sprig

Wasn't sure whether that was as it sounded or the beginning of negotiations for how many $ they would like to get him for.

Might work out since any of the Sioux (Parise, Murray) that play in this year's junior championship in Finland, will miss the series the first weekend in January, which is, I believe, SCSU.

If you'd like to check out the first round, ESPN2 will have the draft on from noon-3PM CT today. With all the talk about Vanek and Parise going/staying, etc, here are comments from a Wisco recruit that has not yet played a game in college: If teams work to fill needs, high draft selections could be defensemen Braydon Coburn or Ryan Suter, whose father Bob was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. His uncles Gary and John also played in the NHL. Suter currently is slated to play in college at Wisconsin, a decision he said could change depending on how high he is drafted. ``I'd definitely give it some thought,'' he said. I don't expect all of the first rounders that are currently in college or scheduled to be in college next year to be there this fall, in spite of all the arguments by each team's fans that they need more time/not ready/they want to stay in college/CBA/etc,etc. Won't be long now until speculation is over, however.

Having trouble figuring out what is going on here and on poi, concerning recruits. Here, Sioux fans (some) are not happy the ND kids are choosing MN. On POI, Goph fans (some) are not happy that they are not getting the SSM players. Would Sioux fans prefer to add the current MN recruits to the existing Sioux recruits, then drop some of the upperclassman to make room, thereby creating another very large freshman class, or trade Sioux recruits for MN recruits. Would MN fans want to do the same. Don't think so, for either team. None of this year's class for either team has proven anything yet, and arguments about whether the USHL or SSM AAA midget is better are useless. All are expected to be good college players. May the best team win (and may the best team not be MN) As for SSM, wish the Sioux's "pipeline", had started a couple years earlier (like Eaves earlier). And I still don't think we have nearly enough 25 year old Canadians to keep Ha**y ranting.

Very rare for anyone to put together lines like those. Have any idea how their numbers for a year compared to Lundbohm-Panzer-Bayda?

From all I've seen of past Sioux players and watching Canadian Juniors as well as lower level Canadian hockey, still the one advantage they have over American hockey players is how well they play defensively, at any level. It's what helped so many of those Sioux players step right into the NHL. The majority of college hockey players in more recent years (obviously there are exceptions) need to spend time in the minors improving their defensive game. In addition, those Canadians that came in as freshmen were immediately productive and effective players, didn't need that year or two to mature (80-83 Sioux) like the current crop of American recruits seem to need (2002 Sioux). Course, most of those Canadians were gone to the NHL by the time they would have been juniors. College has, imo, become a much more offensive game than it was in the 70's and 80's, more wide open and, many would say, more entertaining. I guess I'm basing this on my perception of the Sioux, however, as SL is posting on uscho that the game has become more defensive. From a Gopher point of view, I could agree with that, but I don't know that any teams, past or present, could match the defensive hockey played by UND and Wisco in the early 80's. I'd love to see the Sioux get back into recruiting a few more Canadian Junior players. Many came from the SJHL in the past, as well as the BCHL.

Probably the last thing we'd care to watch, but, at any rate, the presentation by the President to the Goph hockey team is about to be webcast live: http://www.whitehouse.gov Good b&w webcast, looks like. Also, the UMD womens' hockey, Syracuse mens' BB, UConn womens' BB.

This truly has become POI West. Are there really Sioux fans here somewhere?

Murray has been invited to the Canadian Junior Evaluation Camp. I believe Parise is still young enough to play for the US, again, isn't he. How about Greene and Jones (would guess they are to old).

The thread topic is early predictions. Several have picked the Gophers to win. You choose to argue a Sioux fans post that picked the Sioux to beat the Gophs (seems that you were comfortable until that happened). Go ahead and make your predictions (which would be sticking to the thread). Just don't expect everyone here will pick the Gophers. Not that predictions mean anything anyway.

Have no idea what Blais is getting, but I agree, it needs to be in that range if it's not. Appears Jutting's old contract was torn up (he had a year left) for the new 4 year contract. Hope the UND athletic department is paying attention

I believe the Eagle brought it to GF.

I agree with this. The late season swoon was a disappointment, especially the final loss to Ferris who were totally demolished by the Gophers. Still, Blais success is still very recent and I'm not ready to critisize the outcome of the last two seasons. Got to make some noise with this team this season though. After all the highly touted freshman of the losing team two years ago are now juniors, and have to prove something this season imo. Although goaltending was a problem while the Sioux were winning, it was solid during the late season swoon for the most part. That needs to continue.

Not good news. Blais leaving could lead to some young players jumping ship also following the draft. Better ante up.

Wonder what happened to the Notre Dame Hound pipeline to the Sioux? Almost the entire early 80's team roster played there in juniors.

Do players on the average shoot the puck harder today. Absolutely, primarily due to the technology in the new kevlar/graphite composite shafts. Back in the days of Bobby Hull shooting the puck 118 mph, rock elm was used exclusively in wooden hockey sticks. It was both strong and flexible. With Dutch elm disease taking out elms by the boat loads, the elm sticks disappeared, and were replaced by ash, neither as strong nor as flexible. Not until Easton introduced aluminum shafts did stick quality again approach what was possible with elm. Today, reportedly at least 200 of 700 NHL players are using the Easton Synergy, a kevlar, graphite composite that is capable of much more than any wood or aluminum sticks could do previously. A recent article in USA hockey quoted several college hockey players crediting their improved shots and scoring on using the Synergy or one of its new competitors. Here are some quotes on the Synergy: Synergy sticks have changed hockey somewhat. "It's made a huge difference [in players' shots]. The stick has allowed players to score on a more consistent basis from places where they haven't scored from very often before," said TSN hockey analyst Pierre McGuire in an article in TSN's magEzine. He also commented that broken bone injuries might increase as more players use Synergy sticks. "We'll probably see more broken feet, ankles and toes, and maybe some broken jaws and cheeks from deflections." Lousiville Sports, one of Easton's competitors, has recently announced its own one-piece stick, the Response. It weighs 455 grams. Time will tell how this one-piece race will turn out. In any case, it does seem that the Synergy stick is an evolution that is here to stay. None of this is an argument by me to leave the nets as is. Think it's more than troubling the Giguerre cloans, huge, stay in one place, depend on ergonomic designed equipment to stop the puck replace the any size goes, quickness that was the typical goalie of the past. Giguerre is good, but if the future is a goalie of his size with his equipment, they may as well eliminate the goalie position and install plywood sheets with very small puck size holes in several places on the outsides and top of the net. That all said, I'm all for the Ducks winning the Cup. Can't possibly be against a team called the Ducks

You've nailed Hammy here, as has dagies. Everything in Gopherville is lilly white, everything Sioux is underhanded and disgusting. When called back off and double-talk, or this newly created "just teasing" or "ruffling feathers".

Both Skarperud and Schneekloth are with the Griffins. Appears that Skarp did not play the last several games vs. Houston, although he played earlier in the playoffs and the first couple Houston games. Does not appear that Schneekloth was in the lineup at all in the playoffs.

So how does a student go about getting a lower bowl "assigned" seat?

Great to see the Wild put it away with Bertuzzi in the box, yet again. His brain/weight ratio is a really low number

What we saw on the replay (the hook and the OT double minor) could not have been what brought the penalties, I hope Very weak calls if that was the case, not at all how the rest of this game and others have been called. Have to assume we didn't see what actually happened.

Believe the award was MVP for the IceCats. Have doubts that stats during the college careers of the two players factored in, but, being a convicted idiot, I may be way off here. Congrats, Sic, you've yet to make it on the yd idiot/moron list. I'm proud to say I've made them both Just for you, yd: