USHL Alumni Voices: Danny Kristo

s/t to Brad Schlossman. James D'Amanda, from USHL.com interviewed Fighting Sioux Danny Kristo and there are a few things that jumped out at me. As summer ends and the season approaches I am getting more excited about the up coming season.

What is your off-ice training like?

DK: Most of my teammates here at North Dakota are dedicated to off-ice training, so we pretty much have our whole team up here for the summer. We lift weights twice a week – legs twice a week and upper body twice a week – and one day of agility and sprints to work on speed and quickness. I mean, it would obviously be nice to be home for the summer, but if you are a committed athlete, there's no better place to work out than at your school. We have a great weight room and great facilities, so I live up here for the summer and make the most of it.
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So what's next for you? What are your career goals?

DK: Well, a lot of people have been asking me that lately, but basically, I want to focus day by day. We only lost two seniors last year [at UND] and we're all looking forward to next season. We're also pre-ranked #1 in the country, and we all want to win a national championship next year – bring the title to my home now in North Dakota. We just want to get better every day and live life to the fullest.

Logic and reasoning from NDSU fans.

Check out this line of reasoning from our friends to the south of us. Every time I read something stupid on the Belligerentville message board the old saying of, ‘if you want to work on the farm you go to NDSU, if you want to own the farm you go to UND’, pops into my head.

I have been checking out Belligerentville from time to time to see what the Bison fans have to say. While I miss the rivalry in football with the other school, I don’t miss the verbal sparing with the NDSU fans, they make you appreciate Gopher Hockey fans.

Regarding the whole numbers thing and popularity with hockey in this region...

I give credit to UND for having a GREAT hockey program. However, if the big time BCS schools cared about hockey and added the sport, it would only be a matter of time before those big programs gradually started washing out traditional powers like UND. When the big schools care about something, they win. They just have too many resources (athletics dollars, media market, name recognition, etc). It would become just like FBS football and men's basketball...every once in a while the small school breaks through, but not very often. [Bisionville]

I hate to burst the bubbles of the people that think UND isn’t one of the top schools in Division one hockey. UND has seven NCAA titles tied with Denver University and second only to Michigan University. I am not sure what make this rube think that a BCS school could match the storied rich hockey history that UND already has or even the other schools in Division One hockey. Seriously! Last time I checked Minnesota, Wisconsin, Boston College, were BCS schools. UND has more NCAA titles than all three of the fore mentioned schools. Sure B.C. has UND number right now but that will even it’s self out eventually.

UND has also been number two in attendance in Division One Hockey since the new Ralph opened, they have been second only to Wisconsin in attendance (who is one of the biggest schools in Division One Hockey).

Theoretically speaking if a BCS school added hockey there is no guarantee that they would be able to establish a tradition and following like UND and other WCHA schools already have. Second most of these schools don’t have the facilities it takes to run a successful Division one program. Hey the water is warm you welcome to join us if you would like, but what conference are you going to play in?

Lastly, the UND Fighting Sioux are recognized all over Canada and the Upper Midwest as being one of the best in Division One hockey with hockey recruits. UND is also respected in the NHL and NHL coaches love to draft UND recruits because they know they will get the proper coaching and will be well rounded players that play solid hockey in both ends of the ice. Also, a fair number of Canadian kids living on the western prairies of Canada dream of playing for UND in division one hockey because they know the Sioux are the best in division one hockey.

Maybe the Belligerentville fans should stick to basketball and football, because they sure as hell don't know what they are talking about when it comes to hockey. I am also going to laugh when the day comes that UND is accpeted to the MVFC.

UND ranks as top school where students study least

I saw this article at the Fargo Fishwrapper and I thought I would pass it along so you can read it. Noticed NDSU isn't mentioned in this article.

GRAND FORKS – The University of North Dakota just can’t seem to catch a break from the Princeton Review.

The university isn’t on the list of top party schools or top liquor-swilling schools this year as it was last year.

But now it’s moved up on the list of schools with students who study the least – actually, it’s No. 1 – and landed a spot on the list of schools with least-accessible professors.

To be fair, UND is still among the nation’s top universities, which is how it got into Princeton Review’s list of “The Best 373 Colleges” in North America. It was the only one in North Dakota listed, though several state universities did make it into a separate list of top Midwestern colleges.

Princeton Review arrived at its rankings through a survey of 122,000 students at the 373 colleges, asking questions such as how widely liquor is used on campus.

Other than the rankings for specific categories, such as least studious students, the 373 are not ranked together because the company thinks it’d be comparing apples and oranges. Different universities fit different kinds of students, it said.

So, here’s a quick recap: In 2009 UND was No. 5 among those with students who study the least, No. 15 for students who down the most liquor and No. 18 among party schools.

This year, UND is No. 1 among those with students who study the least and No. 19 among those with professors who are least accessible.

The Princeton Review based those on answers to these questions: “How many out-of-class hours do you spend studying each day?” and “How accessible are your instructors outside the classroom?”

In response to questions about its students’ studiousness, UND released a study by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, that compared UND students with those at two peer universities, whose names were not revealed.

UND seniors in the 2008-09 year said they studied, on average, 5.48 hours a week. At one peer, seniors said they studied an average of 5.54 hours and, at the other peer, 5.37 hours.

UND freshmen said they studied an average of 5.48 hours while their peers studied 5.65 and 5.48.

Among those with least studious students, the top five are UND, followed by the University of Central Florida in Orlando, the University of Mississippi in Oxford, the University at Albany (N.Y.) and West Virginia University in Morgantown.

So is it fashionable to kick Lucia when he is down?

Recently Adam Wodon from the College Hockey News wrote an interesting article about the Minnesota Gophers and their head coach Don Lucia. Lucia has been under a lot of heat lately for his team's play the last two seasons; Gopher fans are unhappy and find their results from the last two seasons, subpar and unacceptable. It’s not much of a stretch to say that many in the Gopher State are ready to grab the pitch forks. While it has become fashionable to pile on Lucia, an Islander blogger was none too impressed with Lucia and or his Gophers hockey program.

The whole thing was stupid, except that it suddenly became trendy to bash Lucia. And when Minnesota failed to make the NCAAs the two following years, after having been powerhouses for so long, people could go back to those comments by Snow and use them as fuel for their own misguided criticisms.

Snow, of course, belied his comments when he drafted Aaron Ness, a player committed to Minnesota, the following summer. Meanwhile, Ness hasn't blossomed yet after two seasons, so this is now Lucia's fault too, apparently. Yet the Islanders aren't rushing out to grab Ness away from Lucia. Why is that? Is it because the Islanders know that if Ness is to develop at all, it will have to be at Minnesota? That would actually be smart on the Islanders' part — but it contradicts the idea that Lucia can't develop him.

Meanwhile, this folly reached a new level when Chris Botta — former Islanders media relations director and now a well-read, well-regarded blogger about the Islanders — wrote a post in March that suggested Ness was looking to get out of Minnesota. In it, Botta wrote that Lucia routinely "bashes" the American Hockey League, and suggested, again, that Ness was looking to get out because Lucia was ruining his career. He wrote that Snow was "publicly ahead of the curve" when it came to Lucia.
[College Hockey News]

In case you hadn't seen it, here is the blog post in question that Adam Wodon is talking about from the New York Islander Blog Point Blank.

Multiple sources tell Point Blank that Ness, who just concluded his sophomore season with the Gophers, is ready to turn pro - if the Islanders want him. A league source said the Islanders have not given up on Ness and hope to strike a low-risk Entry Level contract agreement so the 5-10 defenseman can play in the minor leagues.

A former powerhouse, the Minnesota hockey program has been a shambles the last few years under the direction of coach Don Lucia (yes, Garth Snow was very much publicly ahead of the curve on this one). The Gophers finished this season at 18-19-2.

Ness has regressed under the tutelage of assistant coach John Hill. At one time thought to be a lock for Team USA at the World Junior Championships, the strong-skating Ness did not even make it to the final round of cuts. Islanders prospect Matt Donovan, a fourth round draft pick now with the University of Denver, made the team. In 29 games this season, the offense-minded Ness had just two goals and ten assists.

According to a source close to the Minnesota team, Lucia is known for telling young players of the “horrors” of the minor leagues in an attempt to keep them with the Gophers. Ness’s development has fallen off to the point where the pro ranks are his only option if he wants to give himself the chance of achieving his dream of playing in the NHL. His closest friend, Jordan Schroeder, has just left the school after signing a contract with the Vancouver Canucks.

If I was Donny Lucia the first thing I would do would be to find out who the hell the source close to the Minnesota team is, then I would ask him what the hell he/she is trying do? While I am not in the Gophers locker room it would appear that Donny also might want to get better control of his locker room and who he allows access to.

Next thing I might do if I was Lucia is that I would try to sit down with the Islanders leadership and have a discussion, maybe try to mend a few fences and do some damage control. It’s also not good to have media people from NHL teams and NHL front office brass dusting the Gophers program. This could hurt the Gophers recruiting and have an affect on player retention in the future.

Lastly, it would appear that John Hill is a reoccurring theme that keeps popping up over and over again and might be the real problem hindering the Gophers. The Gophers also lost two very good assistant coaches (Mike Guentzel and Mike Hastings) and retained the one that they should have let go in John Hill.

Don't count on a Big Ten Hockey Conference anytime soon.

For years we have heard how Notre Dame might end up joining the Big Ten Conference, well this is the second article this summer that I have read that said Notre Dame has rejected the idea. So for now it doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon.

CHICAGO – Some have suspected the Big Ten has been subtly trying to put pressure on Notre Dame in its latest attempt to woo the college football giant by showing how eager other major schools are to join their lucrative conference

Well, if that was the tactic, it has failed.

For the first time since the conference opened the subject of expansion as a topic last December, it has admitted that Notre Dame as a prospective member is a dead issue. That's three swings and three misses at ND over the better part of the last two decades.

Share “I don't see them as a player,” said Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany on Monday at the Big Ten Football Kickoff event.
[Penn Live]

NHL set for Ilya Kovalchuk hearing

Today is the big day. Anyone want to lay odds that the arbitrator rules in favor of Ilya Kovalchuk? It would be nice to get never ending saga/drama over.

If, as expected, arbitrator Richard Bloch rules in favor of Kovalchuk, perhaps as late as Monday, his contract will be immediately validated. But then the Devils will have to find a way to shed some $5-6 million in salary-cap liability by season's start to get under the $59.4 million lid and still have wiggle room for injuries.

Vital players would have to go, perhaps among Bryce Salvador, Colin White and Dainius Zubrus, either by trade or waiver/demotion.

Most important, such a verdict would validate heavily front-loaded contracts that the NHL claim circumvent the CBA, and become a major NHL demand for the next pact.

Should Bloch back the NHL and find that the contract is indeed an end-run around the CBA, Kovalchuk would again become an unrestricted free agent, and teams like the Kings and Rangers, as well as the Devils, would again be able to bid for his services in a more straight-forward salary arrangement.

Although it appears unlikely, the NHL then also would have the option of initiating its own punitive action against Kovalchuk and the Devils. A circumvention ruling off a league-filed action could cost the Devils $1.5 million in fines, with a similar amount deducted from their cap limit. Kovalchuk himself could be liable to a fine of $250,000-$1 million.
[Read more]

Mike Modano to Motown.

Well that ends my dream of having Mike Modano finishing his career in Minnesota. I knew the chances were slim and none but I was still holding out hope.

DALLAS - Mike Modano is joining the Detroit Red Wings.

Modano confirmed his decision Tuesday in a text message to The Associated Press.

It initially was reported by ScoreBoard Monthly. He told the Dallas sports magazine he wasn't ready to quit playing so he agreed to a one-year deal with the team he watched growing up in Michigan.

The 40-year-old forward played 20 seasons for the Minnesota-Dallas franchise and is the leading scorer among U.S.-born players in NHL history
[Star and Tribune]

Mike Modano is one the best American born players to ever play in the NHL, and even at age 40 Modano still can be a strong contributor in Detroit’s lineup. Detroit fans should be excited because they get a hometown player and they get a class act and a player that is smart in both the defensive and offensive zones.

Ex-North Dakota State football player pleads guilty in ND theft ring

This is for the people that haven't seen this. It will be interesting to see how the NDSU Bison fans over on Belligerentville spin this. Crickets chirping...

A second former North Dakota State football player has pleaded guilty to felony theft in connection with a theft ring at a Best Buy store in Fargo.

Garrett Johnson was sentenced Monday to the two days he had already served in jail, 50 hours of community service, 18 months of supervised probation and a $500 fee.

In June, former player Greg Reid Jr. pleaded guilty to theft and was given a suspended jail sentence and probation.

Twelve people are charged in the case, which authorities say involves as much as $150,000 in merchandise taken from the store between last September and February.

Johnson, a defensive end from Chaska, Minn., and Reid, a defensive tackle from Milwaukee, Wis., were dismissed from the team in April. [Grand Forks Herald]

Former MTU Husky Andy Sutton signs with the Anaheim Ducks

Former MTU Husky tree trunk Defenseman Andy Sutton has signed a contract with the Anaheim Ducks.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Anaheim Ducks signed veteran defenceman Andy Sutton to a two-year contract worth US$4.25 million Monday, filling a major need on their depleted blue-line.

The 35-year-old Sutton played in 72 games and scored 13 points last season with the New York Islanders and Ottawa, which acquired him at the trade deadline. The 11-year veteran also finished second in the NHL with 204 blocked shots while ranking among the league leaders in hits.

"I'm definitely playing the best hockey of my career," said Sutton, who also has played for Atlanta, Minnesota and San Jose. "The mixture of experience and being in great shape has let me grow into a more poised player." [sportsnet.ca]

Sources: Bruins, Seguin agree on deal

Pretty much a formality under the new CBA, Seguin can't get more than the Rookie max. Now the Boston Bruins have to figure out their salary cap issues because they are now about roughly 3 million over the salary cap but could place Marco Sturm on long-term injured reserve to make some room and get under the salary cap. There has also been some talk about sending Michael Ryder to Providence to free up about 4 million in cap space.

Sources confirmed to ESPNBoston.com on Tuesday morning that the Boston Bruins and Tyler Seguin, the second overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, have agreed to an entry-level contract.

Terms of the deal were not immediately available, but the belief is that it will be similar to the three-year entry-level deal that top pick Taylor Hall signed with the Oilers last month. That contract includes the maximum base salary of $900,000 per season and bonuses that could max out at $3.75 million annually.

The Bruins are expected to announce the deal by the end of this week.

Seguin, a 6-foot-1, 172-pound forward, played the past two seasons with the Plymouth Whalers in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). In 2009-2010 Seguin led the OHL in scoring, sharing the title with Hall, after notching 48 goals and 58 assists for 106 points in 63 games. [ESPN.COM]

More on the Turco signing.

Former Dallas Star Goalie Marty Turco has signed with the Chicago Blackhawks and for a lot less money than 2.75 million dollars. I think you’re going to see goalies signing for a lot less money. For example; Chicago and San Jose both walked away from resigning their higher priced goalies for a less expensive version.

The Blackhawks have decided to walk away from the arbitration award for goaltender Antti Niemi, making him an unrestricted free agent, and have signed Dallas Stars veteran Marty Turco to a one-year contract.

The Blackhawks "exhausted all options" with Niemi, general manager Stan Bowman said Monday, but given their salary-cap constraints, didn't feel they could take on the $2.75 million deal that Niemi received from an arbitrator.

"It's an amazing day for my family and me to become a Blackhawk," Turco, a three-time All-Star, said.

"My world revolves around stopping pucks and giving my teammates the best opportunity to win on a nightly basis. It's been almost a dream come true to play for an Original Six team. Before the playoffs ever started last year this was a team I looked at, knowing I'd be a free agent, as a place I wanted to go."

Terms of Turco's deal aren't yet known, but his agent, Kurt Overhardt, said it is for somewhere between $1 million-$1.5 million. That is significantly lower than what Niemi was awarded Saturday and gives the Hawks some salary-cap relief.

"(Turco's) a guy who's made a lot of money in his career," Overhardt said. "He was the highest-paid goalie at one point other than (Nikolai) Khabibulin. We kind of set the market last time around. Now the priority is winning and being with a winning organization. Our priority ... was to put him with a club where he had a chance to play a role to win the Stanley Cup." [chicagobreakingsports.com]

Former Golden Gopher Erik Johnson has resigned with the St Louis Blues. I wonder If the Blues put a golf cart clause in his contract?

Blues defenseman Erik Johnson has agreed to a two-year contract extension with the club, a source has told the Post-Dispatch.

Financial terms of the deal weren't immediately available.

An announcement on Johnson's extension could be made by the club later today.

Johnson, 22, had been a restricted free agent who was not allowed to receive offer sheets because he missed the entire 2008-09 season with a knee injury.

Johnson was the first overall pick in 2006 and in two seasons with the Blues, he has 15 goals and 57 assists in 148 games. Last season, he had 10 goals and 29 assists.

He is the last of the Blues' restricted free agents to re-sign with the club. As recently as a week ago, negotiations were moving slowly, according to Johnson's agent, Pat Brisson.[stltoday.com]

Hawk flies away (RW77)

Over the weekend, the arbitrator awarded Antti Niemi $2.75 million contract, which is roughly $1 million less than his agent was seeking. So it seemed to be a victory for the Hawks, since they could theoretically fit Niemi's new contract under the cap...barely.

Wrong.

Today the Hawks said "Thanks for your hard work. Good luck somewhere else." And now Niemi is a free agent.

Instead, the Hawks signed veteran Marty Turco to a 1 year $1.75 million contract. This gives the Hawks roughly between $600K and $1.35 million of cap relief (it was rumored that Niemi's contract would have roughly put them 400K over the cap).

I really can't blame either side. Niemi is worth $2.75 million per year. However, it was very unlikely that the Hawks would have any money to re-sign Niemi next year anyways with Seabrook headlining that year's free agent class and Huet still being under contract for at least one more year (IIRC).

What does this mean for Chicago?

Well, they've lost almost ALL of their depth. They still have very little cap space. Niemi was good, but there's no telling how his sophomore year would be. Would it be Roy-esque or would it be like Cam Ward (good, but nowhere near his rookie year)? Unfortunately, it's a risky loss for Chicago, but it just came one year earlier than expected.

What does it mean for Niemi?

It could mean trouble. This isn't Carey Price throwing a tantrum. This is a good, upcoming goaltender who was on a team that liked him (and from what I could tell, he liked being a Hawk) and he just wanted to get what he was worth. There are teams that could use Niemi (San Jose, Montreal, Dallas, Atlanta, Philadelphia) but most can't afford it.

My guess?

Niemi signs with the Flyers. Let's face it, this is Christmas for Philly and it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Niemi's stay as a free agent lasts less than 72 hours.

Niemi and Leighton combo with their D is a good potent combo. It may make Philly Stanley Cup favorites.

************************
If I had inside information in Montreal, I'd have a better idea but...

If I were Gauthier, I'd talk to Niemi's agent. If Montreal can get Niemi for cheaper than Price's asking price for the same or similar length of contract, I'd sign Niemi and tell Price to go take a flying leap...

************************

To respond to Goon: Setoguchi is a diver, but he's also a pretty decent player. I'd take Setoguchi before I'd ever consider Carcillo

You can't be serious.... (RW77)

I'm not making this up!! I swear!

Carey Price, the most overrated goaltender in the NHL.... is going to hold out from signing his contract with the Canadiens.

This is a kid with a complete lack of maturity, lack of focus, and an ego that's cost his team a number of times who saw his season fall apart last year, lost his starting role to a guy who demanded a trade before the season began, watched as that same goaltender made him look downright incompetent by comparison, and yet he still ends up being the one the Canadiens gave, gift wrapped, their #1 goaltending role to despite it all... AND HE WON'T DO IT?!?!

Ok, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that his agent and his advisors may all be high on crack, meth, weed, and has gone on a drunken bender that would make Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton go "DANG!!! You need rehab!!!" In other words, his agent might be telling him that he deserves better and inflating that silly ego of Carey's. It's not uncommon for athletes to be surrounded by morons.

Although I'm not altogether sure if it is the money or the length of contract, as both sides were seeking a long term agreement (foolish on Montreal's part but wise on Price's part), but Canadiens GM Gauthier hasn't exactly been idle either. Carey is one of the few remaining restricted free agents the Habs have yet to sign.

Carey Price should have gotten the advice that would have been a hard pill to swallow, sure, but one that would have ingratiated himself towards the Habs organization and given them cause to believe that he has matured at least a little. That means compromising a bit on price and/or length of contract. He should instead (assuming he hasn't) gone more in the direction of incentives, trying to pull a Jonathon Toews. For example, a $2 million bonus for winning the Vezina wouldn't be altogether a bad deal for either side. Price sticks it to the Habs by winning it (which benefits the Habs despite it) and it doesn't cost the Habs anything (since miracles only happen once in a great while).

I hope the Canadiens trade the rights to Price to another team and sign Turco or acquire a goaltender. Maybe they can trade the rights to Price to the Capitols for Neuvirth? Of course there will have to be sweeteners added to the deal by Montreal but that would be a VERY good deal for Montreal if they could pull it off.

Other wise, maybe they can walk away from this somehow and make a run at Turco?

I don't think there's a goaltender in the league that I'd rather not have my team have on their roster than Carey Price. Yes, Huet sucks and is a sieve, but he's not immature either. It's not Huet's fault Tallon had a brain seizure during his contract negotiations. And, sad as it is for me to say it, Huet has his name on the Cup... something I HIGHLY doubt Price will do in the near future.

Sunday morning links

I can't believe all of the interesting hockey news that is out there this morning. It's a little over a month and a half before NHL training camps start on September 17th. The Regular season opens on October 7th 2010.

Here is an interesting story on Boston Bruins forward Mark Savard; Bruins Must Take Time Before Deciding on Whether to Trade Marc Savard [NESN] In my opinion trading Savard is a very bad idea.

Former Michigan Wolverine goalie Marty Turco is a free agent this summer after not being resigned by the Dallas stars and he won't be a Flyer, but would've loved to be one... [Pro Hockey Talk] I would have to think that Turco is going to be picked up by a team that needs to solidify their line up.

According to Marty Turco's agent; Agent: Marty Turco could have new team in 7-10 days. [ESPN.COM] It will be interesting to see if Turco signs with an NHL team this week. Rumor has it that Turco could be on his way to Chicago if the Blackhawks don’t resign their goalie Antti Niemi who just won his arbitration case.

I am sure that Redwing77 is pleased to know that the SJ Sharks have signed Devin Setoguchi to one-year deal [Pro Hockey Talk]

From the ESPN Bruins Blog; Wheeler: I wanted to be in Boston [ESPN.COM]

I think if I can just assert myself more physically, especially on the forecheck and things of that nature, it’s going to create a lot more opportunities for myself and the guys I’m playing with to get more offensive opportunities. Sometimes it’s about less is more, and when you kind of take a step back from things, it’s a little bit easier to notice where you may be able to improve on things.”

He also realizes he needs to let it rip more as he barrels down the wing. With Wheeler’s size, he should be able to get solid scoring chances from the wing.

"It's about getting comfortable with shooting farther away from the net," Wheeler said. "Anytime you put a shot on net anywhere from the top of the circles in, it's going to be a pretty good look. It's getting that mentality and getting comfortable with letting the puck go like that. It should really help me. I think I've been more of a passer in my first two years. I'd like to close the gap. I think working on that will really help."

Wheeler, Bruins avoided a fight in arbitration [Boston Globe]

There is a good chance that former Fighting Sioux hockey defenseman Rick Wilson could end up being the Wild's assistant coach. [Russo's Rants]

Here is another story on former Fighting Sioux defenseman Rick Wilson possibly being the Wild's new assistant coach. [Red Star and Sickle]

Gophers lose home-and-home series with Texas [Star and Tribune] It appears that the sticking point was the Big Ten Network.

"The Texas game is no longer on our schedule due to a contract impasse concerning video rights," Maturi, who negotiated with the Longhorns "for months," said Tuesday via e-mail. "... We had an agreement. Unfortunately, with our commitments to the BTN [Big Ten Network], there were issues we could not come to agreement on."

We keep hearing how the Big Ten Network is a big time money maker and what might be driving the Big Ten Hockey Conference discussion but in this situation the channel probably cost the Gophers a big pay day at the gates.

According to Tim Howe at the Fargo Hockey Examiner former Grand Forks Central High Goalie Seth Lang has the inside track to be the Force third goalie, if one is taken. [Fargo Hockey Examiner] According to people that were at the Force tryout this past week, say that Lang was every bit as good as Fighting Sioux recruit Zane Gothberg who was also at the try out camp.

Chicago Blackhawks are losing money

The Chicago Blackhawks; although they went all the way to the Stanley Cup finals and winning the Stanley Cup still ended up losing money even with the long run deep into the playoffs. There is also some bad news for Blackhawks fan's, this season they are also going to pay more money for their tickets as well.

The Blackhawks ended their season with capacity attendance and record merchandise sales, television ratings and sponsorship revenues, and the Stanley Cup.

But financially the team was a loser.

Exactly how much money was lost is something team executives will not discuss.

One consequence: Season ticket prices will increase by an average of 20 percent this fall, which is projected to rocket them from the second-cheapest in the National Hockey League three seasons ago to among the 10 most expensive, according to the team. And fans should expect "more modest" increases in the future, team owner Rocky Wirtz said.
[Chicago Tribune]

There is a silver lining to this story, Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz even with the recent loses, his team the Blawkhawks are still going to be focusing on hockey and winning games. In fact the Blackhawks owner isn't worried about losing money and he is committed to winning hockey games.

There is a silver lining to all of this and the good news is that Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz, despite his millions -- and his bloodlines -- thinks like the rest of us: In the business of hockey, it's more important to win Stanley Cups than to make money.
-----snip-----
'We will make money in four or five years,'' said Wirtz, referring to a Tribune story that reported the Blackhawks had to borrow from the family-owned Wirtz Corp. last season to stay afloat. ''But we have to keep investing. Fans don't have to worry that just because we lost money we're not committed to winning.
[Sun Times]

Reports: Niemi nets $2.75 million in arbitration

The Arbitration hearing is over and the decision has been made. It will be interesting to see what happens now, the Chicago Blackhawks have cap issues and not a lot of room to work with.

An arbitrator has set Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Antti Niemi's salary at $2.75 million, according to a report on ESPN.com

The Hawks now have 48 hours to decide whether they want to walk away and make Niemi an unrestricted free agent immediately, or accept the arbitrator's decision and sign Niemi at that salary for one season. The Hawks could also accept the decision, sign and then trade the goalie.

Niemi was expected to seek at least $3 million, after making $827,000 last season while leading Chicago to the Stanley Cup title. Because of salary-cap constraints, the Hawks were believed to be seeking a decision in the $2 million range. [TSN.CA]

Ryan Lambert on Wheeler's deal.

I thought this perspective by Ryan Lambert was worth taking a look at. I agree with Lambert that the arbitrators are out of their mind awarding mediocre to good player’s multi million dollar deals. You’re also pretty much stuck with them once they sign their deal, see the Peter Schaffer mistake deal that the Bruins are still paying for. What ever happen to incentive laden deals that award players for meeting performance based numbers like scoring goals?

I think Wheeler is a perfectly good hockey player, not great or even that much above average, but good. And the fact that he's getting $2.2 million from an arbitrator rather than his team or another that slid him an offer sheet tells you that's roughly market value for comparable players. The Bruins will take that number for sure.

But think about that. He's getting $2.2 million. A raise of about 150 percent over the base salary of the two-year deal he signed when he came into the league. And for what? He was sensational his rookie year, don't get me wrong. But he declined in goals (by 14 percent) and assists (by 17 percent) last season, with no change in power-play goals despite an extra minute on the man advantage per game, and two extra minutes of ice time. And he's a ghost in the playoffs to the tune of 1-5-6, minus-6 in 21 career games. [Puck Daddy]

Again; I want to preface this that I am not a Wheeler hater by any stretch of the imagination. I am sure Blake Wheeler is a great guy and an awesome human being off of the ice but as a hockey player he is a _______ (rhymes with wussy). The man is 6’5’ 205 pounds and is so easily knocked off the puck by the opposition. At Wheeler’s size he should be laying people out and playing a more physical brand of hockey, Blake should also be getting to the dirty areas on the ice and scoring gritty goals.

Are there any more departures- going once, going twice ....

It will be interesting to see if there are going to be anymore departures in the WCHA this season. The Minnesota Gophers weren’t the only one to suffer losses this week; Harvard University got some bad news as they lost Louis Leblanc who was drafted in the first round by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2009 entry draft.

While it’s sad to see top players leave college hockey, I would rather see these top kids play 1-3 season in the NCAA, then to never seen them play in college at all. Guy Flaming from the Coming Down the Pipe says Leblanc is going to the QMJHL.


Summer of 2010 Early signings and departures in the WCHA

Wisconsin Badgers ---(4)

Cody Goloubef, Jr, D, Columbus Blue Jackets
Brendan Smith, Jr, D, Detroit Red Wings
Derek Stepan, So, F, New York Rangers
Ryan McDonagh, Jr, D, New York Rangers

Denver Pioneers ---(3)

Joe Colborne, So, F, Boston Bruins
Patrick Wiercioch, So, D, Ottawa Senators
Marc Cheverie, Jr, G, Florida Panthers

Minnesota Golden Gophers ---(3)

Jordan Schroeder, So, F, Vancouver Canucks
Josh Birkholz, Fr, F, Everett, WHL
Nick Leddy, Fr, D, Chicago Blackhawks

Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves ---(2)

Lee Baldwin, Fr, D, New York Rangers
Bryce Christianson, Jr, G, Stockton (ECHL)

Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs ---(2)

Rob Bordson, Jr, F, Anaheim Ducks
Brady Hjelle, So, G, Cedar Rapids, USHL

MSU-Mankato Mavericks ---(2)

Kevin Murdock, Fr, G, Lincoln, USHL
Tyler Pitlick, Fr, F, Medicine Hat, WHL

UND Fighting Sioux ---(2)
Corey Fienhage, So, D, Kamloops, WHL
David Toews, So, F, WHL

Wheeler signs one-year, $2.2 million contract

Former Golden Gopher Blake Wheeler has been resigned by the Boston Bruins for 2.2 million dollars. Holy Cow! That is a lot of money for a player that is 6'5" 205 that plays timid and as if he was 5'7" 175. Pardon my French the man is a wussy. Yawn! I think the Bruins are over paying him and I would have passed on him.

Boston - Blake Wheeler has signed his one-year, $2.2 million contract, officially putting him in the fold for 2010-11.

"Before the hearing, I was anxious, obviously," Wheeler said during a conference call. "You hear all the horror stories of different things that go on in those rooms. But once you're in there hearing both sides being argued, it was handled extremely professionally. Nothing was said in the room that I didn't already know myself. There were no low blows or anything like that taken by either side. It was handled extremely well. When the hearing was over, I felt great about it. I was really happy to be through that process."

Wheeler earned his $2.2 million arbitration award last night following his hearing on Tuesday.

"It is never a pleasant experience for either side to go to arbitration," GM Peter Chiarelli said in a statement. "However, as a manager, you know that the player will be under contract for the following year either way. We talked to Blake before and after the hearing and we are satisfied to have a good, young player under contract for another year."

Feeling Minnesota - Gophers hockey team in meltdown?

I have been on vacation in Duluth this week but thought I would comment on the implosion going on down in Minneapolis. First off, I hope Gopher fans aren’t contemplating jumping off a bridge in Minneapolis or St Paul; the wheels haven’t fully come off the team bus just yet, things could get worse. For most of the summer the Gophers were cruising through the summer only suffering one early departure (Jordan Schroeder, NHL) when they suffered two early departures in a two day period. Josh Birkholz has left for the WHL and Nick Leddy has signed an entry level deal with the Chicago Blackhawks [click for link]. Oops!

I smell bull s***.

First off; Josh Birkholz expects us to believe that his impending suspension for an unknown team rule violation really didn’t have any affect on his decision to play for the Everett Silvertips of the WHL. Come on! We weren’t born yesterday. I smell bravo sierra on that one.

Former Gophers left wing Josh Birkholz said his suspension had very little to do with him leaving the program on Tuesday. "It is what I feel is best for me and my situation," he said, "what I feel most comfortable with."

But he said he realizes it will be easy for people to think the suspension is the reason because the news on that and his leaving came out at the same time.

"Once our season was over I started evaluated the year," Birkholz said, "so I've been thinking about it. It did not happen right at the time of the whole suspension." [Goal Gophers]

Personally, I think today’s athletes are pampered prima donnas that lack commitment and have a tough time seeing past their own needs. I think as a society we are raising a bunch of spoiled narcissistic brats.

Back in the day when I was in sports if you were unhappy with your playing time and how things were going for you, a discussion with the coach might lead to a conversation about how you need to work harder in practice and maybe you will get more playing time. You didn’t think about changing teams or leaving, you buckled down and got after it. Now days, these pampered prima donnas just switch teams with the approval of their parents. Also, if you made a mistake or violated a team rule(s) you spoke up and faced the music, now days the athlete just switches teams as well when the going gets tough. If that isn't entitlement I don't know what is?

As for the Minnesota Gophers recruits and players, honestly, I think they are recruiting too many of the entitlement cake eater kids with the attitude that I know best, or I don't have to work hard because I have already drafted by an NHL team. It also seems like these players already have one foot out the door for the NHL, when they arrive on campus.

Don't blame Donny Lucia for everything that's happen

This past week it has been interesting watching the Gopher fans in full melt down mode. There are a lot of fans calling for Don Lucia to be fired and that he is ruining the University of Minnesota Gopher Hockey program. I think Lucia is going to be under a lot of pressure to have his team perform this season or he might be out of a job.

I think the obvious problem to most onlookers is assistant coach John Hill, the man is an utter buffoon and the real problem plaguing the Gophers coaching staff. It also appears that former Gopher assistant coach Mike Guentzel was kind of the glue that held the Gopher hockey team together, like Johnny Pohl said during a KFAN interview, ‘Mike Guentzel leaving was a big loss to the Gopher’s hockey program.’ Personally, as a UND Fighting Sioux fan, I think the Gophers coaching staff is working magic right now and doing a hell of a great job.

The departures of the past two players really aren’t really the fault of the coaching staff; maybe Gopher fans should take a deep breath. I can’t blame Minnesota for taking players that are drafted; you have to take the top players when you can get them. It is also no mystery that blue chip athletes leave early for the NHL sometimes.

No matter how many back ground investigations and interviews you do, knuckle heads do and will slip through the cracks, that’s life. Disciplinary problems are going happen sometimes, even at the schools that try to take the moral high ground, not pointing any fingers. Cough, cough, cough… My question would be, how can you blame the coach for a player for making bad decision(s)? Seriously! It is assumed that when a player comes to said program that they are a mature human being. It is also implied that if said player screws up, it is that player that is going to face the consequences. Sure the head coach and their staff looks like a moron for recruiting that player, but the behavior goes back to the athlete. Also, a coach can’t be with his players 24 hours a day standing over their shoulders supervising them and telling them not to do that. Don’t drink that. Don’t smoke that. Don’t drive drunk.

Ice Edge deal on thin ice? Prospective Coyotes ownership group misses deadline

This is an interesting turn of events. Actually, I hope this means that Winnepeg is back in the picture.

By Winnipeg Sun ---- Negotiations over the future of the Phoenix Coyotes have hit a snag, according to an Arizona newspaper.

An Arizona Republic article published Monday claims the group seeking to buy the NHL team — Ice Edge Holdings — has not complied with terms to provide the City of Glendale with financial documentation required as part of exclusive negotiations between the city and the prospective ownership group to hammer out a lease deal for the city-owned Jobing.com Arena.

Ice Edge has been granted the right to negotiate exclusively with the city as it attempts to purchase the team from the league, which bought the Coyotes out of bankruptcy last year.

The Arizona Republic report cited City of Glendale spokeswoman Julie Frisoni as saying Monday that Ice Edge failed more than five weeks ago to meet a deadline to submit some of the proof of its financing and the group had lost the right to negotiate exclusively as a result.

The 60-day period of exclusivity Ice Edge was granted to negotiate with the city is slated to end next Friday.

When contacted by QMI Agency Tuesday, Frisoni would not comment on the matter and said negotiations were continuing as planned with the deadline still in place.

When reached via e-mail on Tuesday, Ice Edge chief operating officer Daryl Jones said there are “no comments at this time.”

Glendale city council voted in May to cover up to $25 million in team losses if a buyer isn’t found in time for next season.

The NHL has given Glendale until the end of the year to complete an arena deal with a new owner.

The Wheels on the Bus... (RW77)

Are Falling Off...Falling Off.. Falling Off.. The Wheels on the Bus are Falling Off All Through Dinkytown.

Ok, maybe not Dinkytown but definitely inside the Mariucci Arena's Home Men's Hockey Locker Room.

FIRST ISSUE:

The biggest news is Sophomore Josh Birkholz, a former skater with the Fargo Force (USHL), screwed the pooch and was looking at, rumor has it, up to 7 weeks of suspension during the upcoming hockey season... So he bolted for the WHL. Again, rumor has it that the Everett Silvertips signed him. From there, the speculation gets even more out there. There was rumor of drug use by Birkholz as being the culprit. If that's the case (and I, the author, do not claim that it is true), then Birkholz made one of the stupidest mistakes of his LIFE thus far.

People harass UND for their players stupidity when it comes to underage drinking or drunken shenanigans when it occurs, but, though stupidity is stupidity, at least UND didn't have to deal with illegal substances... well... substances that are illegal regardless of how old you are anyways. At least in recent memory.

Where should UND fans stand on this issue? Though I enjoy pointing out the hypocrisy of the whole situation, I do not take pleasure in the misfortune of the Gophers team. I don't feel sorry for Birkholz. It's his bed. He's sleeping in it (and probably going to sleep comfortably if the violation of team rules wasn't the rumored drug use).

Lucia is getting run through the grinder on this issue (and the next) about this but I can't honestly see how this is his fault. Lucia cannot correct stupidity of this magnitude. No one can except for the stupid person him/herself should they desire to correct the issue.

But if you want to blame anyone, blame that incompetent buffoon John Hill. Why? Just because. He's losing Lucia's job for him.

SECOND ISSUE:

It now appears that Gopher Defenseman Nick Leddy will indeed sign with the Blackhawks.

Whatta ya know, Hillsy, you didn't blow it with him.... but Nick decided to bolt before Hill could compromise what progress Leddy's made.

I don't know what will happen with Leddy. Will he stick in the NHL? I am not too optimistic on this. If he does, he either played incredibly or the Hawks are in trouble more than they already are. Will he be sent to a MJ team? I don't know. I'm not sure I understand why an NHL team would waste a year's salary on sending a kid to a major junior team. If you're paying the guy, he should be either in the ECHL or AHL, imo, if he's not going to be in the NHL.

Oh, and Lucia is getting raked over the coals for this. He can't win. And he won't. This upcoming season, I don't see their defense getting any better than it was last year. I think their offense will be ok. I wonder if Lucia will do the right thing and start taking over certain duties that Hill oversees and, if Maturi gets ants in his pants to make some changes, I wonder if Lucia can put aside his friendship with Hill to do what is necessary: Cut the cord.

So who is going to be brought in to replace these two? Rumor has it that it will be Max Gardiner to replace Birkholz, and it looks pretty certain to be true to me. However, Seth Ambroz makes MUCH more sense.

We'll watch on...

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

UND gets the MJHL MVP: Taylor Dickin

He scored major points for the Selkirk team of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and was named MVP. He's 21 years old... and he won't be eligible to play until January.

What does this mean for Holst? Why in the world can't Taylor Dickin, who I assume graduated High School at 18, be ready for college 3 years post graduation?

Brad Schlossman suggests that Dickin is the recruited walk on he heard about earlier this summer. With Holst not clearing the NCAA Clearinghouse yet, I wonder what Holst's status is?

The good news is that this is more interesting than NHL Free Agency this year.

Wheeler's arbitration case concludes

Hum, interesting comment(s) by Wheeler's agent.

"I think it was handled very professionally by both sides," said Matt Keator, Wheeler's agent. "Our interpretation of the marketplace is different from theirs, hence the disagreement. I think both sides handled it well, keeping it professionally. They pointed out Blake's shortcomings. We pointed out Blake's strengths. But Blake already knew his shortcomings. He knows what he needs to work on. There were no hurt feelings in what was said. It was not contentious at all."

Keator did not disclose any comparables that were discussed during the hearing. However, it's a good bet that Mason Raymond ( 25g-28a-53pts) ($2.55 million annual cap hit), Nikolai Kulemin (16g-20a-36pts)($2.35 million)and David Perron (20g-27a-47pts) ($2.15 million) were comparables brought up by both parties.

Because of his statistics over the last two seasons (83 points, 163 of a possible 164 games played, ample ice time in all situations), Wheeler's award could be in the $2.5 million range. Even if Wheeler's one-year award is costlier than the Bruins expected, they are highly unlikely to walk away from the 23-year-old left wing.[Boston Bruins Blog]

Again, I am not a Wheeler hater, however, I am also not a big fan of his game for a guy his size at 6'5" 205 pounds, Wheeler is a very soft player which was evident with his purse fight last season against Ryan O'Byrne. Not everyone has to be a bruzier I get that, he isn't a big time player either as he disappeared during the Stanley Cup playoffs especially during the series against the Flyers scoring (1g-1a-2pts) in 7 games.

Wheeler goes to arbitration

Former Gopher Blake Wheeler went to his arbitration hearing today. I hope the Bruins don't end up over paying this guy.

With the two sides failing to come to a last-minute agreement, Blake Wheeler and the Bruins have proceeded to arbitration. The hearing started at 9 a.m. in Toronto this morning.

Matt Keator, Wheeler's agent, will start the hearing with an affirmative case for Wheeler. The Bruins will then present a similar affirmative case for the club. Wheeler's camp will then have a chance to present a rebuttal case and closing argument. The Bruins will also issue a rebuttal case and closing argument. Both parties have a maximum of 90 minutes to present their cases. [Boston Globe]

According to Joe Haggerty's twitter post Wheeler's hearing went well.

Meh Free Agency News (RW77)

Ok, this free agency period is really really boring. I was hoping for more excitement, perhaps some movement. But, alas, it's just another typical off season.

There was some tidbits of news:

The NY Rangers are close to signing Frolov. This guy isn't anything special anymore. He was pretty dynamic pre-NHL and his rookie year. I thought he'd be an Anze Kopitar or an Alexander Semin type. Instead, his offensive production has decreased consistently the past 3 years. It will be interesting to see how he could possibly succeed in underachieving even worse than he did before. Then again, he's in the second best team to accomplish this feat as a forward (only Montreal's forwards can underachieve more).

Aron Aasham (sp?) is trying to return to Philly. The question is: Has Aasham reappeared yet from his Copperfield impersonation during the postseason?

Mason Raymond has done good. He just signed a 2 year contract with the Canucks. I knew he was good with tUMD and I think he may be the best recruit Sandelin ever got with the Bulldogs, imo.

Oh, and the only bit of excitement is more like a soap opera with bad acting. The Player's Association has filed a grievance on Kovalchuk's contract denial. The problem is, the PA is like Forest Griffin without any muscle or skill. Just a monkey looking posturing punch line thanks to the fact that they have no real head of the NHLPA and therefore, no real direction.

Here's another tidbit: Today Nashville signed D Ryan Parent to a 2 year deal. He was traded (back) to Nashville from Philadelphia for Hamhuis. Good news, Philly fans! He didn't sign with Philly! (SARCASM). So, in essence, Philadelphia traded Parent for cap room... or nothing, whichever.

Life is so slow that NHL.com put up a story on Zetterberg's wedding. Seriously, good for the man. He married a model. No big deal. May they swim in 1 million fjords in perfect bliss and happiness.

DROP THE PUCK ALREADY!

A famous coach, a former model, sex in a restaurant and alleged extortion to be focus of trial

Not hockey related but it caught my interest.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It started as a fling between a former model and a famous (and married) college basketball coach at the table of an Italian restaurant after closing time.

Now the woman, Karen Cunagin Sypher, heads to trial Monday on charges that she tried to extort University of Louisville coach Rick Pitino, allegedly demanding college tuition for her children, having her house paid off and $10 million for her silence.

The trial could sort out who's telling the truth in the sordid affair that dragged down the reputation of the coach, who leads one of the two biggest teams in basketball-mad Kentucky.

Prosecutors say they plan to use multiple witnesses, secretly recorded conversations and testimony from Pitino to prove that Sypher is guilty of multiple charges, including threatening communications with the intent to extort, lying to the FBI and retaliation against a witness.

My question is what is wrong with people today? First, I guess marriage vows means nothing anymore. Second, you're a head coach of a high profile college basketball program what the hell are you thinking? Morons!

A few Saturday morning links

Apparently Gopher coach Don Lucia is felling better.

Good news: Gophers men's hockey coach Don Lucia, who has suffered from sarcoidosis — an inflammation of skull lining that affects nerves — for the last 1 1/2 years, is back from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester apparently recovered from the disease. No longer does Lucia have to take steroid treatments and nerve drugs.

"I get to be myself again," he said this morning.

Here is an interesting perspective. This is how former Gopher "Hack" Tony Lucia and his father see him. I am sure Sioux fans would see him differently.

“I’m a hard-nosed player that brings his lunch pail to the rink every night and tries to give a good effort,” Lucia said when asked to describe his style of play. “I’m not going to be a flashy player, but I like to play a tough game whistle-to-whistle.”

According to Tony’s dad, Don, his son has always been a good leader with his teammates and passionate about hockey. In an exclusive interview with SJSHARKS.com, Don described Tony as a “gritty, smart, two-way player” who’s “always been willing to do whatever it takes to win.”
[NHL.com]

Former Wild Goon enforcer Derek Boogaard said he had a few teams pursing him during the free agency period.

Make no mistake, Boogaard's primary service still is to menace. The 6-foot-7, 260-pound left wing remains one of the top two or three most-feared enforcers in the NHL, which is why the Rangers' Glen Sather was one of what Boogaard said were about 10 general managers who came calling July 1, the first day of free agency.

"That's more (teams) than Gabby was dealing with last summer," said Boogaard, who shares agent Ron Salcer with Marian Gaborik, with whom Boogaard will be a teammate again. "Ronny was surprised; he told me he thought there would be four or five teams (interested)."

The Rangers have a lot of money invested in skill players such as forwards Gaborik and Chris Drury and goaltender Henry Lundqvist, and Sather said he was tired of them being pushed around. Boogaard believes he can help.
[Pioneer Press]

Boston Bruins Center David Krejci says he is, "on schedule to join his teammates for training camp." That is good news for the Boston Bruins who are very thin at the forward position. [Boston Globe]

UNO becoming a stop for old Gophers.

Former assistant hockey coach Mike Guentzel has a new job as an assistant coach in Omaha Nebraska. If anyone is counting that makes three coaches at UNO with ties to the University of Minnesota. The University of Nebraska Omaha will be in good hands with Guentzel, Blais and Hastings at the helm.

1.) Gophers Head coach Dean Blais UMN Alum 1970-1973.
2.) Mike Guentzel former assistant coach UMN and Alumni 1981-1985.
3.) Mike Hastings former assistant coach at UMN 2008-09.

It’s been a while — 16 years, to be exact — but Mike Guentzel is coming back to coach hockey in Omaha.

The former Omaha Lancers head coach will return as an assistant at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Guentzel was the Lancers’ head coach in 1992-93 and 1993-94, guiding the team to consecutive postseason championships in the United States Hockey League.

“I remember the passion the city of Omaha had for hockey from back in my Lancers days,’’ he said. “I’m looking forward to coming back.’’

Guentzel’s return will reunite him with UNO assistant Mike Hastings, who coached for the Lancers under Guentzel before eventually becoming the team’s head coach.

“Mike and I go way back,’’ Guentzel said. “I think it’s a great situation, and I’m looking forward to it.’’

A native of Grand Rapids, Minn., Guentzel played collegiately at Minnesota before beginning his coaching career as an assistant with the St. Paul Vulcans (now Tri-City Storm) of the USHL during the 1988-89 season. He then became head coach of the club for three seasons, leading them to the Junior “A” national title in 1991.

Guentzel then took over as the head coach for the Lancers and led them to a league-best 35-13-0 record and the Anderson Cup as regular-season champions during the 1992-93 season. Omaha also captured the Clark Cup as postseason champion that year, and repeated that feat during the 1993-94 season.

He had a winning record in all five seasons as a USHL head coach, posting a 151-80-8 mark.

Guentzel left the Lancers after the 1993-94 season and returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach at Minnesota, where in 14 seasons he helped the Gophers capture two NCAA titles. He left the Gophers to become an assistant at Colorado College in 2008-09 and was the head coach of the Des Moines Bucs of the USHL last season.

“It was disappointing that Des Moines missed the playoffs this year,’’ he said. “The team had won 12 games the year before, and we won 20 games this season.’’

Guentzel said he was looking forward to the opportunity to coach with UNO head coach Dean Blais. They were on opposing sides for several years in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) when Blais was the head coach at North Dakota and Guentzel was at Minnesota.[Omaha.com]

Links

Mike Guentzel Returns to Omaha To Join UNO Staff [Husker Mike]

Arbitration looms for Wheeler, Bruins

s/t puck Daddy for the Wheeler picture. Here is the latest news on the Blake Wheeler arbitration saga, the former Golden Gopher and Bruins forward is headed off to arbitration. Personally, I like the option where the Boston Bruins trade Blake Wheeler to another team because after watching Wheeler last season in the Stanley Cup Playoffs it was very evident the kid has little if any ability to score goals at crucial times in games.

Just a week before Bruins forward Blake Wheeler's July 27 arbitration hearing, there was no progress to report on contract talks between the restricted free agent and the club.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Wheeler's agent Matt Keator said the two sides would talk again this weekend but gave no indication that those talks would settle the matter.

"We'll talk to them again this weekend and see how that goes," Keator said. "But there's nothing new to report right now and if we can't reach an agreement this weekend, then we go to arbitration. That's fine and that's why they have the arbitration process."

Wheeler, who has 39 goals and 83 points in 163 games with the Bruins, made $2.8 million last season and almost certainly would get a raise through arbitration.

But even Wheeler's cap hit from 2009-10, combined with the signing of top pick Tyler Seguin to his entry-level deal, would put the Bruins over the $59.4 million salary cap. That is why there has been plenty of speculation that the Bruins may deal the winger who was drafted fifth overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2004. But Keator didn't seem to believe that would happen.

"I don't really know because that's a question for the Bruins, but I wouldn't think so," Keator said. "He's only 23 years old and has a bright future ahead of him. We're not concerned about that. We know the cap situation and we know Peter [Chiarelli, the Bruins' GM] is working hard to deal with it. But we can't worry about it because it's out of our control." [ESPN]

I honestly don't know how the Boston Bruins ended up signing Wheeler for 2.8 million either? That is a lot of money to give a player who has score in (39g-44a-83pts) in 163 NHL games.

While I am not a Blake Wheeler fan by any stretch, I am not a hater either. One could make the argument that the Boston Bruins already have a player like Blake Wheeler signed and on board in Joel Colborne (big not so physical player at a cheaper rate than 2.8+) who has a good to decent chance to make the Bruins this season.

A few things (College Hockey Related)

This past Friday I had a chance to participate in the Galen Nagle Golf Tourney at the Bemidji Town and Country Club and it was a great time and the tournament as always was run well and everything went off smoothly. If you get a chance to go over to Bemidiji and play the BTCC the course is in great shape. The fairways are some of the best I have ever hit a ball off of. Of course I am usually not in the fairway, but the woods aren’t bad either. :)

For the Galen Nagle golf tourney I played with Chase Schmidtt, Mike Williams, Scott Robbins, Scott Williams (TV voice of the Beavers Hockey Team) and we were one of the teams that didn't place. We couldn't putt.

Tickets are hard to come by for BREC Opener

Word on the street is that don’t expect to get tickets for the opening series between the BSU Beavers and the UND Fighting Sioux at the new BREC, they are going to be hard to come by. The building seats 4000-5000 people and the BSU ticket office has sold 80% of the building already. Also, there will be about 500 tickets set aside for BSU students as well as 400 tickets for UND. So it’s going to be tough getting a seat to see the Beavers and the Sioux open the new building. According to the Beavers Head Coach Tom Serratore the series is going to be a sell out.

TV coverage of BSU and UND series?

There is some hope though. What I am hoping for is that the games will be picked up by FSSN channel 23 on Midco.net. Recently; Midco.net moved into the Bemidji, Minnesota market, so it's not outside the realm of possibility that FSSN 23 could possibly pick up the broadcast(s) for one or both games so Sioux fans will be able to see the game. This past season UND both games were picked up between the Sioux and the Bulldogs. I think as we get closer to the series fans should flood the Midco office with emails and phone calls.

Links

Scott and Moose from the award winning Hockey Show cover the new rules and the BREC [Hockey Show]

The George Pelawa Calgary Flames Foundation Education Fund was unveiled last Friday at the 13th annual Galen Nagle Memorial Golf Tournament in Bemidji. [Times Colonist]

The official 2010-2011 Fighting Sioux hockey roster has been posted on line.
[Fighting Sioux]

The Minnesota Gopher hockey programs seems to be in full melt down mode already and it's not even October yet. [Goal Gophers] and [Goal Gophers]

Leddy turns heads at Blackhawks camp but not offered contract [Goal Gophers]

Bemidji State men's hockey: Offseason routine 'business as usual' ahead of first WCHA season [Bemidji Pioneer]

In the near future Goon's World will be returning to [MVN.COM]

Lundar resident faces charges over 911 calls

You really cant make this stuff up. It's almost comical, if he wasn't breaking the law, it also sounds like this guy might want to stop drinking, sober up and got some much needed sleep.

WINNIPEG — At least one local hockey fan thinks it’s criminal the Winnipeg Jets haven’t returned home.

A 33-year-old resident of Lundar, Manitoba is facing numerous charges after allegedly making a series of 911 calls which included demanding RCMP officers somehow bring the National Hockey League back to the province.

"He began the conversation by saying he wanted the Jets back. He was quite upset about it," a justice source told the Free Press on Wednesday. The incident occurred last year but was never reported publicly by police. The Free Press uncovered details this week through court documents.

The potential return of the NHL has been a hot topic in recent years, with many believing it’s a matter of when, not if, Winnipeg gets a team back. And while the subject usually triggers passionate debate, this is believed to be the first time it has ever prompted police action.

The emergency dispatcher politely told the angry caller there was nothing she could do to help him and reminded him that he was tying up a valuable resource before hanging up. But the man continued to phone back, claiming he had a lot on his mind.

"He had apparently been drinking and told police he hadn’t slept in days. He started talking about world conglomerates, things like that. He was hallucinating, obviously," said the source.

NHL says not so fast on Kovalchuk's contract.

A person asked me on Twitter yesterday what I thought of the Ilya Kovalchuk's contract. I said, ‘I bet the NHL looks at Kovy's deal.’ Apparently, that was a good prediction as the league has rejected the Kovalchuk’s contract. This was also confirmed by Fire and Ice.

Tuesday night REJECTION: The NHL has rejected the Kovalchuk contract for salary-cap circumvention. The Devils have declined comment, but now this gets interesting. As I outlined below Monday, the intent of this contract was clear, but it seemed to me to be legal under the laws of the CBA. There is a provision in the CBA, however, that prohibits teams from circumventing the intent of the rules.

Where does this go from here? Humorously, the league waited to make its decision well after the theater of the news conference earlier today.

The problem that I see is the league allowed numerous other contracts that were similar in intent, from Chris Pronger to Roberto Luongo. The league has warned teams that if they continued to construct contracts like this, there would be consequences. This is a clear message by the NHL, but I see a little duel on the horizon. [Russo's Rants]

Is Nick Leddy the next one and done...

According to Gopher hockey fan Hammy's twitter rumor has it another Gopher hockey player is going to leave early.

Don't be surprised if you hear about a player departure soon. Not good news.

Over on Sioux Sports a few have posted they think it's Nick Leddy who was traded by the Wild to Chicago in the Kim "Yawnson" Johnsson trade. This is one problem with recruiting players that are number one draft choices, teams love to get them into their system as soon as possible. I getting a little tired of watching these college players leave after one season. No offense to Leddy but he didn't exactly light the WCHA up last year in thirty games he had (3g-8a-11pts)and was hardly what I would call a dominating player.

Among those that participated, Bowman specifically singled out several for their play -- including 19-year old center Brandon Pirri and 19-year old offensive college defenseman Nick Leddy -- both taken early in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Pirri was the Hawks' second pick of the draft (No. 59), while Leddy was taken with the 16th pick by Minnesota and then traded to the Hawks during the past season along with veteran Kim Johnsson.

Leddy, who said he had to discuss with his parents whether he should return to the University of Minnesota for his sophomore season, was the first player Bowman mentioned on Monday.

"Nick Leddy was excellent," he said. "This is the first time we've seen him here in Chicago. (We) saw him perform during the (college) season, but boy he's really smooth out there. I think he's going to be with the Blackhawks for many years. It's exciting to see that [www.NHL.com]

Canes Sign Riley Nash to Entry-Level Contract

The Coming Down the Pipe blog correctly predicted that former Cornell Big Red Star Riley Nash wouldn't be an Edmonton Oiler when Guy Flaming said, "Edmonton supporters might be best to prepare themselves for the possibility that Nash might never be seen wearing the orange and blue." That prediction was finally realized today when Nash decided to forgo his finally year of college eligibility to sign with the Hurricanes. Nash was traded to Carolina Hurricanes on June 26th, 2010. It also appears that Nash was ready to sign a professional contract if it wasn't the Edmonton Oilers.

RALEIGH, NC – Jason Karmanos, Vice President and Assistant General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed center Riley Nash to a three-year, entry-level contract. At the NHL level, the deal will pay Nash $550,000 in 2010-11, $600,000 in 2011-12, and $700,000 in 2012-13. He will be paid $65,000 on the AHL level in all three seasons, and receives a signing bonus of $262,500.

“Riley has excellent playmaking ability from the center position, and was a consistent point-producer at Cornell,” said Karmanos. “He'll have an opportunity during training camp to earn a spot on our NHL roster.”

Nash, 21, completed his third season at Cornell University in 2009-10, scoring 12 goals and earning 23 assists (35 points) in 30 games. The Consort, Alb., native led Cornell in assists, and ranked tied for second on the team in scoring. In three seasons with the Big Red, Nash (6’1”, 191 lbs.) has scored 37 goals and earned 65 assists (102 points) in 102 collegiate games. Originally selected by Edmonton in the first round, 21st overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Carolina acquired Nash on June 26, in exchange for Ottawa’s second-round pick, 46th overall, in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft

Check out this blog post from Copper and Blue. Just for the record I don't think Riley Nash is overrated, if anything the Hurricanes got him pretty cheap. I can also see why Oliers fans might be upset with Nash as well.

News today that reluctant would-never-have-been Oiler Riley Nash has signed with the Carolina Hurricanes with an extremely modest entry-level contract the team has actually released details of.

Well. It's good to know that he was totally staying in Cornell because he cares about school and because the Oilers were offering him an unfavourable contract. Because leaving school early to sign a typical second-round entry-level deal right after being traded would make him look like a bit of a tool.

Mind you, I also think Nash is hilariously overrated as a prospect, so I can be sarcastic. I think the Oilers were wrong to draft him and right to be rid of him.

Drama queen Ilya Kovalchuk staying with Devils...

It's about fricken time. Finally, the drama queen Lebron James Ilya Kovalchuk has signed a contract with the New Jersey Devils. Now that Kovalchuk is going to sign with the New Jersey Devils, you have to wonder how the heck the New Jersey Devils are going to find cap space to sign former Fighting Sioux forward Zach Parise next season? The Devils are probably going to have to trade players on this season’s roster to make room for Kovalchuk. Now that this block buster signing is over other teams can move forward with their free agency moves.

The waiting is finally over.

Left wing Ilya Kovalchuk has decided to re-sign with the Devils, his agent, the team announced this morning.

The team will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Prudential Center to make the official announcement.

No contract details were available, initially. Ilya’s excited to be continuing his career with New Jersey and knows first-hand the team’s dedication and commitment to winning,” Kovalchuk’s agent Jay Grossman said in a release posted on his agency’s website.

Kovalchuk, 27, had been an unrestricted free agent since noon on July 1. The Devils acquired Kovalchuk, a two-time 52-goal scorer, from Atlanta on Feb. 4 (along with defenseman Anssi Salmela) for defenseman Johnny Oduya, right wing Niclas Bergors, prospect Patrice Cormier and the Devils’ 2010 first-round draft pick.

Assuming Kovlachuk’s salary is for more than $3.5 million – he made $7.5 million last season– the Devils will have to move players to get under the $59.4 million salary cap before the start of the regular season. Teams can go as high as 10 percent over the cap until the start of the regular season.
[Fire and Ice]

Links to the Story

Ilya Kovalchuk signs with Devils [NJ.COM]

Kovalchuk, Devils agree to deal [ESPN.COM]

Done Deal-ya: Kovalchuk returns [devils.nhl.com]

BREAKING: Ilya Kovalchuk Re-Signs with the New Jersey Devils [inlouwetrust.com]

Kovalchuk's decision: He's a New Jersey Devil again [Puck Daddy]

Kovalchuk inks deal with the Devils [Globe and Mail]

Kovalchuk deals with the Devils [CBC.CA]

Ilya Kovalchuk chooses Devils over Los Angeles Kings [NJ.COM]

Koivu > Toews?

I thought you might be interested in reading this. For comparison sake Jonathan Toews NHL totals are (222 games 83 goals 108 assists 191 points) and Mikko Koivu (NHL totals 362 games 79 goals 176 assist 255 points). So if you break this down further, Jonathan Toews 22 has scored 191 points in 222 games in three NHL seasons, that means he scores in 8 out of 10 games he plays in. On the other side of the coin the older Mikko Koivu 27 has scored 255 points in 362 games in five NHL seasons, which means that Koivu has actually only scored in 7 out of 10 games that he plays in.

Yes, Koivu has a larger cap hit than Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Backstrom, Jonathan Toews and Henrik Sedin. Yes, his stats may not necessarily define him as a “superstar” type player but, then again, neither have Toews’.

In fact, Koivu has put up better numbers than Toews over the last few seasons with less talent surrounding him—something that likely was at the forefront of these discussions when comparables were involved.

What Koivu brings to the squad, however, is so much more than just numbers-based value.

The fact of the matter is that the Wild would be lost without their captain. Koivu is the cornerstone of their team at even strength, on the penalty kill and on the powerplay.

The Wild’s offense not only runs through Koivu, but their forecheck and backcheck does as well.[Wild Nation]

While I am a Wild fan I think that Jonathan Toews has a bigger upside than Koivu. If I was the general manager of the Minnesota Wild and had a chance to either have Koivu or Toews on my team I would take the younger Toews.

Russo on former Sioux player Rick Wilson

Apparently former Fighting Sioux hockey player Rick Wilson is in the running to be an assistant coach for the Minnesota Wild.

Rick Wilson, the former North Stars and longtime Dallas Stars assistant/associate coach, is a finalist for the Wild assistant job, multiple sources confirm. Wilson, a former UND and NHL defenseman, has been an NHL assistant for 20 years with the Islanders, Kings, North Stars, Stars and last season, Tampa Bay.

Wilson has two more years on his deal with the Lightning, but the Tampa Tribune's Erik Erlendsson tells me GM Steve Yzerman told Wilson at the draft that while the Lightning sorts out the coaching staff, he was free to seek employment elsewhere.

Wilson, 59, has worked with a gazillion NHL head coaches, winning a Cup in Dallas alongside Kent Hitchcock, and working alongside everybody from Al Arbour to Bob Gainey to Dave Tippett. He was an assistant with the North Stars/Stars from 1992-2008, spending part of the 2001-02 season as Dallas' interim coach.

I heard from several coaches that know him this afternoon, and they say "fabulous coach" and "Great hire. Would be a great hire as well."
[Russo's Rants]

Wild show Koivu the money.

While I was on my vacation the Minnesota Wild resigned Mikko Koivu to a long term deal. Some might say that the Wild over paided him. What do you think? Here are Koivu's NHL totals (362 games 79 goals 176 assists = 255 points)

Just for comparison sake Alexander Ovechkin is making 9,000,000.00 a year, while Crosby and Malkin are making 8,700,000.00 a year and Koivu is creeping up into that territory of the elite highest paid players in the NHL by making 6.75 million year. While I believe that Mikko Koivu is a very good two way player, he isn't an elite NHL hockey player.

Captain Mikko Koivu signed a US$47.25 million, seven-year contract extension Thursday, keeping the versatile centre with the team through the 2017-18 season.

"You could argue quite persuasively that he's the best player to ever play for the Minnesota Wild," said general manager Chuck Fletcher, who watched the organization's original first-round draft pick, sniper Marian Gaborik, leave for riches and the New York Rangers as a free agent last summer.

The Wild weren't about to let Koivu get that far, and the 27-year-old Finn was quite happy to stay with the team that took him in the first round in 2001, one draft after Gaborik.

Fletcher went so far as to call this deal a "monumental signing" and an "historic day" for the franchise. Koivu, picked as the Wild's first permanent captain last October, had 22 goals and 49 assists last season. In addition to being a leader in the locker-room, Koivu is arguably their best offensive player and best defensive forward. [TSN.CA]