tnt

Could have a mass exodus with Kristo, Knight, Nelson, and MacWilliam, or could have guys with the attitude that everything with injuries went bad this year so it would be nice to see how things would go with a full squad. Most likely one or two leave, but one can hope.

But a lot of these speculators stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. Doesn't that count for something?

True, but there are some things that might make me refrain from using the term "first class" in my description of him. Saying that, I know Siouxnami said that kind of tongue in cheek.

I'll reserve judgement on that until I know what he did to get booted off the development team.

True, I think that what it does is illustrate the same kind of irrational thinking that the NCAA has in deeming UND hostile and abusive. I think pointing out absurdity with absurdity is the only way some people can see the hypocrisy.

He's on the same team as Keaton Thompson, so he has another couple years of high school unless he accelerates.

Just remembered, it was Ben Clymer.

Have you heard of Jerrod Reinholz, Peter Mueller, Sean(?) Roed, and Jim O'Brien. Then there was a defenseman whose name escapes me that left as well. Help me out here gopher fans, I think he wore # 22. Maybe there were a couple defensemen because I think Dan Welch went that route as well. Regardless, the sky is not falling, it happens.

Dom Izzo kept saying stuff like "What's it like to finally get a win against the Bison", and it's the first win over the Bison since 2004. They only played once since 2004, so it was very deceptive and kind of odd he would even bring that up when he knows last year was the first time they've met since then.

Just curious what you propose for Mr. Hansen and Mr. Alt?

Yeah, remember how the gopher faithful chirped about Hakstol being classless when he lost control and flipped the bird. I guess it is o.k. to actually use colorful words when people can hear you. Hakstol got suspended for a couple games. What did the U of M do to Lucia and Potulny? I only hope that Blood has another chance to settle things on the ice with Mr. Hansen when he is cutting across the middle. I think we learned another lesson this weekend, you will only get a two-minute minor, or no penalty at all for charging at somebody from behind. MacWilliam was the recipient of both those hits, and had it been another player not quite as sturdy as MacWilliam, who knows what the outcome would have been. Charging and hitting someone from behind should be a major as well. I find it curious that out of the four hits from behind that I saw, the only one that was called was late in the game on Saturday when the outcome had already been decided.

Both coming off of plays that were penalties, one called, one wasn't. For Blood to be suspended, they would need to create a policy that they didn't have in place. One would have thought that after the Finley incident, Hakstol's indescretion, Dasher George and Lucia's shouting match with Michigan Tech that there would be some precedent to have a policy in place, but as everybody knows they just kind of make it up as they go along as with Lamoureux's suspension for dropping his gloves.

They are no longer the Sioux, so that shouldn't be an issue.

He didn't go after Rau, He went after Ambroz, and yes the coaches should have used judgement after the altercation. I saw how angry Blood was, did Hakstol not see the same?

Demarchi, Westrum, Schack, Helgeson, Lucia, Cepis ...

So if Ambroz did slash Blood after the final whistle as it is purported, you will be willing to call him the instigator?

O.k. I'll buy that, but do you think for one second that the Minnesota fanbase wouldn't be crying goon if one of their players got injured in the same circumstance?

We'll see how it plays out. I will bet you it will be because of the gophers that it doesn't take place, unless they expect it to be in their barn every year. I'll say it again why are you scheduling long-term agreements with one team when you want to keep your fanbase happy and play regional rivals like St. Cloud, Duluth, Mankato, North Dakota, etc. Lucia has frequently left the name North Dakota out of his conversation when talking about the need to come up with scheduling agreements. Proof will be in the pudding I guess, but if it doesn't happen, you need not look any further than the coach the everybody was wanting fired a year ago.

Let's be clear that the majority of the reason that Lucia hates North Dakota is because of the way his Notre Dame teams were blown away by the likes of Mark Taylor and Doug Smail. When you are prevented from winning a National Championship as a player, there are hard feelings, and then to have your season as a coach end to them a few times, it is even harder to swallow. Hence the reason the Sioux won't play the gophers under the Lucia regime.

Four checks from behind this weekend and one called. Don't like those odds. Also, ODonnell was injured based on the gopher player tackling him when he was off balance. Hennessey and Olson saying refs needed to keep Ambroz and Blood from the handshake, but I would think that the coaches could have used a little foresight there as well. I don't think these teams will play very often in Non-conference simply because I think Lucia will work towards that end. I think most of the fans love the rivalry, but Lucia does not and he will come up with excuses not to continue it. The fact that they have an agreement for the next four years with Notre Dame, where he is an alumni, will be one of the excuses. Why pigeonhole yourself to one team when you haven't before especially when you are going to need to find games for all your previous rivals.

It may be the reason that Blais was so adamant in rebuffing the story in the Herald about his words at the Sioux booster that he would only be in Omaha four years tops. The administration for recruiting purposes probably told him that he can't pin down something like that.

http://survey.xcelenergycenter.com/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=76LI9p3

As usual, the day that most of the recruits will be here is the coldest day of the year. Perfect timing.

Anybody else get sent the survey for your input on the Final Five? Are they doing it to see interest from the old WCHA, or to get a read on interest from NCHC teams in having a tourney there? Regardless, if you have the chance, take the survey so there is a better chance the NCHC will have a tourney there. Would be great for UND going forward.

Hakstol did say that there are not the players out there now to replace a Matteau. I guess my expectation is that the Sioux won't be able to get an elite recruit for next year but maybe more role players or diamonds in the rough that you never know how they are going to progress. Maybe over-recruiting is the answer. Kind of said that if the NCAA would allow, he is certain that he could get CHL guys down here if they were able to recruit guys like the CHL does. Would the NCAA not address the issue if there were issues in football or basketball? The fact that they did nothing to the Ohio State players last year says that they are willing to do anything to protect the cash cows.