WCHA Officiating: A link in the anchor holding the WCHA back

Ok, this is more a follow up to Goon's He said What? piece earlier.

My stance is pretty arrogant and biased, but here it is. I believe the WCHA to be the best NCAA hockey has to offer. I believe that only a handful of teams in other conferences (most notably Michigan, BC, and BU) would be able to keep up with the WCHA. Sure, every conference has its strengths and weaknesses, but I think the WCHA is on the cusp of being the elite conference.

There are only two entities holding the WCHA back: Its administration and its officiating. Despite myself lobbying for McLeod's ouster, I think he's the lesser of two evils overall. I know this is hard because he's the one that hired the worst evil that the WCHA knows as of yet. The ONE thing holding the WCHA back. That's WCHA Director of Officials Greg Shepherd.

Let's speak positives. There's very few involved with the WCHA that hasn't positive memories of Greg Shepherd while he was an on-ice official. I've never witnessed him officiate a game, but I've also yet to hear anything negative about his on-ice performance overall. That being said, Kevin McHale was a great player for the NBA. How did his work as a GM work out for the Timberpuppies?

The big catch-word in today's business (which, like it or not, hockey is) is the word "accountability." Accountable employees tend to be more efficient if given the right support and environment to work in. Those who are not held accountable, or accountability standards aren't enforced, tend to satisfice, or simply work hard enough for it to be considered "good enough." There is no need to improve. No need to criticize what could have been, trace mistakes and work to improve on them. This is bad enough when you are low on the corporate ladder, so to speak. However, when this is displayed by administration, this is devastating, because it is self-perpetuating. An administator who seeks the "good enough" stance, like McLeod and Shepherd do, install officials that reflect on this belief. There is no need to improve because they haven't been called out too harshly by the ADs and coaches of the league at meetings held, conveniently, after the season. Coincidentally, something like par or subpar officiating is hardly an issue when other things are on the docket. And if it is brought up, the rapport with the ADs and coaches will usually be enough to smooth most of it over. Time and empty promises will smooth the rest.

So, with compromised hiring (and firing) practices and a satisficing Administrative leadership, what about the on-ice officials? Hello, "Good 'ole boy" network. This is a big time conference with Beer League Accountability. "Don't do it again or you'll pay." Even then, though, it's not enough. That didn't work for Don Adam. In the span of 5 years, he's watched two incredibly illegal, damaging hits to players and made no attempt to be decisive on a call. He called Paukovich for boarding Bina despite the other facts in the case (Paukovich charged Bina from center ice and crushed him at full speed, he made no attempt to slow down, and the puck should have been blown dead after the Sioux player behind the net touched up the puck due to a penalty on the Sioux having been called) and was convinced to call a 5 minute major as a sort of make up call type set up after Hextall went ballistic on Marvin and, even then, did not bother to even find out who actually did the illegal hitting until after the period was over. But the key to the whole Adam affair is the phrase "span of 5 years." Randy Schmidt made the same mistake twice in a season and was fired for it.

So, there's your precedent. Don Adam will be fine provided he doesn't watch two players get seriously injured in the same year. Maybe it would have to be the same team getting the injury without a call to end Adam's WCHA tenure. Don't forget that, though unsubstantiated, Don Adam left for the HEA at one point and was FIRED or NOT retained. I would assume that's not true if Adam didn't have a history of being THE most dangerous official with regards to player safety in the WCHA. Face it folks, every other official in the WCHA blows games now and then, but only Don Adam allows serious injuries to go relatively unanswered.

Then there is the issue with NCAA Crackdowns. Why do Crackdowns take place? Has anyone read the crackdowns? If you had, you'd probably notice that NONE of them impose NEW RULES. Why would the NCAA have to tell the WCHA to enforce the rulebook if the officials were doing a good enough job, even taking human error into account, on their own? I can't prove that the obstruction crackdown was meant to counter WCHA ineptitude, but you can't tell me the CFB Crackdown wasn't. And even then, it's now a joke. Cheap hits cannot be defended by the teams. No fighting is allowed. So... it falls on the officiating. If players walk onto the ice knowing that any cheap stuff will be met severely, they won't do it or if they do, they'll pay and so will their team. McLeod brags about how the WCHA doesn't give out more than 2 game suspensions. He's right. I can only think of one 2 game suspension the WCHA has handed out. I believe it was earlier this year to an MSUM player? Or maybe it was C. Smith of UW. I can't remember clearly. Paukovich got 1 game, not even a misconduct for the game he did the hit on, and DU added 1 game because, as Gwozdecky rationalized, Paukovich needed a little extra time to get over the circumstances. In other words, had Paukovich not been somewhat human, 1 game is all he'd have sat. I guess it was ok to sit him as it was only going to be missing a game vs. Bemidji. I've never rooted for a long shot harder in my life.

There are a bunch of solutions to this:

1. This offseason, dismiss Greg Shepherd (heck, offer him early retirement, I don't care). Put McLeod on dismissal watch.

2. Hire a consultant to comb through policies and procedures, personnel interviews, performance records, etc. and suggest immediate and long term solutions to the administrative aspect of officiating and the league.

3. Hire someone with NHL credentials to lead the officials.

4. Separate league goals from officiating goals. No more institution-enforced parity. No more situation officiating.

5. Install the NHL's standards (or a variation therein) of hiring, firing, and performance standards for all on-ice and off-ice officials (such as video replay judges, scoring table people, etc.)

6. Start enforcing the rule book as the rule book is written. No more leeway to coaches regardless of the school's standing.

7. Mandate a 24 hour response period towards serious infractions. If the college doesn't give a serious enough response (within reason) to an illegal action either on or off ice, the league will impose a harsh punishment. No more "talking to's" will be accepted as a punishment.

8. Move league offices out of cities that hold member schools. McLeod should not have his office in or near Denver, CO. I suggest Chicago, IL. If the other Directors wish to not consolidate their stance, then the Head of officiating should be headquartered in someplace like Milwaukee, WI or even someplace more out of the way like Detroit, MI. That way, if Gwozdecky wants to get ahold of McLeod, he has to do the same thing Eaves or Hakstol or Lucia has to do: Email, phone, or hop on a plane. The best place I'd've recommended would have been Omaha, NE, but now that UNO has entered the WCHA, that's out.

9. Appraisal of Officiating or on-ice issues should be discussed at a separate time AFTER the post season meetings. Get the "big deals" done first and then approach this issue as THE priority on the agenda. The first order of business? League wide mandated and enforced accountability standards for ALL WCHA officials from the newest AR to the Head of Officiating himself. Heck.. MAKE THAT PUBLIC. Punitive action can be kept private, but the hiring practices and accountability standards are hardly confidential and should be right there for perusal. And, for the following 5 years post-ratification, the standards should be revisited ANNUALLY. After that, every 5 years unless 3 schools make a motion at the post season meetings to revisit it prior to that time.

10. Reverse review officials. This would be a two-tiered appraisal process in which surveys would first go out to ADs, Coaches, and the officials themselves (as a form of self-assessment). I'd love for the fans to be involved, but that would be a disaster. I don't see much more than 1 or 2 officials actually losing their jobs. The only one who'd probably lose his job would probably be Don Adam. The rest should just go on probation and see where they stand. Those new to the league would be exempt from this as it's too early to see a trend. So, no free passes. It doesn't matter if you played hockey for 20 years and then officiated up until today. You're a nobody until proven by the new accountability standards.

11. Might want to investigate disallowing any on-ice official to officiate his alma mater. We can call this the Mason Rule if tUMD fans wish it.

END RANT???

Hexy playing tonight. (It's Official game on)

RWD's favorite hockey beat writer has put the up the UND's lines. for tonight's game. More good news for the Fighting Sioux; Brett Hextall who has been out since the Tourney in Chicago is back in the line up after being out with a undisclosed lower leg injury.

17 Jason Gregoire--29 Chris VandeVelde--10 Corban Knight
19 Evan Trupp--22 Brad Malone--21 Matt Frattin
9 Mario Lamoureux--11 Darcy Zajac--18 David Toews
26 Brett Hextall--27 Carter Rowney--7 Danny Kristo

2 Andrew MacWilliam--24 Ben Blood
3 Derrick LaPoint--25 Jake Marto
20 Joe Gleason--4 Corey Fienhage

31 Brad Eidsness
32 Aaron Dell
[UND Fighting Sioux stats]

The SCSU Huskies are reporting that their captain is out for tonight's game with the some kind of illness.

SCSU captain Garrett Raboin has come down with an illness and will miss Friday night's game against North Dakota at the National Hockey Center, according to the SCSU sports information department. Coincidentally, both teams will be without their captains. Sioux senior Chay Genoway remains out with a concussion following the last UND-SCSU series in November. [Pucks and Bats]

Sterns County Community College lines

11 Jared Festler--17 Aaron Marvin--19 Ryan Lasch
27 Tony Mosey--9 Garrett Roe--22 David Eddy
10 Ben Hanowski--29 Drew LeBlanc--12 Travis Novak
13 Jordy Christian--16 Nick Oslund--21 Brian Volpei

4 Craig Gaudet--18 Chris Hepp
25 Oliver Lauridsen--24 Taylor Johnson
6 Brett Barta--3 Sam Zabkowicz

41 Dan Dunn
30 Mike Lee
[SCCC Stats]


Here is the official press release to the earlier post about tomorrow's game being on MIDCO channel 6.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- Saturday night's men's hockey television broadcast between No. 11 North Dakota and No. 4 St. Cloud State will be shown on Midcontinent Communications. The broadcast will air on channel 6 in Grand Forks and on digital cable channel 322 throughout the rest of the state of North Dakota.

The broadcast is produced by Charter Cable, with Rob Hudson handling play-by-play duties and former Husky forward Mike Doyle providing color analysis.

Saturday night's game begins at 7:07 p.m. Central. Friday's game will be aired on channel 23 for Midcontinent subscribers.

Saturday's game between the Sioux and Huskies to be televised

UND hockey beat writer Brad Elliott Schlossman had this up on this blog. Good news for Sioux fans.

UND announced this afternoon that Saturday's game against St. Cloud State also will be televised by Midcontinent. It will be on Channel 6 in GF. More to come.... [UND Hockey Blog]

Husky hockey: SCSU's Marvin center of attention

 For the Sioux fans that haven't seen this one this article is interesting but it's not going to fan the flames of discontent. The flames of discontent are already there. It's almost like the SCSU team; fans and media are holding their breath and hoping their boy Marvin makes it out of this series without too many bumps and bruises. That is the beauty of hockey if you do something cheap, bush-league or violate the hockey code eventually you will pay for it, maybe not this weekend but eventually. I also wish people would stop painting Marvin as the victim, he made this bed. This song would probably be a good theme song for this weekend's series.

Mike and Connie Marvin often make the trip from Warroad to St. Cloud to watch their son, Aaron, play for the Huskies. This weekend’s series against North Dakota is one they’ll have to miss, however, because they’ll be in Vancouver, watching their daughter, Gigi, play for the U.S. Olympic team.

They’ll be keeping close tabs on what happens at the National Hockey Center, though, especially since Aaron Marvin could be a focal point for some in a crucial late-season matchup between fourth-ranked St. Cloud State and the 11th-ranked Sioux.

The Huskies are tied for first place in the WCHA and are trying to claim their first MacNaughton Cup. Sixth-place North Dakota still has a chance at home ice, but can’t afford to let many more points get away.

That’s where Marvin comes in. There’s a significant contingent of Sioux backers — if not UND players — who could blame him for sabotaging their season. On Nov. 13, North Dakota was tied for first place and knocked off the Huskies 4-2 in Grand Forks — only late in the second period, Marvin chased down Sioux captain Chay Genoway and crushed him with a check from behind into the glass near the SCSU net.


Marvin drew a one-game suspension, Genoway suffered a concussion and, three months later, has yet to return to the lineup. He was the top-scoring defenseman in the league at the time of his injury, when UND was 7-1-1. Without him, they’ve gone 6-10-4 — including a 1-4-1 mark in the last month.

“Back home, we’d always say what goes around comes around,” said Marvin, who publicly expressed regret shortly after the hit and has had one other five-minute major (on Feb. 23, 2008) in 107 career games. “They’re definitely going to be coming around on Friday night. Whatever happens, happens. You just have to keep your head up and protect yourself.”

Various Internet message boards have lit up recently with calls by Sioux fans for frontier justice. It remains to be seen whether the opportunity for that could come today or Saturday. It’s certain Genoway’s teammates would like to at least respond by beating SCSU

“He’s still a huge part of this team,” UND senior Darcy Zajac said of Genoway during the Sioux’s weekly media availability. “This weekend’s for Chay. We’ve got to be playing for Chay, and we got to get those two wins for him.”

Adding twists to the storyline are that Marvin’s grandfather, Cal, is a member of the UND and U.S. Hockey halls of fame. And Aaron is sort of related to Genoway. One of Marvin’s cousins married a relative of the Sioux senior.
“No team feels worse than us,” Huskies coach Bob Motzko said of Genoway’s injury. “We’re all hoping he comes back quick — unless he chooses to (medically) redshirt.”

Not that it will buy Marvin any goodwill. [SCTIMES]

If SCSU Huskies coach Bob Motzko wanted to extend some good will he would have suspended Marvin for longer like George Gwozdecky did when Paukovich injured Robbie Bina back in 2005. I am not advocating any cheap stuff this weekend. I want UND to run the Huskies into the ground play a physical hardnosed brand of hockey and crash the net. Nothing dirty, however, if the chance presents itself take that pound of flesh. Remember hockey is a physical game so the Sioux forwards should pound Roe and Lasch every chance they get. The Huskies are not a physical team and don’t like to be hit, they are a lot like the Gophers.

A couple of things about the upcoming series.

I thought that you might want to see what the other side has to say about this weekend's series. Funny how the SCSU hockey beat writer basically said the same thing that I did on how the Huskies had not played the most impressing schedule in their last 12 games. I am not saying that the Huskies are not a good hockey team, I am just saying their wins weren’t that impressive.

Amid all the 'will-UND-get-revenge-on-Aaron-Marvin' hoopla this week (that's the subject of Friday's preview story), perhaps a little of the lustre of an otherwise classic matchup is lost. Fourth-ranked St. Cloud State playing host to No. 11 North Dakota could be one of the best series of the season, regardless of whether the Huskies and Sioux mix it up with anything other than shots and goals, saves and skating.

SCSU needs the series to stay in the MacNaughton Cup race, to keep the pressure on other teams for a top-three finish and strong position in the WCHA playoff picture, and better firm up a high seed for the NCAA Tournament. North Dakota, two years removed from a fourth straight Frozen Four appearance and less than 12 months since the Sioux last hoisted the Cup, are staring a road playoff series in the face for the first time since 2002 unless they perhaps sweep this weekend.

“I haven’t watched a whole lot on St. Cloud, to be honest with you,” UND coach Dave Hakstol said. “I know their personnel well enough. They’ve got a couple of high-end guys up front but they’ve got a bunch of good, offensively skilled players and, obviously, they’re finding good chemistry and finding ways to win a lot of games, especially over the last two months.”

The Huskies enter the series 10-1-1 in their last 12, but most of those opponents weren't of this caliber -- and SCSU is 3-6-1 all season when facing teams ranked No. 11 or better.

"We know we're going to get North Dakota's best," Huskies coach Bob Motzko said. "They're in a spot they're not used to and that's a prideful program. They're well-coached and a good hockey team. We're going to have our hands full. They play with the pedal to the floor. Their goal is to push you through the back wall. We try to play the same way. You're going to get knocked over when you play them. It's how you get up and go from there that's important."

North Dakota has the top scoring defense in the WCHA (2.21 goals against). And SCSU's goalies are both in the top five in save percentage. So don't be surprised if both games are nail-biters that live up to billing.[Pucks and Bats]

Ovechkin slambs Gill and scores goal? Not.

Wow what a hit by Caps star Alex Ovechkin as he laid out the human obstruction machine Hall Gill. In my world that is what I call finishing a check and I believe that goal should have counted. I am hoping that the Capitals or Bruins make it out of the East this season. It was ruled no goal on the ice but I think it should have counted.

Ovechkin had a goal waved off 14:10 into the second. Ovechkin crashed the crease and knocked Montreal defenseman Hal Gill into Price as the puck slid into the net after the Montreal goalie made a huge glove save on Mike Knuble's shot.

Initially ruled a goal, the on-ice officials huddled in front the timekeeper's bench before reversing their decision, waving off the goal.
[NHL.COM]

He said what?

I found this part of Brad's Thursday article to be interesting. When I read McLeod's quote it does nothing but make me furious. Nope! The league office isn’t worried about this weekend’s game in Saint Cloud, give me a break. So if the league office why are they summoning the head of officials Greg Shepherd and Marco Hunt and Derek Shepherd? I smell it and I don’t believe them.

If you’re not worried about this weekend’s series why not let Don Adam and John Campion and or even Todd Anderson ref this series? I will answer that question, the league office doesn’t want to see an a line brawl this weekend if any of the games get out of control.

In talking with a great Fighting Sioux hockey mind I predicted that we would probably see Derek Shepherd and Marco Hunt ref this series with Greg Shepherd looking one from the press box, and I was right. Like I said in the past Marco and Derek are the best of the worst and they need their most competent officials for this weekend’s series and they can’t take the risk letting some buffoon like Don Adam, Brian Thul or Scott Bokal. We have seen two UND players carried off the ice when Adam is officiating.

Western Collegiate Hockey Association commissioner Bruce McLeod says the league isn’t worried about a possible incident in St. Cloud, but supervisor of officials Greg Shepherd is expected to be on hand for both games.

McLeod did say that the league will start considering lengthier suspensions for flagrant hits, though. The WCHA’s standard has been handing out one-game suspensions, which is what Marvin got for his hit on Genoway.

In contrast, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, in dealing with two recent illegal hits to the head, suspended one player for the entire season and another for 15 games.

McLeod said that the NCAA had a conference call after Marvin’s hit on Genoway to clarify the rule and another one with the league’s teams to warn them about a crackdown.

“(Longer suspensions) would definitely be a consideration after the warnings,” McLeod said. “Knock on wood, we haven’t had to deal with another one and hopefully we don’t.” [Grand Forks Herald]

Lastly, McLeod must have trouble with reading the rule book because the NCAA rules are pretty cut and dried; Hitting From behind are a point of emphasis. I don’t need to listen to a conference call to be able to understand that. I would imagine that people that are hockey fanatics could understand the rules.

Weekend Match Ups (by Sioux 7)

Since 4 WCHA teams are on a bye week, and it's Valentine’s Day weekend, how about a poem this week.


Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
Play in this League
And the Refs will Screw You


It seemed funny when I wrote it :) Now down to some business.


CURRENT WCHA STANDINGS

TEAM………………….GP….W-L-T….PTS
1 Minnesota-Duluth…..22….14-7-1.….29
1 St. Cloud State……...22….13-6-3….29
3 Denver……………….... 20….12-4-4.….28
4 Wisconsin…………..... 20….11-6-3…. 25
4 Colorado College…...22….11-8-3.….25
6 North Dakota………...20…..8-9-3.….19
7 Minnesota…………....20…..8-10-2 …18
7 Alaska-Anchorage…24…..8-14-2….18
9 Minnesota State……20…..6-13-1….13
10 Michigan Tech.……22..…4-18-0.….8



WCHA

#11 North Dakota at #4 St. Cloud State
Last weekend the Sioux enjoyed the week off and the Huskies took 3 points from UAA at the National Hockey Center.

Earlier this season the teams met in Grand Forks with each team getting a win. A week off might just be what the Sioux needed. It gave their injured players time to heal and get back to work on basic hockey skills. Meanwhile the red hot Huskies continue their point gathering ways, moving into a tie for 1st place (with UMD). Since the calendar changed to 2010 UND has an okay 4-4-2 record, while SCSU is 10-1-1. After this weekend the Huskies will only have four remaining games, all are in against WCHA foes. The Sioux need points if they are going to try and wrestle the 5-spot away from the CC Tigers. I’m also thinking that UND might want some reckoning this weekend, since it was Marvin who checked Genoway from behind and knocked him out this year. So maybe their might get to be a little scuffle or two this weekend. The Goon and I will be attending Saturday’s game at the NHC, so hopefully we can will our team to a victory that night. SPLIT.


Minnesota at #2 Denver
Last weekend the Gophers rested during a bye week and the Pioneers beat Mercyhurst and then edged the Air Force academy in OT.

Back in October the Pioneers swept the Gophers in Minneapolis, by identical 3-0 scores. DU has a relatively easy schedule this month, after UM they host MTU and then travel to MSU-Mankato. UM has a much harder schedule this month, after DU the Gophers host CC, go to UMD, and in March host UW to end the year. DU has basically got home ice for the first round of the playoffs, and UM has to get some help if they want to get up to the 5th spot. Both UM and UND will be cheering for whoever is playing CC, since that is the team they both want to leap over. Gopher fans have to be beyond restless at this point of the season; they have to wonder if the team, that looks so good on paper will ever be that good on the ice. Pioneers fans, the faithful few of them, are happy to see their team live up to the pre-season billing of being a top team in the league and country. The stats and everything point to a Pioneers sweep, but this is the WCHA after all. SPLIT.


Minnesota State at #3 Wisconsin
Last weekend the Mavericks took the week off and the Badgers beat Michigan in their outdoor game in Madison.

This will be the only meeting between these teams this season, however they might end up playing each other in the first round of the WCHA playoffs. The last time these teams played was last season’s 1st round of the WCHA playoffs in Madison where the Badgers beat the Mavericks in two games. But in February of 2009, when the Mavericks hosted the Badgers, MSUM took 3 points. The Mavericks have 6 wins in conference and 3 of them are against helpless MTU. I don’t think this will be much of a series, the Badgers should easily take all four points. BADGERS SWEEP.



BYE WEEK – OFF
#7 Minnesota – Duluth
#9 Colorado College
Alaska Anchorage
Michigan Tech

Milan Lucic vs Adam Mair

This was a good fight and only one of three fights that Milan Lucic has been in this season because of his broken finger and his high ankle strain that kept him out of 18 games earlier in the season.

Thomas: Trade reports are 'fictitious'

This would refute some of the rumors about Thomas going to the Chicago Blackhawks. I was not aware that Thomas has a no trade clause in his contract. I like Tim Thomas and he hasn't had any goal support this season and Rask is hot right now but Timmy was one of the best goalies in the NHL last season.

BRANDON, Fla. – Tim Thomas’ family has heard all of the trade rumors, and – worst of all – that he might be headed to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Never mind the fact that Thomas has a full no-trade clause for the first three years of his four-year deal, or that the Blackhawks have no interest in making such a trade with the Bruins. Once the whisper campaign begins, it can turn concrete enough that no amount of facts can get in the way of juicy rumor.

Thomas told CSNNE.com he "won't respond to something that's completely fictitious" and thus won't address trade rumors that have kicked up with the Vezina Trophy winner.

Thomas moved his parents from the Flint, Mich., area to Boston prior to the 2009-10 season and bought a house in the North Shore with his wife and children, planting roots in the city where he made his bones as an NHL goaltender. He has no reason, or desire, to waive his no-trade and uproot his family.

A hockey source confirmed with CSNNE.com that nobody – Bruins or otherwise -- has approached Thomas about potentially waiving his no-trade clause, and that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. Perhaps something gets revisited in the summer, when the Bruins are in a better position to shed salary cap baggage given their abundance of quality draft picks, but there’s no way something will happen with the B’s goalie this season.

Midcontinent to broadcast Friday's UND-SCSU game

Some good news for Sioux fans. Friday nights game will be on Midcontinent channel 23 in Grand Forks, ND. This is very good news.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Midcontinent Communications announced today that Friday night's men's hockey game between the Fighting Sioux and host St. Cloud State will be televised live on the Midcontinent channel throughout North Dakota and South Dakota.

The broadcast is produced by Charter Cable, with Rob Hudson handling play-by-play duties and former Husky forward Mike Doyle providing color analysis.

Friday night's game begins at 7:07 p.m. Central

Wednesday Presser with UND hockey

I will paraphrase a few of the comments from the Pressor.
Coach Hakstol: The line up will be the same from the DU series, UND will go with the same players. No panic in our locker room right now.

Gleason: We not going to focus to much on the thing with Chay. Our goal as a team is four points.

Zajac: We spent the off week getting healthy. We practiced hard. We recouped and we are ready to go. On Chay and Marvin incident those things seem to work themselves out in the end. This weekend we are playing for Chay. Our power play is going to come through this weekend.

Malone: We are going in there for four points. Team comes first, and no one is going to let their emotions go. Hurts to see Chay there waiting and not being able to play. Chay is a competitor.

SCSU vs UND (head to head)

2009-2010
11/14/2009 St. Cloud State 3 North Dakota 2 St. Cloud State
11/13/2009 St. Cloud State 2 North Dakota 4 North Dakota
2008-2009
01/31/2009 North Dakota 4 St. Cloud State 2 North Dakota
01/30/2009 North Dakota 0 St. Cloud State 3 St. Cloud State
12/13/2008 St. Cloud State 4 North Dakota 7 North Dakota
12/12/2008 St. Cloud State 2 North Dakota 3 North Dakota
2007-2008
03/08/2008 St. Cloud State 2 North Dakota 2 (ot) Tie
03/07/2008 St. Cloud State 1 North Dakota 1 (ot) Tie
01/05/2008 North Dakota 6 St. Cloud State 2 North Dakota
01/04/2008 North Dakota 2 St. Cloud State 3 St. Cloud State
2006-2007
03/16/2007 North Dakota 6 St. Cloud State 2 North Dakota
03/03/2007 North Dakota 7 St. Cloud State 2 North Dakota
03/02/2007 North Dakota 3 St. Cloud State 3 (ot) Tie
11/04/2006 St. Cloud State 2 North Dakota 2 (ot) Tie
11/03/2006 St. Cloud State 1 North Dakota 3 North Dakota
2005-2006
03/18/2006 St. Cloud State 3 North Dakota 5 North Dakota
01/28/2006 St. Cloud State 2 North Dakota 1 (ot) St. Cloud State
01/27/2006 St. Cloud State 2 North Dakota 1 St. Cloud State
11/19/2005 North Dakota 3 St. Cloud State 2 North Dakota
11/18/2005 North Dakota 2 St. Cloud State 3 St. Cloud State
[Click to the stats]
Someone posed the question over on USCHO what is the head to head record between SCSU and UND since Bob Moztko took over the coaching duties at SCSU in 2005-2006 UND leads the series 10 – 6 – 4 in the last 20 games.

Nickname supporters at Standing Rock begin push to add UND nickname to ballot

Looks like there is some movement on the Standing Rock Reservation. I still think the logo is on life support though.

Supporters of UND’s Fighting Sioux nickname at the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe will be starting a petition drive today to get the issue on the ballot.

Tom Iron, one of the supporters, said the group aims to have at least 600 signatures by next Wednesday. He said he’s spoken with Chairman Charlie Murphy about the matter, and the chairman has promised to cooperate.

Nickname supporters have worked for months on a petition, but the apparent lack of progress had convinced many State Board of Higher Education members that it was time to retire the nickname and move on.

Under a settlement between the state and the NCAA, which considers American Indian nicknames offensive, UND has until Nov. 30 to win support of both the state’s Sioux tribe or abandon the nickname. Spirit Lake tribal members had voted overwhelmingly last year to stand behind the nickname, but Standing Rock’s Tribal Council had refused to allow a referendum.

Iron and other supporters hope the signatures would convince the council, about half of which is new, to put the nickname on the ballot.

The state board will meet Feb. 18, and most members have indicated they might decide to retire the nickname then so UND can apply to the Summit League athletic conference. The Summit League has said it won’t consider an application until the nickname issue is settled. A lawsuit seeking to stop the board from doing that is awaiting a Supreme Court hearing in March, but board members think they won’t have to wait.

Coincidentally, the board will be meeting at Lake Region State College, not far from the Spirit Lake reservation.
[Grand Forks Herald]

Will Marvin get his?

Well it’s SCSU and UND week and this weekend’s series has to potential to get really ugly, in fact the refs are sitting on a potential powder keg. We all know why? There is no question; Marvin’s attempted decapitation on Chay Genoway in November was one of the dirtiest hits that I have seen since Geoff Paukovich tried to drive Robbie Bina through the boards at the 2005 Final Five. In my opinion the Marvin hit on Genoway has to be answered for, what Marvin did was a violation of the hockey code. I don't want to hear it was an accident, this gutless, dirty hit was a deliberate attempt to injure an opposition player. It is what it is, an illegal, gutless, brutal, bush-league hit, nothing else.

Watch the film, Marvin follows Genoway 185 feet all the way down the ice and looks for his chance to drive him into the boards, the fact that he hits him with an elbow, makes the more dirty. I am disappointed that Darcy Zajac had a chance to avenge the hit per the hockey code the night of the bush-league hit and didn't.

The Paukovich hit went unanswered for in following season and that incident festered for 2 years. The right response in this situation is like what happened in the Trevor Bruess and Rylan Kaip fight. If Marvin is a man of honor and lives by the hockey code, if challenged, (I would be willing to bet he get's challenged) Marin will man up game one Friday night and get it over with or he can be punk like Paukovich and let it fester, run his mouth and hide behind the officials and hope they are able to rescue him.

I agree with Brandon that I am sick and tired of reading on messages boards where SCSU fans are telling Sioux fans to get over it. The one that really chaps my ass is where I say some clown say since it was a UND player and since they play a psychical game Chay deserved it.


Let's put the shoe on the other foot imagine if one of the Sioux hockey player had driven Garrett Roe or Ryan Lasch's head into the boards, knocking him out for the season basically jeopardizing your season. Can you imagine the scene SCSU head coach Bob Motzko would have made if that had happened to one of his player, remember the scene made because one goal didn’t go the way he thought it should. Marvin was given a flimsy one game suspension for a hit that warranted at minimum a 2-3 three game suspension and you would have no trouble making the argument for giving him at least a 5 game suspension. If the WCHA actually had some leadership that had a pair balls Marvin would have been given a suspension with some meat to it. The WCHA is culpable in this situation, the players will probably take justice into their own hands.

If this was the QMJHL Marvin would probably be sitting out for very long time, but since the WCHA’s leadership are a bunch of walking buffoons they don’t’ see a need to protect the leagues players. Why should someone a top player choose the WCHA over the WHL if this kind of behavior is going to go unpunished, would you want your first round draft choice playing in the WCHA if you were a NHL GM?

Jeff Carter smokes Anssi Salmela

All I can say is ouch! Looks like a violent but legal hit to me.

Devils defenseman Anssi Salmela was taken off the ice on a stretcher in Philadelphia Monday night after getting hit by the Flyers' Jeff Carter just after scoring a short-handed goal for a 2-0 Devils lead.

Salmela, who came to the Devils in the Ilya Kovalchuk trade, cut around Mike Richards in the right circle and scored from the slot just as Carter delivered a right shoulder to his head.

After remaining facedown on the ice for six minutes in a mostly silent Wachovia Center, Salmela was removed from the ice on a stretcher. No penalty was called on the play.

The goal and it occurred at 1:01 of the second period. As the period ended, the Devils reported that Salmela was walking around the dressing room and was OK. [NJ.COM]

Here come the Gophers?

I found this blog article to be interesting. You have to wonder if Lucia is feeling the heat? Most fans in Gopher nation are not happy, their team almost has to run the tables and win the Final Five to make the NCAA tourney which is in their back yard. Their remaining games on the schedule are brutal as well. In my weekly pool that I am in with my friends I have picked the Gophers being swept by the Pioneers this weekend.

The Gophers play at Denver this weekend and Lucia is hoping for at least a split to give his team a chance to make a run for home ice.

"We still have that opportunity," Lucia said. "Obviously, we are going to have to get some points this weekend against Denver. If we get a couple [two] points, then all of a sudden you are only five back [of Colorado College] and you have them in your own building for two games.

"CC still has Minnesota, North Dakota and Denver, so they don't have an easy go of it as well."

Clearly, the Gophers have their sights set on overtaking North Dakota, one point ahead of them, and CC, a deceivingly seven ahead. The Tigers are tied with Wisconsin for fourth place with 25 points but are idle this weekend.

So if the Gophers can get two points or more, they can reel the Tigers in the following weekend at Mariucci if they can sweep CC.

"You still want to continue to play well and to finish as strong as you possibly can," Lucia said. "And then whether you are home or on the road, you are going to have to win that first round matchup no matter where you are. The fortunate thing for us is, we have played pretty well on the road all year long.

"I still think with eight games left, we can still do some damage. And that's our goal." [Goal Gophers]

2011 WJC Schedule announced.

[Props] The 2011 World Junior Hockey Championship has been announced. I think there is a good chance that UND recruit Derek Forbort will probably be playing for Team USA in Buffalo next season.

The Buffalo Sabres and USA Hockey today announced a tentative schedule and pool assignments for the 2011 World Junior Championship that will take place in Buffalo from December 26, 2010-January 5, 2011. The Sabres also announced that four games originally scheduled for Dwyer Arena will now be played at HSBC Arena, bringing the number of games in Buffalo to 21. This will not affect the previously announced ticket package pricing.

A total of 31 games will be played over 11 days at HSBC Arena, and Dwyer Arena on the campus of Niagara University in Lewiston, NY. Team USA will be in Group A along with Finland, Germany, Slovakia and Switzerland. Group B will feature Canada, Sweden, Russia, Czech Republic and Norway. The Gold Medal game will take place on Wednesday, January 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Team USA will begin defense of its 2010 World Junior title on Sunday, December 26 vs. Finland at HSBC Arena at 8 p.m. The opening day of the tournament will also feature two other games at HSBC Arena, including Canada/Russia at 4 p.m. The tournament officially opens up at 12:30 p.m. with a game at HSBC Arena between Germany and Switzerland. Norway and Sweden will face-off at Dwyer Arena that day in a 4 p.m. start.

Another highlight of Team USA’s schedule is a New Year’s Eve game against Switzerland beginning at 8 p.m. They will also face Slovakia (Dec. 28, 8 p.m.) and Germany (Dec. 30, 7 p.m.). All four of USA and Canada’s preliminary round games will be played at HSBC Arena.
[Buffalo World Juniors]

Tim Thomas On The Block?

I honestly don't see anyone picking up Timmy Thomas' and his huge 5 million a year contract, also, Tim Thomas is 35 years old. I also hope the Bruins wouldn't want anything to do with Christobal Huet, that guy is a brutal goalie.

One surprising rumor which just hit the wire is that the Boston Bruins are shopping last year's Vezina Trophy winner, Tim Thomas. If this is true, is it too early for the Bruins to give up on their down-to-earth goalie, a player they have a very heavy financial commitment to? (5 Million USD per year).

Does Chicago have faith in Cristobal Huet to take them to the promised land? It is possible that these two teams are disappointed enough in their respective goalies to try a switcheroo. But of course, that's easier said than done.[The Rink]

Avery's "pestrionics" get to Kovalchuk

My favorite punk Sean Avery, he makes for good theater. Whether you like Sean Avery or not, you have to admit it was smart hockey. I mean seriously, you took an offensive threat like Kovalchuk off the ice in essence ending his day early. I think Avery won that exchange.

NEW YORK -- The poke of the stick into a part of your body that might not respond well to that sort of thing. The hit slightly after the whistle designed to get your attention. The well-timed insult that gets under your skin and causes you to lose your cool.

Everyone knows the game of Rangers irritator Sean Avery -- but that doesn't make it any less irksome if you're in the wrong state of mind.

Just ask Devils star Ilya Kovalchuk.

With his team trailing the Rangers 3-1 and only 2:16 left in the third period, Kovalchuk found himself a couple of feet from Avery during a whistle. A tap of the stick and a few well-chosen words later, Kovalchuk was wailing away on Avery as officials tried to separate the pair.

They each received four minutes for roughing, effectively ending their nights with very little time left in the game. It left the Devils without their biggest offensive threat with the game on the line, and the Rangers without, well, a guy who gets paid to do just what he did to Kovalchuk.

"We obviously know the history with Avery and I think it's a smart play on his part to take Kovy out with two minutes left in the game," Devils forward Patrik Elias said after his team's 3-1 loss. "That's an advantage for them, obviously."

"He's always talks. It's part of the game," Kovalchuk said. "That time I should stay away from that, but we have a lot of great players who can do some damage in front. I heard it's a big rivalry, and now I know it."

Lesson learned.