SJHovey

They did. They actually went 0-5 to start the 93-94 season, and 0-7-1, before going on to lose in the National Semi's to eventual champion BU. They also started 0-3-1 with three shutouts (and a 3-3 tie with us) to start the 09-10 season, which ended much sooner for them. No doubt it's fun to see the struggles of our former conference mates, but recall that karma can really suck. Last year MN fans were taking great enjoyment out of Wisconsin's troubles. Hockey is cyclical, and we can very easily find ourselves in the same position sooner than we would like.

Yeah, the fact that 11 of our 14 healthy forwards have a grand total of 12 career goals doesn't raise any questions, nor does the fact that we have one forward with 37 career goals, and the rest of the forwards (healthy and unhealthy) have 52.

Here's the deal. Unfortunately, I'm old enough that I am not particularly computer or internet savvy. I have the ability to write emails and posts. I think I can even save a picture from my phone onto my computer. But I have no idea how to link a picture I take on my phone to this thread. I'd really like to be able to use a picture of it where you have the geometric design below siouxkid12, but that is beyond me as well. Haha

New Brunswick's not necessarily a terrible team. They beat Portland of the AHL in another exhibition. The Portland team included Corban Knight, and had Sam Brittain in goal. http://portlandpirates.com/pirates-fall-unb-preseason-scrimmage/

They are. The first five championship banners were sold at auction following the 1997 championship, which coincided with the 1997 flood. As I recall, the Sioux Boosters lost quite a bit in the flood and it was decided those banners would be donated to the boosters to be auctioned off to raise money for the booster club. I know who bought all 5. I have the 1982 banner. It hangs in my house.

I'm not sure how much a role that plays. I'd be curious to hear about that subject from kids who are recruited. I know a lot of Minnesota fans were convinced they would get Boeser because of his close relationship with a couple of Minnesota recruited teammates on his USHL team, and we all know how that worked out. Sometimes I think recruits like to choose their own path, so to speak, and not be perceived as just following others.

Cakebread has really struggled for two full seasons in the USHL. I really hope something clicks for him this year, or I don't figure there's much hope we'll see him in a UND uniform.

That's what I didn't get about his tweet. Cornell and BU have been doing this for a number of years. Yale and Harvard did it. The Big 10 event, which hasn't even occurred yet, is a combo basketball/hockey event in which all the fans will spend the afternoon in NYC watering holes getting ready for the nights basketball game, skipping altogether the hockey game between teams like Penn St. and OSU.

I suppose it's good exposure for the program, and something you can tell potential recruits that they'll get to participate in if the come to UND. Personally, I think a great game like BC-UND should be played on campus.

I think I read somewhere that one or both of them may have some connection to Wisconsin. Maybe a family member who went there or played a sport there.

To take it a step further, I wouldn't be surprised if Wilkie came in and had the same kind of season Poganski did last year, and I'd be ok with that. I though Pogs really took steps forward during the season, and I expect he's going to be a very good player for us in the coming years. I'd love to have Wilkie throw up 10-15 goals his freshman year like Hextall or some others recently, but I'm not sure we're going to see that.

If that's true, and I honestly don't know what their strategy is, it would appear to be a change in their thinking. They have actually been pretty good about letting their college commitments keep their commitment, and even stay in school for a number of years. Most of those guys weren't top 20 draft picks, but it's always appeared to me that they are willing to let their lower draft picks develop in school. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/teams/dr00005316.html

That may be true, but he is also 19 years old (or will be Friday). All I know is that when he first committed, he was identified as a possible 2014 or 2015 kid. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AoPLTHefMmmTdGt1bWNTcUNqRm1SaUNZbG5jMi1PS2c&gid=1 I'm not knocking him. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy we got him, and anxious to see what he can add to the team. You simply can't teach the type of speed he supposedly has. But given his size, it's not surprising if he struggles when he makes a big move up in competition, and I expect that to happen here. I figure by January of his sophomore season we could start to see some legitimate contribution from him, assuming he has what it takes to play college hockey.

Boeser has to be counted on to be the primary contributor, along, obviously, with Tomek. Probably either Shaw or Wolanin as the next top frosh contributor. Beyond that I wouldn't expect much. Before everyone starts going crazy over Wilkie or Gersich, we need to remember that both struggled with taking the step up to the USHL, and were probably held back a year from what was initially expected in terms of coming to campus. I don't expect to see major contributions from either until probably their late sophomore or early junior seasons.

I don't see any way that Buffalo let's Eichel stay in school. Not unless there is some sort of money angle to it of which we're all unaware. The reason Eichel responds the way he does is all due to timing. The draft hasn't actually occurred yet. We all assume he's going to Buffalo, and he almost certainly is. But think of it from Eichel's perspective. He announces that he's leaving BU to .........? It's not like the NBA where undergrads have to "declare their eligibility". It's a bit presumptuous of Eichel to just announce he's turning pro when he hasn't even been drafted, let alone presented with a contract offer. As soon as the draft occurs, an offer will be made. Shortly after that he'll announce.

I think a more interesting question, assuming Shaw does get the job, is the "coach's kid" effect. I don't think we've ever really had to handle anything like that at UND. Probably the closest situation is Poolman. Those are always delicate situations, I don't care how good a player the kid is or how good a coach the father is. I think it helps that Shaw won't be the head coach, but it's something to watch. We're in pretty good shape in that Hayden Shaw will be walking into a situation where there are five really good, proven defensemen ahead of him. But issues of playing time between him and Wolanin, time on the power play at the expense of guys like Thompson or Poolman, or similar issues are sure to surface at some point.

Shaw looks like an interesting addition. A lot of pretty good experience, working with good coaches. Did a pretty solid job developing young players with the Houston Aeros. Quite a few former UND players have also played for him, including Russ Romaniuk, Curtis Murphy, Travis Roche, Brad Williamson, Bryan Lundbohm, Aaron Schneekloth and Travis Zajac. Perhaps most impressive of all, it looks like he was on the roster of the juggernaut U.S. International team that came into Grand Forks and thumped the Hrkac Circus in the 1986-87 season.

I don't suppose this is the same Meg Brown from Ames who wrote the letter. http://www.peoplebyname.com/people/Brown/Meg/Ames/IA Seems like she might have issues "closer to home".

It's strange, especially the 12 years coaching experience (a strange number, why not 10 for instance), and the 5 years of NHL experience. Not sure a lot of UND alum fit in with those requirements, other than Patrick who seems secure in Dallas. One name that popped into my head was Tony Granato. Likely out with Babcock being gone from Detroit. He was in charge of Detroit's defense. Rumored to go to places like San Jose. No connection to UND or Berry at all, that I can see, other than they were contemporaries. During Berry's three seasons here, Granato was at Wisconsin. I agree with the idea that the description very much looks tailored to one individual.

Can disregard all those won as a player or assistant. As we've learned here on ss.com, the only thing that matters is the head coaches pedigree in determining the likelihood, or lack thereof, in his team winning a future championship.

Exactly.

Exactly. And none of the fire Hak posters on this board will ever acknowledge how this hiring has exposed them.

And cute NDSU coeds.

Going through the interview process would only be appropriate if you're not comfortable hiring Berry. Why open it up, only to come back to Berry? To see if someone "better" comes along?

Good luck to Hak. Wish him all the luck in the world. Enjoying the unspoken nervousness around here of some, the "uh oh, we got what we wanted, now what" feeling. Has to be pretty nice when someone, in a position to hand out one of the jobs to the 30 best hockey coaches in the world, thinks you deserve a shot at one of them.