redwing77

I didn't see Frattin as a first liner, but that's where he started last season as a freshman. I think Frattin has as much a chance of being on the first line as any of the freshmen.

Thanks for the scouting report. I kinda got the feeling that Kristo was a long shot to make the team this year as well.

So isn't that what I was trying to say? It's not my fault if you're better with words than I am.

I'm kinda confused so I'll ask for enlightenment. The role of players on a line vary, right? I always thought the center was the playmaker and the job of the wingers were to finish? Are we at the point where we have to rely upon Kozek for setting up Duncan and whomever else is on the line? If so, then yeah, maybe we're in trouble... or maybe we're not. Remember, up until last season, Kozek didn't score much. WHy? Because Hak had him in a more grinder role. Maybe his role last year was to finish? That might be why Hak criticized him late in the season for not shooting as much as he should have? Also, I don't know about Duncan's role this year. I don't think we have the up and down dynamic talent like Oshie brought us to allow Duncan to simply go out and find his spot. I think Duncs will do a lot of setting up on top of whoever centers the line. I have no problem with Kozek being on the first line. He's a goal scorer. The question is who centers the first line? That person needs to be a good passer who has a good hockey sense and vision. To me, that would be Trupp or VV. Toews and Gregoire may have that too, but I've never seen either of them play. In any case, I think Kozek needs to be on a scoring line. I also think roles are going to change for some of the players who we are used to not seeing them play that sort of role. I also see Miller fighting for ice time this year. Hextall and Lammy may be too good to keep out of the lineup and Miller's season last year was not very good. He may be the odd man out. I'd also say the same thing about Martens usually, but he had a good season last year... It will be very interesting.

This would VAULT her popularity. Herald cuts her. It doesn't matter why, but it will inevitably be because she is Native American. She could be embezzling money, the Herald catches her and decides to let her keep it and not file charges and lays her off...still the lay off is because the Herald is racist. No, the biggest mistake the Herald made was hiring her, because the only way to get rid of her is for her to retire or voluntarily leave for another position somewhere else.

Hey, if we're into reading too far into numbers how about this: David Toews didn't take his borther's number (9). He is the second Toews to attend UND. 9x2=18, Toews' number. Hogwash, but I'm tired so it sorta makes sense.

Dunno.

I seem to recall Siembida choosing us over Michigan State. His stats may have been better in the CCHA.

I agree with SiouxCrioux. A picture is worth 1000 words, but those words all change depending upon who is writing the words. A picture is a picture. HOw you interpret it is your own. The picture was posted because it was indeed Nate Hagemo and that he does indeed deserve all the flak he has gotten because that's what happens when you fall from grace, so to speak. The flak Nate has been getting here and whether or not he deserves a second chance is, imo, two different topics entirely. The topics are not mutually exclusive, but they are seperate topics. My opinion is that he does deserve this shot at redemption, but if he blows it, then he does deserve everything that would come because of it. We (fans and opponents alike) did not choose the path Nate chose once he faced adversity. Nate did. He got messed up. He did not have to. He could have chosen a different path. He didn't and he's paying the price. You don't have to like the price he's paying, but it is what he's paying. That's all there is to it.

Yes. I remember when it was "Right Now" by Van Halen

Same. I remember enjoying the tag team antics of the Von Eric Brothers... I got into wrestling much later than most of those mentioned, but my father educated me in the old greats. My father knows personally Baron von Raschke. I enjoyed the days when it was a really big deal to have used a chair in the ring. They used more acrobatic moves, talked less, and wrestled more. I loved that the wrestlers only talked during interviews or specially designated times like the Piper's Pit. I grew up enjoying wrestlers like Marty Jenetty and Shawn Michaels in the tag team: THe Rockers, Demolition, Legion of Doom, The REd Rooster, Rick "The Anvil" Niedhart, Davy Boy Jones, The Texas Tornado, the Ultimate Warrior, The Iron Sheik, The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase, Virgil, IRS, Yokozuna, Jake "The SNake" Roberts, Rick Rude, The Bushwhackers!, The Nasty Boys, Mr. Perfect, the original Sting... awesome times. I can't remember which channel it is on via satellite (Dishnetwork is what my folks have) but every night at 11pm central you can watch old AWA matches.

I'm no fan of dwelling on the Gophers, but I don't see the harm in stating that Hagemo has gotten a second shot at hockey. Debate if you will how much he deserves it, but it's a valid topic. If this were naught but a flame-fest, it would be a different story. Remember a general rule: The U.S. Constitution protects your right to be offended and conversely, to post offensive material. It does not protect obscenity. Elkman has every right to be offended by this thread or any post on this board. He can demand that a post or thread be removed if he wants. There is no rule stating that Jim or the moderators have to abide by his demand.

Lately? Are you serious? The Wolves, as a franchise, has had ONE good year, and it turned out to be a fluke (Wow, that seems a lot like the Wild!). To put things in comparison, The Timberwolves became a franchise in 1989. In that time, The Twins have 1 World Championship (1991), at least 3 Division titles, 2 trips to the ALCS (Including 1991). Since 1989, the Vikings have had a brush with greatness in 1998. Since 1989, the Minnesota Gophers hockey team has won two NCs and I'm not sure how many broadmoors or McNaughtons. I'd even say that at least the Wild have had more winning records than the Timberwolves. Sorry, but unless Minnesota Gopher basketball or football (of which I know very little) can one up the Timberwolves, I'd make the statement that the Timberwolves are the worst teams in Minnesota. For the number of years they've been around, they may even be the worst pro team in Minnesota sports history. If not, they certainly are among the worst.

I heard he was dressed up in regalia.

And this would be different than watching UND playing Manitoba how? I mean, at least NJIT has beaten a (crappy but still) D1 team! Personally, what I'd like to see is to invite the DIII National Champion every year to play in the exhibition opener.

My only question is why Austria and not Finland or Sweden? You get more notice in those leagues.

Briggs was indeed awful. I predicted Frazee to usurp him his freshman year but failed, though. As for your claim, Goon, I'm not so stubborn to break my own rule of criticizing Sioux players as to say I would have happily traded the Gophers Josh Siembida for Kellen Briggs. I would also throw in Chris Fournier and Todd Alexander.

Yeah, he played on the same line as Sidney Crosby and Jason Mapletoft.

I'm Jewish. I went to UND. I was a member of the JSO. I knew the advisor to the JSO. I knew that he never cared one bit about the JSO while I was there. I was the PRESIDENT of the JSO for 2 of the 3 years I was in it. My grandparents are Holocaust survivors. That assumption was moronic. I didn't react to it because fourwinds is on my ignore list. The fact is, EVERYONE has been discriminated against in this issue. Right now, everyone who thinks the nickname should stay is getting discriminated against because they are automatically evil, abusive, racist and bad people. It doesn't matter why they defend the nickname. I've been discriminated against. I was targetted in high school by the Neo-Nazis in Fargo, ND (Yes, they do exist). Was I harmed? No. I got harrassed by a person who kept sending me the Neo Nazi newsletter. Oh God how terrible right? The fact that whether or not you know what discrimination is by going through it may be important, but what is truly vital is how you handle it when it happens. Apparently, fourwinds and this Jewish student do not know how to handle it. They've gotten vindictive, bitter, spiteful, and hateful. Start pointing fingers and generalizing (We are all idiots, right fourwindsboy?) and you're merely part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Well, the Wild have "addressed" their needs in scoring and grit by signing 55 year old winger Owen Nolan. He was good like...10 years ago, but still. Yet another example of the tired old mantra of when in doubt, sign old players. 5.5 million for a 36 year old winger. Disappointment. Quick edit: 3 am post time! WOW! Well, it is actually 9am when I posted this. I'm in London which is 6 hours ahead of your time.

This I did not know. With Detroit's roster, I just assumed they were hovering right near the cap. Goon- Risebrough's management of the cap seems to point towards a similarity with another Minnesota GM: Kevin McHale. Dagies- I both agree and disagree with you. I think Gabby plays like that because he know what we all know, whether we'd like to admit it or not: He IS the Wild offense. What I'd do if I were Gaborik is say "You offerred Hossa $8 million/year. I think that`s where it should be for me too." PU Veillieux and PM Bouchard are both RFAs. I'd trade them both. Bouchard is young and could be a decent scorer, but he's a perimeter guy and really only performs well if he has room to skate. Trade him for a guy who can create offense rather than just the usual capitalizing on other teams' mistakes. It appears, however, that Bouchard will be re-signed in some way. They lost out on Naslund too. This one actually surprised me. I think Naslund would have fit in well in Minnesota. Dubay, yesterday, was talking about the Wild ownership's new style this off season and whether it was a good thing or not and whether it would work or not. I once again go back to my previous statements in past posts when I say that it probably won't work this off season. The aggressive attitude is a good one to have, one that shows that the Wild are indeed willing to correct the abysmal attitude of previous off seasons. However, the players aren't fooled. Sure, the Wild got Zidlicky, Miettinen, and Brunette, but really, Brunette is a 3rd or 4th liner now, Zidlicky is another Jonsson/Burns (at best), and Miettinen, on a good night, is a second liner. The Wild will more than likely not address their weakness in the area of stay at home defensemen that are gritty. They seem to go after character guys that are good lunch-pail/role player types. Why? Their AHL affiliate is FULL of those types of players. They are younger and cheaper too. They need a first pairing defenseman like Redden, Blake, or Stuart would have been and they need a player like Naslund and Hossa. They get that, and they're solid.

Sniff'n The Tears - Driver's Seat (1979) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFwcmU6Ql0A

Nicely Played. In recent news, Ron Santo thinks the Cubs will win the World Series. Sid Hartman thinks Minnesota (all teams all levels) will win it all. I think the Rays will win the AL East.

Risebrough and the Wild owner are in the same mindset as the Twins in many ways. They want to be competitive. However, he is unwilling or (if the owner is like Pohlad) unable to spend money to get the 2 to 3 players that would break the Wild out of mediocrity. The Twins successfully pinned the lack of attractiveness to big free agents on the Metrodome. The Metrodome isn't a great stadium, but it isn't a great venue, but it's not a legit reason for not wanting to be there, imo. If you were a guy like Hossa. Proven, big name, still in your prime. Would you rather go to a team that has players who have the talent to win it all (but is admittedly an older team) or go to a team that has players who may have or may EVENTUALLY have the talent to win it all (but is admittedly a younger team)? Seriously, Hossa coming to Minnesota would REALLY help the Wild, but he looks at the system Risebrough has in place, how LeMaire coaches the game, and the opinions he has on the players he'd be playing with and I can't blame him for signing with a team like Detroit. No one wants to play for a team that models itself after the Kansas City Royals or the Tampa Bay Rays until they actually start proving they are a team to beat. They did that ONE season, but failed in the end. They could not carry it over to next season. They've been mediocre ever since. This is a "What do you have for me now" type free agent market. The Wild can't compete for big free agents because they can't answer the question honestly without disappointing those free agents. That's why I'm so vehement on my dislike of them. After the lockout, they had an opportunity to revamp their entire team because all or most of the big names were out there and some wanted to come to Minnesota only to be rebuffed. The Wild, imo, are the closest Minnesota team to being dangerous in the post season. The Twins can pull off a regular season or two every now and then. However, they lay eggs in the post season because the Twins don't have players who are able to compete regularly in the post season yet. The same with the Wild. However, all the Wild need to change that is to sign the right players, and spend a little money in doing so. I always say that sometimes the spending habits of Detroit make me sick. I do believe they spend a lot of money and sometimes don't get squat for their investment. They are like the Yankees at times. They sign everyone or they try to. Minnesota is in a unique position much like the Rays are. They are young, but they only need a few veterans who are in their prime to push them over the top and into true competitive hockey that could take them to the Stanley Cup finals, in the same vein as Anaheim a few years back. Anaheim had Kariya and Selanne and a few others. The Wild only have Gaborik. They need two or three more players. Period.

I'll bite. Umm... The comparison is very valid. Why? UMN's men's and women's hockey teams are the ONLY teams in Minneapolis that play at a high level (DI or pro) that has actually won ANYTHING meaningful since 1991. When you wake up living in a city whose pro teams have sucked or, at best, been mediocre, for 17 years, you tend to yearn for a winning program. I would have thought Gopher hockey provided that for MSP residents.