tnt

In response to his blog, I can only say that I think Duncan realizes that he is either good enough to make the NHL, or he is not. Sure it would be nice to latch on to one nice contract before, but with the new structure, it certainly is not going to set you up for life. If Duncan has the stuff to make the NHL, he will get his contract at some point. Remember, Ralph Engelstad decided not to continue to pursue the NHL and get started with his life, and it worked out well for him. I have no doubt Ryan Duncan will be successful at whatever he does, because he has something that our blogger doesn't--class!

Just listening to his dad talk up the OHL, makes me wonder. Sure 6400 fans is a nice little crowd, but it can't compare with the crowd at the Ralph. His dad seemed to intimate that the Rangers team cared about each other, so UND would be a perfect fit in that sense. However, if he is looking for a team atmosphere, then one guy isn't the be all end all, and his whole recruiting process screams out otherwise. Whatever he decides, just don't call a press conference to announce.

True, but it is still funny listening to the rubes at GPL calling out Crosby on a fight code when their guys constantly use the face rub then skate away. If they called out Tony Lucia after his little stunt at the Ralph, they would have a little credibility on the matter. They can't seem to understand why some people perceive Clutterbuck to be cheap. Yes, he has plenty of clean hits, but he is certainly no saint.

I think they are talking about Danny Mattson the forward, not Nick the defenseman who is only a Junior.

Yet he was defensive player of the year. Hmmm!

Can't think of one offhand for a favorite player, but screams for the use of Brian Shack and sucker punch.

I don't want to answer for anyone, but I seem to recall Erik Johnson saying he wasn't being used like he should be. I think he said that while he was there though. I do think that stuff like that goes on at every program and it is just more visible with star players and most time the comments are kept behind closed doors.

Don't know if someone addressed this somewhere, but VanDevelde said he is 50/50. I obviously would like VanDevelde to stay and work on the one thing that would make him dominant -- consistency. Should he start his senior year the way he has finished each and every year he has played, and remain as dominant as he has been the second half, he would no doubt have a great chance to become an All-American and have a chance to win the Hobey. What a bargaining chip that would be, especially since he would have the opportunity to become a free agent. Whatever he decides, I will say thank you because not every player will play hurt like he did.

I believe James Massen and Brandon Bochenski both were right up there in goal scoring in the USHL in their final year, and one was dominant at the next level while the other didn't translate quite as well. Didn't Brian Canady score 5 goals in a game in the USHL?

I think the one thing missing in this whole equation is what can/will the NCAA do about situations like this. If they cared at all, you would think they would be stepping in to offer suggestions or solutions. It certainly would help Bemidji and other teams plights if the NCAA would extend the # of games each teams can play if they help save a program, as per their allowance for traveling to Alaska. To allow WCHA teams to add games so they don't have to lose traditional rivals would help, but I think the silence speaks volumes of what the NCAA thinks about hockey. On the positive side, there should be an additional spot in the NCAA next year for an at-large team because that league will be gone.

I think if Bowling Green or Western Michigan end up dropping hockey, the WCHA should talk to the CCHA about accepting Anchorage, but in the meantime, they need to accept Bemidji and make it work.

Both have a game to win before that scenario takes place, so I hope that matchup does take place.

Isn't the kid that Minnesota just recruited from Shattuck from Finland? I am sure the only person agreeing with this is Woog. Maybe they should go a step further and not allow players whose parents were born in another country to be eligible for scholarships either, that way they wouldn't have had to bother trying to recruit players like Parise or Gagne. I wish politicians would do something about the actual problems we have facing us in this country rather than trying to make a name for themselves with idiotic legislation like this. This guy is making a name for himself, but I think he will find it is not the kind of name he would like, although who knows, I thought that Minnesota had learned their lesson with Jesse Ventura-- guess not!

I thought I heard them say that Matt Van Voorhis (sp) who played for Edina is originally from North Dakota. I think he is listed on Heisenberg's 2011 list, so I was wondering if anyone knows where in North Dakota he is from, and does he have an allegiance to the Sioux?

Didn't Wisconsin finish 3rd? If so, it couldn't be the play-in game they play against each other.

I'll only say that guilty by reputation can go both ways.

Yeah, and according to the WCH blog, you need to be down and out to warrant a suspension, nevermind the fact that this guy has a long reputation. His hypocrisy is becoming more and more amusing.

If memory serves me correctly, the Sioux already had Mattson on board at the time and got a verbal from Garrett Clarke. I know the Sioux were interested in Schmidt to some degree, but does anyone know if Clarke wouldn't have been on their radar, would the coaches have pressed for Schmidt harder, or would he have been a gopher regardless? Not saying the Sioux weren't interested, just wondering how things played out in that whole scenario.

I'll wait until after Gleason and Fink get here and the coaches have had a chance to work with them to see how things will pan out. After all, Ryan Martens was a good walk-on that they brought along to be a very good player. Remember, Jake Marto was sort of an afterthought by many fans when talking about that incoming class, and he has arguably been our best defenseman, especially the second half of the season. I think the coaches will put both these players in a role where they are most likely to succeed. It might not be the role the player, the fans or the coaches expected from the start, but players can grow into some roles and be very effective at them.

For a team that was picked by INCH to finish 7th, everything else is gravy. Wow, where did that pick come from?

We can be thankful that he didn't become a Wisconsin "Dell"!

Don't act like some great parent, because I have never seen someone as antagonistic as you on numerous subjects. You seem to be playing the role as the instigator in hockey. If you bring your kids up like you act, guess what, they will run into someone who will fight them, whether they want to or not. I am not saying that is a way to handle things, but there are people out there that don't put up with people who run off at the mouth. Like it or not, it is reality, where the on-ice stuff isn't.

The thing is we are talking about all of this in the confines of a game, not real-life blows. Do you honestly believe if Commodore punched Matt Greene on the street, Matt Greene would be giving him a pat on the back for a job well done? Get a little context here.

Somehow I don't think Greene thought Commodore was trying to injure him, because if you notice when Commodore was on top of him, Greene gave him a pat. Hmmm, sounds like a brotherhood to me!

I thought that Olsen said that Duluth was on him early.