Rocco Grimaldi post draft interview...

I am excited that Rocco Grimaldi is going to be a member of the Fighting Sioux to start the 2011-2012 season. I think this highly skilled forward is going to be a great addition to the Fighting Sioux because Grimaldi is going to add much needed speed and skill to the Fighting Sioux line up... I predict that Grimaldi will be a top 6 forward that will play on the first or second line. I also like the fact that Rocco is going to have something to prove when he steps out on the ice as well. It will be nice to see a player like him on the Fighting Sioux side of the ice instead of watching a player of his skill dancing through our defenses scoring goals, Nathan Gerbe is a player that comes to mind.

Corey Hanlon; NESN ---- Rocco Grimaldi, selected by the Florida Panthers with the third pick in the second round of the 2011 NHL draft, stands at 5-foot-6 -- roughly the size of Zdeno Chara's leg. In a rebuilding franchise, Grimaldi could be making a big difference on the ice sooner rather than later and earn the title of shortest player in the league.

"It’s kind of annoying after a while, but it’s also kind of exciting to sit there not knowing what’s going to happen next," Grimaldi told Yahoo. "I still have to go out and prove people wrong, which I’ve done my whole life and I’m going to continue to do."

Grimaldi scored 34 goals in 50 games last season with the U.S. National Development team. He has committed to the University of North Dakota next year.

It's official John Hill out at UMN

Here is the official announcement. The word on the streets in the Twin Cities newspapers is that former Gophers assistant coach Mike Guentzel will take over for the now departed John Hill. Mike Guentzel was the assistant coach under Dean Blais for the UNO Mavericks last season. From looking at this from the outside this move smacks of desperation of a man trying to save his job, looks like Hill was the fall guy in this scenario.

Official Courtesy: University of Minnesota ----- University of Minnesota men's hockey coach Don Lucia announced today that assistant coach John Hill will not return for the 2011-12 season.
"I appreciate all the hard work John gave to Gopher Hockey," said Lucia. "I wish John nothing but success in the future and thank him for his commitment to Gopher Hockey."

Hill was a member of the Gopher coaching staff since 2005. He was also an assistant coach at Minnesota from 1999-2001 before serving as the head coach at his alma mater Alaska Anchorage from 2001-05.

A search for Hill's replacement will begin immediately.

While I am not really going out on a limb here, you can almost bet there will be more personnel changes in Rodenville if the not so Golden Gophers don’t make the NCAA tourney and Final Five… The unlikable John Hill was probably a scape goat.

Fighting Sioux forward and New York Rangers Draft Pick JT Miller.

s/t to Western College Hockey. Also, for the speculators and talking heads like Pierre McQuire that immediately said after J.T. Miller might be going to the Plymouth Whalers instead of the Fighting Sioux doesn't sound like it's going to happen.

Brad Schlossman; Grand Forks Herald ---- Miller, who conducted interviews with the New York media with Stafford watching from a distance, is a 6-foot-1, 198-pound power forward who finishes hits and goes to the net hard. He said he plans on bringing that game to UND this fall.

“I’d like to be a top guy that can be relied on to produce,” Miller said. “I’ll be a guy who works hard, just like the Sioux do. I’m excited to play there. It will be a great experience for me.”

I've had it with Pierre McQuire...

I can understand why a lot of American Division I College hockey fans don't like TSN hockey analyst/blow hard buffoon Pierre McQuire...  I am sure that many of them would love to reach through their television sets and strangle him or pop him in his bald fore head.

Almost as if on key; as future Fighting Sioux forward J.T. Miller was announced as the 15th over all draft pick of the New York Rangers; McQuire immediately mentions that Miller could go to the OHL and play for the Plymouth Whalers. How can a former Division I and III hockey coach come off as so anti-college hockey? My advice to TSN hockey analyst Pierre McQuire; would you please STFU, the University of North Dakota has historically produced many great NHL players and J.T. Miller would be no better off if he went and played against younger players in the OHL.

Related articles

• Rangers snag American-born center at No. 15 (nypost.com)
• Rangers Take American Forward J.T. Miller With 15th Pick (newyork.cbslocal.com)

Redwing77's Draft Roundup and perhaps other stuff

UND's Draftees:

JT Miller - 1st Round (15th Overall) - NY Rangers
Rocco Grimaldi - 2nd Round (33rd Overall) - Florida Panthers
Dillon Simpson - 4th Round (92nd Overall) - Edmonton Oilers

Not Drafted but Eligible:
Colton St. Clair

WCHA Draft Standings:

Minnesota - 5
UW - 4
DU - 4
UND - 3
UNO - 3
CC - 1
MTU -1

Draft Grades:

It's hard not to give Minnesota, UW, and DU high marks on the draft. They beat the field with numbers. Minnesota leads all NCAA schools with 5. UW and DU are tied with Miami and, incredibly, Harvard for second most.

Most of the drafted players in this year's NCAA crop were drafted in the 5th to 7th rounds, though it is only a slight majority. 28 NCAA players went in rounds 1-4 while 33 went in the 5th to 7th Rounds. The school that got the most top 3 round draft picks is Miami, with 3 of their 4 drafted players going in these rounds (2 were first rounders).

Overall, 75% of UND's draft eligible players (not counting the overagers, of which UND has 3) got drafted and all of them before the 5th round. Not bad. I thought Simpson would have gone higher, though. Perhaps Anaheim or even Winnipeg would've used their 3rd round picks on Dillon.

In any case, Colton St. Clair had a disappointing weekend, but that's alright. I hope he uses it as incentive to work hard. I'm sure he'll get invited to a prospect camp somewhere, maybe Winnipeg or Minnesota would give a regional player a look-see.

Miller's Status

It's widely published that JT Miller hasn't cast aside the Major Junior route (Plymouth of the OHL owns his rights). I would say there is a higher than average chance that Miller reports. The chance would be higher if the trifecta of evil (Moncton of the QMJHL, Red Deer of the WHL, or London of the OHL) owned Miller's rights. It's hard to say what Rangers GM Glen Sather will want JT to do. I don't know which camp he sits in, be it Pro-NCAA (such as Lamoriello of the Devils) or Pro-MJ (Yzerman of TB Lightning... or if any of the Sutters are still GMing), but here's my prediction:

I predict Miller attends UND in the fall. After his freshman season, however, all bets are off. He has stated that he wants to give UND a shot for a year and reevaluate after his freshman season. Because of the financial freedom the OHL has over the NCAA, it's going to be hard to ignore. We're just lucky Miller's rights aren't owned by a more aggressive OHL team.

NHL Draft Coverage --- Live chat

I am just watching the Draft on TV come join me if you want. Comments are welcome from all...

Here the pick-by-pick break down of the first round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

1  EDM Ryan Nugent-Hopkins C CA 6' 0" 171 WHL Red Deer
2 COL Gabriel Landeskog LW SE 6' 1" 204 OHL Kitchener 
3 FLA Jonathan Huberdeau C CA 6' 1" 171 QMJHL Saint John 
4 NJD Adam Larsson D SE 6' 3" 197 SWEDEN Skelleftea 
5 NYI Ryan Strome C CA 6' 0" 177 OHL Niagara 
6 OTT Mika Zibanejad C SE 6' 2" 195 SWEDEN Djurgarden 
7 WPG Mark Scheifele C CA 6' 2" 184 OHL Barrie
8 PHI Sean Couturier C US 6' 3" 197 QMJHL Drummondville 
9 BOS Dougie Hamilton D CA 6' 5" 193 OHL Niagara
10 MIN Jonas Brodin D SE 6' 1" 166 SWEDEN Farjestad 
11 COL Duncan Siemens D CA 6' 3" 196 WHL Saskatoon 
12 CAR Ryan Murphy D CA 5' 11" 170 OHL Kitchener 
13 CGY Sven Baertschi LW CH 5' 10" 181 WHL Portland 
14 DAL Jamieson Oleksiak D CA/US  6' 7" 241 Northeastern University
15 NYR Jonathan Miller C US 6' 1" 189 USHL USA U-18/UND
16 BUF Joel Armia RW FI 6' 3" 192 FINLAND Assat 
17 MTL Nathan Beulieu D CA 6' 1" 179 QMJHL Saint John
18 CHI Mark McNeill C CA 6' 1" 211 WHL Prince Albert 
19 EDM Oscar Klefdom D SE 6' 3" 204 SWEDEN Farjestad 
20 PHX Connor Murphy D US 6' 3" 190 USHL USA U-18
21 OTT Stefan Noesen RW US 6' 0" 187 OHL Plymouth 
22 TOR Tyler Biggs BIGGS RW US 6' 2" 205 USHL USA U-18
23 PIT Joesph Morrow D CA 6' 0" 199 WHL Portland 
24 OTT Matt Puempel LW CA 6' 0" 198 OHL Peterborough 
25 TOR Stuart Percy D CA 6' 1" 187 OHL Mississauga St. Michael's 
26 CHI Phillip Danault LW CA 6' 0" 181 QMJHL Victoriaville 
27 TBL Vladislav Namestnikov C RU 5' 11" 171 OHL London 
28 MIN Zack Phillips S C CA 6' 0" 175 QMJHL Saint John
29 VAN Nicklas Jensen LW/RW DK 6' 2" 202 OHL Oshawa 
30 ANA Rickard Rakell RW SE 6' 0" 199 OHL Plymouth

There were two major trades tonight...

The Minnesota Wild traded their top defenseman Brent Burns and second-round pick next year to the San Jose Sharks for Devin Setoguchi and the 2010 first-round pick Charlie Coyle and their first-round pick this year (No. 28).

Also, the Washington Capitals acquired forward Troy Brouwer via trade from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a first-round pick.

John Hill out at UMN - Mike Guentzel back in at UMN.

There is some surprising news surfacing down in Rodentville. It would appear that the powers that be at the University of Minnesota have finally seen enough of John Hill’s antics; I am surprised Hill stayed on as long as he did. Seriously folks when Mike Guentzel left the University of Minnesota after the 2007 – 2008 season, I was shocked that the Gophers parted ways with a great coach like Guentzel and kept John Hill.

Jeff Oftos of Gopher Puck Live is reporting that Minnesota Golden Gopher assistant hockey coach John Hill is out as assistant coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers and former Minnesota Assistant hockey coach Mike Guentzel is back in for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. I have found in the past that Gopher Puck Live is in tune and spot on in most of their predictions and stories so I have no reason to doubt it.

Had anyone out there predicted this scenario unfolding?

While no official announcement has been made, several sources, including @hammyhockey and @quickfacts via Twitter have reported a somewhat surprising change on the Gopher hockey staff. It appears as though Coach John Hill will not return for the 2011 – 2012 season, and a familiar face will be back in.

The first piece of this news is not surprising. For at least a couple of seasons now, there have been a lot of rumblings about what effectiveness Coach Hill was having on the team. Due to the theories that there was nobody on staff with any true defensive coaching experience, the team was losing some players early to the pro ranks and even losing out on some higher profile recruits, Coach Hill took the brunt of the blame not directly fired at Lucia.


Mike Guentzel In?
The surprise is coming in the return of former Gopher defenseman, captain and (long-time) assistant coach Mike Guentzel. Rumored to have been let-go by Coach Lucia after the 2007 – 2008 season, most figured the only way Guentzel would have returned was either as a head coach or with a different head coach/staff altogether.

Long known for his loyalty to the ‘M’, Guentzel, of course, the staunch assistant coach from 1994 – 2008 returns to, assumingly, take the reigns of a defense that has struggled in one aspect or another from time to time since he left. Be it puck movement on the power play, or tying up defenders in front of their own net, this is an area that should improve now that Guentzel is back.

First I want to preface this with; I don’t know John Hill nor do I have any idea what kind of person John Hill is in person, however, in what I have witnessed as a fan in his role as assistant coach of the University of Minnesota, John Hill comes off as a half cocked buffoon, or as a guy that has one caught in the chamber, especially when he is being interviewed during the Sioux and Gopher series. A few seasons a go when the Gophers were playing the Fighting Sioux, Hill made some puzzling statements on how he hated the Fighting Sioux hockey team. Not something you would expect an assistant coach to say.

To on lookers out side of the UMN hockey program; the fact that Mike Guentzel left the Gophers and John Hill got to stay was a puzzling move to many that I have talked to… I can also remember Johnny Pohl telling Paul Allen on KFAN 1130 that losing assistant coach Mike Guentzel was a major loss for the Gopher hockey program.

Looking back at the results of the last three season, it’s apparent that the loss of Mike Guentzel was a major loss for the Golden Gophers hockey program, the Gophers defense has looked like a bunch of orange road cones or pylons since; as the opposition teams have pretty much skated around the Gophers like a hot knife going through butter. Since Guentzel left the Gopher hockey team the have been mediocre at best going an unimpressive 51-46-15 missing the Final Five the last two years and the NCAA tourney the last three seasons in a row.

Winnipeg Expected to announce 'Jets' name before draft pick...

Image via WikipediaTSN.CA is reporting that the Winnipeg team will now be called the Jets. I believe that this is the right move, nice to see the Jets back in Winnipeg, Manitoba where they belong. Claude Noel has also been name head coach of the Winnipeg Jets, Noel was the head coach of the Manitoba Moose.

It looks like the Winnipeg Jets are cleared for landing.

The team, which is expected to officially announce their name before making the 7th overall pick in tonight's NHL Entry Draft, is reportedly going to go with the very popular Jets nickname.

You can watch the Draft live on TSN, TSN.ca and TSN Mobile TV tonight at 7pm et/4pm pt. Make sure to check out TSN.ca for a live hockey blog with TSN Analyst Craig Button, beginning at 6:30 pm et/3:30 pm pt.

After an explosive Thursday that watched big name players get moved, Friday could be just as volatile as the NHL Entry Draft goes tonight in Minnesota.

Boston Bruins spend $156,679.74 on bar tab...

Wow! Check out these mind blowing numbers from the Boston Bruins Stanley Cup champion party that was held at Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. I mean the common person can’t even phantom spending money like this, the numbers are mind blowing, can you imagine spending and then drinking a $100,000.00 bottle of champagne, nor can I imagine a 24,000.00 tip to the bar maid. Hey, I don't blame them for blowing off steam one bit.

Steve Silva, Boston.com --- When all was said and done, the Black and Gold racked up a four-hour bar tab that according to Shrine totaled $156,679.74, and included the now-famous $100,000.00 bottle of Ace of Spades "Midas" champagne, which was a gift according to Bruins players Shawn Thornton and Zdeno Chara.

The tab also lists a built-in tip of $24,869.80 for Danielle (the server whose name is on top of the tab below), which we imagine she had to split up with a few other servers at Shrine.

Related articles

• Cup champion Bruins party like bears, run up $157K bar tab (windsorstar.com)
• Boston Bruins x MGM Foxwoods ... just partying like champions... (theoriginalwinger.com)
• Bruins: Play Hard, Party Harder (bostonist.com)

Bruins set up to repeat?

Locker Smash

In looking at the Boston Bruins roster for next season, one could make the argument that the Boston Bruins are set up to make another run at the Stanley Cup... The Boston Bruins are going to have most of their team back from this past season. Also, unlike the Chicago Blackhawks the Boston Bruins don’t “salary cap” issues. There will not be a fire sale to start the season off.

Scott Cullen; TSN --- After winning their first Stanley Cup since 1972, the Boston Bruins don't need a whole lot more good news, but they have some nevertheless.

Off-Season Game Plan looks at the Bruins' roster and what GM Peter Chiarelli might do to give the Bruins a shot at back-to-back titles.

The good news for the Bruins, unlike the 2010-champion Chicago Blackhawks, is that the Bruins are in a favourable financial position with respect to the salary cap.

Through Chiarelli's savvy, the Bruins should not only have the room to bring back any or all of the players from their championship team, they should still have the wherewithal to address some needs.

Of course, coming off a Stanley Cup win, it's not like the Bruins have massive holes to fill.

They could use more skilled offensive players, whether on the wing or on defence, in the hopes that might help fix a power play that was an albatross down the stretch and throughout the playoffs. It's almost unbelievable that the Bruins could win the Stanley Cup tournament while struggling for so long with the man advantage, yet that actually happened.

A factor that is already in the Bruins' favour is that they have room for internal improvement, with young players like Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin the most likely to play more significant roles going forward

Bismarck Tribune - Drop the 'Fighting Sioux'

Image via WikipediaThe Bismarck Tribune editorial board came out with this stance on the Fighting Sioux logo. Can't say that I was shocked by their response, seems to be popular to pile on now.

I want to address one point in this editorial; you don't just pick "a new nickname and logo," the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo has been part of UND's history for 80+ years you can't just go Willy Nilly and pick a new nickname and logo without putting some serious thought into the process.  This is how you end up with a really stupid replacement nickname and logo.

Bismarck Tribune - Robert Kelley, University of North Dakota president, said Monday it's time for the school to drop the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.

He is right.

But here's the big question. Does he have the wherewithal to get the job done? We think he does, we support his efforts and we wish him success.

Personal preference to keep or drop those two words and image - Fighting Sioux - pales in comparison with what is best for UND students. The protracted controversy from polarized camps has gone on far too long. Damage has been done. More will follow. But it shouldn't be hard to weigh the options.

Pick a new nickname and logo, deal with some angst for an undetermined period of time and create an atmosphere ultimately conducive to university and student athletic success.

Continue use of the nickname and logo, deal with everlasting angst from the NCAA, and create an atmosphere that severely impacts the university and student athletic success.

Forget about "who" makes the decision. It's time to put egos aside and do the right thing - and UND President Kelley should be the point man.

It's time for Native Americans in support of the name and logo to defer to their brothers and sisters who have been, and are, offended by what they believe to be a hostile environment. Indians can lead by continuing a long tradition of love, understanding and service to one another, by focusing on the greater good.

It's time for arrogant legislators to stop controlling and micro-managing. They are not leading by continuing to ask for meetings with the NCAA to defend their silly and defiant actions, pomp-and-circumstance votes commanding continued use of the nickname and logo.

It's time for those legislators to show leadership by admitting their mistake and committing to lightening the heavy burden they wrongfully placed on UND and its students - and November's special redistricting session isn't soon enough.

It's time for the Board of Higher Education to lead by backing President Kelley, at whatever cost, at restarting the transition process that had begun, making it possible to move past the nickname and logo conflict.

And, it's time for the NCAA, and Big Sky Conference, to acknowledge those efforts by then showing leadership by welcoming and helping UND move forward to university and student athletic success.

Consider what is best for students and it isn't an ongoing controversy over a nickname.

Now is the time for leadership - not showmanship.

NHL realignment for the 2012-13 season

Image via WikipediaWith the Atlanta Thrashers moving to Winnipeg Manitoba, it appears that the Detroit Redwings will be moving to the Eastern Conference like many of the hockey pundits had suggested. I also like the idea of having a home-and-home against teams outside their division.

Bruce Garrioch ,Ottawa Sun - The NHL could be ready to make drastic changes with a major realignment for the 2012-13 season.

Two league executives told QMI Agency Wednesday that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman presented a proposal during Tuesday’s board of governors meetings in New York to scrap the current format used by the league.

Sources say under Bettman’s proposal, the league will have four divisions: Pacific, Midwest, East and South. It’s believed the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets would both get their wish to move to the East conference.

Changes need to be made with the Atlanta Thrashers’ move to Winnipeg now official. The two conferences and six divisions will be kept this year, but Bettman is pushing for a major change.

The realignment is by no means final. It’s still in the discussion stages.

Teams would play a balanced 82-game schedule with home-and-home against teams outside their division.

The top four teams in each division would make the playoffs. The first round would be divisonal play, the teams would then re-seed for conference play. Bettman’s idea would not affect a East-West Stanley Cup final matchup.

Winnipeg NHL team to play Les Habitants to open 2011- 2012 season

Image by Jordon via FlickrThe Winnipeg NHL team _________ ( the what-evers) are going to open with Les Habitants on Sunday, October 9th at 4 p.m. at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Go ________...

ST. PAUL, MINN. - Break out the tuxedos folks, the Montreal Canadiens will serve as the first regular-season opponent for Winnipeg’s new NHL franchise.

Although the full NHL schedule will be released on Thursday afternoon, True North confirmed Wednesday evening that they’ll host the fabled Habs on Sunday, Oct. 9 at 4 p.m. at the MTS Centre in a game that will serve as the season and home opener for Winnipeg.

“To be honest, I could care less about who we’re playing,” Winnipeg captain Andrew Ladd said in a text message. “It’s going to be more about the first game back in Winnipeg and how crazy the fans will be!”

Manitobans will get a double dose of scheduling pleasure on Thursday.

In the morning, the preseason schedule for Winnipeg’s NHL team will be unveiled.

Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff revealed on Wednesday that Winnipeg has simply picked up the preseason schedule the Atlanta Thrashers planned to play.

Winnipeg will play seven preseason tilts, three at home, three on the road and one neutral site game against the Ottawa Senators on Sept. 26 in Conception Bay South in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Having a game in the same province as their American Hockey League affiliate is a bonus.

“It was very fortuitous that the exhibition schedule for Atlanta already had a game already scheduled out there,” said Cheveldayoff. “For us, it’s great. It’s an exciting time for the fans of Newfoundland to really get to see a lot of players that could be there way, but certainly a lot of players who will be in Winnipeg as well.”

That game against the Senators will be part of the Kraft Hockeyville promotion

Related articles

• True North and MTS Allstream agree on 10-year naming rights deal for MTS Centre in Winnipeg (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)
• NHL To Vote On Winnipeg Relocation Of Atlanta Thrashers Tuesday (sbnation.com)
• Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff prepares staff for first NHL draft (thehockeynews.com)
• NHL approves Atlanta sale to Winnipeg (cbc.ca)

Former Sioux Toews on Vancouver riots: 'I kind of expected that'

Web Pro News

This was just too good to not pass on. Former Fighting Sioux star and current Blackhawk forward Jonathan Toews wasn't surprised by the Rioting in Vancouver. Seriously, I can't say that I am all that shocked either; especially after there was a riot in the city of Vancouver after the Vancouver Canucks lost in 1994 Stanley Cup Finals to the New York Rangers. What a bunch of morons, they tore up their city after the lost in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Chris Kuc; Tribune reporter --- After getting up close and personal with Canucks fans the past three seasons, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews wasn't surprised at the rioting in Vancouver after Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Shortly after the Canucks fell to the Bruins last week to give Boston its first Stanley Cup since 1972, the British Columbia city erupted in violence, causing multiple injuries and extensive damage.

"I kind of expected that," said Toews, who was scheduled to leave Chicago on Tuesday to head to Las Vegas for the NHL Awards. "Those fans are crazy. When we beat them the last couple of years they were throwing stuff on the ice. They're crazy fans and obviously passionate about their team. I kind of expected a reaction one way or another."

NHL Awards 2011

The 2010-2011 NHL hockey season is officially over after the NHL awards were handed out in Las Vegas. Two Boston Bruins won awards, no surprise to anyone that Tim Thomas won his second Vezina Trophy in three seasons. Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara won the Messier Award. Former Fighting Sioux forward Jonathan Toews finished second in the voting for the Selke Trophy. I do have a question; how's Peter Chiarelli General Manager of the Boston Bruins not a Candidate for the GM award?

Norris (Outstanding Defenseman): Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings

Art Ross (Regular-Season Scoring Leader): Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

Mark Messier Leadership Award: Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins

Selke (Outstanding Defensive Forward): Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks

Jack Adams (Coach of the Year): Dan Bylsma, Pittsburgh Penguins

Calder (Top Rookie): Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes

Jennings (Fewest Goals Allowed): Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider, Vancouver Canucks

General Manager: Mike Gillis, Vancouver Canucks

Rocket Richard (Most Regular-Season Goals): Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

Ted Lindsay (MVP as Voted by Players): Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks

Masterton (Perseverance and Dedication to Hockey): Ian Laperriere, Philadelphia Flyers

King Clancy (Leadership and Humanitarian Contributions): Doug Weight, New York Islanders

Lady Byng (Skillful and Gentlemanly Play): Martin St. Louis, Tampa Bay Lightning

Vezina (Top Goaltender): Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins

Hart (MVP): Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

HOCKEY: ‘A real, living Paul Bunyan’

Image via WikipediaFighting Sioux beat writer Brad Schlossman has an awesome article on former Bemidji Lumber Jack star George Pelawa. I had the pleasure of meeting George when I moved to Bemidji, Minnesota in 1984.

I transferred my senior year of high school from International Falls, Minnesota to Bemidji, Minnesota, where I met George Pelawa who was also playing football for the Bemidji Lumber Jacks. I can tell you everything that they said about George Pelawa was true, George was an amazing athlete, and an awesome person, I don't think that you could meet a nicer guy and I can't ever remember anyone ever saying anything negative about him.

Brad Elliott Schlossman, Grand Forks Herald --- George Pelawa was 6 feet, 4 inches and about 240 pounds.

“The biggest hockey player I ever saw,” UND associate coach Cary Eades said. “He was a real, living Paul Bunyan.”

He could skate, puck-handle, shoot and hit, too.

The rare skill set made the Bemidji native one of the most coveted players that northern Minnesota has ever seen.

Eades recalls rejoicing in the Sioux hockey office 25 years ago when Pelawa committed to UND, then watching the power forward dominate at the 1986 state hockey tournament.

Three months later, the Calgary Flames selected Pelawa in the first round with the No. 16 overall pick. At the time, no Minnesota-born forward had ever been drafted higher.

“He had the total package,” said Eades, an assistant coach who helped recruit Pelawa. “The sky was the limit for him. There was an unbelievable amount of potential for him. . . just never realized.”

A week after moving into the dorms at UND, Pelawa was killed in a car accident just north of Bemidji.

An estimated 2,000 people attended the funeral at the high school auditorium.

Among those in attendance: UND head coach Gino Gasparini, U.S. Olympic head coach Dave Peterson, Miracle on Ice coach Herb Brooks and Calgary Flames general manager Cliff Fletcher, whose son Chuck will make the home state team’s draft pick Friday night in Xcel Energy Center as the general manager of the Minnesota Wild.

Pelawa’s parents, Frank and Winnie, are considering making the trip to St. Paul for the event. It will certainly conjure up many memories of the guy who was affectionately known as “Big George.”

Board of Governors approves changes to two rules

Associated Press

There were two changes to the NHL  rule book;  Rule 48 which covers hits to the head and Rule 41 which covers the penalty for boarding. Some in the past have complained that Rule 48 is too vague and confusing. Now the rule has been changed, to take away the confusion and vagueness, now it doesn't matter hat direction a player comes from to hit an opposition player in the head. On the boarding rule tweak; it now doesn't matter if you check or push a defenseless player into the boards.

Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer   ---- The NHL's Board of Governors on Tuesday approved changes to the wording of Rule 48 that were initially passed by the League's general managers and then the Competition Committee at meetings in Boston during the Stanley Cup Final.

Rule 48 previously provided the on-ice officials with the ability to call a major penalty for any targeted head hit from the lateral or blind side, but the re-written rule no longer includes the words lateral or blind side, and the major penalty provision has been replaced by the minor penalty provision.

"Now, the confusion some of the players have expressed in the past as to what direction they're approaching a player, what direction a player is facing, east, west, north, south, that has all been taken out," said Brendan Shanahan, NHL Senior V.P. of Player Safety and Hockey Operations. "Anywhere on the ice, coming from any direction, you target the head and make it a principle point of contact, you'll be subject to a two-minute penalty on the ice for Rule 48. You'll also be -- as with all two-minute penalties or non-calls -- subject to supplementary discipline."

In addition, Rule 41, which covers boarding, was also changed to read, "A boarding penalty shall be imposed on any player who checks or pushes a defenseless opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to hit or impact the boards violently or dangerously."

The words "pushes" and "defenseless" were previously not included in the definition of the boarding rule. Defenseless replaced the word vulnerable.

"What we did is we took the onus off the violence of the hit itself and added the word 'push' in there," Shanahan said. "It really has more to do with the violence in the collision with the boards. We don't necessarily think it has to be a violent hit to cause a violent crash, so we broadened the rule by putting in the word 'push.' "

Related articles

• NHL Competition Committee Approves Expansion Of Rule 48 (sbnation.com)
• NHL's competition committee to recommend changes to Rule 48 (theglobeandmail.com)
• NHL's competition committee to recommend changes to head hitting rule (thehockeynews.com)
• Winnipeg NHL approval vote on tap in New York (cbc.ca)

It's official Thrashers to Winnipeg

Illegal Curve

The NHL will officially will now only be about 150 miles from Grand Forks, ND. I believe one reader told me I was out of touch and delusional if I thought that the NHL would make it's return to Winnipeg, Manitoba. I guess I wasn't delusional after all. The vote to move the Thrashers to Winnipeg was unanimous as well. For all of you're Jets news visit the Illegal Curve blog.

NEW YORK (AP) —Don Waddell has been through it all with the Atlanta Thrashers since they entered the NHL in 1999.

From general manager to coach to team president, Waddell endured the ups and downs—mostly downs—as the franchise struggled on and off the ice.

After 13 years and only one playoff appearance that produced no wins, Tuesday was the day for Waddell and Atlanta to finally say goodbye to its second hockey team.

The NHL board of governors unanimously approved the sale and relocation of the Thrashers to Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Tuesday, clearing the final big hurdle in the process.

“We’ve been through the emotions and the frustrations the last few weeks, but when I look back and being there 13 years, it’s been a great run,” said Waddell, who served as general manager from the start until the 2009-10 season. “Since ’98 when I got hired, there are only four general managers that are currently with their teams.

“You’ve got to look at the positives. To be able to stay in one place for so long, it’s been tremendous for me.”

The same can’t be said of the team that once featured star players such as Dany Heatley(notes) and Ilya Kovalchuk(notes) and Marian Hossa(notes), but couldn’t keep them for one reason or another.

True North Sports and Entertainment bought the team last month and announced it was bringing the Thrashers to Winnipeg, which lost the Jets to Phoenix after the 1995-96 season.

“Obviously, everybody is sorry and distressed and unhappy that we found ourselves in the circumstance where our franchise was leaving Atlanta,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “We’re particularly sorry for the fans that are there, but obviously based on the reception that we’ve gotten, everybody is extremely excited about the opportunities in Winnipeg for our return.”

NCAA Ice hockey panel clarifies rules

Image via WikipediaThis was tweeted over on twitter. The NCAA Ice Hockey Committee looked to clarify the rule regarding head shots. It’s good that the NCAA is going to look at this rule more closely. I do see one problem with this clarification though; it’s going to take more legal hitting out of the college hockey game. This could in essence take a lot of the open ice hits out of the game of college hockey, I would be willing to bet we will see shoulder to shoulder contact penalized.

Ty Halpin; NCAA.org ---- The committee did approve several items of guidance for officials to build on the successful implementation of its rules for contact to the head.

“Progress was certainly made this season,” said Ed McLaughlin, athletics director at Niagara University and chair of the committee. “We are adding some additional guidance to support what is already in our rules in the hope that players, coaches and officials can better understand expectations with this rule.”

In some cases, officials were hesitant to enforce the contact to the head because they were unsure if a player had clearly “targeted” an opponent. The committee reinforced that targeting is not a prerequisite for this rule to be used.

Added to the examples of the type of play the committee hopes to remove are players who are reckless, players who are about to receive a pass and direct contact to the head or neck area from any direction. This additional guidance joins several other bullet points already printed in the rules book.

The committee also points the hockey community to language that already appears in the rules book: “A player delivering a check to an unsuspecting and vulnerable player puts themselves in jeopardy of being penalized under this rule.”

“We believe our rule is the most robust and aggressive in ice hockey,” McLaughlin said. “What we saw this year was a good start. We’re trying to take any doubt out of this call and help officials who have only one game-speed view of a play to determine how to officiate this play. We realize this is a big penalty and a serious one, but this approach has worked with hitting from behind and we believe it will work here to adjust player behavior.”

Also from the NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Comittee, elbellishmet is also going to be another area of emphasis, I applaud that decision, “Diving and embellishment erode the integrity of our game and must be eliminated.” I say right on! Hockey in North America is starting to look like European Soccer with all of the diving, if you think I am off the mark, go back and re-watch the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs again, there was so much diving in the games that the refs got to a point where they couldn’t tell if a player was diving or not and many times failed to call a penalty. Also, not to points fingers but the players of Garrett Roe and Jacob Cepis' ilk, you're on notice, the refs are going to be watching you… Diving is ruining hockey of all levels. Seriously, real hockey players aren't frauds and they don't dive.

Embellishment/diving

In addition to the contact to the head and general emphasis on player safety, the committee received feedback from the coaching community that embellishment/diving seems to be a growing issue. The committee voted to make this a point of emphasis for the upcoming season and plans to include several video examples during preseason clinics.

“Diving and embellishment erode the integrity of our game and must be eliminated,” McLaughlin said. “Trying to deceive officials is unethical and unsporting. This has to be a collaborative effort to make progress.”

The committee decided to provide guidance regarding obstruction along the boards, where the defensive tactic of pressing and releasing an opponent should be allowed, but impeding is not. Again, additional video examples will be used to encourage consistent application of these rules.

Finally, the group points attention again to rules that deal with facewashing, which typically occurs after a stoppage in play. Continued and stringent enforcement of these rules is needed to improve the image of the game.

In case you’re one of the ten people that hasn’t seen it, here is the official press release from the NC$$ on the Fighting Sioux nickname. As you can see the NCAA is not budging and they will probably not change their mind.

NCAA statement on North Dakota mascot issueThe NCAA’s Native American mascot policy remains in effect, and we stand ready to assist the University of North Dakota with its implementation of the policy.

The Big Sky Conference’s position related to the university's Fighting Sioux nickname and logo is consistent with the spirit and intent of the settlement agreement the NCAA reached with the university to retire the nickname and logo.

We have made clear to both the conference and the university that the NCAA has no intention of changing its position.

If the University of North Dakota continues to use the nickname and logo past the August 15 deadline due to state law, it will be subject to the parameters of the policy. This means the university could not host any championships or use the nickname and logo at any championship events.

If you have read this blog for any length of time you will know that I am a big time supporter of the Fighting Sioux nickname. In the future, I plan on getting a Fighting Sioux logo permanently tattooed to my body… It’s the opinion of this writer that the University of North Dakota will never be able to replace this great logo with anything remotely cool. I also believe that we are destined to replace the Fighting Sioux logo with some stupid moniker that will be in essence a capitulation to the people that were offended by the Fighting Sioux logo and nickname.

Moving forward, I also don’t have any faith in the current president of the University of North Dakota, President Robert Kelley is part of the problem, he is a hand wringing liberal elite from the University of Berkley in California who wants to shove his political correctness and beliefs down our throat. That being said I do believe this is the end of the Fighting Sioux nickname, I see no way that it stays past this season.

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• NCAA: No change in policy against Indian nicknames (cbssports.com)

No joke, North Dakota should go with Suhaki

Bloggin with Scroggin

I am going to say no thank you... I have seen this blog post a few times, yeah, I know it's an old article it was written back in January.  I haven't really said much about this subject but I think this is a horrible idea in my opinion. None-the-less, I am sure with the recent revelations this past week this idea will be thrown around again by some to see if it sticks to the wall. It would work for hockey but it's not really user friendly for the rest of UND's programs.

Bloggin with Scroggin --- know this movement started as a humorous nonviolent protest, but seriously, I think North Dakota has something here.

Suhak. It’s a central Asian hoofed mammal (similar to an antelope) whose Wikipedia entry you have to translate from Polish.

And the plural form is Suhaki (pronounced “Sioux Hockey”).

Let me catch you up. The Cal Poly football team has been playing North Dakota since the Fighting Sioux joined the Great West Conference for the past couple of years. The teams will play again in 2011 and will continue to be conference mates when both make the switch to the Big Sky in 2012.

The past two times the Mustangs played North Dakota, the team was known as the Fighting Sioux. The next time, it’ll simply be North Dakota. The lack of a nickname going forward is the result of a years-long battle between the university and the NCAA, which has deemed Fighting Sioux offensive enough to threaten North Dakota with a postseason ban for continued use.

When it couldn’t get enough support from the two local Sioux tribes in the state, North Dakota decided to drop the name and will be going without a mascot for at least one year.

As someone who has annual contact with North Dakota, I’ve had the Sioux nickname conversation with others a few times, and I haven’t heard any good ideas for a substitute mascot — until this week.

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• NCAA: No change in policy against Indian nicknames (cbssports.com)

Is there a double standard?

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeBruce Dowbiggen from the Globe and Mail has a head scratcher of an article in Sunday's Globe and Mail sports page.

First off  I don't understand why "we need expunge the media images from one of the nastiest Stanley Cup finals in recent memory." I found the Stanley Cup finals to be very entertaining in my opinion an instant classic and the Stanley Cup Finals got pretty decent T.V. rating as well in the USA. What did the media  expect when two teams play each other for 7 games, there are going to be some hurt feelings. It's a shame the two teams don't play more. The Stanley Cup Finals were awesome; the riot in the streets of Vancouver after game 7 not so much.

Second we still have people in Canada more specifically from Montreal, that are still whining about Canadians' punk P.K. Subban being picked on. The problem I see with Subban; while a great NHL talent he is a show boat but he is also a diver as well. In my opinion, Subban would be an awesome Vancouver Canuck the way he embellishes and flails on the ice when he is tapped. It has nothing to do with his ethnic back ground I believe that many people just don't like his antics. Again there are some in hockey that are turning a great sport into European soccer with their embellishment and antics.

NEGATIVE IMAGES

As the NHL hands out its awards in Las Vegas Tuesday, it’ll be looking to expunge the media images from one of the nastiest Stanley Cup finals in recent memory. Most depressing was the image of thousands of young men in Vancouver who seem to have mistaken a riot for a South Park episode. The other was the sight of Boston Bruins rookie Brad Marchand using the head of Hart Trophy finalist Daniel Sedin as a speed bag – to the approval of hockey’s blood culture.

The league can’t do much for the street rioting but it could do something about the latter. Imagine an NBA rookie speed-bagging Dirk Nowitzki’s head going into a timeout or a first-year NFL player hitting Tom Brady in the head repeatedly after the play. What do you think the response would be from those leagues? They’d hammer the kid.

But the NHL stands by as useless as a Vancouver city cop watching his cruiser burn. Better yet, media types – some of whom piously decry fighting – blame Sedin for bruising Marchand’s knuckles and tell Vancouver to wise up and get some tough guys. Hope all the parents with kids in hockey are following this.

DOUBLE STANDARD

One final thought on rookie Marchand: How come when he abuses a superstar he’s applauded by Hockey Night in Canada and the media as a savvy kid who gets under the skin to win. But when Montreal Canadiens rookie P.K. Subban did the same, we were told by the same voices that he was a punk with no respect who needed to be taken down a notch? Is it because Marchand is a Bruin, a sacred squad on Hockey Night, because Sedin is a European or because Marchand is white while Subban is black, or all of the above. Take all the time you need to answer.

Is there a double standard when it comes to P.K. Subban? I don't believe so. What do you think?

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UND's Kelley: Time to change nickname, logo, 'move beyond' issue

Image via WikipediaI have two questions for University of Fighting Sioux sports fans; is UND president Dr. Robert Kelley a puppet of the NCAA? In looking at the events surrounding the Big Sky's announcement that the Fighting Sioux nickname could be a problem, it's just seems a little fishy to me... My next question is did Dr. Kelley pressure the Big Sky Conference to  come out against UND's use of the Fighting Sioux nickname? 

Herald Staff; Grand Forks Herald --- Kelley, speaking via telephone on KFGO Radio's "News and Views" program, says he believes the North Dakota Legislature should use a planned November special session for legislative redistricting to also reconsider its new law mandating the Sioux nickname and logo, KFGO's website reported. The law is set to take effect in mid-August.

"You know, I think the events of the last few days clearly show that, as we move out more and more onto a national stage, both through the NCAA Division I (and) as we work with other universities out-of-state in Big Sky conferencing, very clearly we have to listen to their concerns," Kelley said on the air. He was responding to program host Joel Heitkamp's question about whether the president believes the nickname has to change.

"So, yes," Kelley continued, "I'm going to come right out and say that it's time now for us to move beyond the name and logo issue for the success of the university and for the success of our student athletes."

UND and state leaders are going ahead with plans to meet with the NCAA this summer, possibly in late July, even though the NCAA last week restated it has "no intention of changing its position" about ending the UND's Sioux nickname and logo. Sanctions will apply if the name and logo are in use after Aug. 15," as required in a settlement

Kelley said then he was "not surprised" by the NCAA's statement because that organization has been consistent on its position.

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• NCAA: No change in policy against Indian nicknames (cbssports.com)
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An illustration of what is wrong with Canucks fans... Tin Foil Hats...

Image via WikipediaI found this comment by a Canucks' fan on Puck Daddy and it's too good to not share... I have seen comments like this all over "the Internet" on all kinds of sites both on hockey blogs and on line newspapers; there are actually people out there that really think that the NHL refs were against the Vancouver Canucks and wanted the Boston Bruins to win the Stanley Cup... I mean seriously this is tin foil hat stuff.

Everyone thinks of the Burrows biting incident but there were much more after the whistle incident committed by Boston.....eg sucker punching Burrows, Marchand hitting face punching Sedin several times in front of the ref..no call? it is usually called.

It was clear that the refs and NHL was routing for Boston to win the cup...no doubt in my mind. Why? I don't know but may have been due to Burrows-Auje incident a long time ago. But also, Rome hits a guy down who can't play for the rest of the playoffs and he is suspended while Mason Raymond can't play until next November and Boychuk getting a pat on the shoulder? Not to mention.....everyone condemns Rome because he put someone out of the playoffs but what about Chara's hit on Pacrioetty that ends regular season, playoffs and some of next season and he gets nothing.. Give me a break!!!

The NHL clearly favors American teams. No doubt in my mind....for a simple reason. The Canadian economy can only sustain 4-5 teams whereas the American can sustain a league of 30-40 teams. So in order to generate interest, you need that American excitement.....helps Bettman to keep his job too. If No NHL, No job for Bettman. Do you know his salary is 6-7 million per year? Yeah, if I were in his shoes, I would find ways to promote the NHL to make money....that's my job..

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Can you imagine if the Bruins had traded Tim Thomas?

Imagine if the Boston Bruins had traded Tim Thomas to the Philadelphia Flyers or the Washington Capitals? I don't think they would have made it out of the first series against the Montreal Canadians. Going back to last season I can remember a lot of fans wanting to get rid of Tim Thomas who ended up getting hip surgery in the off-season and returned to his Vezina Trophy winning form of 2008-2009.

Tim Thomas of old 

Tim Thomas came back like gang busters during the 2010-2011 regular season posting a record breaking 2.00 GAA and .938 Save percentage and a 35-11-9 record. Tim Thomas was even more impressive in the post season racking up an impressive 1.98 GAA  and a .940 save percentage with a 16-9 record in 25 playoff games. Thomas retook the starting job away from the younger Tuukka Rask 2.67 GAA and .918 save percentage and a regular season record 11-14-2. I think Thomas proved the Nay Sayers wrong by proving that he could still play at a high level. I can't even phantom what would have happened to the Boston Bruins had Thomas been traded.

Joe Haggerty; CSNNE.COM ---- The B’s goalie was great from his first appearance of the regular season, and broke through with an epic postseason performance after never finding the secret sauce during his previous Game 7 experiences.

A .940 save percentage, a 1.98 goals against average, four shutouts, and a 16-9 overall record following a Vezina Trophy-winning season mean that years from now people will refer to 2010-11 as “The Year of Tim Thomas.”

But it almost didn’t happen that way for Boston, or for the goalie that went into training camp with a snow white set of goalie pads and a white mask free of all Bruins logos that revealed a few hard feelings headed into the season.

That can happen when a player is dangled on the trade market as a necessary evil due to salary cap issues, and it pushed Thomas into “prove people wrong” mode headed into this year. That’s always a good place for Thomas to be once he’d gotten over the initial vexation at being involved in trade whispers.

Chiarelli admitted on Friday morning he’d taken phone calls about Tim Thomas, and sources indicated then to CSNNE.com that the most seriously interested parties were Washington and Philadelphia. The Bruins and Flyers had casually discussed a deal involving Thomas to the Flyers while the goalie was recovering from hip surgery after losing his playoff starting role to a younger goaltending model in Tuukka Rask.

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Break down of the Canucks injuries

Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis went through the litany of injuries that the Vancouver Canucks suffered through during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Dan Hamhuis abdominal injury, Mason Raymond broken back, Alex Edler two broken fingers, Kevin Bieksa bruised MCL, Ryan Kesler hip injury, Chris Higgins foot injury, Christian Ehrhoff shoulder injury, Henrik Sedin back injury, Mikael Samuelsson operation on an abdominal tear and Manny Malhotra eye injury and hadn't skated in a 6-7 weeks after his surgery because of treatment.

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The Sedin twins; No cup for Vancouver

Man Certified

This one doesn't require a lot of discussion; in my opinion the Vancouver Canucks were the most unlikable team in Stanley Cup history, next to the Montreal Canadians. People thought I was crazy when I told told people that the Vancouver Canucks were not going to run away with the Stanley Cup, we had people saying that the Canucks were going to win in four or five games. Yeah how did that work out for you?

Also, I thought it was funny that while the hockey pundits,  self congratulatory bloggers and self described experts were all but handing the Canucks the Stanley Cup to them before they had even played a game in the series... The chatter became even louder after the Bruins went down two games to zero in the series these same people said the series is was all but over. Moving forward, I wonder how these experts feel today after once anointing the Vancouver Canucks the Champions and scheduling their victory parade... Instead the city of Vancouver is cleaning up after the riots and Roberto Luongo is consulting with a sports psychologist.