Godsmack

I'll let you know come January 6th and 7th as I plan to attend at least one of the two games between ASU and DU at Magness Arena. Tough to tell though considering the fair weather nature of the Pioneer Nation. I've been to several non-DU/CC or non-DU/UND games over the years and there tend to be lots of empty seats.

Emilio was hurt and missed several games down the stretch so I'm kinda wondering if he left the team but still staying enrolled at school as a sign that it has more to do with his health and well-being than it does any problems with the coaching staff. If it was the latter, chances are he's leave school too. That said, there has been a rather high number of players who've left the program during Haviland's tenure which is concerning. Just off the top of my head, Chase Perry (son of former UND goalie Craig Perry) went on to play in Canada and Garrett Cecere transferred to Northeastern. Personally, as a season ticket holder and friends with other fans, it's not so much how many wins they need to have this season but the quality of play on the ice, which was seriously lacking last three seasons (one of which was under Owens). Winning more than 6 games this year certainly must be a threshold Haviland needs to eclipse to convince fans that he's leading the program in the right direction. It'll be difficult though considering how many freshmen and sophomores will be on this year's squad. My hope is that the sophomores are physically more mature and mentally battle tested after what they went through last year as freshmen.

And the hits keep on comin' at CC. There have been a slug of departures and transfers since Haviland took over. I'm sure some are legit (like Emilio and Marble) but there have been so many players who've left that the pattern is becoming concerning. http://m.gazette.com/marble-emilio-leave-tigers-hockey-program/article/1581131

http://m.gazette.com/silence-says-more-than-announcement-in-churning-nchc-expansion-rumor-mill/article/1580804

Anyone in the know about Miami's roster for the coming season? I'd be curious to know what Red Hawks fans are thinking about how next season will go. Personally, I didn't take Roslovic's departure as an indictment of Blasi. My impression of Blasi and his squads is that they're a pretty tight-knit group.

http://www.miamiredhawks.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/071816aaa.html

http://mankatofreepresshockey.blogspot.com/2016/07/minnesota-state-applies-to-nchc.html?spref=tw&m=1

Joe Paisley of the Gazette commented about AF as a member. All due respect, Air Force would be a perennial bottom feeder in the NCHC. I think Atlantic Hockey is the right fit for AF.

Talk of Mankato applying for membership into the NCHC...

http://m.gazette.com/nchc-may-be-expanding-after-minnesota-state-applies-for-membership/article/1580271

Couldn't blame him if he does-I believe Danton Heinen was their only early departure. Gambrell will be back and he's dangerous. Plus, they locked Monty down in a big new contract so he's happy. DU scares me next year...under Monty the past three seasons, they've only continued to get better.

Not to mention, the uncertainty in what we'll face regarding our opponents, particularly within conference. If nothing else, they'll all be gunning for us.

DU coach Jim Montgomery signs new 5-year contract with DU. Story below. http://www.denverpost.com/2016/06/28/jim-montgomery-contract-denver-pioneers-hockey-coach/

Yah CC fans have always gotten a kick out of DU's jelly donut mascot!

Looks like the Burlington Northern logo

Let the mocking begin... https://letsgodu.com/

How much is Ed Schafer making as interim president again? Over 300 g's? Wow, can't say that he's earning his inflated paycheck. This logo sucks.

Any word or inkling as to who the captains will be next season? I'm guessing Ausmus will continue to wear the 'C' but who'll wear the 'A's? Also, it'll be interesting to see if UND goes with five alternates like last season to help spread out the leadership responsibilities with the incoming freshmen.

Thanks for sharing! Fun re-living this awesome season on this 90 degree June summer Sunday!

I found this video and was in hysterics! I guess it's not wise to tell a pro 'rastler' that wrestling is fake!

Wow, this video gave me goose bumps. Hard to say he isn't one of the all-time greats at North Dakota! For the cynics in Edmonton already questioning Caggiula's skill and toughness, they aughta first do their homework as well as give him the chance to prove himself. Not fair to impugn him or the college hockey game, for that matter, simply because Justin Schultz didn't work out in Edmonton (see fan comments in attached article). To call Caggiula soft is simply a sign of one Oilers fan's ignorance. http://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/edmonton-oilers/oilers-appear-to-have-landed-highly-touted-college-prospect One of my favorite memories of Caggiula is his OT winner in Colorado Springs his freshmen season. I posted this once before but it's so worth repeating. He absolutely buried the shot just under the bar, the CC goalie didn't even see it. Just one of several examples of this guy's knack for finding the back of the net. I admire the fact that he not only scores skill goals but also he isn't a prima Dona-he goes hard to the net, finishes his checks, and back checks like a mo fo. Thanks for so many great memories and special moments, Mr. Caggiula!

http://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/edmonton-oilers-one-of-two-finalists-in-bid-for-drake-caggiula

This was the first time I've read the attached article. Did Tambellini win the championship that year with The Hitmen?

Cool. Thanks.

When do UND and Minnesota play next season?