ScottM

Well, it's still early in the summer, so Sioux fans may not want to start dancing yet. We still have some of our own guys who could take the $$$ and run. That said, I am so glad to see Ballard gone. He's a guy you would love to see on your own squad, but hate to see lining up on the other side. Best of luck Keith.

Very nice catch, IMO. Welcome aboard. Any word on Ammerman?

IMO, Commie really needs to work on his skating to move to the next level. He seems to get turned around and can get caught out of position in his own zone. He's tough and physical, like a good d-man should be, but he lacks good mobility especially on rushes. That said, I think he works hard and seems to make his presence felt, and I really loved seeing him on the cover of The Hockey News.

Isn't that what you do anyway after a typical weekend?

Sprig, don't make me stop this internet thingee ... again.

Here's a pretty decent article on an icon of hockey, Warroad's own Christian Brothers. Since WSJ is subscription, here it is: the Wall Street Journal May 20, 2004 Christian Brothers' Goal? A Break for Wooden Hockey Sticks By MARK YOST May 20, 2004; Page D10 Whichever remaining teams make it to the Stanley Cup in the next few days, it will mark the first hockey finals in about 30 years without a Christian Brothers logo to be seen. "Christian Brothers is a name that's synonymous with the history of hockey," said Brian Jennings, group vice president of marketing for the National Hockey League. Not seeing one of its wooden sticks in the Stanley Cup is like not having an Andretti or Unser in the Indianapolis 500. As recently as the early 1990s, most hockey sticks were made of wood. But about 10 years ago, they began to be replaced by sticks made of graphite composite. By last year, only 9% of sticks used in the NHL had more than a passing acquaintance with trees. But, as in fashion, what is old can become new again. Some hockey players are considering going back to wooden sticks. And that would be an answer to Christian Brothers' prayers. Despite its name, this Warroad, Minn., company is not a sideline for monks with woodworking skills. The founding brothers (there was a founding brother-in-law too) are Bill and Roger Christian, who played on the 1960 and 1964 Olympic hockey teams. And the siblings, who hail from Warroad, about as far north as you can get without being in Canada, were national heroes. In the 1960 Olympics, Bill scored the tying and winning goals against the Russians; Roger scored four goals in the third period of the Gold Medal game against the Czechs, sealing the U.S. team comeback from a 4-3 deficit. (Bill's son David also played for the U.S. In 1980 he was member of the "Miracle on Ice" Olympic hockey team.) Sons of a carpenter, the Christians grew up playing hockey with sticks made by their dad. They eventually started making their own and in the mid-1960s founded Christian Brothers Hockey with Hal Bakke, their brother-in-law, and the motto "hockey sticks by hockey players." "We were building houses during the day and making sticks at night," Roger Christian said in a recent interview. They started out making sticks from ash and elm, but then went to a 21-ply laminated Finnish birch in 1970. From there, the business grew until the mid-1980s, when the Christian Brothers factory was making up to 3,000 sticks a day and was Warroad's largest employer. Their forte was not simply making sticks, but tailoring the curve and angle of the blades for a player's particular style. Name nearly any NHL star from the 1970s and '80s -- Gordy Howe, Bobby Hull, Andy Moog -- and you'll find a customer. But in the early 1990s, the first composite sticks -- lighter and, initially, more durable than wood -- were introduced by other manufacturers. "If I made a mistake as a businessman, it was not getting into making synthetic sticks," admits Roger Christian. "But I don't regret a minute of it." Last year, unable to recapture the market, the Christian Brothers factory was forced to close its doors, and its assets were placed in bank receivership. But that didn't deter the most diehard devotees. Many called Rick Christian, Roger's son, who had taken over the family business, and begged him to make them sticks. "When I wasn't trying to get the business back on its feet, I was in the shop making sticks," Rick said. "These were loyal customers who loved our sticks, and I just couldn't say 'No.'" But just as Christian Brothers was shutting down production, complaints about composite sticks and their tendency to break were reaching a climax. The composites were increasingly brittle because many players were demanding ever-lighter sticks. The lighter composites also cost up to 10 times more than wood sticks. Many players began to feel the composites simply weren't as good. The predominant trend today is a composite shaft with a wood blade. But some players and equipment managers are looking at going back to all wood. "The wood stick has a real snap to it," Roger Christian said. "And it gives you better control. If you watch the players today, they're always chasing the puck, having to handle it." The one set of players that Christian Brothers -- and other wood-stick makers like Sherwood -- never lost was the goal-tenders. Many of the greatest goalies -- both past and present -- have been Christian Brothers customers: Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils, Ed Belfour of the Montreal Canadiens, and Roman Turek of the Calgary Flames. Because the company didn't pay the NHL licensing fee for this season, NHL players who still use Christian Brothers sticks have to tape over the name. Today, Christian Brothers is back in business. Its new owner, Harrow Sports, a Denver sporting-goods maker, bought the Christian Brothers assets from the bank last year and the Warroad factory went back online in December. Harrow is letting Rick Christian run the business, and thinks it has a plan that will put Christian Brothers in the black again. Gerry Hogue, president of both Harrow Sports and Christian Brothers, says that the company's strength is going back to its roots of making custom-made wood blades while expanding its line of all-wood goalie sticks. "We're seeing a real trend toward the wood blades again," he notes. "We can tailor the curve and shape of the blade for an individual player," he said. "And we can do that very cost effectively." Christian Brothers also makes a good buck producing nostalgia sticks. The company manufactures replica sticks for Hall of Famers like Mr. Hull to sign at autograph sessions. And it had 100 commemorative sticks waiting for the University of Denver Pioneers when they returned from winning this year's NCAA championship. Christian Brothers sticks were also featured in "Miracle," the movie about the gold medal-winning 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. And with any luck, they may turn up in a future Stanley Cup finals, too.

WTF?!

Yeah, I do recall 'SU being mentioned in the same breath as Michigan, Texas, Cal., etc. I think it was by somebody talking about aliens and Elvis ... Always nice to see the Stream Yellow crowd fall back on the same specious arguments that an NC$$ division somehow equates to "academic excellence". I'd rather UND stay closer to D3 "powers" like Chicago, MIT and Johns Hopkins than follow Chaps' turpentine-fueled visions of "grandeur" in playing SoDakState or Cal-State-Nowhere. If he's lacking that much in the pants, it might be cheaper for the Blundering Turd partisans to buy him an H2 and some Viagra, rather than wallowing around in some "D1" backwater conference like the Great Waste. Then again, when the official school drink of 'SU is Prestone, and the "Homecoming Queen" is later mutton on the table, I don't think we can really expect better.

I'd bet my next paycheck on the possibility that UND is a D1 school in all sports within 5 years. The NC$$ seems bent on squeezing bigger D2 schools up a level, and I think it makes sense at some level, given how much money we are pouring into facilities, even if the economics are pretty spotty.

I agree with the "grandfather" provision. I think the league owes it to those overpaid players to ensure they don't get injured and diminish the returns to the NHL. Better yet, institute the rule "cold turkey" and if anybody loses an eye, they get a 10 minute major for being stupid.

I heard he'll try to walk on next season. I can't wait.

As well as the fact he's fat, poorly dressed, unmotivated and he owes his roommates money ...

The AP is reporting that Rodriquez will be tried in federal court, where he pleaded "Not Guilty". No decision yet on the death penalty. Apparently, the charges read "torture and serious physical abuse". F'ing scumbag, even a death sentence is too generous for him. AP Link

HA! HA!

It didn't help his chances at UND when he allowed certain faculty members to get embroiled in the "Name Debate" and effectively represent the entire school as opposing the Sioux name and logo. Well that, and said faculty members rescinding the Bar recommendations of students who opposed their views and the whole mess. Good f'ing riddance to him, maybe I'll actually send them some money in the future. FWIW: I have a law degree from UND and an MBA from St. Thomas. I'd put my lawyering and financial skills against anybody from the Ivies, Chicago, Minnie, etc., as well as my paycheck, options, etc.

Frankly, if somebody can't get at least a 21 ACT or 1000 SAT, they should probably consider a stint at McDonald's or dealing crack. I think you get 16 on the ACT just for entering your name correctly. I see no problems with having players excel on and off the ice. Will it keep a player or two from the program? Probably. Will it spell the end of a fine hockey tradition? No.

Has global warming somehow caused Hell to freeze over?

They had the press conference on CNN. They couldn't really talk about how/where Dru was found, as the investigation is still ongoing. Dru's father made a brief appearance and thanked searchers and law enforcement. Just a very sad day.

The AP is reporting that Dru's body has been found. Link

The last five minutes of "exciting" play, based on a couple of dumbass penalties, don't mitigate the fact that this was probably the most boring Title game I can recall. I remember when Maine was known for a pretty wide-open style of play, much like UND, Minnie, UNH or Mich. If Whitehead is adopting the "sit on your heels for three periods" style, I feel for the Maine faithful. Denver has always been a defensive squad under Gwoz. I think the strategy is to bore the opposition into doing something dumb, or put them to sleep. That said, congrats to Denver. *Yawn*

Agreed. As much as I love the sport, and applaud Maine and Denver for being in the NC, this really isn't a showcase of the best of our sport. I find myself flipping between this game, the Devils' game, unpacking and getting ready to go out.

Panzer got screwed. I don't think Zach is too worried about the Hobey, especially when he looks at his bank account. Lessard was a great choice IMO. I don't think Zach's chances were helped by our loss to Denver, or by his early signing with Devs. Either way, I'd bet Lessard and Zach would prefer a Title to a Hobey.

No way is Stafford ready for the NHL. He has a good level of talent, but even at the college level he got "schooled" like most frosh. If he had spent a year in the USHL or BCHL, he might be more likely to break into a club just due to the intensity of the game and length of the season. Moreover, if Drew did opt-in, and was drafted in the top-10 or 15, I think he would spend a good deal of time in the AHL. He has potential, but there are a number of Euros and MJ players that will have better draft position.

I wasn't overly impressed by Maine or BC yesterday. Both teams seemed to be playing "not to lose". Then again, I wasn't overly impressed by any of the HE teams the past season. I honestly thought UMD would clean Denver's clock, but you have to give Gwoz's boys credit for never giving up and eventually scoring more than 3 goals in a game. Anyway, the "WCHA Fan" in me really hopes Denver clobbers Maine, and it will be good humor over the summer as the HE "fans" talk about next season.