The Sicatoka

And the Yankees lost to the Devil Rays in Japan. I'm not saying either is the Yankees or Devil Rays. I'm saying you don't always get the "expected result" in baseball. Lighten up, Francis.

This release should have been a clue. Notice that the three fall 2003 signings (Zajac, Radke, Kaip) are mentioned directly as is the fall 2002 signing of Phil Lamoureux, but no one else for fall of 2004. Before someone asks, the next signing period begins on April 14.

I'd recommend a visit to your eye-care specialist. http://www.uscho.com/news/2004/04/07_008433.php

It's clear there is a log-jam at defense in 2004-2005. Assuming no early departures: Seniors: Schneider, Jones, Fuher Juniors: Greene, Marvin Sophomores: Smaby, Bina, Foyt Freshman: Radke Based on what I see there, and losing four forwards (Parise, Lundbohm, Hale, Palmiscno) this year and with only three coming in (Zajac and Kaip have signed letters, Spirko was reported as a verbal), I wouldn't be surprised to see Lee Marvin or Scott Foyt become a full-time forward. But that also shows what's ahead for 2005-2006: No Schneider, Jones, and Fuher, and maybe no Greene. There are reported verbals for 2005 from Taylor Chorney and Brian Lee. There still appears to be space available for a defenseman or two in 2005. I wonder what the plan is.

I'm sure "The Don" wanted Taffe to stay as well. I'm sure Dean wanted Bayda and Lundbohm and Roche and Parise to stay. Get the point? To quote the great sage Mick Jagger, "You can't always get what you want."

I just realized something: Brady Murray, Salmon Arm, 2002-2003: 42-59-101 line in 59 games BCHL runner-up for both ROY and MVP. Travis Zajac, Salmon Arm, 2003-2004: 43-69-112 line in 59 games BCHL MVP.

"Potulny, who was drafted in the fifth round by Ottawa in 2000" ... "signed a one-year contract with the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday." So Ottawa only signed him to a one-year deal? One could read that a lot of ways. I'll choose to read it as Ottawa isn't looking at signing forwards to big deals right now. That makes me a happy because I know who else Ottawa has draft rights to.

Brady centered his own line in Salmon Arm before coming to UND. He put up a 42-59-101 line in 59 games and was the BCHL runner-up for both ROY and MVP. He'll be OK without Zach.

Talking about county names, if the Forum can truncate "Grand" off the name of "Grand Forks" does that mean we can truncate others? Is Bismarck now in "_urleigh"? Can we take the "C" off the name of "Cass"?

Back, schmack. I'd rather look forward. Here's one just for "Virg Foss is God": http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/s...ota/8350946.htm

That reads pretty clearly to me: "There were six games .... in which .... held opponents to two or fewer ... and were 0-4-2." The goalies were meeting the Dean Blais formula: Give <25 shots and save 90% (GAA under 2.5). Where was the offense those nights? Here are UND's scoring lines from those six games: Genoway from Greene Bochenski from Jones McMahon from Fylling and Canady Fylling from Jones and Greene Lundbohm from Murray Parise (U) (none) Those games were a case of "Minnesota Wild" effect: great goaltending, no offense to get the win. Are people blaming Roli the goalie for the Wild's problems?

Once Albany missed the AHL playoffs I'm guessing Zach not playing was sealed.

Yeah, Parise could play for the Albany River Rats next year. That's why NJD gave him a two-way contract. He'll make $80k playing in Albany where he'd make (report claim) $1 MM at NJ.

The better analogy would be: In the NFL, .... NFL Europe.

I go to the source: The NHL Transactions Wire

He's not playing in the Saturday afternoon NJD at Boston game. Live shift chart showing line-ups

I just think Rosemary, excuse me, Basil (I always confuse all those herbs) just has poor reading comprehension skills. I base this on my observation that they apparently do not understand the purpose and usage of quotation marks in a written work of non-fiction.

Woe is UND. How'd they ever win the toughest league in college hockey with this " ... not one of them is outstanding ... " conference-games goaltending. Goaltender GP Minutes GA Saves Shots Save% GAA Record Win% GS SO %Time Jake Brandt 16 879:27 32 335 367 .913 2.18 12- 2- 0 .857 15 0 51.8% Jordan Parise 14 813:30 29 295 324 .910 2.14 8- 3- 3 .679 13 1 47.9% Saves over 91% and GAAs under 2.5 and " ... not one of them is outstanding ... "

I saw Wahpeton-Breckenridge play a game this year. Not good.

Why not check out: FightingSioux.com

OK, reading what Sid wrote and applying the "Grandpa Sid" factor to the story, that means Ballard's gone and Vanek stays.

No, as in The Breck School in Golden Valley, MN.

The report on Bochenski's selection at FightingSioux.com is up.

Playing hockey you're "on the job" thus workers comp pays for the dentistry. Let's run the numbers: - Sign for $1 MM - Pay the taxes - Net about $600 k - Put that away in tax-free municipal bonds at 4% annually - That's $24k in tax free interest annually - Then you draw your salary ($80k or $1 MM) OK, how many 19 year olds that you know are: - doing what they've always wanted to do - making $100k doing it.

Not doing the total job, all the hard work, isn't just a hockey thing with the Randy Moss of college hockey if that's true.