further study . . .
Bruins coach Claude Julien, who turns 50 in April, as a player took the Canadian junior route in hopes of making it to the big time, putting in tours with both the Oshawa Generals and Windsor Spitfires over four seasons. During Boston’s rookie camp, held at the start of September in Kitchener, Ontario, he confided that his choice today, some 30 years later, likely would be to play for a top US college program - no doubt music to the ears of the newly formed College Hockey, Inc., based in Newton. Prior to Boston’s game last Saturday on Long Island, Julien said he felt today’s college players typically enter the NHL with better conditioning levels than most of the top junior players, simply because the college players have fewer games and more time for off-ice training. As a trade-off, he noted candidates from the junior leagues arrive with more game experience and are perhaps better prepared for the day-to-day grind of professional hockey.

John Boychuk Hit On Matt Stajan

I don't think that Boychuck will get suspended by the NHL for his hit on Stajan. It's a legal legit body check, when I first saw the hit I thought Boychuck had left his feet but I don't think so. Second, I am a big time Boston Bruins fans and while some might think this hit probably is in the questionable range, it is a perfect example of why you don't skate with your head down. From the video you can see that Matt Stajan skated across the blue line with his head down.

The Leafs head coach Wilson was upset with the hit and if you read his lips you will see him say it was a head shot. Of course who knows what will happened because there does seem to be a lack of logic to the NHL disciplinary system. We will have to see where the Wheel of Justice takes us.

Here is what the Stanley Cup of Chowder had to say on the hit:

- I thought Johnny Boychuk's hit was clean. He only left his feet after the initial contact . Stajan got caught with his head down in the neutral zone and unfortunately in the path of a big kid who is trying to make an impression at the NHL level.

USA 4 UND 2

Here is the way I look at it. The Fighting Sioux just played the best American players aged 18-20 in Hockey and played pretty well against them for three periods of hockey. Remember every one of these kids have been drafted or will be drafted and you have first and second round draft choices playing on third and fourth lines. Let’s also not forget that the Fighting Sioux had three of their better players out of the line up as well. I think for Fighting Sioux fans you have a lot to be positive about. I also included video evidence of Brad Eidsness stoning Jordan Schroeder. The Fighting Sioux goalies played well tonight in my opinion.

[Box Score]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st Period (20:00)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NDK-1 Mario Lamoureux (2-Boarding) U20 0x1 5:03
U20-1 Brian Lashoff (2-Holding) NDK 0x1 10:04
NDK-2 BENCH (2-Too Many Players) (Served by Michael Cichy) U20 0x2 15:07
U20-2 Jerry D'Amigo (2-Roughing) 16:17
NDK-3 Brett Hextall (2-Roughing) 16:17

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2nd Period (20:00)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NDK-4 Ben Blood (2-Tripping) U20 1x3 6:04
U20 1 - 0 6x5 PP Chris Kreider (Cam Fowler, Derek Stepan) 6:51
U20: 20,24,21,19,4,G30 NDK: 19,25,22,3,G31
U20-3 John Ramage (2-HITTING AFTER WHISTLE) 7:03
NDK-5 Corban Knight (2-HITTING AFTER WHISTLE) 7:03
U20-4 Chris Brown (2-Interference) NDK 0x2 12:59
U20-5 Jeremy Morin (2-Holding) NDK 1x3 17:06
NDK 1 - 1 6x5 PP Evan Trupp (Brad Malone, Jake Marto) 17:37
NDK: 19,22,25,20,26,G32 U20: 2,21,28,8,G1
U20-6 Tyler Johnson (2-Boarding) NDK 1x4 18:46
U20-7 David Warsofsky (2-Unsportsmanlike Conduct) 19:16
NDK-6 Brett Hextall (2-Unsportsmanlike Conduct) 19:16

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3rd Period (20:00)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NDK-7 Ben Blood (2-CONTACT TO THE HEAD) U20 1x4 1:35
U20 2 - 1 6x6 LL Chris Kreider (Matt Donovan, Cam Fowler) 3:36
U20 (+): 20,4,24,21,19,G1
U20-8 Chris Brown (2-Hooking) NDK 1x5 5:40
U20 3 - 1 6x6 GW Jason Zucker (Philip McRae) 8:57
U20 (+): 16,9,4,7,22,G1 NDK (-): 9,28,18,4,8,G32
U20-9 Chris Kreider (2-Slashing) NDK 1x6 10:58
NDK 2 - 3 6x6 EA Evan Trupp (Jake Marto) 19:11
NDK (+): 19,20,18,22,25,10 U20 (-): 25,19,26,24,18,G1
Timeout - North Dakota 19:11
U20 4 - 2 6x6 EN Danny Kristo (Derek Stepan, Jerry D'Amigo) 19:43
U20 (+): 8,21,29,5,4,G1 NDK (-): 10,25,17,22,19,26

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of Game
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Special Edition by LetsGoMavs

Greetings esteemed readers of Goon’s World. Some of you may know me (lucky you!) and some of you may not. I used to write a little infamous blog called LetsGoMavs but decided to hang it up last year due to lack of time, too much drama, and lack of inspiration for blogging. However, since I made this choice I have gotten many e-mails asking me to resume blogging. Ironically, I get the most request from Sioux fans. This is interesting because I was by far the meanest to the Sioux players, fans, and the program in general. I’ll admit that I don’t spew hate anymore towards the Sioux but I’m not going to claim that I “like” them. Hopefully you can all live with that. Thanks to a few things I’ve lightened up on the Sioux. Those things would be meeting some good Sioux fans (Goon & Donn…and company), “Brad Miller Time”, and a surprisingly fun trip to the Ralph last year. Anyways, enough about ME!

Goon has asked me to be a guest writer for his blog and to give his readers updates on my beloved Minnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks. I’m guessing he’ll also let me write about just about anything else hockey I want…as long as I don’t rip on his Sioux too much. Hmm…makes me wonder if he’s going to let me do my famous “Hot or Not” on his serious blog?!?

So….how have the Mavs been doing? Well, they’re very up and down this season. At times they look great and at times they look like a Pee Wee team. Last night they played UNO and tied. It was one of the most boring games I’ve ever watched. One thing that was very obvious though, UNO has a new coach that’s smart and is going to be a contender next year in the WCHA. I know many Sioux fans hate Blais but let’s face it, the guy knows hockey…and that was obvious with the change in the Faux-Mavs from Omaha last night. They were faster, smarter, and it was obvious that they had watched hours of the real Mavericks on tape. They intercepted more pucks and plays than I’ve ever seen. Now, if the real Mavs had a REAL coach this would have been realized and new plays or variations would have been done about 10 minutes into the game. However, Jutting can’t seem to think or coach like that so changing stuff up was off the table. Cripes, that guy can probably make a lighter out of a Bic pen, a hard stone, and a blade of grass in order to light his cigarettes but can’t manage to switch stuff up in a hockey game!!

Anyways, enough about last night. I figured that I would start out my first post on Goon’s World by giving the Mavericks mid-season grades.

Austin Lee (G): B While Lee has come up big in goal a few times, there is a lot of room for improvement. He often goes down too quick (leave out the perv jokes people!) and appears to not pay as much attention as he needs to. I sometimes wonder if he has untreated ADHD. Let’s get him some Adderall and maybe that’ll make me raise his grade.

Nick Canzanello (D): B- Canzanello has had times of really good play and times of really bad play. I think we can all agree that he’s doing his best but really wasn’t ready to play in the WCHA straight from high school. He just hasn’t developed like he should over the past 3 years but it’s good to see him try and play smarter this year.

Cameron Cooper (D): C Cooper hasn’t had consistent playing time and I’m not really sure why. He hasn’t been as bad as some of the D on the ice, so not really sure why he’s not playing more. While he is on the ice though, he does need to pick up the speed. He tends to be too slow and behind the play.

Ben Youds (D): B Youds has had some really good games but has also had many periods where he played like total crap. As always, I have a torn opinion of Youds and he’s one of my most frustrating players to watch. I’m pretty sure that I say “GOD DAMMIT BEN YOUDS!!” more than anything else at a hockey game.

Tyler Pitlick (F): A Pitlick is a new LGM favorite. This kid is the real deal. He’s an essential player to have on the ice and has some sick moves. While he doesn’t have as many points as one would expect, he had many games where he should have and it just didn’t pan out. Watch for him to turn heads, ala David Backes style.

Kael Mouillierat (F): B- Mouillierat only first moved up to the B- recently. He had a very slow start to the year and it’s been as frustrating for him as it has been for the fans. I’m looking for Mouillierat to have a break out second half though, so be prepared people!

Zach Harrison (F): A Harrison has had a really nice season so far. He always brings a ton of intensity to the ice and is fast and smart. As long as he doesn’t get obsessed with trying for short-handed goals and stays away from dumb penalties he will be great for the Mavs.

Mike Louwerse (F): A- Normally Louwerse is a solid “A game” player. As of the past couple games I’ve watched though he seems distracted and isn’t doing much on the ice to score or make big plays. This is very odd for him, so hopefully he gets back on track really soon. The kid has a ton of talent and plays a much bigger physical game than one would expect.

Rylan Galiardi (F): B- Galiardi has had some nice games but as of late I’m pretty sure he’s mastered the ability of skating with his head up his butt. I’m hoping he pulls his head out soon and starts scoring and making smarter plays.

James Gaulrapp (F): B+ Gaulrapp has played few games but has given 100% each time he’s played and he brings a chemistry to the team. I’m not really sure why Jutts makes him sit but it really makes me mad. Stupid Jutting!!

Justin Jokinen (F): C- I’m not going to lie, I’m not a fan of this kid at all. I think he’s a primadonna who is not a team player and who refuses to play both ends of the ice. He only manages to hustle when it’s in his own end with a chance for him to score. Personally, I think he needs to sit until he’s ready to play both ends of the ice. It’s a shame he’s this type of a player because the kid has a ton of talent.

Jerad Stewart (F): A Stewart has always been a hard working kid on and off the ice and it’s nice to see his hard work pay off. Historically he’s had a hard time stuffing away goals but this year that’s all changed.

Tyler Elbrecht (D): C+ Elbrecht has worked really hard to find a regular spot in the line up. It looks like his hard work has paid off as of late and he’s adjusting nicely to WCHA play.

Evan Mosey (D): C Mosey has been in and out of the line up. I think he’ll be a decent player in the future but for now, he needs to adjust to the pace of WCHA hockey.

Michael Dorr (F): A While Dorr has only played two games (was not eligible until the past 2 games due to transferring), he has made an immediate impact. The kid is talented and it’ll be fun to watch him play. I just hope he can take all of the razzing he’s going to get from opposing fans due to backing out of his commitment to UMD and then leaving the Gophers. Hell, doing both of those things makes me like him MORE!

Geoff Irwin (F): B Irwin has had an ok season thus far but I really thought he would have more goals by now. He’s the captain of the Mavs and I’m interested to see how that pans out. As of now I really don’t have an opinion on it…other than I find him an interesting choice to wear the “C”.

Jason Wiley (F): C+ Wiley has been out with injuries this year, so it’s hard to grade him. When he’s been on the ice he’s had some good games and some not so great plays…thus I’ll stick him with a C+ because I was expecting more from him. Hopefully he gets healed and comes back strong.

Andrew Sackrison (F): A Sackrison is out with a broken leg and that really sucks. He was having a great year and I was excited to see what he was going to produce. Hopefully once he’s back on the ice he’ll be able to pick up where he left off.

Kurt Davis (D): F Anyone that knows me knows I would not give Davis anything but an F, ever. I wish this kid would just go away. He sucks at playing defense, is too worried about scoring, is afraid to get hit or be hit and always tries to do a slap shot from the point that goes 5 feet wide. Ugh, get him off the ice.

Tyler Thompson (F): B Thompson has had some nice games. At times he’s a puck hog though and then ends up losing it because he won’t pass it. If he starts to be more of a team player and keep his temper under control, he’ll be good to go. Between him and Jokinen, I’m not sure who the bigger “Black Hole” is.

Adam Mueller (F): B- Mueller has struggled to find a consistent spot in the line up. I like the passion he plays with, as long as he keeps his temper under control. I think we’ll be seeing more of Mueller playing on the line with Dorr, as they’re friends and former high school teammates. It appears that they have a pretty good chemistry.

Eriah Hayes (F): A Hayes is another LGM favorite. I think everyone has been pleasantly surprised by him. It’s nice to see a big guy on the team to be physical but also bring some talent.

Joe Schiller (F): C Schiller is rarely in the line up. Not really sure what’s going on with him. When he plays he’s not bad but not good either. Just average I guess!

Brett Peterson (F): IC Poor Peterson got his first chance in two years to play for the Mavs and got a season ending injury in the game. That poor kid can’t catch a break!

Channing Boe (D): A Boe is by far the best defenseman on the team and appears to be a strong Alternate Captain. Most people know that Boe is a LGM favorite and I’m especially happy to see him back this year after having his leg broken by Dirty Hack Brian Schack. Boe commits himself fully to playing defense and is having a great year.

Eli Zuck (F): C- Zuck hasn’t played much and when he has, he hasn’t done much to impress me. Seems like he’s struggling to play WCHA hockey, so hopefully he figures it out soon.

Phil Cook (G): A- Cook has started in goal a couple of games and has walked away with the win. He looks like he’s going to be a reliable goalie and I’m more comfortable with him in goal than Lee, so hopefully he plays more!

Kevin Murdock (G): D Murdock has not done well in goal. This really bums me out because I thought he would come in and be the #1 guy. His style is similar to Mike Zacharias and I was told he was just as good. Sadly, we haven’t seen that yet. Hopefully he has a better second half.

Well, that's it for now. I think I've babbled on enough for my first post!

Inventory of the Wild's equipment fire

This is a crazy story that you would have to try real hard to make up. When I first read it on someone's twitter yesterday I thought it was a fraternity prank. Being a former athlete I can’t imagine my equipment just going up in flames. Some of these guys have to start all over again. This has to be hard for the goaltenders, who most of us at time think they are nuts anyways. This is the equivalent of a golfer being given new clubs the day before a big golf tourney the Masters. I can’t imagine trying to break in new skates and having to use them in a game when they aren’t broken in yet.

Here's an inventory, and some are a bit comical:

Zidlicky-Good

Johnsson-Good

Zanon-Lost a ton, but not his knee brace

Stoner-Skates and pants only saved

Koivu-Everything lost but skates

Kobasew-Good

Havlat--Everything lost, but they found a set of skates he used to wear in Chicago and put on a new blade

Brunette-Good

Ebbett-Everything gone

Miettinen-Everything gone

Clutterbuck-Everything gone

Brodziak-Good

Boogaard-Good

Belanger-Good

Hnidy--Everything gone, and two left skates burned

Scott-Everything gone

Earl-Everything gone

Backstrom-Everything gone

Harding-Everything gone

Sheppard--Everything gone, except, get this, his contacts and a mouthguard

Schultz-Everything gone, had skates picked up at his house that he wears in pond hockey and he went to Play It Again sports to buy shoulder pads he likes

Latendresse-Good
[Russo's Rants]

NCAA Round Up: The most wonderful time of the year.

Here is this weeks column that I wrote for the Illegal Curve.

In my opinion this is the most exciting time of the year, with the Christmas holiday season right around the corner, that means many of our favorite college hockey teams are playing non-conference games or in holiday tourneys.

On December 29th – 30th, 2009

Florida College Hockey Classic

Maine vs. Princeton
Colorado College vs. Cornell

Great Lakes Invitational

Michigan Vs RPI
Michigan State vs. Michigan Tech

On January 2nd – 3rd, 2010

Badger Showdown

M.C. vs. Wisconsin
Yale vs. Ferris State

Denver Cup

UNO vs. SLU
B.C. vs. DU

Ledyard Bank Tournament

UML vs. Holy Cross
Northeastern vs. Dartmouth

Sheraton/TD Banknorth Catamount Cup

UAH vs. Vermont
UMD vs. Mercyhurst

Shillelagh Tournament

UND vs. Niagara
Colgate vs. Notre Dame

Dodge Holiday Classic

Clarkson vs. NMU
BGSU vs. UMN

World Juniors take Center Stage

With the holiday season comes this years World Junior Championship in Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan between December 26, 2009, and January 5, 2010, I have listed below the US college hockey players that are vying for a spot on the USA roster. This years version of the Canadian WJC team is made up entirely of CHL talent and doesn’t have a single college hockey star on their roster. Incidentally, there were a few Canadian collegians that were vying for spots on the Team Canada roster; Denver University Sophomore Patrick Wiercioch was cut because of a knee injury and Harvard University Freshman Louis Leblanc was one of the last players cut from team Canada. Some thought that Dylan Olsen from UMD and Joe Colborne from DU might have a chance to make the Canadian roster as well but they did not make the team.

Forwards

Name School, Year G-A-PTS
Chris Brown Michigan, Freshman 5-7-12
Jerry D'Amigo RPI, Freshman 5-9-14
Chris Kreider Boston Coll. Freshman 2-3-5
Danny Kristo North Dakota Freshman 6-10-16
Kyle Palmieri Notre Dame Freshman 5-2-7
Vinny Saponari Boston Univ. Sophomore 4-8-12
Jordan Schroeder Minnesota Sophomore 4-8-12
Derek Stepan Wisconsin Sophomore 5-17-22
Dave Wohlberg Michigan Sophomore 2-7-9

Defense

Matt Donovan Denver Freshman 2-7-9
Jake Gardiner Wisconsin Sophomore 1-2-3
Max Nicastro Boston Univ. Freshman 1-5-6
John Ramage Wisconsin Freshman 2-5-7
David Warfosky Boston Univ. Sophomore 4-4-8

Goaltenders

Name School,Year W-L-T/GAA/Save Pct.
Mike Lee St. Cloud Freshmen 4-5-3, 2.63, .926
[NHL.com]

Blais back in Grand Forks, ND

The USA WJC tryout has been at the Ralph Englestad Arena in Grand Forks, ND this past week and the Fighting Sioux will play the USA WJC team in an exhibition game tonight at 7:07pm. I heard there are still tickets available if you want to attend the game. The USA team is coached by former Fighting Sioux head coach and current UNO Maverick head coach Dean Blais.

I was off from work yesterday and when I heard that coach Blais was speaking at the Sioux Booster’s luncheon I decided to attend my first ever Sioux Booster’s luncheon at the Alerus Center. It was fun listening to the former Fighting Sioux head coach speak. Blais is always good for interesting quote or two. On playing in Canada Blais said, “We have to be prepared to be booed in every game we play — not just against Canada. We’re going to be booed when we play Latvia.” [Grand Forks Herald]

I have a lot of respect and admiration for the former coach and I think team USA is in good hands with Dean Blais. I expect the USA WJC team to be more disciplined this year than some of the teams from the past few years. Last season’s USA WJC team under Ron Rolston took a lot of undisciplined penalties and lost it’s composure against the Canadian team, I don’t expect that to happen under a veteran coach like Dean Blais.

My 2009 Christmas Wish List…

1.) I want more consistency out of the WCHA officials. Consistently calling the games in a poor manner is not consistency. The on ice official’s performance in the WCHA this year can best be described as brutal and unacceptable. No more officiating games by the score board. If it’s a penalty in the first period it’s still a penalty in the closing minutes of a game. Start calling the obstruction, picks and protect the puck carrier, like the NHL does. I believe that the NCAA Division 1 hockey officials should have to answer to USA hockey. If the on ice officials are not up to standard of USA hockey they are terminated and should not be allowed ref in any level of hockey. The officials on ice performance should be made available by a simple freedom of information act request. No more secrecy surrounding the on ice officials. (I am giving a lump of coal for the WCHA league office; your official’s performance during the first half of the season was brutal).

2.) I want to see the NCAA Division 1 hockey mirror the NHL in quality of officiating, video review, discipline of players, coaches and official, and use the rules the NHL has for deciding ties during the regular season. College Hockey is a great game and needs to step forward into the 21st century. I would like to see all the leagues go by the same rules.

3.) I want to see stiffer penalties for players that injure another player on the ice with an illegal check. A weak and non-punitive one game suspension for knocking out a fellow player with a dirty hit is unacceptable. Suspensions need teeth.

4.) I would like to see more college hockey on television. I would like to see a NCAA college hockey offer a package much like my NHL Center Ice. (Kudos to the NHL network and FCS).

5.) I would like to see the Pairwise Ranking go back to the old days were strength of schedule mattered. Teams that racking up wins against the weak sisters of the poor to make the NCAA tourney is unacceptable. I would like to see the KRACH factor into the selection process when picking the 16 NCAA tourney teams. (A lump of coal for the NCAA ice hockey committee).

6.) I would like to see all references and or discussion of the Big Ten Hockey Conference put to bed forever. It’s a pipe dream that some Big Ten administrator(s) with a college football background wants to push. They had a chance to put the Hockey Show Case games on the Big Ten Network and they games were unavailable for people to watch. (Lump of coal to the BTN).

Check out more from Eric at twitter, and the Goon’s World Blog

Wild’s equipment truck catches fire.

When I saw this story at first I thought, you got to be kidding me. You really can't make this stuff up. I never have heard about a player’s equipment truck just bursting into flames. This sounds fishy and it’s going to be hard for the Wild to get all of their equipment replace for tomorrow’s game. Check out the Twitter pictures that someone took of the debris.

(updated 6:20 p.m. EST): Brunette after Wild's 6 p.m. meeting: "Looks like we're going to try to play, I guess."

(updated): Just talked to a bunch of players. They have a 6 p.m. EST meeting at their hotel with the team. There's lot of concern about playing in new equipment. It's not just a feel thing (it takes players weeks to break in equipment), but a safety thing. Knee braces and stuff like that were destroyed. How do you just throw a new knee brace on a player without making sure it fits properly? More soon.

Details are sketchy right now, but the Wild's equipment truck caught fire today destroying much of the Wild's equipment. [Here are pictures courtesy of a couple tweeters].

The Wild practiced at the Kanata Rec Center this afternoon in suburban Ottawa. After a short drive back to the Scotiabank place, trainers apparently got out in the parking lot and noticed the back smoky. When they opened up the back of the truck, much of the equipment was on fire.

Firefighters were called to put out the blaze, but much was destroyed. Police are investigating the cause of the fire, but equipment trainers have no clue.

"It was a five-minute drive," said bewildered head equipment trainer Tony DaCosta.

This is obviously unprecedented and the team is in complete scramble mode. Remember, in practice, players use their game gear, just not their normal game sweaters.

Assistant equipment trainer Brent Proulx is rushing back to Minnesota to gather equipment and bring it here tomorrow on a flight leaving 5:30 a.m., but the team is also on the phone with the league to determine what can be done regarding the game.

It is not easy for hockey players to just change equipment, and much of the gear was completely destroyed.

Henrik Zetterberg hurt by Ohlund hit.

Check out this hit that has to have Redwings and Swedish Olympic fans worrying about the health of one of their stars Henrik Zetterberg. As far as I can see it's legal and legit hit. Nothing dirty about it. Mattias Ohlund also smoked Phil Kessel earlier in the season with another big hit. Word is that Zetterberg will be out for two weeks with a slight shoulder seperation. [SI]