#1Hakfan

I think there would be a lot of Irony if Denver ends up in Grand Forks and Minnesota ends up in the Wisconsin region. Denver ended our season the last 2 years and Minnesota got Kessel over Wisconsin. Wisconsin is going to be VERY good next year. They wont have to leave the state. They were real young this last season. Denver has almost everyone back. If Matt Carle stays, I would say they are the favorite.

It seems kids from Michigan and the East coast were usually set on playing major junior. I suppose they were a lot more exposed to it. In Minnesota it is a rarity that the best kids go Major junior. It will Usually only happen when they cant get eligible for school. I think people on both sides of the border realize now that college is another option and it will create more opportunity for more players. I also think more Minnesota High school kids are noticing the major junior leagues and it is giving them another option. (although the CHL has a limit on imports)

I guess we will see how many NCAA players make it in the future. It seems the colleges are more than ever getting some of the better kids in Canada ( I am not saying the NCAA is Better then Tier 1). The CHL is going nuts over losing guys like Toews, Bertram, Bradford. They are really getting tired of guys using the NCAA as leverage before the drafts. I read an article that stated they need to do something because the teams that passed on Angelo Espisto are really MAD(no one had any ideas what to do). The CHL is offering more scholarships to try keep the best kids in Canada. Every year they are coming up with options to keep their players. Sidney Crosby played the game a little bit saying he was going college. They give him $1 for every ticket sold in the Q. My point is I guess we will see in the future how many kids make the world junior team in Canada. The country is that deep in talent they probably dont need the College players. We will see in a few years if Toews makes it. That will answer our questions. As for letting major junior players eligible for the NCAA. With the exception of Cary Eades, I dont think there is a coach in college hockey that is going to go in a locker room in the WHL and try and recruit a player. There coaches and Staff HATE college coaches.

UND doesn't need to host the regionals. It would help, but we have been to 3 of the last 6 National Championships with out it. The one time it hurt us was playing Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1998. We lost the lead and they gained hometown momentum like we use to in the 3rd period comebacks vs. Minnesota in the old Ralph (during the 90's). On the other hand Minnesota has took advantage of hosting regionals. We will never know if they would have got to the frozen Four without home ice in 2003 and 2005. And the NCAA wants nuetral sites, why does Minnesota get to host regionals at Mariucci on the olypmic sized ice sheet?

The Frozen four is only 3 games. You only have one day do do anything and thats friday. (that is assuming you travel there on wed and leave sunday) Oh well at least this is giving us something to discuss during a slow offseason. Just wait until the NHL gets a new CBA, then we will have a lot to talk about. Maybe someone should start a new thread "Who will trun pro"

I am not saying Detroit doesn't deserve the frozen Four, but put it in the Joe not at a football field. Other people dont like this idea as well, I read that the WCHA coaches took a poll and None of them wanted to put the tourney in that type of situation. I have been to frozen fours in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Anaheim, Buffalo, Columbus, Providence, Albany, Boston, and DETROIT. Some of them cities once you leave the arena district you dont know there is a tourney going on. Like when the Sioux womens BB team went to the elite eight every year in Pine Bluff. Milwaukee was by far the best host. Providence, Boston and St. paul were next. Why does Omaha get the college world sereis every year when I am sure there are other places that could get bigger attendance? Grand Forks could be to the frozen Four like Omaha is to the World Series. Nothing beats small town hospitality. If you have been involved in sports and traveled with teams you know what I mean. My main point is that we have an arena built for this. And yes it is the best arena in the world. If you go detail for detail, every NHL scout I talked to at the world juniors agreed. but that is an argument for another day.

Jon Ammerman [ 13 ] [14.29%] Tysen Dowzak [ 13 ] [14.29%] Angelo Esposito [ 6 ] [6.59%] Joe Finley [ 1 ] [1.10%] Chay Genoway [ 16 ] [17.58%] Kyle Hardwick [ 16 ] [17.58%] Mario Lamoureux [ 20 ] [21.98%] Darcy Zajac [ 3 ] [3.30%] Other [ 3 ] [3.30%] Total Votes: 91 I guess we can scratch Ammerman and Esposito off this list. I think that Esposito would have been the best pick of this list. The next one from this list I would like to see would be Finley.

I think it really SUCKS that we cant host the frozen four. Just because our arena doesn't hold over 15,000 people. That event would have a way better atmosphere and the entire city would open the door to make everyone feel at home. We have the best arena in the world and it was good enough for the world junior tournement. Our entire area is DIE hard hockey with 6 division 1 teams within 300 miles and off course we are close to Canada which is the Hockey mecca. I guess it really pisses me of when they give the event to a bunch of towns that dont even have teams. When them big cities hosts, they dont even know that there is an event going on. I hope no one gets stabbed in Detroit or Washington, 2 of the crime leading cities in the world.

Jon Ammerman is going to St. Cloud State. Congrats Jon. we didn't have room for him. Best of luck hope you have a great career.

How come the East and northeast regionals rotate between the same towns every year? The Albany rink is a dump.

Wow. If I was a die hard Basketball fan I would cancel my season tickets. When do they play the University of Manvel and Ardoch State?

I guess Tri city offered Toews a lot of money. Last summer Red Deer kept trying to get Stafford. It seems like the Canadiens are trying to blackmail their players to staying in the CHL. With Toews, it seems to come up a lot that they wont let him play for Team Canada. I bet that happened with Brady Murray and Zajac. I know that team Canada was stacked last year and it didnt matter, but Zajac was definitely good enough to play on that team.

I dont know what I was thinking. I guess I wasn't. Wheeler left after his junior year and Oshie was a finalist. Both were the best class A players the last 2 seasons leading there teams to State Title.

I would bet Mueller will be on the team for sure. I have never seen him play, but he is a top prospect and he played in the NDTP which usually helps, but maybe it will hurt him like it did Jack Johnson. I say he is a sure bet to be on team USA. How about Oshie vs. Blake wheeler. The last 2 Mr. Minnesota's. Will either of them make it? We will not know until late November and they will probably go more by the college season then this evaluation camp. Oh well gives us a lot to argue about. And before Someone pipes up I know Wheeler was a #5 overall pick in the draft. All I can say about that is he is lucky that Kessel will have all the pressure to deal with because I dont think Wheeler will have to big of impact next year.

Thought we might as well start a new thread. 4 Future Sioux will try out for world Junior team. Oshie, Lee, Chorney and Jones. http://www.usahockey.com/usa_hockey/news/m...eval_camp_rost/

Does anybody ever make a long term plan. Maybe somebody did and I haven't seen it. It seems like there was no plan for the Bronson property and anyone who wants can build something there. Economic development aside, I think it would have been cool if they would of planned to build an entire athletic complex there like Baseball and softball fields, practice Football field and a track field and soccer fields. They could have had one main building for Locker rooms and concession stand and public restrooms. That could have been a great asset for the entire community for all aged athletes. Along with the Ralph and Betty, it could of been a great facility. But I imagine they will run out of property soon.

Congrats to Jake Marto on a great Baseball season. He is a great athlete and should be a great player in a year or two. No one posted it, but wasn't he named North Dakota's Baseball Player of the year. At the State Tourney he outpitched the best pitcher in the state. gotta love seeing great athletes joining the Sioux team in the future.

This sounds like a couple of Warroad guys giveing each other crap. Buys please meet ach other at Franks and discuss this matter alone. I think a strength that Oshie has, that other players dont is that he can play different roles. Next year I think he will be a grinder that plays wing on the 3rd or 4th line (sometimes 5th line). His sophomore year will be his breakout year by the end of the seasoon. Just my opinion. Dont compare him to Brady Murray. Thats unfair to anyone. He will make his own name for himself. Maybe they brought in Martens to fill out the roster. Maybe someone else is leaving. You never know.

2004-05. A season of heart.Thanks Jake, Brian, Nick, Quinn, Colby, Matt, James, Rory and Andy. May life bring you as much joy as you've allowed me over the four years of your Fighting Sioux careers This is great, agin thanks to the snior class for 4 years of dedication.

There is an article about this in the St. Cloud times http://miva.sctimes.com/miva/cgi-bin/miva?...1+sports+498275 If that doesnt work goto Insidecollege hockey.com and goto the newspaper section in the upper right hand corner.

Those schedules are made a couple years in advance when no one knew that Kessel would be coming. Wow what an easy Schedule, hopefully it hurts them in the rankings. On Sid, I really doubt he writes most of his column. I bet someone for the Tribune has some inside scoup. Why else would Motzko apply for the assistant coaching job in St. Cloud. I have a feeling that Sioux/Gophers fans will argue more about Kessel vs. Parise and not Kessel vs. Toews. Thats alright we dont want to put added pressure on Toews. I wonder how Mr. Potulny and Irmen feel about being pushed aside by Lucia and the fans for Captain America coming to save their program.

Anyone remember when they use to put BIG Mark Callahan in the backfiled. That was great. Dale Lennon is way to conservative and wouldn't risk injury, which I wouldnt blame him.

If they are considering Vandevelde coming, I would guess that someone else (Stafford) may leave. Just think if Zack and Brandon stayed last year and left this summer. We would need about 27 freshmen.

Its fun to make up your dream lines for next year, I do it too. But at least know the postitions of the players. Know if they are a center or RW or LW. The difference between this class and 2001, This class has 5 guys that may be drafted in the first 2 rounds if the NHL gets its stuff together. Possibly 2 first rounders. Guys like Duncan and Miller will be big time producers when they are juniors and seniors (hopefully earlier).

Best of luck to Brady. I would of liked to see him back for one more year win the Hoby and lead his team to a championship, but it was fun watching him while it lasted.