MafiaMan

Greyeagle, Have a seat and watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat!

jloos, I stand corrected. Goon was referring to TC Transplant, not WPos. Is anyone going to the WCOH game tonite? I do have a blue USA jersey, but so do 10,000 other fans heading into tonite's game. I'm trying to make a statement. The funny part is, my buddy will be wearing his white 1980 USA jersey. Row 3, right behind the goalie as you look to the left side of your TV screen.

Goon...ease up on WPoS...he's actually pretty cool. Hey, WPoS, you goin' to the USA/Russia game tonite at Xcel? I'll be there in my red CCCP jersey.

Not to beat a dead horse with the # of NCAA titles issue, but has anyone noticed that ANOTHER team now has more titles than Minnesota? Yep...that was Denver's SIXTH last season, although the first in a long, long time. 6>5!

I've always been curious as to what happened with Travis. Last I recall, he was broadcasting games somewhere... One thing I wondered, though, was I remember back in college that he had a girlfriend who was "standing by him" throughout his ordeal. Whatever happened with that? I haven't heard any details about Travis' personal life other than the check. Anyone know?

I take that back, sorry state of hockey...my favorite Gopher "moment" would have to be 1980-2001. It's just too bad that that streak had to end.

That's pretty witty of you, sorry state of hockey...I think my favorite Gopher memory is of teary-eyed Grant Potulny weeping like a baby after getting spanked around by UMD last spring. THERE'S NO CRYING IN HOCKEY!

Apparently my scantily-clad babes aren't good enough for the "best avatar" category.

OK, Parise Freak, here's the 4-1-1. The cowbell refers to an SNL skit of "VH-1's Behind the Music: Blue Oyster Cult." In the video, the cowbell seems to take on a life of its own and the band members all get upset at how loud it is. The director constantly adds his two cents after the guitar players and lead singer get riled up and stop play in the video shoot. In fact, the "band" almost comes to blows with the cowbell player. Some of the director's witty one-liners: "I got a fever...for 'dat cowbell." "I'm tellin' ya...you're gonna want more cowbell." "I need more cowbell!" It might be one of those "you had to see it to appreciate it" bits, but trust me, it was a gut-buster.

That being said....1996-1997 Sioux. Picked to finish (I believe) 5th in the conference, they win the co-MacNaughton Cup along with the Gophers, defeat Goldy at the old St Paul Civic Center in the Final Five, then advance to the Frozen Four and beat CC. Michigan gets beat in what might be the biggest college hockey upset ever by BU, and NoDak wins the title after being completely dominated by BU in a 2-0 first period deficit. Truly, one of the most unexpected seasons in Sioux history. In my opinion anyways... Now, that being said...I'm tellin' ya...."you're gonna WANT more cowbell!"

I gotta fev-ah...for 'dat cowbell!

Gee, thanks Brandon. If things don't work out in Ottawa, I can always go back. Makes UND sound like the girlfriend that you dumped for that hot new chick...when that new chick doesn't pan out, you dial up the ex. Nice.

Hockeydb.com has an excellent database totalling players' college, minor, and pro careers. Here are Peter Armbrust's career totals: 1996-1997: 40 games, 10 goals, 6 assists, 26 PIM's. 1997-1998: 34 games, 4 goals, 5 assists, 20 PIM's. 1998-1999: 37 games, 6 goals, 8 assists, 42 PIM's. 1999-2000: 43 games, 1 goal, 10 assists, 33 PIM's. 2000-2001: Quad City (UHL) 53 games, 14 goals, 15 assists, 12 PIM's. 2001-2002: Quad City (UHL) 73 games, 16 goals, 15 assists, 32 PIM's. 2002-2003: South Carolina (ECHL) 72 games, 6 goals, 10 assists, 30 PIM's. Unsung player is correct. A great captain who led by the example of his hustle and work ethic on the ice as opposed to the number of pucks he put in the net.

Ahhh...good times, that 1997 Final Five. I think I've mentioned this story a time or two, but I'll do it again. Four drunk Gopher fans were sitting about three rows in front of my friend and I at that game. The rest of the section was pretty much non-committed St Cloud fans. These four clowns went thru beer like it was going out of style and each one did his share of yelling..."where the f***is North Dakota," "Sioux s**k s**t," and "Where's the sheep?...Grand Forks!" comments rained down on us all night. The whole section was pretty peeved at these guys and someone had to shut them up. Anyways, Peter's goal goes in the net and these four bozos scamper for the exits. My glee turns to revenge as I grab one of the guys by his shirt as he runs by me and I yell at him "do you know where North Dakota is now, a**hole?". The look on his face was priceless. A close second that night? Spotting two other Gopher fans wearing Jesse Bertogliat jerseys and mittens sitting in the section next to us (Jesse remembered for his 20 career points at the U of M along with his 99 PIM's)...during a quiet moment when these guys were standing up hamming it for the camera, I yelled out "Hey everyone, it's discount night on Bertogliat jerseys at Gold Country." The whole section burst into laughter and these guys suddenly realized I was talking about them. One disappointing thing about the Peter Armbrust article...how about mentioning what he's doing NOW? It's been seven years since that memorable season.

Thanks Jim and Airmail. I guess I just have to pay attention to picture sizes. I did pick several different ones...they were barely over the legal limit. As my good friend Homer Simpson would say..."DOH!".

Jim, Here's the message I got. It occurred right after I picked out a file to use as the avatar. I tried several different pics to be sure it wasn't a size problem... Sorry, an error occurred. If you are unsure on how to use a feature, or don't know why you got this error message, try looking through the help files for more information. The error returned was: You are not allowed to upload that type of file as an avatar or personal photo

Capece, dagies. I'm just confused why people would even think that way. You're not grooming a successor to Hakstol a) in case he fails or b) in case he leaves. Pick an associate coach, not someone wo watch over Dave's shoulder and tell him what he would have done instead. By the sounds of it, some clowns here would see the Sioux go 30-2 on the season, lose in the NCAA regionals, and they'd be calling for Hakstol's head on a platter. 7 titles in 50+ years, folks. It doesn't happen every day, that's why it's special when the stars align and everything comes together. Ask Maine in 1999 or Denver in 2003. Or the 1997 or 2000 Sioux.

Good grief, Dagies, would you mind letting Dave Hakstol actually be the head guy for ONE game without worrying about grooming his heir apparent? Are you kidding me? It's not like Hakstol is 55 and ready to be pushed out the door.

UMD does not play in or host a holiday tournament this upcoming season. Denver hosts the Denver Cup 1/1/05 & 1/2/05 along w/Air Force, Northeastern, and Colgate and Colorado College is playing in THE Ohio State University tournament 12/29/04 & 12/30/04.

There are good points and bad points to be made on both sides of the World Junior issue, PCM. I guess we just differ on what to do with the games while the best players are absent. I'd prefer to just play the young guns and hope for the best against other WCHA teams. You prefer to not play league games while these players are gone and schedule a tournament. Both have their pluses and both have their minuses. Personally, I think the only true measure of a regular seson champ is when you play everyone in the conference four times. And for that reason alone, I'd like to dump the tournament. I'm guessing that in years when Minnesota or UMD don't make the trip to Grand Forks due to the unbalanced schedule, most fans won't be thinking it's a great opportunity to see Canisius or Union College play in their place.

The Sioux don't seem to mind when the Gophers have 2-3 players missing those big conference games...

I am pretty certain Michigan State is a staple at the GLI...you won't see them in any other tournament. And with BU in the Beanpot, they're most likely out too. If you want top-notch NCAA talent, Maine would be a good place to start.

By the way, PCM, I read your tribute to your friend, Ken Hendrickson. Nicely done.

It's going to take longer than a couple of years to replicate the enthusiasm of the GLI or the Beanpot. That's where the idea of the NCC wouldn't be a bad idea...UND, UMD, St Cloud, and Mankato...hmnnnnnnn...

Hey, I like hockey as much as the next game, PCM, but a Wayne State/Brown matchup hardly instills a "gotta see it" attitude from the fans. I'm guessing Providence College, Maine, Northern Michigan, or even Nebraska-Omaha would have gathered more interest. Brown may have been on a roll, but I wouldn't consider them a powerhouse by any stretch of the imagination. And for all the talk of their Hobey Baker candidate goalie, you and I both know that the quality of candidates has been weakened in the past few years to appease the Mercyhursts of college hockey.