sagard

I doubt the power brokers in the Big Ten knew or cared what would happen to the WCHA after the Gophers and UW left. All they care about is programming for the BTN and maximizing the BTN revenue.

Looks like you guys are clear of the first hurdle which is the immediate signing and insertion into an NHL lineup.

The WCHA breaking up is in my opinion mostly the Big Ten's doing. It is the Big Ten's mandate that demands the Gophers (grudgingly) and Wisconsin (gleefully) join the Big Ten Hockey Conference. The Gophers loved the WCHA because they get lots of games with Minnesota teams which means nice crowds and cheap travel. UW probably hated the repetitive playing of the small MN schools. UW sees it's peers as MSU, Mich, Ohio St., etc... and games vs. Mankato, Duluth, SCSU, Bemidji are beneath them. The only way the WCHA could have survived and people laughed when I said it years ago, would have been to send UW to the CCHA a long time ago. They could have played the big time football programs and the WCHA would have taken Omaha in return. Things didn't work out. Nobody that got into the Big Ten or the "super" league will suffer much.

BC since '98 has been to seven Frozen Fours, winning three titles. The Gophers have been to three Frozen Fours in that time period, winning two titles. BC has lost to UND, UW, MSU and Michigan in the finals, but only twice have they lost in the semis. I truly wish the Gophers played them in the second game of the weekend, because for whatever weird reason the Gophers have been great on Saturdays all year. Not nearly as consistant on Fridays. However as someone pointed out, I think the first goal will win the Gophers/BC tilt.

Guys shouldn't be signing unless they are NHL ready, or going to Europe for big money. Once you sign you can be stashed in the AHL indefinately, unless you have the goods. Jordan Schroeder signed into an organization with a very deep talent pool, seeing how is really isn't 3rd/4th line material he now has serious questions if he will ever make it. Not that a max bonus is bad, but you don't make big money unless you play in the NHL. They AHL/Europe will almost always be there later, you only get one shot at the first contract.

Can't see how it will even be close. 2011-12 Norm Bazin -------------- 24 13 1 NCAA Quarters 2010-11 Blaise Macdonald --------- 5 25 4

Pretty sure it makes them money. As well as making it easy for the Gophers fans to attend.

Seven of fifteen was obscene, seven of nineteen is still well above the expected 25%. BC is on an incredible roll both this season and really for almost 15 years.

None of these suggestions are ground breaking. The tourney was eight teams for much of the '80s with the quarter final best of three series at the higher seeded team's rink. Similarly when the tourney expanded to 12 teams the tourney still featured best of three series in both the first round as well as the quarter finals. A famous series from that time period included AA (the original Holy Cross) as an independent stunning BC in two games out in Chestnut Hill. At some point it was believed that single games were good enough and that home ice regionals weren't fair. I thought the six team regionals with two teams surviving was an awesome format. Yeah teams hated losing to Michigan at Yost or Grand Rapids. Those Michigan teams were pretty good though and I believe CC finally beat them in '05. I'd love to see a two site regional format again, but best of three home ice series would be cool as well for the first two rounds.

As much as I'd like to think payback matters, it doesn't. The Gophers were a Tony Lucia muff on a two on one late in the third from advancing from that Denver regional in 2007. This game will be just as close. Gophers will need two goals from either the bottom two lines or the defensemen to have a chance. This game could easily be decided by who adjusts better if the refs are calling it tight. The Gophers were lucky BU didn't start popping in power play goals at the beginning of the game. If they give the Sioux those chances, the Sioux will capatilize. Bjugstad has not been nearly as effective since the beginning of Feb, but Haula has taken off. The Gophers and UND were great along the walls yesterday, not sure who will have the advantage today. The Gophers have been FAR better on the second day all year, so I'm picking my guys. But goaltending or horrific Gopher discipline could easily sway the outcome.

I'm still worried about today's game. Gophers have taken a ton of penalties as well, but neither team has really played with their heads. These can't be the same refs as the UND/WMU game are they?

One of Ferris, Lowell, Union or Cornell will play for the big trophy.

KRACH does a nice job of putting numbers to it. I know if the Gophers beat BU, UND, BC, then Michigan in route to the title they will have earned it.

Michigan will only have to beat one of UM, UND, UMD, BC, BU, or Maine. That is a good draw.

The NCAA takes their bandings to seriously. The difference between a 4/5, 8/9, 12/13 is often less than a games worth of RPI points. But we have two rules that have been pretty straight forward. Seed the #1s in order closest to home. That puts Michigan in GB. Then place the host schools at the right regional. UND and the Gophers will bring a lot of fun to the X as they always do. I just hope the Gophers can flip the results, but clearly they have to improve a ton in a weeks time or they won't get past Maine/BU.

Tons of options this year. Only absolute lock is the Gophers and UND in St. Paul. Truly I think it's good for both teams, I don't think the WCHA is nearly as strong as usual and I could see either or both the Gophers/Sioux dropping their first game. North East Worcester 1 BC 16 Air Force (Have fun BC, AF is always a tough out) 7 UMD 9 BU East Bridgeport 3 Union (seriously?) 14 Western 5 Miami 12 Lowell MidWest GreenBay 2 Mich 13 Cornell 6 Ferris 11 DU West 4 UND 15 Mich St. 8 Minn 10 Maine

Placing the #1s. BC - Somewhere out East. Mich - Closest is GB. Union - Somewhere else out East. UND - St. Paul Gophers - St. Paul Host. Let's hope the boys can take care of business and have one more game for the ages! I just don't seen any scenerio where the Gophers and UND aren't in St. Paul.

Congrats on a great win last night. Didn't see a minute due to kids game, but I truly hope you guys win tonight and the NCAA gives the Gophers the same instant rematch that you guys got in '07!

No third place game this year, so you'd better wear 'em tonight! Should be a fun tilt.

You have it backwards. The Gophers are going to initiate the stupid penalties, the only questions are 1) whether the Badgers are going to retaliate, or 2) good enough to punish the stupidity.

Much like some of the complaints of the Sioux, the Gophers have played with NO discipline all season and are basically a bubble team due to it. Repeated idiocy from players and coaching led directly to losses vs. Northeastern and Saturday vs. DU. Convert either of those to wins or ties and the Gophers are comfortably in the tourney. Now they have to sweat out the next month and watch scoreboards. If I were betting, I'd put both the Sioux and the Gophers in the tourney. Too much talent on both teams to fail.

I think your right. He honors it, but hates it when a player commits anywhere before he gets a chance to talk to them.

I don't think the Big Ten would support it either. Lucia has expressed frustration in the past about never getting a chance to recruit a player, because they commit before they are old enough to be contacted by a school. However Lucia has likely benifitted many times when he himself gets an early commit that never looked anywhere else. Sounds like Urban Meyer is shaking up the "gentlemans" agreement in Big Ten football recruiting. So if at some point Big Ten football (SEC never has) no longer honors a verbal, other sports including Big Ten hockey would likely follow. The NCAA if it gave a #$% about hockey would re-open the eligibility of Majors players. There is no acceptable reason that a kid that finishes high school shouldn't be able to re-evaluated his college descision at that point.

The Gophers hang the right amount of big banners. The five NCAA titles and the 1940 team is the only undefeated and untied team in their history. That team also featured the John. Who is kind of a big deal in Gopher history. As for the AAU tourney, it was likely invitational and not something you qualified for. That doesn't take anything away from the accomplishments of the '39-'40 team that is remembered in our rafters. The Gophers were playing long before the NCAA created itself. At Mariucci we don't pretend college hockey started when the "NCAA" started honoring the sport with it's greatness, and I like it that way. I'm with the previous poster about the co-champs thing in '29. Nice honor but isn't significant enough to warrant a banner, and it doesn't have a banner for what it's worth.

I think it really comes down to whether you want the "greatest of all time" or the "greatest since the NCAA took charge." 1 1153 764 136 .595 2 1340 893 121 .595 3 1633 932 171 .628 4 1544 977 138 .607 5 1215 896 131 .571 6 1289 858 126 .595 7 1417 815 144 .627 8 1422 781 119 .638 9 1307 844 119 .602 10 1011 646 107 .603 If you want the greatest of all time, your looking at teams 3, 4, 7, and 8. If your looking at a more even playing field between the teams you look have to look at the 7+ club.