The Greek

Now that we

No doubt many of you are already aware that the Wild just traded Kim Johnnson and Nick Leddy for Chicago's Cam Barker. If you get a chance, read Michael Russo's column in the Star Tribune about the trade. He states that the Wild were "very concerned about Leddy's development at the U." I'll take that as another shot from an NHL team directly at Don Lucia and the program he's running. That anti NHL tag is going to be hard for Don to shake.

KARE-11 in the Twin Cities made Brady's mullet the wrap-up story on their 5:00 news last night. They posted Brady's picture and you could hear groaning in the background......presumably because he's wearing a Sioux jersey. Then Belinda Jensen pipes up and says "he's cute though." LOL

Finally, a decent thread to hold an intelligent discussion on.......I've been going to WCHA games for many years now and I have seen the league change. The coaches, schools, league administrators and referees should take note of what is happening. The analogy of the WCHA becoming another Big 10 is accurate. Regular season games have resembled chess matches rather than athletic contests. I've seen the same game plan or strategy repeated over and over. The visiting team does all they can to keep the game close and then they try to win it in the 3rd period. Teams deploy systems and the players are taught to follow them to a "T." Most of the systems are defensive and I think this is a big reason why scoring is down in the WCHA. So what's lacking? I think we're missing offensive innovation and that's because the systems are being preached too much. Remember when Blais became successful? He went with small, quick jitterbugs and taught offense when the rest of the league was more focused on big, plodding defensive bruisers. Obviously, finding the right balance between quickness and size is the trick and something that is difficult to accomplish given all the dynamics of recruiting and keeping premium players in the league. The WCHA should consider making some changes. Remember, it's the coaches that didn't want to adopt the NHL style of calling obstruction penalties. They collectively determined that the game should be called the same way it has been for years. That is, not calling the game tightly. Allowing obstruction, especially away from the puck. This retards scoring and is frustrating for fans to watch as well. Who wants to go to a hockey game and sit on there hands all game long? Fans like to get up and cheer. When the scores are low, the fans aren't getting enough reasons to cheer. For me, this season has been brutal from a referee perspective. Each team of refs has there own style of calling games. That's a joke. I want more than just a consistently called game. I want a consistently called league meaning the different reffing crews should be using the same standards....not their own. Look at the example of Jonathan Toews. Arguably, he's been more successful in the NHL than the WCHA. How can that be? It's time for the WCHA to innovate and adapt. They must be willing to look at the problems that exist today (low scoring, poor NCAA performances as of late) and tweak the game to remain the premier college league in the country. Don't let the pendulum swing too far. I'm not suggesting drastic, knee jerk changes just because the Sioux got beat last night. I am suggesting that the all parties that have a stake in the WCHA consider a few warning signs and be willing to make some changes to keep their league on top. The Sioux played poorly last night. They had a tough game. It happens with young players. The choke factor is extremely high. It hurts. I like the Sioux players, coaching staff, the tradition of the program and all the people that are motivated to keeping it one of the top programs in the country. But, let's not be afraid to evaluate what's happening and add some twists or innovations. Let's reward creativity. Let's make changes designed to increase scoring. I'm not trying to lay blame on anyone or at any one place. But, I am hoping that the WCHA brain trusts take note and think about ways to keep the WCHA on top and keep the fans in their seats. I believe the other leagues have caught up to the WCHA (at least key teams in each of the leagues). It's time for the WCHA to raise the bar again. Let's put the excitement, creativity, and innovation back in the game. Let's continue to draw the top talent before it's too late. Let's make the games more fun for the fans.

I'll go with Lefty Curran. Because...... 1 - He was one of the Sioux's all time best, 2 - He promotes Sioux hockey all the time, every day, 3 - One of the things that make Sioux hockey special is the high standards and tradition. Lefty is part of the ongoing Sioux tradition, 4 - he's a great human being. This planet's lucky to have guys like Lefty.

PSB - You have our permission to post the video to YouTube. We just rolled into town and I'm getting ready to fire up the dish that PSB installed. Lefty gave us to insiders tour today. It was awesome! Not only is PSB a stud, Ralph was a stud too. Anyway, we had a terrific time this weekend. All the people we met were fantastic. Nick was feeling good and it was nice to see him be able to enjoy everything. He's really tired now and I can see that he's a bit low on RBCs but it was all worth it. Thanks to all the Sioux fans that pitched in. Sioux Cia - I hope you retrieved your envelope at the front desk.

Yes, Nick was at the game last night and we did meet a few Fighting Sioux fans that were familiar with his situation. Bob in Wisconsin stopped by to say "hello". In addition, Tim Oshie made arrangements for Nick to meet TJ after the game. Nick had TJ and Taylor Chorney autograph their pictures. Thanks to Tim Oshie for going out of his way to make the arrangements. We understand how hectic it must be for the players to pay attention to all the various committments they have......especially during the Sioux/Gopher series. Before the game, Nick received a new, autographed Sioux jersey as a gift from the Osseo Bantam A hockey team. Thank you very much! As you recall, Nick's original picture that is shown at the beginning of this thread shows him wearing an older Sioux jersey. Now he's up-to-date and wearing the Sioux colors proudly. Finally, the best treat of all was seeing the Sioux pull through with a hard fought overtime victory. It's always nice to win on Friday night and for a Sioux fan, it's very satisfying walking out of Mariucci with a Sioux victory in hand.

This is Nick's Dad. I've followed this thread since it was first posted. I'm a regular reader of this forum but usually don't post. I'd like to thank Bob in Wisconsin for starting the post and I'd especially like to thank PSB for donating the FTA satellite system. Nick and I watched for the first time last Saturday night and were thrilled that we now have the option to see all Fighting Sioux home games. I know many of you have visited Nick's CaringBridge site so you know what's going on with his treatment. Nick's a great kid and he's determined to beat the disease. The real story that needs to be told here is not one of Nick and his leukemia. It's the extraordinary outpouring of love and support by fellow hockey fans from all over. The support for Nick has morphed from starting with his bantam hockey team in Osseo to the entire OMGHA association. From there, it spread to my home town (Baudette, MN) and now to the Fighting Sioux hockey fans. He's had guestbook postings from professional hockey players, college hockey players and all sorts of fans from coast to coast. It's really a great story of hockey people taking care of one of their own. The other point I'd like to make is that hockey has prepared Nick to take on leukemia and beat it. Hockey players are taught over and over that commitment, hard work, and perseverance are keys to playing the sport. Those are exactly the qualities that he's used to and will be putting to work to beat leukemia. I'll close by saying thanks to all Fighting Sioux players and fans. You've been wonderful and Nick really thinks it's cool too. But, I'll also take the time to thank hockey players and fans that play for and support other teams as well. Hockey is the link that unites us all when the situation calls for it. Now, regarding the Fighting Sioux, it's the second half of the season and we're getting on our customary roll. Keep it up. I'll be taking Nick to Friday's game at Mariucci (providing he feels up to it). He'll probably be easy to pick out. Stop by and say "hi." GO SIOUX!