sagard

It's just a matter of time. The Wild are probably just trying to avoid paying him a pro-rated NHL salary for the remainder of the year. I'm more concerned about Kessel, Johnson and Goligoski. I really want those three to return, not that I'd mind having Irmen, but I don't think it's realistic to expect him back.

Not sure if this was posted or not. http://www.philadelphiaflyers.com/pressbox/archive/2527.asp With the Gophers "early out" RP will probably get NHL pay for 1/8th of the season this year. Who knows if they will actually dress him. Nice work if you can get it.

Isn't that basically the same reason MafiaMan joined their cause?

That or he'd hotdog the puck up ice by himself, dish it back to Harrington who'd take the shot and then RP would bury it. --- I don't think he is as self centered as many claim. I've seen him hanging around the rink twice now. Once at a MSHSL region final and the other time was Sunday after the Holy Cross game watching the womens game. Neither time did he seek any attention, but he was very polite and courteous to kids who'd go up and talk to him. I really hope he chooses to return to school next year. Not only for the Gophers, but for the US in the WJC. The kid is not evil nor does he have evil intentions.

In '02 if they had done the seedings by PWR, the Gophers would have faced the winner of a Michigan/Harvard game. DU would have probably had a Maine matchup in the 2nd round. The no-travel 9/11 rule was in effect and the brackets went pretty much as PWR determined only with all western teams in the West. That is what re-shuffled the brackets. MSU bowing out to CC was a big break from where I was sitting. They were actually rated higher in PWR than Michigan that year and of course had Ryan Miller. There is no ifs/ands/or buts about DU getting the shaft that season. They appear to have bounced back from the slight however. The earning in '03 was basically the Gophers weren't going to be a top seed unless they beat CC at the X. When they beat CC, they had rights to the Mariucci regional and CC had to go to the lions den. As good as the Gophers were playing that year at the end, Michigan easily could have beat them. When you pick it apart you can pretty much find lucky breaks for most championship teams. People typically remember Berkhoel's heriocs in '04 vs. remembering the lucky deflection they had vs. UND or the waived off Maine goal in the Final. As for the Hauser non-calls, there were non-calls in the OT that went Maines way as well. The weirdest part of the '02 championship was how so many of us Gophs fans made Hauser into a hero. He gave up two soft goals in the Final and certainly tried his best to blow the game with his OT antics.

What other boards are there right now? The locking of that thread just prevented mafiaman from getting tons of free material.

In '02 not facing either MSU or Michigan in the regionals was key. As for the Maine game, I'll never shed a tear for those guys. The '01 vs. Maine out east had one of the worst calls I've ever seen to allow Maine to tie the game. The stakes weren't as high, but they took P. Martin off the ice in the final minute for hooking on a play where he wasn't even engaged with the player who fell. Maine ties it up, Hauser coughs it up in OT and Gophers haters everywhere rejoice and riducule us relentlessly until 04-06-2002. There was one cheesehead who constantly talked about teasing 20,000 crestfallen Gophers fans because Hauser was going to blow it again. In '03 UNH simply beating Cornell in the semifinals was HUGE. Having CC sent to Michigan was huge as well. The Gophers did earn that privilege though by beating them at the X. UND ducking out to Ferris in the first round game was lucky as well. The Gophers goaltending was a trainwreck that weekend of the regional and UND might have been able to get enough pressure to beat them. Two weeks later and Weber was fantastic vs. Michigan. Typically you need a great team and lots of luck/breaks to win the NCAAs. That is what makes them so tough to capture.

It's easy to pick on the delusional. There are fans in Green who are just as bad. In '02 and '03 the Gophers were frequently criticized in these parts for having lousy regular seasons and coasting through the playoffs via the home ice advantage with referees in their pockets.

We have our issues to deal with now, in nine days you all will get to start dealing with your own issues. If the Sioux win the NCAAs there will enough crazy talk about repeats and threepeats to make the Gopher fan base look modest.

The issue is no matter how badly Johnson wants to go to the "U" if his future employers offer him maximum money this summer he will have to strongly consider it. It happened with Ryan Suter, Jack Johnson and will happen with EJ. We know what his current intentions are, but playing in the NHL at 18 will be alluring and it's pointless to deny it. I suspect like Suter and JJ, he will choose to play a season at the college level but it's no sure thing despite what EJ and Lucia currently think.

This logic is 100% accurate. It applies to all 1st round picks in my opinion, not just Johnson.

Lucia and Hakstol will always be at a disadvantage for this award. When UND or the Gophers are good, it's because they are supposed to be. Look at the way you all disparage the coach of the WCHA Regular season champs as an example. Personally I thought Lucia had a chance last year, when the Gophers had a bunch of freshmen defensemen. Lucia guided them to a #1 seed and the Frozen Four. This year Hakstol has done an amazing job pulling the Sioux together. If he doesn't win it this year, he will have a hard time winning it. I suspect he will end up getting punished for having too much talent. This is the ultimate in sillyness, because it was Hakstol who had to fight off all the other coaches to land that talent.

Don't you get it? The Sioux players are all better players than the Gopher's players. They will play and perform better than Gopher's players. They will get drafted higher than Gopher's players. AND they will stay in school longer than Gopher's players. Either you or sioux-habit will end up being right about Johnson showing up next year, however NOBODY knows what will happen. That includes Johnson. Any NHL team that passes on Toews will regret it for 10 years. I doubt any of them will.

It might be close, but I think the All-WCHA teams beat the All-American teams in a best of 7.

The account being referred to is the GPL sight itself. Jup will have to fight with his hosting center again. It has nothing to due with us individuals.

The only way possible would be to sneak them in from Montana or Canada while Drew's leg is in Milwaukee. We used some technology that gives us full detection from a 500 mile radius from Drew's leg, but I guess I'm sayin' theres a chance.

I actually worked on the software that runs his bionic leg and there is no way it would miss the charges. --- It is unusual for someone to build a $100M hockey arena. The idea that anyone would destroy it once built is strictly for comic relief.

Guys like RP and Bochenski are scorers and there will be a place in the league for them. I'd take beer bets he has 50 NHL goals in five years. With the Flyers aggressively pursueing him, he will no doubt get a shot which seems like it is at least half the battle.

I think the Sioux and UW are on a collision course. I don't see how Maine will score against UW, let alone win the game. UND's top six forwards should put three for four past Schnieder, just like they have been doing for the last couple of months. If they can't, Parise will have to win the game. In the final it will come down to which goalie blinks. For all that is good and pure in hockey I hope it is the Sioux who wins it.

And twice the arrogance! UND has never really been the underdog have they? They have been consistant winners on the national stage for 50-60 years right?

I don't think Collins will win it. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that Collins would bump either Potulny or Elliott for a spot with in the final three. Carle is still the favorite in my opinion.

I know.

Ryan's play at Wisconsin and at home vs. DU were the primary reason the Gophers won the league. I realize winning the WCHA doesn't mean much, but RP did score a lot of big goals for the Gophers this year. He like Carle just couldn't get it done at the end. They are both worth candidates, but if excelling at the very end of the season is the requirement I'd say Elliott or Collins should get the nod. Personally I though Carle was far and away the best player in the NCAA this year and I'll be surprised if he doesn't win it. I'm sure if Carle or RP does win it, they would trade it to Collins or Elliott immediately for another shot at the Frozen Four.

I don't think anyone is going to go on run like the Blais did in the late 90s for a long time. The competition is far more fierce now. Blais was far superior to both Woog and Sauer and the results speak for themselves. With Lucia and Eaves at the Big 10 schools, DU's return to power, CC's steady program and solid coaching in place at UMD and SCSU now, I don't see a run of four WCHA titles in five years as realistic for anyone. As the for great accomplishment of winning the league and then the NCAAs, to each there own. The league title was far more of an accomplishment in the days of a balanced WCHA schedule. The best team will usually win the league now, but the craziness of a team playing UAA and MTU four less times than another just reeks to me.

You all see Toews play every weekend and you don't think he is the top pick? He might be the best player on the Sioux right now from what I've seen. If he returns to the college next season he will toy with the opposition. He has 20pts in his last 12 games which the first several and the last couple have been do or die for the Sioux. He has the NHL body. Like Parise and Vanek, he may return for another year, but I'd be surprised if you all aren't worried about it all summer. The same is true for Kessel, but as pointed out here so frequently he has facets of his game that need improvement.