The Sicatoka

Just finished reading the CSB report on the Matts. Jones: "smooth, powerful skater with an effortless stride and good balance" "can physically dominate the defensive zone" "strong in one-on-one situations." Greene: "good skater with a strong stride and good speed" "an abrasive player who can intimidate and dominate a physical game" "very strong in one-on-one situations." There's an echo in there. Is it the CSB or what the coaches are looking for in a defenseman? And I really like that "strong in one-on-one" thing. If that's the defensive player Blais is recruiting, well, how do D get hung out on one-on-ones? Normally because his teammates were in open attack mode in the offensive zone. I like it! I like it!

David Hale. Andy Schneider. Mike "239 PIM" Prpich. And an "abrasive" defenseman. I'm thinking they may already need to renovate that brand new arena. The penalty box is probably going to be too small.

I'm surprised that Greene went before Jones. Is it that NHL "we love size" thing at work or something more? (Greene is 3 inches taller.) And how in the world did Blais and Company get a Michigan guy like Greene away from the Wolverines and Spartans? Sparty got Joe Markusen (Grafton, ND) a couple of years ago so we'll just consider this an equalizer.

Yo 'dagies,' you short-changed Mr. Greene an 'e' and he doesn't sound like a guy you should short-change.

Mentioning goalies with a boat anchor in their breezers, most 5'11" guys in the WCHA run in that 175 to 190 range. Minnesota goalie Travis Weber is 5'11" and 205! Now I'm not one to talk (definitely not), but I never envisioned Weber as verging on Irbe-esque.

Well, the Dallas GM back in May said that Ed Belfour wouldn't be re-signed. Yesterday Dallas traded with Columbus for Ron Tugnutt. The DallasStars.com page speaks of Turco and Tugnutt as the pair for next season. This leaves Belfour looking for work. Columbus is an obvious solution for him based on the vacancy left by Tugnutt, but there are other goaltenders is in the Columbus system including Karl Goehring. So, knowing Marc Denis is the only goalie on the CBJ roster now, what do all you soothsayers think will happen? Long time minor-leaguer JF Labbe and former Niagara Purple Eagle Greg Gardner are in CBJ's AHL Syracuse affiliate. Former UAA goalie Gregg Naumenko and Karl Goehring are the next level down in Dayton. Who's getting a shot where next season?

There is one big advantage to a regional on your adversary's ice (whether playing that adversary or someone else): If you survive that test, how much worse can the Frozen Four site get? I want teams that can survive the toughest tests.

This makes it official: http://www.fightingsioux.com/sports/hockey/

If the National Concrete Center gets a regional maybe Fargo should bid to hold a regional in the Fargo Mausoleum, errr, I mean Coliseum, or maybe Valley City or Mayville-Portland should bid using their new arenas. Heck, by that standard, REA II in TRF's got it locked up!

Don't feel too lost. It's hard to keep all of the teams and levels straight. The Saskatoon Contacts are a Midget AAA team. That level is generally considered a half to full step better than HS hockey in the US although there are individual exceptions to every rule. I'm sure some Twin Cities AA HS teams could easily handle some Midget AAA teams. (Shattuck - St. Mary's plays under a Midget AAA classification.) The BCHL is a Canadian Tier II junior league. That is the next step up from Midget AAA. Comparable would be the USHL in the US. The Western Hockey League (WHL) is Canadian Tier I, also called Major Junior. They make direct payments to players where Tier II teams pay the host families. That's why players with MJ time have to sit out a year before playing in the NCAA (the payment infers "professional" according to the NCAA). Now that's a brief overview and may not be 100% accurate but I'm sure someone will come in and fill in the blanks. And yes, McMahon and Prpich were Contacts teammates in 1999-2000.

'dagies': The growth is interesting, but the position "10" (Prpich) is listed at on that roster is more interesting.

Random thoughts: How's Brian Canady's knee? He hurt it in the playoffs in Minneapolis. Tim Hennessy mentioned on the radio during the Saturday game that injury may (key word: may) cost him the 2002-2003 season. Anyone heard anything new? Someone clued me in on this comparison: Name (League) Gm G A Pts PIM Pts/Gm PIM/Gm Mike Prpich (BCHL) 57 33 24 57 239 1.00 4.19 Jim Archibald (WCHA) 154 75 69 144 540 0.94 3.51 And in closing: "Skate or sit."

The 7 pm start is correct. Yes, it will be harder to make a Friday game.

Goon: That 607 played slightly uphill (elevated green). It was playing into the wind one day. That's the day I learned, with a good lie, I can hit my driver as a fairway wood (driver, driver, 2 iron, chip on, two putt, ouch).

Goon: I used to play a course that had a hole where the first number on the yardage marker was a '6', as in 607 yard par 5. Oh, did I mention the elevated green? And people wonder why I carry a driver, a spoon, and a driving iron. If you aren't sure what those are check out http://users.stargate.net/~histgolf/history/oldclubs.html . Let's see, 320 to the hole, should I hit cleek and lofter or driving mashie and niblick or play it safe and go mashie and spade? You have to love those old "Gutta Percha" club names.

Want the NCAA's POV? http://www.ncaa.org

The NCAA would tell you: Operations of championships and furthering our core values. I would tell you: It ain't cheap keeping "fat, wheezy do-nothing NC$$ administrators" on the payroll. The NCAA has the best racket since government bureaucrats, the Mafia, professional "consultants," and ISO 9000 certification agencies. They all (a) arbitrarily make the rules, (b) enforce said rules as they see fit, and © dole out punishments at their whim. It must be nice to be the legislative, and executive (enforcement), and judicial body of your world all at the same time. Where do I sign up to be judge, jury, and executioner?

I believe being a letterwinner is determined by playing in a certain number of games during the season (usually set by precedent or the coaches). Being a letterwinner gets you a cool jacket and dates with cheerleaders .... no, hold it, that was in high school. Being a letterwinner gets your name on that long list of letterwinners. About scholarships: The list of who is getting what scholarship amount is posted in the same location on the Internet where you would keep all of your credit card and bank account information.

I'm pretty sure only 12 is retired. The only other possible number I could come up with would be "99" for Gretzky. Don't get me started on my opinion of that.

Other retired numbers? I can't come up with any. Currently in use: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31, 35. 18, 19, 23, 27, 35 just left. 2 was worn by Hakstol less than 10 years ago. Parise told someone he's wearing 11 and O'Leary wore it recently. 12 is Terry Casey (retired). 14 was worn by Hasbargen. 28 was Paul Murphy. 29 was worn by Mike Possin. I've never seen a Sioux player in 32, 33, or anything above 35 but those aren't traditional hockey numbers. Is there another retired number?

George Pelawa would have been a freshman during the 1986-87 season.

Random thoughts: To me the best UND lines were the ones that had all three factors: Playmaker Board grinder Scorer. Think about Ulmer, Goren, Bayda: Jason Ulmer was the playmaker. Ryan Bayda owned the boards. Lee Goren scored. Bayda got a lot of goals that year but they were mainly from three feet and were rebounds of Goren shots. How about Panzer, Lundbohm, Bayda: Panzer set it up. Bayda ran the boards. Whitey Lundbohm scored. Why not go back to The Circus: Hrkac set it all up. Bob Joyce scored, but was strong enough to run the boards also. Steve Johnson was great on the boards, however, later in his career became a playmaker. The third guy on that line (Johnson, Parks, Bobyck) only had to not make mistakes. Break this down and what do you need? True playmaking centers, true goal scorers (with a preference to the stand in front and take the abuse variety), and a guy to dig the puck out and get it to the creative guy. Now, think about each player and what they do. Rate each guy (on a 1 low, 5 hi scale) in those three areas: creativity, board ability, scoring ability. You need some of each on each line. And then throw in the other factor: chemistry (good luck at that). It's hard going on second-hand knowledge of Genoway and Parise and not knowing how Fylling's game changed at Sioux Falls. I'm pondering it now. It ain't easy.

Number 12: Terry Casey. He played three seasons (63-64, 64-65, 65-66) and is tied with Marc Chorney and Curtis Murphy (for 46th) in all time UND scoring with 88 games, 57 goals, 61 assists, for 118 points. He was an All-American in the 1965-66 season with a 26/28/54 line in 30 games. He died in a car crash and no one has worn number 12 for the Fighting Sioux hockey team since.