skateshattrick

I agree patience is in order, but you are comparing apples and oranges. When Dean Blais took over, the Sioux had very little talent and had been a cellar dweller for 3 years, resulting in the dismissal of Gino Gasparini. Quite frankly, he revived a dead or dying program, much like Scott Sandelin has done in Duluth. By contrast, Hakstol inherited a senior laden team that was 30-8-3, and only lost 3 significant players. Granted, Parise and Bochenski were probably the best forward combination in the country, but the well was not dry. The Sioux returned ALL of the defense, the 2 goaltenders, and 3 lines of forwards. Plus, this team was expected to compete for a WCHA title and a national championship without Zach and Bo. With the returning defense, one would not have expected the Sioux to get outshot most nights and rarely hold the opposition to less than 25 shots. Granted, it is early, but that is cause for concern.

Wow! There are certainly two extremes on this message board. The first extreme are those who are calling for Hakstol's head. The second extreme are those with green-colored glasses who view it as blasphemy to even utter a disparaging word about Sioux hockey and Dave Hakstol. An objective view will tell you that you are both right and both wrong. In other words, there is cause for concern, but it is early. Obvious concerns: 1. The powerplay. The Sioux dump the puck in, send 3 forwards into the corner, and about 1/2 of the time, gain possession. Additionally, no one moves, meaning that if the opponent pressures the puck, there is a good chance that the Sioux will have no success. On the other hand, this is a problem that has plagued the Sioux for several years, including last year when they had the 2 best forwards in the country. Is this Hakstol's issue (he ran the PP last year) or is it Dean Blais? 2. Passion and hustle. The game against the Gophers that the Sioux lost 6-0 was one of the most uninspired and worst performances that I have ever seen by a Sioux team, and I have watched Sioux hockey for many, many years. It is one thing to come out flat, but against the Gophers?? at home?? This has been a problem to a lesser extent all year. On the other hand, the Sioux played hard on Saturday against Wisconsin, so they are showing signs of life. Consistency is still a problem. 3. The Sioux seem too big and slow. When is the last time that you saw a Wisconsin team that was quicker?? CC and Minnesota are also quicker. We need to get back to the teams of the last 90's that were smaller and quicker. We look like Denver and Wisconsin of past years. Along with that, we are becoming a dump and chase team, which is not the style used by Dean Blais, who learned from Herb Brooks. Recall that Herb Brooks said that dump and chase hockey went out with short pants. On the other hand, this is not all Dave Hakstol's fault. Yes, he recruited these players, but Dean Blais was the head coach, so presumably that is the direction that Coach Blais wanted to go. 4. Discipline. The Sioux take too many penalties, most of which are untimely and wear them out. This is a major issue. It is simply an excuse to blame the new rules, because everyone knew that they were coming and you have to adjust. Plus, we can't have it both ways. We clamored for tighter officiating when Parise was getting mugged every night, so we should theoretically be happy that the game is being called tighter. Besides, excuses are unbecoming and make us look like Woog, Mazzoco, Sid Hartman and the numerous Gopher posters on USCHO, most notably Happy. This has to get better and will get better. The Sioux have too many senior leaders. When it does, the Sioux will have more success. 5. Recruiting. I also have concerns about the style of players that Hakstol and Berry recruit as opposed to Sandelin. They generally recruit bigger stay-at-home defenseman who play an NHL style. However, the college game is different, thank God. In college, there is room for Larry Olimb, Mike Crowley, Curtis Murphy, Russ Parent, Keith Ballard, and other "smaller" defenseman with great offensive skills. In fact, those players typically thrive in college hockey because of the bigger ice sheets, speed of the game and less obstruction. The forwards are also getting bigger and slower. I am also concerned that we will ignore Minnesota and ND as recruiting grounds. We need balance---western Canada, Minnesota, ND, etc. On the other hand, it is way too early to tell. We need to at least finish this year and see where this team is at. This was supposed to be a team that competes THIS YEAR (every team has a tough schedule at some point). Next year was supposed to be the struggle. BOTTOM LINE: It is way too early to panic. We have played a tough schedule and there is a lot of hockey to be played. However, I agree that we need to have a very short leash. If this team does not have success this year, this program simply cannot have patience for several years. The new rink is dependent upon being full, which is directly tied to winning. I was a season ticket holder in the early 90's when the Sioux were at the bottom, and it was not fun. You could have thrown a rock in any direction without fear of hitting anyone. This is one of the top 3 coaching jobs in the country, and there will be no shortage of applicants should Dave Hakstol not succeed. We can't simply spew the company line and get mad at posters because they see problems with the coaching decision. I thought that is why we have a message board where persons can express opinions and dissent. Personally, I'm very concerned as well and I don't like what I see. However, I am not going to panic---I am going to see what happens the rest of the year.

Overachievers---how about Scott Dub from Park River? He turned himself into a very solid hockey player through hard work. I also liked Peter Armbrust. Maybe not the most skilled guy, but seldom hurt the tea

Thanks for the update PCM! Always appreciated by us out-of-towners!

Many good posts on this subject. I am concerned that we are not generating shots, giving up too many shots, etc. However, the biggest disappointiment is the lackadaisical play. The 1st 3 goals on Saturday were the result of forwards (not defensemen) leaving Gopher players all alone. The 1st goal, which was a beautiful tip by Tallackson, was the result of losing the faceoff and the forward not picking Tallackson up. The second and third goals, by Potulny and Hagemo, were the result of being left all alone at the top of the circle. Where were the forwards? They are either running around or sitting back not picking up a man. Either way, it is unacceptable. Those were 3 easy goals, and the Gophers could have had a few more. By contrast, our defense could not get off clean shots because the Gopher forwards were all over them. Similarly, our forwards were not allowed many good scoring chances in the slot. It may be strong to say it was lack of effort, but it certainly was poor defensive coverage, not just by the D, but especially the forwards. This team needs to go back to good old hard work and work on defensive play followed by passing and receiving passes. The breakouts were horrible because the passes were always behind rather than on the tape, and none of the forwards could catch a pass. I realize it is early, but that was one of the ugliest, most uninspired losses that I have ever seen, and I have been a season ticket holder for many years.

This is a sore subject with some that has gone through quite a bit of discussion on this board. As far as Grant Potulny is concerned, the answer is no, the Sioux did not recruit him. His father Jay has confirmed this. This was curious considering that Minnesota, Wisconsin and UMD did, and Steve Johnson gave him a strong endorsement. However, when DB went to see him, he apparently did not play very well. The Sioux did recruit Ryan Potulny, but it was too late. I have heard from very good authority that he would not go to UND after his brother was not recruited, at least not while Dean Blais was the coach. Dan Irmen is a friend of Ryan's and may have gone to UM regardless, but was not given the opportunity to find out. His father Don was very upset that UND did not talk with him until after he had already committed to the Gophers. Dave Hakstol called after he committed to the Gophers. That was a mistake because it was well known that UM and CC were recruiting Dan Irmen.

The Sioux should have the best defense in the WCHA, if not the country. The Sioux return seniors Matt Jones, Andy Schneider and Nick Fuher, junior Matt Greene (the Edmonton Oilers tried very hard to get him to sign a pro contract) and sophomore Matt Smaby. They also have the #2 ranked freshman defenseman coming in, Kyle Radke, who is known for his offensive skills. The Sioux also return both starting goalies, and have the No. 3 ranked freshman goalie, Phil Lamoreaux. They did lose scoring, but have some returning players that will be able to score, including Stafford, Brad Murray, Chris Porter, Genoway, McMahon, Fylling as well as the No. 1 ranked freshman forward, Travis Zajac. Even if the Sioux have trouble scoring, how are they going to get by the defense? The Sioux will be tough. There are, however, 5 other teams in the WCHA that will also be pretty good---Wisconsin, UMD, Denver, CC and Minnesota. Minnesota lost even more than the Sioux with the loss of several key seniors and the early departure of Ballard and Vanek. I'm looking forward to this season.

What a mature response. When someone disagrees with you, you resort to swearing and name-calling. I would hate to see you when you are arguing about something important.

What a ridiculous statement. As Steve Johnson tells his players, go where you are wanted. That is what Steve Johnson told Grant Potulny and it worked out for him. The Sioux did not recruit Grant Potulny or want him because Blais didn't like him. As much respect as I have for Dean Blais, his opinions and judgments are not infallible. Obviously, the coaches at UND had Ziggy behind the other 3 goalies. Scott Sandelin sees something that he likes in Ziggy or he would not have offered him a 3/4 ride (Ziggy had a 1/4 ride from the Sioux and JPar had a 1/2 ride). Ziggy is not quitting. He is going where he is wanted and where he will at least get a chance. Barry Sanders was not recruited at Oklahome because they thought he was too small. He wanted to go there because that was his team growing up. Oklahome State was one of only 2 schools that offered him a scholarship, so he went there. Why? Because that is where he was wanted. David Hoosten had exactly one scholarship offer after leading the USHL in scoring, at UND. He turned out to be pretty good. A lot of smart coaches underestimated his ability. Brett Favre wanted out of Atlanta because he was behind 2 other quarterbacks. Do you want some more examples?? Don't cut Ziggy short. He justs wants a chance and should get that at UMD. It is all about opportunity. I wish him the best of luck and I hope he proves doubters like you wrong.

I think that you are underestimating Ziggy. He was offered a 3/4 ride from UMD before he came to UND. Even though he received very little money from UND, it was his lifelong dream to play for UND. He was a very good goalie at RR High School, and had a great career at Lincoln. He made the USHL All Star team, and split time with Lamoreaux at Lincoln. At times, he was the better goalie. He is very capable if given the chance. The difference between Ziggy and Jordan Parise is very small, and in fact, Ziggy was regarded as the better goalie coming out of the USHL. He could play for many teams in the WCHA.

Perhaps you should learn how to spell before you make fun of North Dakota. "Adgitate" is not a word, even in your kindergarten class.

Bernd Bruckler.

It appears that 6 teams have a legitimate chance of competing for the WCHA title and an NCAA title and very little separates these teams. 1. Wisconsin--the best goaltender in the league and the most returning players. Scoring may be an issue, but they were very young last year. 2. UND--The Sioux lose too much scoring with Parise and Bochenski. They will still be in the hunt with the best defense in the league, and could win the league if they can get balanced scoring. Freshmen forwards need to contribute right away. 3. CC--Great defense with Petiot, Stuart and Sweat, good goaltending with Zaba and McElhinny, and a lot of team speed. Question mark will be scoring. 4. UMD--Lose 2 key players with Lessard and Geisler, but have a lot of returning scorers with Schwabe, Stapleton, Hambly, Brosz and Caig. The D does not impress me that much, but Sandelin is a great defensive coach and seems to get more out of less talent than any coach in the league. This team could contend for title if D is solid. 5. Denver and UM (tie). Minnesota lost the most, but the well is not dry (Guyer, Tallackson, Irmen, Potulny, good freshmen class). UM reloads rather than rebuilds. Denver has a very good defense with Carle, Skinner, Laatsch and Larson. Lose key player with Berkhoel. If Denver gets great goaltending again, watch out. They have enough talent to beat anyone. 7. St. Cloud--has some talent, but always fade in the 2nd half with Dahl. Many off ice problems. However, transfer goalie Goepfert is supposedly very solid. 8. Mankato--last year was an abherration. Always competes. 9. MTU--some talent, but until they actually start winning, will be slated at or near the bottom. 10. AAU--lost what little talent that they had.

Both the Sioux and the Gophers will be solid this year. If Vanek is back, Minnesota has to be a favorite. If he does not, they will still be top 5 or 6 along with UMD, CC, Wisconsin, UND and possibly Denver. The Sioux looked like a favorite even after losing Parise and Blais. The loss of Bochenski will hurt, and there appears to be parity at the top of the league. The same is true of Vanek. Allegations of poor attitude aside, he is very talented and is a difference maker. If they lose him, they lose a lot of scoring and may have to rely more on defense. However, the cupboard is not bare. They still have Potulny, Irmen, Tallackson (incredible talent if he ever becomes consistent), Hirsch, Guyer and some very talented freshmen in Chucko, Howe and Gordon. Much like the Sioux, the Gophers usually reload. To expect anything less is not realistic.

Does it really matter at this point if he signed or not? It appears that Bochenski is gone regardless of whether he has signed. Throwing stones is not going to change that fact.

I'm not sure why Jon Ammerman did not make this team. Only 2 kids from Minnesota made it this year, so I think it was because the competition was pretty intense. That only tells you how good Lee is, not that Ammerman is not good. A lot of Moorhead people think that Lee is a future NHLer and will not play 4 years of college. That's a lot of pressure to put on a 17 year old.

No problem. I knew what you meant. However, from what I have heard, Ammerman is considered a better prospect than Hardwick. There are concerns about Hardwick's foot speed, which is not a plus for a defenseman. Ammerman has all of the skills of Lee (great speed, shot, footwork, very good offensive abilities), but Lee is considered more consistent. If anyone doubts Ammerman's abilities, keep in mind that last summer, he was one of only 4 Minnesota kids representing the US that made the team that traveled to the Czech Republic. He also made the US National Development Team in Ann Arbor, but turned it down because he was only 16 and his family felt it was not in his best interests. If you watch Moorhead games (which I know that you do since your nephew is on the team), there is very little that separates Jon Ammerman and Brian Lee. Some games, Jon is the best player on the ice, other days it is Brian Lee. Brian just does not seem to make any mistakes and is bigger, so has a bigger upside. I would love to see Jon Ammerman in a Sioux uniform, I just don't see it happening. The Gophers have also recruited him, but it appears that UMD is his best fit.

Jon Ammerman is still being recruited by UMD and others, but UMD is where he is leaning. UMD is very interested. He is probably not going to UND because although he and Brian Lee are very good friends, Jon does not want to compete against Brian. He will probably spend one year in the USHL, but is coming back to Moorhead for his senior year. Jon is an excellent hockey player and whoever gets him will get a very solid WCHA defenseman.

Whoever Dave Hakstol believes is the best, or are the 2 best, goaltenders should start. The Sioux actually have the luxury of having 4 very good goaltenders. Jake Brandt was one of the best in the WCHA last year. Jordan Parise was not far behind him. Nate Ziegelmann is a very good goalie, and his high school and USHL numbers bear that out. Whether he gets a chance to play is up to the coaches, but I know that he is very capable and could be playing for a number of D1 schools. Phil Lamoureaux is very talented and I have heard comparisons to Karl Goehring. It would not surprise me if he were the No. 1 at the end of the year. I personally would like to see Jake Brandt because he is a senior and has improved tremendously the past 2 years. He had 2 arguably bad games last year--against Wisconsin (not all his fault) and in the WCHA title game against UM. He was outstanding the rest of the year, especially against BC, St. Cloud in St. Cloud and against UM. The goaltending for the Sioux and the defense (if Jones and Greene stay) are the least of my worries. The difficulty will be replacing the scoring of Zach Parise and, if he decides to leave, Brandon Bochenski. Players like that do not come along very often.

You have some good points about Fargo. However, keep in mind that Moorhead, which probably has one of the best programs in Minnesota, is also a private run organization (e.g., parents). The rink, MYHA, is privately owned and funded. The park district has no control over any hockey in Moorhead. I think the problem that Fargo has is not that it is privately-run, but rather, there are too many organizations. Moorhead has one--Moorhead Youth Hockey Assn. (MYHA). Fargo has the Flyers, Raiders, Patriots, Grizzlies, and until recently, even the Park Board at Mites and Termites. Thus, there is no consistency in coaching nor do all the kids play together. With all due respect to Grand Forks, which has a GREAT program, Moorhead is probably the envy of everyone outside of a few in the Twin Cities. If you thought Moorhead was good last year (2nd in State), watch out for this year's team. They have 5-6 legitimate D1 players on that team. Brian Lee and Chris Vandevelde are headed to UND; Matt Becker is being courted by Air Force, and may get a shot elsewhere; Jon Ammerman is one of the top defensemen in Minnesota, and has been recruited by UMD, UM and UND; Corey Loos, Brent Barta and Corey Johnson will also get a chance to play D1 after a year or 2 of juniors. I'm sure I'm missing some, but they are very good.

You claim that I don't have class after this earlier post?? You are a bantam A coach, and have not had much success. You got the job only after Ken Astrup was chased by a few parents. If you are going to take shots at the Burggrafs, please expect some back. At least the Burgraffs have pros show up at their camps and have articles written about them. See www.chicagoblackhawks.com/team/index.cfm?cont_id+197034. There is another article in the New York papers about Hunter, who nearly got last year's rookie of the year. He credits his success to the Burggrafs. Please at least do a better job of trying to disguise the fact that you don't like Frank Burggraf or are jealous of his success. To claim that you are a better coach is laughable.

I would say that you are just a touch biased since you are a West Fargo coach. West Fargo has a snowball's chance in hell of finishing ahead of Grafton and GF Central. West Fargo will be battling Shanley, Jamestown and Wahpeton for the lower half. Ryan Griggs really should not talk about the "mental strength" of the north side since every North end A team was horrible last year.