Wilbur

AAA program in Michigan. Leif Ekblad from Williston attended there a few years back. Sounds like his youngest sibling is following his foot steps.

Eff.....I was hoping for like a 1pm start so I could make a quick trip down to the cities with the kids. School night makes the trip a no bueno for mama bear.

Heard from a parent in Williston that there are a couple of youth players from their program that just signed with Fox Motors in Grand Rapids. Hopefully no more as that Pee Wee-Bantam group in Williston has got some good kids.

Couple of local kids taken in phase 1 and phase 2 USHL drafts. Yesterday in the phase 1 (2009 born) you had Marto (GF), Grubb (Shattuck), Peterson (WFHS), Larkin (North Star), Wanner (Moorhead), Schock (Moorhead) Today in the Phase 2 (2005-2008 birth years), which is just about over, you have Linberg (NTDP), Panzer (EGF), Sproule (Watertown), Mattern (WFHS), O'Neill (NTDP) thus far.

Grayden Peterson from WFHS picked by the Force. Rumors I hear is he's headed to play for the Sioux Falls Power this year.

Grubb the top Nodak kid in phase 1 draft. Dubuque doubled down in the second round and took another ND kid in Jack Larkin from WF. Marto taken in the 2nd round by Muskegon.

I've got to imagine a Co-op gets put into place. Putting a varsity team on the ice with 15 kids, none of which are goaltenders, just doesn't seem to me like the best option going forward at the present time. Not sure what the future numbers look like for Fargo Youth Hockey in regards to kids that live in the South school zone, but I'm guessing the lion share are North or Davies kids. Betting the boys team wouldn't be called the Spruins though.

Captains: James, Strinden, Zmolek, Livanavage?

To answer your questions: ~Depends on who you ask. I think it was a prolonged one as you had guys like Ron Hextall who kept stand up goaltending alive, yet guys like Curtis Joseph who was a catalyst for going down on every shot. Once you got into the 2000's, the butterfly was to goaltending what peanut butter is to jelly on bread. Eddie Balfour was one who understood where goaltending was going, and changed his game from the stand up approach to the butterfly. A lot of people don't know that the RVH, which is what is a common approach used by like 95% of goaltenders now, was created in part by a female goaltender coach in Sweden. Seems like it took over overnight, and now its what you see taught everywhere. ~To answer your second question, it takes a different mindset to play the position. A special mindset.

As a 21 year old European I'd imagine that he is probably a flight risk if he plays well and gets an offer. At the same time, there are worlds of professional opportunities over in Europe if he's ever homesick at some point. Vegas odds he isn't here for all four years.....I'd say -500.

A perfect landing spot for Hobie. Get out of the NCHC, and go to a place where the main guy is out the door, and you can compete to be the top guy. I was wondering if Ferris might be the spot as Noah West played a ton for them last season after he transferred over from the Wolverines. @MafiaMan should be happy as the local rep/fan club president for Ferris State Bulldogs Hockey.

I know he's probably not coming in next season, but watched a bit of the U-18 game vs. Latvia and Garrett Linberg impresses me so much every time with his hockey sense. If you go to the 45 second mark right away in the highlight package the first goal that Potter scores is all about the indirect pass that Linberg makes when he doesn't have a great lane to the net.

100%. I think if he finds an under the radar kind of place in the CCHA or Atlantic hockey he could have some success. Wherever he ends up, I'll follow the kid.

I like the bullpen. People are complaining about Varland being in that spot last night, but Varland has been really good for the Twins so far this year. If Jax gets to form, and Stewart doesn't get hurt like he always does, you only need 5 innings out of a Paddack or a SWR before you bridge the game to Duran in the 9th.

Kind of reminds me of a Harrison Feeney type situation. When he entered the transfer portal as a third string goalie you wondered about him walking on somewhere, as teams really didn't have a body of work other than his time in the NA. Eventually ended up out in Sweden I believe as he didn't find a taker. Best of luck to Mr. Hedquist, with whatever decision he makes.

Great to have local kid Sandy on the team. Has Hedquist hit the portal yet? Haven't found anything. Edit* Just read Schloss story on Sandy, so Hobie not there just yet.

A month later and they've won 6 out of 7 games. Tough road trip this week. Cleveland then Boston.

Kind of unfortunate they couldn't make it a Saturday evening game, but you've got a 4 plus hour trip for both teams after a Friday night game that wouldn't get them on the bus and out of the building until 11 or 12. Hopefully Sunday in St. Paul draws 10k plus.

I've never been a fan of the NTDP games. Its cool to watch that team play when they are at the world championships, or playing against other schools, but it always seems like a go through the motions type of game for UND against a team of kids that commit to Big Ten or Hockey East schools. I'd rather see them make Bemidji an exhibition each season. Play them once early in the season every year, rotate it back and forth.

Wish Hedquist well if he is indeed heading to the portal. Never took the net, and with his body of work you needed to bring in other goaltenders to compete to be the man. In a perfect world we aren't needing to use portal goalies after next season.

If Hedquist leaves you bring in Sandy as the #3 and we've got us a goalie tandem.

Wilbur approves of this move.

Spunar up for USHL goalie of the year. UND in the hunt I'm told.

From Schloss today it sounds like Heil is going back to Madison next year, and Huson won't be with the team. The Czechian kid that played for Dubuque intrigues me. Good size, and turns 21 in May. Think about those who will argue about the 25 year old Czechians in our lineup in four years.

All but one of those title games had an NCHC team.