Thrasher's Owner: ‘Sense of urgency' to keep Thrashers from moving

One cities loss could be another cities gain. Here is an interesting story that could affect hockey fans that live close to Winnipeg Manitoba. Roseau native Dustin Byfuglien has a new contract with the Atlanta Trasher but will he be playing closer to home? According to the Atlanta Constitution the Thrasher are losing a boat load of money and they probably won’t be able to continue losing millions every year.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution --- Atlanta Spirit co-owner Michael Gearon said there is now a “sense of urgency” to find additional investors or a buyer willing to keep the Thrashers in Atlanta. If the ownership group does not get additional financial help in the near future the franchise could be sold and moved to another city.

“If we are faced with that as the only alternative, that’s what’s going to happen,” Gearon told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an exclusive interview Tuesday. “I don’t think there is an ability to stomach another $20 million in losses. We just can’t do it.

“The reality is we need fans showing up and we need investors, or a primary investor.”

There is no buyer currently lined up to purchase the Thrashers, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The Thrashers have long been the subject of speculation that the franchise would be sold and moved with Canadian cities Winnipeg, Quebec and Hamilton most often mentioned

Atlanta Spirit has been trying to sell the Thrashers for six years – starting almost immediately after purchasing the team – according to the Jan. 21 lawsuit filed in Fulton County Superior Court against Atlanta law firm King & Spalding.

The group filed a $200 million malpractice lawsuit against the firm saying a “fatally flawed” and “botched” contract written to buyout former partner Steve Belkin prevented any Thrashers sale the nearly five years before that suit was finally settled in December.

Before the current litigation, the Atlanta Spirit stated publicly that it was looking for investors for the past two years for the Thrashers, Hawks or both franchises. According to the lawsuit, ownership reported more than $130 million in operating losses since 2005. The Thrashers value also has dropped by more than $50 million, the document says.

“I want to see this team in Atlanta,” Gearon said. “We are working to keep it in Atlanta. We need others to step in and help and, as of now, no one in the Atlanta community has.”

UND Fighting Sioux hockey: A lengthy drought on Friday nights

Looks like it’s time for the Fighting Sioux hockey team to wear their black jerseys on Friday night in St Cloud when they open their away series with the SCSU Huskies. I think it’s also time for the Fighting Sioux hockey team to end their futile drought on Friday nights.

Grand Forks Herald --- The last time UND won a Friday night game in St. Cloud, defenseman Dillon Simpson was 5 years old.

Yes, it has been that long.

The Sioux are 0-7-3 in their last 10 Friday night games in the National Hockey Center, dating back to a 4-3 victory on Nov. 27, 1998. On that night, the Sioux escaped with a win after Adam Calder broke a 3-3 tie with 5 minutes, 33 seconds remaining in the third period.

Since then, it has been more than a decade of struggles to open series in St. Cloud. The Sioux will try to break that streak at 7:07 p.m. Friday, when the teams open a two-game Western Collegiate Hockey Association series.

Some of the best recent UND teams haven’t been able to snap the skid. Consider:

- The 2000 national championship team was blanked 3-0 in its Friday night attempt. It was the only time that team was shut out that season.

- The 2004 MacNaughton Cup champion team tied 4-4. It tied Jordan Parise’s season high for goals allowed in a game.

- The 2009 MacNaughton Cup champion team lost 3-0, snapping the team’s eight-game unbeaten streak. It was one of two second-half losses for that team.

- And the Frozen Four teams from 2005-08 all stayed within a goal of the Huskies on Friday nights, but none of them managed to squeak out a victory.

“It’s a really tough building to play in,” UND coach Dave Hakstol said of the near 6,000-seat facility that has seating on two sides, box seats on one end and a walkway on the other.

Hump Day pontifications; time for an NCAA Center Ice

Recently while I was on KNOX 1310 with R.J. Richards; I was asked why we can’t see more college hockey on television. It was one of the first questions out of the box and at the time I wasn’t really prepared for that question because I thought we were going to go another direction and gave R.J. the generic answer that hockey is a niche/regional sport that doesn’t get as much attention or focus that some of the major sports like basketball and football receive and not every program is equal in their focus on hockey. I recovered by saying that I would pay extra money each year like I do to receive NHL Center Ice to watch more college hockey.

Since that radio show I have been pondering that question for a couple of weeks now. What are we really talking about here? Most serious sports fans that I know from this area already probably receive the extended sports package (MidcoNet) where they can watch FCS, BTN, ESPNU and CBS College Sports. Multiply the fee of $5.00 - $10.00 by X = Number of hockey games purchased and a lot of college hockey fans are probably already paying an extra $60.00 - $100.00 dollars every hockey season to watch college hockey not available to them on television, or they are traveling on the road to watch these games in person. Why not just give college hockey fans an NCAA College Hockey Center Ice?

Personally, I know I have spent many of hours and probably hundreds of dollars huddled next to my lap top attempting to watch the Fighting Sioux play opponents away from the Ralph on the low quality B2TVnetwork. That’s all we have right now but it’s better than nothing. That’s why I think there would be a demand for a NCAA Center Ice package that college hockey fans could purchase to watch games from other parts of the country. I think western college hockey fans would like to see for themselves just how good Yale, Union, RIT or Boston College really are is instead of having some hockey pundit tell us they are really good and there is no need to debate the premise.

Give me the Bean Pot Please

Every year in Boston they play a Bean Pot hockey tourney and all of the Division 1 college hockey teams from the city of Boston (Boston College, Northeastern, Boston University, Harvard) play in a college hockey tourney over the course of two weeks. The Bean Pot title is for bragging rights in the city of Boston. This is a very prestigious tourney and would be nice to see all over the college hockey fandom. On a national scene why is it that we can’t see this tourney on television in Grand Forks, ND without having to buy Direct TV? I don’t want to buy Direct TV because if I am not able to make the Fighting Sioux hockey games at home I don’t want to be at the mercy of Fox College Sports.

The next question I would potentially ask; is ESPN, ESPNU, CBS College Sports too busy showing their crappy Monday through Thursday programming that they can’t show the Bean Pot hockey games on their channel? They wouldn’t have to do anything out of the ordinary; they might be able to just take the feed from NESN anyways. There wouldn’t be a lot of labor involved or effort on their part to have this game shown on their network.

B.C. Interruption has a great blog post on how the Bean Pot tourney is mismanaged from a marketing perspective. That quote couldn’t be closer to the truth, it’s sad really. There is a lot of potential money to be made off of that hockey tourney that isn’t being realized.

Last night, BC sports marketing professor Lou Imbriano tweeted "The Beanpot a great event and tradition that is clearly mismanaged from a marketing/sponsorship perspective."

While I think the importance of the Beanpot is overstated, I tend to agree with Professor Imbriano.

The Beanpot Tournament usually marks the time of year when the casual Superfan starts to really take notice of Jerry York and the men's hockey program. And Superfans take extra special notice any time the Eagles face the Terriers.

Think about this, next season there is a very strong possibility that the Fighting Sioux will open with an Ice Breaker Tourney at the REA in Grand Forks, ND the guest list for this potential show case could include high profile teams like UND, Michigan, Boston College and Air Force Academy. Wouldn’t that be a good tourney to have on television? Isn’t there a lot of potential money to be made off of this hockey tourney? Wouldn’t this be a great season opener to get everyone ready for the NCAA hockey season by being able to watch these games on Television? Maybe this is why the Big Ten wants to have their hockey conference? The product is there already and prime for picking. We don’t need a new hockey league to maximize this potential money just sitting out there.

Tortorella wants Kreider soon

If I was Jerry York the coach of the Boston College Eagles I would be a little bit worried because an NHL coach is trying to get one of my top/key players from my hockey team to sign a professional contract. That’s the breaks you get sometimes when you recruit top notch blue chip players. According to Rick Carpiniello Torts would like to see Kreider get into their system as soon as possible.

Ranger Report Blog --- “I’m not sure if (he’s ready for) the National Hockey League, and even next year I’m not sure if it’s the National Hockey League if he does turn pro. But I think the sooner that you get into that grind of the American League, if that’s where you start, the better, because that’s where you learn to play the game. It’s a different game than college hockey. And I can understand. I don’t get into the personal matters as far as education. I think education’s important. I think this is a family decision. But as a coach, we want to sink our teeth into him as quickly as possible as far as getting him into a situation, to a Ranger, as quickly as possible.

“I had conversations with Ryan (McDonagh), I had conversations with (Derek Stepan) over the summer, and I had conversations with Kreider also. McDonagh and Step decided to come out, and I think that’s their call, and it’s Kreider’s call also as far as staying in (college). Selfishly for us, we want to get him to us and get working with him immediately.

“And even us, our discussions with him, are we going to hurt him by trying to get him in too quickly? So you’ve got to be careful. So we felt in watching Kreider, and all three of those guys when we talked to them, that we felt they were ready and we weren’t going to hurt them. McDonagh and Step decided to come and they’re playing with us right now. Kreider decided not to, which is fine. I’m sure he learned more going through the Beanpot and all these things, and all the World Championship games and stuff like that. It’s still a good training ground. So you’ve got to be really careful who you’re trying to get to turn pro because you may hurt them as a player, too, if you don’t allow them to develop where they’re at.”

This is what former Wisconsin Badger Ryan McDonagh had to say about playing in the AHL. I find these comments to be very interesting, not really an endorsement for college hockey coming from Torts or McDounagh… I guess I was a little off on my prediction about Ryan McDonagh as well; Goon's World thinks he can make the team out of training camp. [Puck Daddy]

On McDonagh saying his brief time in the AHL was invaluable:

“It’s hard (as a defenseman). It’s hard. That’s the toughest position, and down there everybody’s chasing that little black thing, and just to learn the grind of the gam at that position, the quick reads you have to make—and I think he handled himself very well. We were very patient as far as … he struggled at first and he just kept on coming on, coming on, and that’s why we felt we could make a deal in getting a forward when we were struggling with so many injuries and lacking offense. As I said, we let a pretty good defenseman go in Rozy (Michal Rozsival) because we felt McDonagh was ready to take the next step, and we feel he’s played very well for us here. He’ll go through some growing pains, but he’s played very well.”

Kessel gets first goal in 14 games sinks former team.

Former Boston Bruins and current Maples Leaf Phil Kessel had one assist in nine games against his former team the Boston Bruins. Tonight miraculously the young Leaf forward Kessel regained his scoring touch and scored two goals against his former team. The two goals that Kessel scored were of the high light variety. With the two goals Kessel snaps an unimpressive 14-game scoreless drought. Kind of a big ef you from Phil to his former team the Boston Bruins... Also, earlier today it was rumored that Tomas Kaberle had waived his no trade clause so he could be traded to the Boston Bruins. I must say no thank you!!!

Sioux vs Huskies on MidcoSN3 Friday night...

Jayson Hajdu the Assistant Athletics Director/Media Relations at the University of North Dakota confirmed on Twitter.com this afternoon that Friday's game between the Sioux and Huskies will be on Midco Sports Net 3 that's channel 323 in Grand Forks, ND. Unfortunately, Saturday's game between the UND Fighting Sioux and SCSU Huskies will not be televised on any Midco channel but will only be seen on Charter.You can watch Saturday's game on B2TV.com

02.18.11 7:00 PM CST

Men's Hockey Location: UND @ St. Cloud State

Available on MidcoSN3

NHL Rant (RW77)

ESPN.com (yeah, ESPN!) columnist Scott Burnside gets it.

I'm proud to say that there is SOMEONE at ESPN who sees through the NHL Front Office smokescreen that is their PR campaign and sees the light when it comes to the professional ranks of the sport in general. What did he do?

He sees the league as more than just Pittsburgh and Washington. AND he's not afraid to tell the Pens to go stuff it.

Recently, there was a kerfuffle (as Paul Allen of Vikings and KFAN fame would often say) between the Islanders and the Penguins in which one Pen (Godard) and 2 Isles (Martin and Gillies) were each suspended as a result. The Islanders were even fined.

I didn't watch the game so I'm not going to sit here and say that what happened was right but... Mario Lemieux is a crybaby. And Burnside called him on it. I like this guy.

Lemieux issued a statement contending that the league was too soft and did not send a clear enough message... yet the league suspended two guys a combined 13 games and one Penguin 10 games AND fined the Islanders $100,000.

Burnside alleges, and I concur wholeheartedly, that Lemieux's stance comes from the same stance that has me so derisive towards Sidney Crosby: Since the League makes such a big deal of the Pens/Crosby, they should take extra care to protect us. Like they're something special and the rest of the league is not.

Here's a small blurb I find extremely awesome:

Lemieux apparently didn't mind the state of the game so much when Matt Cooke, a player his Penguins signed to a new contract this past summer, put Marc Savard's career in jeopardy last season with a blindside check a thousand times worse than the one that recently felled Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby.
And Lemieux must have been too busy working on his short game last week to defend the game he loves when Cooke was suspended again, this time for four games, for drilling Columbus defenseman Fedor Tyutin headfirst into the boards.
Nope, Lemieux was pretty much silent on that one, too. Funny.

I agree. 1 million percent. And what's worse, some of their fans even feel the same way as Lemieux!
Lemieux goes on to talk about how the league needs to do a better job stating that the integrity of the game must be upheld and that hostile actions should not be tolerated.
Sure, I agree... and the league did take action. But what about the Penguins? Burnside enlightened me on some interesting statistics:
The Penguins lead the NHL in major penalties assessed as well as penalties per game!
Yet the only embarrassment that really happened that night was the score. A down and out, talentless Islanders team dropped 9 goals on the awesome Penguins!

Look, the points Lemieux made weren't exactly awful, but they did, as Burnside stated, come across as that of a spoiled little boy who didn't get what he wanted. The fact is, Lemieux is a hall of famer and when he speaks, people listen. This is not how you treat a league who bailed out your team and basically got you where you are today.
If you want those problems fixed then do two things:
1. Propose solutions and present them in the proper channels
2. Call out everyone... INCLUDING players like Matt Cooke, who deserve a hellova lot worse than a stupid 4 game ban.

In any case, read the article. It's DEFINITELY worth reading if you want to understand where I come from on the Penguins and Sidney Crosby.

VIVA the League, baby... NOT just the Penguins.

College Rinks

I found this little article at the Wall Street Journal - Sioux 7


Why College Hockey Arenas Are the Cathedrals of Sports
From Yale's 'Whale' to North Dakota's Palace, Quirkiness Reigns.

Most sports arenas being built these days are big on luxury boxes, videoboards and "retro" architecture. The conventions of the medium have become so entrenched that if you're not looking at the team names on the scoreboard, it may be difficult to know what city you're in.

Unless, of course, you walk into a college hockey arena.

For a number of reasons, this niche sport, which is concentrated in the Northeast and Midwest, has become a showplace for unusual stadium architecture—and on many campuses, the best fan experience going.

As the sport grows in size and stature, schools like Michigan, Northeastern and Yale have maintained the character of their grand old buildings while another crop of schools like Notre Dame, Boston University and Minnesota-Duluth have built, or are planning to build, distinctive new venues.

So here's a question: What are these arenas like? And what are their coolest attributes? With award season upon us, The Wall Street Journal has joined the party with a new prize: the Golden Zamboni. Based on visits to 10 unique hockey campuses, here are the winners and (losers) in 10 categories.

BEST HISTORY: Northeastern
Northeastern might never overtake its local rivals, Boston College and Boston University, in winning games: It's been 23 years since the Huskies last won the Beanpot, Boston's annual college-hockey tournament. But when it comes to Northeastern's Matthews Arena, no other building comes close. Opened in 1910, Matthews (known as Boston Arena until 1982) claims to be the world's oldest existing ice hockey arena—and is the original home of both the Boston Bruins and Celtics. It's even two years older than Fenway Park, the beloved home of the Red Sox.

Don't be fooled when you see it: the brick building's age is concealed by a recent renovation that brought a new scoreboard, upgraded seats and a refurbished lobby.

BEST ICE: New Hampshire
A major difference between college and NHL arenas is that the ice-surface dimensions of college rinks can vary. NHL rules specify that rinks must measure 200 feet by 85 feet wide.

The bigger the surface, the more wide-open the game. New Hampshire's Whittemore Center uses the dimensions for international play (200-by-100). One further distinction about the Whittemore ice: Students toss a dead fish onto it after UNH's first goal. "Because the goalie has to fish the puck out of the net," explains a spokesman.

LEAST LIVELY: Princeton
In fairness, we caught Princeton on a tough night—a Tuesday game against overmatched Sacred Heart while the student body was on break.

Still, Princeton's ancient Hobey Baker Rink (opened in 1923) is well known for both looking and sounding like a library. The building itself is a jewel: a tiny, roughly 2,000-seat rink with exposed brick throughout that's named for the legendary early-1900s Princeton football and hockey star. It's also in a good spot across from the recently built Whitman residential college and next to a train station. But the fans lack passion. In the Sacred Heart game, the visiting goalie got yanked midway through the first period yet heard nothing from the crowd.

BEST DESIGN: Yale
Not everyone appreciates the "Yale Whale," Yale's distinctive Ingalls Rink. According to an old newspaper clipping on display at the arena, Harry S. Truman called it a "nightmare" during a visit to campus.

In a sports world filled with cookie-cutter arena designs, though, the Whale is a welcome break. Designed by famed architect Eero Saarinen, the arena has a soaring, humpback-shaped roof, and every seat in the 3,500-capacity rink has an unobstructed view.

The best place to watch the game, though, is the standing-room ramp that encircles the rink—which fills up before the seats. Stuart Comen, a chef at Yale who has been attending games for over 20 years, has two season-ticket seats, but he doesn't use them. "After standing nine hours in the kitchen, I stand three hours here," he said.


MOST INTIMIDATING: Wisconsin
Wisconsin's Kohl Center, which doubles as a basketball arena, may feel a bit soulless. Built in 1998, it lacks the historical character and hockey-shrine feel of some of the sport's other venues. But Badgers fans, the most committed of whom are known as "Crease Creatures," are perhaps the scariest bunch of fans for visiting teams—especially since more than 15,000 of them can fit in the building. (Wisconsin boasts the best attendance in college hockey.)

North Dakota fan Rick LaFleur admitted recently that when it comes to the intimidation factor, North Dakota's home ice is "vanilla" in comparison to the supercharged atmosphere at Badgers' games, which he described as "double chocolate mocha."


BEST CROWD: Michigan
Michigan's intimate 6,600-seat Yost Ice Arena isn't flashy—it's chilly with narrow corridors, wood paneling that's reminiscent of a ski lodge and a skate rental window that makes it feel like a community rink. Students fill nearly half the arena for every game and their enthusiasm, coordination and ruthlessness makes it our pick for the best hockey student section in the country. Never mind that they stole most of their cheers from Cornell, says a team spokesman: the myriad expletives that Wolverine fans have added over the years "are vintage Michigan."


MOST OPULENT: North Dakota
At Ralph Engelstad Arena, the air is sweet with the smell of roasting Bavarian almonds. The floors are marble, chandeliers dangle from the ceilings, mirrors are framed in gold and fireworks go off whenever the Sioux score. Every seat—even in the student section—is extra wide with armrests and cushioning. It's the luxurious experience you'd expect from the late Mr. Engelstad, a former UND player who owned casinos and clearly had a taste for the finer things. Suiteholders have tricked out their boxes with leather couches, pinball machines and vintage jukeboxes. The coaches' locker room has a sauna. Since the arena opened in 2001 there have been a dozen wedding receptions a year held in the lobby.


BEST LOCAL FLAVOR: Minnesota-Duluth
Duluth's new Amsoil Arena, which opened this winter, doesn't have the same harbor views of Lake Superior, but it oozes local flavor. Bar tops in the fireplace-warmed "Bulldog Lounge" are made from local taconite rock, flecked with red iron ore; walls are inlaid with Minnesota stone and the decorative panels are made of wood salvaged from old grain elevators. On the walls are quotations from Duluth's two biggest local celebrities: frozen-pizza impresario Jeno Paulucci and Bob Dylan.


MOST SOBER: Minnesota
The cavernous Mariucci Arena, built in 1993, has become the stuff of legend. It features international-sized ice and 10,000 seats that slope steeply upward for optimum views. But ever since the University's decision to ban alcohol sales in premium sections, suites have been a tough sell, says arena manager Craig Flor. Minnesota President Bob Bruininks said this fall he might start talks to get liquor back for the VIPs.


BEST ATMOSPHERE: Maine
Games at Maine's Alfond Arena feel like the hockey version of Friday Night Lights. The crowd is a mix of diehard locals and feverish students (one of whom hangs a referee doll in effigy when the officials skate onto the ice. At one end of the 5,445-seat arena, a section of fans sits in an ear-splitting site directly below the band. "There's nothing like Maine hockey," said Melissa Cross, who's been attending games since she was 8. "What else are you going to do when it's 20 below?"

Corrections & Amplifications: It's been 23 years since the Huskies last won the Beanpot, Boston's annual college-hockey tournament. An earlier version of this article misstated the name as the Terriers.

Bruins last team Kessel wants see...

Toronto Globe and Mail

Wow! I would not want to be Phil Kessel right now, since being traded to the Toronto Maples Leafs from the Boston Bruins; Kessel has scored one assist against his former team in nine games, that is not very good at all for a player that has made a living scoring goals. Check out this article about Kessel in today's Toronto Globe and Mail, sounds like Phil is having a rough go at it. 

Globe and Mail ---- With reporters and cameras beginning to gather around Phil Kessel for his latest words of wisdom on Monday, the Toronto Maple Leafs winger looked over at his neighbour in the dressing room and said: “They’re here for you.”

Former C.C. Tiger Joey Crabb simply grinned.

Alas, that was wishful thinking for Toronto’s notoriously withdrawn goal scorer, who again becomes the reluctant centre of attention with the Leafs facing his former team, the Bruins, in Boston on Tuesday night.

Such is the problem when you’re dealt to a division rival: You see them six times a year and it makes for an easy storyline every time you do.

“How many times have I played there?” Kessel asked as he walked away from the mass of media. “It feels like 35.”

That it’s only four speaks to just how memorable those trips have been. Kessel’s only other visit to Boston this season ended with a 2-0 Toronto loss and the Beantown fans serenading him with a mocking “Thank you,” a response to the 2009 trade that gave them three high draft picks.

Including five games at the Air Canada Centre, Kessel has now played his former team nine times, going scoreless with one assist for his worst points-per-game output against any NHL team in his 348-game career.

Making matters worse this time around is the worst goal-scoring slumps of his career. If he fails to break his current string against the Bruins, Kessel will match a career high of 15 consecutive games without a goal.

“Right now, it’s a tough stretch, I guess, to say the least,” Kessel said. “I gotta be better. I gotta figure out a way to get them in the net.”

Teammates keep an optimistic view. “It’s exciting to play with him right now,” Joffrey Lupul said of his new linemate, “because you know any one of these games he’s going to break out.”

Kessel’s apparent frustration with his coach, meanwhile, has become a cause for debate in Toronto, but it hasn’t persuaded the Leafs bench boss to limit his criticisms. Asked Monday about the continued funk the team’s highest paid forward is in, Ron Wilson didn’t hold back.

I for the life of me can’t understand why anyone would want to play hockey in Toronto. Second, I also would not want to be an American hockey player playing in Toronto either, sounds like a night mare waiting to happen. In my humble opinion Toronto fans are the worst fans, they sound like entitlement hockey fans. Third Toronto Maple Leaf's fans are very hard on their team and their favorite team's players. It seems like they are focusing extra hard on the Americans players and or players that played college hockey in the USA.

I don't see this same thing happening in Montreal where they have two Americans as their captains; Brian Gionta "C" as well as Hall Gill "A" both are Americans as well as former college hockey players.

I don’t know what the problem in Toronto is, maybe it’s because they have sucked so bad for so long and they are just scape  goating the Americans players, I remember watching the same thing when Jason Blake played for the Leafs.

Fighting Sioux Hockey WCHA playoffs series ticket packages on sale

Time to get those WCHA first round playoffs series tickets... Get your ticket so you can watch the drive for number 8.

Grand Forks Herald ---- Ticket packages for UND’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association first round playoff series will go on sale to UND students and the general public at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Playoff ticket packages include tickets for all three potential games in the series.

The best-of-three series will be played at Ralph Engelstad Arena on March 11, 12 and 13 (if necessary). Game times are 7:37 p.m. on Friday, and 7:07 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday (if necessary).

Ticket packages for the series are $40 for adults, $20 for youth and $14 for UND students with a valid UND student identification card.

Public playoff ticket packages can be purchased at the UND box office at Ralph Engelstad Arena, all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at (800) 745-3000 or online at Ticketmaster.com.

David Backes vs Clayton Stoner Feb 12, 2011

What a way to end Hockey Day in Minnesota. The Minnesota boy David Backes probably bit off more than he can chew by fighting Clayton Stoner but Backes doesn't back down from a fight. Ouch!!! Cayton Stoner catches Backes in the face with a bomb.

There were a couple other fights in the game as well.

Matt D'Agostini vs Cam Barker

Cam Janssen vs Brad Staubitz

Poll Monday

USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll
[February 14, 2011]
1 Boston College (50) 21-6-0 1000 1
2 North Dakota 21-8-2 956 5
3 Yale 20-5-0 889 2
4 Denver 18-7-5 814 4
5 Minnesota-Duluth 18-6-5 774 3
6 Merrimack 19-5-4 739 11
7 Union 22-7-3 714 9
8 New Hampshire 17-7-4 606 6
9 Notre Dame 18-9-5 599 10
10 Miami 17-9-6 525 12
11 Michigan 19-9-4 517 13
12 Wisconsin 19-10-3 440 7
13 Nebraska-Omaha 18-10-2 412 16
14 Rensselaer 18-8-4 387 8
15 Boston University 14-8-7 290 14
16 Dartmouth 15-7-3 250 17
17 Western Michigan 15-7-10 236 15
18 Colorado College 17-14-1 102 19
19 Maine 12-10-6 92 18
20 Ferris State 16-12-4 61 NR
Others Receiving Votes: Rochester Institute of Technology 36, Princeton 35, Minnesota 15, Cornell 5, Robert Morris 5, Ohio State 1
____________________________________

USA TODAY/USA Hockey men's poll
Feb. 14, 2010
1. Boston College (34) 21-6-0 510 1
2. North Dakota 21-8-2 464 5
3. Yale 20-5-0 435 2
4. Denver 18-7-5 386 4
5. Merrimack 19-5-4 348 11
6. Minnesota Duluth 18-6-5 335 3
7. Union 22-7-3 334 9
8. Notre Dame 18-9-5 248 10
9. New Hamsphire 17-7-4 234 6
10. Miami (Ohio) 17-9-6 204 12
11. Michigan 19-9-4 175 13
12. Nebraska Omaha 18-10-2 129 NR
13. Wisconsin 19-1 0-3 105 7
14. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 18-8-4 101 8
15. Boston University 14-8-7 33 14
Others receiving votes: Dartmouth College, 29; Western Michigan University, 6; Rochester Institute of Technology, 4.

Check out the Goon on KNOX 1310 @3:00 PM

I will be on KNOX 1310 A.M. at 3:00 PM - 4:00 this afternoon talking about hockey with R.J. Richards you can listen to the show on this link if you don't live in Grand Forks, ND. [KNOX 1310 Click to listen]

Drew Stafford Hat Trick - 2/13 - Stafford second star of the week...

What a season Drew Stafford is having. Drew Stafford has four hat tricks this season, five for his career. Two of Drew Stafford's hat tricks have come against the Boston Bruins, one against Tampa Bay and one against the New York Islanders. Drew Stafford has been read hot has he has 8 goals in the last four games and two hat tricks in his last three games. According to Brad Schlossman Stafford now has 23 goals in 36 games. That’s 0.64 goals per game, which ranks third in the NHL behind No. 1 overall picks Sidney Crosby (0.78) and Steven Stamkos (0.71).

Drew Stafford hat trick 12/15/10

Drew Stafford hat trick 1/1/11

Stafford Scores Hat Trick In Sabres' Win on

Buffallo Sabre forward Drew Stafford named NHL second star of the week. [NHL.COM]

INCH Power Rankings

As always I include the INCH Power Rankings for discussion purposes and this week there was a lot of movement. The Darlings from Yale are starting to tumble in the rankings.

INCH Power Rankings
[February 13, 2011]
1. Boston College
2. North Dakota 2 - In three starts for the Sioux against Alaska Anchorage, goaltender Aaron Dell is 3-0-0 with a 0.67 goals against average and a .964 save percentage. 21-8-2 (16-6-0 WCHA) LAST WEEK: W vs. Alaska Anchorage, 6-1; W vs. Alaska Anchorage, 3-1. THIS WEEK: at St. Cloud State, at St. Cloud State
3. Yale
4. Union
5. Merrimack
6. Denver
7. Minnesota Duluth
8. Miami
9. New Hampshire
10. Rensselaer
11. Michigan
12. Notre Dame
13. Nebraska-Omaha
14. Wisconsin
15. Dartmouth
16. Boston University
17. Western Michigan
18. RIT
19. Colorado College
20. Robert Morris
Dopped out: Maine
Bubble-licious: Cornell, Ferris State, Maine

Mario Lamoureux impersonates Mario Lemieux

You have got to check out the call of this goal by Mario "Lemieux" Lamoureux Scores his second goal of the season versus the UAA Seawolves on Friday the second of February 11th 2011.... In my opinion Tim Hennessey is one of the best college hockey announcers in the business.

Kyle Clifford vs Daniel Carcillo

Watching this video really makes me happy, seriously Daniel Carcillo is one biggest hacks in the NHL and watching get worked by a clown by King's rookie Kyle Clifford is something that I relish. I am really impressed with this youngster's toughness who has already been in 12 fights this season.

Scores from Saturday, February 12

ATLANTIC HOCKEY ASSOCIATION
American Int'l 5 at Bentley 1
Army 0 at Holy Cross 6
Niagara 5 at Air Force 4 OT
Robert Morris 4 at Mercyhurst 4 OT

CCHA
Northern Michigan 6 at Michigan State 5
Alaska 2 at Lake Superior 4
Bowling Green 1 at Notre Dame 5
Western Michigan 1 at Miami 3
Ohio State 1 at Michigan 2

ECAC
Cornell 3 at Rensselaer 2 OT
Princeton 1 at Dartmouth 4
Brown 5 at St. Lawrence 1
Colgate 3 at Union 6
Yale 6 at Clarkson 3

HOCKEY EAST
Providence 3 at Massachusetts 3 OT
New Hampshire 2 at Merrimack 3 OT
Vermont 2 at Maine 4

WCHA
Bemidji State 1 at Michigan Tech 0
Denver 3 at Minnesota 7
Alaska Anchorage 1 at North Dakota 3
Minnesota State 1 at Colorado College 2
St. Cloud State 3 at Minnesota Duluth 3 OT
Wisconsin 3 at Nebraska-Omaha 4

NON CONFERENCE
Alab-Huntsville 1 at Ferris State 5

Analysis – It was another interesting night of hockey in the WCHA, the race for home ice is starting to shake out. With three weeks to go in the season before the WCHA playoffs start, the UND Fighting Sioux lead the WCHA with 32 points, Denver is second with 31 points and UMD is tied with the UNO Mavericks for third place with 30 points.

Bemidji State 1 - Michigan Tech 0 – The BSU Beavers won the Winter Carnival Crown in Houghton Michigan against the hapless MTU Huskies. BSU Sophomore Jordan George’s breakaway goal with 93 seconds left in regulation lifted the Bemidji State Beavers to a 1-0 win over Michigan Tech. The loss by the Huskies increased their winless streak to 26 games but with the tie on Friday night the MTU Huskies stopped a 18 game losing streak. The MTU Huskies have not won a hockey game since October 15, 2010. [Up North Sports]

Denver 3 – Minnesota 7 – The Minnesota Gophers beat the DU Pioneers who coming into this series had dominated the Minnesota “not so Golden Gophers” 10-1-1 in the last 12 games, so you kind of figured that something had to give and it did as the flood gates opened for the Gophers as they hung a “7” spot on the Denver’s sieves goaltenders. The Gophers chased DU starter Sam 33 seconds into the second period. There was “gasp” a fight in the game as well as John Ryder and Jake Hanson dropped the gloves and fought; or that’s how it was scored on the box score... From what I heard the fight in question was mostly two guys swinging at each other while by being separated by the WCHA buffoons officials. Note to WCHA refs and league office, if you’re going to award a player a game disqualification and a five minute major for fighting, let the players fight. [Goal Gophers], [Denver Post]

Alaska Anchorage 1 – North Dakota 3 – The UND Fighting Sioux secured home ice by sweeping the UAA Seawolves. The Sioux outscored the UAA Seawolves 9-2 and proved that the trap can be broken with speed and crisp passes. The Sioux blew by the big slow lumbering team from UAA all weekend long exploiting their lack of foot speed. The UAA goaltenders actually kept their team in the games all weekend long and if they hadn’t gotten good goaltending it would have been more lop sided. I thought that UAA goaltenders Rob Gunderson and Chris Kamal both played well in net for the Seawolves and they will only get better with experience. The Sioux with the win now sit at the top of the WCHA standings with 32 points. [Woody, ADN], [Grand Forks Herald]

Minnesota State 1 – Colorado College 2 - The Purple Mavericks and the Colorado College Tigers split a weekend series in Colorado Springs, Co. C.C. Tigers forward Tyler Johnson scored the game winning goal at the 10:40 mark of the third period to secure the split for the Tigers. [Mankato Free Press], [Colorado Springs Gazette]

St. Cloud State 3 – Minnesota Duluth 3 OT – The UMD Bulldogs came back from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game and earn a point in their weekend series with the SCSU Huskies at Amsoil Arena in Duluth, MN. With the tie the Huskies are sitting in ninth place of the WCHA standings and host the UND Fighting Sioux next weekend in Saint Cloud. [Saint Cloud Times], [Rink and Run]

Wisconsin 3 – Nebraska-Omaha 4 – The Wisconsin Badgers were swept by the UNO Mavericks in Omaha, Nebraska. The Wisconsin Badgers now own an unimpressive 1-9-2 record against ranked teams. The loss also dropped the Badgers to 15th over all in the Pair Wise Rankings. With the win the UNO Mavericks are sitting in third place two points out of first in the WCHA Standings. While I have had Badger fans remind me that while UW is 1-9-2 against rank teams, a fair number of these games have been in overtime or one goal losses; [4-3 BU, 4-2 DU, 1-0 UND, 4-2 UND, 6-5 UMD O.T., 3-2 UMD O.T., 2-0 UMD, 4-1 UNO, 4-3 UNO], a loss is a loss and it counts the same in the standings whether its by 1 goal or 5 goals. Just for the record, I am not trying to bag on the Wisconsin Badgers, personally, I have a lot of respect for the Wisconsin Badgers hockey program and their coach, the fact remains is that the Badgers have struggled against team above them in the standings. The Badgers are a good young team and if they aren’t raided by the NHL next season could be one of the top teams in the WCHA next season. [Madison.com], [Omaha.com]

Sioux 3 Seawolves 1

With the win last night the UND Fighting Sioux temporarily took over top spot in the WCHA, also, the UND Fighting Sioux have clinched home ice for the first round of the WCHA playoffs. Actually, I really didn’t think that was ever in doubt, because getting home ice was basically a formality for the Fighting Sioux hockey team based on how they had played this season to date. The UND Fighting Sioux would have had to fall flat on their face and stumble pretty bad not to get home ice.

So with the Fighting Sioux clinching home ice on Saturday night for the WCHA playoffs, again, the REA and the Fighting Sioux will host a first-round WCHA home playoff series for the ninth consecutive year, which currently is the longest streak in the WCHA.

Anyone want to get the “Let's fire coach Dave Hakstol” threads going on Sioux Sports now? Nah! I didn’t think so… I am just kidding, that being said, this weekend’s series the Sioux badly out shot the UAA Seawolves by a wide margin of 78-40. The Sioux used their speed to their advantage and basically just blew by the slower Seawolves all weekend long. The way the Sioux played this past weekend against a gritty tough opponent makes me very happy. The Sioux were all over the Seawolves forwards and they no answer to the Sioux’s tenacity. The Sioux also beat the Seawolves to the puck all weekend long, they won the battles along the wall and got good opportunities in the slot all weekend long. The main thing that I was impressed with was the Fighting Sioux ability to limit turnovers in the neutral zone that lead to odd man rushes. I don’t remember a lot of odd man rushes this past weekend.

Brett Hextall reemerges

This past weekend I thought that the Gregoire, Knight Hextall line reemerged as a dominate line, they played with discipline and were creating offensive opportunities off turnovers all weekend long. One of the factors for that reemergence was the play of forward Brett Hextall who was (1g-2a-3pts) on the weekend and only had one minor penalty called against him on Friday night. The Gregoire, Knight, Hextall line had ten points on the weekend – Jason Gregoire (2g-2a-4pts), Corbin Knight (1g-2a-3tps) and Brett Hextall (1g-2a-3pts)… This line needs to keep producing if the Fighting Sioux wants to go far in the post season. If Brett Hextall can regain his scoring touch and stay out of the penalty box with disciplined play he can be an effective weapon in the Fighting Sioux arsenal.

[Box Score]

Goon’s Three Stars of the game
1.) Jason Gregoire 1g-1a-2pts
2.) Corban Knight 0g-2a-2pts
3.) Brett Hextall 1-g-1a-2pts

Links to the game

USCHO

UND Hockey Blog

Grand Forks Herald

Sioux Yeah Yeah!!!

Woody, ADN

NHL suspends Matt Martin 4 games, Sioux beat UAA 3-1

I will take a 3-1 win against a gritty defensive UAA team. It’s been a long weekend I will post a blog post tomorrow on tonight’s Fighting Sioux hockey game, it was an impressive dominating sweep this weekend and the Seawolves were never really in jeopardy of beating UND. The Fighting Sioux skated through and around the Seawolves forwards and defenders all weekend long and if it wasn't for the Seawolves goaltenders it could have been uglier. The Sioux won a gritty playoff style win against the UAA Seawolves, I think in the future this team will be heard from because they have something like 10 or 11 freshman on their team and the Seawolves compete very hard.

This suspension just came out from the NHL. Matt Martin of the Islanders has been suspended for four games for his attempted Todd Bertuzzi style attack on the Penguins' Max Talbot. I am surprised that Martin didn’t get more than four games.

NHL.COM --- The National Hockey League has suspended Pittsburgh's Eric Godard for 10 games, while Trevor Gillies of the New York Islanders received a nine-game suspension and Isles forward Matt Martin drew a four-game suspension for their actions during Friday's game on Long Island.

The disciplinary actions were announced by NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell following in-person hearings with the Islanders on Saturday evening in Buffalo, where the Isles play Sunday afternoon.

Godard drew an automatic 10-game suspension under Rule 70.11 for coming off the bench to become involved in a third-period fight after New York's Michael Haley squared off with Penguins goaltender Brent Johnson. Godard received a double minor for roughing and a double game misconduct.

Gillies was suspended for leveling Pittsburgh's Eric Tangradi with an elbow and throwing several punches to his head in an incident that led to the Haley-Johnson fight, earning a major penalty and a game misconduct. Tangradi left the game with concussion symptoms.

Martin was suspended as a result of delivering several punches from behind to an unsuspecting opponent, the Penguins' Max Talbot, during the second period. He received a major for fighting and a game misconduct.

Gillies will lose $24,193.53 in salary; Martin will forfeit $41,585.36 as a repeat offender; and Godard will lose $40,322.25.

"The actions by the Islanders' Gillies and Martin were deliberate attempts to injure by delivering blows to the head of players who were unsuspecting and unable to defend themselves," Campbell said in a statement issued by the NHL. "The message should be clear to all players: targeting the head of an opponent by whatever means will be dealt with by suspension.