nascar99

If North Dakota wins the special teams battle, especially with the PP, this leans UND sweep. If it gets into a tight 5v5 rock fight, this will be an extremely close, classic rivalry series that would suggest split.

Hoping Strinden can hit the net this weekend. Or at least wind up for the one T or wrist shot & then pass to whoever is wide open for the open net look.

Their last 2 national championships don't happen without guys from North Dakota & Austria. Their best players on their 2023 National Runner-Up team were from Pennsylvania and Arizona. Interesting on how they've recruited multiple Canadian goalies over the past decade, but really haven't gone after Canadian forwards or defensemen.

Potter is a nomad, I don't fully associate him as a Minnesotan since he lived in Wisconsin, played minor hockey both in Wisconsin & Texas as well. Hensler seemed like he wanted to go elsewhere and they weren't close in on West. This is why you have to recruit from all over, not all of your backyard will want to stay home. This also isn't 1995 or 2005 where you had relatively limited access/knowledge of players from further away, there are almost no excuses for being present in all minor/HS/junior hockey rinks in the US & Canada now.

Typically more offensive skill north of the border. Of course it's nice to have higher end offensive skill from wherever (Zellers AND Reschny is very nice)

They'll need to have more Canadians to win the one thing that matters

Boston College was 90%+ American for decades as well. Minnesota's recruiting was convenience bias, regionalism/tribalism, and a weird superiority/inferiority complex they have. They could have recruited more Canadians for decades, just decided to not leave their bubble

I think the point is that you have a new pool of 900-1000 players (85% of which are Canadian) now available to you, and a good 200-300 of those are high impact level guys. The only CHLers the Goofers have are a Canadian former USHLer who is below average and a top end American defenseman who they recruited prior to junior because he was at Shattuck. Teams tend to win National Championships with impact Canadians

The problem is that over half of their fanbase would have a meltdown if more of their roster was from Brandon, Estevan, Fort Saskatchewan, Maple Ridge, etc instead of Minnetonka, Chaska, Edina, Maple Grove etc. Don't know what their acceptable threshold is, but it's a weird simultaneous superiority/inferiority complex that many Minnesota hockey fans have with Canada.

I expect a monster series from Dylan James. He has to be that dude every shift, both ends of the ice. Doesn't have to score 3 goals, but I expect an upperclassmen performance from him

Mathis Preston*, and Spokane does not play Friday but plays Saturday in Red Deer

Christ that's a terrible article. Could have just paid me $50 to write a better piece

This team is deeper, more talented, and feels much more connected on a nightly basis than the 2024-25 team did. Last year felt like a solid assortment of talent, but rarely did they click together consistently. The portal additions have been solid and the freshmen have a lot of talent that we're already seeing.

It's the type of game North Dakota would have lost last year to Cornell &/or Minnesota State

Helluva f**king pass by Rickwood

ZELLERS FINALLY!!!

Rickwood so damn good

They're built top to bottom really well. Should definitely be a tournament team again this spring

Kocha Delic, remember the name. Kid was really good for Sudbury in the O & didn't get drafted because he's short

That Boston College team leaves a lot to be desired. Definitely a pivotal year for Greg Brown to prove to all of us that he can get more out of an Eagles team that isn't stacked like the past 2 years.

Quinn Hughes & Charlie McAvoy too, they needed that 2nd year and it did them wonders.

Weren't those Michigan teams full of 21 and 22 year old Canadians? Red is Canadian, he should FOH with that soft stuff.

Alvarez not giving a f*** about hockey and allowing the program to flounder while football kept winning 9-10 games a year and men's basketball turned into a Tier 2 power really hurt the hockey program and its fandom. McIntosh didn't seem to understand hockey either, but credit to him for hiring Hastings. I think they'll be solid in the B1G this year.

There's enough rawness in Verhoeff's game where I think a 2nd year will do him wonders going forward. Hopefully Jackson, Chyzyk, Verhoeff/his advisor, and after the draft, his NHL team will be on the same page about this. Can't rush him to pro, you're seeing the issues with that right now with Levshunov in Chicago after just one year at State.