NorthDakotaHockey

Here is a great read from T.J.'s high school coach. T.J. Oshie and the Power of Peers Sorry if it has been posted elsewhere. More proof that kids, and coaches, can, and do, provide positive influences to each other. Fermoyle is a class act.

Nice to see that the NHL appears to be back on its feet. I have long maintained that there is good reason for The Ralph crowd to develop a tradition of belting the Anthem in form similar. Everything to gain. Nothing to lose. It would send chills up and down the spines, and let opposing fans and players alike know that it is indeed, the Home of the Sioux. Singing the Anthem at top of the lungs would also, by default, get rid of that stupid and tired fan-ending of the Anthem.

That's for sure, and we are all mighty thankful for this. Eh, Slappy?

More proof that birds of a feather flock together, and that apples do not fall far from their trees. His Pa, and Ma, are equally magnanimous. His other kinfolk as well. It's probably a b.s. award, as are most awards. Nonetheless, a nice honor to be nominated.

Da Moon. It's the only place to go to soak in the finest of North Dakota Hockey tradition. Past. Present. Future.

Ain't no trophies except the Cup. It's a team game. The Oilers will be fine. This said, losing Rollie is tough. Real tough. A real bummer.

Naw. She ain't over until Greene brings the Cup to the finest Sioux restaurant in all of the world sometime around late August. Rollie was nothing special. Edmonton's strengths lie in places other than between the pipes. They'll give us seven games (it's in OLN's contract), and the Oilers will return the Cup to north of the border for a long overdue change.

Wow. That was fun. It's about time that the NHL is back. What a coupe for OLN.

That is what you will be saying after you hear her name announced as well.

Turns out it is an old woman whom none of us will recognize. Long ties to the University, and she turned pennies into millions. About eleven million of them, all to the University. Read it here first.

Lyle Kasprick. My guess is in the neighborhood of $10M. Read it here first.

Erik. That's right. Me bad. Not knocking Da Donny's success, but like all coaches, he can maybe ruin guys as well as he can maybe make guys. They all come in with boatloads of ability. Where they take it from there is as much coaching as it is desire. And, a good coach can, and will, instill desire. Some kids have it. Some don't. Why risk an injury or a shot, if the shot presents itself? Being a big bruising defenseman is a bit different than being an upfront skills player. College hockey suits one a lot better than the other.

Aaaaahhhhhh. ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Any news on the NHL draft here of late? Slappy. What about Jack Johnson? If he goes high in the draft, do you think that his handlers will want him in Lucia's system, or will they give Donny a thanks, but no thanks kiss, and send Jack to different, and maybe greener, pastures? BTW I'll take North Dakota brains over Minnesota brains any day. After all, we do grow sugar beets, and Gophers are largely corn farmers. Of course, what with the energy crisis, maybe the corn farmers are due for an upswing of fortune. That will, likely if we are lucky, raise their level of class and taste as well.

YaneA has a heart larger than the North Dakota Plains. She is the one who makes the cool hats for my girls, and the great posters for everyone. I, too, am proud to know her as one of the best damned Sioux fans in the land. Coming all the way from Miami F-L-A to make a home in North Dakota. Too cool. Way 2 cool.

Forecheck . . . . Send 7>4's jersey to Minneapolis for pick-up and I will make sure to get it to her. Seriously. No problem. 7>4 will verify. Thanks for taking the lead on this one.

The Source, of course. The Twin Cities' source, The Shooter, recently reported taht Chukkkho from the Gophers got a $900K bonus. First rounder. If true, that'd make Drew worth about $1.5M, 'cept maybe for his attitude. If the Source says its so, it is so. The Source is a horse of course, of course.

We shall make him an honorary member of the very very prestigious "29'ers Club." By rule, he will be president until May 29. I suspect that he will be inviting all members up to Winnipeg between now and then for an "official" function to be conducted under his tutelage. Many, if not most, great folks were born on the 29th. Oops. It's only the 28th. Sorry Jonathon. You missed out on greatness by but a few hours.

Guess it can be. Deep playoff runs. And Lefty McFaddens.

Nice piece of history there schmidtdoggydogkingo'theworld . . . . It would be great to see Chris break that record. Never a scratch from the sheet, or damned near anyway. Has he ever missed a game, knocking on wood? 132 games. Three seasons. That's nearly 45 games a year, ain't it? Forty-four at least. That can't be right, cain it?

Absolutely zero shape. The only way it could ever happen would be to strip all the doors, leave the place open to the elements and freeze about twenty sheets of water in there. Then wait for the coldest snap of the last thirty years, pack the place, and drop the puck. Wonder how the ice would hold? A sad day, but The Olde Ralph is toast.

Maybe Rick Myers. Maybe the first of the truly "local boys." From the East Slide anyhow. I was only about 300 or so steps slower, and had about a tenth of the hockey sense, as Rick Myers, or I probably maybe coulda skated for da Sioux myself. Instead, I had to sit in the stands and watch my lady friend drooling over Rick. I often dreampt about scoring once or twice myself for the Sioux. In big games. In my Schlitz-driven dreams. Always breakaways. Always coming in on shaky ankles and no handling skills whatsoever. And I still scored. Looked in the stands for my lady friend and she was gone. In my dreams. Maybe I, NorthDakotaHockey, am my "favorite Sioux hockey player." And now you know why. If not Rick, then maybe it gets way way too hard to even try to say. Jim Cruise?? Jim Cruise.

Oshie is a super super kid. Comes from the solid stock. Apples do not fall far from their trees. His achievements on the ice will have no bounds. If he stays healthy, his heart and skills will continue to speak for themselves, and the stats will follow. If he is going to become a legitimate Hobey contender, he must also follow the other two prongs of the award. Academics and community. These are two areas that hurt Potulny in his final chase. We have been to the last two Hobey ceremonies. They are really cool events. The Hockey Humanitarian as well. North Dakota has a fine reputation for academics. There are any number of opportunities for community work, whether in Grand Forks, northwestern Minnesota, or Seattle. The way TJ deals with kids, something along that line will be a natural. Unless he wants to visit the nursing homes and just chew the fat with many of the likes of us on this board . . . .

Bump. ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. I hate to say it, but sometimes I too grow weary of reading here, sometime ad nauseum, about the Gophers and all of their tales of woe and glory. If I was concerned about Frazee, I would go check out GPL. Moreover, this thread is about early-outs. There is not a rat's chance that Frazee will be an early-out, unless, of course, he flunks out. Or drops out. Both, I guess, good chances. Maybe the talk is appropriate here.

Anyone want to talk about the Mankato State Mavericks? Don't forget. They lost David Backes. He was more valuable to his team than Zajac, Smaby, Potulny, Irmen, or Chucko were to their teams. Let's talk some Mavericks hockey!!

The Shooter, Charley Walters, reports in this morning's Pioneer Press that Chucko is close to signing with Calgary, and that his signing bonus is $900,000 to play next season in the AHL! Walters says that amount is far more than the bonus given to either Potulney or Irmen. My opinion only, but this cannot possibly be true, at least as to the amount of the bonus. Such details are usually kept fairly tightly under wraps, are they not? Good luck to Chucko. From where I sat, he was certainly a failed project in Minneapolis, and cannot help but do better at the next level. The Don is too smart to let Chucko's failings, and reported likely early departure, keep him from going after future solid talent north of the border.