tnt

If a name isn't acceptable, it isn't acceptable. Native Americans shouldn't have a right to use any of the names for their teams either. But there seems to be a double standard here. If the threshhold for getting rid of a nickname is that a small number of people find it offensive, then there wouldn't be many nicknames to choose from.

Gophersrule6969, I seem to remember the majority of gopher fans complaining about Canadians playing for the Sioux. In fact, it was an obsession with them. Substitute the word black or Indian and what do you have. So, now who is more inclusive. UND accepting anybody from anywhere or many gopher fans only accepting Minnesotans.

I can see how you wouldn't be proud of your nickname "the gophers", the Sioux however have a rich tradition and heritage. North Dakota took great care in picking a nickname people could be proud of and that demonstrated... well, you hear it before every game, honor, courage, winning battles etc. Maybe you should change your moniker to rodent's rule -- great nickname!

I don't think you can say UND made a mistake on Mertens, because they did offer him didn't they? He just happened to choose NDSU. Hey, you win some-- you lose some!

I guess one thing I will be looking for from both players are the intangibles -- the refuse to lose quality that a Crosby has for example. When their team is behind a goal late in the game, who is going to dig harder to get the puck out of a scrum and walk out of the corner with it, or who is going to inspire their teammates by example and giving themselves up for the benefit of a teammate. Let's hope Kessel has a chance to prove himself more than Toews on being behind late in the game. I would have loved to see more of that from Kessel in the World Juniors, but it's not as if the older USA players were leading by example in that scenario, so one can't fault a 17-year-old in those same circumstances. One thing I think will become clear as the year goes by-- Sioux fan's will be touting the intangibles, and gopher fans will be touting the points being put up, and I don't think either will be wrong for doing so -- it's what we as fans do. But can we at least agree to give credit where credit is due!

I have seen Kessel play approximately 10 games with the evaluation camp and World Juniors, and my assessment is that he is more weighted towards the offensive end. I would not say that I wouldn't want him for that reason or that I would rather have Toews for that reason. I have only seen Toews play twice and I guess I can't say one way or another if he is a great two-way player based on that. I think that is always a knee-jerk reaction by fans when one player is better offensively, they ultimately get the one-way player tag. I don't know anyone who wouldn't have wanted Kessel on the World Junior team because he wasn't as dedicated to the defensive end. If Kessel was going to be a Sioux, Sioux fans would be touting him as the next coming and gopher fans would be saying he didn't play defense. Unfortunately, or maybe not, it is how fans operate on both sides of the debate.

I agree that the pressure will rest on the defense, but if they don't make the adjustment very well, some of the pressure will shift to the forwards to try outscore the other team. If you are looking at a comparison to last year, the offensive shoes that need to be filled are Brady Murray, Rory McMahon and Colby Genoway. The other forwards didn't put up great offensive numbers, so if each can chip in here and there, I think our offense won't suffer and probably improve overall. Let's just hope the pressure they feel is self-imposed and not an urgency they feel from the fans, because plain and simple, there are going to be some growing pains.

I would guess that Kessel will outscore Toews by a bit. I think with the softer schedule and the big ice surface, he will put up 60+ points. What will be interesting to me is to see how many of those points are on the powerplay, because we know Kessel operates well in open ice, and nobody is going to pressure too much on that big ice surface, lest he makes someone look foolish. It will also be interesting to see how he does in big games, because you know he will have the bullseye on him. I guess what I am hoping for Toews is the same thing I wish for the Sioux -- take the first half of the year or so adjusting to college hockey and new teammates, then make a nice run the second half of the year for the regionals, and hopefully beyond. I don't want to put a point total on Toews, because if he does what I mentioned above, that would be a successful season. I know some gopher fans might think that is managing expectations, and I suppose it is, but I don't see the need to attach lofty numbers to freshmen, because in the end, as with Radke, you will probably find yourself disappointed more times than not. Don't want to make it seem like Radke was a failure, just that he didn't put up the numbers that people assumed he would, including myself.

Yeah, who knows what Miller might bring to the Sioux. He put up similar numbers to Wheeler before he got hurt, so maybe he can crack the line-up and show his skills. Let's hope the Sioux don't have injury problems like last year, when players cracked the line-up by default. Not saying they didn't deserve to play, just wish it would have been a competitive issue, rather than an injury-related reason.

Gotta agree TTRIOUXPER, some of the same people that are putting Oshie on the second line thought it was foolish that he wasn't going to the USHL for a year.

Really, who cares where classes are rated or how many draft picks are in the class. As impressive as the class appears draftwise, they still need to produce on the ice. Sioux fans know just as well as anyone, that it is the players that aren't that highly regarded coming in like Phil Sykes, Matt Henderson and Jeff Panzer that have turned out to be great college players. I think what this draft does is verify what we know, that the coaches have done a great job of picking out the talent. We also know that they are good at grooming talent, so it is up to the recruits to take the next step by following through on the instruction and doing the work in the weight room to keep their progression as a player going forward, because the coaches can only do so much. We all know players that have had great freshman years then backtracked. I think that part of the reason that many of the players coming in were drafted higher than expected is because of the character seen in them. If that is the case, then we can expect to see them progress quite nicely.

Add Toews as a top pick next year and Ryan Duncan, who may not have been drafted but will be a player that I think will be a fan favorite, and you've got quite the class coming in. Let's hope the development and adjustment for all of them goes along with their lofty status and that they can gel to make another run at the end of the year. In this day and age, you've got a short window to make use of that talent, especially when you're bringing in 1st round draft picks. Bring in Dowzak next year, and you'll have another possible first rounder, along with Toews.

I just think UND is rushing the kid. Besides we have more than enough talent to finish year with, without rushing a kid up to the WCHA. Its not like he played for Shattacks were they play 80 games against tougher competition... <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe Oshie had plans when he moved out here to play for Minnesota, until he learned of UND, and I believe I heard Lee and another Moorhead player or two were more Minnesota fans as well. JLoos could probably address which other Moorhead players leaned that direction. So to have that many really nice players that are here or will be here, rather than at Minnesota is a nice coup for the coaching staff and UND in general.

Would be nice to have a schedule like the gophers have this year just to help get the freshmen's feet wet and build up some confidence early. Might be a bad year to have to train in four freshman defensemen. Would rather play the gophers at home later in the season so they are already adjusted to the league. Would hate to see Phil Kessel take advantage of their early season tentativeness--because many would base how good the team is on that, just like they did when the gophers spanked the Sioux the second night in GF early last year.

I don't want to be a gopher apologist, but the gophers were kind of stuck with playing freshmen defensemen last year, and you are going to get inconsistency on the defensive end. It just didn't show up as much until late in the season when goals become a premium, and any mistake is magnified. Look no further than Kyle Radke for an example on the Sioux. To tell you the truth I think that Lucia realizes that they need a few more Jake Taylors on his defense, and I think the Sioux realize they need a few more Paul Martin type defensemen. It took Jordan Leopold and Paul Martin a year or two to adjust defensively to the league, but after that adjustment was made, their upside was a difference in the Gophers winning championships. I think both squads are looking to balance their defense, and I think the gophers are doing that by getting Erik Johnson and going after a Finley or Dowzak. On the other hand the Sioux are getting more players like Jake Marto and Brian Lee who have offensive talent.

I try not to worry too much about things that far into the future. We are supposed to be hit by asteroids and California is going to break off into the ocean too. With all the things that supposedly cause cancer these days, we have more things to worry about on a day to day basis, nevermind the fact that we eat too much to begin with.

Pentaxman, Are you still working at the same minimum wage job you always have? It would be nice if you would be loyal and stay at McDonalds. But I guess greed is always a factor. A person has to look out for himself first and foremost and worry about his own future, because goodness knows, nobody else is going to look out for him.

True, but if it worked for his dad becoming an All-American defenseman, maybe the coaches wouldn't have a problem with it. There seems to be a lot of #'s that seem strange for the position around these days.

Wonder if Chorney would be interested in his dad's old # 16.

If there is a possibility that Oshie might leave early at some point, then I hope they take him ASAP. On the other hand if that isn't likely to happen, then an extra year of development would be great. I know Ryan Potulny basically gave up a year of eligibility to play in the playoffs for the gophers, probably in anticipation that he wouldn't be there for five years. Don't know how high the NHL is on him, but it does say his stock is rising.

Bottom line is that it was an arbitrary process in which they picked Red River, just like they have to pick someone to put on the cover. As far as I know, it isn't someone who had an axe to grind against anyone, including Fargo South. I just hope Sports Illustrated doesn't rank youth hockey programs in the state and pick Grand Forks. Imagine the outcry.

That's quite alright Larry... Larry was a great player on a great team. He was on the 1978 Spoilers, the first team other than GF Central to win the state title. He should be very, very proud of his memories...I envy him for it, especially when that team gets together to celebrate that monumental achievement. He's not quite correct about my hockey career. I did not quit. I'm not ashamed to state this: I was not allowed to play my senior year since I did not make the Varsity squad. I played because I loved to play, not because I was good at it. I was much better at other sports... I came back and deleted the rest of this boring story...In the light of day, it's just not that big a deal and doesn't come off the way I intended... <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

NDSU has as much chance to win a DI-AA title as they did a Division II title. There is not much difference in the upper echelon teams. NDSU proved that by beating a highly ranked (3rd at the time I believe) Montana team in Billings. Let's not forget, they didn't make the playoffs in Division II that year. Once again, you only need to look to the Bison fan's that come on this board as proof positive that they will always measure themselves against the Sioux programs, and if they continue to do that, they will always come up short because they will never be able to say they were the best college team in the country in any sport.