Oshie finishes his checks. Oshie and Nash II...

Props to Sean Leahy of puck daddy and Tim Oshie for sending me the two video clips of T.J. Oshie's monster hits on Blue Jackets star Rick Nash this past weekend. I was watching the game in question this afternoon and the Columbus announcers were really getting under my skin. Seriously, I don't see an elbow anywhere in that hit. The FSN Ohio homers are almost as bad as the guys from the Ducks. That is called finishing a check. I hate to admit it but after watching the blue a few times this season I have to concede that they are a team on the rise. I like watching teams that former Sioux hockey players play on but I can not under any circumstances cheer for New Jersey, Chicago but I could cheer for Saint Louis.

2009 Miracle On Ice.

All week long we heard comments from pundits, experts other teams fans that said BSU didn't belong in the NCAA tourney. Hum! I read where some moron said that BSU kept Minnesota out of the NCAA tourney. Yep they did and they are going to the Frozen Four. They also kept Cornell and Notre Dame out of the Frozen Four in D.C.

BSU got no respect

Last week while I was out walking the my dog I was listening to podcast from a college hockey web page I won't mention (let me give you a hint they start with INCH). You could almost hear the contempt and snickers from one hockey writer on the podcast he said BSU had no chance to wining their regional. Won't even be close. I believe this is the same Hockey East writer that said UNH had no chance of winning a game in their regional. That would make a nice charity event in Durham, NH. We could witness a mass apology to a UNH fan base and have a fundraiser all at the same time.

There is a reason they play the games nothing in life is a given, just ask the Sioux, Pioneers, Big Red and Wolverines. Since the 2006 regional anything is possible. I was there in person when I saw Holy Cross take down a number one seed in Minnesota. Yeah! Your damn right I cheered. I am still smiling. All it takes is one bounce, one penalty, one shot and your season is over. There are no second chances like the NHL where you play seven game series. In a one and done tourney anything is possible and you have to expect the unexpected, you can never disrespect your opponent or over look them.

Did I expect the Beavers to be here? Not really but you can't doubt a team coach by Tom Seratorre he is a first class coach and I believe that he is worthy of the Spencer Penrose Award. Seratorre is one of those coaches that can get a lot out of his players. Also, the Scofield, Read, Francis is as good as any line you will see in college hockey. I still believe to this day that BSU gave the Sioux more of a fight than the Gophers when the Sioux pounded them in Grand Forks in January.

BSU a program built on pride This pretty much sums up their program very well.

It was the first NCAA tournament win in Division I, although the Bemidji State program has a long history in other classifications.

"We're the winningest program in college hockey, and that does carry over," Serratore said. "Our players are very proud."

But Bemidji State accomplished this amid a cloud of uncertainty over its future, and perhaps this win takes on higher meaning as a result. The CHA will disband after next year, and next season's automatic NCAA bid is in question. Where Bemidji State will land after that, if anywhere, is up in the air.

"I hope we'll get our automatic bid next year. It would be a travesty if we didn't," Serratore said. "Our kids and our programs have done nothing to put ourselves in that situation. I hope the powers that be recognize that and give us one more year of an automatic bid."

Clearly, Bemidji State has shown it belongs. (read the rest of the article here)

That does bring up another question for the NCAA. Will you give the CHA one more autobid? It is the right thing to do. Time to man up NCAA and let the CHA have one more year of an auto bid. It gives their teams something to play for. Two of the four remaining have a home a 2010-2011. BSU and UAH are in the process of applying for membership in a major conference.

DU's Bozek and BU Gilroy draw attention.

I saw this over on DG's blog I was really impressed with Matt Gilroy during yesterday's game with tOSU, being in the West I have not had much of a chance to watch him play. Holy Cow! Matt Gilroy is everything the pundits have said and more. Tyler Bozak is the complete forward that plays both ends of the ice. I am hoping the Bruins offer him a contract he would fit will in Claude Julien's defensive system.

The Denver Pioneers are among the NCAA's early casualties as the top seeded team in the regional west bracket lost to Miami 4-2 on Friday and were eliminated from the tournament.

Denver's loss will spark frenzy this week in the NHL as league managers attempt to persuade highly touted Pioneers forward Tyler Bozak to sign his first pro contract.

All six Canadian NHL teams have significant interest in the 23 year old Regina, Saskatchewan native and his advisor, Wade Arnott of Newport Sports Management tells TSN there is a good chance Bozak will agree to terms and sign with an NHL team this week.

However, interest in Bozak is extensive with as many as 25 teams believed to be poised to make their pitch.

In the meantime, Hobey Baker finalist Matt Gilroy will also draw a lot of NHL attention this weekend.

Gilroy's B.U Terriers will face Ohio State on Saturday and if the Buckeyes can keep the trend of upsets in tact, Gilroy will join Bozak as the most sought after college free agents.

Gilroy is a 24 year old defenseman who because of his age qualifies for unrestricted free agency, while Bozak's first NHL contract will include all entry level restrictions. (link to the story)

TJ Oshie Hit On Rick Nash

Check out this video of T.J. Oshie's hit on Rick Nash. T.J. Oshie didn't score any points but his impact was felt. That homer announcer is dead wrong Nash is on the ice and is fair game. There is no written law you can't check a teams superstar legally. I am also sick and tired of hockey players wanting to fight after someone who lays a legal hit on one of their teamates. It is part of the game. Inicendtly Oshie scored the Blues first game in today's game.

Kind of what we thought the Sioux were banged up.

Brad Elliott Schlossman confirmed what Scotty D and I talked about a recent game Vandy had a shoulder injury you could see it on the ice if you watched him close enough. Some of the other guys injuries were new.

•Usually after the season is over we start to hear about injuries that guys were playing with. Coach Dave Hakstol didn't want to say anything about them, saying that every team plays with injuries and it's part of the game. But I was able to get a few things from others: Chris VandeVelde has been playing with a separated shoulder for three weeks. Joe Finley has been playing with a separated shoulder for even longer. Brett Hextall has been playing with a broken foot for over a month. Evan Trupp has an injury other than his shoulder. And there could be more. I don't think there will be any questioning of this team's "heart."

EDIT: NO where in this article is it written that I have blamed yesterday's loss on injuries. Hockey is a team game and all must being doing their assignments if they are to be successful.

Beavers dance to the Midwest regional finals.

Bemdji State did what UND, Michigan, DU, OSU, Yale, Northeastern, Notre Dame couldn't do, they won their first game in their regional. What was even more amazing was that BSU was the four seed playing one odds on favorites to go to the final game of the Frozen Four. In fact the so called experts at INCH suggested that Notre Dame and BU just play 7 games and they would decide the championship in a best of 7 games series. Yeah how did that prediction work out for you.

The Bemidji State Beavers would not be denied and BSU shot that pontifications of the pundits all to hell. The Beavers had a plan and were never behind in this game nor did the Irish ever really challenge the Beavers either. The Beavers came in a the absolute under dog and whopped the number one seeds ass for three periods, it wasn't the kind of game where a less talented team scores a couple of goals then hangs on. THhe Beavers scored, attacked and counter attacked.

Today's match up was your basic David versus Goliath if you believe the pundits, no one game them a chance at all...

INCH --- SUNDAY STORYLINE

Did you hear the one about the Catholic hockey team that played on a Sunday? No? Well, you’re about to. Notre Dame should get past a Bemidji State team that has fared reasonably well against a collection of non-conference foes from the WCHA this season, but the Beavers haven’t seen anyone like the Irish. The Cornell-Northeastern match up, while it may not yield many goals, is intriguing in the sense that the two teams are awfully similar in many ways. With two of the country’s better goalies in tow, this game may break on which team converts on the few golden opportunities it’ll get.

Notre Dame’s versatility is quite remarkable. You’d think a team with the skill of the Fighting Irish would loathe playing against one like Cornell or Northeastern, clubs that prefer to proceed at a more controlled pace, but Notre Dame is quite adept at grinding out wins. The odds of either the Big Red or the Huskies bouncing the Irish in regional final aren’t very good, but the blueprint for upsetting Notre Dame has at its core a Herculean effort from either Ben Scrivens or Brad Thiessen.

So I guess the hockey writers will have to re-write the script. The Beavers are one game from going to the Frozen Four and the favorites are going home.

I also don't want to hear another person tell me that BSU doesn't belong in the tourney or that they took a bid away from a more deserving team. The Beavers took one of the top teams in the country on for 60 minutes and whooped that ass. I also don't want to hear anyone tell me that the AHA is better. What BSU did was more impressive than AFA beating Michigan. Lastly, why would I pump the tires of BSU Hockey? I attended BSU for two years and was a football player on the 1992 squad. I have a Beaver tattooed to my right calf. Yeah! I bleed green and white (Beavers and Sioux).

UMD and Princeton video.

They should call this the game that no one saw. The game was on ESPNU and a lot of cable providers don't have this channel in their line up. Props to Sean Leahy of Puck Daddy for providing a nice write up on how the first days number one seeds went crumbling down. Now you can add a two seed North Dakota to the list of high seeds that went crumbling down.

I hope UMD can finish the run to the Frozen Four because it would get a WCHA team to the Frozen Four if they win today and maybe get some of the UMD fans off their coach's tail. I have read a lot of stuff on line on how UMD fans were not happy with Sandelin and how they wanted a coaching change. UMD is the last team standing in the WCHA. Scott Sandelin is a great coach and his team grit and determination has showed the last few weeks.

To cap off an eventful first day, the game of night was certainly between Minnesota-Duluth and Princeton. Down two goals with under a minute remaining in their season, Minnesota-Duluth scored twice, with 39 seconds left and then tied things up with just 0.8 seconds remaining to force overtime. In the extra frame, Mike Connolly scored 13:39 into overtime to lift the Bulldogs to the West Regional final against Miami of Ohio tonight.

UNH 6 UND 5

The first thing that came to mind was haven't we seen this before? (probably not if you have midco.net) Last night UMD scored two goals in 39 seconds to win the game against Princeton. Today the Wildcast scored two goals in almost the same time frame (45 seconds).

Holding leads late in the game has usually been one of the Fighting Sioux's strong points, however, today defensively the Fighting Sioux looked like bunch of green road cones. This game was a tough pill to swallow and I hope the Sioux players that return let it burn in hard in their memory and motivate them to play better. Today's loss should remind them they can't take a shift off for a moment, or your season can end. The goaltending was great for most of the year but it was god awful today, next season Aaron Dell an all star in the AJHL will probably challenge Eidsness for playing time and push him to be better. Brad Eidsness (24-12-4)gaa 2.55 and 9.06 save percentage was a freshman goalie this season and played well and he will be better next season.

Our bread in butter usually is our defense and our defense failed to take away UNH's space and it ended up costing them at the end of the third period and in the over time. Sioux also didn't have an answer for Jerry Pollastrone who assisted on botht he game tying and game winning goal, I have to tip my hat to that kid because he was simply amazing. For the Sioux Jason Gregoire and Brad Malone gave us a glimsp of the future as they were the stars of the game in the losing effort.

Eight Men out

I am going to have to say that this senior class was the epitome of hard work and determination and I am going to miss them. Career over for Finely, Walski, Duncan, Jones, Watkins, Miller, Martens and Kozek, thanks for the memories. Now we sit and wait and wonder who from the underclassmen will decide to take the next step and sign a professional contract. You would have think that Chris VandeVelde and Genoway are going to be flight risks and the ones that could recieve some interest.

(BOX SCORE)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st Period (20:00)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NDK-1 Matt Watkins (2-Hooking) UNH 1x1 2:03
UNH 1 - 0 6x5 PP Mike Sislo (19) (James van Riemsdyk, Jamie Fritsch) 2:34
UNH: 19,21,2,11,5,G29 NDK: 2,16,17,5,G31
NDK 1 - 1 6x6 Jason Gregoire (12) (unassisted) 3:34
NDK (+): 17,26,16,2,5,G31 UNH (-): 17,5,28,10,22,G29
NDK-2 Ryan Duncan (2-Slashing) UNH 1x2 4:54
UNH-1 Thomas Fortney (2-Hooking) NDK 0x1 8:11
UNH-2 Greg Collins (2-Tripping) NDK 0x2 9:40
UNH-3 Blake Kessel (2-HITTING AFTER WHISTLE) 12:17
NDK-3 Matt Watkins (2-HITTING AFTER WHISTLE) 12:17
NDK 2 - 1 5x5 Brad Malone (5) (Andrew Kozek) 13:55
NDK (+): 22,10,6,25,G31 UNH (-): 2,8,9,24,G29
NDK-4 Brad Malone (2-Boarding) UNH 1x3 16:32

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

UNH-4 Phil DeSimone (2-High-Sticking) NDK 0x3 2:16
NDK-5 Brad Miller (2-Cross-Checking) UNH 1x4 2:39
UNH 2 - 2 5x5 Jerry Pollastrone (6) (Kevin Kapstad) 4:08
UNH (+): 11,5,4,9,G29 NDK (-): 29,21,5,2,G31
UNH 3 - 2 6x6 Peter LeBlanc (13) (Greg Collins, Bobby Butler) 7:21
UNH (+): 9,8,12,28,5,G29 NDK (-): 9,19,8,25,6,G31
NDK 3 - 3 6x6 Ryan Duncan (20) (Brett Hextall, Jason Gregoire) 9:47
NDK (+): 16,26,17,5,2,G31 UNH (-): 5,11,21,19,28,G29
UNH-5 Damon Kipp (2-O-INTERFERENCE) NDK 0x4 11:08
NDK 4 - 3 6x6 Evan Trupp (8) (Brad Malone, Matt Frattin) 17:06
NDK (+): 19,22,21,25,6,G31 UNH (-): 9,18,16,24,20,G29
NDK-6 Darcy Zajac (2-Boarding) UNH 1x5 17:20

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

NDK 5 - 3 6x6 Chris VandeVelde (17) (Matt Frattin) 9:08
NDK (+): 29,21,22,2,5,G31 UNH (-): 11,12,8,4,2,G29
UNH 4 - 5 6x6 Greg Collins (8) (Damon Kipp, Thomas Fortney) 11:00
UNH (+): 8,4,17,2,9,G29 NDK (-): 2,5,29,22,21,G31
Timeout - New Hampshire 18:48
UNH 5 - 5 6x6 EA Thomas Fortney (3) (Jerry Pollastrone, Mike Sislo) 19:59
UNH (+): 9,17,11,21,19,5 NDK (-): 29,2,16,5,20,G31

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overtime (0:45)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UNH 6 - 5 6x6 GW LL Peter LeBlanc (14) (Jerry Pollastrone, Mike Sislo) 0:45
UNH (+): 9,11,19,21,5,G29 NDK (-): 5,2,22,21,29,G31

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

Watkins will play.

Brad Elliott Schlossman has the lines up and Matt Watkins is going to play.
UND's lines

17 Jason Gregoire--16 Ryan Duncan--26 Brett Hextall
22 Brad Malone--29 Chris VandeVelde--21 Matt Frattin
20 Matt Watkins--11 Darcy Zajac--10 Andrew Kozek
19 Evan Trupp--9 Mario Lamoureux--8 Ryan Martens

2 Joe Finley--5 Chay Genoway
6 Zach Jones--25 Jake Marto
24 Ben Blood--14 Brad Miller

31 Brad Eidsness
30 Aaron Walski

New Hampshire's lines

11 Jerry Pollastrone--21 James vanRiemsdyk--19 Mike Sislo
8 Greg Collins--9 Peter LeBlanc--12 Bobby Butler
16 Greg Manz--39 Phil DeSimone--20 Paul Thompson
10 Alan Thompson--17 Thomas Fortney--22 Steve Moses

5 Kevin Kapstad--28 Blake Kessel
2 Jamie Fritsch--4 Damon Kipp
18 Nick Krates--24 Matt Campanale

29 Brian Foster
30 Matt DiGirolamo

Whos next? Early Departures.

Denver University season ended with a 4-2 loss to the Miami Red Hawks. Honestly I have to say that was a little shocked about the result because of all the fire power that DU has up front. As the Pioneers season ends the next question is who will DU lose to the NHL? The Pioneers have a few awesome players on their roster and their NHL teams might come calling and sign them.

DU hockey beat writer Mike Chambers touches on this subject a bit in his latest blog post. Just a hunch but Tyler Bozak is probably gone, Bozak is going to be one of the most sought after undrafted free agents and someone is going to offer him a contract to play on their team. Next, you have to wonder about Patrick Wiercioch that kid is really an awesome defensive player that has impressed me everytime I have watched him play. Lastly, you have to wonder what the Bruins are going to do with Joe Colborne, who happens to be a draft pick of my favorite team. I think he would look really good with a spoked B on his chest.

- We’re going to miss Tyler Bozak. He’s out the past 21 games but leads the Pios with a goal and a helper, both on the power play. I talked to Tyler about his looming decision, but it’s just not newsworthy stuff. No matter what he says about the possibility of coming back, you just know this 23-year-old is ready for the next level.

– Patrick Wiercioch. I think it’s 50-50 for the freshman defenseman. I spoke to him and his thoughts are in the main story. I’ve heard Ottawa is wooing him, so if he stays he might have to go against the Sens’ wishes.

– Joe Colborne. I also talked to the freshman wing about this, as well as his dad a couple weeks ago, and I think he’s 90-10 in favor of staying. He made huge progress this year and knows he could be a NCAA big-timer as a sophomore. Plus, I’m sure the Bruins are pleased with his development so for under Gwoz.

Silly Season continues, Bachman gone.

The WCHA continues it's trend of being raided by the NHL as the Colorado College Tigers lost their sophomore goaltender Richard Bachman who signed a professional contract with the Dallas Stars. For the Tigers this is a major loss because Bachman was one of the better goaltenders in the WCHA. This departure wasn't as shocking as others because of the play of Marty Turco in net for the Dallas Stars.

FRISCO, Tex. – The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has signed goaltender Richard Bachman to a three-year entry-level contract. Bachman recently wrapped up a two-year career at Colorado College, and will forego his final two seasons of eligibility with the Tigers.


Richard Bachman
“Richard had an outstanding, highly-decorated career at Colorado College, and he’s ready to take the next step into the professional ranks,” said Dallas Stars Co-General Manager Les Jackson. “He has an outstanding set of fundamentals and a very bright future ahead of him, and we look forward to his continued development in our organization.”

Bachman, 21, appeared in 35 games for Colorado College as a sophomore in 2008-09, posting a 14-11-10 record with a .914 save percentage, a 2.63 goals-against-average and three shutouts.

As a freshman in 2007-08, the Salt Lake City native was named the National Rookie of the Year by the HCA (Hockey Commissioner’s Association) and Inside College Hockey magazine, and became just the second player ever to be named WCHA Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the same season. The 5-11, 170-pound goaltender also earned First Team West All-America and First Team All-WCHA honors, and was named to College Hockey News' All-Rookie Team.

Early departures in the WCHA (6)

Alaska-Anchorage (1)
Paul Crowder, jr, forward, N.Y. Rangers

Colorado College (2)
Brian Connelly, jr, defenseman, Chicago Blackhawks
Richard Bachman, so, goaltender, Dallas Stars

Minnesota (1)
Ryan Stoa, jr, forward, Colorado Avalanche

MSU-Mankato (1)
Trevor Bruess, jr, forward, Washington Capitals

Wisconsin (1)
Jamie McBain, jr, defenseman, Carolina Hurricanes

Latest Hockey Show.

Check out the latest version of the hockey show, the Mayor of Bemidji Richard Lehmann was on with Moose and Scott and Lehmann sounds like a Mayor that really knows his college hockey. Also, Moose interviewed the coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and he sounded like a really good interview.
(Click here for the Hockey Show) If you have an iPod and want to listen on iTunes (click here).

Air Force Holy Crosses Michigan

Holy Cow! I honestly can't believe it. Cue the hot goalie cliche'. Air Force just beat Michigan 2-0. Michigan put a lot of rubber on Andrew Volkening and he didn't let anything go by. That just busted everyone's brackets. Nice to see the kid from Grand Forks, ND Jacques Lamoureux score the goal for the Falcons.

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

AFA-1 Josh Frider (2-CTH ELBOWING) MIC 0x1 3:32
AFA-2 Greg Flynn (2-Cross-Checking) MIC 0x2 4:13
MIC-1 Luke Glendening (2-Tripping) AFA 0x1 7:02
MIC-2 Brian Lebler (2-Charging) AFA 0x2 9:42
MIC-3 Travis Turnbull (2-Hooking) AFA 1x3 13:33
AFA 1 - 0 6x5 PP GW LL Derrick Burnett (8) (Jeff Hajner, Greg Flynn) 15:18
AFA: 17,26,23,12,4,G1 MIC: 23,6,5,29,G35
AFA-3 Brad Sellers (2-Slashing) MIC 0x3 15:55
MIC-4 Matt Rust (2-Slashing) AFA 1x4 19:17

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

MIC-5 Travis Turnbull (2-Charging) AFA 1x5 2:01
AFA-4 Josh Frider (2-Interference) MIC 0x4 3:51
AFA 2 - 0 6x6 Jacques Lamoureux (33) (Matt Fairchild, Greg Flynn) 7:02
AFA (+): 21,12,23,19,25,G1 MIC (-): 26,22,17,19,34,G35
AFA-5 Greg Flynn (2-Slashing) 13:21
MIC-6 David Wohlberg (2-Diving) 13:21
AFA-6 Scott Kozlak (2-Holding) MIC 0x5 15:09
AFA-7 Sean Bertsch (2-High-Sticking) MIC 0x6 19:53

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

AFA-8 Greg Flynn (2-O-INTERFERENCE) MIC 0x7 2:08
MIC-7 Carl Hagelin (2-Holding) AFA 1x6 13:58
Timeout - Air Force 17:24

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

Check out this Oshie site.

One thing cool about statscounter.com is that you can tell who has visited your
blog and this site popped up. Check it out T.J Osie love.

Kessel out for the weekend.

Bruins forward Phil Kessel is out of the line up with weekend as he has an undisclosed injury. If we find out what the injury is we will let you know.

Winger Phil Kessel will miss a weekend road swing with an undisclosed injury, said coach Claude Julien after today's practice.

Kessel stands to miss that games against Toronto (tomorrow) and Philadelphia (Sunday). In keeping with the club's close-to-the-vest policy regarding injuries, Julien did not offer any details.

Oshie show Alex O how its done.

First thing that comes to mind is how would he look in a Fighting Sioux jersey this season? Oh my God! That was an amazing goal. Note to Alex Ovechkin, notice the subdued celebration, there wasn't any show boating or hot sticks. The General Manager for the St Louis Blues John Davison is looking like a genius right now. Maybe Wild general manager Doug Risebrough could take note on how a real general manager gets it done. While the Blues draft players like Oshie and Perron the Wild GM drafts players /stiffs like Benoit Pouliot, Colton Gillies and James Sheppard.

St. Louis future looks very bright and they some Great young players; T.J. Oshie, David Backes, Brad Boyes, David Perron, Patrik Berglund, I think they are going to be one of the favorites next season in the NHL. Also, the sky is the limit for the Blues because most of these kids are just coming onto the scene.

“O-SHIE! O-SHIE! O-SHIE!”
The chant was loud and clear, and deservedly so.

As if two big hits and ferocious penalty killing wasn’t enough on Thursday, Blues’ rookie T.J. Oshie captivated the crowd and stole the show with a goal that even Alex Ovechkin could admire.

With his team trailing the Vancouver Canucks by a goal early in the second period, Oshie took a pass from David Perron and danced around veteran defenseman Mattias Ohlund. Then, holding onto the puck, he drew goaltender Roberto Loungo out of position before burying a shot into the open net to even the score.

If there was ever a formula to send a sell-out crowd into a screaming frenzy, this was it.

“I just really wanted to get that,” Oshie said.

“He holds on, holds on, holds on, steps through two veteran defenseman and gets one of the best goalies down and out,” said Blues forward David Backes, who was given the impossible task by the media of trying to describe a goal that no words could describe. “Unbelievable goal by him, gets all the guys going.”
(Read the whole story here)

It's official Stoa signs.

The silly season is upon us. This is the time of the year when college hockey fans have to sit on pins and needles hoping that their favorite player doesn't sign a professional contract and leave their favorite college hockey team. It's now official Stoa signed with the AV's. I suppose Brett Hextall won't have to worry about Stoa cross checking him in the back of the head anymore.

Ryan Stoa, who led the Gophers in scoring this season, has given up his final year of eligibility to sign with the NHL's Colorado Avalanche.

"When the year began I knew this was a possibility if he had a good season," Minnesota coach Don Lucia said. "He was ready physically and mentally for the pros."

Stoa, 6-3, 217 pounds, led the WCHA in scoring in conference games and was the team's captain. He had 19 goals and 17 assists for 36 points in WCHA play, and 24 goals and 22 assists overall.
-------------(snip)--------------
"You don't replace a guy like Ryan Stoa," said Lucia, whose team's streak of eight consecutive trips of NCAA tournament appearances was snapped this year. "Other players will have to step up and improve their play. There is no reason somebody can't go from eight to 12 goals or from five to 10. We will do it by committee. We should have a pretty balanced team next season."

Here is the latest count. While Bachman isn't official yet I can't see him turning down the money.
Early departures in the WCHA (6)

Alaska-Anchorage (1)
Paul Crowder, jr, forward

Colorado College (1)
Brian Connelly, jr, defenseman
Richard Bachman So, goalie

Minnesota (1)
Ryan Stoa, jr, forward

MSU-Mankato (1)
Trevor Bruess, jr, forward

Wisconsin (1)
Jamie McBain, jr, defenseman

Stoa gone.

Charley Walters “aka Shooter” is reporting that Minnesota forward Ryan Stoa is going to sign a professional contract with the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL. Personally, I can’t fault Ryan Stoa for signing a contract because he came back for a fourth year after sitting out his junior year with a knee injury and has probably accomplished everything he can at the collegiate level. Now we can still look at him as the villain because he will be playing for the hated Avalanche. This probably shouldn't come a surprise to anyone.

As expected, Gophers junior forward Ryan Stoa has agreed to a contract with the Colorado Avalanche, for two years, and won't be returning to the University of Minnesota hockey team for his senior season.

The deal is worth the maximum $850,000 per season as allowed by the league's labor agreement if he plays in the NHL. If Stoa plays in the minor leagues, he'll be paid the maximum $65,000 per season.

Stoa, who is from Bloomington, was on his way this morning to Denver, where he'll take a physical and return home Saturday.

Stoa, a junior who is a senior academically but sat out one season after knee surgery, is the first underclassman to leave the Gophers this season.

"It was his decision," Ryan's dad, Kevin, told Pioneer Press beat reporter Bruce Brothers. "It just went my so fast, we hardly had time to blink."

The Gophers have lost a number of top underclassmen to the pros in recent years, including Blake Wheeler, Erik Johnson, Kyle Okposo, Alex Goligoski, Danny Irmen, Ryan Potulny and Phil Kessel.

"I've always said, you have to be physically ready and mentally ready, and I think he is," Gophers coach Don Lucia told Brothers, likening Stoa's signing to Wheeler's last summer after his junior season.

Stoa led the Gophers in goals (24) and points (46) this season.

Bruce Brothers contributed to this report.

Early departures; Bachman a Star?

You have to wonder if this is going to be a long off season for underclassmen departures. Looks like you can add Bachman to the list. I don't think anyone should be shocked by this early departure because Marty Turco has kind of stunk it up down in Dallas.

Bachman close to signing: Stars goalie prospect Richard Bachman is close to agreeing to terms on a standard three-year rookie contract. The 21-year-old Bachman was taken 120th overall in the 2006 entry draft and has spent the last two seasons at Colorado College.

He went 25-9-1 with a 1.95 GAA and was named a first-team All-Star for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association last season. This year, he played in front of a less experienced team and went 14-11-10 with a 2.63 GAA.

If Bachman signs, he will forego the final two years of college eligibility and will probably play in the AHL or the ECHL next season.

So if we are keeping score I suppose we can go ahead and update the list. Here is what we have so far as early departures.
Early departures in the WCHA (5)

Alaska-Anchorage (1)
Paul Crowder, jr, forward

Colorado College (2)
Brian Connelly, jr, defenseman
Richard Bachman So, goaltender

MSU-Mankato (1)
Trevor Bruess, jr, forward

Wisconsin (1)
Jamie McBain, jr, defenseman

NCAA Playoff Linkorama

Here are a couple of things that I found on line pretaining to UND Fighting Sioux hockey. Here is what Bruce Ciskie had to say about UND.

2. North Dakota Fighting Sioux (24-14-4)Western Collegiate Hockey Association --- At-large bid

A week ago, North Dakota looked almost unstoppable, as they entered the WCHA Final Five on a 15-2-3 run. The Sioux were tripped up in St. Paul, however, losing twice and scoring only one goal in the two games. Did this sudden slump happen at the right time, or is it a precursor to an early exit? History suggests the Fighting Sioux will be just fine, as they have been to four straight Frozen Fours.

Team Leaders
F Ryan Duncan, 19-19-38; D Brad Miller, 6-29-35; G Brad Eidsness, 24-11-4, 2.47, .908 saves

NHL Fans Should Watch
UND has two freshmen - Jason Gregoire (N.Y. Islanders) and Brett Hextall (Phoenix) - who have developed into offensive threats. They skate as wingers on Duncan's line. Gregoire is more of a skill player, while Hextall is an absolute pest who possesses a ton of skill to go with it. He's a fearless player who probably needs to cut back on his penalty minutes (team-high 91 this season).

Under The Radar
Duncan won a Hobey Baker Award two years ago, and has proceeded to not be a finalist either of the last two seasons. He's averaged over a point per game in his four years at UND. Duncan is undersized, has a huge heart, and will score goals at any level.

Fun Fact
An incredible eight current North Dakota players have relatives who played for the Fighting Sioux (talk about building a legacy). Included in that are Darcy Zajac, brother of current New Jersey Devil Travis, and David Toews, whose brother Jonathan is captain of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Goon's World was linked up today by master blogger Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy. Unforunately he got it wrong by saying that UND didn't make the cut because the Fighting Sioux are a two seed in the North East Regional.

Although the Fighting Sioux didn't make the cut, Goon's World remains one of our primary sources for great college hockey news and analysis.

Here is what the Hoover Street Rag had to say about the UND Fighting Sioux.

One of the WCHA's traditional powers, the Fighting Sioux built off last season's Frozen Four appearance by winning MacNaughton Cup, awarded to the WCHA's regular season title for the first time since 2003-04. This was a dramatic change from the three game losing skid to open the season, which included a 5-1 drubbing by Boston University in the season opener. Standing 5-8-1 at the end of November, the Sioux put together a nice four game run in early December, only to bottom out with a fourth place finish at the Great Lakes Invitational in Detroit, losing to Michigan State and Michigan Tech. This down point was combined with the loss of senior defenseman Joe Finley, who had missed two months due to the lingering effects of a concussion.

But, in classic North Dakota fashion, the Sioux have rallied in the second half of the season to put themselves right in the mix of the NCAA playoff picture. In the 19games since 2009 began, the Sioux have won 14, against two losses (to Saint Cloud and Wisconsin) and three ties. The Sioux's defense is not their hallmark, but they also clearly score enough goals to make you pay for any lapses they may have on the blue line. The return of Finley, a first round NHL pick, has galvanized the leadership positions of the team while providing stability on defense. North Dakota's WCHA playoff run in Minneapolis, however, hit the stellar goaltending of Minnesota-Duluth's Alex Stalock, sending the Sioux to the consolation game.