skateshattrick

Some of the points that you make are valid, but several are not. You make reference to the fans booing while the Russian was laying on the ice in a pool of blood is not fair. First, based upon the other dives, the fans incorrectly thought that this was another dive. There was no "pool of blood" on the ice. Granted, there was some a small amount of blood on the ice, but it was not visible until AFTER he got up off of the ice and after the booing took place. He obviously was not hurt too bad because he came out on the next shift. Second, the fans were upset because the officials clearly did not see what happened and yet made a call several minutes after the fact, presumably because the Russian coaches and players made a huge incident about the play. Third, although I did not see the high stick (much like the referees), my 17 year old son did and thought it was a questionable call because it was incidental. O'Sullivan actually was trying to go around the Russian player to get to the puck, and the Russian player stepped into him. Granted, his stick was up, but it certainly did not justify a 4 minute double minor or major, particularly since the referee and linesmen did not see what happened. Finally, it appeared to many US fans that the officials were biased. Keep in mind that the official for the Sweden-US game refused to review a goal that clearly was in, as shown by 3 separate ESPN replays. Additionally, Stafford got high sticked twice in the US-Russia game and no calls were made. There was also a phantom call against Suter right behind the goal where the Russian skater lost an edge and was never touched. I know, it was right in front of me. The Swedish referee made the call while he was out of position, and reacted because he saw the Russian fall. You also attempt to justify the actions of some of the Canadian fans, which is disingenuous and just after-the-fact spin. The Belarus chants were only part of the lack of class by some of the Canadian fans. Some of the Canadians were clearly cheering for the Czechs, the Russians and anyone else who played the US. I found it to be totally classless, and is not the first time that I experienced this. I attended the playoffs between the Red Wings and the Jets in the final year of the Jets in Winnipeg, and I will never forget the entire arena booing when the US National Anthem was played. It was classless and embarassing, especially considering that the top line for the Jets at the time were Americans. The radio announcers after the game were apologetic and embarassed, but it reflects a very disturbing anti-American sentiment. I had hoped it was just emotions after losing the Jets, but I am starting to wonder. We have always cheered for the Canadians, and I have many friends from Canada, some of who played for the Sioux hockey team. My son even wore a Canada jersey to every one of the Canadian games. However, he was so upset by the Belarus chants and the other antics that he may cheer for the Russians. I told him that it is only a vocal minority, and I believe that was affirmed by the very classy contingent of older Canadian fans in section 106 who donned T-shirts that said "USA Rocks" during the US-Russia game. I can only hope that they are the majority. Right now, I have mixed feelings whether to cheer for Canada because of its fans or the "cocky" Russians.

I would be surprised if Lee does not see ice time. He was more highly regarded than Goligoski from Grand Rapids last year, who is only one year older after successfully moving from high school to college. Goligoski is doing just fine, is on the USA roster, and is arguably UM's best defenseman. Don't let his age dissuade you--Brian Lee can play. It is also presumptious to say that he will be playing against 19 year old forwards who are close to making it in the NHL. There are a few, but very few who fit in that category. Most NHL rosters are not filled with 19 year olds, let alone 20 or 21 year olds.

Jordy was always a little slight when he was in youth hockey. Has he filled out? <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Diggler. I was starting to get worried. Is REA sending them out?

We ordered World Junior tickets over a year ago, but still do not have them. Does anyone know if: (1) the tickets have been sent out? (2) who to call or write to inquire about the status of the tickets? Thanks.

He is the most talented and best player in the state. He should win Mr. Hockey. The only thing that will hold him back is that Central is not very deep and does not have the skill level that they have had the past few years. Smooth, fluid skater with very good speed, great lateral movement, great hands. According to Tarek Howard, he is the real deal. He does need to fill out some, but he's pretty tall. I don't know anything about the rumor of him going to the Gophers in 06, but he is a lifelong Gopher fan and I have heard that the Gophers are interested.

Thanks for the recap. I also appreciate the comments--most are dead on.

Now this is the type of debate that I like! Your post is very reasonable. Although we don't necessarily agree on every point, these are at least reasonable arguments. People have to understand that these posts, whether postive or negative, are made because posters are passionate about the Sioux hockey team. I agree with you about Matt Greene. He is not selfish, and he is a good player. He does get calls against him based upon size and reputation. He does, however, need to start playing smarter, especially since he wears a C. I am also cautiously optimistic, but the Sioux need to start sweeping opponents at home, particularly seemingly inferior opponents like SCSU.

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.