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With respect to Brad Berry's letter to the Herald, he went out the same way that he conducted himself throughout his time at UND: with class in every respect. He is a class act and a credit to UND in every respect.

Lol I don’t remember talking to you?

I have a friend who used to work with Brad at the Herald. I’ve met Brad a couple times but we are not friends. I can tell you that his professionalism as a journalist is of the highest standard. College hockey as a whole is fortunate to have a guy like Brad working as a beat writer.

How is everyone doing here? I just thought I would come check to see if it was as bad as our little community on GPL. BTW... Cannot wait to be at The Ralph this fall. We had a great time last time we visited. The staff is always so accommodating and most if the fans are great too. Makes me really look forward to another trip.

Most of us on this board couldn't be bigger fans/supporters of UND athletes. That said, I unfortunately agree with you. I could write a pretty nice check annually (like many on the board), but I just don't see that happening. It feels like ponying up to try to maintain the status quo, with no personal return on investment or societal benefit. This is supposed to be fun and entertaining to take my mind off actual life for a while. My donations will continue to go to local causes that hopefully better the community, not some highly skilled 18-year-old mercenary who doesn't care about UND and is just looking for the highest # as a stopping point along the way to greener pastures. I don't know if I'm in the minority on this, but from my perspective it's sad.

No, he should not. It serves no purpose. When you are privileged to be allowed “inside”, you have an obligation to keep certain things “in the family”. That includes guys like Schlossman, Hennessy, Poolman, team medical staff, locker room staff etc.

Let em walk, they haven’t won !@#$.

Please give me the name of a better college hockey beat writer. I want to follow them on social media like schloss. Go ahead i will wait ....

Commitments in March and early April. Maybe someone can tell us who was the earliest commitment prior to this in years past. They're identifying who they like early and offering before camp season. And actually getting them to commit. We'll see how it works out. All I know is that Polasek is losing his mind and berating recruits for committing to us so early and before camp evaluations. A certain parent of a certain recruit was not impressed with Polasek's response and lack of professionalism. So I'd say what we're doing is paying dividends in the short term. As I said, we'll have to wait and see about the long term. But I'm f**king here for all of it.

Anyone else sick of this crap? College hockey isn't even college hockey anymore, it's a completely different sport when you aren't recruiting a kid to develop them into the best player/person they can be. You're recruiting your commits, your recruiting other teams' players, your recruiting your own players so they don't leave. It's wild. All of it points to a GM position like Schloss brought up with Chyzyk, a head coach can't possibly keep up with all of it and still find the time to develop a strategy to break UMD's forecheck the following week.

Berry wasn't a super polished public speaker as well, he got better as he went along but I remember him seeming pretty nervous in his first press conference. Also, give him a little grace. This is the biggest moment in his professional life for a school he's stuck with through it all as opposed to taking a pay raise or promotion to an NHL or AHL job. The part where he got choked up thanking his family so he ended with it got me. I know that feeling.

Hey guys, I've been a lurker on your message board for a number of years now. I finally registered so I can fill out a bracket. I'm a Western Michigan alum. You guys have great college hockey conversations every weekend that I really enjoy following along with during the season. It's been a fun journey to see the respect for my Broncos grow over the years by the North Dakota fanbase. You guys have said a lot of good things about Bump & Fersch this year. Much appreciated. When the Big Ten caused the CCHA/WCHA explosion, I wasn't sure how that would effect my hockey fandom. There were actually Western hockey fans who thought we should've joined the WCHA (now CCHA) instead of the NCHC. I don't think there is any college hockey program that has benefited more by the creation of the NCHC and an invitation than Western. We instantly became the only Michigan school in this elite conference. We no longer had to be little brother to Michigan & Michigan St. I've truly enjoyed becoming a conference rival to all of these new teams...and seeing us leave Miami in the dust. Between our success, Fersch as the HC, and a new arena on the horizon, it's a really fun time to be a fan of Western Michigan hockey. Anyways, just wanted to say hi. I'm sure this will jinx us on Thursday. GO BRONCOS.

Thank you for posting that. I decided to finally put my $ where my mouth is and sign up my business for The Flagship Membership. Just doing my part to try to keep Boisvert/Perron/Emery/James in town for another season.

Coach just took a shot or two at the players the leave for money or don’t want to be there. Nice!

I would love to see BU buy their team this year and then either miss the tourney or lose in their first round game.

Chavez has been nothing short of incompetent but having your home grown talent basically give the WBB program and the athletic department the middle finger is inexcusable. The optics of this is the worst thing under Chavez leadership to date

Chavez really taking the easy way out

Schloss breaks news not just for UND but for college hockey as a whole. As Warren Buffett once said, it takes a lifetime to build a reputation but only a moment to ruin it. Don't expect him to do the latter for gossip.

I’ve never understood how UND (and U of Mn) missed on these 2 guys. If these guys were at UND, I believe we would have easily been in the tournament and Berry would be safe at least for another year. H Slukynsky can carry a team and can win games when the rest of the team isn’t playing well. G Slukynsky is obviously a very good forward who was an outstanding HS player and continues to improve each year. The recruiting decisions need to be made with a vision for the future of the program. Taking an older brother, who you see as maybe a 4th line guy, to improve the chance, if not guarantee, you will get the younger brother makes sense. Maintaining a strong Warroad to UND relationship is another reason to take the older brother, especially when the older brother has demonstrated leadership skills and comes from a winning culture.

Won six straight Stanley Cups in NHL24 and I didn’t even get an interview.

4 articles in the Fargo Forum sports section on NCAA hockey. Not one about UND playing in the regional at Scheels today. That's why a new HC will be named soon.

Years ago, I attended the CC hockey team awards dinner after their season had ended. Sitting at a table with a bunch of the players, I asked them for their quick takes on the other WCHA teams and when I asked about Minnesota, they universally said things like, arrogant, prima donnas, chirpers. When I asked for their take on North Dakota, they all said things like, tough, physical, etc and one guy went so far as to say something to the effect of, UND doesn’t talk much, they just go out there and hit you in the mouth. I loved that! It gave me a sense of pride for UND hockey hearing a bunch of players from another program talk about Sioux hockey that way. I hope we can get back to having that kind of identity.

Hand up, I am officially nervous. I always expected Jax to be interested and for him to be listed as a finalist when the new coach is announced. I still cannot fathom him getting the job logically, but who else is being named? I just keep telling myself, you don't fire Berry with one year left, pay him $500K just to hire his Assistant who you could have just hired a year from now. Need some other rumors though for my sanity.

I am surprised by all the ripping on Schloss he is the best writer in all of college hockey. I am surprised he doesn't go to the athletic and work as a national college reporter. Ì think those on this forum also need to take a deep breath and let schloss process this just like everyone else has to. Can't wait to see who the new coach is , and i personally hope whoever we hire becomes a key contact of Schloss's on day one

Shireen, quit posting.

REMINDER: He wasn't the boss during those 9 years. He took direction from Berry. So we cannot automatically assume it will be business as usual going forward. I wasn't a fan of promoting within, but I am more than willing to give him the benefit of the doubt to start with.

Announced to the team in February he was leaving. WTH. Why wasn't he cut then in February?

Addition by subtraction? Somebody already looking to their next team in February will likely not be missed much.

I was on the Herter bandwagon. Not shocked it's Jackson as we never stray away from comfort....

No juice with this announcement. Not even frozen concentrate.

Dane wouldn’t be my top choice, I’m team Raboin. Having said that, Brad’s article today, while it might just be propaganda, isn’t wrong. No matter how we feel at the time of the hire, all that matters is the results. If it’s Dane, I’m all in and you all should be too. I support this University, not individuals. Will I be critical if it’s unsuccessful, sure. But that’s part of fandom. But I’m also not going to end my loyalty to my Alma mater.

My only requests for the new coach: Go back to the Speed Kills era of Sioux hockey. No more chipping it off the glass as a breakout strategy. No more dump and chase as a zone entry strategy. Let the skill players USE their skill.

I just want to thank everyone over the last 20+ years who ever showed up at this event, especially the group that came out today. I started this in 2000 or 2001 I think as a way to put some faces to the names of the board monikers. I had no idea it would go on this long. @jimdahl, the fun you have brought us since you started SiouxSports.com way back when just never ceases to amaze me. Many of these monikers on the board met in person thanks to you and I swear, most of us still don’t know or can’t remember each other’s real names! We’ve said our goodbyes to online friends like @sprig and @Yttrium and made new ones along the way. Others, like @YaneA and @redwing77have simply disappeared from posting, and I sometimes wonder, “whatever happened to that person?”. I’m sure I’m not the only one. I’ve become personal friends with folks on this board and again, I’m sure I’m not the only one here who can say that. Thank you for all you have done to keep this site going over the years. A good chunk of today’s group stayed for almost 3.5 hours talking, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company. Tom and Jossie, the owners of the Hoggsbreath, asked me to thank everyone as well for stopping in over the years. @Goon, thanks for convincing me to do this one last time, I wouldn’t have done it without you talking me into it. For the folks who joined in along the way, @NorthDakotaHockey, @Wilbur, @Fader, @Blackheart, @Oxbow6, @Godsmack,@fightingsioux4life, @mn_sioux, @Ice Arena Man, and so many others, I hope our paths cross in person again soon. It won’t be at the X or the Hoggsbreath every March like the good old days, but don’t be strangers. You know where to find me. The last rodeo. It was a fun one.

25+ years season ticket holder in multiple UND sports and my interest in the hockey program has never been so meh and apathetic. Got to that point with FB awhile back and made changes to my entertainment dollars investment there.....don't regret it for a second. Close to the same move with hockey. This program is a shell of itself from two decades ago. By my own admission I used to be pissed traveling to a F4 to watch the team lay an egg. Now I'll walk into Scheels for a regional on Thursday to watch 4 teams and UND isn't one of them.....again. It's beyond pathetic. I miss the F4 appearances and having the semifinal game over after a period.....but at least UND was relevant then.

At the rate Chaves is continuing we will have a arena full @iramurphy white haired people happily clapping and cheering at our team down 30. Just happy they gave it the good old college try. Talking how nice our coaches are in the community. If this is the draw our administration wants it will slowly kill sports at the university. I have already seen a decline at the basketball games since I moved here. I use to love going to them. It was loud, maybe a little rowdy and alot of fun. This year was the least amount of games I have ever went to. That being said I am pumped again about und football and that started by making one change ! Let's do it for basketball.

I read it as him saying if he was more career-focused, he would have accepted a HC job when he was offered previously. But he loved UND and GF so he stayed.

A handful plus of Frozen Fours, and two National Championships, that KG was a part of as a player, volunteer, and coach. Appreciate his commitment to the Program!

So fans that invest their entertainment $$$ in season tickets are now asked to invest more $$$ so that the entertainment product that they have already invested in doesn't suck? No thanks. Life is too short to deal with this $#it?

What has been a rumor that one player “hit on another player’s” gf has generated a copy of a post from elsewhere from some dipshit who claims he heard a rumor “from a friend who heard it from a friend”. Posters here have taken that rumor, embellished it based on other rumors and now I read comments about an NCAA investigation, sexual assault, legal issues etc. If any thing that egregious occurred, can’t we wait until we know the facts? I haven’t the faintest idea what happened and I don’t believe anyone else does. Something happened, but rumors aren’t evidence. If something illegal occurred in December, a complaint to legal authorities would normally have been made by now. Regardless of what occurred, why have we taken an initial story and turned it into a major scandal? UND doesn’t hide illegal activity. Often times, when there are issues, not even everyone on the team nor in the organization, know all of the details because, sometimes, it’s not anyone else’s business. We can still call for change, critique the program, coaches, players, etc without creating more fodder for opposing teams fan boards.

More Zakreski scouting tonight. Played bumper on PP1, lots of PK time, created a breakaway for himself with a good poke and motor. Didn't come off the ice for the last two minutes as they preserved a one goal lead. Definitely a leader the way he communicates with his teammates.

For the older crew, sad news out of Warroad. Former Sioux Coach Rube Bjorkman's wife Marilyn passed away last Saturday. Service is Saturday in Warroad. Thoughts and prayers to Rube and his family.

Remember when all the coaches in the league had a gentleman's agreement not to poach verbal commits? It was a huge thing when I believe Motzko and Monty got into it because Denver poached Cole Guttman? Now with the portal, it seems like it is dog eat dog, and everyone is in play. How I long for the days when there was some sort of sanity in college athletics.

I’ve never wanted WMU to win a hockey game more then now

There have been a number of posts about how far this program has "fallen" (in their opinion), that we are no longer considered a blue blood school, etc... First, I do not think that is an opinion that is shared outside this board, or outside a portion of this fan base. I suspect that if you went around and asked college hockey players, coaches, administrators, media types and fans to name the premier schools in college hockey, the blue bloods, UND shows up on all or almost all of their lists. Second, I've had the privilege of going to UND games for a long time. My first games were at the old Winter Sports building, and those were definitely not the good old days. The vast majority of my UND seasons have ended in disappointment. We lost, season over. It might have been in the national championship game, or it could have been in the first round of the conference playoffs, but either way, the dream was dead. Wait 'til next year! That is the norm! We had an incredible 20 year run from the '96-97 season through 2015-16. Incredible. I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but that is not sustainable. If you don't believe me, talk to a 70 year old UCLA basketball fan, or a current NE Patriots fan, a New York Yankees fan or an Alabama football fan in 10 years. If that is the "bar" that you want to set for this program, then no coach should want this job, and we're going to be firing coaches about every three years. We should expect our coaches to run a clean program, to work hard to recruit the best possible players (who are also good people) to come play for the program, and to teach them. That's the job of a coach is to teach. If we find someone who teaches the game the right way, we'll continue to have more success than most other programs, and we'll occasionally even win a title. I have no reason to think that Jackson can't be that guy. And finally, I think that a reality check is needed. College athletics are changing, and changing dramatically. UND (and a lot of others) are going to be at a significant disadvantage. That doesn't mean that we should give up, or do nothing, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking that whatever collective we can put together is going to compete with the likes of the Michigans, Penn States, Arizona States, etc..., of the world. We just can't. They can find way more NIL money in the cushions of their football coach's couch than we could ever raise. I understand that, and as a college athletics fan, I think it sucks. But we have to be prepared to try to win more with less. Just my two cents.

If they want to make the NCAAs they have to beat good teams. So, if it’s Western Michigan so be it. Because it’s going to be a 1 seed in the first round if they win out