Chuck Schwartz

Your simply living in the 80's if you equate, readiness to leave school, to NHL teams signing a player away. VV is one of the top forwards in a fairly weak Oilers system. More and more teams are going to sign away players after their junior seasons for risk of losing them right after their senior seasons.

I don't have a big issue with the participation thing. I don't remember what exactly St. Cloud has but just listing the years you were in the tournament on 1 single banner is no big deal to me. It is something to be proud of. I feel like Michigan has one of the best helmets in college hockey. The picture that comes to my mind when I see that just screams Michigan to me. It's a tradition and I like it. Northern's area is over 4,000 total capacity including standing room. This does qualify for the WCHA standards.

If Gerbe got into BC, then they can find a way to get Morin into BU.

I think there is one thing that everyone here can agree on, there is no correct mix of recruits that is guaranteed to win a championship. In fact, recruiting is only about 1/4th of the equation. Player development, coaching, and chemistry all have the same level of importance, in some cases, like player development, it's more important. Do you need to have a strong base of recruits to win? That's an obvious yes. But it's definitely only one piece of the puzzle. Some people argue that argue that you don't have enough blue chippers, some argue that you should be more balanced, and the fact is, no one really knows the true balance if what you need. You just have to trust that the coaching staff is doing the absolute best it can do to win a championship. And you know what, complaining because you have been to the last 4 frozen 4's and haven't won one is a cop out. Consistently finishing in the top 4 in the nation is something to be proud of, even if you don't get a banner for it. And you know what, a break or 2 here or there, and one of those could have been a banner. That's all hockey is, a game of breaks. When Wisconsin won in 2006, they were a crossbar away in the Cornell game from not even making the frozen 4 that season. I applaud the effort that your coaching staff and players have put in. Getting where you have the past 4 seasons is something to be proud of. I have no doubts that the Sioux will be a threat again this season.

From what I understand, the home team always pays the travel cost of the visitor.

You guys are playing awesome tonight. First Sioux game I've got to see this season so far. I put a post up on the Badger Blog that I help write for, I think you guys will like it. P.S. how many slappers has Watkins taken tonight? Is that normal for him? Hell even when he had a break away he took a heater.

You stick with your team whether they are winning or losing. You my friend, are the definition of a fair weather fan. Cheering for Canada because they are the best, is embarrassing.

I was going to say, who doesn't know the words? Just because we choose not to sing it, doesn't mean we don't know the words. Everyone has traditions, I choose to honor my country by singing the song in my head while thinking about the pride I have for my country. Pride, such as not cheering for another country against my own in an international competition just because a significant other of mine is from that country and I'm a sell out.

That is pretty awesome.

Dude, your from America.

I agree with you on the other games, but when did we get worked by the Slovaks? Didn't we outshoot them like 50-20? Just because it looked like a squirt goalie suited up for team USA, doesn't mean we got worked. USA dominated action throughout.

The performance in this tournament has nothing to do with the junior program in the United States. The talent was there offensively and defensively, goalkeeping was a HUGE issue, and Rolston was not a good choice as a coach. Anyone with knowledge of the players selected would have told you the US had the second, or at worst the third most talented squad in Ottawa this week. They just never put it together. I'm not sure how that's a reflection on the junior program in the US.

Care to explain the decent juniors program comment?

Sadly cheering for Canada tonight.

I can't account for the validity of your full list, but Mike Eaves coached the 2004 team, and they won a gold medal, not John Hynes. Hynes was an assistant though. Maybe we should bring back Eaves?

It's his son. I wouldn't be surprised to see Tinordi end up in London. They are putting on the full court press for his services. Tinordi does have an older brother in the AJHL who is going to I believe RPI next season.

Then you cheer for the US. No questions asked.

Where are you from? USA? If so, why is it even a question who you cheer for? You cheer from where you are from, the United States.

Unless you mean that he didn't have any players to take the pressure off him so he was getting the other teams sole focus the whole game, I disagree with you. This is not the thread to debate Wisconsins offense, but your thoughts are clearly ignorant and out-dated.

Toews came in a year early, and he stayed 2. Kessel came in a year early, and he left after 1. I'm not sure you an predict future departures on what past players did. Scroeder has tried to move onto the next level as fast as possible every year. It obviously depends on who drafts him and what they want to do, but even though he is small, he's still a lot more solid than Turris is, and should have more immediate success like Kane. I'm sure Schroeder doesn't even know, since he has no idea what advice the team that takes him is going to give, but for now, I'll say he goes after this season.

Mattson just sniped a goal from a terrible angle. His feet were below the bottom of the circles. 2-0 AHA.

Danny Mattson and his Holy Angles teammates are taking on St. Thomas Academy on FSN right now. (3:00 PM Central Time Monday) Probably not worthy of a new thread but It's late notice and I figured this was the best way to make the most people aware of him playing on TV. P.S. He's not related to Taylor Matson at Minnesota. Not sure why Gorg thinks that.

If you don't think you have high end talent in next years class, then you simply don't know how to evaluate talent. That is an excellent recruiting class top to bottom. Is there a sure fire top 10 NHL draft pick in there? No, but in today's college hockey landscape, that might be an advantage. If you can get high end recruits that will stay 3-4 years, like a Jamie McBain, as opposed to a #1 pick like Erik Johnson who leaves after 1, THATS when you have success. Are you going to turn down an Erik Johnson? Absolutely not, but you sure don't need a kid like that to win a championship.

Remind me how that game turned out? My memory is cloudy but I think they got some sort of trophy for winning it.

He's going to be a high first round pick even though he's not 6'. Probably top 5.