Reed Larson on the Wild. (college focused)

This is what former Minnesota Gopher Reed Larson had to say about the Wild and their lack of using American, college hockey players and or players from Minnesota. Pretty good points that needed to be said a long time ago.

"I'm sorry; I've got the utmost respect for Jacques Lemaire as a player and so forth, but they did not like (the skill level of) American players," Larson said.

He was speaking of the former Minnesota Wild coach and management.

"Craig Leipold should be a hero; he should get an award for changing the management," Larson said of the Wild owner who recently hired Chuck Fletcher to oversee his team.

"I'm not saying you can't use Europeans and you can't use Canadians, but don't turn your back on Minnesota or Americans," Larson said. "Those guys (Lemaire and former GM Doug Risebrough) came from Montreal, where they had some very good American players when they were winning Stanley Cups.

"What I don't understand about being in management here in Minnesota is that you've got really good Americans, not just in Minnesota, but in Michigan and other colleges, and everybody else is using

them. I'm not trying to cut up Risebrough and Lemaire, but my point is that I don't think they had the best interest in this area as far as American and Minnesota players.
"Nobody wants to say it; everybody's scared."

Larson, 52, is in the insurance business and helps develop young players as a coach in the Minnesota Elite prep hockey league.

"Everybody thinks there's no one around here who knows anything about hockey," he said. [Shooter Now]

I don't know what everyone was so afraid of? I was also shocked that this wasn't brought up sooner. Personally I can think of many Canadian college hockey players, American college hockey players as well as hockey players from Minnesota that would look great in a green and red uniform.

I can also think of a couple players that are free agents right now. I have faith that Fletcher a Harvard grad will be smart enough to figure it out. The Boston Bruins won the Eastern Conference regular season title with, two Minnesota Gophers, one Catamount, two Wolverines, one Boston College Eagle Eagle and a Cornell Big Red. Lastly, Jason Blake an former fighting Sioux hockey player that was a Hobey Baker Memorial finalist was the top scorer for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Oh yeah; Jason Blake is also from Moorhead Minnesota. Maybe he would like to come home and play for the hometown team.

Malkin will not be suspended.

Evgeni Malkin will not be suspended for game three. I believe this is the right move.

DETROIT (AP) - Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin won't be suspended for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals despite drawing an instigator penalty in the final 19 seconds of a 3-1 loss to Detroit in Game 2 on Sunday night.

Under NHL rules, any player drawing an instigating penalty in the final five minutes is to be suspended for the next game, but the rule allows considerable flexibility depending on the circumstances.

"None of the criteria in this rule applied in this situation," NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell said in a statement issued by the league about an hour after the game ended. "Suspensions are applied under this rule when a team attempts to send a message in the last five minutes by having a player instigate a fight. A suspension could also be applied when a player seeks retribution for a prior incident. Neither was the case here and therefore the one game suspension is rescinded."

Malkin snap.

Check out the Penguins super star Malkin as he absolutely loses it at the end of game two. Like the announcers for CBC said why not? I don't think it should cost Malkin a game but he did get an instigator penalty inside of 5:00 left in the game. Eklund of hockeybuzz.com said over on his twitter that he heard the NHL will rescind the instigator penalty. I think it would be the right choice.

How did this all happen? Evgeni Malkin went after Henrik Zetterberg during a scrum in front of the Detroit net. The scrum started after Max Talbot game Osgood a little shot with his stick and Osgood acted as if the had been shot. This is what I told my buddy that I was watching the game with anyways. Some will call for Malkin to be suspended but if Campbell suspends Malkin Campbell owes a few teams an apology, plain and simple. The most egregious act of the playoffs was the Walker sucker punch on Ward that went un punished and this incident isn't even close.

Here is what a Detroit newspaper had to say about the incident.

Frustration boiled over for Pittsburgh with 18.2 seconds left, when Max Talbot stuck his stick in goalie Chris Osgood’s midsection after he made his 31st save. That led to a fight between Evgeni Malkin and Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg that left both players’ jerseys torn on the ice.

CBC is the best for NHL hockey coverage.

If you live in a border town (Grand Forks, ND is 75 miles from the Canadian border) your probably lucky enough get CBC on your television dial (channel 16 on MIDCO). Recently Paul Kelly was talking about how he was unhappy about the Versus and their TV coverage for the NHL playoffs. If you're a hockey fan you were probably watching CBC because it is a better channel for hockey coverage than Versus and NBC. That being said you probably watched the pregame show because you were really excited about the finals. You can almost bet that last night pre-game was an instant classic, at least in my opinion it probably will be. If you didn't see it enjoy.
(props)

Here goes nothing.

This is it, the series of the NHL hockey season till October. My prediction for the Stanley Cup Finals is Penguins in 6 games. Not that it matters since I picked none of the series right in the third round. I believe the injuries will finally derail the Redwings, as as one of their big time players Pavel Datsyuk is out with a a foot injury. Also, the Redwings will be without veteran center Chris Draper who is out with a groin injury.

I also think the play of Pens super star Evgeni Malkin has been Hart Trophy like scoring (6-3-9) in the Eastern Conference finals.

Bruins next season?

The Owner of the Boston Bruins Jeremy Jacobs addressed the media and said the Bruins were going to spend to the salary cap. This is what I like to hear. The young UAF's listed below are the key to next season's sucess and the Bruin's managment needs to find a way to get them signed.

If the Bruins want to make a deeper run at the Cup next season, they'll have to re-sign their restricted free agents David Krejci, Phil Kessel (Minnesota), Matt Hunwick (Michigan), Byron Bitz (Cornell), make decisions on their unrestricted free agents (P.J. Axelsson, Stephane Yelle, Steve Montador, Shane Hnidy), perhaps trade away some core players to clear cap space, and build depth to withstand injuries.
(read the whole article here)

More from the new Wild GM.

Wild Blogger Brad Ratgen from HockeyBuzz had the text of a recent press conference with the Owner Craig Leipold and Chuck Fletcher that was held in St. Paul, I picked out a couple of things that Wild fans might be happy about.

Q&A Session with Owner Craig Leipold and New GM Chuck Fletcher
May 25, 2009,----- Regarding the big name free agents, “we have everything to offer them here. I think the system in the past might have held them back. I believe Chuck feels that way. The people that came through felt that way. And so I think this may be the missing piece and they will look at us in a different light and will want to come play here.”

Leipold pointed out that Fletcher is GM and (Leipold) is president of the Wild.

Regarding players wanting to play in Minnesota, “you would think everyone would be knocking on our door to play here. Hopefully now the word gets out that this is a place to play up tempo and score goals.”
--------------
Regarding Minnesota players and/or American players, “we are going to get the best person available. Being from Minnesota and playing in Minnesota won’t be looked upon any longer as a negative.”
--------------
“I love physical hockey (up tempo, fore checking, on pucks, separating the defender from the puck). It doesn’t have to be fighting. I certainly believe fighting as a necessary element of a good club. Toughness to me is mental, it’s physical, it’s winning battles, it’s having your best players go to the net knowing they’re going to get cross checked. That’s toughness. Those are the type of players we want. You need a physical element and a mentally tough element. Pace of play, forcing play. Those are all elements of physical, up-tempo hockey.”

“Any team can play this style. You need skill and intelligence. We want an identity of being an up-tempo, hard working, difficult team that’s tough to play against.”

ESPN going broke? Probably not.

Tip of the hat to Buddy Pass for this little nugget. Seems like everyone has been effected by the financial problems, so why not Television? In the comments to this article someone suggested just cutting Chris Berman's job, then everyone wins including the cafeteria. They could always cut Barry Melroses position then college
hockey fans wouldn't have to listen to Barry call college hockey games.

BRISTOL, Conn.— ESPN has notified about 100 employees that they will be losing their jobs.

The layoffs are part of a plan announced by ESPN Chief Executive George Bodenheimer in January, when he told employees the sports television giant would be reviewing its entire operation and also would cut about 200 jobs, leaving about 100 vacant positions unfilled.

Company spokesman Josh Krulewitz says ESPN plans to replace the jobs that have been cut with others that "more effectively grow our company, and our head count number, ultimately, will remain consistent with current levels."

ESPN, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Co., employs about 5,400 people worldwide, including about 3,400 at its Bristol, Conn. campus.

Injury updates for the Redwings.

Here is the injury update for tomorrows game on of the Stanley Cup Finals. Looks like Lidstrom is going to be a go.

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings expect star defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom to play in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said on Thursday he's encouraged by how Lidstrom's lower-body injury has recovered after he was forced to miss two games.

Holland said the team won't know until Saturday, when the series starts, if MVP finalist Pavel Datsyuk (foot) and Jonathan Ericsson (acute appendicitis) will be available.

Kris Draper (lower-body injury) is doubtful for Game 1, but Holland expects him to play later in the series.

Paul Kelly unhappy with Versus.

I saw this story on Fiona Quick's twitter. Also, note to Gopher hockey fans you may not want to visit Fiona Quick's twitter, she is reporting that Minnesota Gopher Jordan Schroeder is still rumored to be turning pro after his selection in the draft this year, especially if he goes in the top 10. I dunno, I can't see her reporting something if she isn't getting a solid rumor.

Any ways, NHLPA’s head Paul Kelly is unhappy with the current T.V. situation in the NHL and would like to see the NHL return to ESPN. Well Paul there are a lot of hockey fans that would like to see the NHL return to ESPN. Personally I get the NHL Hockey package through midco every season so I can watch the game that I would like to see. I also know that when you travel most hotel rooms don't carry Versus. I found this out recently with my trip to Mpls and well as my December trip Brunswick Georgia.

May 25, 2009 : ------ NHL Players’ Association Executive Director Paul Kelly is calling for league TV partners Versus and NBC to do more to promote the NHL and NHL players, citing players’ growing frustration over hockey coverage.

“We have to push our two partners to do a better job of covering our sport … or we have to go in a different direction when that contract comes to an end,” Kelly told the Sports Lawyers Association on May 16. Kelly has called in the past for the NHL to return to ESPN.

Kelly said the fact that people in the U.S. could not watch most of the Boston-Carolina playoff Game 7 earlier this month because Versus was airing Anaheim-Detroit Game 7 “is a source of great frustration” to NHL players as well as the union.

Kelly conceded that Versus has improved production and has increased the number of homes and sports bars where it is available. However, he said, “There are still problems.”

“It is not ESPN,” Kelly said. “It doesn’t have a sports highlight show. It doesn’t have a lot of properties people want to tune in to, unless you are a hunter or a fisherman or you like turtle wrestling.”

Versus President Jamie Davis, responding to Kelly’s comments, said Versus made a significant commitment to the NHL when it agreed to a deal to take it over from ESPN in 2005. Versus “has televised significantly more hours of hockey coverage per night in the first two rounds of the playoffs this year than ESPN did in the same time span during the last several years of their deal.”

NHL to go global.

Here is a story that was posted on sportsbusiness.com The NHL is looking to go global, great it's about time. The first thing the NHL should do is get the greatest game in the world hooked back up with ESPN so more people can be exposed to NHL hockey. I still know quite a few people that don't have versus.

NHL looking at global television rights offering
The National Hockey League is looking to be the first US league to offer a global rights offering, according to its Chief Operating Officer John Collins.

The NHL drew record crowds, greater television viewers and new sponsors this season through marketing strategies borrowed from the National Football League. The league’s current focus is to attract sponsors that will ultimately lead to more television money, says Collins.

“If we grow our share of the sports advertising marketplace, I think somebody will step up,” Collins said as quoted on Bloomberg. “We can be the first domestic league that looks at a global rights offering.”

“By 2013 the digital, web and mobile audience will be sufficiently larger so the NHL will be able to combine those users with their TV audience to attract sponsorships that will support a major TV deal. I see so many similarities to the NFL. They know how to lift their passion for a game to a level that is bigger than just their local team.”

The NHL projects revenue will grow 4 per cent this year to $2.7 billion, with around $675 million coming from national and local television. The NFL received about $3.7 billion in national television revenue this year.

Current television partnerships for live NHL coverage are with the Versus cable network and NBC, the latter’s agreement including rights to five games of the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final.

More UNO conference talk.

This is what Trev Alberts had to say about UNO's possible switch to the WCHA. Ah yes! More talk about the Big Ten Hockey Conference. The pipe dream that just won’t go away, there has been discussions and more discussions about the Big Ten Hockey Conference since at least during the early 1990’s and where are we at now? I would guarantee UNO that if there ever was the formation of the Big Ten Hockey Conference the WCHA would be a better league to be in. Imagine the CCHA without OSU, Michigan and Michigan State, what teams do you have after that? You have Notre Dame, NMU and Miami. If Minnesota and Wisconsin leave the WCHA you have some solid teams that are going to fold and can still put butts in seats.

Also Thursday, Alberts said UNO is continuing to discuss its hockey conference affiliation with both the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The WCHA is looking to add two teams, and Bemidji State has already applied.

"We have had sound conversations and negotiations with both leagues," Alberts said. "We're happy with what the CCHA has done for us. We realize the WCHA can provide some things the CCHA can't. The Big Ten might start (sponsoring) hockey. How does that affect us? How do we position ourselves? We can't think short-term, we have to think long-term."

It's official Dean Blais to coach WJC.

This is some really exciting news as former Fighting Sioux and current Fargo Force hockey coach Dean Blais has been named coach of the USA WJC team. Since winning the WJC in 2004 USA many have felt that U20 WJC teams have under achieved at the World Junior Championship. Last year's team was an utter disappointment and seen as undisciplined team.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Dean Blais, head coach and general manager for the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League and widely regarded as one of the top coaches in the United States at any level, will be head coach of the 2010 U.S. National Junior Team, it was announced today by USA Hockey.

I'm honored to be selected to coach this team," said Blais. "The World Junior Championship has evolved into one of the great events on the hockey calendar every year and I look forward to the challenge ahead."

USA Hockey also announced that Jim Johannson, assistant executive director of hockey operations at USA Hockey, will serve as the general manager of the 2010 U.S. National Junior Team and Tim Taylor, an assistant coach at USA Hockey's National Team Development Program and head coach of the 1994 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team, will serve as the team's director of player personnel.

The U.S. National Junior Team will compete at the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship, Dec. 26, 2009 - Jan. 5, 2010, in Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan.

Blais to coach WJC?

This is the word on Fiona Quick's Twitter. Also the USA Hockey web page is reporting that a WJC coach will be announced at 11:00 am Central. Dean Blais would be a nice change from Ron Rolston days. Stay tuned.

Schedule for the Finals.

Here is the schedule for the 2009 STANLEY CUP FINAL.


SERIES Redwings #2 vs. Penguins #4 Network
Saturday, May 30 at Detroit, 8:00 pm NBC, CBC, RDS
Sunday, May 31 at Detroit, TBD-Night NBC, CBC, RDS
Tuesday, June 2 at Pittsburgh, 8:00 pm VERSUS, CBC, RDS
Thursday, June 4 at Pittsburgh, 8:00 pm VERSUS, CBC, RDS
* Saturday, June 6 at Detroit, 8:00 pm NBC, CBC, RDS
* Tuesday, June 9 at Pittsburgh, 8:00 pm NBC, CBC, RDS
* Friday, June 12 at Detroit, 8:00 pm NBC, CBC, RDS

My definition of the Redwing.

I think the 2009 Stanley Cup final is going to be Boring. While Pittsburgh is a good team with some exciting young players, we can start the debate of who is better between Malkin and Cindy Crosby, here are a few words that I would use to explain their opponent the Detroit Redwings: tedious, dull, monotonous, repetitive, unrelieved, unvaried, unimaginative, uneventful; characterless, featureless, colorless, lifeless, insipid, uninteresting, unexciting, uninspiring, unstimulating; unreadable, unwatchable; jejune, flat, bland, dry, stale, tired, banal, lackluster, stodgy, vapid, monochrome, dreary, humdrum, mundane; mind-numbing, wearisome, tiring, tiresome, irksome, trying, frustrating; informal deadly, ho-hum, dullsville, dull as dishwater, plain-vanilla.

Will Kessel be resigned?

You do have to wonder if Phil Kessel is on his way out in Boston. I have seen a few comments that leads me to believe that his days in Boston might be numbered. I am not sure why the Bruins used him as trade bait the last two trade dead lines?

Personally, I hope that Kessel is not on his way out of Boston, Kessel is an exciting player that has grown three fold since his days with the Minnesota Gophers. I also believe that Marc Savard, Phil Kessel, David Krejci, Milan Lucic, Michael Ryder and Patrice Bergeron are the core offensive players the Bruins should build around. Thirty six goals is going to be hard to replace next season if he is not wearing black and gold.

Phil Kessel

Continued the development and maturity process, scoring a team-high 36 goals... Recorded his first hat trick of the year in the season finale... Used his speed and skill to put defensemen on their heels... Tore the rotator cuff and labrum in his left shoulder against Columbus... Underwent successful surgery today... Will not be ready for the start of 2009-10... Will be a restricted free agent... Has been in play at last two trade deadlines, which could indicate leaguewide interest again at the draft.

Max Talbot's knuckle puck goal.

When I first saw this goal, I thought of the goal that BU scored to win the NCAA title. This one is similar the Carolina defenseman Babchuk tries to block Max Talbot's shot, the defenseman actually slows down the puck causing Carolina goalie Cam Ward to whiff on the shot. The shot itself looked a lot like a knuckle puck. The Carolina Hurricanes went down with hardly a whimper and the Penguins basically cruised through the third round.

More on the UNO situation.

Here is the latest on UNO's possible membership in the WCHA. It also looks like UNO could/will have some possible competition for the 12th and final spot because McLeod mentioned that other teams had contacted him about possible membership in the WCHA. It would be interesting to know which other teams have contacted the WCHA about membership.

Alberts is also investigating a possible move from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association to the WCHA. The WCHA is seeking a program to pair with Bemidji State as candidates to create a 12-team league. It was rumored that WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod was in Omaha last week to speak with school officials.

When contacted Satur?day in Denver, McLeod would only say that the WCHA has had contact with Omaha and is in the preliminary stages of talking about possible membership in the league. He also noted that the WCHA has been contacted by other schools about admission.

During WCHA meetings in April in Marco Island, Fla., Bemidji State made a presentation to the league, but no vote on admission was taken, although a straw poll vote was reportedly 5-5. Schools making application need eight of 10 votes to gain admission.

The 10-team WCHA gave McLeod the OK to negotiate with potential members if needed, and it’s believed that there will be some bargaining with Bemidji State and Omaha. The league has indicated that new teams would not begin league play until 2011-12, however it’s likely neither school would want to wait that long. Also, in the WCHA criteria for consideration of admission, it’s noted that new schools do not share in WCHA postseason revenue during the first three years of membership, which wouldn’t appeal to any financially strapped athletic program.

The per-school share from the 2009 WCHA Final Five, which isn’t officially totaled, is estimated to be $91,000 or more, McLeod said.
(read the whole story here)

Interesting perspective.

Interesting letter to the editor in today's Grand Forks Herald. I think Mr. Fool Bear is right if there was a vote on the Fighting Sioux name Ron His Horse is Thunder wouldn't like the results. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming months. I say let the tribal members have their vote. What are we afraid of?

FORT YATES, N.D. — It’s disturbing to watch what is happening on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and in North Dakota.

In both places, leaders are ignoring those whom they’re entrusted with representing.

Standing Rock is a failed democracy. Likewise, some state government entities are backing (and imposing the views of) a radical few over the common sense of the progressive many. All in the name of political correctness, or maybe it’s fear of being called racist — who knows?

Standing Rock voted overwhelmingly to keep using our nation’s “Sioux” name a year ago. That issue was part of the anti-nickname activists’ continuing effort to deny tribal members a chance to vote in a UND nickname referendum.

The tribal council imposed a moratorium on such a referendum for one reason: to silence and deny the inevitable truth.

Standing Rock will vote in favor of UND and its Fighting Sioux nickname and logo, the same as Spirit Lake did. Otherwise, why would nickname opponents make such unethical political efforts to deny tribal members a chance to vote?

It completely contradicts democracy.

Instead, the nickname opponents spread racist propaganda throughout the reservation, using UND as reference in their efforts to change our nation’s proud Sioux name to Oyate. But they failed miserably, much like the anti-logo movement at Spirit Lake did.

Spirit Lake members forced the UND issue to a ballot — and the results were not surprising in Sioux country. We’ve known this all along: The “Silent Majority” is 2-1 ratio in favor of the UND nickname, the same ratio that emerged in the Oyate-vs.-Sioux vote.

The collective Sioux voice has been heard consistently but still is ignored: Is this not enough evidence?

But even so, North Dakota along with the rest of country continues to submit to this vocal few.

The facts are these: We are proud to be Sioux, and we are proud of the UND Fighting Sioux.

Democracy has proven this time and time again. However, this issue has proven that democratic leaders are not obligated to represent the majority.

The North Dakota Board of Higher Education has its reasons for their deciding as it did, but one would assume that North Dakota traditions, democratic evidence, progress and common sense would hold much more weight than would baseless rumors and the availability of an athletic conference.

The board is failing North Dakota’s heritage, much like the leadership at Standing Rock has failed us.

At the moment, the politicians are winning, but there is still time. Where are our leaders?

Long live the Sioux, and long live the UND Fighting Sioux.

Steve Fool Bear