redwing77

One player doesn't make a recruiting class better than any of the rest, folks. The best recruiting class isn't the one that has all of the critics throwing roses and fainting in ecstasy. It is the one that comes in and has the most impact in helping their team get the furthest. Kessel cannot single handedly win NCs. If a single player could, then Zach would have given us 2 NCs. It comes down to the team. Kessel will help, sure, but I think the Sioux have the best recruiting class in terms of being well rounded. Gophers are top heavy. Their class will be the one the critics will blab about before the season. I'm optimistic that the recruiting class that will get the most attention post season will be the Sioux's.

No flashing lights? I thought you were getting more flashy, PCM

There also was a DI in Arizona at one time, though I can't find it. It hasn't been around for quite some time. While tooling around hockeydb.com, I also found out that, at one time, Tufts College and Gonzaga had DI hockey teams. Admittedly, they haven't been in existance since 1950, but still. Gonzaga even provided the 1845 Calder Trophy winning goaltender of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Frank McCool. I'm not saying we should go and knock on Gonzaga or Tufts doors and say "Hey, you should rejoin DI hockey" but it does bring thought.

edo1313 Wrote (quoted): "Has the FBI done a four-year study on how the general public views Ralph Engelstad? The question is not whether he was actually a Nazi sypathizer, it is how people view him. I worked at the World Juniors for Hockey Canada, and there were plenty of Canadian journalists who had questions regarding Ralph and possible Nazi activity. " The FBI is in the business of FACTS. Up until recently, I thought the media was too. Printing a percieved thought or opinion on how the populace percieves without the term "alleged" or something similar is something called "defamation of character" or libel. I'm sure Holdman can tell you, as a law student, both of which are perfectly lawsuit worthy. "Someone can be best remebered for something that isn't true. For example, Josh may best remembered on this message board for being a supposedly lousy journalist, who doesn't look into what he says. However, both his position at the Michigan Daily and the fact that he has been accepted to law school suggest otherwise." Knowing people who have gone into law school, I can say that his journalistic abilities have very little to do with his acceptance into law school. I thought it was a combination of an interview, essays, an application, undergrad GPA, and LCAT scores. I'm sure the interviewers thought that his participation in the newspaper and the band were nice extracurricular activities, but I'm not positive that would translate into law school material. Perhaps some of hte legal beagles here can chime in on this. "Whether or not Ralph Engelstad was a Nazi sympathizer has nothing to do with whether or not people think of him as one. It's sad, but labels stick on people." The purpose of the media is to state the facts, not perpectuate assumptions and stereotypes. People are innocent until proven guilty, but there I go quoting legal BS again. "Josh is not the first columnist to use a generalization in a column. Rick Reilly (Sports Illustrated) does it quite often in his work (a piece that completely bashes Detroit Redwing fans comes to mind first). I'm sure Redwing fans thought is was a little libelous, but I, along with many other readers, thought it was hilarious." And generalizations are just as dangerous. I don't read Reilly's column. But if he was slamming the fans, so be it. I'm just as likely to put him on par with the subpar writing abilities shown to me by Mr. Holdman.

Tysen is a big defenseman who plays for Shattuck. He plays his game a LOT like Smaby and he's just as big as Big M. I saw him play a year ago and he looked pretty solid. His name didn't come up too much as he has as much offensive talent as Matt Smaby.

Yes, but everything is relative. What would you expect from a state of 700k? There's close to that in Boston proper alone. We aren't in the Big 10. ND will never be there. But what we do have we are prideful of and we think is good in its own way. The rest of the country doesn't need to agree with this, but they should respect it. Perspectives like you've published only serve to perpetuate the stigma that North Dakota is nothing more than "flyover country." I like to think that ND isn't flyover country. It has its own flavor, atmosphere, and it brings a nice way of life to that table that few outside of the area would understand. Instead, all they see are decrepid farmhouses, unflattering media accounts, and the poor movie by the Coen brothers which leads them to believe that that is what we are all about. Don't perpetuate the belief.

Now living in Fargo, I can say without question that the basketball statement is rubbish. If NDSU isn't playing football or basketball, this town has gotten depressed sports-wise. Yeah, they have the Redhawks, but it has been rather wild down here with the bball frenzy at times. It may have stagnated a little bit with the Division alignment issues NDSU has, but once they get into a conference, it will be wild. That being said, BBall sucks.

Actually those silly rules would probably make the transition a little cheaper. However, without scholarships they won't be able to attract the calibre of recruits that even BSU attracts. Concordia is a private college though... They wouldn't get public backing. Still, it would be a nice addition to the CHA.

UMC came up in my mind as well, though let's throw a few names out there. UIUC - Ok, Illinois Urbana-CHampaign isn't exactly a hotbed of hockey, but they are a quality team in the same division that brought Robert Morris to the AHA. The barrier here is that they'd be jumping from club to DI hockey. A BIG move. The advantages are that Illinois is a growing state in terms of hockey talent and that its location isn't so far out of the way that it could hinder the ability of conference teams from visiting and vice versa. Iowa State University - Same as UIUC in advantages and disadvantages except that I've actually heard rumors of the Cyclones actually thinking about going DI. Ok ok, the rumors are over a year old and nothing's been heard of it since, but still... The other alternative is to do the impossible: Convince a private college to go DI. Nowadays, that's next to impossible with the monetary concerns. It would be nice to have one of the Sts. in the Twin Cities or Concordia in Moorhead as a DI program (though there is no way they'd be able to have an on campus arena. They currently share the ice with Moorhead High).

Not really. On May 3rd, there is a vote for a "downtown" hockey arena, which is nothing more than NDSU's attempt to get themselves a hockey arena. Don't worry. It will get voted down. If they want one bad enough, they'll build it themselves.

Somehow making fun of Dorkchella isn't going to start you on the path to getting Skippy alerts. I'm not sure he's too well liked among the SS.com faithful.

I say convince UM-Crookston to go DI and join the CHA then convince BSU to join the WCHA and SCSU to join the CHA

To my knowledge, the two sections behind the opposing goaltender (2 of 3 periods anyhow) are the Diamond Club seating. These are BIG $$$ seats. This isn't saying that the Diamond Club cannot be moved to our sections and still be big $$$ seats, but I am not so sure they will be willing to move. I really don't see anyone standing up for the students now that Kupchella doesn't have anyone in the AD to stand up for us.

Forget Zach! Are we recruiting this Sydney Crosby guy? I hear he's the next Gretzky!

Fear the Mapletoft!

I don't think Denver is going to be going anywhere. Their #1 goaltender was a freshman and their #2 could be a #1 anytime (seems similar with a green and white team I care about). Only fools would count CC out. Matt Zaba isn't a poor alternative to any WCHA goaltender. Not sure if CC is going anywhere post season though, they couldn't beat Denver whenever it mattered. UMN and UND will have similar issues and strengths next year. Both teams will have dominant underclassmen scoring and plenty of roleplaying talent. UND and UMN will have spotty D but for different reasons. UMN's D are too aggressive offensively and don't, as a unit, play back very much. They get beat too easily and with the goaltending situation they are in, that's trouble. UND's D will be spotty because they will be new to the division and inexperienced. UND returns some question makrs (Kaip and Murray) healthwise and will more than likely be without Bina. However, if Greene and Smaby stay, I think we'll do fine. I have it being: 1. DU 2. CC 3. UND/UMN 5. UW 6. UMD 7. UAA 8. MSUM 9. MTU 10. SCSU

Vaht?

I think Stafford's goal vs. BC was pretty good too. From the first angle I saw I didn't know how it could have gone in. Between the skate and the post while the goalie was sliding post-ward isn't a whole lot of room for a puck to slide by.

I think I must have drank something.... sdd teases me and Federov stands up for me. PCM- I always knew Mapletoft would come back to haunt you. Thanks Federov I don't remember the GPot hit Who put the hurt on RPot? With Smaby's progression as a big solid defenseman, I wonder if he returns next season, will he return for his senior season?

I really think this is true. I also think he could, if he sticks around, be the next Matt Greene in leadership as well. Look at it this way: Matt Smaby, during the playoffs, reminded me of David Hale. He was crushing EVERYONE. It's one thing to crush someone against the boards and then go on, but when Smaby does it, you slide down like a cartoon character hitting a wall. I really like Matt, I always have. Matt Greene and Matt Smaby, the real bash brothers

We can't cheer like the Canadians, beer isn't allowed in the student section

I understand you perspective, but I don't miss the tourney's participants. But Subway doesn't serve cupcakes. I think of a tourney a lot like a challenge. It's not a challenge if the only real competition is, if they come, Bemidji State. I'm sure this year's lineup would be something like the Lefty McFaddon tourney only without Wisconsin and adding UAH.