This weekend, UND faces off against the Bemidji State Beavers in a home-and-home series. Tonight's game is in Bemidji. The Women also play in a home-and-home series with the Beavers. So, if you can sneak out of work, get to Bemidji for a double header.
Last weekend, after watching his goalie let in two goals in on four shots, University of North Dakota head coach Brad Berry called a time out. Apparently, the timeout worked, Cam Johnson was a brick wall the rest of the way. When asked what he said during the timeout, coach Berry said this.
“I think some things have to remain unsaid,” Berry said. “It was professional. It was direct. It was something that not only caught Cam but the rest of our team. It was just a way to reset our team. I think the biggest thing is the leadership on our bench as far as what we did after that. I think we have to tip our cap to the leaders on our team.”
Rough start or not, Johnson would settle down after the early goals and only let one more puck get past him the rest of the weekend. Johnson finished the weekend with a 1-0-1 record, a 1.44 goals against average and .935 save percentage.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Friday Morning Reading
Good Morning! Good times have come our way. The second week of the college hockey season is finally here. The weekend kicks off with a double header, home-and-home hockey weekend for the UND hockey teams. The Women play both days at 2:00 pm followed by the UND men.
You won't believe this... The old stick through the skate trick.
And Finally, former Fighting Sioux All-American Zach Parise scores his fifth goal of the season. This is the quickest that Zach has gotten to five goals to start a hockey season. The Wild are 3-0 and Parise has scored (5g-1a--6pts) in three games.
A limited number of tickets for Saturday's game just became available! Get yours now at http://t.co/U88nHTbquw pic.twitter.com/CehhE3rwAS
— North Dakota MHockey (@UNDmhockey) October 15, 2015
Fresh out of the oven! Watch the ALL-NEW episode of #ThroughTheseDoors, “Mother Goose” on Youtube: https://t.co/bD6jzSTQjZ
— UND Insider (@undinsider) October 16, 2015
You won't believe this... The old stick through the skate trick.
That's some talent, @Jason_Zucker16. Stick went through BOTH skates. #mnwild pic.twitter.com/u1L8AhnmZS
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) October 16, 2015
And Finally, former Fighting Sioux All-American Zach Parise scores his fifth goal of the season. This is the quickest that Zach has gotten to five goals to start a hockey season. The Wild are 3-0 and Parise has scored (5g-1a--6pts) in three games.
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) October 16, 2015
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Oh Boy, Let's Reject the Sundogs Nickname Outright
Yesterday, the Grand Forks Herald asked readers what nickname they liked the best. Today, the Herald posted the comments from readers. A few of them make you want to pull your hair out of your head. Like I mentioned yesterday, it would be interesting to know how many of these people actually played an organized sport. Also, when I see the nickname Sundogs, I don't think of power or intimidating. I think of activating the 9/11 system, because I am going to have a stroke.
Many of you probably told them none of the above. That was my response. I am going to vote for Fighting Hawks. People eligible to vote need to come out and defeat the Sundogs nickname.
Some of these comments make my head explode. Here's the comments that stick out.
You can read the whole article by clicking on this link:
Many of you probably told them none of the above. That was my response. I am going to vote for Fighting Hawks. People eligible to vote need to come out and defeat the Sundogs nickname.
Some of these comments make my head explode. Here's the comments that stick out.
You can read the whole article by clicking on this link:
Sundogs. Unique, durable, sustainable, and leaves options for mascot and logo wide open.
Sundogs. I envision a logo of the head of a dog wearing sunglasses and I think that would be pretty cool.
Sundogs, due to it sounding best when introducing teams and being geographically relevant. The other options have too many negatives, including too many like mascots and mocking relevance.
sUNDogs. I like the UND in the middle, and that it has a bit of a Native American connection. "Part of the time we marched in the teeth of a biting storm of snow, and at every hour of the day the sun could be discerned sulking behind soft grey mists in company with rivals, known in the language of the plains as 'Sun-dogs', whose parahelic splendors warned the traveller of the approach of the ever-to-be-dreaded 'blizzard'." [Bourke, John (1966). Mackenzie's Last Fight with the Cheyennes. Argonaut Press Ltd. p. 10.]
I plan on voting for Sundogs because I think it is unique for the area, has UND in the name, and would lend itself to an interesting logo. - Casey Stittsworth, attended UND 2003-2007, men's hockey season ticket holder.
I'm an alum who has been watching this debate rage for 25 years. Let's pick a name and get it behind us. Yes, in our hearts, we will always be Fighting Sioux, but we need an official nickname for the generations to come. My choice is the sUNDdogs. It's unique. It's timeless. It has ties to the region. We can educate people about our climate. I think a well-designed logo could make this something special for UND.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
82,000 Eligible to Vote for UND's New Nickname
According to Anna Burleson of the Grand Forks Herald, over 82,000 people will be eligible to vote in next weeks nickname vote.
The vote will be held Oct. 19 - 23. Voters will be asked to choose the Nodaks, Sundogs, Roughriders, Fighting Hawks or North Stars.
Those who can vote are UND students, faculty and staff, retirees and alumni who attended the school for any length of time. Donors—those who have ever given any monetary amount—and season ticketholders as of Aug. 31 are also eligible.
UND spokesman Peter Johnson said 82,121 individual email accounts are now on file and will be sent information on how to vote through the external survey company Qualtrics, though that number wasn't exact as of Tuesday because some duplicates are still being filtered and removed.
UND spokesman Peter Johnson said 82,121 individual email accounts are now on file and will be sent information on how to vote through the external survey company Qualtrics, though that number wasn't exact as of Tuesday because some duplicates are still being filtered and removed.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Be on the Lookout: Link For the Nickname Vote Should be in Your Email
I got this email today. So, you'll want to check your email.
This email contains a link to cast a single vote for a nickname for the University of North Dakota.
The link is included at the end of this email. Please read the following information first.
PLEASE RETAIN THIS EMAIL UNTIL THE VOTING PERIOD BEGINS. You will need the link contained in this email in order to vote.
Voting begins on Monday, October 19 at 8:00 a.m. Central Time, and closes at 11:59 p.m. midnight, Central Time on Friday, October 23.
During the voting period, you will open this email and click the link, which will take you to the voting site. You will only be able to vote once. You will be asked to choose from the following potential nicknames:
Fighting Hawks
Nodaks
North Stars
Roughriders
Sundogs
Please note that the voting link will not work until 8:00 a.m. Central Time Monday, October 19, and it also will not work after the voting period closes on Friday, October 23, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. You must vote during this period.
If you experience technical difficulties during the voting process, please contact the helpline at 701-777-2731.
Here is your link: UND Nickname Vote
Or copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser:
This email contains a link to cast a single vote for a nickname for the University of North Dakota.
The link is included at the end of this email. Please read the following information first.
PLEASE RETAIN THIS EMAIL UNTIL THE VOTING PERIOD BEGINS. You will need the link contained in this email in order to vote.
Voting begins on Monday, October 19 at 8:00 a.m. Central Time, and closes at 11:59 p.m. midnight, Central Time on Friday, October 23.
During the voting period, you will open this email and click the link, which will take you to the voting site. You will only be able to vote once. You will be asked to choose from the following potential nicknames:
Fighting Hawks
Nodaks
North Stars
Roughriders
Sundogs
Please note that the voting link will not work until 8:00 a.m. Central Time Monday, October 19, and it also will not work after the voting period closes on Friday, October 23, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. You must vote during this period.
If you experience technical difficulties during the voting process, please contact the helpline at 701-777-2731.
Here is your link: UND Nickname Vote
Or copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser:
Improvements to the Target Center Delayed
Last winter I asked someone from the Target Center when they were going to complete the improvements to the seasoned arena. I got a snicker and a laugh from that person. I guess this is the reason that they were laughing. The reason this story is relevant is that the NCHC has their conference tourney in the Target Center.
Per the Star Tribune:
Per the Star Tribune:
A $129 million renovation of downtown Minneapolis' Target Center is slated to begin later than previously expected, spanning from summer 2016 through summer 2017.While they're working on the Target Center, they might want to improve the ice conditions and the class and boards surrounding the ice.
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the city-owned arena on Tuesday morning, Timberwolves officials said the project will require the Minnesota Lynx to relocate to another facility in summer 2017.
As late as March, Timberwolves officials still hoped to begin the project in 2015 and complete it by fall 2016. Tuesday's announcement was intended to represent the first concrete timeline of construction, however.
They also announced that a longstanding naming rights agreement with Target -- one of the first for a professional sports arena -- will be extended. Target and Timberwolves officials declined to release the terms or length of the agreement at a press conference Tuesday.
The renovation project will begin with a new scoreboard and acoustic improvements next summer. In late 2016, work will begin transforming the building's concrete exterior into a more glassy, inviting façade. Other changes include larger loading docks, improved public spaces and restrooms, and more club suites.
Monday, October 12, 2015
From the Delusional Department:
A mind is a terrible thing to waste. I'd like to know how many of the people supporting Sundogs actually played some sort of organized sports?
If Sundogs ended up being the final selection, UND will be a laughing stock of the college athletics world. That's why I am ready to get this moving forward so we can stop these ridiculous letters to the editor. I'd also like to know who Ralph has been talking too.
It would be interesting to know how many of the people that support Sundogs are anti-Fighting Sioux nickname?
From the Grand Forks Herald editorial page:
If Sundogs ended up being the final selection, UND will be a laughing stock of the college athletics world. That's why I am ready to get this moving forward so we can stop these ridiculous letters to the editor. I'd also like to know who Ralph has been talking too.
It would be interesting to know how many of the people that support Sundogs are anti-Fighting Sioux nickname?
From the Grand Forks Herald editorial page:
I'm starting to think the Sundogs nickname might be the one chosen by a majority of UND voters in the coming vote.
Years ago, it was obvious the Sioux nickname was going to have to be abandoned. I spent a considerable amount of time thinking about a new nickname, one that would be unique, strong, powerful, reflective of North Dakota and UND, and easy to use with sporting events' cheers, slogans and logos.
In a letter I sent to the Herald in 2007, I suggested Sundogs. I also was among those who entered the name in the recent UND "contest," and was pleased but not surprised when it came out as one of the five finalists.
William Brotherton's Go Fund Me Page
I don't know, I just don't think that Willam Brotherton will be able to stop the vote, that begins next Monday. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I predict it will fail.
Time To Vote: UND nickname voting instructions to be sent this week
Here's the letter that I got today.
The email will come from Qualtrics, the third-party online voting service retained to manage the voting process for UND. The email will be sent to this address. Please read the instructions carefully.
SAVE the Qualtrics email! You will need the link it contains to vote next week.
Voting begins on Monday, Oct. 19, at 8 a.m. Central Time, and closes at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Friday, Oct. 23. The voting link will not be activated until the voting opens on Oct. 19.
Eligible voters will only be able to vote once, and will be asked to choose from the following potential nicknames:
- Fighting Hawks
- Nodaks
- North Stars
- Roughriders
- Sundogs
UND tops USA and USCHO Polls
USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll
Rk. School (First place votes) Record Pts. PR
1. North Dakota (18) 1-0-1 922 4
2. Providence (13) 1-0-1 870 7
3. Omaha (8) 2-0-0 842 10
4. Boston College (7) 1-1-0 832 1
5. Denver 1-1-0 652 5
6. Boston University 0-1-0 647 3
7. Minnesota Duluth 0-1-0 645 2
8. Harvard (2) 0-0-0 629 8
9. Massachusetts-Lowell (2) 1-0-0 555 14
10. Bowling Green 2-0-0 521 16
11. Michigan 0-0-0 415 13
12. St. Cloud State 2-0-0 412 17
13. Yale 0-0-0 377 12
14. Minnesota State 0-2-0 316 6
15. Minnesota 0-1-0 304 9
16. Michigan Tech 0-0-0 288 15
17. Quinnipiac 2-0-0 284 18
18. Miami 0-1-1 234 11
19. St. Lawrence 2-0-0 211 19
20. Vermont 1-0-0 128 NR
Others receiving votes: Michigan State 61, Bemidji State 60, Union 54, Northeastern 40, Notre Dame 40, Clarkson 24, Penn State 24, Princeton 19, New Hampshire 18, Robert Morris 17, Rensselaer 15, Colgate 10, Mercyhurst 7, Northern Michigan 6, Cornell 5, Maine 5, Massachusetts 5, Ferris State 3, Wisconsin 2, Brown 1.
USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine Poll
Rk. School (1st place votes) Record Pts. PR
1. North Dakota (16) 1-0-1 477 4
2. Providence (7) 1-0-1 422 7
3. Boston College (5) 1-1-0 409 1
4. Omaha (1) 2-0-0 364 11
5. Harvard (3) 0-0-0 323 5
6. Boston University 0-1-0 317 2
7. Minnesota Duluth (1) 0-1-0 302 3
8. Denver 0-1-0 244 6
9. Massachusetts-Lowell 1-0-0 201 14
10. Bowling Green 2-0-0 174 NR
11. Michigan 0-0-0 152 13
12. St. Cloud State 2-0-0 118 NR
13. Minnesota 0-1-0 117 8
14. Yale 0-0-0 93 12
15. Minnesota State 0-2-0 92 9
Others receiving votes: Quinnipiac 67, Miami 59, St. Lawrence 49, Michigan Tech 32, Vermont 29, Notre Dame 7, Union 7, Michigan State 5, Northeastern 4, Penn State 4, Robert Morris 2, Northern Michigan 1.
I am surprised the UND ended up number one this week. UND is fielding young team and I expect a few hiccups before the end of the season.
Dante Fabbro Picks BU
Dante Fabbro of the Penticton Vees has committed to Boston University. Fabbro plays on the same team as UND commit Tyson Jost. Both players were highly-sought recruits.
Excited to announce I will play @NCAAIceHockey next season for @TerrierHockey!Thanks to my family and friends @bwchockey @PentictonVees— Fabbs (@17Fabbro) October 12, 2015
Sunday, October 11, 2015
USHL Arena Impressions -- Denny Sanford Premier Center -- Sioux Falls, SD
by Redwing77
About the Arena
The Denny Sanford Premier Center, home of the USHL's Sioux Fall Stampede, is entering its second year in existence. It's part of a multiple sport complex and convention center format in the northern part of Sioux Falls. It is connected to a basketball arena, soccer and baseball field, and football field.
It has a listed capacity for hockey of just under 10,700. This has to be among the largest venues in the USHL, if not the largest.
Cynically stated, this arena is situated very nicely for NHL scouts who want to get in and get out. It is literally less than 10 minutes from the airport. Sadly, there's almost nothing, outside of a few hotels, around the facility.
The Facility
There is ample, paved parking for the event. The exterior looks very modern, but not like what you'd expect of a hockey arena. It looks more like a new style convention center from the outside. On the inside, however, it's a different story. You are greeted with two large flights of stairs once entering and having your ticket scanned. There are escalators and elevators as well.
The arena itself is beautiful. There's ample, well padded and, to my eyes, slightly oversized seating around the sheet of ice that was extremely comfortable. The scoreboard was state of the art and breathtaking. One thing that was VERY noticeable (if not slightly predictable due to the age of the facility) is that it was VERY clean.
Maybe it was the lack of them that stood out elsewhere, but there seemed to be a LOT of restrooms available. It seemed to me that there were mens and women's facilities outside of every section.
The sound system was good and the use of technology was great at times. More on this later.
The ice doesn't deserve its own review. It's a new arena. The ice is new. It appeared like what a new hockey arena's ice sheet should look like. The skaters, outside of the mascot, looked to be quite at ease on the ice.
Grade: A+
The Entertainment
Here's where it gets a bit inconsistent, if not...well...sad. The use of technology for the opening intro was very good and featured a bunch of blue bison running in a stampede around the ribbon LED screens around the perimeter that was actually quite nice.
The music throughout was actually not that bad. Far better than Ralston, Sioux City, and Des Moines. Unlike Ralston, they prefer to allow the music to set the background not the main attraction. In other words, Ralston blasts your eardrups (especially with ads in between periods) whereas they do not in Sioux Falls.
But not all is well. They do not interact much with the crowd during the game. There's not that many "Let's Make Some Noise" prompts or other scripted events to get the crowd into the game. So, when the Sioux Falls Stampede aren't winning, it actually sounds more like a library than a hockey rink. There were times, even, when I could clearly hear the voices of the hockey players communicating on the ice... and my seats were 12 rows up from the glass.
The mascot, Tiptoe (I guess), looked EXTREMELY uncomfortable on skates. In other words, the person in the costume barely knew how to skate. I get that it is difficult to skate in that getup, but the Tri City and Omaha mascots seem to do quite well despite similarly top heavy setups. Same could be said of the UNO mascot.
A nice thing, though, is that they apparently have a kid mascot as well. I'm not sure if this is sanctioned or if this is something that a rabid fan created for their kid, but TipToe 1/2 is a very nice touch.
Lastly, the ads. Every arena has ads. They are usually between periods and announced during media timeouts and the like during the game. At this arena, it's almost nonstop... especially before the intro and in between periods. They brought a 2015 or 2016 Ford F150 onto the ice as well.
There was no intermission entertainment whatsoever outside of the Ads.
The one bit of entertainment we did get, I'd have rather not have gotten. Entering the third period, they put on the song "Cotton Eyed Joe." This, in itself, isn't unusual as the song is a staple at least in Nebraska sporting events. What I wasn't expecting was the crowd's reaction to it. It seemed many men took the song to mean "stand up, take off your shirt, and dance twirling your shirt above your head." I don't think I'll ever be able to forget some of what I saw. Luckily for you, the reader, you won't have to relive it...unless you go there yourself to view the carnage. It appears that there are several Sioux Falls fans that seem to not like it that much as well.
Grade: D -- when you have that kind of facility, there's no excuse for the lack of environment they put up. Truthfully, though, this could EASILY be remedied.
FOOD
They did serve Pepsi, which is unfortunate, but did not cost them in my rating. HOWEVER, what they DID do is offer options in how the beverage of your choice was to be served. They had the usual fountain drink variety but they did offer 20 oz. bottles. This is the only arena outside of Des Moines reviewed so far that offered this. A VERY nice touch.
Ok, I'm going to take a pass on this because I didn't really eat at the arena. However, from wandering around, they had a nice variety of food available to the public. I don't think reviewing the food based on what I DID order (popcorn and a bottle of water) to be accurate to rate.
Grade: N/A
The Visitor Experience
We were largely ignored despite being one of perhaps 10 Omaha fans in the arena (of which only the 3 that came with me to the game sat in my section). There was no razzing and the most common question asked of us was how long it took to drive from Omaha to Sioux Falls.
There was one lady who was upset at our cheering and "voiced" her objections after the game by ringing her cowbell as loudly as she could as near as she could to us after the game. Other than ringing in my ears, that's all the razzing I got.
Grade: A-
Overall
You cannot can or detract too much for tertiary omissions such as prompted interactions and whatnot when it comes to the overall experience. The overall experience, the game itself, the quality of the hockey (regardless of outcome) was simply fantastic. It did not surprise me at all that the Stampede blew away the attendance record last season (I believe they averaged about 8000 per game, which even for ONE night is pretty darned good for a USHL game).
Let's put the whole thing this way: There are NCAA DI hockey programs that do not have as nice of a facility as Sioux Falls Stampede enjoy. It's too bad that there's really not a lot of infrastructure around the arena or I'd say that, if Fargo can host an NCAA regional, so could Sioux Falls.
I'd definitely recommend visiting this arena.
Grade: A
 |
| Photo by Redwing77 |
The Denny Sanford Premier Center, home of the USHL's Sioux Fall Stampede, is entering its second year in existence. It's part of a multiple sport complex and convention center format in the northern part of Sioux Falls. It is connected to a basketball arena, soccer and baseball field, and football field.
It has a listed capacity for hockey of just under 10,700. This has to be among the largest venues in the USHL, if not the largest.
Cynically stated, this arena is situated very nicely for NHL scouts who want to get in and get out. It is literally less than 10 minutes from the airport. Sadly, there's almost nothing, outside of a few hotels, around the facility.
The Facility
There is ample, paved parking for the event. The exterior looks very modern, but not like what you'd expect of a hockey arena. It looks more like a new style convention center from the outside. On the inside, however, it's a different story. You are greeted with two large flights of stairs once entering and having your ticket scanned. There are escalators and elevators as well.
The arena itself is beautiful. There's ample, well padded and, to my eyes, slightly oversized seating around the sheet of ice that was extremely comfortable. The scoreboard was state of the art and breathtaking. One thing that was VERY noticeable (if not slightly predictable due to the age of the facility) is that it was VERY clean.
Maybe it was the lack of them that stood out elsewhere, but there seemed to be a LOT of restrooms available. It seemed to me that there were mens and women's facilities outside of every section.
The sound system was good and the use of technology was great at times. More on this later.
The ice doesn't deserve its own review. It's a new arena. The ice is new. It appeared like what a new hockey arena's ice sheet should look like. The skaters, outside of the mascot, looked to be quite at ease on the ice.
Grade: A+
The Entertainment
Here's where it gets a bit inconsistent, if not...well...sad. The use of technology for the opening intro was very good and featured a bunch of blue bison running in a stampede around the ribbon LED screens around the perimeter that was actually quite nice.
The music throughout was actually not that bad. Far better than Ralston, Sioux City, and Des Moines. Unlike Ralston, they prefer to allow the music to set the background not the main attraction. In other words, Ralston blasts your eardrups (especially with ads in between periods) whereas they do not in Sioux Falls.
But not all is well. They do not interact much with the crowd during the game. There's not that many "Let's Make Some Noise" prompts or other scripted events to get the crowd into the game. So, when the Sioux Falls Stampede aren't winning, it actually sounds more like a library than a hockey rink. There were times, even, when I could clearly hear the voices of the hockey players communicating on the ice... and my seats were 12 rows up from the glass.
The mascot, Tiptoe (I guess), looked EXTREMELY uncomfortable on skates. In other words, the person in the costume barely knew how to skate. I get that it is difficult to skate in that getup, but the Tri City and Omaha mascots seem to do quite well despite similarly top heavy setups. Same could be said of the UNO mascot.
A nice thing, though, is that they apparently have a kid mascot as well. I'm not sure if this is sanctioned or if this is something that a rabid fan created for their kid, but TipToe 1/2 is a very nice touch.
Lastly, the ads. Every arena has ads. They are usually between periods and announced during media timeouts and the like during the game. At this arena, it's almost nonstop... especially before the intro and in between periods. They brought a 2015 or 2016 Ford F150 onto the ice as well.
There was no intermission entertainment whatsoever outside of the Ads.
The one bit of entertainment we did get, I'd have rather not have gotten. Entering the third period, they put on the song "Cotton Eyed Joe." This, in itself, isn't unusual as the song is a staple at least in Nebraska sporting events. What I wasn't expecting was the crowd's reaction to it. It seemed many men took the song to mean "stand up, take off your shirt, and dance twirling your shirt above your head." I don't think I'll ever be able to forget some of what I saw. Luckily for you, the reader, you won't have to relive it...unless you go there yourself to view the carnage. It appears that there are several Sioux Falls fans that seem to not like it that much as well.
Grade: D -- when you have that kind of facility, there's no excuse for the lack of environment they put up. Truthfully, though, this could EASILY be remedied.
FOOD
They did serve Pepsi, which is unfortunate, but did not cost them in my rating. HOWEVER, what they DID do is offer options in how the beverage of your choice was to be served. They had the usual fountain drink variety but they did offer 20 oz. bottles. This is the only arena outside of Des Moines reviewed so far that offered this. A VERY nice touch.
Ok, I'm going to take a pass on this because I didn't really eat at the arena. However, from wandering around, they had a nice variety of food available to the public. I don't think reviewing the food based on what I DID order (popcorn and a bottle of water) to be accurate to rate.
Grade: N/A
The Visitor Experience
We were largely ignored despite being one of perhaps 10 Omaha fans in the arena (of which only the 3 that came with me to the game sat in my section). There was no razzing and the most common question asked of us was how long it took to drive from Omaha to Sioux Falls.
There was one lady who was upset at our cheering and "voiced" her objections after the game by ringing her cowbell as loudly as she could as near as she could to us after the game. Other than ringing in my ears, that's all the razzing I got.
Grade: A-
Overall
You cannot can or detract too much for tertiary omissions such as prompted interactions and whatnot when it comes to the overall experience. The overall experience, the game itself, the quality of the hockey (regardless of outcome) was simply fantastic. It did not surprise me at all that the Stampede blew away the attendance record last season (I believe they averaged about 8000 per game, which even for ONE night is pretty darned good for a USHL game).
Let's put the whole thing this way: There are NCAA DI hockey programs that do not have as nice of a facility as Sioux Falls Stampede enjoy. It's too bad that there's really not a lot of infrastructure around the arena or I'd say that, if Fargo can host an NCAA regional, so could Sioux Falls.
I'd definitely recommend visiting this arena.
Grade: A
Friday, October 09, 2015
Tom Dennis: Let the Sundogs shine as new UND nickname
I almost fell out of my chair at work when I read this, thank God my mouth wasn't full of coffee when I read this. First, I think Tom Dennis, for the most part, is spot on in a lot of his editorial writings. Even if he's a bit liberal for me. But this, ugh. This is even worthy of a woof. If UND picks the nickname Sundogs, which is highly doubtful, they will become the laughing stock of college sports. This line of thinking must be rejected.
Tom Dennis, Grand Forks Herald:
Tom Dennis, Grand Forks Herald:
For there shine the sundogs, the sun's twin siblings that on cold and clear North Dakota mornings never fail to take your breath away.I don't know about other folks, but the nickname Sundogs is a nonstarter for me. During the late 1990's to early 2000's, the student organization B.R.I.D.G.E.S pushed the nickname Sundogs, hard. This is the same organization that was very instrumental in getting rid of the Fighting Sioux nickname.
Why not clue in the rest of America to this unique phenomenon?
Sundogs sparkle; sundogs dance. Sundogs inspire, blending the North Country's core elements of ice crystals and blue sky into a vision that impressed Shakespeare himself: "Dazzle mine eyes, or do I see three suns?" the Bard wrote in "Henry VI, Part 3."
Sounds like the kind of rapture UND could use right now.
And that's why we hope supporters of the university will choose Sundogs as UND's next nickname.
For decades, the Herald has tracked UND's nickname debate as closely as has any institution in town. We've seen the harm that the long and bitter battle has done to the school's spirit. We've watched as a mood of sullenness has settled like a fog on the university community.
And we think Sundogs might just be the symbol to chase those blues away.
Thursday, October 08, 2015
Alexander Burmistrov’s Dirty Elbow on Patrice Bergeron
While we're suspending people for dirty hits. I believe that Alexander Burmistrov’s dirty elbow on Patrice Bergeron should warrant a suspension. This is definitely a violation of the NHL's Rule 48.
There's no defending this hit.
Former UND Grad to Take Legal Action Against UND over Nickname
Just when you think you're finally going to vote, another wrench gets thrown into the equation. This is turning into a soap opera. Or a train wreck that you can't take your eyes off of.
According to Rob Port of Say Anything Blog, UND grad William Brotherton is plans to take legal action against the University of North Dakota. I kid you not.
I would imagine that he better hurry up, there's only 10 1/2 days until voting takes place. Also, there might be question on whether Mr. Brotherton actually has standing in this manner.
“We are looking to raise money to look at filing a pleading by next friday [October 16],” William Brotherton, who operates the Brotherton Law Office, told me today. “There’s a number of questions as to how the nickname committee arrived at its decision on the five names. There is the huge outcry over the fact that North Dakota is not listed as one of the options for the voters. There’s also an outcry that you can’t even write in any other choice. It all seems to be very much orchestrated.”
Asked how he got involved, Brotherton said people started contacting him after he wrote an op/ed published in the Fargo Forum about the controversy. “I have received a lot of calls and emails from folks because I wrote an op/ed,” he said. “A bunch of folks have been contacting me so I guess I sort of became the lightning rod for all this.”
Like I have said in the past, I favored the UND/North Dakota option, but I have since warmed to moving ahead and voting for a new nickname. Fighting Hawks is the one that I have decided I like the best. The other four options all have issues. Especially, the Sundogs option.
According to Rob Port of Say Anything Blog, UND grad William Brotherton is plans to take legal action against the University of North Dakota. I kid you not.
I would imagine that he better hurry up, there's only 10 1/2 days until voting takes place. Also, there might be question on whether Mr. Brotherton actually has standing in this manner.
“We are looking to raise money to look at filing a pleading by next friday [October 16],” William Brotherton, who operates the Brotherton Law Office, told me today. “There’s a number of questions as to how the nickname committee arrived at its decision on the five names. There is the huge outcry over the fact that North Dakota is not listed as one of the options for the voters. There’s also an outcry that you can’t even write in any other choice. It all seems to be very much orchestrated.”
Asked how he got involved, Brotherton said people started contacting him after he wrote an op/ed published in the Fargo Forum about the controversy. “I have received a lot of calls and emails from folks because I wrote an op/ed,” he said. “A bunch of folks have been contacting me so I guess I sort of became the lightning rod for all this.”
Like I have said in the past, I favored the UND/North Dakota option, but I have since warmed to moving ahead and voting for a new nickname. Fighting Hawks is the one that I have decided I like the best. The other four options all have issues. Especially, the Sundogs option.
Milan Lucic given Match Penalty
Former Bruins tough guy Milan Lucic is now a member of the L.A. Kings. Last night, in his debut with the Kings, he was checked in the open ice by Logan Couture. The hit in question was hard, and legal. Instead of taking his medicine and playing on, he decided to go after Couture. Link to the video in question.
While I don't think Lucic should be given a match penalty for going after Couture. Lucic did come off as being a bit of a cry baby. Seriously, it wasn't a dirty check. I also predict that Lucic will not be given an additional discipline, nor does the hit warrant any. I have seen worse on-ice behavior go unpunished.
Lucic, doesn't think that he will be suspended.
I would be very surprised if I got anything extra. We’ll see what happens, I guess, tonight and tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 07, 2015
New Season, The Old Same Leafs (Brutal Goaltending)
You almost feel sorry for the Toronto Maple Leafs. This is a textbook example of bad goaltending. Former Michigan Wolverine Max Pacioretty handcuffs Toronto Maple Leafs Jonathan Bernier for a goal. Ironically, this will also go down as the first goal of the 2015-16 season.
New season, same old Maple Leafs.
For the 2nd straight year the Habs' Max Pacioretty scores the 1st goal of the NHL season & does it on Jonathan Bernier at the ACC both times
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) October 7, 2015
NHL Alumni by NCHC School
Lot of players in the NHL that come from NCHC schools.
North Dakota (14)
Taylor Chorney, D (Washington)
Derek Forbort, D (Los Angeles)
Matt Greene, D (Los Angeles)
Rocco Grimaldi, F (Florida)
Brad Malone, F (Carolina)
Brock Nelson, F (New York Islanders)
T.J. Oshie, F (Washington)
Zach Parise, F (Minnesota)
Chris Porter, F (Minnesota)
Dillon Simpson, D (Edmonton)
Drew Stafford, F (Winnipeg)
Jonathan Toews, F (Chicago)
Chris VandeVelde, F (Philadelphia)
Travis Zajac, F (New Jersey)
Denver (9)
Beau Bennett, F (Pittsburgh)
Tyler Bozak, F (Toronto)
Matt Carle, D (Tampa Bay)
Joe Colborne, F (Calgary)
Matt Donovan, D (Buffalo)
Nick Shore, F (Los Angeles)
Paul Stastny, F (St. Louis)
Patrick Wiercioch, D (Ottawa)
Jason Zucker, F (Minnesota)
Minnesota Duluth (8)
J.T. Brown, F (Tampa Bay)
Justin Faulk, D (Carolina)
Justin Fontaine, F (Minnesota)
Jason Garrison, D (Tampa Bay)
Matt Niskanen, D (Washington)
Dylan Olsen, D (Florida)
Mason Raymond, F (Calgary)
Alex Stalock, G (San Jose)
Miami (7)
Dan Boyle, D (New York Rangers)
Andy Greene, D (New Jersey)
Alec Martinez, D (Los Angeles)
Reilly Smith, F (Florida)
Chris Wideman, D (Ottawa)
Tommy Wingels, F (San Jose)
Jeff Zatkoff, G (Pittsburgh)
Colorado College (4)
Curtis McElhinney, G (Columbus)
Nate Prosser, D (Minnesota)
Jaden Schwartz, F (St. Louis)
Mark Stuart, D (Winnipeg)
Western Michigan (4)
Kevin Connauton, D (Columbus)
Danny DeKeyser, D (Detroit)
Mark Letestu, F (Edmonton)
Matt Tennyson, D (San Jose)
St. Cloud State (2)
Matt Cullen, F (Pittsburgh)
Matt Hendricks, F (Edmonton)
Omaha (1) Andrej Sustr, D (Tampa Bay)
(s/t NCHC Hockey)
North Dakota (14)
Taylor Chorney, D (Washington)
Derek Forbort, D (Los Angeles)
Matt Greene, D (Los Angeles)
Rocco Grimaldi, F (Florida)
Brad Malone, F (Carolina)
Brock Nelson, F (New York Islanders)
T.J. Oshie, F (Washington)
Zach Parise, F (Minnesota)
Chris Porter, F (Minnesota)
Dillon Simpson, D (Edmonton)
Drew Stafford, F (Winnipeg)
Jonathan Toews, F (Chicago)
Chris VandeVelde, F (Philadelphia)
Travis Zajac, F (New Jersey)
Denver (9)
Beau Bennett, F (Pittsburgh)
Tyler Bozak, F (Toronto)
Matt Carle, D (Tampa Bay)
Joe Colborne, F (Calgary)
Matt Donovan, D (Buffalo)
Nick Shore, F (Los Angeles)
Paul Stastny, F (St. Louis)
Patrick Wiercioch, D (Ottawa)
Jason Zucker, F (Minnesota)
Minnesota Duluth (8)
J.T. Brown, F (Tampa Bay)
Justin Faulk, D (Carolina)
Justin Fontaine, F (Minnesota)
Jason Garrison, D (Tampa Bay)
Matt Niskanen, D (Washington)
Dylan Olsen, D (Florida)
Mason Raymond, F (Calgary)
Alex Stalock, G (San Jose)
Miami (7)
Dan Boyle, D (New York Rangers)
Andy Greene, D (New Jersey)
Alec Martinez, D (Los Angeles)
Reilly Smith, F (Florida)
Chris Wideman, D (Ottawa)
Tommy Wingels, F (San Jose)
Jeff Zatkoff, G (Pittsburgh)
Colorado College (4)
Curtis McElhinney, G (Columbus)
Nate Prosser, D (Minnesota)
Jaden Schwartz, F (St. Louis)
Mark Stuart, D (Winnipeg)
Western Michigan (4)
Kevin Connauton, D (Columbus)
Danny DeKeyser, D (Detroit)
Mark Letestu, F (Edmonton)
Matt Tennyson, D (San Jose)
St. Cloud State (2)
Matt Cullen, F (Pittsburgh)
Matt Hendricks, F (Edmonton)
Omaha (1) Andrej Sustr, D (Tampa Bay)
(s/t NCHC Hockey)
Tuesday, October 06, 2015
Division I NCAA Hockey: Odds to NCAA Title
Well, the early line out according to Bovada. Apparently, the oddsmakers like Boston College. Like the weekly polls, these things are fun to look at, but mean very little.
Boston College - 4/1
Minnesota-Duluth - 13/2
Boston University - 15/2
Providence - 17/2
North Dakota - 17/2
UMass Lowell - 10/1
Minnesota State - 11/1
Harvard - 11/1
Minnesota - 11/1
Miami - 11/1
Denver - 12/1
Michigan - 12/1
Nebraska Omaha - 15/1
Yale - 28/1
Michigan Tech - 28/1
Bowling Green - 28/1
(s/t B.C. Interruption)
Boston College - 4/1
Minnesota-Duluth - 13/2
Boston University - 15/2
Providence - 17/2
North Dakota - 17/2
UMass Lowell - 10/1
Minnesota State - 11/1
Harvard - 11/1
Minnesota - 11/1
Miami - 11/1
Denver - 12/1
Michigan - 12/1
Nebraska Omaha - 15/1
Yale - 28/1
Michigan Tech - 28/1
Bowling Green - 28/1
(s/t B.C. Interruption)
Monday, October 05, 2015
NHL Bans Raffi Torres 41 Games (Suspension History)
When I first saw this story emerge on twitter I thought it was a miss print. The NHL's Department of Player Safety has hammered on Raffi Torres, and rightfully so. The San Jose Sharks forward will miss the first half of the 2015-16 NHL season. Some feel Torres has been given enough chances and he should be given a life ban from the NHL. His next transgression might actually end his NHL career.
First, the standard has been set, targetting the head will not be tolerated this season. Right? We will soon see. I remain skeptical. This suspension should open some eyes. It should put the dirty players that have trouble playing within the rules on notice.
Now, will the NHL's Department of Player Safety remain vigilant against the dirty head shots or will they continue to pick and choose who they suspend. Below, I laid out Torres' suspension history.
May 28, 2013, Missed the last 6 playoff games (suspended by NHL).
May 16, 2013, Suspended by the NHL for the remainder of Round 2 against the Los Angeles Kings.
Feb 02, 2013, Missed 8 games (suspended by NHL).
May 22, 2012, Missed the last 13 playoff games (suspended by NHL).
Apr 21, 2012, Suspended by the NHL for 25 games.
Jan 02, 2012, Suspended by the NHL for 2 games.
Apr 17, 2011, Missed the last 2 games of the regular season and 2 playoff games (suspension).
Apr 07, 2011 Suspended by the NHL for four games.
(s/t TSN)
Long suspensions, not prospect of having to fight, is only thing that stops guys like Raffi Torres from doing what they do.
— Ken Campbell (@THNKenCampbell) October 5, 2015
Watch this @NHLPlayerSafety video from the two-minute mark on. It's unbelievable that teams keep signing Torres. http://t.co/xnqNUgyhC4
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) October 5, 2015
The NHL is a better, safer place without Raffi Torres, writes @SportsnetSpec http://t.co/FzrYdhPKaA pic.twitter.com/1PhcNb21iO
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 5, 2015
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