schmidtdoggydog

I bet he is a pimply-faced twelve-year old who lives with his mother, June, and shares a room with his sister, Betsy. His grandson Kyle is actually his pet Sharpei. He read about Ann Arbor last year in fifth grade geography, but still believes that ND is Notre Dame. His posts are ridiculous and irrelevant and are an annoyance to most of the people who enjoy reading about Sioux hockey on this board. Yet he scolds a respected member of this forum with the following gem: And what has he talked about on this board: Billy Colpitts, Sal from Cando, Michigan hockey and its coaches and their wives, lasagne, Betsy, June, Kyle, cocaine, mac-n-cheese, NWA, std's, etc., etc. etc. Anything BUT Sioux hockey.

Parise article: A surprising treat NHL lockout lets Rats fans see start of something big By MATT GRAVES, Staff writer First published: Wednesday, December 22, 2004 ALBANY -- Fans of the Albany River Rats can thank the National Hockey League lockout for at least one residual benefit -- the otherwise lost opportunity to see Zach Parise perform in a setting he likely would never have known. New Jersey's first-round draft choice in 2003 almost certainly would be playing this season with the Devils, but instead has given Capital Region fans an extended tour of the vast hockey skills that convinced him to leave college after a distinguished two-year stint at North Dakota. Parise, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound center and son of former NHL grinder J.P. Parise, acknowledges some disappointment about a lost chance to make the Devils' roster, but said he regards a season in the American League as a bonus in his professional development. "I think it's worked out for the best to get adjusted to the lifestyle and the style of play," said the 20-year-old Parise, the league's top rookie scorer. "It's not the NHL, but it's still a lot tougher than what I would be playing in college. It's a good way to kind of ease into things, and then when things get resolved it may be a different story. Players from here will be going up there, but until that happens, this is a good place for me to be." Parise's father is the director of hockey at Shattuck-St. Mary's Prep School in Minnesota, where Zach put up Wayne Gretzky-like numbers (340 points in 146 games over two seasons). J.P. Parise said he talks to his son nearly every day and tries to keep him focused despite the River Rats' recent struggles. "I tell him that in a perfect world of hockey, your team is winning and you're making a contribution," said J.P. Parise, who played 14 years in the NHL. "One of them is missing right now, and it's tough for him to deal with that. I just tell him to play smart, keep working hard and making plays." River Rats defenseman David Hale, Parise's college teammate when he was a junior and Parise was a freshman, knows what it takes to play in the NHL without any AHL experience. He and fellow defenseman Paul Martin both joined the Devils as first-year pros last season. Hale and rookie Aaron Voros room with Parise. "I think the type of player he is on the ice surprises some players due to the fact that -- let's face it -- he's a smaller guy, but his aggressiveness makes up for that," Hale said. "I'm not surprised. He's got the type of character that I'm sure whatever he does and wherever he goes, he's going to excel." Hale said he was thrilled that Devils GM Lou Lamoriello kept him after camp last season, but that he sees the benefit of AHL experience. "I never got a chance to kind of ease into it," Hale said. "He's playing here against guys who have played in the NHL and he's playing against guys who could play in the NHL, so I think it's a good stepping stone for him." Dean McAmmond, the most experienced NHL veteran on the Rats' roster, has played on lines and special teams with Parise. "When I first got here, I heard he was a great player," said McAmmond, 31, who's traded checks with some of the best players of his generation. "He had a lot of billing to live up to, but I think he's done fine. He's definitely got skills and he's got a good sense of the game as far as adapting to systems. His work ethic is excellent. On the ice he's tenacious, on the puck a lot. He plays physical, not scared, and he's only 5-11, maybe 185. He's not afraid to go in the corners and battle. I have no doubt that he can play up there, whether it's today or tomorrow." Parise, feared by collegiate opponents for his speed and ability to find goal-ready teammates on the ice, logged 67 assists in 76 collegiate games. He became an international star when he was named most valuable player in the 2004 World Junior Championships. He had five goals and six assists in six games to lead the U.S. team to the title. "I've always been more of a set-up guy than a goal-scorer," said Parise, a Minneapolis native whose brother, Jordie, is North Dakota's goalie. "I've had a little cold streak lately (one goal in his past 10 games). I've been hitting a lot of posts, but that all balances out at the end of the year. I've always had more assists than goals, so I'm not worried one bit about that. The goals will come." Parise has five goals and leads the Rats in scoring with 22 points. "He's progressing very well," coach Robbie Ftorek said. "He's got some things he's got to learn to adapt to from the college game to this game, and he works at it. I think sometimes it's not happening as quickly as he wants it to so it can be a little frustrating, but that's part of the process. We're not winning the way he's used to winning. He realizes that it's going to come, and he's really doing fine." "The game is starting to slow down a lot for me, I've noticed in the last few games," said Parise, who had four assists in a game Dec. 8 against Providence. "I'm seeing things a lot better on the ice, a little more clearly. As the season goes on, I think it's going to keep going up more for me. I've been happy with the progress lately." Parise is far more skilled than his father was, but they share the same hard-working ethic and desire. "Zach has much better hands and vision than I ever had," said J.P. Parise, who laughed when asked to compare father and son. "I stayed in the NHL because I was a hard worker. I tell Zach that one thing you can control is being the hardest worker on the team." Ftorek compares Zach Parise with a former River Rat who's gone on to a successful career in the NHL. "He's a Stevie Sullivan type -- excitement all the time, gives you 100 percent effort all the time," said Ftorek, who had Sullivan on his Calder Cup championship team in 1994-95. "You know every time he gets out there something can happen, and that's excitement." Ftorek also said the AHL experience should help Parise. "I think it's a great thing for him because it's more difficult to play here" than in the NHL, Ftorek said. "I'd like him to stop and start a little bit more, be more patient with the puck, but he's going to be a heck of a player. It's a great thing for him to learn this part of the game." And a bonus for River Rats fans to see it.

From this week's minnesota hockey journal: Former UND and Wild defenseman Travis Roche is ranked as the second best defenseman in the AHL, statistically, this season. He has 7 goals and 15 assists in 27 games for the Chicago Wolves. He also has a league-best +13 rating amongst defensemen and that's good enough for third in the league overall.

According to KVLY sports, VandeVelde had three goals and three assists tonight in Moorhead's 6-1 win over Brainerd.

Not unless you are interested in hearing about eating lasagne with Michigan's assistant coach!

I agree completely. I enjoy the video, but the Mazurak tidbit is very lame. If they aren't going to show NC clips, then they should simply highlight the current players.

Griggs Landing

Way off topic as he isn't a named recruit, but is the Connelly from WBL (he had a hat trick against GFRR on Friday) the younger brother to Brendan and Ryan?

Evidently, you did!

It wasn't pretty, that is for sure. I have never seen so many fans actually napping at a game in all my years of watching hockey. Was anyone at Sioux Boosters in GF on Friday? I heard Hakstol was actually calling some players out and was hopeful someone could post a brief recap. From what little I heard, DH said that Greene, Jones and Fuher are all playing very well and that MJ is playing better than he ever has. Also, comments were made that if this team is to make a successful run late in the season, the play of guys like Radke and Kaip will likely make a difference in how far they go. If any of this is inaccurate, I apologize - what little I caught was all second-hand!

Dagies, how is the view out on your limb?

From today's Forum: Ice, not limelight, Lee's happy place By Terry Vandrovec,The Forum Published Thursday, December 16, 2004 Brian Lee's face was as blank as a clean sheet of ice. Coupled with an awkward silence, the somebody-help-me look gave away that the main attraction at Wednesday's news conference at Moorhead Sports Center to promote the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championship didn't prepare a speech. But he did score some laughs with this one-liner: "We've got a real close-knit team," the Moorhead senior said, motioning to the boys in black behind him. "As you can see, they're standing close together." As a comedian ... Lee is a world-class defender, as proven by his selection to Team USA for the 10-team tournament scheduled for Dec. 25 through Jan. 4 in Grand Forks, N.D., and Thief River Falls, Minn. He'll leave Moorhead today. "His strength isn't his public speaking ability," Spuds boys hockey coach Dave Morinville joked. "Where Brian seems more confident is in the weight room working out, shooting pucks doing things to make himself a better player. ...You can tell he's a lot more nervous here than he is in a one-on-one situation." In this case, "The World is Coming" as tournament promos proclaim. For all the savvy he displayed in two previous international competitions, earning defenseman of the tournament honors at the Five-Nations Cup in 2003 and being named USA player of the bronze-medal game at the Junior World Cup this summer, Lee had never had to deal with podeums, media gatherings or plush, life-sized bald eagles. Although the appearance of Icy, the World Junior Championship mascot, drew doubles takes from several folks Wednesday. "There was nobody," the 6-foot-3, 202-pound Lee said of tournaments in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. "It wasn't a big deal." As for this ... "It's a big deal," Lee said. "I knew it was a big deal hockey-wise, but more people than just the hockey community cares about it, I guess." An estimated 250,000 fans will attend the 31-game tournament. Seven exhibitions will also be held, including a matchup between the Czech Republic and Slovakia at 7 p.m. Dec. 23 at Moorhead Sports Center. Tickets cost $10 and are available at Play It Again Sports, Stan Kostka Sporting Goods and Valley Sporting Goods. "Undoubtedly, this will be the finest event we've ever been involved with," said Jim Johannson, senior director of operations for USA Hockey. Likewise, Team USA, the defending gold medalist, better be solid. Johannson said Lee, the only high school player and one of two 17-year-olds picked for the under-20 team, should fit well. "Number one is his ability to see the ice and the plays he makes with the puck and secondly the control and calmness to his game," said Johannson, who played a role in choosing the team. "We see him as a guy who doesn't get flustered regardless of who he's playing against." Unless the opponent is brandishing a recording device.

Reba and soccer mentioned in the same hockey thread, now that is unusual!

From hockeysfuture.com: 6. (7) Matt Greene (D)

CC 28 45 UMN 28 43 Denver 28 38 UND 28 35 UW 28 35 UMD 28 30 Mankato 28 18 SCSU 28 17 AA 28 15 MTech 28 4 Even with Minnesota's incredibly easy remaining schedule, I think CC might be the team to beat. They have the goaltending, some real talent up front and solid depth.

These are some of Sandelin's comments from the Forum article. I trust the officials of USA hockey share his view regarding BL. I will take their word for it over some Gopher fan portraying himself as know-it-all.

Who? As for Hammy, ignore features were installed with posters like him in mind. Sioux fans shouldn't sweat his arrogance, it isn't worth it. He is the type of poster that when Lee leads UND to another championship down the road will say that UND wouldn't have won it all without that very talented defenseman from the State of Minnesota!

I don't know the extent of the injury but a friend of mine saw him hobbling around on crutches the other day!

Good point! Off topic: I also agree with cfm that there are some similarties to '97 - good defense, solid goaltending, but the big difference is the '97 team could put the puck in the net. That team scored 190 goals in 43 games, which averages to 4.42 goals a game. They had All-American, Hobey-type players in Jason Blake and David Hoogsteen who were capable of providing instant offense - that is something this year's squad doesn't seem to have and if he does it best show up soon. They also had a couple of d-man that knew how to score in Curtis Murphy (century club) and Brad Williamson (99 career points) - other than MJ and NF to some extent the last couple of weekends, the defensive scoring on this year's team has been MIA. I am going to join in cfm's optimism though and continue to hope for the same result as '97!

From INCH: The Canadian National Junior Team, for the first time since 1997, will not have a U.S. college player on its roster. Hockey Canada sources told Canadian media that North Dakota's Travis Zajac was the lone U.S. college player seriously considered for an invitation to the Canadian team's selection camp.

It is remarkable in its predictability. On PhilkesselOnIce (credit Rubeidiot) he called Lee's selection a "sham" and a "glaring mistake." If he said it, it has to be true! For the life of me, I cannot figure out why Sandelin and the USA Hockey officials didn't get his input before naming the final roster - what were they thinking?

Wow!