redwing77

Ok, I'm biased, but I don't think all NHL games are boring. I've never seen a Wild game that wasn't boring though. It's all style of play. I've never seen New Jersey play either but their defensive style may make them like the Wild live: boring. I watched Washington and Detroit square off a few years back and it certainly wasn't boring. It was back and forth hockey with great shots, great saves, great hits, and great goals. And this was the first place Wings taking on a poor Capitols team. I hoped Buffalo's style of play would have made it more interesting, but apparently I was wrong. Good news on the score though. They're now capable of 2 goals per game. Wild Hockey: M E D I O C R E mediocre mediocre GOOOOOOOOOO MILD!

Maybe, maybe not. Depends upon which UND team shows up and which NDSU team shows up. If the NDSU team that showed up against Sam Houston State shows up, I think UND wins. If the NDSU team that played Central Michigan shows up, then NDSU might win. UND hasn't lost this year, but at times sure looked like they were playing like they wanted to. However, the bad natured smack is the only thing I don't miss about the NDSU/UND rivalry. Brings out the classlessness all around. Then again, I don't know what goes on at the Bison board, but I certainly have plenty to justify this feeling reading this board's Bison contingent.

First, did I ever claim to have inside information? Second, I can tell everyone else did because no one was surprised by this...oh wait. Mario strung UND along the first time around and now suddenly wants to come here. Great! Happy day! Mario is truly going to be someone special with the Sioux because he's going to have to work harder, in my opinion, to crack the lineup than some of the more highly touted recruits. This means he could turn out to be another Fabian. UND could always use players like Fabian. Perhaps I'm wrong. I dunno. I wonder how this is going to affect our recruiting efforts for other players we've been looking at.

AZ, well, maybe I'm wrong again. I am almost positive the NCAA changed their rules in some regards towards neutral sites.

To my knowledge, it used to be that case, but now the NCAA requires neutral sites for all their Regionals and Frozen Fours. WCHA Final 5 on the other hand, is something I know little about regarding rules in hosting.

I'm not sure this info is still current but... doesn't the owner of the Blackhawks refuse to televise home games due to low attendance? EDIT: I'm talking local market. If Versus/ESPN/NBC (or whomever) picks up the game it would be televised of course...

These old arguments again? I'm not sure if the Gophers are truly behind all of this but.... 1. If the Gophers did have control over the media coverage, then why are they losing it? Star Tribune just cut the Gopher hockey beat writer because of "lack of interest." Despite the "fun" we could have over that, this simply wouldn't happen if the Gophers were true media darlings. 2. The XCel Energy Center is one of the finest arenas in the nation. PERIOD. The fact that it is in the Twin Cities is coincidental, really. They did not build the XCel to house regionals or the Final Five. They built it for an NHL team primarily and everything else, secondary to that. Yes, the Gophers do have a home advantage playing there. However, there is really only a very few places the WCHA could go otherwise. The United Center (Chicago) would fit a truly neutral site, but would basically destroy attendance. The Pepsi Center (Denver) would just cause us to cry willynilly over DU getting home advantage. Can't have it at the Kohl Center or at the Ralph because those aren't neutral sites. Perhaps they could hold it in Milwaukee... 3. Media coverage is just thanks to Fox Sports North's commitment to everything Minnesota. That's their charter. The Gopher hockey team benefits from that. Really, no other team benefits from that, even other Minnesota teams. The only way to turn the benefit is to beat the Gophers. I think UND has done a fairly good job with that over the past 3 years. 4. Regional hosting is on a bid basis under a criteria. Right now, the only places off the top of my head that are now capable of hosting regionals are Milwaukee, Chicago, Denver, and Minneapolis (among WCHA areas anyways). It cannot be held at a school's building regardless of how nice it is. So expect the XCel to host more regionals yet.

Did you not read the posts on this thread and the thread following Buning's hiring? Seriously, it's like hiring Hakstol. He was only hired because he's O'Keefe's son in law. Let's not forget that. Yes, I was being facetious with the first comment. However, the second comment I'm quite serious about. All the Bollinger or whomever fans are jumping up and down and dancing about this. The rest of us who gave Buning the benefit of the doubt are just waiting for the truth to come out. Regardless though, this thread needs to be closed. Not relevant to hockey any longer.

Actually, I expect the Buning bashers to be going nuts. I haven't been to the Community section yet though. Probably won't go over there. In any case, let the rumors fly and let them be considered fact. I heard Buning is leaving UND to take over for Karl Rove. Hell, he seems evil enough to some people apparently. And trust me, even if it is just a break and Buning comes back, or if Buning leaves, there will be PLENTY of Buning bashing going on.

I'm marking that on my calendar. Need to be prepared for when you are cut loose. Fall out would be hard to handle otherwise.

I was the other way around. Very surprised to see them lose to App State but not surprised they lost to Oregon. At the time, I didn't think Lloyd Carr could motivate these players any more. They should have come roaring out of the gate vs. Oregon but they didn't. Oregon isn't a great team, but they are a good team (much like Washington). I really think the Pac-10 has some quality teams in it (Oregon, USC, UCLA, Cal (I think both UCLA and Cal are in the Pac 10), and Washington) and the Big Ten has been in the decline for a while. It's a cyclical thing, for sure, but usually it has to hit bottom before it can go up. I don't think we've seen rock bottom for the Big 10. It could be close though. Likewise, for the record, I was not surprised to see Michigan beat Notre Dame. Notre Dame just has nothing to offer. It would be like UND football playing MSU Moorhead at this point. Was this t-shirt thing low-brow? Yes. Was it immature? Maybe. But is it in bad taste? I don't think so. I'm sure, even if no one from the other side would admit it, someone would make similar t-shirts if one of their heated rivals lost to a team they certainly should have lost to when stakes are on the line. What that means is: I think we'd get ribbed a bit if we lost to Manitoba to start the season, but no one would make T-shirts. However, if UND lost to, say, Mercyhurst in the NCAAs, then perhaps we would see T-shirts being made. The stakes were high in the Michigan/App State game and the UMN/Holy Cross game. That would do it, as far as I'm concerned.

I wonder what the list would be like if they only go back as far as the top colleges were fielding hockey teams. What I mean is: Michigan and Minnesota both had hockey teams before UND did. I think UND had a hockey team before CC did (but I'm not sure). If we go from the latest arrival of these current 10 teams to the present, what would the list look like?

He'll make the AHL team. I just think Chicago is going to be surprised at what they get from him though. I don't see him being a prolific scorer. I see him being a good checking forward with a higher than usual offensive upside. In any case, I wouldn't be surprised if he has a similar AHL experience to Kris Chucko. I'd say he's more in the range of a 15-25 goals/year forward. Kane and Toews could easily get over 30.

It does in the arena of professional jousting!

I hate U.S. Americans who have less maps than South Africans (Teen SC joke there. ) I hate people who hate things. I hate hating things.

I think it is UMD's year this year. They will win it all with McKnight getting the Hobey! Minnesota will finsh second behind a charging UAA squad. MTU will be fourth. MSUM wraps up the home ice portion of the WCHA. UW gives the WCHA its first ever winless season, prompting AIC to schedule UW next season as an exhibition "freebie" UND loses in the first round of the WCHAs to UAA. LSSU and Colgate for the NC! This should be enough sandbagging to hold back any kind of flooding in 2008!

If you can, I can definitely see her doing so also.

I would enjoy that, but usually you only get to fire the gun once. These people (and issues) keep coming back from the dead. It's like a really bad horror movie. Besides, I get enough of that when I read about politics.

Isn't Robert Goulet 150 years old?

1. Contracts have been signed 2. Personal attacks continue Do we need a 3rd reason to close this thread?

Kaip never fought. He just found himself doing spur of the moment amateur plastic surgery for a lucky UAA player. I've heard it said: Some people are born in to fights. Some people have fights thrust upon them. Kaip fits this saying. (Maybe this should be in the Fighting Sioux facts thread?)

One would find it fishy to be a paid volunteer. So... when's someone going to start the next two thread: 5 YEARS LEFT OF HAKSTOL'S CONTRACT: let's get him signed for 20 more! 1 YEAR LEFT ON EADES AND JACKSON'S CONTRACTS: Get em signed or at least bash Buning some more!

With the NHL, I think good officiating will decrease the need for fighting, but I don't think it would eliminate it. What it would do is further pressure teams to not give up roster slots to enforcers who can't contribute, which all along is my point. Put a goal scorer or good defenseman in the slot vacated by an enforcer and you get a better game (in ideal conditions). With Boogaard, I don't know if it matters in the end. The Wild don't seem to care too much about scoring.

And my point doesn't revolve around who instigates. My point is: if he can't score and he's not great defensively, what purpose does he have in the game? Boogaard isn't the only player I single out. I have called out Scott Parker and Tie Domi for the same reason. I hold some players to be above the rest, like Scott Stevens. He was known to drop the gloves for sure, but he was one of the best defensive defensemen New Jersey has ever had. And every now and then he'd contribute offensively as well. Though I'm not certain how many fights he's participated in, Tomas Holmstrom is a great example of an agitator who is worth more to his team than just being able to get under players (and fans', including mine at times) skins. My point is, fighting is legal and probably should remain legal. But the day of the true enforcer, where fighting ability alone can get you to the NHL, should come to an end. Players who can't contribute otherwise, like Boogaard or Domi or Parker shouldn't be given roster slots. Fighters could still make the league, provided they can also score or play good D.