skateshattrick

You're right. Then he could just wear his Gophers jersey in public without causing too much of a reaction.

Perhaps because he tires of your condescending messages that are almost always contrary and intended to stir up controversy. If his response is "2nd grade", then surely your posts are preschool or below. You are like that little pest that only exists to annoy others and everyone wants to punch in the face. Tell me---WHY do you even post here? Do you ever have a reasoned response or an objective thought, or is your purpose in life simply to annoy Sioux fans?? Your signature line says it all. Unlike many Gophers fans who post here that are objective and actually add to thoughtful discussion, you are why many of us cheer when the Gophers stumble.

Well put. Both played with injuries and both have been the center of attention for the best checking lines of other teams. These guys are unbelievable talents. It will become apparent when they leave.

By your logic, Taylor Chorney (-3) is the worst defensive defenseman. It would also tell you that TJ Oshie (+1) is a worse defensive forward than Jonathan Toews (+8). Why don't you set aside 20 seconds some time and tell me everything you know about hockey.

What a joke! He is by far the worst defensive defenseman. To answer your question, there are at least three obvious reasons. First, because he is seldom on the ice when the other team's top line is on the ice. The coaches recognize that as well, so they put him out in situations where he does the least amount of harm. Second, there is often a faceoff in the defensive zone after he left the ice because he either iced the puck or could not get the puck out of the zone. Unfortunately, goals are often scored off of face-offs in the defensive zone. Finally, he is fortunate enough to be on the ice when the top players such as Duncan, Toews or Oshie scored, with very little to no contribution from him. That is why plus/minus is the most overrated statistic. If you happen to step onto the ice while a goal is being scored against, you have a minus and the converse is also true. Rather than looking at stats, perhaps you should watch the games. I'm not going to debate you further, but I resent being called a "fool" by a person who has not demonstrated any knowledge of the game. Why don't you talk with some of the coaches in the area and ask them who the worst defensmen is for the Sioux. I'll be shocked if you hear any other name.

That's exactly my point. Brian Lee may have had higher expectations, but it is totally unfair to single him out or to constantly rip him when he clearly is better than Finley even on his worst day. Besides, Finley was also a first round draft choice, so he's not entitled to a free pass. I'm trying my hardest to refrain from ripping Finley, but suffice it to say that he's not close in ability to Brian Lee.

I agree that Brian Lee has not played up to his expectations this year, particularly lately. However, he is not close to being the worst defenseman. For all of the Finley apologists out there, he is by far the worst defenseman on the team. I don't care what his plus/minus is, he would not be playing if he were not 6'7". He reacts slowly, gets beat easily and often, and often throws the puck along the boards without looking, creating numerous turnovers and constantly feeding the point. I realize that he's a work in progress and has a lot of potential, but he scares me every time he's on the ice. Jones has also taken a lot of untimely penalties that have cost the Sioux, and as much as I like Genoway, he is not physical enough on D. I would much rather see him at forward and Radke back on D. Chorney and Bina have really been the only consistent defensemen, and both have been very good. Chorney is the most underrated defenseman in the league.

I'm with you Sioux Hab-it! Jon Toews is a special player and I have really enjoyed watching him. Players like him do not come around very often. Many times, he is the best player on the ice and has nothing to show for it on the score sheet.

As much as I admire Robbie Bina and Ryan Duncan, I have to say Jonathan Toews. Much like Zach Parise, Sioux fans will not appreciate how good he is until he is gone and playing for a very long time in the NHL. He stats may not show it, but I truly believe that he is the best player in the WCHA.

All valid points. My question is: who is going to score next year with Toews gone, Porter gone, Oshie possibly/likely gone? I like Zajac too, but I view him more as a grinder than a top flight scorer. Duncan can score, but without Oshie and Toews, its going to be a lot more difficult for him. The Sioux better hope that they have some impact freshmen next year, because I don't see a lot of natural scorers out of the rest of the current sophomore or freshmen classes. Maybe we will get lucky and Oshie, Chorney and Lee will all return.

Yes. There is a Gaustad on the Grafton HS roster this year, one of the sophomores. His dad is Dan Gaustad. Paul Gaustad is the nephew of Dan Gaustad (Paul's dad and Dan Gaustad are brothers) and lived in Fargo for awhile. They moved to Oregon a few years back, and Paul Gaustad played in the WHL rather than college. He then went to Buffalo's AHL team and was brought up to the Sabres, I believe last year.

I didn't say I was turning in my season tickets. I have loyally followed the Sioux for all of my life. I went in the early 90's when you could throw a rock in any direction and not worry about hitting anyone. It was that bad. They were lucky to get 1500-2000 fans per game. They finally dumped Gino (which was not very popular) and re-energized the program with Dean Blais, but they waited too long. The fact that I have been there, and don't want it to happen again, gives me more than the right to complain. Do not confuse my frustration and anger with apathy. However, I also know from experience that many fans will turn in their tickets and stop going. Don't worry---there will be plenty of tickets available if this garbage continues. If you want tickets for any home game this year, email me. We didn't use 3 of our 6 tickets last night. Like most families, we have conflicts with our own kids playing hockey, but the interest level in buying the tickets is already starting to wane, particularly for crap teams like AAU and MTU that we can't even beat at home.

I agree completely. Frankly, I am tired of being told that I am not being a good fan or I'm too negative if I disagree or criticize the players or coaches. For those of you that constantly do, get your rose-colored glasses off and start seeing things for what they are. 1. The Sioux got swept in the same year for the FIRST TIME EVER by perennially weak sisters Michigan Tech and AAU. This would have been unforgiveable in the old rink, but now that we supposedly have a major recruiting advantage over these schools because of the Taj Mahal, what is the excuse?? No one would doubt that AAU and MTU get the leftovers after UM, UND, UW, DU and CC. They know that as well. That is also why they have had very little success against the rest of the league. Don't believe me? Look it up---- 2. AAU was swept @ MTU, split at MSUM, was swept at home by DU, was swept on the road by SCSU, split with a depleted UW squad at home, split @ MSUM, and split on the road with CC. They have exactly 2 sweeps this year--Alaska Fairbanks and UND. 3. MTU swept AAU at home, was swept at CC, lost and tied @ DU, was swept by UM, was swept by UM, and was swept at UMD. Basically, they swept AAU at home and swept UND on the road. 4. I'm so tired of hearing how we lost all these great players. Guess what? So did everyone else. UM lost its top 4 scorers in Potulny, Kessel, Irmen and Harrington. Denver lost 3 of its top 4 scorers with Matt Carle (the best player in the country last year), Gabe Gauthier, and Paul Stastny. UW lost its top 5 scorers with Pavelski, Earl, Burish, Gilbert and MacMurchy. CC lost Joey Grubb and its 2 Hobey candidates, Marty Sertich and Brett Sterling. Other than SCSU, UND arguably had the most returning. Yes, UND lost Stafford, Zajac, Spirko and Smaby, but they returned their 3, 4 and 5 scorers in Oshie, Toews and Duncan. 5. We have almost no contribution from our freshmen class. UM has Barriball (26 points), Okposo (24), E. Johnson (15), Flynn (9), Carman (9), Lucia (8), O'Brien (6) and Schack (6). Denver has Brock Trotter (26), Rakhshani (24), Ruegsegger (22)and Gifford (10). CC has Connelly (14) and Sweatt (12). SCSU's leading scorers are freshmen. What does UND have? Other than Chay Genoway's respectable 13 points, we have Zajac with 4, Forney with 2 and Vande Velde with 1. That is pathetic. 6. If Toews (who cannot score because he gets keyed on and has no help) leaves as expected, and TJ leaves as well, what do we have left?? The sophomore class other than Toews, Oshie, Duncan and Chorney has been a major disappointment, and this freshman class looks weak. We better have a great incoming freshmen class next year, or the Sioux are going to find themselves in the lower half of the league. 7. Let's take the kids gloves off and quit blowing smoke up everyone's collective asses, shall we? It is unacceptable for the Sioux not to be in the top 1/2 of the WCHA every year, making the NCAA tournament and competing for a national championship. We have the facilities, the tradition and success, and what every recruit wants--a proven track record of winning and of players making it to the next level. 8. So tell me, what excuse is there EVER for losing to AAU and MTU in the same year and getting swept at home by MTU??? The answer is none. We still have more talent than AAU and MTU combined. They would kill to have Jonathan Toews, let alone TJ Oshie, Ryan Duncan and Taylor Chorney. Name a player on either team (with the possible exception of Justin Bourne) who would even skate on the first line?? The answer is none. 9. What is the problem? Well, as politically incorrect and blasphemous as it is to say this, the bucks stops the chief or head coach. They underachieved last year for most of the year with the most talented team in the country, and this year is pathetic. I'm not saying that he needs to be fired, but that situation needs to be closely monitored. There is no way on earth that Duke in BB, Ohio State or USC in football or Michigan or Minnesota in hockey would put up with this garbage. It's bad enough getting swept by UW and Maine at home, but MTU is a new low. I'm sure that I will get ripped for this rant. Bring it on. I'm tired of the Barney "group hugs" and the excuses. I don't pay thousands for season tickets to watch this garbage. I would rather watch the FM Jets, Moorhead or South HS, or any youth hockey than to watch a team that I have had season tickets for over 20 years put this product on the ice. It is unacceptable to me. I can't believe that more people don't feel this way. Dave Hakstol is a great guy. I like him and wish him success. However, when you take a high profile job, it is "just win baby!" If not, you look elsewhere. If he does not turn this around and fast, he won't have to worry. Once the butts in the seats start disappearing, even his father-in-law won't be able to save him. I'm pulling for him and I'm still cautiously optimistic. However, time is running out.

I don't think that's fair. He's very talented and will be a top player for RR next year. His brother Morgan was also very good and played at Lincoln of the USHL before a concussion cut his career short. Many believe he is more talented than Morgan. He's also a nice kid and his parents are good people. Please try not to rip kids on here--they read these messages also. If you don't believe he's talented, you should look at the WCHA prospects blog. He was one of the few ND players listed.

There were not tryouts for the 2005 team Great Plains Elite 1 team. ND got 11 nominations to the team, and the selection criteria was as follows: 1. National Festival participants 2. Dakota Selects participants 3. League scouting reports 4. HS coaches recommendations. Thus, it is not based on tryouts, but upon past performance and who you know. I have an email that confirms how the team was selected. I assume that the same criteria was used this last year when Jake McDougall tried out.

I'm not sure that success in the Elite league is necessarily a fair reflection of ability. There are typically no tryouts for the team, and players are often placed upon the team based upon reputation of past selection on Select teams. There were a few Elite 1 players that did not make the Team North Dakota for Chicago, and a few more that did not make Junior A teams. In other words, they no longer made the team based upon past performance or reputation. There were also several players from Minnesota who played Elite 1 who were outperformed on Junior A teams by players that were not as fortunate to be selected. Furthermore, success on an Elite 1 team is often directly proportionate to who that person is playing with and the amount of playing time. Jordy Christian and Aaron Marvin are great players, but they also logged more than their fair share of playing time. I'm not saying that is necessarily the case with Jake McDougall, but I would not measure his ability by whether he made Elite 1 or how well he performed (e.g. points scored).

Will Aide of Bismarck and Alex Olson of Devils Lake.

Kozek has a great shot, but almost always shoots high, meaning he either shoots over the net, hits the crossbar, or every once in a blue moon, picks the upper corner. He also has very good speed, but he does not seem to have very good hands. He has trouble catching passes and often loses the puck on rushes. His stats in the BCHL are somewhat typical for that league--it has the reputation as a scoring league.

Great posts by UNDhockey22 and right on the mark! I don't doubt that Chad Johnson wants a few local players on his roster, but I doubt that he would take many, if any, "token" players as SportsDoc implies. That implication is not only rank speculation, but it is not logical. First, Chad Johnson wants to move on to the next level just like the players. That means winning first. Second, if he was just putting local players on the team to put "butts" in the stands, why would he have not taken more local players who tried out? There were many local players who tried out that were on Elite 1 leagues in both ND and Minnesota that did not make the team. I can give you names, but I really don't think that is necessary. Finally, the Jets are the top team in the league. That is a testament to the quality of the players that Chad Johnson gets, local or otherwise. The fact is that the quality of hockey in this area has improved greatly, so it is possible to have a number of local players and still succeed. Ironically, Dane Litke, who coaches Bismarck, only took 2 local players, and 1 does not play. Yet, the FM Jets have done much better than Bismarck both head-to-head and in the league.

Let's clear a few things up. First, there is no question that the East is better than the West in hockey. The East will likely sweep again this year, and the winner of State will almost certainly be South, Red River or Grafton. Second, although the West TEAMS are not as good--primarily because of depth--there are unquestionably players from the West who are as good as any from the East. We learned that last year with Tyler Jundt. He was a legitimate candidate for Mr. Hockey, and demonstrated that by his showing at the Chicago Showcase and now in the USHL. That has been true in the past as well with players from Minot (Quinn Fylling, Danny Hansen and others) and Bismarck (Mike Peluso, Mitch Vig, Layne Sedevie, James Massen). Although Grand Forks has obviously had the most players who have excelled in the pros and college, Minot and Bismarck have probably had as many or more players than Grafton and Fargo. I have not seen the Bottineau player that is being discussed, but I don't discount his talent simply because he is from the west or a bad team. Generally, AAU and Michigan Tech are bottom dwellers, but they have had a number of talented players, some of whom have played in the pros after being on poor teams.

To answer your question, the 4 Mr. Hockey finalists last year were: 1. Paul Weisgarber, Fargo South--currently playing at Waterloo of USHL 2. Erick Galt, Fargo South---currently playing at North Iowa of NAHL 3. Paul Campbell, Grafton--attending UND. Tried out for FM Jets of NAHL and did not make the team 4. Tyler Jundt, Williston--playing at Green Bay of USHL. The only other USHL player from last year's class is Andy Dittus of Minot, who is also playing at Green Bay. Mario Lamoureux of Grand Forks and Jordan Willert did not play high school hockey last year, opting to play in the USHL for Tri City. Both have scholarships (Lamoureux to Northern Michigan and Willert to UNO). The only others that I am aware of that are playing Junior A hockey are Marc Mihulka and Marc Harrie with the FM Jets of the NAHL and Alex Olson from Devils Lake with Bismarck of the NAHL. Grant Larson of Fargo South was playing for the FM Jets, but recently left to attend school at St. Thomas in Minnesota. Adam Campbell of South is playing for Condordia College in Moorhead, Mn.

I don't believe that I'm ready to go that far, but I agree that there are some legitimate questions and concerns. Yes, he got to 2 Frozen Fours, but they were players that were brought in for the most part by Blais. I think we need to see how the season plays out.

I was wondering the same thing. Did anyone see the game that has some perspective on this?

If you believe that point totals tell you who is a better player, than you really don't know much about hockey. Point totals don't tell you the style of play of the team, the talent surrounding that player, the caliber of competition played against, whether that player is good defensively, how good that player is along the boards or on faceoffs, if the team rolls 4 lines, if that player gets most of his goals on the power play, etc. A case in point is Jon Toews for the Sioux. There are many players in the league that have more points this year, and virtually anyone with any hockey knowledge would not say that those players are better because they have more points. Look at his performance in the World Juniors. He simply doesn't have enough help around him at UND. I am not ripping Eric Meland, who is a very talented player, but point totals tell only a small part of the story. It is clearly a matter of opinion, but I would take Zach Miller over him any day. If Klein was on South or RR, he would probably put up similar numbers. With all due respect to his teammates, Tyler Klein doesn't have enough help and it is easier for a good team to key on and shut down 1 or 2 players. Wurden is a defenseman, so its a little like comparing apples and oranges, but he appears to have a very bright future beyond high school. I'm really not sure that Eric Meland is as good or any better than Powers or McDougall from South or Tanner Hills and Tanner Anderson from Grafton.

I disagree. Galbreath and LaDoucer are probably top 5, and I really like Meland, but you are overstating his talent. Danny Wurden of South, Zach Miller of Grafton and Tyler Klein of North deserve consideration before Meland. You could also make a case for Tanner Hills, Zach Welding, Ian Powers, Sean Deichert, Tyler Swanson and a few players from the west.