Kevin G

UND has at least seven commits still playing in the the various USHL playoff series: Mac Swanson (Fargo Force) Cooper Simpson (Tri-City) Sacha Boisvert (Muskegon) Cody Croal, and David Klee (Muskegon) David Klee (Muskegon) Jayden Jubenville (Dubuque) Andrew Strathmann (Youngstown)

Thank you. I wasn't aware.

I believe Griffen Ness would be eligible to return for another season. Has he or the team made any announcement about his plans?

Good day to talk about next winter...as it's literally snowing outside right now. Sheesh. And the snow looks just like Dippin' Dots (which is the ice cream of the future).

Building for the postseason is essential. Additionally, if UND wants to attract more high-end talent, it needs to show potential recruits that UND is a place where high-end talent gets to develop without getting buried behind lower-ceiling guys.

I don't know what the Buffalo Rumblings are... ...but that's the best nickname ever.

Most of those lists have both North American and European/Russian skaters.

It's looking probable or at least possible. Like Tankathon, a bunch of rating services have Boisvert ranked around #20ish amongst draft-eligible players.

Celebrini wins the Hobey.

How many years since that national champion had a first-round draft pick? That streak ends this year.

There's no one to pull for. Pulling against all of them. Pulling hardest against Michigan and Denver.

You are correct: Blake had been drafted prior to his final season in the USHL. I'm really excited for Swanson too. If there's a silver lining to losing both Gaber (it doesn't feel like we *lost* Gaber, but he could have returned) and Blake, it's that Swanson and Boisvert will probably get to be featured earlier and more often next season than they would have otherwise. Hopefully that will help them acclimate and develop quickly.

I don't know if Mac Swanson's game is like Jackson Blake's, but look at the similarity between Swanson's current season and Blake's 2021-22 season with the Chicago Steel, both of which were the players' age-18 seasons: Swanson 53 GP: 25 G, 50 A, 75 points, 1.42 PPG Blake 61 GP: 27 G, 50 A, 77 points, 1.26 PPG

This weekend Mac Swanson has a chance to help the Fargo Force become the first team in USHL history to win 50 or more games in a season. (Des Moines won 48 games in a 56-game season in 1998-99). Fargo is currently 49-9. They've scored the most goals and allowed the fewest goals in the USHL.

I have a hard time remembering the USHL age requirements, so for my sake here they are: Minimum Age and Maximum Age. The junior age group shall include participants who are at least sixteen (16) years of age and no older than twenty (20) years of age as of December 31st of the current playing season. So @AJS is correct: '03 birth years age out of USHL eligibility; '04 birth years remain eligible for the upcoming season. UND's 2003 birth-year commits who were in juniors this past season: Cody Croal Jayden Jubenville UND's 2004 birth-year commits who were in juniors this past season: Cade Littler that's it. Just Cade Littler. (Jaksen Panzer was an '04 too.)

It would be a gut punch to lose either Blake or Berg. Losing both would really hurt. Like about two gut punches worth. You hope that part of the payoff of getting a player who isn't a first-round draft pick is having him stay that extra year (or two)...whatever that means for a particular player.

Pair him with Dupont perhaps?

Does anyone know if Boisvert or Croal typically play center or wing?

On faceoffs... Last season, the four main FO guys for UND were, in descending order by frequency: Cam Berg: 394-310 (56.0%). 704 total draws. Owen McLaughlin: 194-255 (43.2%). 449 total draws. Louis Jamernik: 249-181 (57.9%). 430 total draws. Jake Schmaltz: 144-157 (47.8%). 301 total draws. For RIT last season, Carter Wilkie was 566-478 (54.2%) for 1,044 total draws. That's about equal to UND's top two FO guys combined. In 2022-23, Wilkie took 858 draws (53.3%); and in 2021-22, 639 draws (54.1%). That's 2,541 career draws. So, if nothing else, Wilkie has a lot of practice.

This. I just do not understand Schmaltz's usage. Absolute head scratcher. He seems like an awesome kid and has a reputation for being defensively sound, but there's been so little offensive production. Even on the third line, he's miscast, let alone the PP. It reminds me of how former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire would play utilityman Nick Punto every freaking day. When it came to Punto, Gardenhire could not help himself. In 2007, Punto was one of the worst hitters in baseball (OPS+ of 53 where an OPS+ of 100 is exactly average; 53 is just awful) yet Gardenhire played Punto in 150 games. And in over a quarter of those games, Gardenhire put Punto first or second in the batting order. It was so bizarre. Anyway, I'm glad I got that old Twins gripe off my chest. Here's hoping that Schmaltz lights the lamp 20 times next year.

That's interesting. I've been told that campus rinks are not eligible for bid submissions (which apparently is incorrect).

They multiply like weeds.

Limit d-zone turnovers

I dislike those "Future You" commercials even more.