shep

Many of you keep referring to something called the "NHL" and I'm not sure what it is, but I know it don't exist. At least not this year and they are talking about scabs for NEXT year. Oh well. We have Sioux hockey and they never go on strike/lockout.

I heard the same thing and though I enjoyed hanging out in the bar, I think they felt that the price they charge for lounge seats 1500 per warranted making that a bit more attractive by allowing only those holders to be in the bar. Plus the seat holders apparently get a pass for each seat they own so that even if you don't sit in the lounge seats you can get a pass to be in the bar during the game.

We (Red Sox fans) CAN NOT talk about the games behind or something bad will happen. Let nature take it's course w/o jinxing it, is my view. This morning they were talking about it on Mike and Mike, and I changed the channel so as not to hear it. Btw, the pen darn near blew it last night. My apologies to the board for the Red Sox digression. This time of year gets me crazy. I'd love to be in Fenway for a playoff game (if they make it).

I worry about the Sioux ability to "replace" Bochenski and Parise, two players who, because of their unique skills, are truly irreplaceable. So many guys have to step up. Maybe it will happen (I hope it does) but I believe that their absence will be obvious for the first two months at least and there will be many times during games that we'll see a play and think "Parise would have made that pass" or "Bochenski would have put that one in." Never count the Gophs out especially if they get a Mariucci playoff game. They worry me with or without Vanek. Then again, perhaps my gloomy view is conditioned by the fact that I am also a Boston Red Sox fan, and to me the Gophs are like the Yankees-never count them out.

You have a test already? School just started on Tuesday. Who gives tests already? I want names.

Well...maybe not. What if he hasn't or doesn't sign? What if the NHL has a lockout? If he doesn't sign, wouldn't he still be eligible to enroll in January for the second semester?? What's the rules on that?

I'm puzzled by the townhouse idea too except that I suppose it would be convenient if the tenants are Sioux fans and just want to walk to the games. The restaurant in the development will be called 23 (does everyone know the significance of that?) and should open by the World Juniors.

I only saw the Tuesday game, but I completely agree. I suspect the focus improves during the real games, but he did not inspire much confidence in me. Then again, he doesn't need to impress me.

It was only a few years ago that we had this type of turnover on the O-Line and it was a bad season. You can have all the D in the world and a good QB, but if that QB is on his back, it doesn't allow the O to score too many points.

I hope that's it and that he's not taking anything for granted as in "No way does Sandelin cut me from this team in front of my hometown fans. NO WAY!"

I saw both games on Tuesday and I agree with most of what shmittydog said already. I was VERY impressed with the Swedish goalie Lindberg and was wondering if he's the son of former Flyer goalie, Pelle Lindbergh? I realize the spelling in the program had it as Lindberg, but I also noticed inside the Ralph an ad for the Wild game in October against "Pittsburg" not Pittsburgh so I assume the same spelling error is possible. Frankly, I thought Stafford floated through Tuesday game. He just wasn't into it IMO.

A report like this causes me to think that the NHL's possible lockout is not so likely. Why else would a team seek to take a college kid from what may be the ONLY hockey he'll play for a year so he can sign and sit? Am I wrong about this?

Jay Haugland is the new coach for Grafton-Park River. He is a former youth hockey coach.

Enrolled in school, eh? You know, that's just crazy enough to work.

...and he doesn't have to hang out in those hockey hotbeds of Sioux City or Lincoln every weekend.

I suspect they want the Master's degree so that the coach can also teach in the Phy Ed Dept. at the college level which I do not believe they allow a BA to do.

To get my bias out of the way, I'm from the east and I've been watching high school hockey for 30 plus years. I think I understand your rationale to be "The West is weak because all it can play is the west" which sort of defeats the argument before you can even make it. Put it another way, "If the west had good teams and that's all they played were good teams from the west they'd be better" right? Alas, then the issue is whether teams in the west will ever have good hockey teams and in thirty years the answer has been "occasionally" but there is not one west team hockey program that makes it up to par with the two Grand Forks, three Fargo and one Grafton-Park River programs. Finally, they could hold the ND state tournament in Montana each year, and I assure you it would not affect the outcome or tilt the balance to those western schools. Just my opinion.

I can't reply until I find my "Hockey nickname to English" decoder ring.

Carl: Excuse me sir. But if I kill all the Gophers they're gonna lock me up and throw away the key.

I need a summer job just for reading this (and now for replying at all to it). What's next? Who do you like better- Santa Claus or Osama bin Laden?

Bruce said some good stuff back there a post or two that I was too lazy to quote. The thing about a "national search" is that if it ended with them hiring Hak anyway, we would have seen the same hand-wringing and hostility about this not being a "real search" and they just did it to "make things look good" so now that they didn't go through that potential charade they are castigated for a meely mouthed effort. Look, I'm a single guy, but if I ever find the right woman, I aint opening the search up in the vain hope of finding another "right woman." What's done is done.

I don't think of myself as a Hakstol defender, and frankly, when this started, I hoped Sandy would get it. However, there is too much anger today to let go unchallenged. What makes anyone think that by waiting two months in a nationwide search the result would have been any different and part two of the same question is, why would it matter if Hakstol was "tested" by a nationwide search? Don't you think RT et al set down a list of the names of potential replacements just like so many on this board did and don't you think from that he et al decided "We have the best guy already on board? Why waste time pretending?" In the end, this would have been Hak v Sandy right? I don't think we need to speculate about some super-coach being out there that we haven't considered. There is a finite group of potentials and from that the admin chose the one they thought was best and while I agree it shouldn't seem to have been done to accomodate a recruiting schedule, the result would likely have been the same anyway. Good luck, Hakstol; let's go Sioux.

No offense, but the rink wouldn't have been built without the contributions of the man whose name is properly affixed to it. shep

Just a few random thoughts: I see no way that Eades comes in as an assistant. He does not have an assistant mentality and would want to run the show IMO. Nothing wrong with that attitude as head coach, but as assistant (especially as an asst to a head coach who is younger than you) it just wouldn't work. Officially Kupchella has to sign off on this, but I suspect he takes RT's opinion as gospel and will do what RT suggests. I don't know that being O'Keefe's in-law is a plus or a minus. I'd think the program and this job is bigger than familial relationships. I'd like to see Sandelin get it. shep

You would think Blais would have considered that b/4 leaving for Columbus. (Btw, can it be considered a "promotion" to leave any place for Columbus? Just curious.) If he did consider it, I suspect that those in the know have expressed their opinion that there will be an NHL season. Otherwise he left a great job for a non-job. RE: BB, are we suggesting he'd leave b/c Blais left? If so, what does that say about Hakstol? shep