keikla

The Ralph, I think.

In his blog post, Schloss put Duluth at 3rd but noted that 3-6 is a total crapshoot, and that he thinks he actually voted for Duluth at 5th in the official NCHC media poll. Apart from Denver being #1 and CC being #8, this year is wide open.

It's already been 10 years since Evan Trupp hustled on a back check to squash a Manitoba breakaway, but I still remember it vividly. That one moment in a throw-away game previewed what an exciting player he'd be.

Montgomery confirms he's staying at DU, and their chances of losing anyone early just decreased even more.

That's a great interview. I can only imagine how overwhelming it must be to completely rebuild a team, essentially from scratch, as your first head coaching/GM position.

That, and as the guy who stuck his head in the sand about the long-term effects of multiple concussions....

As I mentioned to some friends last night, I'm rooting for Harvard then Denver. Then let the ice open up and swallow everyone from UMD and that 'other' ND school.

Exactly. Could Schmaltz have turned pro after his freshman year? Probably, but he would have spent it mostly in the AHL, maybe sniffing the NHL for short stretches. His sophomore year, he could suddenly pick the pocket of anyone in any situation. Now, I think Jost is further along than Schmaltz was at the end of his freshman year, but I still don't think he'd be a full-time NHLer the first year if he turns now. He'd probably bounce back and forth with the A a few times. I hope he comes back and makes similar strides to what Schmaltz did during his sophomore campaign.

Exactly. That's a thought that crossed my mind last night. Some of these guys are already 20 or 21 when they start as freshman. Obviously, the goal is to play in the NHL, but many may just want to get as many years playing pro (even in the AHL or Europe) as is possible before their bodies no longer can. Not everyone is Ulmer. Take a look at Brett Hextall. He only played in the minors for a few years before hanging up his skates. Now, I remember reading an article saying part of the reason he quit was because his wife was doing her residency, and they never saw each other, but it'd be interesting to know his take on turning early. Does he regret leaving when he did? Or is he glad he got as many years as he could, even if he never touched the NHL?

Not only that, but it gives the teams a chance to rest up and possibly get some health back. The UMD/BU game was ugly and sloppy because everyone was exhausted from the night before. Extra periods on back to back nights can take awhile to recover from. I'd rather take the week off and be able to see crisp and fast Frozen Four games from teams that had a chance to recover from the regionals.

The security guy reprimanding Rhett is amazing.

I figured the portrait photos would be from this season since the appropriate players have the C and A patches, etc..

All the pictures in their 2016-2017 media guide are in Reebok jerseys.

Reebok, though I think they had CCM last year.

Or lift it a few inches. I was freaking out...so so close. That being said, I do think Harvard has a better chance of beating Duluth.