skateshattrick

I agree with you. He's a special player. Johnny Pohl had some interesting comments about him yesterday on the radio. He called him the real deal, but said that with a player like Kessel, you take the good with the bad. Namely, don't expect him to be around more than 1 or 2 years (he said something about taking the prettiest girl to the dance and don't expect to have her for long).

Oops! I meant the US World Junior Team.

Kessel is a special player. He was when he was a PeeWee on the Madison Capitals and he was this last year when he played with the Madison Capitals. To contend otherwise is lack of objectivity or sour grapes. However, I'm not sure that I agree that he's the next coming and will transform whatever team he is on into an NCAA champion. Zach Parise was not able to do that, nor were a number of Gopher greats in the 80's and 90's such as Mike Crowley. You could make the case that he has more speed and potentially more scoring ability than Zach, but I could make a pretty strong case that Zach is a better overall player. He is truly going to make UM or UW better, but it is still a team game. Having said that, I sure would have liked to see him in a Sioux uniform.

Agreed. In fact, in the early 90's when the Sioux were cellar dwellers, there were less than 2500 people most nights. As I've said before, you could throw a rock in any direction and probably not hit anyone. 10,000 is not bad under the circumstances.

I will give you another reason. It is estimated that 1/3 of the season ticket holders are from the Fargo area. Assuming that to be true, the International Squirt Hockey tournament was being hosted at 10 area rinks in the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo area this past weekend. Many Fargo hockey people were working or attending that tournament, which is the biggest squirt tournament in North America. Couple that with the bad roads and the disappointing season and you have a few fans not show up. By the way, were you at the game? I actually thought that the crowd was pretty good for a Sunday afternoon and was pretty loud for a 1-1 game.

I go to Sioux games thick or thin, but I disagree with your logic. The only way a "true fan" can express his/her displeasure is by staying away when the product is mediocre or inferior. Many "true fans" are not happy with the way this team has played, with how the hiring process was handled, etc. We are/should be a national contender and anything less is not acceptable. If we continue to pack the place while having a mediocre team that does not play with passion, what message are you sending? The Chicago Cubs were content to be mediocre every year because they still filled the stadium every year. Raise the bar and expectations and you will see a building filled to capacity every week. If not, you will see what happened in the early 90's when the team was horrible and the attendance was also horrible.

I drove from Fargo despite the bad road conditions. However, it has been harder this year than normal for the reasons stated by PCM. A friend from Moorhead who has season tickets has said that he seldom goes because this team is so underachieving and does not play with any passion. This is a long time Sioux fan with a lot of knowledge about the game and a son on Moorhead's high school team. That brings up another reason---youth hockey is winding down with tournaments and many parents are unable to attend because of commitments with their own child's game(s).

Good post! It appears that we agree on many things, it is just a matter of degree. The one thing that I continue to be disappointed in is the lack of discipline, fundamentals and at times, heart. This team has taken inopportune penalties all year and there is no consequence. By contrast, I recall when Blais sat Nick Naumenko, the best player, for taking a few stupid penalties. That set the tone that no one was immune to benching, no matter how talented. He carried that on by sitting the Panzers and Blake when he felt they were not working hard or playing without passion. I do not see that this year. Greene, Prpich, Jones and others continue to take the lazy stick penalties.This team is also not good at catching or making passes. That was always a strength of Blais' teams. Finally, this team does not seem to play with a sense of urgency until it is behind (see Bemidji State; Denver, etc.). You may be right that it is something other than coaching, but the buck must stop somewhere. As I've said, we will see what he does next year. There is a lot of returning talent, and some high profile recruits, including Toews, Duncan, Chorney, Watkins, Brian Lee, Zach Jones. There should not be any excuses after next year because he will have recruited all of the players.

I'm awful close. When you split with AAU and MSUM at home, get swept by Denver at home, and lose to a depleted AAU team in a must win, it is a bit disheartening. There was once a time, even when the Sioux were .500, that they would at least split with the top teams at home, and many years, swept superior opponents. This year, I am not optimistic that we will beat Wisconsin, but am hoping for a split. I think our talent is at least as good as Wisconsin, but this team is missing something and has been all year. That is the tough part. It is not lack of talent. As far as the WCHA, I disagree. It all goes in cycles. In the 90's the CCHA was tougher. In 1999, 3 hockey east teams were in the Frozen Four. I was there in Anaheim because I expected the Sioux to be there. Hockey East is probably closer to the WCHA this year than you think. Even though the WCHA is doing well the last few years, there are a number of mediocre teams in the WCHA this year. Look at the nonconference records of teams 6 through 10. Again, the Sioux should never measure themselves against those teams if it expects to remain a national powerhouse. If you do, then don't complain when the Sioux don't land the top recruits despite the great facility. We should not kid ourselves--they don't come to UND for the scenery or the education. They come because of the winning tradition and the facilities.

It was a big loss and no one said it was not. In fact, with just Bochenski coming back, the Sioux were picked to be No. 1. However, even after losing both, the Sioux were picked No. 2 by the coaches, and were ranked in the top 3 in the national polls. Maybe that doesn't mean much to you, but it tells me that at least the coaches and media recognized the returning talent even without the 2 best players. In other words, the well was not dry--we still had ALL of our defenseman returning (of which many thought was the strength of the team), both goalies, and enough returning scoring talent (Stafford, Murray, McMahon, Fylling, Porter) and some high profile recruits (Zajac, Spirko, Radke). For those that like to compare us the Sioux to Mankato, St. Cloud, AAU, Miami of Ohio, etc. it is not a fair comparison. Those schools are virtually never in the running for the "blue chip" recruits. The only way MSUM got Backes was by signing his as a junior in HS. He also flew under the radar a bit because he played in Spring Lake Park. AAU's coach acknowledged in an article last week that they recruit different types of players than the Sioux and UM because they cannot land the big name recruits. Scott Sandelin said the same thing about UMD--they went after TJ Caig (a player with talent but baggage) because they have to take chances. In other words, they have trouble competing for the top recruits. The new arena at least invites UND to the dance for those top recruits. Based on talent alone, there simply is no excuse to losing at home to teams with inferior talent like AAU and MSUM. Additionally, UM lost Vanek and Ballard (not to mention Riddle and others), and Denver lost Caldwell and Berkhoel. The Sioux are in the running for blue chip recruits every year with the likes of UM, BC, Maine, Wisconsin primarily because of facilities and tradition. Yes, there will be down years like 2001 was expected to be, but this year was not supposed to be one of them with all of the returning talent. Minnesota may be having a tough run, but at least they will make the NCAA tournament and will probably host. They probably deserve it after beating Michigan, winning 3 of 4 from Wisconsin, and beating Denver. If you are going to contend that the Sioux are so dependent upon 2 players, then there is something seriously wrong with our recruiting. That is what UM fans have been saying for several years--that without Parise and Bochenski, the Sioux didn't have much ("one line team"). Sioux posters on this Board and USCHO have been arguing for several years that is not true, so why are we feeding the myth now by using that as an excuse for this season?? I have never advocated dumping Hakstol this year and I don't believe many others on this board have either. However, this is a very disappointing year, and he will be under a microscope next year. That is just the way it is in major sports. Florida didn't give Ron Zook a long rope, but at least they hired Zook after a national search. There is absolutely no excuse not to have a national search at one of the top 3 Division 1 hockey programs in the country (UM and Wisconsin being the others). Dave Hakstol is a great guy and I hope he succeeds. However, the rope cannot be long at UND, much like it would not be at UM. UND built the new arena with the expectation that our program was one of the top programs in the country, on par with UM. Dave Hakstol knew what he was getting into when he took this job. Unlike Blais, he has no proven track record, only question marks, so you can't compare the slack given to Blais for having a bad season. UND simply cannot afford to fall out of the picture for the top recruits. This sentiment is shared by many, many Sioux fans and former players. The expectations are high and should be. The Sioux are not AAU, MSUM, MTU or St. Cloud and should never settle for mediocrity. Next year should tell us a lot.

Very well put.

I brought up the fact that I have been a fan for that long only because you made the comment that you had been a Sioux fan for 20 years and then proceeded to call others who disagree with you "newbies". I am tired of that phrase as it is condescending and implies that someone who has not been around as long does not know what they are talking about. Well, I've been around and I disagree with you as well, so please don't label anyone who disagrees with you as a "newbie." Everyone on this board has a right to express their opinions regarding Hakstol, etc. without being ripped by you. Read your posts. They sound like someone who believes only his own opinion matters. I guess we can agree to disagree. I for one and am extremely disappointed in this year and find it unacceptable. I'm willing to give Hakstol another year, but if next year is more of the same, then we need to open up the search again, only this time wider.

I'm a little sick of your rants and lectures vilifying every Sioux fan who questions the hiring of Hakstol or who dares to say that they are disappointed in this season. I could give a rats ass if you have been a Sioux fan for 20 years. I have been one for nearly twice that long and a season ticket holder for 18 years. Let's put to bed some of the fallacies and myths shall we? First, you cannot compare the early 90's at the end of Gino's tenure with this team. I was at those games, and you could throw a rock in any direction and probably not hit anyone. That was clearly the dark days of Sioux hockey because Gino had lost his assistants who did the bulk of the recruiting (Marks and Blais) and Gino was no longer doing any coaching. That should not ever happen again because we now have a new $100,000+ arena that was meant to ensure that we were always able to compete with Michigan, BC, Minnesota, etc. More importantly, we can no longer afford to have those types of years EVER if we hope to pay for the operating costs of the new arena. Second, I know of almost no one that complained when Blais was hired. Why? Because we interviewed outside candidates and he was clearly the best candidate. He was the assistant and primary recruiter for Gino during the glory years of the 80's. He also won a state title with Roseau, not a small accomplishment considering the success of non-Twin Cities teams in the Minnesota Class AA tournament. Third, no one could have possibly complained when Blais' first year the team was .500 because they had been at the bottom for 3 years. The improvement was obvious and immediate, despite the fact that he had mediocre talent that he did not recruit. By contrast, Hakstol was handed a very talented team that was picked 2nd in the WCHA by the coaches even AFTER Bochenski unexpectedly left. Thus, it is reasonable to have had high expectations for this team. Finally, though not his fault, the hiring process for Hakstol was suspect at best. As a result, he will have a very short rope. As a Sioux fan, I have a right to have high expectations. If you choose to make excuses, so be it, but don't rip on every Sioux fan who happens to disagree with your myopic view of the situation.

Oshie is a great player. He stood out and was one of the leading scorers on the Elite 1 team that played this fall which also included a number of Moorhead kids, including Chris Vandevelde. What I like about him is that in addition to those things you stated above, he goes 100% every shift, including the defensive zone.

HAk took over a good team!!!!!! DB had to start all over!!!!! <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Seriously?? Have you been to the games? How do you blame Jones, or the defense for that matter when the Sioux lose 1-0 to Wisconsin, 1-0 to CC, 2-1 to AAU, etc.? Do you realize that the Sioux have given up 5 or more goals only 3 times all year? One was a 5-3 loss to BC on the road and the 5th goal was an empty netter, and another was a 5-2 loss at Wisconsin where the last 2 goals were empty netters. That means that the Sioux have really only given up more than 4 goals once, a 6-0 loss to UM. I have been to almost every home game and watched many of the road games, and Jones has been the best defenseman all year. Schneider and Greene have not played as well, but Jones and Fuher have been very solid. Frankly, Jones, Fuher and Genoway are the only seniors that I will miss. This team's main problem is inability to score. Give me a team full of Matt Jones type players and you will have a championship team.

Good post. I beg to differ on a few. Massen is a bust, not an enigma. He is slow, does not work hard, is not physical and never scores. His only attribute is his shot, but he never takes it and never scores. I honestly do not see why he even plays. Prpich is also more of a liability due to his stupid penalties and lack of production. He is a very poor skater and slow-footed. Greene is a great talent, but his penalties and untimely mistakes make me wonder if his negatives do not outweigh the positives. McMahon is a 3rd line center, similar to Adam Calder (perhaps with less scoring touch). I like his defensive ability, but he should not be on the 1st or 2nd line. He is not a top line scorer. Schneider has been the worst defenseman in most of the games that I have attended. I don't get it because he is obviously talented. I have no problem with Brandt--he's a good goalie, but has not been given many opportunities this year. I also have no problem with Marvin for the reasons that you noted. One thing absent is that this team obviously has chemistry problems. They do not always work hard (see Bemidji State), and there is no excuse for losing to AAU and MSUM at home, getting tied and outplayed by Bemidji at home, and getting swept by ANYONE at home. This team is not without talent, and I'm sure that the coaches of AAU, MSUM and others would love to have the likes of Matt Jones, Matt Greene, Drew Stafford, Brady Murray, Chris Porter, Travis Zajac and others on their teams. The bottom line is either that we are not recruiting top notch players or we are not getting enough out of the talent. It is probably a little of both. This is one of the top programs in the country and I'm tired of excuses. Someone must be held accountable, and the bullseye, fair or not, is always on the head coach. He deserves a chance, but the leash is short, probably not beyond next year. Unfortunately, Hakstol has a shorter leash because of the fact that he was handed the job without taking outside applications.

The only problem is that Hakstol recruited all of the players, including the seniors and weak junior class. Admittedly, the senior class was weakened by the early departure of Bochenski, and the Junior class by the early departure of Parise, but neither class has produced much depth. Jones and Fuher will be missed, McMahon is a good 2nd or 3rd line center, but the rest will not be missed. Schneider has inexplicably gone downhill since his sophomore year. Massen and Canady would not play for any of the top WCHA teams. I hope that next year's freshman class contributes right away because we need them. If the Sioux have another year like this, look for Hakstol to be on the hot seat, and deservedly so.

Really troll? And what do you base that upon? What is your definition? The last 2 weeks? The last month? The last 2 months? UMD in December: @Wisconsin--swept H UND--split (lost 5-1 Friday; won 4-3 Saturday on late goal) UMD in January: H Denver-tie and a loss H AAU--tie and a loss H St. Cloud --split @CC--win and tie @UM--split That is a total of 2 points in December out of a possible 8. That is a total of 9 points in January out of a possible 20, and 3 were home series. UND in December: H AAU--split @ UMD--split H Canisius--sweep UND in January: H MSUM--split @ CC--2 losses H BSU--win and tie That is a total of 4 out of 8 points in December. That is a total of 2 points in January out of 8. UMD has stumbled much more at home. The only difference is that UMD got 3 points in CC and UND got swept in 2 games that they badly outplayed CC but lost 2-1 and 1-0. UMD then played a UM team that has lost 5 of 6 at home and cannot beat anyone. I'm not sure how you translate that into "UMD is playing a lot better than UND is" unless your maroon and gold glasses prevent you from being objective. Please do us a favor and spare us your "insight", which is nothing more than the so-called "perspective" of an immature Rodent fan trying to stir up trouble. For at least the 100th time, please go away troll.

I agree. The Sioux should get home ice with 2 games in hand, but absolutely must take at least 2 points this weekend against Denver and in 2 weeks against Wisconsin. The Sioux probably need to go 7-3 (or at worst 6-4) to get home ice. That is not going to be easy the way this team is playing and with Brady Murray out. I was absolutely disgusted with the performance this weekend. With all due respect to Bemidji State, a very hard working team, they should not be close to the Sioux in their own building. BSU has some talent, but let's be honest about it. They have players that even Mankato, AAU and the other lower tier WCHA teams did not want. If the Sioux are landing the blue chip talent, there is no reason that Bemidji should be able to tie us at home and hold us to 6 goals including an empty netter. Bemidji simply outworked the Sioux much of this weekend and played with more heart and passion.