brianvf

This would be impossible to ever prove. I think Mario was a good captain this year. The best ever? Not so sure about that.

Exactly. Those Gopher fans aren't too bright though.

Agreed that he won't be doing that for long once he arrives at UND. I would think that the only way Caggiula comes in this fall is if Kristo leaves, otherwise we'll be jammed at forward. Quite the difference from this year.

Speaking of Caggiula... http://undhockey.areavoices.com/?p=91016

Losing Bennett as well really hurts DU. He probably would have been their offensive leader next season...and I didn't even think he was a possibility to leave after being injured almost all season.

My guess is that Eades gets it. He's the only candidate that has actually come out and expressed interest in the position. He'd definitely be qualified. Then the question becomes...who does Hakstol get to replace him?

Wonder why the family was pushing so hard? You think they'd want him to progress and get an education at the same time. Unless they really needed the money or something like that.

Sioux recruit Chris Wilkie will be on the USA U17 team next season: http://www.usahockey.com/USANTDP/2013SecondCommitments.aspx

I saw that as well. Forbort had a rough start to the season, and then had a setback with his injury at the WJC, but IMO he was one of our best dmen by the end of the season. Very consistent and good decisions with the puck. He'll be even more improved next season.

Goalies (3): Maris (Sr), Saunders (Jr), Gothberg (Fr) Forwards (15): Rowney (Sr), Kristo (Sr), Knight (Sr), Rodwell (Jr), Mitch MacMillan (Jr), Dickin (Jr), Gaarder (So), Grimaldi (So), Mark MacMillan (So), O'Donnell (So), Parks (So), Pattyn (So), St. Clair (Fr), Chyzyk (Fr), Koules (Fr) Defense (8): MacWilliam (Sr), Gleason (Sr), Simpson (Jr), Forbort (Jr), Mattson (So), Panzarella (So), Senkbeil (So), Schmaltz (Fr) Potential Early Departures (2): Kristo (80/20), Forbort (20/80) Potential Arrivals (1): Jones My early lines assuming no more departures: Parks-Knight-Kristo MacMillan-Grimaldi-O'Donnell Chyzyk-Rowney-Rodwell Pattyn-Koules-St. Clair Extras: Mitch MacMillan, Dickin, Gaarder Forbort-Schmaltz MacWilliam-Mattson Simpson-Gleason Extras: Panzarella, Senkbeil Saunders Gothberg Maris

Haha. Nice job writing off a team 7 months before the season begins...and before we even know all the early departures (for our team and opposing) and incoming players. Remember how much talent the Sioux lost last season with graduating players and early departures? This year will pale in comparison to that, and yet even with all that talent gone the Sioux still managed to make a good push at the end. Funny how that works.

I don't think I've ever seen a single fan of UND (or any other team for that matter) say that a national title is not important.

Agreed. They all showed good speed (some of them in very limited playing time...but still). Toss in some very fast players in Gleason and Rodwell, and we could go back to the days of Speed Kills.

Oh, no doubt. We would have probably forced OT, only to lose due to the shortened roster.

It said at the end to look for new episodes this fall, so it sounds like it will be continued next season as well. I enjoy them as well! Also, what was Rowney doing to Nelson there at the end during the closing credits??

Just got done watching the game on DVR. Wow, absolute domination by BC. They got outshot, but had so many odd man rushes...it was crazy. And they capitalized on almost all of them. I get the impression that UMN fans can't give us crap any longer for our recent woes against BC in the F4. Also, what the heck was Matson from UMN thinking at the end? That was bush league. A two-handed slash followed by a cross-check to the face of the BC player...all over a battle for the puck along the boards. Extremely weak. I thought (according to UMN fans) only UND players did that crap when losing? I'm sure Gopher fans will spin that somehow, but either way that was a very weak move -- by the team captain, no less -- when Gopher fans would have us believe that they are angels on the ice. BC is very, very good this year. I don't think any WCHA team could have hung with them this year in the tourney. If UND would have made it to Tampa, I have a bad feeling it would have been a similar result. On to next season!

Almost seems like a step down though.

Rowney will be very good next season. He came out of nowhere in the 2nd half this year and really added some much-needed depth for the 2nd half run. I wonder if Hakstol and Co. gave a timeframe for when he hoped players would make decisions by? Kind of weird to hear nothing for a couple weeks and now 3 decisions already today with Nelson, Rowney, and MacWilliam.

Great news on MacWilliam returning. He is such a solid defensive dman, he will be a rock on the blueline next season as a senior. Kind of disappointed that Nelson signed. I always just assumed Kristo would leave and Nelson would stay for one more year. Nelson never really took over a game like Kristo did...he was always in the right spot for those goals around the crease though. Nelson made such huge strides from his freshman to soph year once he added some bulk/muscle, I would only assume that next year he could have really done well at UND. But I don't think he's quite strong enough yet to hang in the NHL, so would guess he'll spend all of next season in the AHL. Hopefully he doesn't end up regretting it like Gregoire and Hextall and wish he stayed another season. Best of luck, Brock.

Imagine if the Gophers made the NCAA tourney more than once every four years...they could have actually used that home-ice advantage more than once recently!

It'd be cool to have Kristo involved with that "pact" as well. In the year of the original "pact" (Oshie, Chorney, Duncan, etc), we still had Toews leave early. He was just ready.

UMD Sophomore JT Brown signed with Tampa Bay.

DU loses their 2nd player in 2 days. Zucker has signed with the Wild.

Goalies (4): Dell (Sr), Maris (Sr), Saunders (Jr), Gothberg (Fr) Forwards (16): Rowney (Sr), Kristo (Sr), Knight (Sr), Rodwell (Jr), Nelson (Jr), Mitch MacMillan (Jr), Dickin (Jr), Gaarder (So), Grimaldi (So), Mark MacMillan (So), O'Donnell (So), Parks (So), Pattyn (So), St. Clair (Fr), Chyzyk (Fr), Koules (Fr) Defense (8): MacWilliam (Sr), Gleason (Sr), Simpson (Jr), Forbort (Jr), Mattson (So), Panzarella (So), Senkbeil (So), Schmaltz (Fr) Potential Early Departures (5): Dell (30/70), Kristo (80/20), MacWilliam (20/80), Nelson (50/50), Forbort (20/80) Potential Arrivals (1): Jones My very early lines assuming no departures: Nelson-Knight-Kristo MacMillan-Grimaldi-Parks O'Donnell-Rowney-Rodwell Pattyn-Chyzyk/Koules-St. Clair Extras: Mitch MacMillan, Dickin, Gaarder Forbort-Schmaltz MacWilliam-Mattson Simpson-Gleason Extras: Panzarella, Senkbeil Dell Saunders Gothberg Maris

Sportswriting ability or not, I think his online coverage is the best in the biz and makes me a huge fan.