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TH announcing it (as reported on the Berry thread) makes it a pretty good bet that he'll be the new assistant. He played in the dead zone years for me -- right after I graduated and moved away, and before the internet -- so I only saw him play a few times. Here's his hockey career to date (apologies for formatting as I just pasted it over): http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php3?pid=2487 Dane Jackson Right Wing Born May 17 1970 -- Castlegar, BC Height 6.01 -- Weight 200 -- Shoots R Selected by Vancouver Canucks round 3 #44 overall 1988 NHL Entry Draft Regular Season Playoffs Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1988-89 U. of North Dakota NCAA 30 4 5 9 33 1989-90 U. of North Dakota NCAA 44 15 11 26 56 1990-91 U. of North Dakota NCAA 37 17 9 26 79 1991-92 U. of North Dakota NCAA 39 23 19 42 81 1992-93 Hamilton Canucks AHL 68 23 20 43 59 -- -- -- -- -- 1993-94 Hamilton Canucks AHL 60 25 35 60 75 4 2 2 4 16 1993-94 Vancouver Canucks NHL 12 5 1 6 9 -- -- -- -- -- 1994-95 Vancouver Canucks NHL 3 1 0 1 4 6 0 0 0 10 1994-95 Syracuse Crunch AHL 78 30 28 58 162 -- -- -- -- -- 1995-96 Rochester Americans AHL 50 27 19 46 132 19 4 6 10 53 1995-96 Buffalo Sabres NHL 22 5 4 9 41 -- -- -- -- -- 1996-97 Rochester Americans AHL 78 24 34 58 111 10 7 4 11 14 1997-98 Rochester Americans AHL 28 10 13 23 55 3 2 2 4 4 1997-98 New York Islanders NHL 8 1 1 2 4 -- -- -- -- -- 1998-99 Lowell Lock Monsters AHL 80 16 27 43 103 3 0 1 1 16 1999-00 Rochester Americans AHL 21 6 9 15 8 -- -- -- -- -- 2000-01 Rochester Americans AHL 69 16 12 28 104 4 1 1 2 4 2001-02 Manchester Monarchs AHL 76 16 21 37 93 5 1 0 1 9 2002-03 Manchester Monarchs AHL 63 6 14 20 80 3 0 1 1 0 NHL Totals 45 12 6 18 58 6 0 0 0 10 Coaching [notes] Season Team Lge Type GP W L T OTL Pct Result 2003-04 Manchester Monarchs AHL Assistant Coach 2004-05 Manchester Monarchs AHL Assistant Coach

Article on Dane Jackson and his pursuit of coaching jobs at UND and in the AHL: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/p...360/1007/SPORTS "He walked into a terrible situation, as tough a situation as anyone ever walked into, and he did a great job," Melrose said. "I loved him. He was a take-charge guy right from the start. With his mindset and hunger, he'll only get better." The Sabres will have several highly advertised, can't-miss NHLers in Rochester this season, starting with right winger Drew Stafford and center Marek Zagrapan (assuming he signs). Both were first-round draft picks. Jackson was a mentor to the Sabres prospects when he played for the Amerks and enjoys teaching. "I find it real rewarding when you see younger guys grasp things and come along," Jackson said.

It is true that guys plateau at different ages, so you really don't know what you're going to get three years down the road. I guess it's up to the coaches to judge what attirbutes might be present that suggest continued improvement. A big red flag for me would be when a kid is bigger than his peers and dominates because he is physically dominant. What happens to his advantage when his peers mature physically? In Kristo's case, he not only made the varsity at Eden Prairie (a big school in a good conference) as a freshman, he LED his team in scoring. So he was smaller and up to three years younger than his opponents, and he not only survived but thrived. Then he competed against his peers at the US festival and dominated. That's a pretty good start on being an outstanding prospect. I agree that there are risks to an early commitment, chances that he might not work out or might not even play at UND. It's nonbinding, so he could just change his mind, and major junior is always sniffing around. Still, all that I've read indicates that he seems pretty well lined up to play college hockey, and play it at UND.

"Word along the grapevine has it that Eden Prairie forward Danny Kristo, a very talented young forward that is headed off to the NTDP, will be joining the North Dakota Flickertails for college. The Gophers were also very high on Kristo so this is a very good pick up for North Dakota. Congrats to him and good luck (except against the "U" that is!)." http://gopherpuck.blogspot.com/

http://hfboards.com/showthread.php?t=278960 HF has an audio interview with STL's Assistant GM, talking about the draft and prospects. Near the end, about 12:20 into it, he talks about Oshie and the difficulty in scouting MN high schoolers. He has some really nice things to say about TJ.

You've gotta love stuff like this: http://www.chicagoblackhawks.com/news/news.asp?story_id=3383 "You got a lot of questions at the Draft about possibly playing junior hockey this season if you didn't go pro, but it was clear to me from your answers that returning to North Dakota was always your first option. What do you like most about the program? It's everything. If I wasn't going to play in the NHL, I wanted to be back where I was last year. The way I played as the season went on, my teammates ... just the whole atmosphere on and off the ice and the comfort level I had last year was great. It's easy to focus and concentrate on hockey when everything else is set in place like that. Like I said, I think this year will be perfect to prepare for the following year at the next level."

One thing that this year's freshmen have going for them is that three of the five are a little older, with Genoway, Zajac and Vandevelde all having played an extra year of junior hockey after high school. While this doesn't offer any promises of spectacular play, it does at least suggest they will be ready to step in and be solid, which is not insignificant when you're speaking of lower line/pairing players (this year). Bishop, on the other hand, comes in as a true freshman, and may have more adjustment issues than the others. And then there's Forney, to me the real wildcard of the class. With the US Junior camp underway, we may finally begin to answer the question of what we have in Michael Forney. Last summer, he had a breakout performance at the US Selects, then followed it up by teaming with Kyle Okposo to form the US's dominant offensive duo at the U18 summer tourney. Since then, Okposo starred in the USHL and shot up the NHL draft charts, while Forney played an extended high school football season, then led his hockey team to the state tournament before a shoulder injury ended his season in the first game there. After rehabbing with Team USA and preparing to play in the Spring U18 tourney, he broke his ankle in a pretournament practice, which put him on the shelf for another couple months. So he's only played about three months of hockey in the last year, which is about nine months less than his peers. Is he ready for college? We should start to get an indication based on how he fits in at the summer camp currently underway.

These names have been mentioned here (not necessarily all seriously): Jim Archibald Marc Chorney Lee Goren John Harrington Mike Hastings Tony Hrkac Steve Johnson Ian Kallay Scott Koberinski Dane Litke Craig Ludwig John Marks James Patrick Mark Pivetz Marty Schriner Tom Ward Then after the hint, these were mentioned: Brad Bombardir Tarek Howard Dane Jackson Tim O'Connell Jim Scanlan Mitch Vig Brad Williamson Rick Zombo I didn't see Lee Davidson mentioned anywhere.

In the fansite wrap-up of Tampa's development camp, they said this about Smaby: "Top 2 pair players: Matt Smaby - There's nothing spectacular about his game. It all scores at average or above. He's sound, smart tough, hard-working and he can move a little. Probably would benefit from and interim step through Springfield, then be here by the 1st of the year to stay." http://www.boltprospects.com/node/1262 Since the only opponents were teammates, I suggest they haven't seen the most impressive part of Matt's game. Look for them to consider his open-ice hitting "spectacular" after they see him for a little while.

Posters on USCHO say that the Wisconsin State Journal indicated Winnett's final two were Michigan and Wisconsin. I couldn't find the article online, but it's probably correct.

In Miller's defense, he had serious shoulder surgery in the Spring of 2005, so he basically missed the offseason workout that preceded last season. We will get a much better read on him this season, after a typical offseason regimen. In addition, their USHL performances suggest Miller may be a more natural goalscorer than Vandevelde, as Miller scored pretty well on a horrible Green Bay team, while Vandevelde didn't light it up for Lincoln last year. And just to clarify, I'm not rooting against Vandevelde, just defending Miller. I'd like to see them both do well. Edit: Looks like THETRIOUXPER beat me to it.

I think Kariya left halfway through his sophomore season, and of course Calgary famously tried to woo Chucko last year. Did Pettinger leave DU mid-season a while ago? Not sure. Anyway, it is a brave new world, and I suppose Calgary's attempts last year could be a warning shot to all of college hockey that things are different now. Only time will tell. For the most part I expect that it will continue to be a rare event, as teams won't want to put their prospects in the uncomfortable position of abandoning their current teammates.

Honestly I think fans of every team, including UND, should still be nervous. In cases where both the player and the team have publicly said they are commited to college this season, such as Toews, Skille and EJ, I think the commitment is fairly certain. In any other situation, teams could still get bitten, as CC just did.

A little more info on Gregoire. He played in the U17 Challenge over the holidays last year, the same tournament (different year) where J. Toews led Team Western to the Gold and was the tournament's leading scorer. Typically the rosters for the Canadian teams are at least 80% current or future MJ players. Gregoire scored 3-1-4 in 4 games, good for second on his team behind a player with 0-5-5 in 5 games. Team Western did not do very well in the tournament, so these results were nowhere near the tournament's top scorers. For reference, Colin Wilson scored 6-2-8 in 6 games for Team USA. Also, Brad Malone had 4-1-5 in 5 games, Angelo Esposito 3-1-4 in 6 games and Kyle Turris 3-1-4 in 6 games. He was a fourth round pick of the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL. Here's a summary of Team Western's experience at the tournament (from a Hockey Manitoba newsletter that doesn't appear to be copyrighted). http://www.hockeymanitoba.mb.ca/hockey_mat...2_febmar_06.pdf -------------------- "It was just not to be for Team Western at this year's 2006 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge in Regina. While the early buzz was a medal finish for the 22 Manitoba and Saskatchewan players that make up Team Western, a rash of injuries depleted the lineup starting with the exhibition game with Team Finland. A known pre-tournament strength, team defence, held true and the team played stingy defence throughout. Offensive chances, a premium at such a highly competitive tournament, were few and the team could not capitalize. A couple of missed opportunities, tough breaks, and goal posts prevented a better outcome and as the tournament progressed, our healthy players began to wear down. Brett Leffler, Team Western's Captain, Jason Gregoire, Assistant Captain and Josh Schappert all missed significant minutes due to various injuries. After a 3-2 win against Slovakia in the opening game of the tournament, the Western players faced Team Quebec and went down to a 3-2 defeat against the eventual gold medal champions. Team USA was next and after a hard fought 1-1 tie, Team Western was left with a 5 goal or more defeat of Team Ontario on the last evening of the round robin to advance to the medal round. After taking an early 2-0 lead, the Ontario team turned out to be a formidable opponent defeating West 7-2. The loss placed us 4th in our pool and a return engagement with Team Finland (the exhibition game opponent Western had played to a 2-2 tie with). Although our team was disappointed at not being able to play in the medal round, Jason Gregoire (who was back in the lineup) scored both goals, including the overtime winner to put Western in 7th place in the tournament. A big thank you should go out to the players and staff for a job well done and for representing Manitoba and Saskatchewan with pride." --------------------- He was a fourth round pick of the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL.

FWIW, Heisenberg now has Jason Gregoire listed as a 2007 recruit in the USHL section, playing for Lincoln, rather than the MJHL section, where he had previously been listed.

IRanger, I have considered the exact lines you posted. Not everyone on a scoring line needs to be flashy and swift. (Geez, looks like I just slammed Fabian.) I think nearly all of Fabian's goals in his Sioux career have been scored within three feet of the crease. Is there room on a scoring line for someone who will create space for his (perhaps) more talented linemates, who will occupy the goalie by camping out in front of him, and who has soft hands in front of the net?

Generally, I feel like people are selling Watkins short a bit. I agree that Oshie, Toews and Duncan are in the group of the top six forwards, and I also agree that Porter and Kozek are likely candidates to join that list. But Watkins is faster than some of those guys, and while he's not as flashy, he can see the ice. For example, two of Kaip's Spring goals came directly off Watkins' stick. I think he'll surprise people by being in the mix for a top six forward spot this year.

I have heard from many people what a genuinely nice guy Berry is, and how evident that becomes to recruits and their families. Berry has been a huge part of UND's success as the program transitioned from Blais to Hakstol. If true, and I imagine it is, this is indeed a tough one for UND. It's also exciting, for Berry as he moves on, and for the program, as it searches for and adds a new presence.

Bishop will be eligible this fall as a true freshman. Shea Hamilton (from UAA) will start as a junior in the fall of 2007.

LaPoint is an 07, and move Genoway down from the forwards to the defense and you have it.

How's that Toews, Oshie, Duncan with Lee and Chorney PP sounding?

I know there is a thread on Toews but this seems official enough to announce it in its own thread. Combined with reports that Toews himself said it in an interview, looks like we get another year. Now we can start arguing about whether JT and TJ should each anchor a line, or team up on a number ONE line. http://tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?fid=10460&hubname= "The Blackhawks have confirmed that first-round draft pick Jonathan Toews will return to the University of North Dakota this season rather than sign with Chicago. - TSN"

A few notes from a TB blog about Smaby at their prospects camp: Smaby - His first camp may be a rough one. There'll be a lot for him to take him. He had the broadest shoulders on the ice. He skated well, covered a lot of ice. Tried to make an impression by hitting at evry chance. Really destroyed one of the tryout guys at center ice who had his head down. Didn't notice him much offensively, the positive being he didn't mishandle the puck much. Maybe a mid/late year call-up from springy. I think going from college to the NHL, he'll get spun around to much without a little professional seasoning. Smaby - I had a more favorable impression than yeaterday. Showed a nice shot from the blue line, closed very well to take away a couple of odd man rushes. Generally was solid. I still think he'll get spun around a bit by NHL skaters, but he's not as far away as I thought yesterday. Smaby looked ok. I wasn't real impressed with him as he made some mistakes. Got in to a fight with one of the tryout guys and landed two big punches to end it. Had a nice slap shot. I'd have to see more of him to get a better impression.

I could see the SCSU angle, but they graduated a big class last year, I think. UMD in a year or two as their big class matures. A team like FSU from a few years ago (hack city, USA). By the end of the year, I might still take my chances with the team with the two best forwards in college hockey (knocking on wood). edit: I checked on SCSU. They return their top scorer, but scorers 2-5 were all senior forwards. So they need to rebuild their scoring lines. On the plus side (for them), it looks like most of their defense returns intact. Over the next few years, UND will probably become one of the more experienced teams. The current sophomore class will still have 5 or 6 players left when they're seniors, and the current freshman class looks like it may still be pretty intact then too.

Couple more camps of interest: Canada's National Junior Evaluation Camp runs from July 23-28, with scrimmages the last three days. Despite being a WJC veteran, Toews is still younger than all but eight of the forty or so other campers. Also, Canada's Under-18 camp runs from July 28 - August 2. Recruiting target Brad Malone will attend. (I don't know if he is a serious recruiting target or if UND is in the mix, but he's been mentioned here.) The US National Junior Camp runs from August 7-12. Lee, Chorney, Jones and Forney have been invited.