What leverage do NCAA teams have?

Bruce Ciskie from the FANHOUSE blog has a really good article on how the NCAA and the NHL need to come to an agreement on deadline to which they will no longer pursue signing their draft choices that are on college teams. I think it's a great idea but I don't think division I college hockey teams have much to bargin with when it comes to NHL hockey teams. Where and what is the leverage?

After a ton of speculation, Chicago signed former Minnesota defenseman Nick Leddy to an entry-level deal July 27. Yes, Chicago has suffered through a salary cap crunch, and they need bodies. But there is no reason to allow these late signings to continue.

The NHL and NCAA need a defined partnership. No, that wouldn't stop CHL teams from poaching, but it would allow for a better working relationship between the NHL and college hockey, a growing entity in the United States that continues to produce more and more professional talent.

More specifically, there needs to be a deadline after which NHL teams can no longer pursue NCAA talent. It might encourage more NHL franchises to send their draft picks to the major junior ranks, but it also gives both sides a defined date to work with. However, any partnership needs a compromise. In this case, the NCAA must get rid of the rule that prevents kids from taking part in training camps.

Any drafted player should have the right to participate in NHL training camp -- at least on weekends, when they don't have to worry about attending classes. Giving NHL teams the ability to invite college players to camp would at least give them another vehicle to evaluate these players, even if they aren't going to be allowed to sign them.

I like what Bruce is saying here and I agree that NCAA hockey players should have the ability to go to their training camps and if they are not signed they should be able to return to their college hockey team without penalty as long as they haven't signed a contract and recieved a signing bonus.

I also have another question that I thinks needs to be asked; do certain NCAA division I hockey teams have a credibility problems with some of the NHL teams and their general managers?

Friday Links

I forgot to add this story the other day but former UND defenseman Rick Wilson will be an assistant coach with the Minnesota Wild. You can expect the Minnesota Wild to be better defensively with Rick Wilson on board.

A former University of North Dakota defenseman, Wilson brings a ton of experience to the Wild's relatively-inexperienced bench. He has spent the past 20 years as an assistant or associate coach with the New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Wilson began coaching hockey 24 years before Todd Richards’ playing career even ended. In fact, when Wilson began coaching his alma mater, the University of North Dakota, in 1978 as an assistant, Richards was just 12 years old.

He turns 60 today and summers in Bemidji. As I've mentioned on here and Twitter, the delay had to do with working out the contract because Tampa Bay and Dallas each have to pick up a portion of his two-year deal.

After spending one season with the North Stars in 1992-93, Wilson moved to Dallas with the franchise’s relocation and spent the next 15 seasons with Dallas. Over that time, Wilson helped guide the team to seven division titles, two conference championships, two President’s Trophies and a 1999 Stanley Cup. [Russo's Rants]

There has been an on going debate this summer about the state of college hockey and how College Hockey has been losing top blue chip recruits to the OHL. While I don’t like seeing players leave early and sign with their professional teams, I would rather see that player play with their college team for one or two seasons than not have them play in college at all.

Julie Robenhymer from hockey buzz has a really good story on this subject.

I was then asked why I thought NCAA players were leaving school for the CHL or AHL. We could talk about the difference in educational opportunities and the number of games they can play or not play and the time available for them to spend in the weight room or not, but that's rather pointless because it's really all about having options.

What's the difference between what Cam Flower did in signing a pro contract and Nick Leddy signing a pro contract?? Fowler has the option of going back to his junior team if he doesn't make the cut in Anahiem where as Leddy had to cut ties with the University of Minnesota because of NCAA eligibility rules. He doesn't have the same options that Fowler does and in my opinion, is making more of a commitment.

Some guys think they're ready. Some guys just want a change of scenery. Maybe there was a coaching change and the new coach wants to make changes that don't allow a particular player to develop into the best player he can be... The real problem is that we only see college players leaving for juniors because they can, but we NEVER see junior players leaving for the NCAA because they CAN'T and it really skews the perception that one is better than the other when really they're just different paths with different options available to them.

I think the NCAA could improve if they gave a kids more options like major junior hockey does. Personally, I like the option where if a kid tries out with his professional team and doesn’t make his NHL team, that player has the option of going back to his junior team and continuing his development. While I know it’s never going to be an option with NCAA division I hockey, I can see why some players might choose the CHL over the NCAA. Like others have said there is no one size fits all route to the NHL and college is still getting great players into NHL. I am not going to bash one or the other.

Another thing that I don’t like is the fact that once a kid signs with a CHL team he is considered a professional and is no longer eligible for division one hockey, I think it is a dumb rule and I would like to see college hockey change that rule.

Fetch from the college hockey blog takes a stab at this issues in a blog post titled Two Early Departures, Very Different Circumstances [Click to read]

I do think that Sid Hartman should stick to writing about things that he knows about like football, basketball and finally baseball. I should think twice about quoting this Sid Hartman post on anything that relates to hockey but it does make for some interesting reading.

The Big Ten commissioner didn't see the 18-game conference basketball schedule being extended. But he did say that on the table is a possible Big Ten hockey championship, once another school adds hockey as a sport. Five conference schools now play the sport: Minnesota and Wisconsin in the WCHA, and Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

Sid are you sure they aren't talking about maybe a possible Big Ten Hockey Championship and maybe not a Big Ten Hockey Conference?

Maybe just maybe there is more to this than Jarred Tinordi backing out of his commitment to Notre Dame Fighting. I mean things aren’t always as they seem. However you look at it, it’s a big loss to the Fighting Irish. Also, I guess we can mark Dale Hunter down as not being a fan of Jeff Jackson or a fan of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Ouch! I was always told if you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all.

The London Knights have run against an old foe in the battle to sign Montreal Canadiens first-rounder Jarred Tinordi.

The coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish is Jeff Jackson, a former Guelph Storm coach who once accused the Hunters' Knights of playing "prehistoric hockey."

Tinordi has committed to suit up for Jackson in South Bend, Ind., this fall. The Knights, who own the big defenceman's OHL rights, aren't giving up hope.

"We think he's a very good player," London coach Dale Hunter said, "and it's not like they're (Notre Dame) the best team in their league.

"They're not Boston (University) or anyone like that."

The Knights aren't the same club Jackson remembers, either. After his Storm departure in 2003, the Hunters transformed London into a team dominated by skilled forwards with puck possession and power-play success.

Jackson is regarded as one of the top coaches in U.S. college history. He guided Lake Superior State to two national titles in the 1990s, helped build the foundation of the United States national development program (where Tinordi played and captained the under-18 team to gold this year) and turned the Irish program around.

But Notre Dame finished a combined 13-17-8 last season. The Knights won 49 games and Hunter was named OHL coach of the year for a third time.
[London Free Press]

NHL responsible for NCAA exodus

Here is an interesting article that came out today. It blames the NHL for the latest rash of early departures from the NCAA Division I hockey.

Toronto Sun - It's been a tough off-season for NCAA hockey teams and the NHL is responsible for most of the pain.

Although it's really nothing new, the exodus of players from American colleges to the pro or junior ranks seems to be more pronounced this year.

The trend continued Tuesday when Montreal Canadiens' first-round pick Jarred Tinordi bailed on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to join the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. Tinordi hasn't signed with the Habs but jumping to the Knights allows him to attend training camp in Montreal, something that wouldn't have happened if he stuck with Notre Dame.

But Tinordi, the son of former NHLer Mark Tinordi, isn't even the only Canadiens prospect to walk away from school in the last month or so.

Louis Leblanc, the Habs' first-rounder from 2009, was forced to leave the Harvard Crimson after one season when he signed an entry-level contract with the Canadiens. He's eligible to play in the American Hockey League but instead joined the Montreal Junior of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Forward Jerry D'Amigo officially ended his short career with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute when he signed Wednesday. D'Amigo spent just one season at RPI, racking up 34 points (10 goals, 24 assists) in 35 games.

In the last couple of weeks, first-rounder Kyle Palmieri has skated away from Notre Dame after agreeing to a contract with the Anaheim Ducks and Nick Leddy signed with the Chicago Blackhawks, leaving Minnesota in the process. Palmieri will start the season in the AHL and there's a good chance D'Amigo will wind up with the Marlies, although the Guelph Storm and Kitchener Rangers have their fingers crossed that the two U.S. junior teammates get sent to junior at some point.

Major junior teams gave the NCAA a couple of kicks of their own, though, snatching away some top-end talent at the last minute.

Lucas Lessio, playing with the Canadian under-18 team at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, didn't live up to the verbal commitment he made to join Michigan in 2011 and opted instead to sign with the OHL's Oshawa Generals. Julian Melchiori did the same when he joined the Kitchener Rangers recently instead of heading to Massachusetts-Lowell for his freshman season.

Since April 1, 17 players gave up NCAA eligibility to sign with NHL teams, according to figures compiled by insidecollegehockey.com. Factor in the others, like Tinord, Lessio and Melchiori, all of whom never even showed up on campus, and you can see how hard the U.S. schools have been hit.

It's not unusual for players to leave college early, though. Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, Blues defenceman Erik Johnson, Kings blueliner Jack Johnson, Oilers forward Andrew Cogliano and Canucks forward Mason Raymond all dropped out in 2007 to work in the NHL

Another day another college recruit to the OHL

It has been a bad summer for college hockey as another player defected to the OHL/CHL. Jarred Tinordi has decided he is not going to play college hockey for Notre Dame and is going to go to the London Knights of the OHL instead.

TSN.CA ---- ontreal Canadiens first-round pick Jarred Tinordi is taking the more common route to the National Hockey League.

The London Free Press reports that the 18-year-old defenceman has chosen to play with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League next season, instead of joining Notre Dame.

With the move to the OHL, Tinordi will play a longer schedule and can attend the Canadiens' training camps. College players are not allowed to go to camps until they have left school and signed with their NHL team.

Tinordi, the son of former NHL blueliner Mark Tinordi, was taken 22nd overall by the Canadiens in June. The 18-year old was the captain of the U-18 U.S. National Development team last season.

D'Amigo Signs With Maple Leafs

Here is the official announcement on RPI star Jerry D'Amigo, in my opinion he was one of the better freshman in college hockey last season but everything that I have read on the kid leads me to believe that he wasn't/isn't going to play in the NHL this season so his signing does puzzle some.

NHL.COM --- Brian Burke, president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced Wednesday that the club has agreed to terms on a three-year entry level contract with forward Jerry D’Amigo (pronounced dah-MEE-goh).

“We’ve been very pleased with Jerry’s progression over the past 12 months,” said Burke. “Seth Appert and the rest of the coaching staff at R.P.I. (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) have done a really nice job of preparing Jerry for the next stage in his development. We look forward to having him at training camp.”

D’Amigo, 19, appeared in 35 games with the R.P.I. Engineers of the ECAC last season, recording 34 points (10 goals, 24 assists) and 41 penalty minutes. The 5-11, 208-pound winger ranked fifth nationally in points per game by a rookie (0.97), led R.P.I. in game-winning goals (3), and finished second in shorthanded goals (1). For his efforts, D’Amigo was selected to the ECAC All-Rookie Team and he was named ECAC Hockey’s Rookie of the Year.

The native of Binghamton, New York, represented the United States at the 2010 World Junior Championship in Saskatchewan. D’Amigo finished tied for third in tournament scoring with 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists) in seven games to help lead Team USA to a gold medal.

Penn State is good enough for the CCHA but UAH isn't

When I read this bravo sierra it makes my blood boil that the CCHA will let an established team like UAH twist in the wind but will extend an invitation to a team that doesn't even have a program yet. Hey Anastos; how can Penn State who doesn't an arena or an existing program be an attractive choice to the CCHA?

When Central Collegiate Hockey Association officials gather next week in Dearborn for annual meetings, they are expected to discuss the possibility of adding a 12th team to the league.

The target: Penn State.

"They are a very attractive choice -- very attractive," CCHA commissioner Tom Anastos told The Detroit News on Tuesday. "They're in a different market than we're in, more and more U.S. players are on college rosters, and there's tremendous growth of the sport in Pennsylvania."


The CCHA includes Michigan, Michigan State, Ferris State, Lake Superior, Northern Michigan and Western Michigan.

Anastos confirmed Tuesday the CCHA's interest in Penn State less than a week after the Altoona (Pa.) Mirror reported that the school is on the verge of making men's and women's hockey Division I programs. The newspaper attributed the information to a source.

Men's and women's hockey currently are club teams at Penn State.

Anastos said there is no timeline for extending an invitation to Penn State, but confirmed he has exchanged e-mails with Penn State president Graham Spanier on the topic. Anastos also said Penn State officials recently toured hockey facilities at CCHA member schools.

"Obviously there's some interesting dynamics," Anastos said. "Certainly there's some commonality."

Attempts Tuesday to reach Penn State athletic director Tim Curley were unsuccessful. Members of the school's board of trustees have not discussed the issue publicly in meetings. The trustees' next meeting is Sept. 16. [From The Detroit News]

This kind of stuff pisses me off, it's the CCHA commissioner acting like an elitist snob again. So lets make sure that I get this right; UAH not good enough, Penn State no existing program; but Penn State is good enough and an attractive option. I think college hockey owes it to UAH to find a home for the Chargers if an existing league is going to snub a team that needs a home for a team that isn't even on line yet.

Bruins: Marc Savard deal investigated like Ilya Kovalchuk’s

With an arbitrator voiding Ilya Kovalchuk's contract Monday, it looks like pandora box has been opened. You have to wonder if Marian Hossa's deal is going to be looked at as well.

BOSTON — The Boston Bruins [team stats] say they’re cooperating with the NHL in its investigation of Marc Savard’s contract.

The league is looking into Savard’s contract after voiding one with a similar structure that went to Ilya Kovalchuk. The Devils had agreed to pay Kovalchuk $102 million over 17 years, with much of the money coming upfront. An arbitrator agreed that was meant to circumvent the salary cap.

Kovalchuk is back on the free agent market. It’s not clear what would happen if the league determines there’s a problem with the extension Savard signed last year. It pays him $28 million over seven years, with about $1 million of it in the last two years.

The league registered Savard’s contract in December but told the Bruins it would investigate. Boston general manager Peter Chiarelli says he met with league lawyers last week.

Report: D'Amigo leaving RPI

This would be a big loss for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Jerry D'Amigo was a beast during the WJC and one of the best freshmen in the ECAC. This is just another early departure and a big time loss for RPI and college hockey. According to Yahoo Sports D'Amigo could end up playing in the AHL for the Toronto Marlies or in the OHL with the Kitchener Rangers.

Yahoo! Sports is reporting that RPI forward Jerry D'Amigo will be signing a contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, possibly as early as Wednesday.

D'Amigo, a native of Binghamton, was a sixth-round pick in last year's NHL draft by the Leafs. If he signs, the Leafs could assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, or he could play for the Ontario Hockey League's Kitchener Rangers, who hold his junior hockey rights.

He was the ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year last season. [Parting Schotts]

Links to the Story

Adios D'Amigo: Leafs To Sign Prospect Jerry D'Amigo, Leaves RPI [Bleacher Report]

Leafs may sign U.S. junior star D’Amigo [TheRecord.com]

RPI's D'Amigo leaving RPI [Union Hockey Blog]

Just talked to . . . Jerry D'Amigo [Rangers Rap]

Andrew Ladd with the Stanley Cup

Check out this picture.

Kovalchuk a free agent after arbitrator ruling

The Kovalchuck drama continues after the arbitrator Richard Bloch ruled in favor of the NHL. It will be interesting to see how long this drama plays out and where Kovy ends up.

NHL.COM ---
Ilya Kovalchuk is once again an unrestricted free agent as systems arbitrator Richard Bloch has determined the NHL was within its legal right to reject the 17-year, $102 million contract Kovalchuk signed with the New Jersey Devils in July.

Bloch heard arguments from both the NHL and the NHL Players' Association, which filed a grievance on Kovalchuk's behalf, over two days in Boston last week. His decision came late Monday afternoon. As a result of Bloch's ruling, Kovalchuk immediately returns to unrestricted free agent status.

Upon announcing the contract was rejected, NHL Deputy Commissioner said the League would not approve it because it was a "circumvention of the Collective Bargaining Agreement."

The Devils can choose to re-work the contract in hopes of getting it approved, or Kovalchuk could look elsewhere.

Red Wings say Chris Chelios is going to work for the team

Chris Chelios finally decided to hang up his skates, think about this, Chelios played professional hockey well into his 40's, he played 7 games with the Atlanta Thrasher at age 48. That is impressive in my book, most guys that age are lucky to keep up in an old timers league game at the local rink.

DETROIT - Red Wings general manager Ken Holland says Chris Chelios is going to work for the team.

Holland said Saturday night that Chelios' new job doesn't have a title yet and his specific responsibilities haven't been determined.

The 48-year-old Chelios played for the Atlanta Thrashers last season. The defenseman helped Detroit and Montreal win the Stanley Cup, won the Norris Trophy three times as the NHL's top defenseman, and was an 11-time All-Star.

Leblanc's major-junior jump

First off I was surprised when I read that Louis Leblanc was going to play for Harvard last season. This kid has QMJHL written all over him.

Last summer, I was having a casual conversation with a high-ranking official within the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League when the subject of Louis Leblanc came up.

The Canadiens had recently selected Leblanc in the first round (18th overall) of the 2009 National Hockey League entry draft. The 6-foot, 178-pound centre from Pointe Claire had already announced he was headed for Harvard University to play NCAA hockey.

The QMJHL official, although obviously somewhat biased, thought Leblanc was making a mistake by not playing major-junior hockey.

"If the kid was going to go to Harvard for four years and get his degree, I'd say, great, go for it," he said. "But he's not. He's probably only going to play two years and then sign a pro contract and leave."

He added that by taking the NCAA route, Leblanc would jeopardize his chances of making Team Canada for the world junior championship, explaining that by the time the selection camp was held in December, Leblanc would only have played about 10 games with Harvard, while major-junior players would have played more than 30.

He also said that as a French-speaking first-round pick of the Canadiens there was no doubt the club would sign Leblanc to a contract. He added that if his hockey career didn't work out, Leblanc is a smart enough kid to get accepted into just about any university and would have the money to pay for a Harvard education once he hangs up his skates.

Basically, his thinking was that Leblanc's No. 1 priority right now should be hockey.

I was thinking about that conversation last weekend when Leblanc announced he was leaving Harvard after only one year, signing a three-year entry-level contract with the Canadiens that reportedly could be worth as much as $3.6 million U.S.

Leblanc played 31 games with Harvard last season, posting 11-12-23 totals, and failed to make Team Canada.

Leblanc will play this season with the QMJHL's Montreal Juniors and the spotlight will be shining very brightly on him. The Juniors will hold a press conference with Leblanc on Tuesday at a Crescent St. restaurant, which you can be sure will result in a media circus.[Read the whole story]

First off I want to preface this with I am not anti-CHL like some of my fellow college hockey bloggers are, personally I see the benefits of both leagues and the NCAA can’t expect to win over all of the blue chip American players. I also don't think it's productive and to constantly stoke the flames of discontent when it comes to the NCAA vs the CHL doesn't solve anything and you’re never going to change anyone’s mind anyways.

I never understood why this kid didn’t make team Canada during last years WJC as well. Leblanc is definitely the real deal. Also, former Fighting Sioux hockey player Jonathan Toews as well as a few other Canadian NCAA hockey players had managed to make the team Canada WJC roster while playing College Hockey in the USA. The question out there is who pressured Luis Leblanc to leave Harvard and sign with the QMJHL? Did someone convince him he wouldn’t be making the Canadian WJC if had stayed at Harvard?

UAA Seawolves sign David Hale's former dance partner.

I know it's a little late but I thought I might post this anyways. The UAA Seawolves signed former MSU Mankato forward Ryan McKelvie. Sioux fans will probably remember him more for his fight with former Sioux defenseman David Hale. The Sioux were down in the game and the fight between Hale and McKelvie rallied the Sioux players and helped them turned the game around, the Sioux went on to score 4 of the next 5 goals and rallied salvage a tie for the game.

UAA's announcement regarding McKelvie's hiring appears here.

A three-year captain for the Mavericks, the red-headed McKelvie was a hard-working, gritty performer who played both ends of the rink. And for those who have seen most of MSU's games the last couple of decades, it would be hard to disagree that his dust-up with North Dakota defenseman David Hale during the 2002-03 season was one of the best college tussles during that time.[Mav Blog]

I can imagine Ryan McKelvie who was known for his tough play more than his goal scoring will be a good addition to the Seawolves hockey club. UAA is a tough team to play against because they are big and get in the passing and shooting lanes and play more of a defensive style of hockey and I am sure his addition will only help. McKelvie was also an assistant coach at Bemidji State University.

Darby Hendrickson has options.

Check this out this little nugget that I found it over on Michael Russo's blog, it looks like former Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Gopher hockey player Darby Hendrickson could be doing color for Gopher hockey this winter on FSN if he wants the job. Interesting!

Russo note: If it’s the coach, I believe the vision is for this person to basically be around home practices and games. I think former Wild center Darby Hendrickson is the guy Richards really wants. But Hendrickson makes good money as a Northwest Division rep for the NHLPA and I'm told by multiple sources that he's been offered the Gophers' color job from Fox Sports North. Plus, he works for FSN as a Wild analyst. So Hendrickson has a lot of options to weigh through. But I'm sure Hendrickson would be very intrigued by a unique coaching opportunity with his hometown Wild. So we'll see where this goes with time.

While I like the job Doug Woog did with FSN, face it he was one of the faces of the Golden Gophers hockey, I do think it was his time to move on. I also think Hendrickson is a likable hockey personality and he probably won't be an in your face color guy but more of an analyst that explains the game to you. That being said, Hendrickson will always be one of them a Golden Gopher, one of the hated golden Rodents...

Sioux Hockey is king in ND... Can we all just get along?

I was bored so I thought I would add a few observations of my own. Being a UND fan in Football and Hockey, I do miss the old days of bantering back and forth with Bison fans before the Sioux football team slaughters the Bison in college football and then hoists another Nickel Trophy. The sad news is that rivalry hasn’t happened since 2004 the last year the Bison were a member of the now defunct NCC. The Bison AD wanted to play the Sioux but then AD Roger Thomas decided against it, I guess Thomas thought it was better to slaughter UM Crookston instead of playing a competitive and entertaining game against the Bison. In retrospect it was a bad move for UND not to schedule the Bison when they first started their transition to Division I. By not scheduling the Bison in football during their transition period the Sioux shot themselves in the foot.

UND follows NDSU

Now that the Sioux have started their own transition to Division I in all sports the two schools are looking into possibly playing every other season in football and are in the process of scheduling games in other sports. Eventually UND and NDSU will play in football possibly as conference foes. Contrary to what the Bison fans say on Bisonville aka Belligerent-ville, there is a slim - decent chance that the Missouri Valley Football Conference could accept the Fighting Sioux some day in the future. None the less the; the rivalry “with the other school” could resume on a bi-yearly or semi regular basis in the near future…

NDSU decided to transition to division I in all sports in 2004-2005 and left the Sioux in division II. Today; NDSU is a full fledged member of division I in all sports and are entering their third season in the Summit league and the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Late to the dance; UND has since decided to move up to Division I as well and are beginning year three of a five year process to transfer over to division I. UND is in the process of applying for membership in the Summit League in 2012 or 2013. UND’s application was slowed down because of the Fighting Sioux nickname battle.

Hockey is King

As the hockey season approaches UND hockey is getting ready to embark on another run towards the NCAA tourney and has a good shot at taking a run at winning another MacNaughton Cup, based on the roster that they have returning. From reading the drivel over at Belligerentville; Bison fans are hoping that their mediocre FCS team can finish .500 and in the middle of the Missouri Valley Football Conference; last season the NDSU Bison were an unimpressive 2-6 in conference play and 3-8 over all last season. In Basketball, the Bison men and women will embark on a chance to win an auto bid in the Summit League.

Being bored during the summer I decided to do some light reading of the posting and pontifications from Bison fans on their favorite message board Bisonville aka “Belligerentville.” After some thought, I have come to the realization that Bison fans are kind of like the fans of an unnamed WCHA SCSU hockey team; they have little bit of a Napoleon complex.

Whether Bison fans will admit it or not a fair number of their fan base does have program envy of the Fighting Sioux hockey. Every message board post that mentions UND hockey ends up being a moronathon about how Bison fans don’t like hockey or care about it and then they go on to mention about how awesome the Bison are in football and basketball. Just for the record the Summit League Conference is a mid major that is stuff full of unimpressive teams most of have never heard of or would recognize until recently. This is league is not to be confused with the Big Ten, ACC, WAC, PAC Ten, et. el.. When people talk about the WCHA people recognize the league and don't have much trouble with identifying the schools. Sure some of the schools are division II but who cares?

I always laugh when I read that fallacious comment about how Bison fans are not interested in hockey. If they are not interested about it why do they keep bringing it up? Someone forgot to tell that to the thousands of cars that are coming up from Fargo to watch Fighting Sioux hockey every weekend during the fall and winter when there is a home hockey game during the WCHA hockey season.

This past week some fan was commenting about how no one watches hockey and that it’s a niche sport. The comment is about as clueless as you can get and isn’t even close to being true. It sounds like some of the Bison fans need to get out of their mother’s basement; UND is ranked second nationally in attendance for division I hockey. If hockey is a niche sport, what do you call the attendance numbers for the Summit League Championship Men’s Division One Basketball. Here are the Summit League Conference basketball tourney - 6,285, 3122, 2033, 2854 attendance numbers. In comparison here are the attendance numbers for the WCHA Red Baron Final Five, 12544, 13113, 15292, 14170, 16414. I rest my case.

In conclusion; while I write this blog post with a hint of sarcasm and maybe with my tongue in cheek just a little, I do think there is some validity to the argument that the Fighting Sioux hockey team is king in North Dakota, and no other college sport marvels is Fighting Sioux hockey in the Flickertail state. I would probably stand by this comment that can be found on Bisionville.

Not necessarily, but I would expect them to be just a little bit more informed before they post something stupid about Sioux hockey. While it seems fashionable to make fun of UND Hockey, no sport that NDSU has will ever marvel Sioux hockey.

Making some stupid blanket ridiculous statement that no one watches UND hockey when it doesn’t take a genius/AG student to realize that more people attend Sioux hockey than any other sport in North Dakota.

So yeah college hockey is a big deal, one could make the comparison that Hockey is to UND like football is to say, Florida State University maybe. The WCHA would probably compare in significance to the SEC of football.

Let’s compare Bison football and Basketball, well, we know where they stand. The WCHA > the Summit. Look I can't wait till UND can start kicking NDSUck's ass in sports again, I miss watching the Bison get run over in football. Like the one guy said, 'have you seen the nickel trophy lately?'

I also think it's funny that an message board thread that is in a forum dedicated to smack talk, actually got closed/locked down, it would be interesting to see why they closed it? Must have been too much talking smack. That takes the cake. You can have sucks without NDSU...

Minnesota Wild sign ex-Wolverine John Madden.

This is a really good move by the Minnesota Wild,John Madden is one of the best defensive forwards in the game of hockey. According to Michael Russo, it is a one year deal that will pay John Madden 1 million with a possibility to make 250,000 more.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -The Minnesota Wild say they have agreed to terms with veteran center John Madden on a one-year contract.

Terms of the deal announced Friday were not disclosed.

The 37-year-old Madden has won three Stanley Cup titles in his career, including last season with the Chicago Blackhawks. He had 10 goals and 13 assists in 79 games for Chicago.

Adding depth at center behind captain Mikko Koivu has been a priority for the Wild for the last few seasons. The team had interest in Mike Modano, but he signed with Detroit. Koivu signed a seven-year, $47.25 million extension last month.

Madden has long been one of the top defensive forwards in the game and has made the playoffs in each of his 10 full years in the league.

Another reason to be positive - Chay Genoway's return...

Here is another reason to have a positive outlook for the 2010-2011 Fighting Sioux hockey season. Edit - If you haven't seen it; super pseudo reporter Patrick Miller from USCHO has an awesome article on Chay Genoway's recovery. Reading this this story makes me very happy that the captain Chay Genoway will be back on the ice when the puck drops in October. I would have to think that Chay is going to be one of the favorites/front runners for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.

Then, in the blink of an eye, it all changed. At Ralph Engelstad Arena in a game against St. Cloud State, an elbow from behind stapled Genoway’s head to the glass. It happened so fast that the officials at first threw the wrong Huskies player out of the game.

Eventually, SCSU center Aaron Marvin was assessed a major for checking from behind and a game misconduct. The WCHA later added a one-game suspension for the hit on Genoway.

“I never lost consciousness,” Genoway says. “I knew I had my bell rung. I’d had my bell rung before. It seemed a little different. I knew where I was and all that. It was one of those things. I knew I probably shouldn’t finish the game. I kind of had the idea that something was wrong. I had a headache.
----------(snip)----------
Genoway won’t discuss the medical details of his current status, and coaches are prohibited by federal law from disclosing such information. But he plans to be playing for North Dakota when the season begins in October, and he hopes his teammates give him the opportunity to captain the team again.

“Summer feels like it’s gone by fast, but not fast enough,” Genoway says. “I’m ready for October. It’s been too long.”[Read the whole story here]

I also can't wait for the first time SCSU and UND play this winter, mark it on your calender December 3rd and 4th Aaron Marvin and the SCSU Huskies travel to the Ralph Engelstad Arena to get beat by the Fighting Sioux.

The lastest on the Canadian's Sieve.

If Carey Price isn't careful he is going to be a goalie without a team. I don't know but it would appear that the Canadians don't value Price as much as he values himself. Personally, I would take Antti Niemi over Carey Price any day. As a Bruins fan I have never been impressed with Carey Price; I think he is over rated and I think that the Canadians let the better goalie Jaroslav Halak walk this spring.

TSN.CA Staff --- The Montreal Canadiens' contract negotiations with restricted free agent goaltender Carey Price are certainly going at a slower pace, but that does not mean the club is looking at other options in net.

Price's agent Gerry Johannson told the Montreal Gazette on Wednesday his understanding was that there was no truth to the rumours that the Habs could go after unrestricted free agent netminder Antti Niemi.

"(The two sides) are not necessarily close, but it's not that we're not close in a bad way," he explained to the Gazette's website Habs Inside/Out regarding a new contract. "We're having good conversations and we both are committed to getting things done."

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.
-----------------
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.