ScottM

I'd guess J-Parise will get the start tonight. Generally, I thought Brandt played pretty well. However, I wish Blais would put a leash on him to keep him from wandering out of the crease ...

No, as a ND alum, Don is really upset that UND uses the interlocking "ND" too. Well, and that these games keep him from watching the new "Sex in the City" DVDs at home.

I too would love to see more league games, especially with traditional rivals. From the league's perspective, with its revenue sharing programs, it makes more sense to have UND, Minnie and Wisco play each other with two series each during the season. We have the biggest barns, the biggest rivalries and even when one or all of these programs are down for a season, we still sell more tickets than anybody else. Even if SCCC is 10-0, I doubt they could fill REA like a Wisco or Minnie series, especially if its around a holiday or something else is going on. I know people who have traveled through blizzards to GF when the gophers and badgers are showing up.

Follow-up: According to an email I got from the UND alumni association, Senser's in all three TC locations will have the games on both nights, including the Minnie series. Just have to call ahead and reserve a table. I *believe* that the Bloomington location tends to have the largest numbers, if the past is any indicator.

It was referenced in the "Matt Greene" thread near the end, as the original reporter posted the reply somewhere.

What do you expect? Most of what INCH produces is lifted from boards, garbage cans, newspapers, press releases and cheap tequila-induced hallucinations. Notably, they didn't follow up on Greene's email reply to the what was printed in the Hockey's Future interview. Then again, that might require some level of journalistic integrity, or at least some effort beyond cutting and pasting material. These losers get their panties in such a twist over interview comments, I think some of them post on POI.

Thanks for the update, as always Pat. I'm still betting that Schneider sits for at least one game this weekend. I'd rather have him set for the second half of the season, rather than risking any more damage now.

Do the students still chant, "Sweeney, Sweeney, Sweeney ... SUCKS!" at REA?

Yeah, that would explain the usually soldout hockey barns in Des Moines, Waterloo, etc. Iowa is a "football/wrestling/BB state", as is NoDak, but to presume that college hockey would not do well there simply on that basis, demonstrates the remarkable myopia of the Stream Yellow tradition.

Yep, I'd bet Deano had a big grin on his face when he made that statement. FWIW: I've been more impressed with Irmen than Ryan so far this season.

How about throwing a live badger into the Minnesota bench?

I don't see why anybody's concerned about what the New Haven paper would write about UND or REA. Most of those eastern snobs don't believe hockey exists west of Ohio, and the Yalies look down their noses at Princeton. Screw 'em. This is hockey, not some effete meeting of overindulged geeks.

A lot of hockey players go to UND for the same reason football players attend Nebraska, Miami or Florida, because the school has a powerhouse program that gets pro scouts' attention. Most of these guys accomplish two goals: 1. they attain, or make good progress towards a degree, and 2. they get a chance to realize their dream of playing pro hockey. Frankly, I like Greene's candor. I'd be more worried if he said he was working a degree, and then he ends up on academic probation or getting bounced from school. More power to him. A number of UND players have left early and finished their degrees later after their pro careers ended. Greene should be viewed no differently in this regard.

"While Wild holdout Marian Gaborik was skating informally with the Bucks Unpainted Furniture amateur hockey team the other day at Bloomington Ice Garden, some NHL alumni who were there to work out yelled to him, "What part of $9.5 million don't you understand?" The former NHL players can't understand how Gaborik could turn down a $9.5 million offer from the team, especially considering the NHL's labor deal expires next year." Charley Waters, Pioneer Press Oct. 29, 2003 And this seems to be the underlying thought among alot of the Wild fans I know. IMO Gaborik is getting screwed by his own greedy agents.

I caught the replay on the news, it was a great shot. Vintage Roche. Hopefully, it breaks the ice for him and he's got the monkey off his back. Unfortunately, here in "The State of Hockey" they gave the game pretty short shrift to concentrate on the T-Pups.

IMO, I don't really think there will be too much of a backlash if the Wild don't sign Gaborik this season. Even around the X, where I split seasons, there's not alot of sympathy for him. His agents have staked out a fringe position, and pretty much made him look like a spoiled brat. A guaranteed base equal to last seasons' incentive-laden contract makes him look lazy, and that doesn't really play well around here. Contrast that with Garnett. He signed a mega-deal, and nobody really batted an eye. His agent and Taylor worked well together and got it done, no holdouts, no BS. I believe the Wild still retain Gaborik's rights a few years down the road, regardless if there's a strike or not, or whether he signs now or not. If he is signed by another team, through an offer sheet, I think the Wild would be entitled to a boatload of first round picks. The cynic in me says they are working to keep Gaborik around in order to build the team up with more "stars" of various experience levels, and he'll probably end up being dealt away down the road.

God must really have it in for you. Oh, and you forgot "IRS audit" on your list. Seriously, take care and stay safe. We need all the support we can get to keep the Sioux Empire thriving on the coast.

Hey, cool. Maybe he can get "The Paul Wellstone Singers" to show up and nauseate me during drivetime. "Everybody is different, everybody's the same ..." Ed Schultz? I thought he was the biggest Limbaugh lovin' neo-con in the F-M area a few years ago? WTF? Did some $$$ turn him into a granola eating, Volvo driving, latte sipping candy-ass? God knows he could use the extra support a Volvo offers, but this is interesting ...

The Wild have been offering Gaborik the best deal in NHL history for guy his age/experience at base, and it has incentives built in that would make him one of the best paid players at his experience level. Gaborik and his agents are trying to lock-in a mega-deal before the CBA comes up for renewal, and everybody knows the players' bargaining positions will be limited after that. The economics of the NHL dictate shaving players' salaries at some point, as the NHL doesn't have the fanbase of other major sports or the TV revenue. (Don't even get me started on Bettman's ego-fueled expansion drives ). In any event, if Gaborik wants to play hockey, he can make a good deal of money doing it and proving he's worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Mondano and Sakic. Or he can go back to Slovakia and wait for them to get color TV. And yes, the "Word" around MSP is that the Wild will probably shop Gaborik in the future to bring in more depth and seasoning.

I've read a few "stories" about people who declined to attend UND because of the name. Then again, it probably had more to do with financial aid packages than anything else. Moreover, if UND is such an "evil" place for keeping the name, where is the mass exodous of faculty, staff and students who oppose the name? Why do these little protests only draw the same crowds of long-in-the-tooth faculty/staff and students whose only contact with Indians probably consists of visits to casinos? After all, by continuing to give money and services to UND, don't they perpetuate this "evil"? Then again, I suppose hypocrisy isn't really an issue for the pathological whiners in the name change choir.

UND has a fleet of planes, maybe we could them a deal. Does it still have that jet too?

In addition, if you are not chosen in the FF lottery, a number of FF tickets come up for sale, usually at face and shipping, on USCHO from fans whose teams aren't going, or they have other matters. Don't buy them on Ebay, as the bids, even for mediocre seats, can be really large.

No, skating. Gino also did it when the team slacked off. I guess he would sit in the bleachers and smoke a stogie while the team did its time.

It's going to be tough to fill REA when the Bison are in town. Especially, trying to draw in the traveling seasons from the region. That said, getting over 10k in one place the size of GF is a pretty decent accomplishment. With regard to White Cloud, and its continuing problems with racism, anti-Semitism, ageism, etc. "LoPresti is pictured wearing a Blackhawks sweater from that era. But on painting, they've replaced the Indian head logo with a depiction of a dog. Yes, it's a husky. Some are apparently not just content to re-write history, they want to re-paint it too." Apparently, Saigo and crew now equate Indians with dogs. Where's Cryin' Jim, Lucy Gange and the rest of the PC Nazis?

You might throw Genoway's brother at SSM into the mix. Better skater than Colby, and better hands too.