Walsh Hall

How would this look for game scheduling? If 8 teams in the top division (RR, Central, Davies, FS/Shanley, Bis, Century, Minot, and some other team) would they play each other twice? That would be 14 games. Scheduling other games, outside of games with the lower level teams, would be problematic for many of the teams. I doubt MN teams would burn their limited game allotment making a Western ND swing to play teams potentially well below their level. The same would be true for the lower level teams. I'd like to hear the specific problem that needs to be addressed, and an actual proposal to see how this would be set up. I'm all for growing the game, but I don't see an actual proposal that would accomplish this goal.

There would presumably be 8 teams in the top division, so no regional tournament, and the regular season would just be for seeding for the state tournament. It seems this would essentially revert to the Bantam system. Just removing (2) teams from the top division would do nothing but potentially hurt those two programs. I don't think the "lesser" teams have any anticipation of winning the state tournament, and I don't think not having a shot to win the state tournament hurts the youth numbers. For those programs their goal is to get to state. Sure an occasional higher end player will bail from a lesser program, but that's gonna happen no matter what. It's no different than a kid going to the USHL for his senior year from a top program. What's the specific issue that needs to be addressed? I don't know if it's necessary to completely blow up a system because of one outlier that is dominant. There just isn't the depth of talent in ND. There aren't enough teams to have a legitimate 2 class systems. We aren't MN. The simple answer may be to just have a AAA or junior team in GF to allow the top handful of kids to play a more competitive schedule. The HS league will be more balanced. Honestly, the top handful of kids in the state shouldn't be playing ND HS to develop into potential college athletes.

With kids that have played/play on many traveling teams, I can tell you 100% that basketball and baseball are the same way for the kids (parents) that think they have the potential to get a scholarship... in that sport. It's the same for hockey. 80% of the squirts do little or nothing in the off-season, but some go crazy. It would drive me nuts how seriously some parents would take travel baseball for 9 yr olds. Off season work indoors, camps..., were the norm for many even at that age.

I agree 100% I've seen kids 14-16 quit basketball to focus on baseball. These kids would have been very good HS basketball players and previously had done the AAU... stuff. That said, I believe hockey is the sport where there is the most potential benefit from off-season work due to the rather unique skating issue.

Yes, they essentially all do. That said, it seems to have the most effect in hockey. The skating component really can't be improved unless you are skating. The average kids that I have seen really specializing in hockey in the off-season can improve dramatically.

The 48 acres of land on which the new St. Mary's is being built was donated by Knutson. I believe it is the same land offered for the potential event center project.

Seriously? Why are men basketball players better than women? Why are men sprinters faster than women? Why can men lift more weight than women? Why can men hit a golf ball further than women? Many women should implement more checking into whose athletic endeavors as well?

Apparently you haven't watched ND Bantam hockey. Most of the boys are not good skaters. It's no different than the girls. Some are great skaters, some are awful.

The fundamentals of sound skating are learned many years prior to allowing checking. Skating deficiencies, no matter the gender, are not caused by checking.

Yep. Many fouls are called in youth basketball for actually boxing out and for actually posting up. It would drive me crazy to see a kid doing what he was suppose to do, and get called for a foul.

Caleb Petrie, 13 points in first 2 games in WDC for Bismarck.

The optics are horrible. That said, I have no idea of her value to the University, and it doesn't sound like anyone here does as well. She may be worth every penny and then some. It sounds like her compensation is not out-of-line with that position. But the optics are absolutely horrible.

Jamestown 2-1 over DIckinson after 2. Bismarck rolled Bottineau 10-2.

It's different in the parity. Minn, Michigan, Wis, BC, BU, and UND were all outside the top 20. The elite kids are recruited at an insanely young age. There's as many misses as hits in recruiting a 14/15 year old. There also are way more kids to pick from that are essentially equal, and a stagnant number of college teams. The talent level difference isn't that great anymore. Add in the misses, and "lower" schools having generally older players, it isn't difficult to see why UMinn isn't dominant every year. Add to the early recruiting, if the kid becomes a blue chipper, he's gone in a couple years. Recruiting and striking a balance has to be extremely difficult, and certainly much more difficult than 15-30 years ago.

Please list the "facts." 1.

I guess I don't see the big deal here. Athletes take supplements. The supplement he took was inappropriate or tainted. An athlete is responsible for what he/she puts in their body. There's an automatic suspension. I see this as an unfortunate situation, not some grand conspiracy. Occam's Razor. Similar to the Nate Schmidt suspension. If he was getting HGH or steroids from a trainer that would be different. Same suspension, but totally different circumstance.

Apparently you missed MANY years if you think this is the most pathetic team since 1984. This is a competitive and slightly above average team in the nation.

That was certainly odd. I thought the first shouldn't be a penalty shot as it didn't take away the scoring chance. The guy still has a breakaway after the first trip. The second trip was the one that ended up taking away the scoring chance.

Average attendance for the MJHL http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=MJHL1999&sid=2017

Find a young D2 guy what's innovative, energetic, and motivated to advance, and give him a shot. No lateral move or retread. I'd much rather strike out or hit a home run opposed to a single.

Recruiting is so much harder today than it was 20 years ago. Look at the current top 20. I'd argue that only 3 teams in the top 20 are the old blue bloods of college hockey. Denver 7, Michigan 14, UND 17, no Minnesota, BU, BC, Wisconsin... With the depth of kids coming up, early recruiting, and a relatively static number of programs the old days of the other Minnesota programs truly being gopher rejects just isn't the case any more. Minnesota used to essentially have their pick of the top five Minnesota HS players every year. We still get a nice percentage of the kids we target, but the percent that pan out isn't the best. That's really no different than the other top programs. Good luck predicting the 14 or 15 year old kid that will be able to pick a corner at an elite level when he's 20 or 21. Or do you wait and see if 17-19 year old kids that develop are uncommitted and still hope they can produce at the college level? Add in the young recruit that pans out is probably gone after 2 years. If they don't pan out you're stuck with a below average player for 4 years. I think the expectation of any program being elite year in and year old is flawed.

I guess I'm still confident in this team. There are certainly many issues, but the D is very good, and the goaltending has largely been fine. They could be sitting a lot better, but there is a ton of season left. Reminds me of a team 5-6 years ago that was written off by most on here that ended up in the frozen four. I'll let this play out a bit more before casting judgment.

I don't recall saying I wasn't a Champions Club member... The gouging isn't an issue for me, but it is just a common courtesy and rubs me the wrong way. If I'm in line with 20 other folks to buy a hot dog, and there are only 5 left, it doesn't cross my mind to buy all 5 to resell them to the others who want them. I guess I do feel a camaraderie with my fellow UND fans and don't see them as a potential source of profit.

I cannot understanding selling above face to a fan of the same team. The people doing the gouging had to be nearly exclusively champions club members. That stuff leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

I think on the 81-82 team there were 12 future NHLers. Two incredible teams for sure. Hopefully the 15-16 team adds a couple more.