Kermit

And I'd recommend not messing with anyone named .357.

It will be interesting to see how the young Sioux perform in their first foray of the season on an Olympic ice sheet. This team has the skating ability and puck skills to do very well on big ice, but Sioux teams often struggle a bit on the larger surface. Duncan, Kozek, and Watkins should like the space very much. Lee and Chorney are ideally suited for the big ice too, but it will be a tough test chasing a bunch of quick little forwards around. I expect a split and I think that would represent a very successful trip for the Sioux.

If the coaching staff is uncertain about possible departures, it does create recruiting dilemmas. One possibility is to recruit a player(s) for 2007 who could be brought in next year if needed. For example, TJ Oshie was originally recruited for 2006 with the idea that he would play in the USHL this year. Brady Murray's departure opened up a spot/scholarship and Oshie's development made the year in the USHL seem unnecessary, so he came in this fall.

It's possible. Sidney Crosby is in the NHL as an 18-year-old, but I think it is far from a sure thing that Toews will be ready for that. If he signs a pro contract and doesn't stick with the NHL, the AHL would not be an option because he would be underage. He'd have to go to the CHL. I think (hope) that the Sioux will have Toews for 2 years. BTW, Toews hasn't even approached the torrid start that Zach Parise had when he came to UND. You may recall that Zach started with a pair of 4-point games against Canisius and Michigan.

IMHO, it looked like Drew may be pressing a bit. He and Zajac are working hard, dominating puck possession, cycling endlessly, generating some chances, but no payoff. Stafford did appear to be trying to do "too much" at times and it did result in a few turnovers. One factor in the slow offensive start for Stafford and Zajac may be that they are on one of the primary penalty killing units. Penalty killing consumes energy and disrupts line changes. For example, on Saturday night, Matt Watkins was moved up to the Zajac line. He only had a couple of shifts in the first period because he doesn't play on special teams. It made sense to switch Toews and Watkins later in the game for this reason (among others). A few other observations: I miss Spirko already. TJ Oshie has been one of the best players on the ice. Someone compared his style to Jason Blake. I don't see that, except they are both relentless. I knew Oshie had great skill and tenacity, but I've been impressed with his strength. I too love the Prpich/Kaip/Fabian line. They are playing the same role that Fabian/Canady/Massen played last year in the post-season. Prpich is playing like a senior. Duncan and Kozek are fun to watch. They can add some offense. Brad Miller worked hard, but got knocked down a lot. Cary Eades mentioned on the radio last week that he couldn't lift during the off-season because of his shoulder surgery. He needs to get stronger. Smaby has been outstanding. If Radke can play consistently like he did Saturday. Brian Lee did make some tentative plays--but the kid also had six shots on goal on Saturday. He looks excellent on the PP. His wrist shot is very accurate, but not real hard. I've almost never seen him try a slapshot. Zach Jones seems to be struggling more than the other freshmen defensemen so far. I'm a little surprised. I'm sure he'll be OK. I'd like to see more of Todd Alexander and Ryan Martens.

If this is true, I'm not surprised. The WCHA is littered with Minnesota kids who once dreamed of being a Gopher. That's the inherent advantage of the Universityof Minnesota. I'm more impressed with how players feel about their school/program after they've finished their college career. The loyalty and pride of former Sioux players is absolutely unsurpassed.

Lucia is a great recruiter, an outstanding coach, and unquestionably one of the toughest competitors the Sioux have ever had. The rivalry is what it is because both schools have outstanding programs. The Fighting Sioux program can stand on its own merits. UND won't gain anything by making ridiculous statements about Minnesota or their coach--and we don't need to. UND's program is all about class. Our fans should be all about class too. Forney should and will make the choice that is best for him. I hope it is UND, but the program will remain what it is (great!) with or without him.

According to USHR.com, Eric Gryba, the big defenseman now playing for Green Bay in the USHL, is considering UND, BU, and Ohio State. Gryba is listed at #76 among the McKeens's top 100 prospects for the 2006 draft which just came out. http://mckeenshockey.rivals.com/ Here's some others of interest on that list: 1. Phil Kessel (UM) 2. Michael Frolik (Czech Republic) 3. Jonathan Toews (UND) 4. Peter Mueller (WHL) 5. Erik Johnson (UM recruit) 11. Kyle Okposo (UM recruit) 18. Nigel Williams (UW recruit) 19. Michael Forney (Sioux or Gophers?) 24. Tyson Dowzak (WHL) 36. Ryan Flynn (UM recruit) 50. Mike Carman (UM recruit) 52. Blake Geoffrion (UW recruit)

In USHL action tonight, Tri-City won their game 7-1 over Chicago. Jordan Willert had a goal and 2 assists. Mario Lamoureaux got a game misconduct for checking from behind less than 9 minutes in.

It was a bit flukey (and I was cheering against Bucky), but..Skille took the puck to the net with speed and power. That's exactly what he'll bring to the table. The (toasted) defenseman got his feet tangled up in a desperate attempt to catch up and he ended up knocking his own goaltender--and the puck--into the net. SLU played hard and they had a real chance to steal this one. Wisconsin was sloppy but they have four pretty good lines now. Robbie Earl made one of his patented spin-orama moves worthy of a highlight reel, but he couldn't convert. Elliott looked shaky in the nets, and I'm still not overly impressed with Wisconsin's defensemen overall.

From USHR.com

I think Prpich brings a lot more to the table than being an instigator. He's one of the best penalty killers, plays very well in his own end, takes abuse in front of the net so linemates can get some space, forechecks, etc. He's incredibly tough and played with a serious shoulder injury last season without talking about it much. I can understand why his teammates would respect him so much. I also noticed that he played center on Sunday. One of the reasons was undoubtedly his ability to help the young d-men out deep in their zone and even behind the net.

In the FM area (CableOne), FSSN is on channel 44. The channel shows the "Shop at Home" network when games are not on.

Other than the announcement of the captains, did anything interesting happen at the scrimmage tonight?

It's official. http://www.fightingsioux.com/sports/mhocke...RELEASE_ID=4110 Congratulations, Matt, Mike, and Chris!

Am I missing something? I saw a link to a picture of Fisher, but your post refers to two pictures..

I agree. James Patrick is my alltime favorite Sioux defenseman. Brian Lee has a similar build and a rough approximation of Patrick's skill set (at age 18).

I followed your link. As of now, the roster still lists 24 players--one over the new limit. I think the final roster is due by 3PM today. The buzz on the Canucks section of the Hockey's Future board is that it's a battle between Goren and Bouck for the last roster spot. Most of the fans on the board seem to prefer Goren. http://www.hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=177723

Is there a show this year? Will Hak be on this week? What day/time? Which stations are carrying the show?

From the Lincoln Journal Star: VandeVelde could be Lincoln's next Shooting Star

dagies, you appear to be a very realistic/pragmatic guy. Some of us prefer the "blind faith" and optomistic approach--at least until the team has lost a game or two. Yesterday's exhibition game served to confirm what we thought we knew: this young group of defensemen has an abundance of talent and skill. We hope that will allow them to overcome their collective lack of experience and (compared to last year's group)physical strength.

VandeVelde scores the lone goal for Lincoln in a 3-1 loss to Omaha. He also manages to rack up 14 PIM, including a 10-minute misconduct for unsportsmanlike conduct after his goal at 18:32 of the third period.

Mario Lamoureaux scores the game winner in overtime for Tri-City after picking up a fighting major earlier. Jordan Willert (6'3" 210 lb F), an'87 birthdate from Minot, added a goal and an assist for Tri-City.