Wilbur

Road wins are always good!! PS: Another year of Glas being 50 percent......

The insecurity at the offensive line is now starting to scare me a little bit. I said the same thing last year, but Central Washington will always scare me. Ever since that game a couple of years ago where they beat the bejesus out of us I'll never take any of their teams lightly again. I think UND will win the game, but I think it will be a tight game with UND's defense winning the game (one of many that they will win for them). Is Belmore slated to start at QB?

Good news Fighting Sioux fans, while walking to class this morning I saw one Matt Smaby. Backpack in hand!!!!! I also saw Porter, but we knew he was coming back.

I think that the coaches have done an outstanding job of selecting the Mr. Hockey winners the past couple of seasons. There really hasn't been a winner in my years of following high school hockey that I didn't agree with. The last guy from the West Region who probably had a legitimate chance of winning the award was possibly John Grubb. You may argue Charlie Bair, but having seen them both play no true hockey fan could say that Charlie was a better overall player than Marto. This years Mr. Hockey winner......Galt. Write that down!

I saw this coming. In with the new generation of defensemen. Hopefully Greene won't start with the bad reputation in the NHL that he did in college hockey.

Sue just happens to be the name of my mother, and I find that very offensive and abusive to her!!!!!!!!! I for one know that she would never be the same....

I can't put Minot first....bad luck...

Bruce will be tough to replace for Williston. He's one kid that I really felt sorry for at the state tournament last season. He had an all state season until his team made it to the state tournament, where he just kind of fell apart. As a former goaltender who knows how incredibly horrible it feels to play like he did, I gotta hope he gets a chance to play again somewhere..... Wilbur's West Region Predictions 1. Bismarck 2. Williston 3. Minot 4. Hazen 5. Century 6. Devils Lake 7. Mandan 8. Dickinson 9. Bottineau

I for one am not worried about the offensive line. Yeah, I probably should be, but every season someone on the line goes down and the coaching staff always has another player groomed to step in and fill the void. The year that UND won the National Championship it seemed like we had an offensive linemen get up limping to the bench every week. One year without an injury to the O-line would be nice though....

Spirko's goal is still number one in my heart as well. Quite possibly the most amazing goal I've ever seen live... What makes Blake's goal so much more amazing is the fact that he did it while going into the teeth of the vaunted Minnesota Wild trap. And then he lights up Roli, which isn't an easy thing to accomplish the past couple of seasons. Boy I miss Blake, as Jordan Leopold once called him, "The Energizer Bunny". Nothing could be more true.

Speaking of Williston, they'll have a decent hockey team this season. They return their top six scorers, and overall only lose 5 players off of last seasons squad. I know that they looked really horrible at last years state tournament, but they were a lot better team than what they showed. They won't be winning state championships or anything, but its good to see that hockey is starting to take off a little bit in Williston.

North-South is currently how the regions are set up in the pee wee and the bantam "A" levels of youth hockey. I would like to think that it is helping, yet you still see the Eastern teams predominantly finishing in the top of both leagues. The first year that they switched from East-West to North South I was in Bantams, and the team I played for finished second in the North Region and eventually second at the state tournament. Had we not played such great competition in our league that year (Grafton, Grand Forks South, Grand Forks North, twice each) I really don't think we would have faired as well at the state tournament.

Off of the Elite team website: -Sean Diechert (Fargo) -Jacob DeLisle (Grand Forks) -Erik Galt (Fargo) -Kris Graalum (Fargo) -Andrew Peterson (Grafton-Park River) -Andy Dittus (Minot) -Nick Klenow (Fargo) -Grant Larson (Fargo) -Marc Milhulka (Grand Forks) -J. Ross Monson (Bismarck) -Paul Weisgarber (Fargo)

Ummm, does the Minot vs. Bismarck title game not count? Like Iceberg mentioned I don't want to get into a flame fest that will get this thread shut down. Eastern Hockey is better than Western hockey hands down. I don't need to read it every three posts though... Great post on the upcoming team out of Grafton ND Pride. I'll definately stay with my prediction of Grafton playing in the championship game at the end of this season. I try to make it to as many high school games in GF as I can, so hopefully I'll be able to see the Campbell's play together a lot next season before they head off to the junior hockey ranks.

Who are you trying to impress? What are you 6 years old kid? Does your mother know that you found that on the internet? Nap time....

Boy, thats the first time I've ever heard that. You get the originality award.....I just thought the West came upon bad luck all of those years. I'm glad that you consider the growth of high school hockey or any new town participating in hockey in North Dakota to be a bad thing.... I really don't care where they hold the East Region tournament, but I think that the atmosphere will be a whole lot better at Purpur. I mean anybody who has been to a Central-Red River game at the Ralph vs. Purpur would have to agree with me here correct? Not including the state championship games though of course.....

I talked to Jordan today at the ymca in Minot while he was working out and he will for sure be playing in the USHL this season. He told me that school starts down in Kearny on like the 17th of August so he was going to head down there this week some time. Big loss for Minot high school, but a good personal move for Willert to play in such a great league.

TJ Oshie in the second period against Miami. He'll wait a period to start his quest to the WCHA rookie of the year....

I'm going with Brian Lee in the first period against Miami.

I think one player that will definately have some pressure on him will be Zach Jones. I think people will expect him to come in and fill in immediately where his brother left off. I can't wait for the first time I hear: "Well Matt would have made that play.." I sure will miss Matt Jones....

I've talked to him a couple of times and all signs point toward him taking the juniors route for his senior year. Most notably, his dad resigned his position as assistant hockey coach for MHS, which may be the biggest hint that he will be heading down to Nebraska (Tri-City) in a month or so. Then again, it wouldn't surprise me in the least bit if he decided to stay for his senior season. They will have a good team this year, and if he stays he would definately be a strong candidate for Mr. Hockey.

I don't think anybody is ever surprised by what Red River does in high school hockey. They always have tremendous talent, and their goaltending come tournament time is always strong. They are another team that could very well make ANOTHER appearance in the championship game at the end of this season. I haven't made any East Region predictions, so here goes.... 1. Fargo South 2. Grafton 3. Red River 4. Central 5. Jamestown 6. Fargo North 7. West Fargo 8. Shanley 9. Wahpeton

Thank you iramurphy for starting a legitimate topic about North Dakota high school hockey. I don't want to get too excited about the prospects of a great season for Minot high school (coaching changes, kids leaving early for Jrs.) but its nice when fans from other towns throw out a compliment or two. I'm not going to make any bold predictions, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least bit if Fargo South was playing Grafton for the state championship. I haven't heard anything about whether Weisgerber or Gault will remain with the bruins (who knows with kids leaving early and so on) but if those two return for their senior seasons South has a great chance. Grafton has the Campbells, and a 3 year starter in the net so they'll undoubtedly have a great season as well. Ohh yeah...never EVER....count out the Grand Forks schools. I did last year, never again....

Great.......another eastern North Dakota hockey chest thumping thread. I'm from Minot, and every time I try to have a legitimate conversation with someone regarding high school hockey all I hear is......HAH....Minot??? Or when I try to talk about the up and coming young programs that are just starting to get kids interested in playing hockey (Mandan, Hazen, etc.) all I hear is...ohh well Western hockey is just atrocious. Let the "The state tournament should only be East Region teams" chest thumping thread of fame begin.....