Canuck

Perspective? What's that? I have been shocked by the amount of negativity regarding last weekend's sweep. Was I happy about the sweep? Of course not. But is there a bigger picture? Absolutely. I think what happens to fans in college hockey is the season is so short (at least compared to an NHL-length schedule), that each games becomes so much more magnified and it leads to panic. Maybe this will help provide further perspective and rationale regarding a "swoon:" Just two short months ago the two-time defending NCAA champions were being written off because they crawled out of the starting gates. They righted the ship and are now as dangerous as any team in the nation. Besides, historically the team that wins the McNaughton does not typically go on to win the national title. Given the choice between the two, which would you rather have as a Sioux fan? I thought so.

That's interesting. Sounds like Victory is bending themselves over on this one. Either that, or they're simply overestimating the loyalty of Twins fans. I certainly wouldn't be in favor of a $2 hike for one network. Unless it was the Spice Channel!!!!

Let's not sell Briggs short. He also shut down CC in CC, which is no small feat. I think if we start comparing Briggs' wins to Parise's, we're basically splitting hairs.

UND's records date back to the 1947-48 season, which is regarded as the first "official" season in Fighting Sioux hockey history.

Personally, I'm a fan of the wrestling quotes. With all due respect, Barry Melrose adds to a hockey broadcast exactly what Ric Flair adds to a hockey broadcast. ZERO. For what it's worth, apparently Ric Flair is a casual-to-moderate Hurricanes fan. Although can there really be such thing as a die-hard Hurricanes fan?

If Notermann is competing this year, I say they add a new competition similar to the shot accuracy contest. Instead of having targets placed in each corner of the net, see who can hit the most pipes. Notermann would be unstoppable!

I'm guessing it's a personal tape put together by, I believe, Brad Towers. I've heard he has quite an impressive personal collection of UND games on VHS dating back some 20 years.

Sometimes-blinding Gopher hatred aside, let's not kid ourselves here: the Gophers are still a scary team as far as I'm concerned. Aside from the great depth and skill up front, no Don Lucia team should ever be taken lightly. It pains me to say it, but the Gophers -- if the goaltending stays stable -- are still as dangerous a team as any and I think you'd have a hard time finding too many teams that want anything to do with them down the stretch and into the playoffs. Considering all they have to do is win a short, first-round series, get into the Final Five (on home ice, as always) and win that, suddenly they're a legit threat at three-peating. So, to answer the original question in this thread - I don't think Sonmor's comments can be called anything but fact.

Actually, as of this year Carolina and Calgary are sharing an AHL affiliate (which actually isn't an uncommon practice, though it is somewhat awkward). Mike is still Calgary property; he's just buried on a defensive depth chart that is very deep. Incidentally, Ryan Bayda got send down to Lowell a couple of days ago.

Here's a link to the NHL's midseason draft rankings: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature.asp?fid=8985 Drew Stafford is ranked ninth and incoming freshman Travis Zajac is ranked 20th among North American skaters. Recruits Kyle Radke (5th round) and Luke Beaverson (7th) are also ranked. I may have missed a couple - I'm sure I'll find out in minutes if I did

Niketown, I agree that far too many people are much too eager to complain about everything. Don't get me wrong; I, for the most part, am very proud of the new arena itself. And I'll admit, I never thought it would be near-capacity night in, night out. Although, god forbid we have some lean years like the end of the Gino era...then it might be a different story. As many have pointed out, the atmosphere and home-ice advantage is steadily improving. I don't think the fans are any less enthusiastic. It's just that the logistics of a building that size don't allow for the same noise level as the old building. But it certainly feels much more like our home rink than it did two years ago.

Ha! Actually, that's the first Sioux-Gophers game at the old Ralph I ever attended. I believe we were unranked at the time and UM was #1. That was also the first time I was introduced to "O-VER-RATED....O-VER-RATED..." Ahhh, I just got a warm fuzzy....

Here's something I wrote for another website a few years ago as the days in the old Ralph were coming to an end. It may seem a bit long, but definitely appropriate for the thread. And, looking back, somewhat crytpic. If I do say so myself: I am a hockey nut. No ifs, ands or butt-ends about it. The sport is - and will always be - my first love. I grew up a fervent supporter of the junior hockey team in my hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan. I even managed to attend a handful of National Hockey League games, though the nearest city with an NHL team was 500 miles away. I spent every waking minute of my free-time on an outdoor rink or on the back driveway. Life as a hockey nut could never get better, I thought. I was wrong. Six years ago I came to the University of North Dakota as a freshman, having barely heard of the school, let alone been aware of its steep hockey tradition. Six years ago I entered Ralph Engelstad Arena for the first time; life as a hockey nut got better. Whatever your opinion may be on the nickname, the logo, or even Ralph Engelstad himself, please save that for another thread. This isn't the time. You see, tonight the Fighting Sioux will play the last ever home game at the current Engelstad Arena. Oh sure, there will be the obligatory best-of-three playoff series at home in March against Michigan Tech, Minnesota-Duluth, Grand Forks Central or some other patsy, but for all intents and purposes tonight is the night. College hockey may never be the same in this town after tonight. Yes, in the fall we will all (ok, not all) will celebrate the opening of what is sure to be the finest college hockey facility in the nation. It will have all the bells and whistles that come with "progress." A giant replay screen, closed-circuit play-by-play on the concourses and in the restrooms, and the ever-important luxury boxes. Progress. Call me crazy, but save this kind of progress for professional hockey. I, for one, will miss the current arena we play in; that 25-year old barn that on many nights could qualify as the world's largest insane asylum. When you think about it, there really is nothing aesthetically pleasing about the current Engelstad Arena. It's outdated, there's not enough restrooms, the sound system sucks and you can't buy beer. In that regard, a new arena could be justified. But not from where I sit. Ralph Engelstad Arena is college hockey. It's got that small-town feel, that coziness that fosters such a frenzied environment. The fans are right on top of the action and the home team is able to feed off of that emotion. Because of the small confines, the Fighting Sioux have been able to enjoy arguably the most effective home-ice advantage in college hockey over the past 25 years. On a day like this, where we say goodbye to a local landmark, "favorite memory" is the phrase of the day. I have one. March 15, 1998, UND versus the hated Minnesota Golden Gophers. The fans, many of whom waited in line outside the arena for seven hours to get their favorite seat, having nothing to cheer about. The third period is about to start and the Sioux are losing 3-0. But something is not right. There is a buzz in the air, an anticipation that the game is far from over. The crowd was just waiting to erupt, waiting for a reason to lose its mind. It's a feeling an outsider would not understand. I was working for the Midwest Sports Channel on this night, keeping stats for the announcers while also relaying them to the production truck outside. Just before the third period started, I told the producer, "If UND scores the next goal, this one is over." He replied by saying there is no way the Gophers will blow a 3-0 third period lead. Just watch, I told him. 14 seconds into the third period the Gophers registered a shot on goal. They would not get another shot on goal the rest of the way. Sure enough, UND's Curtis Murphy got the Sioux on the board 6:42 into the period, and Grand Forks' own Jeff Panzer followed with another three minutes later. The arena was going bonkers, and I truly believed the stadium's structural support was in jeopardy. Now UND could do no wrong. They were catching Minnesota players from behind, batting pucks out of mid-air and hitting anything in maroon and gold that moved. The shift in momentum was electric. UND's Jason Blake tied the game midway through the period, and Minnesota coach Doug Woog resorted to the age-old trick of calling timeout in an effort to slow the pace and tame the crowd, and such a move usually works. Instead, the crowd got louder. And louder. And louder. And louder. It had to be experienced to be believed; it's cliche, but you really could not hear yourself think. The crowd was so loud, I literally had to write notes to communicate with the person next to me. The move completely backfired on Woog. The crowd was so fired up, MSC's cameras were actually shaking from the amount of noise. Inevitably, UND soon tallied the go-ahead goal. At that point, UND had 15 shots to Minnesota's one, prompting MSC announcer (and noted Gopher homer) Frank Mazzocco to say, "UND could have played without a goalie the entire period and it would still be a tie game." You got the sense the Gophers knew they were doomed after giving up that first goal. Woog knew it. Trailing by just one goal, he opted to pull his goalie for an extra attacker with nearly three minutes remaining. He had no choice, really. The momentum was such that the Gophers could barely get the puck out of their zone, let alone create a scoring chance. UND sealed the game with an empty-net goal by Matt Henderson. Final score: 5-3. Scoring in the third period: 5-0. Shots on goal in the third period: 20-1. Shots on goal over the final 19:46 of the game: 20-0. To make a long story even longer, I am of the opinion that this comeback - and so many others like it over the past quarter of a century - would never have happened at the soon-to-be completed Engelstad Arena. An arena that big sterilizes the emotional aspect of hockey. An arena that big is nothing more than a cavern with ice. An arena that big will be next-to-impossible for a town of 55,000 to fill, let alone energize. Ask the Boston Bruins, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Montreal Canadiens how much they miss their old barns. All three are storied franchises, and all three have been downright awful since trading in their intimate barns for corporate arenas. Yes, the new Engelstad Arena will the be the jewel of college hockey. Yes, it will be an arena to be proud of, nickname controversy notwithstanding. Yes, it will have all the ammenities a hockey fan could want, except for one. Atmosphere. So today I say, with great sadness, Goodbye old barn. Thanks for giving me my best six years as a hockey nut.

I was actually just told this afternoon that the media guides will be sent out en masse this week.

I believe the intention was to do a mass mailing of the hockey and basketball media guides at the same time. However, staffing problems in the media relations department (which produces the media guides) caused the basketball guides to be printed later than usual. That's likely the reason you haven't received them yet. Sources tell me.

Media guides are available to the public for $12.00. A check or money order (made to UND Athletics) should be sent to: University of North Dakota Athletic Media Relations PO Box 9013 Grand Forks, ND 58202-9013 Also, this year's men's and women's hockey media guides will soon be available at www.fightingsioux.com in a downloadable, PDF format.

As a Canadian fan who has long called the World Junior tournament his favorite sporting event of the year (by a narrow margin over the Stanley Cup playoffs), I have to say it's very encouraging to see this much enthusiasm from U.S. hockey fans. Hopefully this interest turns into exposure nation-wide, and not just regionally. This tournament truly is some of the best hockey anyone will find each year and has been ignored south of the 49th for far too long. When the gold medal game ended, I was extremely disappointed in the result. However, I quickly realized that if a gold medal win by the U.S. results in more exposure for the tournament outside of Canada, I could live with that trade-off. At least for one year. Don't get too attached to those gold medals!

Yes, his first name is Jean Paul and it's most definitely a French-Canadian name. Tim Hennessy also correctly pronounces it puh-REE-ZAY. What a great game. Full marks to the U.S. for the third period comeback. The way those last two goals were scored, seems like it was one of those "meant to be" games.

For the sake of reference, my unofficial count has 40 NCAA players representing Canada at the World Juniors since 1982 (list below). That's roughly two per season, despite the fact that most of the elite Canadian hockey players choose Canadian major junior hockey over the U.S. college ranks. 2004: Jeff Tambellini (Michigan) 2003: David LeNeveu (Cornell) 2002: Mike Cammalleri (Michigan) 2001: Mike Cammalleri (Michigan), Dany Heatley (Wisconsin) 2000: Dany Heatley (Wisconsin), Matt Pettinger (Denver) 1999: Mike Van Ryn (Michigan) 1998: Mike Van Ryn (Michigan) 1996: Jason Botterill (Michigan), Mike Watt (Michigan State) 1995: Jason Botterill (Michigan) 1994: Jason Botterill (Michigan), Anson Carter (Michigan State) 1993: Paul Kariya (Maine), Adrian Aucoin (Boston University) 1992: Brad Bombardir (UND), Paul Kariya (Maine), Ryan Hughes (Cornell) 1991: Greg Johnson (UND), David Harlock (Michigan) 1990: Dwayne Norris (Michigan State), Dan Ratushny (Cornell), Scot Pellerin (Maine), Adrien Plavsic (New Hampshire), Jason Herter (UND) 1989: Rod Brind'Amour (Michigan State), Geoff Smith (UND) 1986: Joe Murphy (Michigan State), Joe Nieuwendyk (Cornell), Scott Mellanby (Wisconsin), Peter Douris (New Hampshire) 1985: Brad Berry (UND), Norm Foster (Michigan State) 1983: Pat Flatley (Wisconsin), Gord Sherven (UND), James Patrick (UND) 1982: Troy Murray (UND), Carey Wilson (Dartmouth), James Patrick (UND)

Maybe I'm not explaining the situation clearly. This is not a case of Brady "not" making the Canadian Team. He didn't try out! He made the decision to accept Team USA's roster spot rather than attend Team Canada's tryout camp. That's all there is to it. And exactly how many games has "everyone here" seen of the players who DID make the team? Yes, Brady is a fantastic player. Good enough to skate for Team Canada? Maybe, maybe not. How do you know? Considering 99.9 of the people around here were completely unfamiliar with the World Junior tourney until it was awarded to GF, I find it incredible that they would have a better handle on who the best Canadian players are than the people who actually select them. Unless someone watches as much Canadian major junior hockey as they do Sioux hockey, saying Brady was snubbed for inferior players (which is basically the argument here) would simply be a baseless assumption. And the implication that Tambellini is merely a "token selection" is just as bogus. Hockey Canada is concerned with winning a gold medal. Nothing else. Do you honestly think they would waste a roster spot on a "token" NCAA player just to placate God-knows-who?

Katie O'Keefe has indeed been hired by Victory and will serve in a Clay Matvick-type role for them.

Oh gawd! Where does this crap start? This phallacy that Canadian Hockey is somehow out to get NCAA players is ridiculous. Has anyone yet noticed Jeff Tambellini of Michigan is on the Canadian roster? I'm sure you know the names Troy Murray, James Patrick, Geoff Smith, Brad Berry, Jason Herter, Greg Johnson, Brad Bombardir...they also represented Canada at the World Juniors. The list goes on and on and is hardly limited to UND standouts. Mike Van Ryn, who played at Michigan a few years back, was the captain of Team Canada, for crying out loud. The simple fact of the matter is that Brady was not snubbed by Canadian Hockey. He was invited to the summer evaluation camp by Canadian Hockey. But Team Canada holds tryouts for the final roster, the U.S. does not. Brady was guaranteed a spot on the U.S., so he made the decision he made, which he had every right to do. As for a couple of other questions in this thread: No, Olympic-sized ice is not required for this tournament. Winnipeg and Red Deer, Alberta, are a few recent examples of the tournament being held on NHL-size ice. As far as the start time, the game starts at 11. The 10:30 time given by BWW is the start time for TSN's pre-game show. The U.S. is scary deep, but it'll likely come down to goaltending and special teams. Should be a beauty!

Actually, Don Cherry is an outspoken proponent of American hockey and American hockey players, largely due to the fact he spent the majority of his pro career playing in U.S. cities, coached two NHL franchises in U.S. cities and married an American. Yes, he is still pro-Canadian, but its the Europeans he dislikes, not the Americans.

I'm not sure it's necessarily fair or accurate to say NHL players play solely for the money. Do many of them "pace themselves" in the regular season? Most likely. However, anyone who follows the Stanley Cup Playoffs would be foolish to label these players as devoid of heart and character. It's generally regarded within the sports world that the Stanley Cup Playoffs are the most grueling in professional team sports. The lengths these players will go to in order to raise that Cup over their heads sometimes borders on the insane. One could also argue that the goal of most college players is to get to the NHL, so even though they aren't "playing to get a lot of money," they are playing to get to the level where they will someday get that money.

Another factor behind college hockey being more exciting (nevermind the countless defensive systems that are stifling the pro game) is travel. NHLers play 80+ games a season and are on the road for half of them, and basically play every other night. Playing hockey that calibre that frequently, I would think, tends to be quite grueling and can be a cause for less-than-crisp play. College hockey players, on the other hand, benefit from practicing all week before playing a two-game series each weekend. This leads to more energy on the ice and, usually, more crisp play. Not too mention that in the shorter college hockey season, those two games mean much more to the teams involved than, say, game 21 of an 82-game schedule on a Tuesday night in Nashville. This also makes the typical college hockey game (regular season only, of course) much more intense.