shep

Thank you. More importantly, I thank you for your avatar.

Doesn't look like a fighter?" I'm not sure what a fighter looks like, other than the absence of a few front teeth, but I'm hoping the Sioux recruitment techniques are more sophisticated than viewing a few pictures and drawing conclusions from them. Beyond that is fighting truly a necessary skill in the college game anyway? Do we really want our guys to be suspended for a game or two every couple of weeks because they exercised their right to fight?

Blake Wheeler? Sounds like the name of a soap opera character. "Who's looking after this patient?" "It's Dr. Blake Wheeler." "Thank God. Blake Wheeler is the finest obstetrician in the country. He'll easily deliver Summer's triplets. Now we just need to figure out who the fathers are."

My bad. You're right. I knew a Michael was involved. Regarding the notion of "not having to go to class" allow me to say that I skipped more than I went, and still enjoyed the college life. In fact, that's why I enjoyed the college life.

That's a fair point. I guess I've had a stereotypical view of minor league hockey ever since I saw Slapshot and the Paul Michael Glaser character (The Zach?) didn't appear to enjoy the situation that much. But I guess there is some benefit to it.

Again, all I'm wondering is if we could determine whether that 100 K he's making at 19 will turn into more if he waits until he's 20 to start taking it. I wonder about waiting the extra year AND getting the same money if not more b/c of your development. Ok, what I'm really doing is the whole "Stay in school" thing OK? I mean, seriously where are these guys gonna find this many college girls to drool over their every move? Scranton? Wilkes Barre? Hershey?

Maybe they don't pay for the dental work when the teeth get smacked, but they do pay for years afterward. Look I'm all in favor of getting paid to play a kids game, but I just wonder about the timing of taking the money, leaving school (which has to be a ton of fun for these guys) and then riding a bus to Scranton every other weekend because I didn't make the big team. I'm just wondering about the value of the extra year in school and development. (I know, I know, what if he gets hurt that year.)

You really gotta love the sport to take a few hundred a week to have your teeth bashed in on a regular basis. The dental costs alone can be astronomical. I just wish God had given me the power to use my right arm as a middle reliever, come into a game in the low pressure situation of the 7th inning and pay me a quarter mil annually. Now that's a good gig. I know the signing bonus is forever, but it would have been there next year too. I just wonder if in the long run you could say that going early is better or waiting a year is better. I wonder if any researcher, toiling away at less than 80 large a year, has done some research on this.

If they all received 3 mill that would be a relevant point. However, many of these contracts (Minus signing bonus) are not guaranteed and a player in the minors takes home 80 grand a year which is less than what they had in mind when they signed the deal and really a lot worse way to make 80 grand than sitting behind a desk wasting time on a message board. I'm just saying there are no guarantees in life and in hockey.

I'm not suggesting that Zach is going to end up in a Travis Roche situation as I really think he more favorably compares to the Johnson, Hrkac, Blake trilogy of former Sioux, guys who became solid NHL'ers (at least in Johnson and Blake's cases) but who didn't dominate as they did in college. I just wonder when a young man signs that professional contract if he's truly aware of all the pitfalls inherent to it, and if he ever considers taking another year of development at the college level to better prepare for the pro game. Does anyone remember Gord Sjerven or Howard Walker or all the others who left early never to be seen again? I wonder if they feel it was too early. I just hope Zach can make a name for himself b/c that million dollar contract turns to 80 grand if he's in the minors, and it is worth a heckuva lot more than 80 grand to have the goons in the minors whack at you all season. Just a thought for any other players who may be reading this and wondering about the fruits of the NHL. For the record, I thought Roche was the best skating/stick-handling defenseman to ever play here, and I was in school when James Patrick was dominating the ice.

No offense, I'm a huge Sioux Hockey fan, but of all the things that SI can cover these days (MLB season opener, NCAA BB Final Four, upcoming pro FB draft) I doubt that naming a college hockey POY is gonna bring a huge announcement even on their website. shep

All this talk has me sliding down nostalgia lane, but I'm concerned...they had a crackdown at Walsh??? Please tell me it isn't so. Walsh is what it is. A place for Freshmen to "learn" about the college life. No crackdowns, just "learning." shep

Look, I'm not ready to proclaim him the next Travis Roche, but before everyone starts hopping on the Devils bandwagon because of Z's sudden relocation there, we had better take a collective deep breath if only to see if there is NHL hockey next season. Also, it sure would have made his stay here a lot more memorable had they won a title. Someone said they had an unlucky night. Dave Tippett, Tony Hrkac, Ed Belfour, et al had unlucky nights, too, but that didn't keep them from the title. I don't blame Z for no title, but I don't claim him to be the "god" others think. He was here for only two years. C'mon! shep