The Sicatoka

Grand Forks can claim having put John Hoff on the city commission. Duluth is trying to trump that electoral feat. Vote for Mr. Nice! PS - How do I just know this guy is a puppet of special interests.

In this same theme, why doesn't anybody ever be original and do a "suicide - murder" instead of a "murder - suicide".

Har. Har. Ain't. You. Funny. Isn't Rick the expert on that?

Friday in Willmar

No. Not at all. There's no "or else". They're only accountable to themselves. They have to look in the mirror and know they did do all of the right things (and none of the things that tripped them up before) to achieve this lofty goal they're setting for themselves. They can do it. They need to critically self-evaluate what they've done right, and wrong, to put themselves into this position (pre-season favorite and loaded for bear) and then go out there and do it as far as they can. This team is better than 4-7-1 at home in a half. This team is better than two disappointing showings in national semi-finals. They have the experience; they've made a (good) choice and they get to prove what they've learned and why they're better. If they run into a better team or hot goaltender and lose, so be it, knowing that's the only reason anyone stopped them.

These guys have set themselves up to define the subtle difference between "everybody can remember" and "no one will ever forget". They just need to execute it.

I couldn't be happier about those guys coming back. They listened Taylor's dad's advice (PCM's signature). They will be better players for it over their careers and lives. (I know I would have a lot of trouble walking away from those dollars.) But (and there's always one of those), they are talking about commitment and mission also. There's talk, and then there's follow-through. I preached patience with young teams. These guys aren't young anymore. I've preached patience with teams in the past; this group needs to perform to their full capabilities, and that means doing whatever they need to do, or not do, (on- and off-ice) to be at peak performance, for a full season. I'm going to be greedy and ask for something a little better than 4-7-1 at home before Christmas. And the season ending notes saying, "Made Frozen Four, lost to _____ in ______ game" has significant opportunity for improvement also. You only get so many opportunities. Hak (it starts at the top) needs to coach as if he has something to prove beyond "getting there". (Heck, Woog "got there".) Oshie, Duncan, Chorney, and Finley need to show by action and leadership that their decision to come back was more than a feel-good gesture. UND (under Blais) had four teams that could have won it all. And yet none of them did. This group might be more talented than those. But talent alone .... Am I glad that four guys who could have gone pro decided to come back? Certainly. But that has to translate into something more. I know they can live up to that. I say "thank you and congratulations" for coming back; I'm saving the lauding and laurels for post-game on a Saturday night in Denver in April. They've set a very high bar for themselves, so high that, .... Really good isn't really good enough this time around.

"I got a cool tattoo but insisted on putting words with it anyway."

Yes, paying for lawn mower racing is questionable, but there is a set, high level of expectation of quality cheese curds when the words "county fair" are invoked. Even though others may be disregarded for their choices, Diggler has been wronged.

Lines for next year, .... hmmmm, .... let's see, .... how about, ..... "I'm Ryan Duncan. Wanna see my 'Hobey'?" More seriously, I'd like to see how some off-season medical issues work out and what some of the new guys bring before scratching down four lines, three pairs, .... and Phillippe (3 out of 4 nights).

If true, that'd be newsworthy. I haven't seen it reported.

So who's starting the parent/off-spring list?

My sources tell me to expect no fewer than eight dots in total! Maybe even nine, but definitely no fewer than eight. And we'll all be happy ever after.

Lines for next year? There'll be a thin red one with a net sitting on it. Next there'll be a wide blue one, Then a wide, dashed, red one, Then another wide blue one, and finally Another narrow red one with the other net on it. That's all I'm willing to prognosticate at this point.

"Grousing"? Doesn't that involve "Goon", a shotgun, and September? There are folks that know more than they are saying here (that they've said in a PM or two to me). I won't break trust with them.

No, no, ... "transfers", for educational reasons primarily I'm sure.

There are three ways to meet Title IX. You've just hit on two of them. (This is where jimdahl comes in and refreshes my memory on subject.)

To me it's not if, it's when.

You always want 14-15 forwards on the roster because of injuries, illness, "Archibald" activities and/or "Prpich" events, slumps in play, and competiton in practice.

Time to critique how I've done so far. - Lee is gone - Hextall is now 2008 - "(plus same names that haven't been formally announced yet)" has become formally David Toews (OK, it was a gimme but I didn't want to say the name at the time and get people in trouble) - there's now a 2007 named "Brent Davidson" Seem like now it should be .... My predictions for incoming in fall of .... 2007 - Marto, LaPoint, Trupp, Malone, Frattin, Davidson 2008 - Eidsness, Blood, Gleason, Bruneteau, Cichy, Gregoire, Hextall, Toews My predicted 2007-2008 roster: G: Lamoureux, Grieco, Walski D: Chorney, Jones, Finley, Bina, Genoway, Marto, LaPoint F: Duncan, Oshie, Watkins, Kozek, Kaip, VandeVelde, Zajac, Martens, Miller, Forney, Radke, Trupp, Malone, Frattin, Davidson EDIT: Added Hextall in 2008. Good catch, brian.

Don't forget the WCHA league-wide guide too.

How soon we forget: The NCAA went after IUP, Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Kupchella's alma mater), even though they were in the town of Indiana, PA, in Indiana County, PA, and called themselves the "Indians". Remember, an organization based in Indianapolis, Indiana, did this. Oh the irony.

Jamestown Jimmies. Then there are the ever-popular MIAC schools: St. Thomas Tommies St. John's Johnnies St. Olaf Oles

Have you tried to get a womens hockey media guide from the Athletic Department?

Goli didn't get rookie max money (about $850k) according to the PioPress. Are the Pens afraid of his shoulder?