yzerman19

That's what I was thinking...also, the lines that I put out there have at least one VERY fast player on each line: Kristo, Rocco, Rodwell, Gleason- that is dangerous speed on each line. Having Gleason in the lineup as a forward also protects us in the event of a 5 minute and a game against a d-man or really any series of penalties against d-men. If Mac gets tossed for a CFB and then later in the game Forbert gets 2, you can spell the other boys by rotating Joe back there.

I always believe that you roll lines versus stacking one line. I think this Sioux team could roll 3 scoring lines... What if: Scoring 1: Knight with Kristo and Chyzyk (Knight and Kristo make this line a legitimate top line regardless of who plays the other wing) Scoring 2: Grimaldi with Parks and MacMIllan (keep the chemistry on the wings, insert Rocco) Scoring 3: Rowney with O'Donnell and Rodwell (could be the best 3rd line in the league) Energy: St Clair with Pattyn and Gleason (Pattyn and Gleason earned it last year, i think St Clair gets in) D pairings: Mac and Schmaltz Forbert and Mattson Panzo and Simpson

I agree that those guys will play, but they are not coming into the lineup in top 6 roles (other than Rocco) I agree that they could definitely become studs- I could see Chyzyk and Caggiula being Knight/Rowney players, which is what I said in my previous post. Now I also believe that Knight is a better player than Rowney, but I don't want to get into who is like who or who is better than who. In fact, I think Knighter is one of the most underrated players in college hockey. He is a beast two-ways, wins draws, plays hurt, and is clutch. As for Schmaltz- yes, he will get special teams play right away, yes, they will not put him out against a lot of other teams top lines, and yes, they will likely protect him with someone like Big Mac as his partner- first rounders get 20 minutes of ice minimum, guaranteed, unless they really suck the big one.

This is not a class loaded with blue chippers. Grimaldi (who shouldn't be part of this class) is by far the biggest offensive upside new forward. Schmaltz should be real good in a couple years- it is tough to be a freshman first round dman in this league (Brian Lee anyone?) I think the rest of our class is role players who hopefully develop into the future Corbin Knights and Carter Rowneys. It isn't like the years when we brought in Parise or Toews or Oshie or even Kristo...Grimaldi could be that type of player though- scouts compared him to Brian Gionta

Just saw that Sanderson is indeed an overage Canadian- been a while since we've had one, but if I am reading the card correctly, it says he is a 21 year old freshman

I have to say that I didn't pay much attention to Dicken when he was out there, but I did not notice him being overly "soft" as many are insinuating. I would guess that it has less to do with his "soft" play and more to do with the fact that he was unlikley to get much ice time- In fact, I think it is kind of mean spirited to call him out for this as he moves on. I'd prefer to say "thank you" and "good luck" in Manitoba, YOUNG man.

Mark MacMillan is listed at 6 feet 168 pounds- this means in reality he is probably 5'11 and 160- that is a THIN college hockey player. He has some great skill and potential- imagine if he was 20 pounds heavier? 180 would not slow him down at all, but would give him that extra mass when going to the net and getting ridden by a dman. Right now he is likely giving up 40 pounds to the average WCHA defenseman...that is a lot...maybe he needs to go lay brick with Fratty's old crew in Alberta- that'll put on 20 pounds of muscle in a summer (I know, I did it laying concrete roads one summer in college).

Identity and nostalgia are definitely at the top of the list: Identity-UND hockey is North Dakota's representation on the national map; not just athletically or the global university, but really the whole State. I am proud of being part of the small club that is North Dakotan, and UND hockey shows the world what can come out of our small, cold, "fly-over" state. I left ND at 18, but I've never stopped being a Sioux fan- even after two degrees from the University of Minnesota!! Nostalgia-running from University Avenue to the old Ralph with my Dad in twenty below cold, then seeing The Farce, and getting home past my bedtime. Watching 3 national championship teams as an elementary school kid. Jim Archibald. Playing knee hockey in our old, unfinished basement with a space heater, pretending to be Phil Sykes or Troy Murray or Dan Brennan or Tony Hrkac or Bob Joyce while watching the game. Warming house pizza and frozen toes with the game on the radio. Taking my wife (BC alumni of all things) to the Ralph before she was my wife and showing her the new Ralph with pride. Oh, and Jim Archibald.

He's still in the AHL and still posts a save % over .90 and a GAA under 3.00 He still wakes up screaming at night "Not Toews again!"

He's getting married while still in college?

There could be a number of reasons...let's not get too far off the deep end just yet

hmmmm...I wonder what is going on there...

You know, citing the kid seems a bit overzealous...I can remember being in college and it being bar close- getting hushed out by the bouncers and needing to hit the head. Sometimes they didn't let you, and if you gotta go, you gotta go. Or maybe he was just looking for attention like the guy in the San Francisco airport security fiasco.

Big Timing- gotta be careful when you do that, especially when you're "stuff" really isnt that good. We've got a long way to go before we can be considered big time (excluding hockey)

What about Scanlon? Ooohhh Baby!

point taken, but living in the Twin Cities, I am not subjected to (fortunately) any of that which you describe

So did the 1997 flood... I am a huge Sioux hockey fan, and I loved growing up in GF- I'd have to look at the articles, but I would guess that there was very little "special" about the articles beyond the success of the hockey program in terms of winning and in terms of pros produced compared with the relative small size of the school and obscurity of the location. Look- I always tell people I grew up in North Dakota, but when I am in a major city on the east or west coast, I am greeted with blank stares- it is nothing to be ashamed of, it should be embraced. Don't try to be too big-time, we'd only embarrass ourselves; and we have more class than that.

This seems a bit like Marsha Brady syndrome- NDSU is not on anyone's radar either.

Thank God you did not say Pierre McGuire

agree, and that is the reason behind my ending phrase "one big time program"

Hate to burst your bubble, but UND is not on the radar of anyone outside of NoDak or outside of college hockey circles. Not a knock, I am a fan and grew up there. It just is not on the radar for most of the country...It is a small school in a small town in a small state...does have one big time program

Me too...and ditto

That was his charm- UND, Grand Forks, and North Dakota aren't exactly the cosmopolitan centers of the world- Sweeney represented and embraced a hometown feel.

Personally, I will miss Pat Sweeney- he was a fantastic character

Somehow my reply went to the wrong thread...on iphone