AlphaMikeFoxtrot

With all the talk of Sandy built the program/don't judge his record before Amsoil, let's compare recruiting between the two programs: Arena: Ralph doesn't lose to any other college arenas. On campus, incredible facility, rowdy and full. Not what it was for atmosphere, but blame that on cell phones. Amsoil is nice, but it's not on campus and always seems half full since empty chairs are bright yellow. Student section behind the net is the closest it has to a leg up on the Ralph. City: Duluth is an iconic Midwestern destination, currently being revitalized after industrial decay. Hills, rivers and the lake afford outdoor recreation opportunities that rival the western US.....for four or five months out of the year when it's not too cold. Economy isn't great, but tourism is booming as kids want the perfect pic for social media endorphins and the region is very photogenic. Lots of local hockey players; usually a half dozen on their roster are local. Grand Forks is a college town, with better restaurants and culture than towns of its size without a flagship, but recreation is lacking and the rendering scent is off-putting. Economy is good, and town came back in a hurry after a natural disaster 25 years ago. Local talent that mostly attends UND is another plus. Campus: Duluth having tunnels to not require students to go outside is a lifesaver, albeit psychologically jarring after not stepping outside for over a week. Students come from all over MN, WI, and Dakotas. Lots from the cities, which is attractive to recruits from there to play in front of friends. Hockey is king, but off campus hurts. Another campus within walking distance is fun, but amenities nearby are surprisingly scarce. UND's campus could use more tunnels to shield against wind. Students are mostly from surrounding states, unless pilots. Greek is a big deal, which can be a positive or negative depending on your perspective. Nightlife is downtown, which is luckily a short cab ride. Hockey is also king, but other sports are D1 and worth a gander, unlike Duluth. Logo: when Sioux logo was gone, my opinion was Duluth now has the best logo in college hockey. Prov, NMU, UAF and ASU round out my top five. I hate Duluth as a team, but their jerseys look good. Fighting Hawks is a stupid name, clinging on rather than making a clean break is a mistake. Transition was bungled, not to mention the refusal to vote for permission on the reservation. Embarrassing saga for all involved. Program: Don't care to learn about Duluth's history. Recent success helps. Seemingly last bastion of blue collar hockey in NCAAs. UND has a tradition of excellence to which other schools aspire. More upscale than we'd care to admit, and the rough and tumble has gone the way of the dodo. Fanbase: annoying fans on social media aside, Duluth is hard to gauge these days with the bandwagon being so full. Some knowledge and passion exist; let's see what happens when they miss the tournament again, hopefully sooner rather than later. UND's fanbase is massive (by NCAA hockey standards), passionate and demanding. Travels well and dominates comments sections on the internet. Stereotypes exist, but too big to pigeon hole. Players comment on how incredible and intense the fanbase is, and seem genuine when doing so.

Whoever wins, Carvel deserves a lifetime achievement award for his work turning UMass into a consistent contender.

Cake eater Donahue has been a good grad transfer pick up for Cloud.

The one who transferred to Denver, or the one who sat out this year since UAF didn't play?

This guy did:

Chase Blackmun of Hudson WI is a defenseman we are hopefully looking at. Grad transfer from Lowell with two years remaining.

He is a step too slow for the N whenever I've seen him, but has success in the A. Loved his game at UND; finished every check and was miserable to play against.

Zajac to the Islanders. Got too close to the Devils' all time franchise records, apparently.

https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2021/04/07_Mayotte-The-Front-Runner-.php Here's to hoping he elevates CC.

I'd agree if it was BU or Harvard, but BC is in the suburbs, if not technically then at least by neighborhood feel.

If Duluth wins it all, asterisk applies. Anyone else, not necessary.

Makes sense. I was shocked to see it, but if his ankle was broken it explains his skipping a few strides.

Blake with a horrible backcheck and it winds up in his team's net.

Not sure how it is now, but during the oil boom they were handing them out like candy on Halloween.

https://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2021/04/02_Into-the-Great-Wild-Portal.php A tidbit here is that the school can offer extra scholarships than the 18 maximum to 5th year players that stay at the same school. Tuition waivers, TA roles and departmental scholarships can hopefully help out with this over the next 4 years. Assuming we have anyone play extra years. Senden is hopefully interested.

Duluth also was moments away from first round elimination when Bowling Green had an own goal to tie it up late in the 3rd in 2018. Sandelin coaching had nothing to do with that.

They all left the program in better shape than they found it, best of luck to them. Hopefully Pinto doesn't spend next year in the A.

Seems like there are fewer signings this year, did the unorthodox NHL and AHL seasons result in any perverse incentives to stay in school another year? Lower cap, roster freezes, etc.?

Somewhere in the rafters at Amsoil there's an aging, sneering photo of Sandelin, Dorian Gray style.

This is nice to have the rationale behind it when word gets out rather than speculation.

You'd think grad students could get set up with a TA gig to get them a scholarship outside of hockey.

If it was truly public, he wouldn't be the only one reporting it. He has a source letting him know. By team I meant the individuals on the team, not the entity itself, should have clarified.

UMass is also public rather than private, which is a bigger deal out east. Private schools in New England lobby to decrease funding to public universities much like how U of M system lobbies to decrease funding to MNSCU system. With most of the successful east coast schools being private, it brings an undesirable exclusivity to college hockey.