Why WCHA fans should be concerned...

Image via WikipediaUSCHO has an excellent article today on the proposed CHSL {click to read article)... According to the blog post this new league could be announced in the next two weeks. What should concern my fellow WCHA fans is the comments made by WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod.

WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod said his league has studied different scenarios that have been floated in an offseason full of speculation about college hockey’s future. But he said this proposal seems to have more momentum.

“I’m not sure why or whatever; I’m not privy to those conversations. I’ve never had a conversation with North Dakota or Denver about their plans that they’re pushing,” McLeod said. “At this point, I haven’t thought about Plan B at all. I’m still working on the assumption that we’re together as 10 [teams after Minnesota and Wisconsin leave for the Big Ten] and, as unanimously directed by the group in Florida [at league meetings in April], can consider extending an invitation to anybody that could strengthen the league. And that’s our plan.”

Athletic directors at Denver and North Dakota could not be reached for comment

Wow! Those comments by McLeod doesn't give me a lot of confidence in his leadership, a good commissioner would have been more forward thinking and would have been in contact with their member schools, trying to gauge what the other remaining schools were thinking. It's time for McLeod to go

UMD: Also in the Super League mix…

Image via WikipediaIt would seem that the plot is thickening. UMD beat writer Kevin Pates from the Duluth News Tribune has informed us that the defending national champions the UMD Bulldogs are also in the mix for the Super Conference as well. We could say that UMD is also being proactive; they are trying to do what is best for their University going forward.

Rink and Run --- Minnesota Duluth has been asked to join a discussion of a proposed seven- or eight-team Division I men’s conference, which would likely start in 2013-14, sources indicate.

The conference: UMD, North Dakota, Denver, Colorado College and Nebraska-Omaha of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, and Miami University of Oxford, Ohio and Notre Dame of South Bend, Ind., and possibly Western Michigan of Kalamazoo, Mich., all of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

There’s talk that a resolution on a new Super League could come in July or by Labor Day. The current 12-team WCHA already has schedules for the next two seasons.

The restructuring of Division I conferences is being investigated by a number of schools in reaction to the formation of the Big Ten Conference, announced in March. Starting in 2013-14, Wisconsin and Minnesota will leave the WCHA, while Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State will leave the CCHA, and join Penn State in the six-team Big Ten Conference.

While it’s unknown who is leading the charge to form an eight-team Super Conference, Denver and North Dakota are likely candidates. While UMD athletic director Bob Nielson wouldn’t talk specifically Tuesday about a Super Conference, he said his school isn’t standing still.

If you read between the lines there seems to be a lot of stuff being said here and I wonder if any of this is being received by the league office of the WCHA. Let’s not kid ourselves, it’s going to be hard to put the genie back in the bottle once all of these things have been said and done as well. There seems to be a schism developing here.

Here is what I also think is key and driving this realignment chatter and one of the major reasons for the proposed talk about a move to a “Super Conference.” There are schools like UND, UMD, UNO, DU, and C.C. that see the writing on the wall or they probably don't like the direction the WCHA and college hockey is currently going but also more likely than not have questions about the WCHA leadership and direction of where they think the league is going. I think many fans do as well.

Since the announcement of the Big Ten Hockey Conference all we have heard from the Commissioner's office is that he wants to have a scheduling agreement with the schools that are leaving for the Big Ten, that’s about it.

I also believe that the schools in the mix for this Super Conference are trying to be proactive and want to align themselves with other schools that have similar philosophies like their own when it comes to college hockey… Also, it would appear that these schools might be upset with the current leadership in their conferences as well. If you look at what UMD athletic director Bob Nielson said, “His views mirror comments made by North Dakota athletic director Brian Faison…”

While it’s unknown who is leading the charge to form an eight-team Super Conference, Denver and North Dakota are likely candidates. While UMD athletic director Bob Nielson wouldn’t talk specifically Tuesday about a Super Conference, he said his school isn’t standing still.

“We’re concerned about the college hockey landscape. We’re looking at all the options of what could happen,” said Nielson. “Our hockey program is very important to our school and we want to be proactive.

“Our approach is to be active and examine potential opportunities, and have conversations about the future of Division I. Our intent is to be a member of the WCHA, but we’re considering options.”

Speculation about a Super Conference started in April and intensified last week when the Grand Forks Herald reported that North Dakota was weighing options about leaving the WCHA.

Nielson said his views mirror comments made by North Dakota athletic director Brian Faison in the Grand Forks Herald:

This is what UND Athletic Director Brian Faison said as well...

Faison told the Herald that he has concerns with “the administrative side of the WCHA.” So perhaps this is all a big power play.

Finally -> As you can see from the comment above, another question that is starting to emerge as well; is this a big power play? Here is the latest tweet from College Hockey News.

All the new "super conference" talk is likely a power play to get a management change in the WCHA ... CHN has more forthcoming

Edit: Just for the record I would gladly take a WCHA without Bruce McLeod at the helm and with Miami and Notre Dame added to the Mix… All I can say is stay tuned....

Redwing77 DI Conference Commentary

Image via WikipediaThere has been the "Crap storm" as Goon stated earlier regarding realignment, but it isn't UND that's caused it. It was Penn State. Remember, none of this would have come to fruition had the BTHC not been formed.

I know, I'm blaming the BTHC, but what it has or is coming to is the following: The "For the good of college hockey" is no longer the mantra. College Hockey, Inc. might want to believe it. McLeod might want to believe it. But it would be an idealistic lie. What it is coming to is: "Every program must align itself with other programs that will make their programs more attractive and the division they are in more competitive and strong." So, in essence, it is every school for themselves.

The benefactors of this will be HEA and perhaps even the terrible ECACHL. The losers will be the CCHA and the WCHA. The "who cares" will end up being the BTHC and AHA (who are largely irrelevant anyways).

NOBODY wants to see a conference, large or small, with very little power from top to bottom. Case in point? The AHA. Yeah, there are some decent schools there, but nothing that's going to make any real noise... at least for the foreseeable future. The AHA is full of "God bless them they try" teams and Cinderella teams and nobodies (Like Bentley and AIC). Is this what is good for College hockey?

No.

What I fear is that the "bigger" schools will team up and leave the "weaker" or "littler" schools hanging in the breeze.

You bet I'd love to see the "new" WCHA consist of: UND, DU, CC, Notre Dame, Miami, UMD, and perhaps two other teams like WMU and SCSU

But what would that leave? A conference with UAA, UAF, LSSU, NMU, MTU, BGSU, MSUM, BSU, UAH (giving them the benefit of not remaining independent), and UNO. (There's a chance I'm leaving a few schools out).

But look at that conference! Sure, UND's conference would survive admirably. But what competitive advantage would the other conference have? In my opinion, that would basically be another AHA. In fact, we might as well call it the CHA, because its conference power ranking would essentially mimic it.

Look, it's not all that exciting to see a powerhouse team play a weak team (sometimes called a "cupcake"), even if it is conference play. However, it is how it should be because it raises the competition across the board. How else did MTU, LSSU, NMU, RPI, and all win National Championships if they were in conferences at the time that weren't strong?

What's "best" for college hockey is for the teams NOT in the BTHC to find ways to strengthen their schedules and their conference makeup without killing off programs. This is NOT going to be easy.

I'm not sure I see too many reasons for schools like LSSU, BGSU, NMU, and UAH to keep their hockey programs afloat in this economy if they don't have decent competition to bring people out to their home arenas. And I don't see the BTHC providing that other than to offer these schools an opportunity to travel to their locations to play them.

Remaking college hockey, what’s driving the bus?

Image via WikipediaIt would appear that Fighting Sioux hockey beat writer Brad Schlossman with his article written July 1st, 2011 titled; COLLEGE HOCKEY: UND weighing hockey league options, has started the proverbial crap storm… With these potential changes there seems to be a lot of uncertainty and uneasiness surrounding the college hockey world  right now and there are a lot of college hockey fans that are worried about future state of the WCHA and the Division I college hockey as well. I have to admit that I am one of those people that are feeling uneasy about the future as well. 

Lots of finger pointing

That being said, there has been a lot of finger pointing since Brad’s revelations were made public and I don’t think it’s fair for WCHA fans to put all of the blame on the shoulders of the University of North Dakota, the Big Ten also shares some of the blame as well. First we don’t know yet what is driving this bus nor do we know for sure that UND is the sole driving force behind the realignment talk, I think it's still to early to tell. According to Brad's article, there are also seven other Division I college hockey teams involved in this process.

From reading the college hockey message boards like USCHO and reading the various beat writer’s  responses to Brad’s article; it would almost appear this is shaking out to be a battle between "the haves" and "the have nots" of college hockey, just like the other major Division I college sports, the big schools do for the most part drive college hockey… I guess college hockey finally has come full circle like the rest of the college  sports. This is what the Shane Frederick of the Mankato Free Press had to say, I think you’re going to find this interesting.

Other WCHA schools mentioned in the article include Nebraska-Omaha and Colorado College, along with Central Collegiate Hockey Association members Notre Dame, Miami and Western Michigan (the CCHA is losing Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State to the Big Ten, which will also have Penn State).

Denver was not listed in the article but is often mentioned any time a rumor of a new power conference comes up.

“Several institutions have been looking at the college hockey landscape and different possibilities that might be out there,” North Dakota athletic director Brian Faison told the Herald. “At the end of the day we have to do what’s in the best interest of UND hockey, and that’s what we’re going to do. It’s an emotional decision. It’s a business decision.”

Killing the golden goose that is the WCHA sure doesn’t seem to be in the best interest of any school in the league — or of college hockey, for that matter.

Such a move would fragment the fan base of a sport that is still pretty niche, especially compared to Division I football and basketball. And those fans pay the freight.

Puck-crazy Minnesota — the self-proclaimed State of Hockey — would be thrown out of the mix completely, and there’s a reason why the successful, money-making WCHA Final Five has been played in the Twin Cities each year since 1999.

Brad Schlossman also expounds on his July 1st article with another blog post today… Brad’s blog post covers a lot of the same topics as Shane Fredericks said in his newspaper article today…

At this time, most of the answers have been vague, being that this possible new conference is not a done deal. But in searching for answers, I thought back to something that one person — who has an affiliation with the league — told me last summer after the Big 10 became inevitable.

This person said that when business was conducted in the WCHA, often times, there was a distinct divide in the voting. The larger schools wanted to invest and spend money to make improvements and try new things in the league. The smaller schools had budget concerns and wanted to/needed to save money.

However, there were enough big schools in the league that they held the power and, more often than not, got their way with these issues. Without Minnesota and Wisconsin, the dynamics of the league will change. No longer do the large schools hold the power. Now, the small schools will gain control of the voting block.

It’s entirely possible that the CCHA is going through a similar type of process after the losses of Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State.

If this is true, the remaining schools that are used to voting to spend, invest and make new improvements have to be concerned about the future of the league. What will it become if schools that are more financially strapped become the decision-makers in the league?

You've probably noticed an emerging and reoccurring theme here, the WCHA has a leadership problem in the commissioner’s office. I think one might ask if it’s time for Bruce McLeod to step down as commissioner of the WCHA? The WCHA is going to need strong leadership going forward with two of the big schools leaving the WCHA (Wisconsin and Minnesota)... Personally I don't have a lot of confidence i McLeod as commissioner and I believe with McLeod the league office is suffering a leadership void, that needs to be filled. This was also from Frederick's article today.

What would remain of the WCHA would essentially be the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference — Minnesota State, St. Cloud State, Minnesota Duluth (the defending national champions) and Bemidji State — plus Michigan Tech and Alaska Anchorage.

The leaders of the WCHA, including and especially commissioner Bruce McLeod, can’t allow this — essentially the demise of a great and historic hockey conference — to happen on their watch.

Faison told the Herald that he has concerns with “the administrative side of the WCHA.” So perhaps this is all a big power play.

But this has gone beyond the spring rumors of a “Super Six” conference. The Herald reported that, because of scheduling, all of this might have to play out by late summer or early fall.

Could it be the end of the WCHA as we know it?

If so, it would not feel fine.

More on former Wild Benoit Pouliot

Here is an interesting perspective from the Upper Canadian from Kuklas Korner on former Wild first round bust Benoit Pouliot. In my opinion Benoit Pouliot is the “poster boy” of the failed days of former Wild GM Doug Risebrough. To this very day the Minnesota Wild are still suffering from Risebroughs days when he was the GM of the Wild… I can’t for the life of me figure out why Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli, fresh off winning the Stanley Cup would pick up this stiff?

Benny moves on

A small mention here of Benoit Pouliot, who goes to Boston on a one year contract. This is where the businessman inside me goes ballistic. How can a team deal an asset like Guillaume Latendresse, that cost a 2nd round draft pick, not to mention many hours of development on, for one as talented as promising as Pouliot, play him less and less over two years until his value is nil, and then let him go? If he didn’t fit, why not trade him last offseason, or this fall after a good few weeks? Surely they could have dangled him for a draft pick, or as part of a package at the deadline.

It’s not often you see a team take an asset once as valuable as Pouliot and turn it into dust, but the Habs did here, and it’s a real shame. Not only do I suspect he’ll do well in Boston and ply his trade as a solid NHLer, I hope he does. The Canadiens give up on players far too often, and that’s one thing, but acquiring an asset at a reasonably high value and letting it go for absolutely nothing is not only hockey, it’s bad business. Shame on Pierre Gauthier, Jacques Martin, and the Habs for letting this kid go for zilch.

Related articles

• Bruins say goodbye to Michael Ryder (theglobeandmail.com)
• NHL Signing Tracker (theglobeandmail.com)

Wild Trade Martin Havlat for Ex-Badger Dany Heatley

Image via WikipediaWe don't need no stinking Badgers... I have to say that I am still in a state of shock, the Minnesota Wild pull off their second major block buster trade of the offseason in less than two weeks. Just 9 days ago the Minnesota Wild traded defenseman Brent Burns to the Sharks for forward Devin Setoguchi.

The Minnesota Wild have traded for ex-Wisconsin Badgers star and San Jose Shark Dany Heatley in exchange the Sharks get much injured and soft Martin Havlat. This could be a great trade because the Wild get their much need offensive threat after losing Marian Gaborik to the New York Rangers.

Carly Peters - Digital Media Coordinator “We are excited to add Dany Heatley, one of the top goal scorers in the NHL, to our team,” said Fletcher. “He is a quality player who has averaged more than a point a game in his nine-year career.”

Heatley recorded 64 points (26-38=64) in 80 games last season with the Sharks. The 30-year-old native of Freiburg, Germany ranked tied for 12th in the NHL with 11 power-play goals and added five game-winning goals. Heatley added nine points (3-6=9) in 18 playoff games. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound winger ranks first in the NHL in power-play goals (128) and game-winning goals (58), third in goals and fifth in points since he entered the league in 2001. He has has collected 689 points (325-364=689) in 669 career contests in nine seasons with Atlanta, Ottawa and San Jose. He was the winner of the 2002 Calder Memorial Trophy, named to the 2006 NHL Second All-Star Team, the 2007 First All-Star Team and has been named to the NHL All-Star Game four times.

Heatley is familiar with the midwest, having played two seasons (1999-2001) at the University of Wisconsin, where he notched 113 points (52-61=113) in 77 games and was named the 2000 WCHA Rookie of the Year and to the 2001 NCAA West First All-American Team. He was originally selected by the Thrashers with the second overall pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.

Havlat tallied 116 points (40-76=116) in 151 games in two seasons with Minnesota. The 30-year-old has recorded 512 points (209-303=512) in 621 career NHL games with Ottawa, Chicago and the Wild.

You have to wonder if the Wild are done making moves? This could turn out being a very exciting summer. The Wild have some exciting young talent waiting in the wings as well in Zucker, Larsson, and Granlund.

Fire breaks out in REA, causing up to $1.5 million in damage

Image via WikipediaWhen I first saw this on Kris Holm's twitter page I thought it was a joke. I will let you know if we get anymore information on the fire.

Brandi Jewett, Grand Forks Herald ---- A fire broke out Sunday in Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, causing significant damage to electronic equipment and arena ice. Smoke damage also occurred throughout the building.

"From a venue perspective, we're assessing the damage and attempting to determine the cause of the fire. Nobody was hurt and the fire was exhausted quickly," said Chris Semrau, director of events and marketing at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Grand Forks Fire Department Bruce Weymier said damage to the sound system and building is estimated to total between $1 million to 1.5 million.

“”This was a significant fire,” he said.

The fire was located in the catwalk area of the building, making putting it out a tricky task.

“”We had to go up stairwell and go through the press box to get to the catwalk,” said Captain Weymier. “We had to stretch a lot of hose.””

About 600 feet of hose was used to reach the fire and 150 gallons of water was used to extinguish it.

Bruce Weymier said the department was dispatched to the call shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

Big Mike Signs with the Red Wings (RW77)

OOOOooooooooh YEAH!!!!!!

Big Mike Commodore is back with a winning team! The guy known as "Commy" (probably spelled wrong but I refuse to spell it such that I would be confused with calling him a communist) all 6'5" of him (not counting the 3'6" of red hair) is coming to Motown!

He signed a 1 year, $1 million contract, which is about what I expected him to sign after having two disappointing years in Columbus (of 3.. his first year was pretty good with the Jackets).

Here is a nice perspective by Bill Roose.

Big Mike won a National Championship with UND in 2000 and has won a Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006. He was drafted in the 2nd round by New Jersey. The Wings are his sixth team.

Notable in useless trivia: He was traded to Ottawa for current Wing Patrick Eaves (then to Carolina).

This now gives the Wings a forest of a D line, with 4 of 6 defensemen over 6'4" tall.

What does this mean? I hope it means that the Wings will have a crushing defense. However, what I hope it doesn't mean that the Wings defense will be pylons. Then again, with 41 year old Nicklas Lidstrom still playing effectively (Suck it Chelios) it may not matter. I'm still going to be excited about Kronwall (the best open ice hitting defenseman in the NHL... He reminds me a LOT of Konstantinov but Kronwall is taller), Stuart (meh), Kindl (younger version of meh), and Ericsson (jury's still out) playing with Commodore. Commodore isn't going to score any goals or be as great a puck mover as Stuart, Lidstrom, and perhaps Kindl and Ericsson. Commodore brings grit on the blue line, something I feel Detroit has lacked a bit in recent years.

I hope his career takes off.

Here's Mike Commodore vs. Matt Greene:




Here's Mike Commodore leveling Bruins' forward PJ Axelsson a few years back.

COLLEGE HOCKEY: UND weighing hockey league options

Brad Schlossman the beat writer for the Fighting Sioux hockey team has a very interesting article in today's Grand Forks Herald. It would seem as if the dominos are beginning to fall as the formation of the Big Ten Hockey Conference approaches… I think a lot of fans are wondering what is going to happen to the college hockey landscape especially in the CCHA and the WCHA minus the B1G teams… Stay tuned.

Brad Schlossman; Grand Forks Herald --- UND is having formal discussions about pulling out of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association and joining several other schools in creating a new power hockey league, multiple sources have told the Herald.

The move would blow up two of college hockey’s major conferences and vastly change the landscape of the sport for the 2013-14 season.

That’s when the Big Ten Hockey Conference will form, plucking Minnesota and Wisconsin from the WCHA and Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State from the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. The possible new conference would combine remaining powers from the WCHA and CCHA.

The new league is not a done deal, but sources say that the talks have progressed beyond preliminary stages.

“Several institutions have been looking at the college hockey landscape and different possibilities that might be out there,” said UND athletic director Brian Faison, who declined to name other institutions. “At the end of the day, we have to do what’s in the best interest of UND hockey and that’s what we’re going to do. It’s an emotional decision. It’s a business decision.”

The reason for the move would be for UND to align itself with schools that have similar philosophies about their hockey programs and are willing to invest in them and create new media opportunities.

It is believed that eight teams are involved in the talks to some degree. Nebraska-Omaha, which recently dropped its football program and will put its focus on hockey, is likely one. Omaha athletic director Trev Alberts didn’t return a phone message.

Colorado College athletic director Ken Ralph said his school is examining its current status.

“It’s pretty clear that the formation of the Big 10 is causing folks to look closer at alignment,” Ralph said. “We’re in the same boat. We’re really being thoughtful at how we’re looking at our league. We’ve done a tremendous amount of researching over the last three months. We’re trying to figure out what that research is telling us.”

CCHA members that fit the bill include Notre Dame, Miami and Western Michigan. League commissioner Fred Pletsch didn’t return a phone call.

Though rumors persist about a Hockey East team also being involved in the talks, league commissioner Joe Bertagna said he has “no reason to believe those reports.”

WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod said he’s aware of the ongoing discussion about the new conference.

Bruins sign Canadians stiff Benoit Pouliot

The Boston Globe is reporting this signing by the Boston Bruins. This is the waste of a one year contract and I do not like this pick up by the Boston Bruins one bit. So in essence the Boston Bruins are trading Michael Ryder's roster spot (who signed a free agent deal with the Dallas Stars) for Benoit Pouliot... This deal is a serious head scratcher and I am disappointed with the Boston Bruins front office. It has pretty much been proven that Benoit Pouliot for the most part has been another Minnesota Wild first round bust from the Doug Risebrough days.

Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff --- Bruins sign Benoit Pouliot The Bruins have signed Benoit Pouliot to a one-year, $1.1 million contract. RDS was among the first to report the signing.

The 24-year-old was the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft. Minnesota traded Pouliot to Montreal for Guillaume Latendresse on Nov. 23, 2009.

This past season, Pouliot scored 13 goals and 17 assists in 79 games. Pouliot was a healthy scratch for four games in the first round against the Bruins.

The 2005 draft included Sidney Crosby, Carey Price, Bobby Ryan, Jack Johnson, Marc Staal, Anze Kopitar, Paul Stastny, and Keith Yandle. Framed against those players, Pouliot has been a major disappointment. In 183 games, Pouliot has scored 37 goals and 35 assists. The left-shot forward will be a reclamation project for the Bruins, who like his size (6-foot-3, 199 pounds) and skill.

In Boston, Pouliot is best known for one-punching David Krejci during the regular season. In the playoffs, Pouliot took a run at Johnny Boychuk, which brought Andrew Ference calling.

Minnesota Wild resign goaltender Josh Harding

Image via WikipediaThe Minnesota Wild have resigned Josh Harding to a one year contract. Last season Harding didn't play because of a knee injury.

ST. PAUL, MN - The Minnesota Wild inked backup goaltender Josh Harding to a one-year deal on Friday.

No financial terms were revealed, but the Minneapolis Star Tribune quoted a $750,000 price tag.

Harding was forced to sit out all of the 2010-11 season after tearing his ACL and MCL during an exhibition contest, and the subsequent surgery.

The 27-year-old Saskatchewan native posted a 9-12-0 record with a 3.05 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in 2009-10 for Minnesota.

Bruins defensman Tomas Kaberle to test free agent market?

Image via WikipediaI would highly recommend that the Boston Bruins front office not over pay this overrated and soft defenseman. If I was the General Manager for the Boston Bruins I would let Tomas Kaberle shop him self around on the open market to see if he can get a better deal. There is no way that Kaberle is worth 4.5 million a year that he is asking for.

Bruce Garrioch, Ottawa Sun --- Former Leafs D Tomas Kaberle is going to hit the market. He wants a long-term deal in the $4.5-million per-season range and the Bruins aren’t willing to do that. He contributed to a Stanley Cup, but didn’t have a major impact. That doesn’t mean the door is closed on his return to the Bruins. Boston might be willing to do a short-term deal once Kaberle has had a chance to test the market. Keep in mind that 18 teams need to get to the floor.

Related articles

• Bruins 'expected better' from Kaberle (thestar.com)
• Would benching Tomas Kaberle be the right move for Boston to make? (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)
• Could Tomas Kaberle actually return to the Boston Bruins next season? (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)

Threat Of An Open-Door Meeting Reason For NCAA Cancellation, SBHE Member Says.

Here is the latest relevation in regards to the Fighting Sioux nickname fight. Apparently the NCAA didn't want to come to North Dakota because of the open meeting. I also think such a meeting would have fallen under the North Dakota's open records and open meetings laws... Something to think about as the NCAA and the UND delegation goes to the NCAA headquarters in Indiana to discuss the Fighting Sioux logo and nickname with the NCAA officials.

GRAND FORKS, ND – Top NCAA executives did not want to participate in a meeting that would have been open to the public; that’s “plain and simple,” according to State Board of Higher Education member Grant Shaft.

Appearing on the Scott Hennen Show yesterday, Shaft was disappointed that the NCAA cancelled its scheduled April 22nd meeting with state and school officials, but was hopeful that another conference could still be arranged.

“I don’t think they were looking for a situation where the meeting would be either covered by the press – or there would be any kind of testimony, or anything like that – and for that reason, they pretty clearly indicated that they weren’t going to come. I’m still hopeful we’ll have the opportunity to speak with the NCAA on this – I haven’t lost hope -it’s just that particular meeting on the 22nd fell through” Shaft said.

Although an open-door forum has been widely favored by the public (and some North Dakota legislators, including Governor Dalrymple) Shaft understood the uncomfortable position this would have presented the NCAA. In his experience, negotiations are best played out under the discretion of a “closed private setting”:

Former Sioux T.J. Oshie and St Louis Blues agree on contract extension

Image via WikipediaFormer Fighting Sioux forward T.J. Oshie has agreed to a one year deal with the St Louis Blues. T.J. Oshie would have been a restricted free agent if he had not signed a contract extension. Last season Oshie (12g-22a-34pts) missed 31 games with an ankle injury.

St Louis Today --- the Blues have agreed to a one-year contract extension.

The deal will pay Oshie $2.35 million for the 2011-12 season.

"We're excited to have T.J. in the fold for another season," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said in a statement. "His energy and versatility make him an integral part of our club."

By agreeing to the deal today, Oshie will not become a restricted free agent tomorrow at 11 a.m., avoiding the possibility of the forward receiving an offer sheet from other teams.

In April, Oshie wrapped up his third season with the Blues, in which he has 44 goals and 121 points in 182 games. Last year, while missing 31 games because of a broken ankle, Oshie totaled 12 goals and 34 points in 49 games and had a plus-minus rating of plus-10.

Boston Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup Champions Montage

This is one of the best Boston Bruins Stanley Cup Champions montage that I have seen out there on the internet... If you're a Boston Bruins fans this video definitely will bring back great memories from a truly a magical season as the Boston Bruins marched through the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Here is a pretty good game seven montage as well. History was made this season during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Ed Schafer: Time For Fighting Sioux Nickname To Go.

Image via WikipediaYou can add former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer to the list of prominent people that are ready to move on and retire the Fighting Sioux nickname. Governor Ed Schafer weighed in on the Fighting Sioux nickname today on Scott Hennen's show.

FARGO, ND – A UND alumnus himself, former Governor and US Ag Secretary Ed Schafer has joined the growing ranks of North Dakotans saying today on the Scott Hennen show that the time has come to put an end to the fight to keep UND’s Fighting Sioux nickname and logo.

During his time as Governor, Schafer said he often pushed to keep the name, pointing out the many benefits the name brought both to the Sioux reservations and to the university itself.

Although he did not sign yesterday’s letter, Schafer, himself a past president of both UND’s Alumni Association and Foundation Board, expressed his weariness of the state’s continuing battle with the NCAA.

“I’ve just come to the conclusion that it’s over,” said Schafer. “As much as I would like to keep the name; it’s not going to happen. We’ve spent too much time, resources and effort to fight it. Let’s get it over with, make the transition and move on. I don’t particularly like that, but that’s where it’s at.”

Governor to lead UND nickname delegation to NCAA July 25

Well everyone in their brother is going to this meeting with the NCAA in Indianapolis, Indiana except representatives from the two North Dakota tribes (Standing Rock and Spirit Lake). This slight doesn’t make any sense to me what-so-ever.

So if you going to the NCAA main office in Indianapolis, Indiana to make the case for the University of North Dakota to retain the Fighting Sioux nickname because you don’t think it’s hostile and abusive, wouldn’t you include a few of the people of Native American decent (just to name a few, Archie D. Fool Bear, Eunice Davidson) that broke their backs trying to get their respective tribes to vote on the Fighting Sioux nickname?

Chuck Haga, Grand Forks Herald --- Gov. Jack Dalrymple will lead a North Dakota delegation July 25 to Indianapolis to meet with leaders of the NCAA, hoping to persuade the athletics association to alter its stance regarding UND and the Fighting Sioux nickname.

“Everybody is in,” said Grant Shaft, who as president of the State Board of Higher Education will join Dalrymple, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, and others at the long-anticipated face-to-face meeting.

The group also will include Senate Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem, R-Bismarck, UND President Robert Kelley and Athletic Director Brian Faison, North Dakota University System Chancellor William Goetz and Jody Hodgson, general manager of the Ralph Engelstad Arena.

“The governor will be the leader of the contingent,” Shaft said, “and he and Carlson will be the primary players at the table. The rest of us will be a supporting cast, there if we’re needed to answer questions.”

Kelley’s staff had worked with the NCAA in recent weeks to get possible dates for the meeting, which from the association’s side likely will involve President Mark Emmert and Vice President Bernard Franklin.

They told Kelley they’d be available for a sit-down session July 22 or 25. Shaft took those dates to Dalrymple and the others, and the 25th, a Monday, fit their calendars better.

State leaders had tried to arrange a meeting in Bismarck shortly after the legislative session ended, but the NCAA leaders balked, citing the apparent conflict between the Legislature and the State Board, which had directed UND to drop the name and logo.

The Spirit Lake Tribe in Devils Lake approved the use of the Fighting Sioux nickname, the Standing Rock Tribal Council failed to let their members vote on the issues, probably fearing that the vote at Standing Rock would have shaken out the same way. Something doesn’t smell right here… Anyone want to bet on whether the anti-nickname crowd will have their representatives present at this meeting as well?

Big Ten may mean big issues for hockey...

Image via WikipediaTom Oats has a really good article on Madison.com that has been floating around the internet this past week about the issues surrounding the formation of the Big Ten Hockey Farce Conference. It's a must read if you haven't seen it yet.

I think I have brought up some of the same issues about the Big Ten Hockey Conference and that there was a very good possibility that the BTHC formation would have a  negative effect on the other schools left behind in the CCHA and the WCHA.

It almost appears as if no one from the Big Ten thought about these ramifications until after they went to the NCAA meetings last April and heard from the other conference representatives from the CCHA and the WCHA... In my opinion, this has nothing to do about whats good for college hockey going forward, this is a lot to do about maximizing profits for six teams and they could give a rip about the other conferences and teams they've left behind. You can call me a hater, I don't care, I am calling it as I see it.  

Nationally, however, the perception of the conference is a bit different. Many in the tight-knit hockey community believe the Big Ten, led by UW, has trampled on tradition and jeopardized the future of the sport by barging ahead without regard to potential ramifications for the programs at many smaller, hockey-first schools.

The Big Ten’s announcement definitely put college hockey in a state of flux, with schools and conferences trying to position themselves in the new landscape. But no matter how it all washes out, there will be consequences — some unexpected, some potentially serious — both in Madison and across the country.

• Much like in football and basketball, non-conference schedules will get weaker.

Word is the Big Ten will backload the schedule with conference games, which means the league slate — 20 games per team — won’t begin until the football season is over in December. That would leave each team to find 14 non-conference games in the first two months of the season.

It appears the Big Ten will reach a scheduling agreement with the WCHA that will account for perhaps eight of those games. However, the remaining six dates could be difficult to fill with quality opponents since other conferences will already be involved in league play.

Even if the Big Ten and WCHA do hook up for four non-conference series per year, established rivalries will take a hit because UW’s opponents won’t always be North Dakota, Denver, Colorado College and Minnesota-Duluth.

No one has any idea how the dominos are going to fall after the formation of the Big Ten Hockey Conference. I don't think it's formation is going to be as good for college hockey as some have suggested, there are probably better ways to add college hockey teams without blowing up an existing structure that has worked for a very long time and has been successful.

Fallout from the Big Ten’s move is being discussed in the back rooms as we speak. Will the WCHA be a 10-team league when UW and Minnesota leave? Will it expand back to 12? Or will it form a six or eight-team “superleague” with its highest-profile teams and maybe two from the outside? All have been discussed.

With Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State leaving the CCHA, word is Notre Dame is quietly looking at a move to the WCHA or Hockey East. Should Notre Dame and, say, Miami (Ohio) join the WCHA, the CCHA would be decimated. Without name schools as lucrative draws, its remaining schools could struggle to field competitive teams and some of them eventually could eliminate hockey. That would be a huge hit for the sport, which is low on numbers as it is.

Here is some good advice for the Big Ten as they go into unchartered waters.

No one knows if the Big Ten will be good or bad for college hockey in the long run, but it is clear so far that the conference is stepping on some toes. It would behoove the leaders of the Big Ten — and especially UW — to tread a little more lightly during this process.

UND and the Big Sky: Who said what, when?



Big Sky Conference logo

 This is beginning to sound a lot like "What did you know and when did you know it?" To me it's also beginning to resemble a Charlie Foxtrot. I wonder what would happen if Al Carlson found out one of the University Presidents from the state of North Dakota had undermined the process?

Chuck Haga, Grand Forks Herald ---- Rep. Al Carlson, R-Fargo, used North Dakota open records law last week to obtain emails between UND President Robert Kelley, the Big Sky Conference and the NCAA since Jan. 1, apparently seeking to learn whether Kelley was working behind the scenes to counter Carlson’s efforts to save the Fighting Sioux nickname.

The Herald also obtained the emails, one of which indicates that Kelley knew about a letter coming from the Big Sky warning that the nickname issue could “destroy” Division I athletics at UND.

Through a spokesman, Kelley denied again Tuesday that he sought the Big Sky statement.

Carlson, the House majority leader and author of a new state law requiring UND to continue using the Fighting Sioux name and logo in defiance of NCAA policy and scheduled sanctions, has raised questions about Kelley’s role in the controversy.

Objecting last week to Kelley’s calling for repeal of the nickname law — while Carlson was trying to arrange a meeting with NCAA officials to press the state’s case for retaining it — the legislative leader said “the well has been poisoned many times by people at the university, setting us up for failure.”

He also suggested last week that Kelley or others at UND encouraged Big Sky leaders to issue their warning about the potentially dire consequences of allowing the conflict with the NCAA to continue.

Carlson, visiting Medora, N.D., with his wife, said Tuesday he has received the emails “but I haven’t had a chance to look at them yet. I’ll do that when I get home.

“I just want to see what the communications were between those folks,” he said. “There might be nothing there. But I’m still convinced a lot of this was set up for failure, and I’m not in favor of that.”

Going forward with President Kelley...

This is beginning to become a friggen side show… To quote Charlie Harper from Two and a Half Men,” I have a bad feeling about this.” It almost appears that nothing good can come out of this fight going forward. On one hand I am sick and tired of being lectured by a Left Coast Liberal that was educated at University of California Berkley (yeah that one, the bastion of liberal thinking)... I also don't need him to tell us what is good for the University North Dakota, it’s like we are a bunch of unwashed rubes.

This is the same University president that has never attended, nor has any emotional attachment to the University of North Dakota or the Fighting Sioux nickname, if anything he has seen the Fighting Sioux nickname as an annoyance or an impediment to UND’s future… I mean think about this; if President Kelley is the university president that's on board, when the Fight Sioux nickname is discarded to the scrap heap of history, President Kelley would immediately be knighted to rock star status among like minded folk (that's the out of touch p.c. do gooders). So I don't really think it’s a stretch to say that President Kelley’s only attachment to the University of North Dakota is a pay check; a very large one I might add, according to the Fargo Forum Kelley makes $330,158 per year.

Unwinnable fight...

On the other hand, I don’t think this is going to be a winnable fight, I am not capitulating, however, I can’t see the NCAA moving one bit on this issue, the NCAA is run by likeminded people that resemble UND President Robert O. Kelley. I have also seen where many of the legal minds say that UND has no standing, nor a snowballs chance in hell of being able to sue the NCAA in court again because they already signed a settlement with the NCAA.

I also think keeping the Fighting Sioux nickname could affect UND’s athletic departments going forward, there is no way in hell that I am going to watch UND and the University of Sioux Falls play in football. I will however attend a football game between UND and any of the Big Sky Schools. I also think that we won’t be able to see the University of North Dakota whoop the Gophers or the Badgers in hockey if the University of North Dakota retains the Fighting Sioux nickname.

I am going to go on record and say I don’t like this one bit and again I am not surrendering but I don’t see a way this works out… I don’t see any other way this ends for the University of North Dakota can keep the Fighting Sioux nickname without facing sanctions from the NCAA… I truly believe that Al Carlson and the UND delegation will go to their meeting with the NCAA and they will tell them that their stance on the nickname is not going to change.

I will also predict that the NCAA doesn’t care what the UND delegation will have to say on this matter, because their minds have already been made up, it doesn't matter to them if them that the Standing Rock Tribal council is “not allowing” their people to have a vote on the measure. In the end it also won’t matter that the Spirit Lake Tribe endorsed UND’s use of the Fighting Sioux nickname, the name thing the NCAA will say is that the University of North Dakota only got one of the two Sioux Tribes to approve the Fighting Sioux nickname. In the end UND will end up changing the Fighting Sioux nickname or risk not being a member in the Big Sky conference.

Two more reasons to hate the Vancouver Canucks.

The Vancouver Canucks have resigned Hab’s reject, diver and fraud Maxium Lapierre for two more seasons, so Western Conference fans will have to watch his antics of diving and flailing up and down the ice everytime he is touched. That's all we need in the NHL players that think they are Euro soccer players.

TSN.CA STAFF --- The Vancouver Canucks have signed restricted free agent Maxim Lapierre to a two-year deal worth $2-million.

Lapierre scored six goals and six assists in 78 during the regular season last year. He also provided three goals and two assists during the Canucks playoff run.

Vancouver Canucks bully boy Kevin Bieksa signed to a fat contract so skilled players and non fighters around the league will have to keep their head on a swivel when Bieksa is on the ice... Again I could care less if he played is college hockey at BGSU, not impressed with him at all… Maybe during the off season someone should have Kevin Bieksa familiarize himself with the hockey code.

TSN.CA STAFF --- Defenceman Kevin Bieksa has agreed to terms on a new five-year, $23 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks.

The deal will pay the blueliner $4.6 million per season, and also includes a no-trade clause.

Bieksa was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on Friday. He just completed a three-year, $11.25 million contract with Vancouver.

The 30-year-old Bieksa has spent all six of NHL seasons with the Canucks since entering the league in 2005-06.