redwing77

No but you may be the only person here who has a negative attitude towards every player on the team (or darn close) and has this blind infatuation with a stat sheet. Oh, and excuse the late addition. You are also one of the few who thinks that a player's stats should only count if they score against teams you feel are good. And a good player scores 90% of his 25 goals in the playoffs.

I thought they got all the recruits they ever needed by losing to a really crappy MInnesota team?

I think the real issue isn't with sports at all. Has anyone here been to Sioux City, Iowa? I mean, that place is DIRTY. That, in itself, is hostile and abusive. Why aren't they protesting that name?

But then why make predictions? Predictions have a chance of being right and a chance of being wrong. If people were held accountable for predictions based upon the prevailing opinion at the time the opinion was written, then NOBODY would choose meteorology as a profession because they'd be fired the first time they predicted rain and it didn't rain at all. Chris made a prediction and was wrong. That happens all the time. I think some are taking that prediction far too seriously.

I agree. There was talk when Finley first came to UND that he'd be a four year player. Good or bad, when is the last time you can remember a first round draft pick (even if it was a stretch) staying all four years? Finley may very well be here that long. If he leaves early, he leaves early. But if he stays, I have faith in him even though many here don't. Siouxelevens- A good bet

You know, I don't really care if UND wins this game or not. I want them to win, but it really doesn't matter if we win or lose. So here's what I think: Grieco starts and plays periods 1 and 2. Walski plays period 3. I think this is the game to test out our roster sans Toews, Lee, and Chorney. I'd try to get playing time for Foyt, Martens, Bishop, Forney, and Genoway (at D). Ok, more than likely this isn't going to be happening, but I think this is a GREAT opportunity to flesh out what this team is going to look like without Toews, Lee, and Chorney while still facing a decent opponent. Truth be told, I think the U-18 team could beat most CIS teams (U Alberta may be the exception). There are no stakes in this game. Might as well make some experimental moves during it.

I agree with Siouxelevens and AZSioux on this one. I've already stated why. I'll never throw a Sioux player under the bus unless he deserves it so much that the other players and coaching staff do it first. LIke Fournier =================== EDIT: Ok, I've now seen two different calculations on Blood. One says he's 6'4" 220. Another says he's 6'2" 212. Anyone know which one is correct?

Yeah, but they never hit the mark. If they did, they'd probably have brought the house down.

Turco turned into a pretty decent NHL goaltender... As for Brendan Morrison (the guy who said that), eh. middle of the road NHLer.

That and every time he has gone for the big check he's gotten called on a penalty, including a CFB Major.

Nibbles here and there, but only speculative. The only one I've heard of that was quoted in a recruiting source is that UND has shown interest in current Powell River(BCHL) goaltender Chris Rawlings. He's not having a good year, but I'm not sure what that is because of. Marc Cheverie, who is a pretty good goaltending recruit (DU got him I believe), is having an off year as well so... But Chris is 6'5" 200#. I think we won't get him because he's far too tall to be a Sioux goaltender Rumblings about: Beau Christian Dayn Belfour There are decent goaltending recruits out there, like Reid Ellingson and Sean (sp?) Deichert are decent prospects from what I've read, but I have no clue if UND is interested at all in them.

I think UND has that already in Kaip and Radke, but the hinderance of it all is that Hak and Company has to be telling people to cut back due to how lackluster our PK is. I mean, it's out "question mark-ing" our goaltending right now. And I'd be easy on Chris. He did criticise us a little for not snatching up players right away. We're just not good at recruiting players 3 years or more before they're ready for college. I'm surprised we have a 2009 recruit (Kristo) on board already. We're not Michigan or Minnesota, who will take committments from players at the Select 14 and Select 15 tourneys if they wish. Say what you will about what that means, but it's how I see it. And Hakstol and Eades are proving all along just how good a recruiter they are. But could someone please clarify some things? Is it Eades that was instrumental with recruiting Oshie? Wasn't it Eades who also convinced Bruneteau to commit to UND? Or were these two both Hakstol's doing? I don't care really either way, because really Hakstol is an unbelievable recruiter. It's odd that we bring in two drafted players and a sparkplug (Genoway) and that's an off season as far as recruiting is concerned.

All that's missing is the offense. Half of that isn't his fault. I don't think you could make better passes to Kozek or Miller on Saturday.

I was only half right about Genoway pre-season. I thought he was going to be in the same role as Marvin (play both forward and defense), which I am somewhat right about (I know he can play D on the Sioux, he just hasn't played it very much thus far). I was incorrect in that I thought his impact would, at least initially, be the same as Marvin's. It is a good "wrong" to be.

I seem to recall that story too (SiouxTupa's) however I wasn't sure. In any case, I do remember that they stopped putting paper ads in the student section because they continuously ended up on the ice during intermissions. I remember one time where a paper airplane was lofted from the front row of the balcony and ended up at center ice basically one step in between two cheerleaders.

Heidi -- Embarrassing it is for me to say but 1992 was before I seriously got into hockey. I followed the Red Wings off and on (mostly thanks to SportsCenter) and read the box scores for my boys Yzerman, Konstantinov, and Federov (latter two may have come after that, tho), but I really did not know didly squat about hockey until I arrived went to my first game late in the 1995-1996 season. Heh, I don't recall who we played (I think it was UW because I'm pretty sure there was red in their jerseys) but we lost 3-2, I think. So I was wrong. Good catch, Heidi.

BIG Pickup. And since he's over 6'3" tall, I'm sure he'll get a vast reputation of being slammed by SS.com posters like Hale, Commodore, Greene, Smaby, Lee, and Finley have! Good pickup by UND. Another note: Unless Blood comes in 2008, playing time is going to look bleak for Marto. And I'm not sure Genoway is going to get much time at D either.

May as well. It's not like they've gotten any real leadership in the past what... 40 years? I can't remember the last time Chicago was good. I don't think it was during my lifetime, though.

But at least he won't shoot his eye out with a Cavalry

I'm sad to say you're wrong. Toews, Lee and Chorney are returning players. Toews is up for the Captaincy of Team Canada, though I'm not sure he'll be named it. As for any NEW players making it, that I'll say no to. I'm sure a few, such as LaPoint and Malone could get invites to the tryouts, but I don't think they'll make the team.

I agree. Motzko gives SCSU credibility. Dahl gives SCSU fans heartburn.

My thoughts precisely. Vandevelde was really good defensively and uses his size remarkably well. VV will eventually score points, especially if the great setup passes he has done on occasion finally reaches someone who is able to finish. VV could have had 2 assists on Saturday alone.

At the start of the game or by the end of the game? By the end of the game, he's probably using any stick he can find

With the rash of players heading to Major Juniors from other teams, I thought this thread was about something different.

I agree with AZSioux and Diggler. Toews and Oshie have been just fine. But hype is just that, hype. It starts as a realistically optimistic outlook on a player and snowballs until it is jus plain unrealistic. They hype with these two at the beginning of the season was that they were going to singlehandedly destroy the DI ranks as a combo. Though I'd like to think so, and hope they will be that effective, I don't think that is a realistic expectation. If you believe the hype, you're bound to get burned. Just ask the Ottawa about Alexandre Daigle or Minnesota about Blake Wheeler. Neither players were (or are in Wheeler's case) "busts" but the expectations put on them by others made their time rather unenjoyable from a fan perspective. Toews and Oshie have been battling injuries, true, but people forget that Toews is doing at least 3 things on the ice at one time: Trying to score, being defensively responsible, and being a leader (he's an alternate captain). Travis Zajac never had to worry about the leadership part. Realistically, Toews isn't the next Brett Hull or Gretzky. Neither is Oshie. But they really are the best players on our team and that's really the end all to it. WIth Duncan, Porter, and Chorney playing really well, and others improving, this team will be just fine.