tnt

I guess that is the difference between Lucia and the Sioux coaches from Blais to the current coaches -- they expect the pride in their jersey to be there no matter the game. Granted it always doesn't turn out that way, but I think you saw how Hakstol reacted last year when the Sioux weren't giving what he perceived to be their best effort.

They may have stated it too, but I have seen and heard it many places, including at work from a gopher fan. Of course most of it was before he even played a shift and probably even back to the old gopher hockey website. As soon as he actually started to play, expectations were downplayed.

Ah yes, Canada, the country that attempts to make heroes of draft dodgers.

Not at all. Using the term best American ever is the part I find ridiculous. My point is that you don't hear that anymore -- I wonder why!

I find it interesting that some gopher fans on GPL are saying that maybe Kessel will be humbled since he won't be the best player on the team. Evidently, Erik Johnson is now the best American ever. We should start a pool as to who will be the next in succession to be exalted with that title. I suppose you can expect that with the rubes, and Jeff Dubay might be one of the biggest rubes there is.

Wasn't Duncan Keith the guy that left Michigan State? Don't know if I like Toews asking his advice because I don't think his college experience is the same as Toews'.

If Toews would stay, the Sioux would still have four 1st Round Draft Picks and two 2nd round draft picks in their lineup, so the talent is there. They just need to have the players keep progressing and they should be fine.

I thought Aaron Marvin had more than 9 goals last year.

Hopefully they have suitable replacements for the next couple of years like Colin Wilson, Jason Gregoire, David Toews and Kelsey Tessier. Giving other programs inroads to traditional recruiting areas can sometimes hurt beyond the current recruits. I am sure there are some recruits out there from Grand Forks that may want to go to Minnesota based on Ryan Potulny & Danny Irmen's success.

Sure it would be nice if everything stayed on topic, but you seem to have created the same off-topic discussion that you despise. Seems to me that all the people out there looking for Jonathan Toews info now have more off-topic clutter to sift through. It is what I have come to expect on every message board, this one is no different.

I don't look at you as being close to objective either, and you are on an opposing board. Sagard and Greyeagle are gopher fans that demonstrate respect and objectivity, which makes it nice to have their perspective.

I think we both know the answer to this. To blame Kessel for the Holy Cross loss or somehow suggest that particular game somehow diminished him compared to Toews and Oshie is ludicrous. By that same logic, Zach Parise couldn't hold Vanek's jock, and we know that isn't true. I know this is a Sioux board, but it would be nice if there was a least a hint of objectivity.

I'm not sure, but was Bochenski even on the top two lines of the Blackhawks? I am not so sure Kessel would be a regular on the top two lines of the Bruins either. I can see him having a lot of powerplay time, but unless he adds a ton of scoring punch right away, the defensive liability for a team that doesn't score a lot to begin with might not be that wise. Like I said, if he was able to score a lot right away, the defensive aspect could be overlooked to some degree. I guess time will tell.

Where is the idiot legislator from Fargo who tried to get the state to force UND to play NDSU. Brilliant!

I'm sure the coaches aren't going to take it for granted. History has shown it isn't wise to count your recruits before they hatch, I mean sign.

They must have caught the error then, because in my paper it says Warroad forward who is big and strong.

Are you talking about the listing of NHL draft prospects? That is the only spot where I saw Marvin's name. Just above his name was Forney's, and it said he signed with UND, but no mention of Marvin committing in that listing anyway.

Don't forget about Matt Watkins. I don't mind the Sioux returning to the years of the "speed kills" motto.

At first glance, Shea Hamilton doesn't look like a player with a huge offensive upside. But we all know that numbers aren't always how you judge a player, and can sometimes be deceiving. Could be the case with him as well, as you can probably multiply his point totals by three, considering the system and the number of goals Alaska puts up as a team.

Funny thing about Erik Felde from Vernon. Heisenberg has him as a left defenseman committed to Alaska Anchorage, and the British Columbia site has him as a forward committed to Fairbanks. Which is it?

Let's not forget that other than a few games, the 3rd period collapse to Denver and the BC loss being the most disappointing, UND rarely gave up more than 2 goals in any particular game after the lopsided loss to Minnesota in January. Obviously, if they can play that kind of defense, they will be in most games and should have enough scoring punch to win a lot of games. We were constantly reminded by gopher fans how much better their freshmen defensmen would be from year one to year two, I would expect the same, if not more from our defensemen, especially because of their incredible youth. Not many, in fact no, 25-year old Canadians back at defense to fill the experience gap. Expect their confidence will be very high after the late-season run, and the fact that they will be counted on as leaders, instead of taking the passive role as most freshmen.

You know I've seen so much creative accounting, that I don't know if I'd believe numbers any college put out for public consumption. Some may just choose to be honest about it. UND could very well have a deficit, but that could be true of a very large percentage of schools who just choose to sweep it under the rug and hide expenses here and there. I would be willing to bet that some universities have the same people working on their books that count attendance at events.

I think UND would be perfectly content to stay in DII if the conference was as viable as it was when it was a ten team league. NDSU, Northern Colorado and SDSU really hurt the league and worthy replacements are nowhere to be found. NDSU took the dive leaving a great conference and situation based on the premise that scholarships would be cut, which they haven't as of yet. UND wasn't about to jump into the cold ocean until it was certain that the ship was sinking, which it now unfortunately is, thanks to the fractures inflicted by the aforementioned teams. Can it be saved? Sure, but it will never sail the way the NCC used to, when it was the best conference in DII.

Let's not forget that UND could have picked up a good chunk of change the last two years if they were already in DI by making the Frozen Four in hockey. Not sure exactly how much they would have gained, but it must be fairly substantial since it is talked about quite a bit. True, it can't be budgeted year after year, but it is revenue that NDSU could never hope to obtain. Keep arguing Aff, preoccupation is the sincerest form of flattery, and right now you are flattering the heck out of the University of North Dakota.

Yet you come on to this board and expect anyone to think you are objective? At least those publications are removed from the Alumni/Fan bias we see on boards like this. I'm sure you will give us the name of an objective publication on such matters -- provided it corresponds with something you want to hear.