buckysieve

I don't like the argument of throwing out games and then seeing what the numbers say, but I get what you're saying. Oshie is VERY worthy of the award. I loved him during the world juniors, he doesn't stop moving and he draws more penalties than any forward in the leaugue. But I've watched Kessel play every game this year(with the exception of @Alaska)and he's also impressive every game. Kessel averages about 1.27 pts. per game and I believe Oshie is around .97. Not a huge difference, but I'm POSITIVE that Kessel has recieved more defensive attention than Oshie has. I think Kessel deseves the award because he's the leading scoring freshman in the country and I think we can all agree that he had to deal with more pressure than any other freshman who's entered college in quite some time(including Parise and Vanek). USA hockey litterally said he might be the best american born hockey player of all time. He also spurned his hometown Badgers too play for their arch rival, not an easy thing to do. If we're talking about intangibles like you say we should(and I agree) then I think we should also look at what Kessel has had to deal with. Both are great. Kessel's faster, Oshie's grittier. Oshie's got more goals, Kessel's got more assists. Kessel's a better offensive player, Oshie's a better defensive player. Who ever wins it is deserving.

Yes, I'm very worried about facing the sioux at the ralph. I'm realistic. I know how hard it is to beat the sioux at home. I'm not afraid to admit I'm praying we don't have to face the sioux but if we do we certainly have the team this year to do it. One loss in our last twenty games says it all. But I'm very aware of who that loss was to. The sioux are as talented as any team team in college hockey, just younger than most teams. I do have faith in my gophers but beating the sioux at the ralph is NEVER easy, especially during a regional when the crowd is over the top crazy. For you sioux fans who have never been to a regional in a home arena, you're in for a treat. I gaurantee you that after it's over you will all agree that you've never seen the Ralph with better atmosphere.

I don't see what was offensive about that comment. I wasn't rubbing it in about the sweep at the ralph earlier this year. I simply stated that it's hard to beat UND three times in their home rink in the same season, and that's exactly what's being asked of the Gophers if they're placed there. It feels like we're pushing our luck in a way. It wasn't meant to be a smarta** comment. That's the problem with print. It's easy to misinterpret things.

Had the Sioux gone after Grant Potulny(who was not highly touted at all) everything might have been different. I'm sure Ryan would've followed him and Irmen wanted to play with Ryan so all three probably would've been Sioux. The reason Lucia went after Grant was because he didn't want his first non Minnesota recruit to be a star. He thought there would be enough pressure already being the only non minnesotan, so he wanted someone who was a hard worker and good team player. Grant turned out MUCH better than anyone expected and the rest is history.

We'll call it a draw.

I'm not saying it's unfair for the gophers to play UND in Grand Forks. I'm just saying it's a tall order to beat them three times in their home rink in one season. It's actually a compliment to the Sioux when I say I don't want to play them. They're a very good team and on their home rink with a regional type atmosphere they will be VERY hard to beat. I was at Yost in '02 and Mariucci in '03 and '05. The atmosphere for regionals in a home arena is crazy which is why I want to avoid the Sioux. If the NCAA had a pair, they'd put us in Green Bay because that's the closest regional to Minneapolis and the overall #1 seed is supposed to go to the closest one.

I couldn't care less where gopher players come from. As long as they want to wear the "M" they will be true gophers. Just because I'm proud of the amount of Minnesotans in college hockey doesn't mean I care where the Gopher players come from. Nice try though.

Mariucci has another regional in '09, the Kohl Center has one in '08, and the World Arena has one in '08 I believe. So it's not gonna change anytime soon. What's interesting is that Denver has a regional in the next few years but it's at Pepsi Arena. At least it's not at Magness. If the "U" gets one again it should be at the "X", not Mariucci. It's still a home crowd but it's more fair than a home arena.

I threw that stat out too show how that we've been dealing with players leaving our state to play for our rivals forever. We're used to it. It doesn't bother us in the least. And yes, I am proud of that stat. Minnesota's my home state where I was born and raised so I do take pride in knowing that Minnesotans are sprinkled throughout most of college hockey's rosters.

I'm against regionals in home arena's, including Mariucci. I honestly felt guilty about having a regional at home those two years. But let's not forget that the Gophers were a number one seed both those years, so they did earn a favorable draw. And those two examples you mentioned were not involoving arch rivals like this does. And it wasn't Kalamazoo, it was Grand Rapids. I'm not whining, I'm just saying I'd rather not face UND at the Ralph.

Hopefully the Sioux can move up even more to the fifth or sixth overall seed. If that happens I doubt very much that the Gophers would be in Grand Forks because of bracket integrity. There's no way the NCAA will put the #1 overall seed in the same region as the #5. Ideally the gophers should get the #8 seed or possibly the #7 in their region. If the Sioux move up a little, get ready to see either Miami or UW in Grand Forks. I for one desperately want to avoid the Sioux in Grand Forks. It doesn't seem right that we should have to beat UND at home for a third time in the same year.

Kangas's cousin said that Alex was very impressed with UND when he made his visit. Of course it's hard not to be with the Ralph. He has stated that it's his dream to play for the Gophers and he visited yesterday. It was a good time for him to visit with the 7-0 win and the Macnaughton Cup ceremony. But he won't play until the year after next which is when Lammy is a senior and Frazee will be a junior. He could pick UND because he thinks he'll play sooner but who knows. I'd give the slight edge to Minnesota right now.

Gopher fans do not boo opposing players who are from Minnesota. If that was the case we'd be booing every time an opposing player touches the puck. I've had season tickets for the gophers since '89 and booing players from Minnesota has never been an issue. Marty Sertich got a very nice ovation from the Mariucci crowd about a month ago when they were in town. Kessel in Madison, and the potulny's and Irmen in Grand Forks get booed more than any opposing player has at Mariucci. We're used to Minnesotans playing on other teams. Did you know that last year at the Frozen Four, 42% of the players involved were from Minnesota? It's old hat for us to see other rosters filled with Minnesotans, therefore we are rarely bitter about losing a player(with the exception of Z. Parise).

Forgotten? Hardly. When you ask gopher fans who some of their favorite players of all time are, both Potulny's and Irmen will be mentioned. Especially Grant Potulny. A three year captain, scored winning ot goal for ncaa title in St. Paul. He was maybe the best team leader I've ever seen. Irmen right now is probably the most popular and most liked player by the fans. Ryan Potulny is leading the nation in goals and is a leading candidate for the Hobey. Gopher fans could care less where the players come from and these three will be remebered forever.

Didn't your season end two days later at the hands of a conference rival? I'm pretty sure it did because I stayed in Columbus for that game and I remember Denver winning. That was the best. 1979>2005

Any Sioux fan that would prefer to play the Gophers on a neutral site in Milwaukee rather than at the Ralph is crazy. As a Gopher fan, I would welcome a game between the two in Milwaukee. It's the possible match-up in Grand Forks that I want to avoid. I think the gophers are the better team but playing at the Ralph would even things out.

The press conference was put on by USA hockey, not Kessel. They made him do it because it was a big day for the U.S. junior program. If it was up to Kessel, it would not have happened. He never said anything bad about UW. The fact that you think he doesn't pass the puck is laughable. A cancer? Are you serious? From day one all he wanted to do was fit in with his teammates. He might be the most humble kid on the team and he is very well liked by the other players. He hates any individual attention he gets by all accounts of people in the program. What bothers me the most are these ridiculous misconceptions about Kessel being a cocky, selfish, pre ma donna. He's actually quite the opposite.

The NCAA doesn't want a repeat of last years frozen four with four teams from the same conference. That's why having two teams in Grand Forks and zero in another bracket makes sense. It assures that another conference will be represented in Milwaukee.

Yes he does.

He's selfish? Is that why he leads the team in assists? Some of the passes he's made this year have been incredible. He also led the u.s. junior team in assists(and points). Ask Chris Borque if he thinks Kessel is selfish. He set him up for most of his goals in the junior tourney. And those scouts you're referring to still have Kessel going in the top three of the draft and possibly number one. Yes or no. Would you want Kessel on your team Triouxper? I f you answer no(which you should after everything you've said about him) then you know nothing about the game of hockey. PCM, I don't want to argue all day about Kessel either but when someone says the things that Triouxper has said I see nothing wrong with responding.

Oh I know it's not unheard of, just unfair. UND and Denver both got screwed those years. And for the record, I didn't think it was fair when the gophers were home for two regionals. I'm for never allowing regionals to be in teams home arenas in general. The problem is in the west, we don't have a bunch of other arenas to provide us with options.

That's the way it should go but I doubt it. If the gophers end up with the #1 seed overall, why should they have to face the Sioux in Grand Forks while Wisconsin remains in their home state? The NCAA cares only about money and that's why Bucky will be in Green Bay. I guess there is always a slim chance the NCAA will do the right thing but I'm not holding my breath.

Yeah, the gophers were the #1 seed both times the regional was at Mariucci, in '03 and '05.

I know I want nothing to do with the Sioux in the regional. I think the gophers could win but you always want to avoid playing a team in their home rink. It just doesn't seem right that the number one seed in the entire tourney would get the toughest draw of the number one seeds but it looks like that will happen.

I think it's you whose true colors have shown. No matter what Kessel does you would obviously give him no credit. Other Sioux fans have given sincere level headed responses to the question, while you just sound bitter and mean spirited. They're both great players, probably the two best freshman in the country and are both worthy of the award. At this point I think Kessel has been the slightly better player of the two but not by much.