fightingsioux4life

That is why he should come back to UND next year. And he should tell the Hurricanes the decision is final. Blake gives up significant leverage by signing now.

One of my favorite memories of that season!

The only thing I hate is when players leave right before classes start in August (WeatherBYE anyone?). This would not be that situation at all. If he leaves now, I hope he gets used to being a healthy scratch in the American. If he gets knocked down at this level, imagine what fully grown men at the next level will do to him. Ouch is the word that comes to mind.

Where the heck are you getting this?

This is a very salient point. In the B1G, hockey is 3rd (4th if WBB is doing well). In the NCHC and even Hockey East, hockey is #1 or at least #1a.

Grand Forks has never had the amenities of places like Denver, Minneapolis or Boston. But it hasn't stopped us from winning championships. And there is no reason why UND can't continue to be a blue blood in this sport. The thought of devolving into a mid-major program whose highest goal is making the NCAA tournament is nauseating to say the least. It absolutely must not be allowed to happen.

Forever and ever. No level of mediocrity and ineptitude is too high for the Bubba Ball diehards.

It's unscientific, so it isn't worth the bath tissue it is printed on.

An anonymous source with knowledge of the situation has told me that Pohlkamp will be on campus today and Wilkie will be on campus tomorrow. The source also says we were late to the party on Wood but there is mutual interest from both sides. So I guess we are still in the running for these players.

Anyone else sick of losing recruits to Denver? Anyone else sick of Denver in general?

Tyson Jost left after one season and struggled mightily when he was sent to the Avalanche after signing. Blake will likely get buried in the AHL and may never get more than a cup of coffee in the big leagues.

Then he'll be the next Tyson Jost.

And let's remember, all those "blue chippers" are not going to stick around 3 to 4 years. Once their seasons are over, they'll have NHL reps dangling contracts with dollar signs on them. A mix of 1-2 year and 3-4 year players is probably the best approach.

Just because Berry isn't criticizing the team in public doesn't mean he doesn't recognize that there are problems. Berry knows that this program is about hanging both white AND green banners and I think he and his staff are looking for solutions.

You don't win 26 games without talent. The problem is from the neck up. And it's up to the coaching staff to figure out how to get the most out of the talent they have to work with.

Better people being upset than being indifferent. Apathy is the real enemy, not outrage.

Conferences ebb and flow. A few years back, the B1G and Hockey East were struggling mightily. Programs ebb and flow too. Our program is not far away from winning multiple nattys to go along with the Penrose Cups. And recruiting has picked up after a few lean years. Berry and his staff need to figure out what is causing the late season slumps (2022 and 2024). We have too much talent to not capitalize on it.

Do we even know what the coaches are looking for?

I thought our additions for 2023-2024 were solid.

BU winning it wouldn't bother me that much. The others, not so much.

I agree with you, but it's the end of the year now.

This is a bit of a dilemma for me. Should we as fans hope for a fourth place finish in the NCHC to set up a national title run? It seems like a false choice to me.

Good for them. The best thing that happened to schools like Mankato was the Dakota 4 moving up to Division I. Maybe Mankato's athletic director would be interested in moving to Grand Forks and injecting some life into our underachieving, underperforming athletic department?

I don't think a bunch of close NCAA tournament games that didn't go our way is proof of the NCHC "falling back". Both the B1G and the NCHC got 4 teams in this year. The NCHC is not going to become the CCHA. Having said all that, I am very bullish on St. Thomas like you are and they would add a lot to the NCHC. Miami will leave for the CCHA eventually. I don't think we should have anymore than 10 teams. We don't want to get watered-down like the old WCHA did.