Superman0099

Could you post the text for the article?

I still agree with those statements. They've taken players like Scott Gomez, John Madden, Brian Gionta, and now Zach Parise, and they have put them into a system that makes them one of the best franchises in the NHL. Regarding Parise. He is going to make a great NHL'er one day, but it would be difficult for a player to make the jump from the college game to the NHL playoffs, even for one of Parise's calibur. Teams like Detriot and Colorado load up as much talent as they possibly can, whereas New Jersey has a franchise that wins using a system. New Jersey has quality centers in Elias, Gomez, and Madden, those players have worked hard all season and helped them win a Stanley cup last year. Parise will see plenty of ice at New Jersey, just not yet.

no way.

If I'm not mistaken, this was done at the old ralph as well.

I agree with ScottM on this. Blais runs the most competetive hockey program in the country for a reason. If Beaverson couldn't cut it and didn't develop the way they wanted him to then there is no reason Blais needs to bring him in. A commitment is a two way agreement and if Beaverson didn't hold up his end then neither should Blais.

It doesn't really make a lot of sense to me that they would sign him the day after his NCAA season ends, only to have him sit out for the rest of the season. Parise is not exactly a checker, and they have two good centers on their top lines right now, I wonder, if he makes it into the lineup, where he will fit in.

Are you kidding me? Apparently it passed you by that the Edmonton is praising Greene more and more everytime they see him play, and that their scouts say he could be in the NHL right now. Matt Greene is one of the best defensive defensemen in all of college hockey, not to mention probably the most feared and phsyical of them. He's huge, strong, and smart. - 3 things NHL teams drool over. If we're lucky, we'll get to see him play again next year, then maybe you can watch him bulldoze people in front of the net.

Maybe by "outstanding" he ment that none of them stand out from one another, as in they are all solid and its hard to choose which is going to be the best at any certain point. At least thats the way I see it.

INCH has always praised the offensive defensemen, like Ballard and Pock. Defensive Defensemen don't get nearly as much attention from the committees. In reality... who really cares? I'd like to see where Ballard and Pock are 3 years down the road compared to Greene or Jones.

Here's a few highlights of what Travis Zajac has been up to in the BCHL.

well said.

I believe I read somewhere that Radke was a Keith Ballard type.

It's really nice to see Stafford keep getting rated this highly though, after a season with UND. Makes you realize the quality of the players than continually go through UND's system, and it looks as if college players are getting more recognition now adays.

Is there any way Stafford could appeal the rule to an NCAA commitee?

Link To Article

I think people are getting too worked up about Parise leaving.

it is today, probably in the evening.

I agree that Ballard is a great d-man to have on the point for the Power play, and he makes the outet passes very well. Ballard might be better offensively now than Roche was when he left, but Roche left after his sophomore season, and I would say when Ballard was a soph that he wasn't any better than Roche was at that time. Personally I think Roche was a little better defensively, but thats my opinion. Ballard, however, is not by any means a "phsyical d-man". You want to see phsyical D-men, look at Smaby, Greene, Taylor, or even Bina. I would compare Ballards style of play more to Nick Fuher's (although Ballard is quite obviously more talented). Ballard will make it to the NHL, but not yet. I don't see him making the transition straight to the NHL, because he needs to become more solid defensively, and needs to become more phsyical before he can be a regular in the lineup. Give him a year or two to develop in the AHL and he will be a great asset to the Coyotes (if they keep him around).

There is still an entire season of recruiting left.

Agreed. Genoway is solid center who has stepped up his playmaking significantly. He will play well with Bochenski and Murray, however Zajac is probably more of a dynamic player than Genoway and could quite possibly be a first liner in his rookie season. The Sioux have great talent at forward even without Parise. I would say that losing Greene or Jones right now would be more detrimental. We all remember what happend in '02-'03 when D. Hale was out, and we saw the same out of the gophers when they lost Ballard. Losing a teams primary defensemen (especially one as good as Greene or Jones or Ballard) hurts a lot more than losing a key first-line forward, IMO. The Sioux have the best young talent in the nation, and the next few years are going to be alot of fun to watch. Smaby, Porter, Stafford, and Murray are going to be even more effective next season, and the addition of players like Radke, Lameroux, Zajac, and Kaip bodes well for overall team improvement. Barring multiple departures of the defensive core, UND will not have anything close to a weak link next year, and personally, I only see them getting better.

Hahaha

My top vote has always gone to none other than Karl. Parise, in my opinion, has the best combination of work ethic, talent, perseverance, and charisma that I've seen in the WCHA for a long, long time. It's hard to compare Parise to players like Hrkac, Patrick, and Troy Murray, because they played in a far different league; Arguably more talented, less defensive, and a more open style. It is interesting to think, however, what kind of impact Parise could have made in a league like that. One thing I am fairly certain of, is that Parise will be the best NHL player to come out of UND, aside from Eddie the Eagle.

Not only that, but people need to realize that we as spectators miss a large amount of what happens as far as cheapshotting goes. Hockey players know how to dish things out so that NO ONE sees. Theres a lot of things you can do with a butt end of a hockey stick (for example) on the ice that you can't do on a basketball floor or a football field. The idea of having a 6'4'' 230 pound canadian monster come at you with fists flying is alot more of a threat than a slap on the wrist from the NHL, or a 2:00 penalty. Hockey has developed and changed in many ways over the last century, but fighting has always been a part of the game, there is a reason for that. Not to say that the NHL condones fighting in any way, but next time you see a fight break out, take a look at the crowd's reaction. They're sure as !@$! not booing. No matter how you look at it, or how bad it reflects on us as fans, people like to see NHL fights. It's exciting, plain and simple. The NHL knows that. Yes, it can, and has gotten out of hand, (Bertuzzi incident) but for the most part, it is done in an eerily respectfull way. Rarely do you see a player get jumped like Steve Moore was. Most of the time, both players drop the gloves and go at it, and when the game is over, they shake hands and move on. "What happens on the ice, stays on the ice." The NCAA rightly regulates fighting. They deal with students, and it is understandable that collegiate sports try to avoid being associated with any type of violence. The NHL is made up of professionals, who are paid to do what they do. Professional sports are far and away more competetive and intense than NCAA sports, and are situated around earning the most money possible, although the same argument could be made for the NC$$, it isn't nearly as evident. If the NHL were to regulate fighting in the way the NCAA does, it would take away a large part of the phsycality of the game. I love hockey, for its excitment, and physicality. I'm mature enough to know that fighting does not belong in all sports, but the fighting that goes on in hockey is no more violent than a boxing match, and it's effect on the outcomes of games is highly underrated. In reality, fighting in hockey is not the same as fighting in basketball or football, or other sports, and for that reason, it hasn't been outlawed, and never will be.

Exactomundo!