shep

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

I assume you are referring to a rift between Roger and Dean that occurred last year re: K negotiations. I don't know if that had a lot to do with it. I wonder if Dean stays as World Team Coach? shep

One big diff between Deano and Spurrier is that Deano is going to be an asst coach. Spurrier got the keys to the whole store and just didn't handle it well. shep

I loved Tippett as a player, but I wonder if going from NHL head coach to college coach is the type of move he'd want to make. If Woog is hired, I shall return my REA tickets and NEVER attend a Sioux game while he's here. NEVER! Of course, if he was hired, he certaintly wouldn't last long. shep

Sandelin must be the front runner, right? However, I recall when Rube Bjorkman resigned. There was a boatload of speculation the Sioux would sign Ned Harkness of RPI. The Herald ran this huge story about him, and by the time I got done reading it, I thought the college version of Scotty Bowman was on his way to GF. Then, at what seemed like the last minute, the guys in charge hired this asst coach, Gino Gasparini, and as they say, "the rest is history." So...let's not overlook the assistants. But, I think Sandelin maintains a nice relationship with the guys here and must be the front runner. Does he have good relations with the people at Shattuck? shep

Sioux fan, You are more correct than I. It is just a "try out" and I suspect he would be considered a "walk on" if he makes it, right? The other point is that ANY player I believe, can sign with a pro team at any time between now and August which keeps open the possibility of Jones leaving I guess. shep

Couple of things to consider or question. If there is NO NHL lockout, can Greene or more likely Jones still go pro? Is there a deadline to sign with a pro team? To correct the ND connection, I understand that Drew Sando is going to Walk-on this year. I don't want to revisit my Brandt rant, but IMHO Parise was the best goalie last year regardless of his lineage or little bro playing here. shep

Nor to my knowledge has either one adopted that position or be challenged by it. Is this a true and accurate report of a statement either one made? shep

Yeah he makes the money from the Twins but when will he spend it? By some accounts, he has more money than Steinbrenner but refuses to put it into his team. When people were taking sides on this issue, I cautioned that to cheer for Pohlad is to cheer for Old Man Potter in Its a Wonderful Life. shep