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If he wanted to experience big-city life in Denver, then it would have been a waste of his time to make a visit to UND yesterday; so I doubt that was the reason...Maybe he wanted to experience what a college championship feels like before he becomes just another human resource cog on an NHL team.

Playing in front of the best & most numerous fans in hockey-crazed GF and the best college rink in America wasn't enough to sway his decision. Nor did UND's "culture" or tradition win him over. I think it highlights that he trusts Carle more than the UND staff to get him to the next level. I don't blame him, it sounds like he made a practical decision based on comparisons between the two schools over the last 6-7 years: one coach excels in the regular season; the other, the playoffs. If I were his advisor & not a complete UND homer like I am now, I would have also tried to steer him towards DU. Future head-to-head battles w/ DU over star players may play out the same way as Pohlkamp if Berry doesn't fix his mindset & start bringing home some titles. The precedent has been set.

I'm not seeing this online. Who are your sources?

If so, they'll likely just replace him with another great coach without missing a beat, who will continue to field strong teams & be contenders every year. That program seems to make all the right moves, & it all starts with their AD who puts winners into the HC position.

Does anyone think that there will be other very good transfer possibilities in the coming weeks, or is Pohlkamp, Wood & Wilkie heads & tails above all others?

You'd think that a player of Pohlkamp's caliber would be looking at all possible factors in selecting a school; & no doubt he's watching closely what schools are doing well in this year's tournament. Friday's third period sleep-a-pa-looza against MI may come back to seal the deal for DU.

You're likely right, but if it were a slam dunk on him going there you'd think he would have already announced it & signed the necessary papers. UND's recent playoff meltdowns aren't helping matters.

Like some have speculated, he may very well already know where he's going, the portal just being a necessary channel he has to go through.

Serious injury?

Please elaborate.

Sometimes I think it's a combination of mental fatigue & what you're saying: not knowing how to win. Mental fatigue in the sense that there's so much focus & drive into winning the Penrose from Day 1, that when they do win it, the team treats it like a mini-championship & they all breathe a collective sigh of relief; losing their competitive edge because there's a natural letdown after each player has put so much effort into winning it for the past 5 months. I say this because most of the team seems drained come March, not just a few players. Peaking at the wrong time, perhaps. Berry's biggest challenge this off-season won't be getting a guy like Pohlkamp or Wood, it will be to take a long, hard, honest look in the mirror; maybe reaching out to mentors who have a track record of winning. Because having a star-studded roster won't get the team any closer to a national title if it's the coach's philosophy that is weighing the team down.

When officially can the blue bloods start hauling away the talent from its feeder programs?

This was in response to Pohlkamp going to NoDak or St. Cloud .. the only major schools west of UND that I know of are CC, ASU, Denver & the Alaska schools.

QU is no joke, good hustle. Rand may not be liked much around here & he's frequently the butt of jokes, but he's obviously a great coach & his players are buying into his philosophy.

The question remains why UND in particular is affected by what could be late-season mental fatigue, this year & others, compared to other teams. Watching Quinnipiac's first game this weekend they were flying all over the ice from start to finish; strong on the puck & never giving up on a play. Other teams are also going strong during the tournament & keeping the pedal to the metal. This contrasted with UND collectively shutting down for most of the third period against MI, like someone slipped sleeping pills in their Gatorade during the second intermission. The baffling thing is, this lack of edge (if that's what it is) is affecting most of the team, not just a few players who may be burned out at the end of a long season. Going by recent years, maybe the team could start investing in a sports psychologist if they haven't already. UND has all the bells & whistles in REA to train & rest the body; maybe it would be wise to invest equally in the players' mental health to make sure they're locked & loaded between the ears come late March.

I didn't see many games last year, so I don't know much about the team, but why are you down on Benoit? He rarely saw any action last year, so it seems like you're not giving him a fair chance to prove his mettle. It may have been you or someone else, but a ss.com poster said to trust our recruits & develop them, which I tend to agree with; at least give them a fair chance to prove themselves before letting them go.

And if he called & had a word with me, I'd tell him that he is in a league of his own.

Criticism would be relative to how they might lose, I suppose: in an ot thriller or a 1-7 drubbing. If the latter, they would probably deserve both barrels unless half of them had the flu, food poisoning or some other sickness.

Did Rizzo play today for DU?

Yes, the team understands the fanbase & community all too well, yet all this understanding isn't pulling them out of a 1+ month funk. And I didn't imply that yelling was the solution, I gave it as an example along with being too soft as two extremes that don't work. If I were a coach, I wouldn't want my assistants being 'yes' men & walking on eggshells around me; I would want honest feedback about what things need improving. And if my assistants are as myopic as me about what ails the team, I would reach out to those who know Sioux hockey & have a lot of hockey experience under their belts (Gino, Blais, Eades, whomever) to determine if they see something that my staff & I are missing. I would try to listen to as many perspectives as possible, pride be damned.

Question for you & anyone else who cares to reply: If you're a head coach of a talented team, but the team morale is spiraling downwards & a bulk of your players are going through the motions right before the playoffs, what's the best way to collectively reach them & turn the situation around? Like you said, going caveman on your team will probably scare away some high-end talent; & being too soft encourages more uninspiring play because there are no consequences. Every problem for a coach has a solution, unless the problem lies with the coach himself &/or his staff.

A win against MI not only advances UND in the tournament, but also shines a positive light on our school to any blue chip recruits & worthwhile grinders who may be undecided. Free advertising.

What coaches did they interview? I thought they only interviewed the #1 seed coaches.

Maybe if UND were currently skating hard & giving it their all and still losing I would agree with you that UNO is better now. It's hard to draw a comparison between two teams when one is barely trying.

You may be right, but if the D was subpar to begin with the weaknesses should have manifested earlier than January, you'd think. They were hanging with BU, MN & WI 5 months ago, now they can't even hang their own clothes. Which leads me to think that they may lack the overall talent or character required to elevate their game when the playoffs approach & all teams are bringing their A game. Throw in most of the forwards who look like they're attending a funeral & this is the result. Like someone mentioned earlier, Persson will probably have to stand on his head & steal the first game of the regionals; & if the guys can somehow squeeze out a W that first day, I think it would jumpstart their confidence in a major way. In the meantime, I feel it's incumbent on the coaching staff to have a come-to-Jesus meeting with the team & the individual players (who are slacking off) to discern what the actual problem is. Have some self-respect, guys.