Wednesday night at the fights.

Tonight's Minnesota Wild game was very good hockey game to watch. The Wild beat the Cancucks on the ice 5-2 and in the fights as well. The fight between Alexandre Bolduc and John Scott was really one sided. The Former Huskies defenseman John Scott worked Bolduc like a clown. John Scott even fixed his hair before he started pummeling Bolduc.

Here was the bout between Boogeyman and Darcy Hordichuk. Apparently Hordichuck told Boogaard that his coach made him fight.

According to Boogaard, before the faceoff, Hordichuk told him that "The coach is making US fight you guys.” [Russo's Rants]

It wasn't much of a fight because Hordichuck just basically went after him and didn't let Boogey get a set so he could hit him. Notice when the jersey came over Hordichuck's head Derek stopped fighting him.


The Sheriff Shane Hnidy and Tanner Glass got it on as well. Hnidy all but ripped Glass' jersy off his body. From watching Hnidy during his days with the Boston Bruins, Hnidy is a willing combantant and he will throw em.

Here is what Minnesota Beat Writer Michael Russo had to say about the John Scott beat down of Alexandre Bolduc.

Who's us? Alexandre Bolduc is us. Moments after the fight, Bolduc came up to John Scott and begged Scott to fight him. Huge mistake. Scott beat the living daylights out of him. Honestly, it was scary. The crowd was going nuts. I was scared I'd be covering the making of a vegetable. I don't know what you prove down 5-2, but if it's true Vigneault sent these guys out to fight two of the biggest heavyweights in the NHL, I hope Vigneault feels a tad guilty because he had a front-row seat to the Scott fight.

When it was over, Bolduc had at least a shoulder injury, according to the Canucks writers, and looked like he didn't know if he was on Earth or Mars. Later, Shane Hnidy fought Tanner Glass. [Russo's Rants]

Clutterbuck still fuming over Gonchar elbow

The Colin Campbell wheel of justice has once again determined that star players receive kid’s glove treatment and players that aren’t stars receive different treatment and unequal punishment, imagine if Clutterbuck or Boogaard had done the same thing.

Clutterbuck was upset Gonchar wasn't suspended by the NHL.

"I'd have been suspended indefinitely," Clutterbuck said. "There's no doubt that all he was trying to do was hurt me."

Gonchar told Pittsburgh reporters: "[Clutterbuck] hit me in the head, which I thought the NHL was now looking for. ... In my opinion it was a late [hit], a [dirty] hit and that's why I paid him back."

As for Gonchar's hit, Clutterbuck said if he was knocked out or taken off the ice on a stretcher, "then it's an uproar. But because I got up and my nose is bleeding a little bit, it's a different story?"

Clutterbuck was irritated that Monday's referees, after much debate, gave Gonchar a five-minute major for interference rather than elbowing. Because of the cut nose, a game misconduct would have had to be imposed with an elbowing major.

"Why are they going out of their way to keep this guy in the game?" Clutterbuck said.

Clutterbuck led the NHL with 356 hits last season and leads the league again this season with 182. Some critics have com
[Star Tribune]

Wednesday press conference.

Here is the latest from press conference Wednesday.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- With the men's and women's basketball teams on the road, it was a shorter media day than most on the University of North Dakota campus.

The main talk centered around the upcoming men's hockey series at Minnesota this weekend. The Fighting Sioux have had success in recent years at Mariucci Arena, but with no games there last season, only eight UND student-athletes have made the trip.

"They know how it's going to be," senior Chris VandeVelde said of the freshmen and sophomore classes. "They just have to stay level-headed and go in there ready to play."

Among the Fighting Sioux making a first trip to Mariucci will be sophomore Jason Gregoire, who was recently named WCHA Co-Offensive Player of the Week after scoring 4 goals (2 game-winners) last weekend.

"Both games will be big battles," Gregoire said.

Sophomore defenseman Corey Fienhage will get the chance to play in front of his hometown in his first roadtrip to Mariucci. "They tell us it's a fun place to play," Fienhage said, "and I'm really excited to play there."

Backes fights team Canada one player at a time.

Here is an interesting fact former MSU-M Maverick David Backes and soon to be Olympian has fought, former Fighting Sioux star Jonathan Toews, the Ducks Corey Perry and Rick Nash. All of which are going to be on team Canada. I guess we could ask; who is next from team Canada. I have to admit that as a hockey fan of both college and the NHL I love the way that David Backes plays the game of hockey.

Since it's Sioux and Gophers week. Noticed former Gopher Erik Johnson wants no part of former Fighting Sioux Mike Commodore. Come on Erik Johnson your big man (6’4” and 234 pounds) I would expect you to be just a little bit tougher, you have to be the weakest 236 pound NHL defenseman I have seen. Did you think you were going to be NHL defenseman 10 years and not get challenged to a fight? Get in there and fight when a challenged. You got worked by former Fighting Sioux defenseman Mike "Commi" Commodore.
[Props]

The Miami Swoon.

Here is an article I wrote yesterday for my realclearsports.com blog

The Miami University RedHawks is a good hockey team went all the way to the Frozen Four last season. The RedHakws played in the final game before losing to the Boston University Terriers in the Championship game. Most teams including championshiop teams go through rough patches but the Miami University RedHawks 13-4-5 seem to fall off right after the Christmas holiday break. This year seems to be starting out the same way.

A Look at the "Rico Swoon" (through the first ten games, post-holiday break)

1999-2000: 4-5-1
2000-2001: 6-4-0
2001-2002: 3-6-1
2002-2003: 3-6-1
2003-2004: 7-2-1 (NCAA Participant)
2004-2005: 5-4-1
2005-2006: 6-3-1 (CCHA Champions, NCAA Participant)
2006-2007: 3-4-3 (NCAA Participant)
2007-2008: 7-2-1 (NCAA Participant)
2008-2009: 4-5-1 (NCAA Championship Game)
2009-2010: 0-2 "?"
[The Brother Hood]

The RedHawks started the second half of this season getting swept by the CHA's RMU Colonials 5-12-3. I believe that the Miami RedHawks are going to be very happy to see the CHA get disbanded after this season because the RedHawks are 0-3 in nonconference games against the CHA this season. That being said the Miami RedHawks are still sitting pretty even after laying an egg this past weekend. Check out this blog post; talk abut blasting your favorite team.

BOTTOM LINE: Miami has had some embarrassing losses in previous seasons, but this weekend series may top them all. Robert Morris hadn't won a game since Nov. 13, and the RedHawks made this team look like the 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins.

Miami's new offensive strategy of pass-and-redirect-pass-to-the-defense worked to perfection on Sunday, squelching every chance the RedHawks had to gain the attacking zone. I can't remember Miami completing consecutive passes on the transition, and a team this talented should never have to resort to playing dump-and-chase on the power play.

There's absolutely no excuse to lose one of two, much less two, against a team that has one or two semi-talented skaters at best and a goalie who regularly floats 20 feet out of the crease for no reason.

And who decided four weeks off would be a good thing for Miami, considering its history? I realize the Ohio Hockey Classic is defunct and the team had four off weeks in its CCHA schedule, which it couldn't help, but seriously, the RedHawks couldn't get another weekend series in?

First thing I would tell this guy is get off the ledge. Talk about disrepecting your opponent after they have beaten your team twice. Seriously! After reading this post you would have thought that the Miami RedHawks were a bunch of talentless hacks sitting at the bottom of the CCHA and in danger of missing the NCAA tourney. Not so fast, Miami (10-1-3 and 13-4-5) is sitting second in the Pairwise rankings (which mimic the NCAA tourney selection) and tied for the lead in the CCHA with the Ferris State Bulldogs (10-2-2 and 16-4-2) with 34 points. Miami has some mojo even with the loss and can probably miss their conference tourney and still be a number one seed or high second seed in the NCAA tourney.

I have seen Miami play twice in person this season and they are the real deal, they are big, fast and buy into a defensive system. The RedHawks are coached by former RedHawk Enrico Blais who had an impressive 223-154-37 record. They may have lost a couple of game to an opponent that they should have beaten, there is still a lot of season left and no reason to get excited just yet.

Classic quote by the UAA Coach.

Check out this classic quote by University of Alaska Anchorage head coach Dave Shyiak on DU getting their share of the favorable calls from the refs.

“I thought it was a great series. There wasn’t much difference between the first place team versus the ninth,” Shyiak said. “After not playing for more than a month (Dec. 5), I thought our guys played great and deserved better fate. I thought penalties caught up to us, but when you’re a first-place team and you’re in their home barn, they’re going to get the calls, and they got several calls tonight.” [Denver Post Hockey Blog]

As a Sioux fan I can feel your pain Dave. I wonder how long it will take before the other member schools in the WCHA will say enough is enough and request that the WCHA office be moved out of Denver University. There seems to be this perception that DU can do no wrong and gets all the favorable calls to go their way, their head coach just walks out on to the ice anytime he wants without any fear of punishment from the WCHA.

Kevin Gorg on Don Lucia.

This is probably not something the Don Lucia Haters will want to hear. There seems to be opinion that Don Lucia should be fired. FSN personality Kevin Gorg was asked by a fan on the Paul Allen show about Don Lucia's job status.

[Click to listen to the Paul Allen podcast] @1503 minutes left in the postcast. 

Fan Question: Is Don Lucia done if his team doesn’t make the final five

Gorg’s reply: That’s his call; my take has alway been 100 percent that when Don Lucia wants to leave the University of Minnesota, Don Lucia will, he will not be fired, that will be his call. 

A few things Sioux vs Gophers.

The video is coach Hakstal talking about his weeks series with the Minnesota Gophers.

Teams: #4 North Dakota (12-6-4, 8-6-2 WCHA)at Minnesota (11-10-1, 6-7-1 WCHA) Jan. 15-16, 2010
Time: 7:07/7:07 pm CT
Location: Mariucci Arena (10,000) • Minneapolis, Minn.
RADIO: 96.1 The Fox (KQHT-FM) • LIVE AUDIO: FightingSioux.com TV: Big Ten Network
Television: (Friday)(318 MIDCO Grand Forks, ND), Fox Sports North (channel 28 Midco Grand Forks, ND)(Saturday)

UND is a second half team under coach Hakstol, check out the record.

UND is 49-36-9 before Christmas under Hakstol and 84-33-14 after. In 07-08, the Sioux won an amazing 20 games after the break. [UNDSID Twitter]

Gonchar elbows Cal Clutterbuck.

This is a bush league hit by Gonchar and he deserves to be suspended for his hit on Cal Clutterbuck. I have seen where some have said that Clutterbuck deserved it because he flys around the ice hitting people.Clutterbuck is one of the NHL leading hitters and he is not a dirty player or deserving of this bush league play.

Ed Jovanovski suspended two games for hit on John Tavares

This is the latest suspension to be handed down by the NHL. Repeat offender Ed Jovanovski tries to take out Islanders star John Tavares head with a vicious elbow to the head. Jovanovski is the same guy that tried to decapitate Wild forward Andrew Ebbett only a month ago. From watching the video it would appear that Jovanovski hasn’t learned his lesson yet and is still head hunting only one moth after is serving a 2 game suspension. If you listen closely to the video you can hear the elbow of Jovanovski hitting Tavares in the head. While the play continues check out the sweet goal by former Gopher Kyle Okposo.

Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Ed Jovanovski has been suspended for two games, without pay, for elbowing New York Islanders center John Tavares in a game Saturday, the NHL announced today.

With 17 seconds remaining in the first period of a game the Islanders would win 5-4, Jovanovski delivered an elbow to Tavares' head area and was assessed a major penalty for elbowing and a game misconduct.

Jovanovski, who was suspended for two games back in December, now is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. He will forfeit $158,536.59 in salary based on the number of games (82) in a season, rather than the number of days (193). The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Jovanovski will miss Coyotes' games Tuesday against San Jose and Thursday against New Jersey. He will be eligible to return Saturday against Minnesota. [NHL.com]

[props]

The Guillaume Latendresse for Benoit Pouliot trade

Last night the Wild played and beat the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. The Wild victory was fueled a possessed Guillamume Latendresse who led the charge with (1g-3a-4pts). Latendresse is really on a roll, in the last four games he is (4g-5a-8pts)

The Wild's 15-6 with Latendresse in the lineup and 8-1 when he scores a point. Since Dec. 15, Latendresse's eight even-strength goals lead the NHL. Remember in the first month when the Wild didn't have a prayer to score at even-strength? [Russo's Rants]

Incidentally, the guy the Wild traded to the Montreal Canadians to get Latendresse, former Wild player Benoit Pouliot has only scored 4 goals in 9 games. Latendresse surpassed Pouliot’s production with the Habs in three periods of hockey. Not hard to see who got the best of that deal?
Cross posted at the Sin Bin

Some USA Pictures.

On Frozen Blog has a few pictures from the WJC.

North American Goalies Midterm Rankings

Fighting Sioux goalie recruit Zane Grothberg is ranked 5th in the North American goalies midterm ranking.

1 PICKARD, CALVIN SEATTLE WHL 6' 0.5" 200
2 CAMPBELL, JACK USA U-18 USDP 6' 2.5" 175
3 CORBEIL-THERIAULT, MATHIEU HALIFAX QMJHL 6' 5.75" 186
4 DOMINGUE, LOUIS QUEBEC QMJHL 6' 2.5" 185
5 GOTHBERG, ZANE THIEF RIVER FALLS HIGH-MN 6' 0.5" 177
6 BRITTAIN, SAM CANMORE AJHL 6' 2.75" 215
7 SIMPSON, KENT EVERETT WHL 6' 2.5" 182
8 VISENTIN, MARK NIAGARA OHL 6' 1.25" 185
9 GRUBAUER, PHILLIPP WINDSOR OHL 6' 0.25" 180
10 CLERMONT, MAXIME GATINEAU QMJHL 6' 0" 189
11 SADIKOV, RASMUS ERIE OHL 6' 2" 230
12 YANAKEFF, WILLIE SIOUX CITY USHL 6' 2.75" 200
13 WEDGEWOOD, SCOTT PLYMOUTH OHL 6' 0.5" 195
14 BUNZ, TYLER MEDICINE HAT WHL 6' 1.25" 196
15 COREAU, JARED LINCOLN USHL 6' 5" 195
16 MCGRATH, DALTON BARRIE OHL 6' 0.25" 188
17 OUELLETTE, MARTIN KIMBALL UNION HIGH-NH 6' 1" 160
18 HOUSER, MICHAEL LONDON OHL 6' 0.75" 185
19 WITT, CLAY SIOUX FALLS USHL 6' 1" 195
20 ANDERSON, JP MISSISSAUGA ST. MICHAEL'S OHL 5' 11.25" 192
21 BONAR, SEAN PENTICTON BCHL 6' 0.5" 179
22 NADEAU, GUILLAUME ACADIE-BATHURST QMJHL 6' 0.75" 180
23 LANIGAN, CAM EDMONTON WHL 6' 1.75" 180
24 GIROUX, SIMON BAIE-COMEAU QMJHL 5' 11.5" 196
25 BILLETT, BRIAN JR. MONARCHS EJHL 6' 1" 187
26 MRAZEK, PETR OTTAWA OHL 5' 11.5" 162
27 TREMBLAY, PHILIPPE RIMOUSKI QMJHL 6' 2" 201
28 BAILIE, KEVIN OSHAWA OHL 6' 2.5" 189
29 VIENNEAU, JOEL KINGSTON OJAHL 6' 2.75" 187
30 O'HAGAN, BRYCE SAULT STE. MARIE OHL 6' 2" 190
31 MEYERS, JACOB BENILDE-ST.MARGARET'S HIGH-MN 5' 11.5" 168
32 ANDERSON, BRANDON LETHBRIDGE WHL 5' 11.25" 170
[Link]

North American Skaters Midterm Rankings (Forbort 11, Nelson 17th)

UND Fighting Sioux recruit(s) Derek Forbort and Brock Nelson are ranked in the top 20 of the North American Skaters Midterm Rankings for the 2010 NHL Draft.

1 HALL, TAYLOR WINDSOR OHL 6' 0.75" 186 LW
2 SEGUIN, TYLER PLYMOUTH OHL 6' 0.75" 180 C
3 FOWLER, CAM WINDSOR OHL 6' 2" 195 D
4 CONNOLLY, BRETT PRINCE GEORGE WHL 6' 2" 181 RW
5 SHEAHAN, RILEY U OF NOTRE DAME CCHA 6' 1.5" 202 C
6 GUDBRANSON, ERIK KINGSTON OHL 6' 3.75" 195 D
7 BURMISTROV, ALEXANDER BARRIE OHL 5' 11.5" 162 C
8 GORMLEY, BRANDON MONCTON QMJHL 6' 2" 187 D
9 PYSYK, MARK EDMONTON WHL 6' 1" 179 D
10 MCFARLAND, JOHN SUDBURY OHL 6' 0" 200 C
11 FORBORT, DEREK USA U-18 USDP 6' 4.5" 198 D
12 BJUGSTAD, NICK BLAINE HIGH-MN 6' 3.75" 188 C
13 ETEM, EMERSON MEDICINE HAT WHL 5' 11.75" 190 RW
14 NIEDERREITER, NINO PORTLAND WHL 6' 1" 205 RW
15 KABANOV, KIRILL MONCTON QMJHL 6' 2" 173 LW
16 JOHANSEN, RYAN PORTLAND WHL 6' 2.25" 194 C
17 NELSON, BROCK WARROAD HIGH-MN 6' 2.5" 205 C
18 HAYES, KEVIN NOBLES HIGH-MA 6' 2.25" 201 RW
19 COYLE, CHARLIE SOUTH SHORE EJHL 6' 1.5" 202 C,RW
20 MERRILL, JONATHON USA U-18 USDP 6' 3.25" 198 D
21 PITLICK, TYLER MINNESOTA STATE WCHA 6' 1.5" 194 C
22 TOFFOLI, TYLER OTTAWA OHL 6' 0" 183 C
23 GALIEV, STANISLAV SAINT JOHN QMJHL 6' 0.5" 177 RW
24 MARTINDALE, RYAN OTTAWA OHL 6' 3" 195 C
25 WATSON, AUSTIN PETERBOROUGH OHL 6' 3" 180 RW
26 TELEGIN, IVAN SAGINAW OHL 6' 2.25" 194 RW
27 MCILRATH, DYLAN MOOSE JAW WHL 6' 3.25" 210 D
28 JOHNS, STEPHEN USA U-18 USDP 6' 3.25" 215 D
29 HOWDEN, QUINTON MOOSE JAW WHL 6' 0.75" 183 C
30 ARNOLD, BILLY USA U-18 USDP 5' 11.5" 218 C
31 BIEGA, DANNY HARVARD ECAC 6' 0" 191 D
32 LIND, KEVIN CHICAGO USHL 6' 2.5" 202 D
33 STRAKA, PETR RIMOUSKI QMJHL 6' 1" 184 RW
34 PETROVIC, ALEXANDER RED DEER WHL 6' 3.5" 192 D
35 CULEK, JAKUB RIMOUSKI QMJHL 6' 3" 175 LW
36 GARDINER, MAX MINNETONKA HIGH-MN 6' 2.5" 176 C
37 ALT, MARK CRETIN-DERHAM HIGH-MN 6' 3" 199 D
38 SPOONER, RYAN PETERBOROUGH OHL 5' 10.5" 174 C
39 BASARABA, JOE SHAT.ST.MARY'S HIGH-MN 6' 2.25" 190 RW
40 FAULK, JUSTIN USA U-18 USDP 5' 11.75" 196 D
41 SCHWARTZ, JADEN TRI-CITY USHL 5' 10" 180 C
42 TINORDI, JARRED USA U-18 USDP 6' 5.5" 205 D
43 RUTKOWSKI, TROY PORTLAND WHL 6' 1.5" 208 D
44 SHIPLEY, STEVEN OWEN SOUND OHL 6' 2" 204 C
45 WEAL, JORDAN REGINA WHL 5' 8.5" 156 C
46 HISHON, JOEY OWEN SOUND OHL 5' 9.25" 172 C
47 SKINNER, JEFF KITCHENER OHL 5' 10" 197 RW
48 BENNETT, BEAU PENTICTON BCHL 6' 0.5" 173 RW
49 BRICKLEY, CONNOR DES MOINES USHL 5' 11.5" 190 C
50 FALLON, JACOB USA U-18 USDP 5' 10" 191 C
[See all of the Rankings]

Poll Monday. (UND fourth)

USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll
[January 11, 2010]

Team (First Place Votes) Record Points Last Poll
1 Denver (45) 14-5-3 994 2
2 Miami ( 3) 13-4-5 871 1
3 Wisconsin 12-5-3 867 4
4 North Dakota ( 2) 12-6-4 821 5
5 Yale 9-3-3 754 6
6 Ferris State 16-4-2 685 11
7 Michigan State 15-6-3 673 9
8 Colorado College 12-7-3 658 3
9 Cornell 8-4-2 603 8
10 Minnesota-Duluth 14-7-1 595 13
11 Bemidji State 14-4-2 545 10
12 Boston College 10-6-2 500 7
13 Union 12-4-5 350 17
14 St. Cloud State 12-7-3 330 15
15 Mass.-Lowell 12-7-2 325 14
16 Maine 11-7-2 238 18
17 Quinnipiac 13-7-1 172 12
18 Vermont 10-6-2 156 19
19 Massachusetts 12-8-0 137 16
20 New Hampshire 9-7-4 118 NR
Others Receiving Votes: Alaska 82, Lake Superior 9, Notre Dame 6, Michigan 3, Minnesota 3, Northern Michigan 2, Minnesota State 1, Rensselaer 1, RIT 1

------------------------------------
USA TODAY/USA Hockey men's poll
[Jan. 11, 2010]
1 Denver (33) 14-5-3 509 2
2 Miami University (Ohio) (1) 13-4-5 436 1
3 Wisconsin 12-5-3 429 4
4 North Dakota 12-6-4 386 5
5 Yale 9-3-3 371 6
6 Michigan State 15-6-3 316 9
7 Ferris State 16-4-2 308 12
8 Cornell 8-4-2 253 7
9 Colorado College 12-7-3 248 3
10 Minnesota Duluth 14-7-1 223 13
11 Bemidji State 14-4-2 184 10
12 Boston College 10-6-2 150 8
13 Union College 12-4-5 78 NR
14 Massachusetts Lowell 12-7-2 75 14
15 St. Cloud State 12-7-3 59 15
Others receiving votes: University of New Hampshire, 21; University of Vermont, 14; University of Maine, 11; University of Alaska, 5; University of Massachusetts, 3; Rochester Institute of Technology, 1.

INCH Power Rankings.

As always for a good laugh I include the INCH power rankings.
1. Denver
2. Wisconsin
3. Yale
4. Miami
5. North Dakota
6. Cornell
7. Michigan State
8. Minnesota Duluth
9. Colorado College
10. Ferris State
11. Boston College
12. Bemidji State
13. UMass Lowell
14. Union
15. Quinnipiac
16. Maine
17. St. Cloud State
18. New Hampshire
19. Massachusetts
20. Alaska

Dropped out: None
Bubble-licious: Lake Superior State, Vermont, Rensselaer

So who will be the next coach of the Gophers?

Former UND hockey beat writer Virg Foss has a nice article about former Fighting Sioux hockey coach Dean Blais and his win at the WJC. With his win in the WJC there has been a lot of speculation on the Internet that former Fighting Sioux hockey Dean Blais would be a slam dunk as the next coach of the Minnesota Gophers, while this is not the crux of the article it is a point worth looking at.

Since the Gophers have struggled the last couple of seasons there has been this on going speculation that it’s time for a coaching change in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There have been a lot of die hard Gopher fans ready to throw their former Spencer Penrose award winning coach under the bus. Some of these fans calling for a change had been ardent supporters of Lucia in the past.

FSN Hockey personality Kevin Gorg recently said on KFAN 1130AM that Don Lucia would basically go at the time of his choosing and that Lucia is probably safe for now. I think Gorg is right. Breaking it down further; why would a university just up and fire a hockey coach that has won five MacNaughton Cups, three Broadmoor Trophies and two back-to-back NCAA championships in 2001-02 and 2002-03. Add to this impressive resume a Hobey Baker Memorial award winner in Jordan Leopold 2002. Heck the University of Minnesota just re-upped a football coach Tim Brewster that was just begging to be fired.

There’s great fear in Grand Forks that if the University of Minnesota makes a coaching change with its struggling program, Blais will return to his alma mater to coach the Gophers.

I’m not convinced the freedom-loving Blais would jump into that pressure cooker at his age. Blais cherishes the time to hunt and fish whenever possible. The demands of the Minnesota program would cut into that.

Nor am I convinced that Gopher athletics director Joel Maturi would change hockey coaches in a program that at least wins, while offering an extension to football coach Tim Brewster. How does that make sense?

There’s a saying in sports that a great coach can take his players and beat yours, or take your players and beat his.

I think of Blais in those terms. Many others do, too. That’s why there’s rampant speculation and fear that he’ll end up coaching the Gophers, even though Blais once said “a big city isn’t for me.”

But if they cut a big enough check, maybe it might be. If that happens, so be it. I love Dean Blais and wish him nothing but success and good fortune. If that happens to be at the tail end of his coaching career with Minnesota, my heart will be with him.
[Read the whole article right here]

Rangers want McDonagh not Stepan.

Looks like the Badgers don't have to worry about losing Derek Stepan but you might not be able to keep Ryan McDonagh next year.

There was speculation following the tournament that Team USA captain and Rangers' draft pick Derek Stepan would bolt Wisconsin to play junior hockey, but Slap Shots was told on Friday by a well-placed source that the center will complete his sophomore year with the Badgers.

The Blueshirts, we're told, believe Stepan needs another year of development either at school or in junior hockey before he's ready to turn pro, but are keenly interested in getting Wisconsin defenseman Ryan McDonagh -- acquired from Montreal in the Scott Gomez deal -- into the organization following the completion of this, his junior season.
Read more:

It's here Sioux vs Gophers week...

This is one of the more exciting series of the college hockey season. The Sioux and the Gophers play this weekend in Mariucci arena in Minneapolis Minnesota. With this week of course brings the worst out of the fans from both teams. So let the stupidities begin. I was surfing the Star and Tribune’s web page and I saw a couple comments that really stuck out for me, that pretty much illustrate my point. Check out this one.

UND?
Why does some idiot always feel the need to go on about UND? Does anyone in the Cities even care about UND? Why do UND fans feel the need … read more to continually grasp at getting attention for themselves? Could it be the rest of us have lives, have the Twins, the Wild, the Vikings, the Timberwolves, Big Ten DIVISION ONE sports that can keep us occupied on the sports scene. Here is a news flash for all UND fans: WE DON'T CARE, AND WE NEVER WILL! It's college hockey! Women's beach volleyball gets more TV airtime than college hockey. And if UND is so great, why were they only one point ahead of UM at the halfway point? Not much to be proud of for UND fans either.

Swing and a miss here. I would be willing to bet that College hockey probably outdraws Women's beach volleyball. Last time I checked UND is 5 points ahead of UMN, oh course the Sioux have two games in hand. That fact really is a mute point, while the Sioux are sitting in a tie for 5th place UND is sitting at 9th in the Pairwise will the Gophers are sitting at 25th.

This is another briliant piece right Here. I am sure his mother would really be proud.

RinkPiggie - You must be a closet Gophs fan because game after game you always comment about how they played. Here's a thought; if UND is so sweet, why don't you try watching one of thier games sometime? Maybe you live in the cities and can't watch your beloved Susie's. Can only watch UND in a 2 mile radius from the Ralph I suppose... while Minny can be seen far and wide on FSN...jealous much?

ND is a horrible place to live and you hicks all move to Minny the first chance you get; and than you pretend how horrible it is...what color is the sky in your world Mrs. Piggie? Go back to Tractor town; because nobody wants you here either.

I guess this moron hasn't got digital cable? You can get the Fighting Sioux on expanded digital cable if you get the sports package, UND’s entire hockey home games are covered on FCS. Also, that means if you have Direct TV you can also get them on channel 617. Also, there are many satellite television dealers that will sell you a FTA dish and you can get Fighting Sioux hockey that way as well. Another swing and a miss.

I always love how the Gophers fans call UND fans a bunch of hicks, which is quite ignorant of course, most outstate Minnesotans resemble the people North Dakota, in their life styles and demographics. I would be willing to bet that he didn’t study sociology and or demographics in college. So basically he has just insulted his fellow fan base that lives outside of the metro area.

Line brawl in Denver.

Color me surprised! I thought the Fighting Sioux were the only ones that started these things. I was watching this game and at the buzzer DU and UAA had a bit of a tussle, there were a couple of punches thrown.

According the two DU FSN homer announcers, UAA had a couple of players come off the bench to get involved in the fracas. There were definately a few more Seawolves than Pioneers on the ice. Then a couple of extra Pioneers ended up on the ice. It was a dust up but the refs should have seen it coming. It could be chalked up as an epic fail on their part.

Of course, true to form George Gwozdecky aka "the Dasher Troll" was out on the ice again last night. One of these days the league has got to suspend him for his bravo sierra, he is one the ice more than the players.

DU rallied with a Tyler Ruegsegger goal in the final minute of regulation to beat gritty Alaska-Anchorage 3-2 at Magness Arena. The win kept DU in front of Minnesota-Duluth atop the WCHA heading into a bye week. The Pios next play Jan. 22 at Wisconsin, but some players may have to serve a suspension.

At the buzzer, a brawl broke out near the DU penalty box, with at least five fights unfolding before the eyes of WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod. Some were minor grab-a-guy situations, but others heated up pretty good. It’s 11:02, past my deadline, and officials still haven’t ruled on penalties and probable suspensions. I hear DU’s Rhett Rakhshani and John Ryder are suspension candidates. I’m almost positive UAA’s Chris Crowell was one of two players to come off the bench and square up.
[Denver Post Hockey blog]

Here is the penalty minutes from the Box Score. Notice for the most part how the penalties even up, the UAA player Chris Crowell got a double game disqualification, you don't see that happen very often. Your typical WCHA officiating.

AKA-9 Lee Baldwin (2-Roughing) 20:00
AKA-10 Lee Baldwin (2-Roughing) 20:00
AKA-11 Lee Baldwin (5-GRASPING THE FACEMASK) 20:00
AKA-12 Jared Tuton (2-Roughing) 20:00
AKA-13 Jared Tuton (2-Roughing) 20:00
AKA-14 Jared Tuton (10-Game Disqualification) 20:00
AKA-15 Nick Haddad (2-Roughing) 20:00
AKA-16 Nick Haddad (2-Roughing) 20:00
AKA-17 Tommy Grant (2-Roughing) 20:00
AKA-18 Tommy Grant (2-Roughing) 20:00
AKA-19 Brad Gorham (2-Roughing) 20:00
AKA-20 Brad Gorham (2-Roughing) 20:00
AKA-21 Kevin Clark (2-Roughing) 20:00
AKA-22 Kevin Clark (2-Roughing) 20:00
AKA-23 Chris Crowell (10-Game Disqualification) 20:00
AKA-24 Chris Crowell (10-Game Disqualification) 20:00
AKA-25 Chris Crowell (2-Instigating) 20:00
DEN-6 John Lee (2-Roughing) 20:00
DEN-7 John Lee (2-Roughing) 20:00
DEN-8 William Wrenn (2-Roughing) 20:00
DEN-9 William Wrenn (2-Roughing) 20:00
DEN-10 William Wrenn (10-Game Disqualification) 20:00
DEN-11 John Ryder (10-Game Disqualification) 20:00
DEN-12 Joe Colborne (2-Roughing) 20:00
DEN-13 Joe Colborne (2-Roughing) 20:00
DEN-14 Patrick Wiercioch (2-Roughing) 20:00
DEN-15 Patrick Wiercioch (2-Roughing) 20:00
DEN-16 Rhett Rakhshani (2-Roughing) 20:00
DEN-17 Rhett Rakhshani (2-Roughing) 20:00
DEN-18 Tyler Ruegsegger (2-Roughing) 20:00

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End of Game