buckysieve

You're right, the Chucko situation was in the papers......two days after we knew about it because of message boards. When was the last time a newspaper broke any news when it comes to college hockey? EVERY TIME a player commits to a program, quits a team, signs a contract, gets injured in practice, or whatever, college hockey fans know about days before it hits the papers because of sites like this. I'm not saying he's gone but the fact that it hasn't been in the papers yet doesn't mean it isn't. And I'm confused you would say you don't care if he left. Yes, the Sioux will be good regardless but Spirko next year I think would put up at least 15 goals and 35-45 points. Losing a junior who can score and works as hard as he does is a pretty big loss IMO. If it is true it's a very sad way for a college hockey career to end.

Kangas is coming in the fall of '07. I kind of wish that Briggs would pull a Weber and quit the team so Kangas could come in next year. He put up great stats in the USHL this year.

I agree that goaltending is an issue but you could replace the name Briggs with Hauser in your post and that's EXACTLY what we heard going into the '01-'02 season. Come to think of it, it's exactly what we heard the following year about Weber. I agree though, Frazee becoming the go to guy would be a plus.

I think you misunderstood me. What I said was the Gophers could be a more complete team next year than this years gopher team. As far as my compliments about UND, they are never meant to be condescending. I say them because that's how I feel. Like I posted earlier somewhere, if you only rip a player or a program because they're your rival, then you lose credibility. I try to remain objective. People here know I am not a fan of the Sioux to put it kindly, but that doesn't mean I don't respect the program.

Very good points indeed. You're right, it does depend on who will step up their game. But programs like Minnesota and UND are good every year because it's pretty much a given that players do step it up when called upon. Genoway and McMahon did it their senior year for the Sioux scoring more. Next year I think Kozek, Kaip, Spirko, Duncan, etc will step up their game. Players like Gordon, Wheeler, Stoa, and Howe need to step it up next year for the Gophers. That's the best part of being a fan of elite programs like these two, the coaches recruit players who are capable of improving from year to year to keep the dominance going.

That is the big question. Last year the goaltending was actually pretty good the entire season until the very end. You don't go 20-5-3 and win the WCHA by six points with bad goaltending. Briggs was solid all year but he wasn't the same at the end. I know this gopher fan is counting on Frazee to step it up next year and be the goalie that EVERYONE thought he would be. After all, statistically he had a decent season. His gaa was around 2.5 and his save % was .910. Very similar to Parise's freshman stats.

Obviously not at all. I wasn't trying to gloat about that fact, just using it to show that only losing two good players from that team indicates that the Gophers should be strong again next year.

The Gophers were 11 points better than the Sioux this past year and beat them 3 out of 4 games. The Gophers have lost two good players off the entire roster so far with Irmen and Potluny while the Sioux also have lost two good players with Smaby and Zajac but will soon be three with Stafford undoubtedly leaving. The Gophers also have a better recruiting class coming in next year(Johnson and Okposo being better than any Sioux recruit) and they also have two veterans coming back next year in Hirsch and Hagemo. The Sioux will be great next year as always but the Gophers will not have a difficult time competing with them. If anything the Gophers will be a more complete team next year than this year because the defense will be much improved with adding Johnson and Hagemo and losing two average players in Harrington and Atherton.

Not a big shock. Calgary was trying to sign him during the season which angered Lucia. He hasn't developed at all at the "U". I just hope the Gophers can find a way to replace those four goals he scored.

My point is that Jack Johnson has proved that your theory, "it doesn't matter what his dreams are" is totally bogus. Of course it matters. It's just a hard concept for Sioux fans to relate too because most of their players didn't grow up dreaming of being Sioux. That's not a negative comment on the UND program, it's just simply the way it is. UND's players come from all over, while virtually Minnesota's entire roster wanted to be Gophers their whole life. Johnson will play for the Gophers for one season.

Tell that to Jack Johnson. He could have gone straight to the the NHL but it was his "dream" to play for Michigan and it was a MAJOR factor in his decision. Now it looks like he might play two years of college. You can't just discount the fact that Erik's been dreaming of playing for the Gophers for the last 15 years of his life.

Potulny and Irmen would have liked to stay but it would have cost them over $300,000. Stafford is in the same boat. That's why I think he'll leave. I'm not trolling, it's just my opinion.

I could be wrong but I've just assumed nothing has happened yet because of his injury. I assume he's not going to play anymore this year to rest his knee so there isn't much rush to sign him and get him into the AHL playoffs.

He's not coming back, unless he wants to throw away over $300,000. I think it's been well proven that when a player says he's coming back it means nothing. When his teammate(Finley) says it, it probably means even less. Buffalo will give him whatever he wants this summer. They will not risk losing a first round pick to free agency, which is what could happen if they allow him to play his senior year.

If Johnson comes and Hagemo gets healthy the Gophers could actually be better next season. Harrington and Atherton were both average at best. When you replace those two with two elite d-men like Johnson and Hagemo and return everyone else the defense overall is vastly improved. And if Frazee can mature he could have a huge year considering his immense talent. These are big "ifs" but if they happen the Gophers will give up a lot less goals next year. Scoring will never be a problem. But considering that Elliott, Skille, Pavelski, Parise, Spirko, Toews, Kessel, Goligoski, Johnson, and many others are still flight risks it's just too early to make a prediction.

I don't care where you post or who you cheer for. When you stop being objective you lose credibility. I love the Gophers and hate the Sioux but I'm not going to rip on great players like Oshie or Toews just for that reason.

Well at least you admit to being completely biased when assessing players. I respect your honesty I guess.

I can't believe I just read THETRIOUXPER claiming he refrains from blasting players. That was a good one. USA Hockey wasn't blasting Lapoint. He was criticizing his competition. There's a difference. Not once has USA Hockey questioned LaPoint's talent or ability to play at this level, just his readiness and it's a valid point. If you take a look at every recruit who will join Div 1 college hockey next year I bet that the vast majority of them if not all have played much better competition over the last few years than Wisconsin High School Hockey. Sure he's played in some "elite" camps, tourneys, and festivals but so has every good recruit. The bottom line is that his main source of competition, Wisconsin High School Hockey, is weaker than most other recruits competition. He should've gone to the USHL for his senior season of high school.

I'm not questioning what you say, but I don't understand why a first round draft pick had 20 prospects ranked ahead of him in the first place. How could a first round pick ever be rated behind that many players in one organization?

I kind of hope he stays too because then that would indicate that these rumors about his parents badly needing money may not be true. I think it would be sad if Spirko was pretty much forced to leave a university and go back home just to make money.

That was in response to Triouxper saying "sorry to burst your yellow and brown bubble." Now I'll admit, that's not that bad of a thing for the Triouxper to say but why do you just ignore that he said that and make a false claim that Piper came on the board and started this with his "puke green bubble" comment? This is another example of Sioux fans just ignoring what the Triouxper says and jumping all over what a Gopher fans says. I'm really surprised that their aren't more Sioux fans who are embarrassed to be associated with this guy.

Kessel - 51 points, 6th highest total in WCHA, 11th highest total in NCAA. #1 scoring freshman in the country, WCHA Rookie of the Year, USCHO national rookie of the year, INCH national Rookie of the year. Oshie - 45 points, 11th in the WCHA Toews - 39 points, 18th in the WCHA Just sayin'...

Saying that the Sioux did not overachieve is not berating them. If anything I'm complimenting their talent level by saying they didn't overachieve. By the end of the season I expected them to be a very good team, which they were. My team absolutely underachieved this post season but that has nothing to do with my opinion of the Sioux.

Well then stop using the Grand Forks Herald pre-season poll as an argument to show that the Sioux overachieved this season. When you're an elite program with home ice in the regional a Frozen Four is expected, no matter what. Going into last year the Gophers were coming off of losing Vanek, Riddle, Koalska, G. Potulny, Ballard, and Taylor, but knowing that they had the regional at Mariucci I fully expected to see them in the Frozen Four. The fact that seven freshman played every night didn't change that opinion.