Flames re-sign Hale
Former Sioux defenseman David Hale re-signed with the Calgary Flames yesterday.
Hale signed a one-year deal reportedly worth $590,000. Last season, Hale made $550,000.
Hale was traded from New Jersey to Calgary near the trading deadline. He played in 43 regular-season games with the Devils and 11 with the Flames. Hale also played in two playoff games.
Posted by: Schlossman on Friday, June 29 at 2:02 PM | Comments (8) | Permalink
Where will the Eagle land?
One interesting storyline to watch when the NHL's free-agency signing period opens at 11 a.m. Sunday will be to follow what happens with former Sioux goaltender Ed Belfour.
The 42-year-old Belfour told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel earlier this offseason that he plans to play another season. At that time, it looked like the Florida Panthers would re-sign Belfour.
Now we know that Florida will not sign Belfour after the Panthers grabbed Nashville goaltender Thomas Vokoun during draft weekend. General manager/coach Jacques Martin said that he is no longer looking at Belfour as a backup option.
So who is in the market for a backup goaltender and who might be interested in Belfour? ESPN's Scott Burnside says there should be a lot of teams interested because of his play last season (2.77 GAA, .902 SP). He points to Tampa Bay, Phoenix and Los Angeles as the most logical options.
There seems to be no talk of retirement.
Posted by: Schlossman on Thursday, June 28 at 2:41 PM | Comments (5) | Permalink
Cup headed to Bemidji tomorrow
The Stanley Cup will be back in area tomorrow (Thursday) as Bemidji native Joe Motzko spends his day with the trophy. Motzko, a former St. Cloud State player, was a member of the Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks.
For those in the area interested in checking it out, Motzko will display the Cup at Bemidji Community Arena (next to the high school) from noon to 2 p.m. The event is open to the public.
In the last year, the Cup has become familiar with the region. It's made stops in Grand Forks, Fargo, Moorhead, Oxbow, Detroit Lakes, Brainerd, St. Cloud, St. Paul and Bemidji.
On Friday, the Cup will be making a stop in Mankato, where Ryan Carter played his college hockey. It is being declared Ryan Carter-Stanley Cup Day in the city. Carter will fly it in to Mankato for a noon presentation in the Mankato Place Atrium. He will then fly it back to his hometown of White Bear Lake, Minn.
Posted by: Schlossman on Wednesday, June 27 at 2:43 PM | Comments (3) | Permalink
A sports fan's checklist
ESPN's Jim Caple compiled an interesting list for a Page 2 article: The top 101 sporting events you should experience before you die. Hockey found its way on the list in several spots:
3. Winter Olympics (It's not specifically hockey, but is there a larger draw?)
20. Stanley Cup playoffs game
36. NCAA Frozen Four
37. Canadiens-Leafs game
63. Camp out for tickets (If you're a student at UND...)
65. U.S. Pond Hockey Championships in Minneapolis
72. The Beanpot
79. Junior hockey in small-town Canada
81. The Minnesota state high school hockey tournament
For the entire list, go here.
Posted by: Schlossman on Tuesday, June 26 at 1:44 PM | Comments (8) | Permalink
Bruneteau traded to Indiana
Sioux recruit Brett Bruneteau was traded from the Omaha Lancers to the Indiana Ice today.
Bruneteau, who was drafted in the fourth round by the Washington Capitals last weekend, was traded for Gopher recruit Nico Sacchetti, who was drafted in the second by the Dallas Stars.
The upcoming season will be Bruneteau's last in the USHL, as he is scheduled to arrive at UND in the fall of 2008. Bruneteau had 12 goals and 27 assists for 39 points in 55 games last season.
Both the Indiana Ice and the Omaha Lancers put out releases about the trade.
Posted by: Schlossman on Tuesday, June 26 at 1:13 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
More draft notes
Here are a few more notes from the draft:
**The 2005 and 2007 draft classes are the only ones in UND history to see six-plus guys get selected in the first five rounds.
*There were 63 American-born players taken in the draft, which accounted for 30 percent of the draftees. That is the highest percentage in history, breaking last year's 28.2 percent.
Here is a breakdown by birthplace of the draftees (state/province):
Ontario 40
Alberta 19
Minnesota 14
Michigan 14
British Columbia 14
Quebec 10
Manitoba 6
Connecticut 5
New York 5
Saskatchewan 5
Illinois 4
Massachusetts 4
Nova Scotia 4
California 3
Wisconsin 3
Pennsylvania 3
Ohio 3
New Jersey 2
New Brunswick 2
Prince Edward Island 2
North Dakota 1
Missouri 1
Texas 1
Posted by: Schlossman on Monday, June 25 at 2:39 PM | Comments (4) | Permalink
Isles brass comments on Gregoire
The New York Islanders had by far the best draft coverage of any team that took a UND player. On the team's Website, they had interviews with both the director of scouting and a scout about each draft pick. Here's what they had to say about Sioux recruit Jason Gregoire, who was taken in the third round:
Director of scouting Ken Morrow (a member of the 1980 U.S. Miracle on Ice team) said: "In two of the games I saw Jason, he had hat tricks, so he has some goal-scoring ability. He was a very smart player and good around the net. What I liked best about Jason was that he came on at the end of the season, and consistently got better as the season progressed. Scouting the amateurs is a whole different ballgame than watching the pros. These are guys who we might not see play for the Islanders for another five or six years, but this kid stuck out in my mind."
Scout Jim Hillman said: "Jason has deceiving speed and is good around the net. He takes advantage of his opportunities because of his quick hands. I got a chance to see him play in Lincoln of the USHL and he was effective at winning one-on-one battles at both ends of the ice. I didn't expect him to be available this late in the draft."
Gregoire will fly to New York on Tuesday for the prospect camp. How's this for a busy weekend: Get drafted on Saturday, graduate from high school on Monday, fly to New York (for the first time) on Tuesday. He'll spend a week there.
Posted by: Schlossman on Sunday, June 24 at 12:02 PM | Comments (10) | Permalink
NHL draft: Round-by-round
Instead of listing every pick like I did in the first round, I'll just list college/college-bound players today. WCHA players are color-coded. UND players will be in bold and tallies of WCHA and college hockey players are below.
Quick summary of UND recruits:
Jason Gregoire was selected by the New York Islanders in the third round, 76 overall.
Matt Frattin was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fourth round, 99 overall.
Brad Malone was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the fourth round, 105 overall.
Brett Bruneteau was selected by the Washington Capitals in the fourth round, 108 overall.
Ben Blood was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the fourth round, 120 overall.
Brad Eidsness was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the fifth round, 139 overall.
First round (Friday)
2. Philadelphia Flyers -- James vanRiemsdyk, F, New Hampshire recruit
3. Phoenix Coyotes -- Kyle Turris, F, Wisconsin recruit
12. Montreal Canadiens -- Ryan McDonagh, D, Wisconsin recruit
14. Colorado Avalanche -- Kevin Shattenkirk, D, Boston Univ. recruit
18. St. Louis Blues -- Ian Cole, D, Notre Dame recruit
21. Edmonton Oilers -- Riley Nash, F, Cornell recruit
22. Montreal Canadiens -- Max Pacioretty, F, Michigan recruit
25. Vancouver Canucks -- Patrick White, F, Minnesota recruit
27. Detroit Red Wings -- Brendan Smith, D, Wisconsin recruit
28. San Jose Sharks -- Nick Petrecki, D, Boston College recruit
29. Ottawa Senators -- Jim O'Brien, F-D, Minnesota
Second round
35. Boston Bruins -- Tommy Cross, D, Boston College recruit
38. Chicago Blackhawks -- Billy Sweatt, F, Colorado College
44. St. Louis Blues -- Aaron Palushaj, F, Michigan recruit
45. Colorado Avalanche -- Colby Cohen, D, Boston Univ. recruit
46. Washington Capitals -- Ted Ruth, D, Notre Dame recruit
50. Dallas Stars -- Nico Sacchetti, F, Minnesota recruit
53. Columbus Blue Jackets -- Will Weber, D, Miami-Ohio recruit
55. Colorado Avalanche -- T.J. Galiardi, F, Dartmouth
57. New Jersey Devils -- Mike Hoeffel, F, Minnesota recruit
Third round
68. Columbus Blue Jackets -- Jake Hansen, F, Minnesota recruit
76. New York Islanders -- Jason Gregoire, F, UND recruit
77. Tampa Bay Lightning -- Alexander Killorn, F, Harvard recruit
80. Pittsburgh Penguins -- Casey Pierro-Zabotel, F, Michigan Tech recruit
81. Nashville Predators -- Ryan Thang, F, Notre Dame
84. Washington Capitals -- Phil DeSimone, F, New Hampshire recruit
86. Chicago Blackhawks -- Josh Unice, G, Bowling Green recruit
89. Buffalo Sabres -- Corey Tropp, F, Michigan State recruit
90. Ottawa Senators -- Louie Caporusso, F, Michigan recruit
Fourth round
92. Anaheim Ducks -- Justin Vaive, F, Miami-Ohio recruit
93. Anaheim Ducks -- Steve Kampfer, D, Michigan
95. Los Angeles Kings -- Alec Martinez, D, Miami-Ohio
96. St. Louis Blues -- Cade Fairchild, D, Minnesota recruit
99. Toronto Maple Leafs -- Matt Frattin, F, UND recruit
100. St. Louis Blues -- Travis Erstad, F, Wisconsin recruit
101. Florida Panthers -- Matt Rust, F, Michigan recruit
104. Toronto Maple Leafs -- Ben Winnett, F, Michigan recruit
105. Colorado Avalanche -- Brad Malone, F, UND recruit
108. Washington Capitals -- Brett Bruneteau, F, UND recruit
114. Nashville Predators -- Ben Ryan, F, Notre Dame recruit
120. Ottawa Senators -- Ben Blood, D, UND recruit
Fifth round
126. Chicago Blackhawks -- Joe Lavin, D, Providence recruit
128. Dallas Stars -- Austin Smith, F, Colgate recruit
129. Dallas Stars -- Jamie Benn, F, Alaska-Fairbanks recruit
131. Florida Panthers -- John Lee, D, Denver recruit
133. Montreal Canadiens -- Joe Stejskal, D, Dartmouth recruit
135. Colorado Avalanche -- Paul Carey, F, Boston College recruit
137. Los Angeles Kings -- Josh Turnbull, F, Wisconsin recruit
138. New York Rangers -- Max Campbell, F, Western Michigan recruit
139. Buffalo Sabres -- Brad Eidsness, G, UND recruit
142. Montreal Canadiens -- Andrew Conboy, F, Nebraska-Omaha recruit
150. Ottawa Senators -- Matt Marshall, F, Vermont recruit
Sixth round
152. Philadelphia Flyers -- Jon Kalinski, F, Minnesota State-Mankato
153. Phoenix Coyotes -- Scott Darling, G, Maine recruit
154. Washington Capitals -- Dan Dunn, G, St. Cloud State recruit
159. Boston Bruins -- Alain Goulet, D, Nebraska-Omaha recruit
161. Philadelphia Flyers -- Pat Maroon, F, Ferris State recruit
166. New York Islanders -- Blake Kessel, D, New Hampshire recruit
168. New York Rangers -- Carl Hagelin, D, Michigan recruit
173. San Jose Sharks -- Nick Bonino, F, Boston Univ. recruit
175. Atlanta Thrashers -- John Albert, F, Ohio State recruit
176. Vancouver Canucks -- Taylor Matson, F, Minnesota recruit
Seventh round
182. Philadelphia Flyers -- Brad Phillips, G, Notre Dame recruit
185. Washington Capitals -- Nick Larson, F, Minnesota recruit
186. Calgary Flames -- C.J. Severyn, F, Ohio State recruit
190. St. Louis Blues -- Trevor Nill, F, Michigan State recruit
191. Florida Panthers -- Ryan Watson, F, Western Michigan recruit
192. Montreal Canadiens -- Scott Kishel, D, Minnesota-Duluth recruit
198. New York Rangers -- Danny Hobbs, F, Massachusetts recruit
199. Washington Capitals -- Andrew Glass, F, Boston Univ. recruit
201. San Jose Sharks -- Justin Braun, D, Massachusetts
208. Detroit Red Wings -- Bryan Rufenach, D, Clarkson recruit
209. Buffalo Sabres -- Drew MacKenzie, D, Vermont recruit
211. Columbus Blue Jackets -- Trent Vogelhuber, F, Miami-Ohio recruit
WCHA by team (25):
Minnesota 8 (White at No. 25; O'Brien at No. 29; Sacchetti at No. 50; Hoeffel at No. 57; Hansen at No. 68; Fairchild at No. 96; Matson at No. 176; Larson at No. 185)
UND 6 (Gregoire at No. 76; Frattin at No. 99; Malone at No. 105; Bruneteau at No. 108; Blood at No. 120; Eidsness at No. 139)
Wisconsin 5 (Turris at No. 3; McDonagh at No. 12; Smith at No. 27; Erstad at No. 100; Turnbull at No. 137)
Colorado College 1 (Sweatt at No. 38)
Michigan Tech 1 (Pierro-Zabotel at No. 80)
Denver 1 (Lee at No. 131)
Mankato 1 (Kalinski at No. 152)
St. Cloud State 1 (Dunn at No. 154)
Duluth 1 (Kishel at No. 192)
College hockey players by team (73):
Minnesota 8 (White at No. 25; O'Brien at No. 29; Sacchetti at No. 50; Hoeffel at No. 57; Hansen at No. 68; Fairchild at No. 96; Matson at No. 176; Larson at No. 185)
Michigan 7 (Pacioretty at No. 22; Palushaj at No. 44; Caporusso at No. 90; Kampfer at No. 93; Rust at No. 101; Winnett at No. 104; Hagelin at No. 168)
UND 6 (Gregoire at No. 76; Frattin at No. 99; Malone at No. 105; Bruneteau at No. 108; Blood at No. 120; Eidsness at No. 139)
Wisconsin 5 (Turris at No. 3; McDonagh at No. 12; Smith at No. 27; Erstad at No. 100; Turnbull at No. 137)
Notre Dame 5 (Cole at No. 18; Ruth at No. 46; Thang at No. 81; Ryan at No. 114; Phillips at No. 182)
Boston Univ. 4 (Shattenkirk at No. 14; Cohen at No. 45; Bonino at No. 173; Glass at No. 199)
Miami-Ohio 4 (Weber at No. 53; Vaive at No. 92; Martinez at No. 95; Vogelhuber at No. 211)
Boston College 3 (Petrecki at No. 28; Cross at No. 35; Carey at No. 135)
New Hampshire 3 (vanRiemsdyk at No. 2; DeSimone at No. 84; Kessel at No. 166)
Nebraska-Omaha 2 (Conboy at No. 142; Goulet at No. 159)
Ohio State 2 (Albert at No. 175; Severyn at No. 186)
Dartmouth 2 (Galiardi at No. 55; Stejskal at No. 133)
Western Michigan 2 (Campbell at No. 138; Watson at No. 191)
Michigan State 2 (Tropp at No. 89; Nill at No. 190)
Massachusetts 2 (Hobbs at No. 198; Braun at No. 201)
Vermont 2 (Marshall at No. 150; MacKenzie at No. 209)
Cornell 1 (Nash at No. 21)
Colorado College 1 (Sweatt at No. 38)
Harvard 1 (Killorn at No. 77)
Michigan Tech 1 (Pierro-Zabotel at No. 80)
Bowling Green 1 (Unice at No. 86)
Providence 1 (Lavin at No. 126)
Colgate 1 (Smith at No. 128)
Alaska-Fairbanks 1 (Benn at No. 129)
Denver 1 (Lee at No. 131)
Mankato 1 (Kalinski at No. 152)
Maine 1 (Darling at No. 153)
St. Cloud State 1 (Dunn at No. 154)
Ferris State 1 (Maroon at No. 161)
Duluth 1 (Kishel at No. 192)
Clarkson 1 (Rufenach at No. 208)
Posted by: Schlossman on Saturday, June 23 at 9:02 AM | Comments (21) | Permalink
Bishop to Ohio State
Forward Hunter Bishop, who played a semester with UND last fall, has given a verbal commitment to attend Ohio State beginning in 2008.
His younger sister, Teal, will be a freshman defenseman for the Buckeyes this fall. That means when Bishop's parents make the trek from Fairbanks to the mainland, they will be able to catch two kids in one spot. Bishop's mother, Rita, also said they have family in the Columbus area.
Both Hunter and his mom wanted to re-interate that Hunter enjoyed his time in Grand Forks and there were no hard feelings when he left. Hunter just didn't foresee himself getting much playing time until he was a senior because of all the returning players. As it turns out, UND only lost one underclassman forward to the NHL this offseason.
Hunter will play one more season with Vernon in the BCHL before heading to Columbus.
Posted by: Schlossman on Saturday, June 23 at 2:26 AM | Comments (9) | Permalink
NHL draft: First round
Friday's first round. Draft notes and tallies of WCHA and college hockey players taken below are. College/college-bound players are in bold:
1. Chicago Blackhawks -- Patrick Kane, F, London (OHL)
2. Philadelphia Flyers -- James vanRiemsdyk, F, New Hampshire recruit
3. Phoenix Coyotes -- Kyle Turris, F, Wisconsin recruit
4. Los Angeles Kings -- Thomas Hickey, D, Seattle (WHL)
5. Washington Capitals -- Karl Alzner, D, Calgary (WHL)
6. Edmonton Oilers -- Sam Gagner, F, London (OHL)
7. Columbus Blue Jackets -- Jakub Voracek, F, Halifax (QMJHL)
8. Boston Bruins -- Zach Hamill, F, Everett (WHL)
9. San Jose Sharks -- Logan Couture, F, Ottawa (OHL)
10. Florida Panthers -- Keaton Ellerby, D, Kamloops (WHL)
11. Carolina Hurricanes -- Brandon Sutter, F, Red Deer (WHL)
12. Montreal Canadiens -- Ryan McDonagh, D, Wisconsin recruit
13. St. Louis Blues -- Lars Eller, F, Sweden
14. Colorado Avalanche -- Kevin Shattenkirk, D, Boston Univ. recruit
15. Edmonton Oilers -- Alex Plante, D, Calgary (WHL)
16. Minnesota Wild -- Colton Gillies, F, Saskatoon (WHL)
17. New York Rangers -- Alexei Cherepanov, F, Russia
18. St. Louis Blues -- Ian Cole, D, Notre Dame recruit
19. Anaheim Ducks -- Logan MacMillan, F, Halifax (QMJHL)
20. Pittsburgh Penguins -- Angelo Esposito, F, Quebec (QMJHL)
21. Edmonton Oilers -- Riley Nash, F, Cornell recruit
22. Montreal Canadiens -- Max Pacioretty, F, Michigan recruit
23. Nashville Predators -- Jon Blum, D, Vancouver (WHL)
24. Calgary Flames -- Mikael Backlund, F, Sweden
25. Vancouver Canucks -- Patrick White, F, Minnesota recruit
26. St. Louis Blues -- David Perron, F, Lewiston (QMJHL)
27. Detroit Red Wings -- Brendan Smith, D, Wisconsin recruit
28. San Jose Sharks -- Nick Petrecki, D, Boston College recruit
29. Ottawa Senators -- Jim O'Brien, D-F, Minnesota
30. Phoenix Coyotes -- Nick Ross, D, Regina (WHL)
Draft notes:
*For the second straight year, a U.S.-born player was taken No. 1 overall. It's the first time that's ever happened in back-to-back years.
*It also is the first time U.S.-born players have gone 1-2 in the draft.
*The first two overall picks are former U.S. National Team Development Program members. A total of four U.S. NTDP alums have been taken in the first round so far.
*With Pacioretty going to Montreal at No. 22, Michigan extended its streak of having a player drafted in the first round to seven straight years.
*For the first time since 2002, UND did not have a player taken in the first round.
*There were 10 Americans taken in the first round, which ties a record set last year.
WCHA by team (5):
Wisconsin 3 (Turris at No. 3; McDonagh at No. 12; Smith at No. 27)
Minnesota 2 (White at No. 25; O'Brien at No. 29)
College hockey players by team (11):
Wisconsin 3 (Turris at No. 3; McDonagh at No. 12; Smith at No. 27)
Minnesota 2 (White at No. 25; O'Brien at No. 29)
New Hampshire 1 (vanRiemsdyk at No. 2)
Boston Univ. 1 (Shattenkirk at No. 14)
Notre Dame 1 (Cole at No. 18)
Cornell 1 (Nash at No. 21)
Michigan 1 (Pacioretty at No. 22)
Boston College 1 (Petrecki at No. 28)
Posted by: Schlossman on Friday, June 22 at 6:00 PM | Comments (18) | Permalink
WCHA draft coverage
Check the blog later tonight and tomorrow for live draft coverage. I'll update each pick in the first round and have lists of college, WCHA and UND players for the other rounds.
In the meantime, here is a collection of draft coverage from WCHA papers:
The Herald features recruit Brad Malone, who is set to become the fourth member of his family taken in the NHL draft.
Fargo Forum features Moorhead High's Jordy Christian, Jeff Foss and John Lee, all of whom could get selected this weekend. For those wondering, Christian is a St. Cloud State commit, Foss is an RPI commit and Lee is a Denver commit.
Wisconsin State Journal features Badger recruits Kyle Turris and Ryan McDonagh, both of whom could be top-10 picks.
Colorado Springs Gazette features CC sophomore-to-be Billy Sweatt, who could become just the second CC player ever to be taken in the first round. The other was Mark Stuart, who went 21 overall in 2003.
Star Tribune features Wisconsin recruit Ryan McDonagh.
Pioneer Press discusses how the draft isn't stocked with Minnesota players.
Posted by: Schlossman on Friday, June 22 at 1:03 AM | Comments (7) | Permalink
Duncan named top N.D. college athlete
The season is over but the awards keep coming for Ryan Duncan.
Duncan was named the North Dakota college male athlete of the year by the state's Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. The honor was announced this morning.
Duncan will be able to add this honor to his list, which includes the Hobey Baker Award, the WCHA player of the year and Inside College Hockey national player of the year.
Posted by: Schlossman on Friday, June 22 at 1:01 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Q&A with Brad Eidsness
Brad Eidsness won't come to UND until 2008, but he may earn a spot in the Sioux record books this weekend. Eidsness is bidding to become UND's first drafted goal since Toby Kvalevog in 1993 and the eighth overall.
Eidsness, a Chestermere, Alta., native, had a 2.87 goals-against average and .904 save percentage for the Okotoks Oilers of the AJHL. He is ranked as the No. 5 North American goaltender by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau.
Q. How would you assess your season in the AJHL?
BRAD EIDSNESS: It went really well. Personally, I thought I had a good season. The team did well, too. We made it to the final four. For a second-year franchise, that's pretty good. Next year, there will be a lot more expectations. We should be quite good next year.
Q. You lost to Fort Saskatchewan, the league's regular-season champion, right?
BRAD EIDSNESS: Yeah, they're pretty good. They have (Sioux recruit) Matt Frattin. He's a very good player. He has the hardest shot I saw all year. When it hits you, it hits you hard. I was really impressed with him. He has some linemates who get him the puck and he seals the deal. There were some scouts in Toronto (at the Combine) who were asking me about him. I told them about his heavy shot.
Q. How was the Combine?
BRAD EIDSNESS: It was very interesting. You get a little bit of a feeling about what everyone is thinking.
Q. Did you get any indications about who might take you this weekend?
BRAD EIDSNESS: There were five or six teams that seemed pretty interested -- Buffalo, Toronto, Jersey... they have a big college connection and North Dakota connection there... Nashville and Pittsburgh. You never really know, though. I was talking to someone who said that sometimes teams don't interview players because they already have heard so much about them from their coaches and other scouts. So it's kind of a crapshoot. I'm probably as out-of-the-loop as anyone else.
Q. Did you get to do the bike test that everyone seems to love so much? [More on the bike test here]
BRAD EIDSNESS: Oh yeah. I kind of knew what it would be like. I think I did well on the big one and not so well on the other one. It's not the most fun thing in the world, but I was semi-prepared for it, so I kind of knew what was going on. I think I did well on most of the strength exercises. I think the teams kind of take them with a grain of salt. They know fitness testing can be worked on. And they know the college guys work out during the season.
Q. How are you going to spend draft day?
BRAD EIDSNESS: I'm going to go golfing with my family.
Q. Are there any areas to your game that you hope to work on before getting to UND?
BRAD EIDSNESS: I'm looking forward to working on my overall game -- mainly quickness, speed, getting into position quicker. I'll really be trying to prepare myself for the next level, where everything moves a lot faster. I'd also like to work on technique a little bit. I'd like to be a little more compact next year. I'm really excited to prepare myself for the next level.
Q. Did you see a big improvement this past season in any specific areas?
BRAD EIDSNESS: I'd say conditioning is the big thing. In a midget season, the team might only play 40 games. This season, we played 80 and I probably played about 50. You have to work on that a little bit. You learn about coming to the rink every day focused and ready to go.
Q. It seemed like you were playing every night come playoff time. How did you handle that?
BRAD EIDSNESS: I had done a little bit of that in midgets, but (in the AJHL), the season is so much longer and so are the series. In Alberta, you'd be hard-pressed to find a guy that played more than me... maybe even in Canada (juniors). It was a great experience dealing with playing back-to-back nights and four games in five days. It helps keep you focused. I think it helped my game overall.
Q. You are scheduled to come in as a 19-year-old, right?
BRAD EIDSNESS: Yeah, I just turned 18 a couple of weeks ago. I had an opportunity to go to a couple of schools where I could have played at 18. But I think this will be good for my development. Goalies take a little longer. I think I will be more prepared as a player and as a person. Moving to another country, I think it will be a little easier to do as a 19-year-old. I'll be a little more prepared.
Posted by: Schlossman on Thursday, June 21 at 12:49 AM | Comments (13) | Permalink
The Scott Hartnell Theory
Everybody wants to know if last summer's situation of players leaving for the pros earlier and with more frequency is going to become the norm in college hockey.
A development this summer may turn the tide in favor of college hockey, says The Hockey News writer Brian Costello.
He calls it the Scott Hartnell Theory. Hartnell, a former Nashville Predator, just signed a rich deal with the Philadelphia Flyers this week after becoming an unrestricted free agent (UFA).
Under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, unsigned players become UFAs if they have seven years of NHL service. Hartnell cracked Nashville's lineup as an 18-year-old in 2000-01, so he was able to become a UFA.
During his rookie season, Hartnell played a small role, scoring just two goals. Nashville could have kept him in the Western Hockey League that season (and another if they wanted to), which would have prevented him from becoming a UFA for another year or two.
Certainly, Hartnell's impact now is greater than it was when he was 18. So, the theory is that if teams don't think a guy can be of great impact right away, they may be inclined to keep him at his junior team. That way, when he does sign, a team will get more bang for their buck.
Read about it here. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, because some teams may vote for getting the player some experience over hoping to keep them longer.
Posted by: Schlossman on Wednesday, June 20 at 2:36 PM | Comments (4) | Permalink
Bochenski gets new contract
Former Sioux forward Brandon Bochenski signed a one-year extension with the Boston Bruins earlier this week.
Bochenski will be paid $600,000, which is a bump from the $500,000 he made last year. But the most significant part of the contract is that it is a one-way deal.
That means if Bochenski is sent to the AHL, his pay rate will not change. Under his previous two-way contract, Bochenski's pay would have shrunk under $60,000 while he was in the AHL. He saw that situation play out each of the last two seasons, when he spent almost half the year in the minors while on a two-way contract.
Boston's general manager acknowledged he's taking a chance by signing Bochenski for just one season, because "if he lights it up, I'll have to pay the piper. He could score 30 and hammer me," Peter Chiarelli told the Boston Globe.
For more from the Globe, go here.
Posted by: Schlossman on Tuesday, June 19 at 12:35 PM | Comments (3) | Permalink
Wisconsin's turn at the draft
For the third year in a row, a different WCHA squad will be the most talked about team at the draft.
In 2005, UND had an impressive three first-round draft picks -- defenseman Brian Lee (No. 9), forward T.J. Oshie (No. 24) and defenseman Joe Finley (No. 27). The Sioux also had a pair of second-round picks in defenseman Taylor Chorney and forward Andrew Kozek. In all, UND has seven players taken that year.
In 2006, it was Minnesota's turn. The Gophers had an unprecedented three players taken in the top seven overall (Erik Johnson at No. 1, Phil Kessel at No. 5 and Kyle Okposo at No. 7), and they had a total of four guys go in the first round. In all, eight Gophers were selected in the Vancouver draft.
This weekend, it should be Wisconsin's turn in the spotlight. The Badgers have two players who could go in the top 10 in forward Kyle Turris and defenseman Ryan McDonagh. Also, defenseman Brendan Smith is projected to be a late first-round pick.
It may be hard to believe, but the draft could have been even more impressive for the Badgers. Remember, at one time, forward Sam Gagner (projected top 10) had verbally committed to Wisconsin. And on top of that, forward Patrick Kane (projected No. 1 overall) was heavily considering Wisconsin. Both wound up in Canadian major juniors, though.
If they both chose red and white, the Badgers may have had four top-10 picks on their hands, trumping even Minnesota's incredible 2006 class. Still, college hockey should have another strong draft class.
Here are the college hockey players in TSN's top 60 mock draft; WCHA players bolded:
2. James vanRiemsdyk, F, New Hampshire
3. Kyle Turris, F, Wisconsin
11. Ryan McDonagh, D, Wisconsin
12. Kevin Shattenkirk, D, Boston University
14. Nick Petrecki, D, Boston College
22. Billy Sweatt, F, Colorado College
24. Max Pacioretty, F, Michigan
28. Brendan Smith, D, Wisconsin
33. Riley Nash, F, Cornell
36. Colby Cohen, F, Boston University
39. Mike Hoeffel, F, Minnesota
40. Jim O'Brien, F/D, Minnesota
46. Patrick White, F, Minnesota
48. Ted Ruth, D, Notre Dame
58. Brad Malone, F, UND
59. T.J. Galiardi, F, Dartmouth
60. Jake Hansen, F, Minnesota
Posted by: Schlossman on Tuesday, June 19 at 1:52 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Q&A with Brad Malone
About two weeks ago, I chatted with recruit Brad Malone about his season in the USHL and his future. Malone is expected to be the first UND recruit taken in the draft.
About his season: Malone had 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points in 57 games. He had three goals and an assist in eight playoff games, including an overtime game-winner to send Sioux Falls to the championship. He also led his team with 134 penalty minutes during the regular season.
Q. What are your plans for the summer?
BRAD MALONE: I'll be in Brainerd (at Minnesota Hockey Camps, working out with T.J. Oshie). I've been going there since I was 15. I've always liked it. I'm usually there for four or five weeks during the summer. It's hard, but it definitely gets you prepared. You skate twice a day, lift, do plyometric exercises.
Q. Anything in specific you are hoping to accomplish during summer workouts?
BRAD MALONE: Just getting better and having fun. Those are things you can never stop doing.
Q. You will be attending the draft, right?
BRAD MALONE: Yeah. My cousin, Ryan (who plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins), is getting married the weekend before in Minneapolis. Then, I'll be going out to Columbus. I'm going to go there with an open mind and whatever happens, happens.
Q. Talk about your season. How did you feel it went?
BRAD MALONE: It was a slow start and a big adjustment coming from a prep school. I had fun and enjoyed myself. I went to the USHL to get challenged and that's exactly what I got. Toward the end of the year, I started getting more comfortable and confident and things were happening for me -- they came slowly.
Q. What made the adjustment from Cushing Prep to the USHL difficult?
BRAD MALONE: In the USHL, everyone is up for every game. In prep school, I could take a night off and get away with it. You can't do that in the USHL. Mentally, I wasn't ready to play all the time.
Q. It seemed that as you heated up, so did your team. After a bad start you guys ended up winning the league. What was the reason for the turnaround?
BRAD MALONE: I don't know. It seemed like the chemistry wasn't fitting together at the start of the season and we weren't getting any bounces. At Christmastime, we started climbing the mountain. As long as you peak at the right time, that's what matters the most. Winning the championship was a nice way to finish, especially with the way we started.
Q. Green Bay defenseman Derrick LaPoint made big waves in the USHL this season, many calling him the best blueliner in the league. What are Sioux fans going to see out of him?
BRAD MALONE: We played his team about four times. He's a great defenseman with huge reach. Killing penalties with him out there is so hard. You can't block any of his shots. I don't think I ever saw one of his shots get blocked. There's a threat of a pass when he's got the puck, too. Both him and (Sioux recruit Jake) Marto are hard workers who get the job done.
Q. What should Sioux fans expect to see out of yourself?
BRAD MALONE: I definitely use my big body and provide a physical presence. I try to make the guys around me better. Offensively, I help out any way I can. I was on the second power-play unit. I killed a lot of penalties, too. I did a little bit of everything. I don't think I have one specialty.
Posted by: Schlossman on Monday, June 18 at 3:06 AM | Comments (8) | Permalink
Stories of note
All right, it's about time to get the blog fired back up. Here are a few stories of note that were brought to my attention while I was away:
The Toronto Sun reported that Ottawa Senators general manager John Muckler is going to be fired. There has been no announcement yet, but Muckler isn't denying the report, saying only that he can't talk at this time. This, of course, is of interest to Sioux fans because it could delay or change the negotiating process for defenseman Brian Lee, who is trying to decide whether to sign with the Senators or return to UND for his junior season.
Bill Vilona of the Pensacola News Journal wrote a story profiling former Sioux player John Marks, the second all-time winningest coach in ECHL history.
Fox News in the Twin Cities did a story about a Russian orphan being reunited with his old best friend from the orphanage thanks to former Sioux player Phil Sykes.
Posted by: Schlossman on Monday, June 18 at 2:07 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Out for a bit...
There may or may not be blog updates for the rest of the week. I'm taking a few days off and I'll probably wander away from Internet access.
There will be a few things to look for when I get back:
Brian Lee thought he would have his decision in place by June 1. That obviously has been extended now. Word is that his decision could come by the end of this week or it might not come for three weeks. Read what you will into the delay.
There also will be an NHL Draft preview centered around Brad Malone on June 23. Also, look for a Q&A with Malone soon. It's already done, I just need to get around to fixing it up and posting it. There may be some recruiting updates when I get back as well.
Enjoy the rest of the week.
Posted by: Schlossman on Tuesday, June 12 at 2:27 PM | Comments (8) | Permalink
Sioux release schedule
UND officially released its schedule today. Some interesting points:
--The Sioux have three open weekends during the first half of the season (Nov. 16-17, Dec. 14-15, Dec. 21-22) and one during the second half (Feb. 8-9).
--I don't remember the last time UND had two straight weekends off like they will in December. Oddly enough, it seems this year might be the year the Sioux don't lose anyone to the World Juniors.
--Last season, there were some complaints about UND not playing some of its best rivals in Engelstad. This year, home games include defending national champion Michigan State, Minnesota, Denver and New Hampshire.
--UND is at home for three of its last four series.
--UND plays back-to-back Saturday-Sunday series. The first is home against Bemidji State (Feb. 23-24) and both are 3:37 games. This is because of the state hockey tournament. The second is at Minnesota-Duluth (March 1-2) and both are 2:07 games.
--WCHA teams are hosting two of the four regionals (Madison and Colorado Springs).
Here's the schedule:
Oct. 7 -- MANITOBA (exhibition) -- 6:07 p.m.
Oct. 13 -- MICHIGAN STATE -- 7:07 p.m.
Oct. 19 -- at Boston College -- 6 p.m.
Oct. 20 -- at Northeastern -- 6 p.m.
Oct. 26 -- at Michigan Tech -- 6:07 p.m.
Oct. 27 -- at Michigan Tech -- 6:37 p.m.
Nov. 2 -- COLORADO COLLEGE -- 7:37 p.m.
Nov. 3 -- COLORADO COLLEGE -- 7:07 p.m.
Nov. 9 -- at Wisconsin -- 7:07 p.m.
Nov. 10 -- at Wisconsin -- 7:07 p.m.
Nov. 23 -- MINNESOTA-DULUTH -- 7:37 p.m.
Nov. 24 -- MINNESOTA-DULUTH -- 7:07 p.m.
Nov. 30 -- at Denver -- 8:37 p.m.
Dec. 1 -- at Denver -- 8:07 p.m.
Dec. 7 -- MINNESOTA -- 7:37 p.m.
Dec. 8 -- MINNESOTA -- 7:07 p.m.
Dec. 28 -- NEW HAMPSHIRE -- 7:37 p.m.
Dec. 29 -- NEW HAMPSHIRE -- 7:07 p.m.
Jan. 4 -- at St. Cloud State -- 7:07 p.m.
Jan. 5 -- at St. Cloud State -- 7:07 p.m.
Jan. 11 -- MICHIGAN TECH -- 7:37 p.m.
Jan. 12 -- MICHIGAN TECH -- 7:07 p.m.
Jan. 18 -- at Minnesota State-Mankato -- 7:37 p.m.
Jan. 19 -- at Minnesota State-Mankato -- 7:07 p.m.
Jan. 25 -- ALASKA-ANCHORAGE -- 7:37 p.m.
Jan. 26 -- ALASKA-ANCHORAGE -- 7:07 p.m.
Feb. 1 -- at Minnesota -- 7:07 p.m.
Feb. 2 -- at Minnesota -- 7:07 p.m.
Feb. 15 -- DENVER -- 7:37 p.m.
Feb. 16 -- DENVER -- 7:07 p.m.
Feb. 23 -- BEMIDJI STATE -- 3:37 p.m.
Feb. 24 -- BEMIDJI STATE -- 3:37 p.m.
Mar. 1 -- at Minnesota-Duluth -- 2:07 p.m.
Mar. 2 -- at Minnesota-Duluth -- 2:07 p.m.
Mar. 7 -- ST. CLOUD STATE -- 7:37 p.m.
Mar. 8 -- ST. CLOUD STATE -- 7:07 p.m.
Mar. 14-16 WCHA first-round playoffs
Mar. 20-22 WCHA Final Five
Mar. 28-30 NCAA Regionals (Colorado Springs, Madison, Worcester, Albany)
Apr. 10-12 NCAA Frozen Four (Denver)
Posted by: Schlossman on Tuesday, June 12 at 12:59 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink
Goren headed overseas
It appears UND will have one fewer connection to the Manitoba Moose next season.
Forward Lee Goren has signed with Skelleftea AIK of the Swedish Elite League. You can try to read the press release here.
Goren has played in at least two NHL games in each of the last four seasons. He had stints with the Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers and most recently, the Vancouver Canucks. Goren has spent most of those seasons, however, in the AHL.
Posted by: Schlossman on Monday, June 11 at 4:40 PM | Comments (6) | Permalink
NCAA says no to live blogs
Your favorite organization is at it again.
The NCAA threw a reporter from the Louisville Courier-Journal out of the press box during the NCAA Super Regional baseball game this weekend for live blogging.
Before the game, the NCAA sent out a memo that said: "The College World Series Media Coordination staff along with the NCAA Broadcasting group needs to remind all media coordinators that any statistical or other live representation of the Super Regional games falls under the exclusive broadcasting and Internet rights granted to the NCAA's official rights holders and therefore is not allowed by any other entity. Since blogs are considered a live representation of the game, any blog that has action photos or game reports, including play-by-play, scores or any in-game updates, is specifically prohibited. In essence, no blog entries are permitted between the first pitch and final out in each game."
The Courier-Journal editors saw it differently and told their reporter to live blog. After all, he live blogged the previous weekend at the NCAA Regionals and nobody said a word. But on this day, during the fifth inning, his credential was removed and he was kicked out.
When I live blogged during NCAA events this season, nothing was said to me. And I wasn't the only one doing it. Two years ago, the Herald sent Ryan Bakken to the Frozen Four specifically to blog. So it will be interesting to follow how this story turns out.
The Courier-Journal is getting their lawyers involved. They say: "Once a player hits a home run, that's a fact. It's on TV. Everybody sees it. (The NCAA) can't copyright that fact. The blog wasn't a simulcast or recreation of the game."
The Courier-Journal reporter also pointed out the oddity that a reporter could sit at home or at the office, watch the game on TV and live blog.
The fact that NCAA baseball is a sport that has lots of room to grow and could use the extra coverage only makes this story more ridiculous.
I would guess the Courier-Journal will eventually win this -- either the NCAA will give up the new edict (they are shooting themselves in the foot) or the C-J lawyers will do the job. I'll follow this story and let you all know how it turns out.
As far as my live blogging during hockey games, the NCAA has no say until the NCAA tournament begins. So I should be fine for almost the entire season, no matter what happens. Still, you've got to roll your eyes.
Discuss. I know you want to.
Posted by: Schlossman on Monday, June 11 at 1:56 AM | Comments (9) | Permalink
Piotrowski leaves ice
CCHA ref Steve Piotrowski is retiring from on-ice officiating to become the CCHA's director of officials effective immediately.
Many Sioux fans will remember Piotrowski for reffing UND postseason games -- most notably the 1987 and 2005 national championship games. Piotrowski was a linesman in the 1987 game and the head ref in the 2005 game.
Although considered one of the best referees in college hockey, I have a feeling that he will be remembered among Sioux fans as the ref who disallowed Erik Fabian's apparant goal against Denver in that 2005 title game.
Posted by: Schlossman on Friday, June 08 at 2:58 AM | Comments (26) | Permalink
USA Hockey names camp roster
USA Hockey released its roster today for the World Junior Championship evaluation camp, which will be held later this summer.
Of the 46 players invited to Lake Placid, there are 14 current/future WCHA players. None are Sioux players, though.
It could be the first time since 2002 that UND has not had a player at the World Juniors. In the last five seasons, UND has had 17. Jonathan Toews is eligible to play for Team Canada, but it is highly doubtful that the Chicago Blackhawks will release him to play in the tournament.
USA Hockey typically grabs a couple of players who weren't invited to camp and puts them on the roster based on their first half success. Michael Forney may be UND's best hope to eventually make the team. Forney was on the Under-18 squad with many of these same players two years ago, although he injured his ankle before the tournament and didn't play.
Here's the camp roster for those interested:
Goaltenders
Thomas McCollum, 6-1 198, Guelph (OHL)
Joe Palmer, 6-1 205, Ohio State
Kent Patterson, 6-1 180, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
Jeremy Smith, 6-0 159, Plymouth (OHL)
Josh Unice, 6-1 172, Bowling Green
Defensemen
Jonathon Blum, 6-1 170, Vancouver (WHL)
T.J. Brennan, 6-0 198, St. John's (QMJHL)
Ian Cole, 6-1 211, Notre Dame
Cade Fairchild, 5-10 184, Minnesota
David Fischer, 6-3 192, Minnesota
Jamie McBain, 6-1 186, Wisconsin
Ryan McDonagh, 6-1 200, Wisconsin
Kevin Montgomery, 6-2 185, London (OHL)
Trent Palm, 6-0 195, Minnesota-Duluth
Kevin Quick, 6-1 185, Michigan
Mike Ratchuk, 5-11 177, Michigan State
Teddy Ruth, 6-1 200, Notre Dame
Bob Sanguinetti, 6-2 185, Owen Sound (OHL)
Kevin Shattenkirk, 6-1 190, Boston University
Brian Strait, 6-1 200, Boston University
Chris Summers, 6-2 185, Michigan
Forwards
Mark Arcobello, 5-9 170, Yale
Mike Carman, 6-0 183, Minnesota
Brian Day, 6-0 186, Colgate
Ryan Flynn, 6-3 210, Minnesota
T.J. Galiardi, 6-2 180, Dartmouth
Blake Geoffrion, 6-1 192, Wisconsin
Pat Kane, 5-10 166, London (OHL)
Peter Mueller, 6-2 194, Everett (WHL)
Kyle Okposo, 6-0 200, Minnesota
Max Pacioretty, 6-2 205, Michigan
Luke Popko, 5-10 200, Boston University
Rhett Rakhshani, 5-10 170, Denver
Doug Rogers, 6-1 195, Harvard
Tony Romano, 5-10 170, Colgate
Tyler Ruegsegger, 5-11 180, Denver
Matt Rust, 5-10 188, Michigan
Ben Ryan, 6-0 195, Notre Dame
Jordan Schroeder, 5-8 165, Minnesota recruit
Ben Smith, 5-11 195, Boston College
Bill Sweatt, 6-0 187, Colorado College
Eric Tangradi, 6-3 205, Belleville (OHL)
James vanRiemsdyk, 6-3 190, New Hampshire
Patrick White, 6-1 186, Minnesota
Colin Wilson, 6-1 205, Boston University
The breakdown of WCHA players: Minnesota (7), Wisconsin (3), Denver (2), Colorado College (1), Minnesota-Duluth (1). That includes Schroeder, who isn't scheduled to come to Minnesota until 2009.
Posted by: Schlossman on Thursday, June 07 at 3:59 PM | Comments (10) | Permalink
Small mix-up
A season-ticket holder printed out an invoice for me that has a small mix-up on it. It says "Please check this box if you DO NOT want your UND vs. Notre Dame Hall of Fame hockey tickets."
If you got this e-mail, it is a mistake. UND is still playing Michigan State in that opening regular-season game, as the school announced during the Frozen Four.
The entire schedule will probably be officially released next week (maybe two weeks), although I noticed the tenative schedule has been leaked to the Internet. I don't anticipate anything to be different in the finalized schedule.
For those wondering, nonconference opponents will be Michigan State (one game), at Boston College (one game), at Northeastern (one game), vs. New Hampshire (two games) and vs. Bemidji State (two games). And yes, the Sioux play the Gophers in REA this season.
Posted by: Schlossman on Thursday, June 07 at 3:03 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Additions to the Cup
For the second straight year, someone who played college hockey in North Dakota is getting his name on the Stanley Cup.
Dustin Penner, who played for two years at Minot State-Bottineau, earned a spot for his name on the Stanley Cup by helping the Anaheim Ducks to the NHL title.
Also, two WCHA players have added their names to the Cup for the first time: St. Cloud State's Joe Motzko and Minnesota State-Mankato's Ryan Carter.
Ironically, neither Motzko nor Carter played a regular-season game with the Ducks, but both appeared in a Stanley Cup Finals game. Requirements to get your name on the Cup are to either play in 41 regular-season games or one Stanley Cup Finals game.
Motzko, a Bemidji native, has made it two years in a row for St. Cloud State. Last year, Matt Cullen and Bret Hedican won it with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Carter, a White Bear Lake, Minn., native is the first Mankato player ever to win the Cup.
Posted by: Schlossman on Wednesday, June 06 at 9:23 PM | Comments (15) | Permalink
Okposo to return, Carman out for fall
Minnesota forward Kyle Okposo will return for his sophomore season, while forward Mike Carman will miss the fall semester.
Many people (myself included) expected Okposo to sign with the New York Islanders this offseason. Okposo was selected seventh overall by New York last summer and was named to the all-WCHA second team as a rookie. But the decision is probably best for Okposo, who didn't exactly tear it up and run to the NHL in the second half of the season.
"After meeting with the Islanders to discuss my future, I felt it was in my best interest to return for my sophomore year," Okposo said in a statement. "This is where I want to develop into a better player. I'm enjoying my time as a Gopher and am looking forward to helping us defend our WCHA championships."
Coach Don Lucia said: "We're obviously very happy that Kyle elected to return. We're looking forward to having him be a key player for us next season. I believe Kyle made the right decision and that he is best served coming back to develop, both as a person and an athlete."
Okposo's return, along with commitments from UND's Ryan Duncan, T.J. Oshie, Taylor Chorney and Joe Finley, mean several big-time players have bucked the recent trend of darting to the NHL.
Carman, meanwhile, will not compete with the Gophers until the Dodge Holiday Classic on Dec. 29-30. For Sioux fans, this means Carman will not play against UND in Grand Forks, but he will when the teams square off in Minneapolis.
The release does not state why Carman is not playing, but the reason apparently is because he is academically ineligible.
For those stat nerds like myself, here is why I think Okposo is best served to return to the Gophers for a second season. He is a very talented player, but I think he has something to prove still at the college level. Post-Christmas Gopher goals:
Barriball 10
Wheeler 8
Kaufmann 7
Vannelli 6
Carman 5
Gordon 5
O'Brien 5
Stoa 4
Bostrom 4
Okposo 4
Peltier 3
Flynn 3
Howe 3
Lucia 3
Johnson 3
Goligoski 3
Schack 1
Posted by: Schlossman on Wednesday, June 06 at 1:39 PM | Comments (13) | Permalink
Foss, Bakken enter Hall of Fame
Longtime college hockey beat writer Virg Foss and former Herald sports editor/sports columnist Ryan Bakken were officially inducted into the North Dakota Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame last night.
It was a rare but deserving honor for both. Only 18 people have been inducted in total and nobody has received the necessary 75 percent voting margin in the last five years.
Most of you are probably familiar with Virg, who served as the Herald's Sioux hockey beat writer for an incredible 35 years. He is known and highly respected around the hockey and journalism worlds.
Virg retired two years ago and now is enjoying his new lifestyle: He spends his summers at his lake cabin, while not straying far from college hockey in the winter. He still writes a weekly column for the Herald and game recaps for fightingsioux.com.
Most of you have read Virg's work for years, so you know how good of a writer he is. What many of you might not know is the kind of person he is.
I started at the Herald as an intern four years ago. Virg was one of the first people there to show me the ropes and make me feel at home. He taught me things -- large and small -- about journalism. I benefited greatly from hearing about his experiences and how he handled tough situations. I continue to learn and pick up things from him today, knowing he is a phone call or e-mail away.
Herald sportswriter Wayne Nelson told a story last night when he introduced Virg. One day at work, Wayne heard Virg talking hockey with Herb Brooks. A couple of minutes later, Virg was chatting about hockey with a random fan, while treating both with the same respect.
Virg is a great ambassador for the sport of hockey. He's a great ambassador for profession of journalism. And now he's where he belongs -- in the Hall of Fame.
Congrats to both Virg and Bakken.
Posted by: Schlossman on Tuesday, June 05 at 4:29 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink
NHL in Winnipeg?
The announcement of the pending sale of the Nashville Predators to a Canadian businessman has brought out lots of speculation.
The general consensus is that the Preds will be moved, despite NHL commish Gary Bettman's statements earlier in the week that it wasn't going to happen. So where could possible destinations be?
Winnipeg is starting to emerge as a strong candidate.
The potential new owner is flirting with moving the team to Hamilton, Ont. But a move there would meet a number of stumbling blocks, including a strong push against that from happening by nearby Toronto and Buffalo.
Bettman said when the NHL returned to Minnesota with the Wild, the timing was right. The Wild have succeeded greatly, selling out every game in franchise history. Bettman alluded to the fact that timing may be right for the NHL to return to Winnipeg, too.
The Canadian dollar is stronger than it was during the decline of the Jets. The new NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement is supportive of smaller-market teams. Winnipeg has a new, first-class arena. And everyone who went to a World Juniors game when the tournament was in Grand Forks saw how hockey-rabid the fans are in Winnipeg.
My question is for the fans in the Grand Forks area. Would you travel up to Winnipeg if the NHL returned? If so, how often? And does this possibility excite you?
Posted by: Schlossman on Saturday, June 02 at 2:46 AM | Comments (19) | Permalink
Still on hold
So the weekend has hit and there hasn't been any developments regarding the futures of Sioux defenseman Brian Lee and Gopher standouts Alex Goligoski and Kyle Okposo.
A Twin Cities television station reported that Minnesota coach Don Lucia believes his players will make a decision within a couple of weeks. Lee thought he would have his decision in place before June 1, so I doubt the wait for his announcement will be long.
So hold on for a little while longer...
Posted by: Schlossman on Saturday, June 02 at 2:40 AM | Comments (7) | Permalink
More on Toews
The Chicago media continues to write and rave about Jonathan Toews.
Everyone seems to be trying to find a player to compare him to. In the past, some have said Joe Sakic -- Jonathan's favorite player. Others say Bryan Trottier. Others say Steve Yzerman. This week, there is a new name that keeps coming up -- Troy Murray.
They say: Murray was a center like Toews. Murray was drafted by and played for the Blackhawks like Toews. Murray played a similar style as Toews. Murray wore number 19, just as Toews will.
The one the Chicago people haven't seemed to put together: They both came from UND.
If you want to check out the Chicago stories, here are a few...
Chicago Daily Herald.
Chicago Sun-Times.
Chicago Tribune.
CanWest News Service.
Posted by: Schlossman on Friday, June 01 at 3:43 AM | Comments (14) | Permalink
