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To clarify, Surrey has to beat the AJHL champion to qualify for the Royal Bank Cup. Surrey just won the Fred Page Cup as the BCHL champion. This is from the BCHL site: "The Eagles will now host the winner of the AJHL Champions in the best of 7 Doyle Cup Championship beginning Friday night in Surrey. Games 1 and 2 will go Friday and Saturday - a 3rd game would be played in Surrey Sunday if the teams split the first 2 games." I ripped this off (excuse me, borrowed this) from a message board post on HF. I can't vouch for its accuracy, but it at least is presented nicely: ------------------------------------------------ 2004/05 RBC Royal Bank Cup CJAHL & Hockey Canada Jr.A National Championship Weyburn, Saskatchewan Teams Host - Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL) Pacific - Surrey / Camrose / Ft.McMurray West - Yorkton / Battlefords / Portage Central - North Bay / Northern Michigan / Ft.William / St.Mike's / Georgetown Atlantic - Nepean / Hawkesbury / Vaudreuil / St.Jerome / Truro / Yarmouth Schedule (All Games at Weyburn Colosseum) (All Times Central) Sat. May 7 WEST vs. Weyburn - 7:30pm Sun. May 8 PACIFIC vs. ATLANTIC - 2:00pm Weyburn vs. CENTRAL - 7:30pm Mon. May 9 PACIFIC vs. WEST - 2:00pm CENTRAL vs. ATLANTIC - 7:30pm Tue. May 10 Weyburn vs. PACIFIC - 7:30pm Wed. May 11 WEST vs. CENTRAL - 2:00pm ATLANTIC vs. Weyburn - 7:30pm Thu. May 12 CENTRAL vs. PACIFIC - 2:00pm ATLANTIC vs. WEST - 7:30pm Sat. May 14 Semi-Final - 2:00pm Semi-Final - 7:30pm Sun. May 15 RBC Royal Bank Cup Final - Time TBA Live on TSN ------------------------------------------ One crazy thing about the Vernon/Surrey series that just finished was Surrey's goalie situation. Prelude: Vernon won its preceding playoff round by defeating Prince George and its goalie, Michael-Lee Teslak. Now, the crazy part: One of Surrey's two goalies was hurt in its preceding series. Then, early in the Vernon series, a Vernon player ran Surrey's second goalie, injuring him. Surrey was then allowed by a Canadian hockey rule to add any goalie from another BCHL team, so long as that team was already eliminated from the playoffs. So they called up Teslak and asked if he'd like another shot at Vernon. He played in the last three games of the series and exacted his revenge on Vernon just a week after having his season ended (!?) by them.

sagard, Nice post. I agree that MN will be right there next year. It's not just adding Kessel, it's also adding Stoa, Wheeler and Bostrom. And it's not like they stunk this year - they played a game in April. While they lose some numbers (and real character guys like Fleming (a Sioux nemesis but one of those contributors I really respect)), they don't lose much top-end talent. The babies on defense will be a year older. It'll just be a heck of a team. UND's forwards should be just plain nasty next year. The top line (frosh, frosh, soph) was outplaying pretty much everyone at the end of the year, and that was without Murray. There will be a lot of new kids, but hopefully some with a real jump in their step. I think the questions on defense are more significant than you indicated, and Greene's return, though I don't expect it, would be key. Without Greene and Bina in the lineup, UND would be returning only one of its six regular defensemen. That must be unprecedented, and would be very difficult to overcome. I think a key for MN's and Wisconsin's chances next year is the state of the NHL. If they fix things there, I imagine at least Stuart, Carle and Greene would be pretty likely to go. I'm sure there are quite a few others who might go, but not too many on either Minnesota or Wisconsin. That could soften the Colorado schools up maybe just enough. Denver was darn good this year and obviously a deserving champion, but I think they've used up their good fortune after the last two years. 2004 was just ridiculous, and despite how good they were in 2005, the last game was just a few bounces away from a different result against a team that was equally as good.

After considering some key features, Hakstol could end up with some of these lines for next year: The Silverback line: Murray, Zajac, Duncan The Old SSM line: Murray, Stafford, Porter The New SSM line: Toews, Duncan, Miller The BCHL Frosh line: Duncan, Kozek, Watkins The (Winni) Pegger line: Zajac, Toews, Murray The Z line: Zajac, Kozek, Parize (he does love to handle the puck)

Surrey pounds Vernon again, 7-4 this time. Kozek was 2-2-4 and Watkins 1-2-3. I don't follow it too closely, but I think Surrey's recent success is a big surprise, as Nanaimo and Vernon were considered the class of the league. After falling behind Nanaimo 2-0 in the last series, Surrey beat them in seven games. They're now up 2-0 over Vernon. Check out the third period penalties from last night: PERIOD 3 Surrey Eagles at 2:29 - Kyle Nason for Roughing After Whistle (2 Min.) Surrey Eagles at 2:59 - Tim Crowder for Misconduct (10 Min.) Vernon Vipers at 2:59 - Matt Watkins for Elbowing (2 Min.) Surrey Eagles at 5:53 - David Rutherford for Roughing (2 Min.) Surrey Eagles at 10:39 - Korey Diehl for Elbowing (2 Min.) Surrey Eagles at 10:54 - Matt Girling for Roughing (2 Min.) Surrey Eagles at 13:52 - David Moncur for Unsportsmanlike Conduct (2 Min.) Surrey Eagles at 17:11 - Tyler Eckford for Slashing (2 Min.) Surrey Eagles at 17:17 - David Rutherford for High Sticking (2 Min.) Surrey Eagles at 17:57 - Tyson Angus for Slashing (2 Min.) Surrey Eagles at 20:00 - Kyle Nason for Fighting (5 Min.) Vernon did chop Surrey's 6-1 lead down to 6-4 on three PP goals before Surrey ended it with an ENG. Must have been some pretty unhappy Surrey fans as it was happening, though.

I have been thinking of this all year, as Gauthier, Tambellini, Sterling/Sertich and Eaves excelled. It was an exceptional year for forwards, and Parise and Vanek were at the top of the class. Unfortunately, they left. Just think how good BC would have been if they all had followed through with their psychological commitments there.

...

After traveling home, I was thinking about the comparison between UND and Denver. Denver won the regular season, won the Final Five and won the national title. Of course they're the better team. They also beat UND and CC in the Final Five, then three weeks later beat CC and UND in the Frozen Four. What more could they do to prove their superiority than that? My sentiment last night was that Denver didn't seem any better than UND last night. Denver didn't "outplay" UND. Since then it has occurred to me how stupid it is to argue about whether a team outplayed another. A team won, period. I guess, for me, it was best summed up by Hakstol when he said something to the effect of "we played as well as we can play. There was nothing left in the tank." I felt the same way watching it. They weren't perfect, but they played hard and well, and things didn't go their way. I was proud of the effort and performance.

Still in shock here in Ohio, because I thought they'd pull it out. I'm surprised to see so many opinions in cyber-space that Denver was clearly the better team, because it didn't seem that way in the rink, and neutral fans I visited with never offered that opinion up. I think the teams were pretty much dead even, and a real key to this game would be which team could get to the third with a lead and apply the python death grip. It turns out it was DU, but they didn't exactly keep UND away from the scoring areas in the third. I haven't heard what the shots were in the third, but UND must have had 20. DU got some bounces, and converted some nice scoring chances. How many grade A chances did UND generate tonight? A bunch ... breakaways, close deflections. A few things Denver did really well from my view: on the PK, they picked off those off-target shot-passes UND loves to send in from the point. The Sioux scored on one, but DU got in the way of a lot of the rest of them. Also, the few times that there was a rebound or loose puck near the net, every UND player was tied up. Denver also won a ton of short races to the puck. Not that UND wasn't trying as hard as it could in those cases, but DU was just there a stick-blade ahead of UND. Even with those things DU did well, UND still played very, very well. The officiating did not cost UND the game, but I wish it had been called differently. Once the parade to the penalty box started in the second, UND seemed to lose its momentum. I'm quite disappointed, and I'm sure the team is down too. But they gave it a heck of a run down the stretch. Congrats and go get 'em next year.

Yes, I'm pathetic enough to post from Columbus. Terrific night to be a Sioux fan. I'd say they dominated pretty much in the same fashion as in Worcester. They had to make it interesting in the third for a few minutes, then regained composure and put them away pretty quietly down the stretch. It was a blast sitting in the middle of a green group that was entirely into the game. Cheering their butts off. Tough game coming up, but I'm cautiously confident. It is in fact tough to get to the front of the net against the UND defense.

When you put it that way, I guess I'm at six boards - SS, GPL, USCHO, BCHL, MN high school, Hockey's Future - but I don't post on all of them. Pretty weird.

I have 2 ticket packages for sale, and I may have 2 more. I think they are in Section 313 (when I get home tonight I will look at the tickets and edit my post). The tickets are in the Twin Cities, which is convenient for TC buyers who would like to skip the exchange hassle. Will also gladly ship. PM me here or e-mail me at kellyjohndiane@comcast.net. Thanks.

Looks like I'm going. Mainly posting here to check out my new signature (courtesy of 30 minutes of searching by dagies).

Geez, the locals are a little testy. Regarding experience: In 1997 UND hadn't seen a Frozen Four in 10 years ... and it didn't matter, as they beat BU, the 1995 champion. In 1999 Maine won after being down for a while. In 2002, MN won after a decent absence from the Frozen Four. It's a nice thought, that tournament experience matters, and maybe it does a little, but I think it's overdone as a deciding factor. I would put it behind "bounces" as an issue next week.

Regarding Duncan's playoff points, Salmon Arm's season ended over the weekend with a series loss to the Prince George Spruce Kings. The Trees beat the Apes 4-2 in games. Congratulations to Ryan Duncan on a terrific BCHL season. I did not know what to expect this year as he made the transition from SSM to the BCHL, but I guess Top 3 scorer wasn't on my list. I expected the junior play to be much rougher than the midget hockey he had been playing, and his size could have been a big factor. But he definitely produced. Congrats and I look forward to seeing another classic Sioux waterbug join the team next year. The BCHL semifinals begin April 1, with Vernon playing Prince George, and Nanaimo taking on Surrey. I think Nanaimo and Vernon are considered the favorites.

My source is the always super-reliable message board post. Someone posted somewhere that a MN assistant said they expect Hirsch and Goli back. Of course it's not certain at all, but I personally expect them to play, and that would be the case whether I read the referenced post or not.

Minny's getting Hirsch and Goli back so its PP will be full strength. UND's injured players, on the other hand, are out for somewhere between 6 months and forever. That's a plus for Minny. Lucia is great at getting his teams playing well at this time of year, obviously. Hakstol doesn't seem to be too bad at it, either. UND is super-hot right now, and the break might tend to slow them down a bit. Maybe not though. We'll just have to see. I know UND is pretty dinged up now, and the break will help there. I'm sure the same is true for Minny. The game's on the regular sheet, which is a big plus for UND. By the end, I thought Cornell was maybe pretty good after all, but they tried to play a regular-sheet game on the frozen ocean, and it doesn't work. Overall, I'm not super-confident, but not dreading it either.

It's so late, and I haven't read everything yet, but a few comments (not bagging on anyone, just having a little fun): 1. I guess it was Blais holding them back. 2. I'm glad UND recruited Jordan's brother so they could get recruiting leverage to land Jordan. 3. Watching the afternoon game, sandwiched between the two parts of UND's Beanpot title, I was thankful (thankful, thankful, thankful) that UND didn't get sent to a regional played on the frozen ocean. It's no coincidence IMO that the regional disappointments of the last two years came on the big sheet. 4. One of these times, Fabian is going to come around to the front of the net and push the puck, the goalie pad and the whole goalie right into the net. 5. Geez, the team is on a roll. Could they play the semifinal on Monday? If the Shottenwhatsitsname isn't available yet, I could probably get Cook Arena in Coon Rapids for them.

I've never had a signature before, but if someone who taped the game can nail down Clement's exact quote about the Sioux defense, I might have to put it there. Something like, "No team in the NHL is as tough from the blue line in as North Dakota." High praise. The game reminded me a lot of the Maine and Michigan State semifinal wins a few years ago. Get a lead and then play "perfect" (farce) "textbook" (PCM) hockey. Very impressive. The Sioux will play some team(s) that are better than they are, and may win or lose, but it's hard to argue against the position that they are playing as well as they can right now.

Nice pass by Genoway and finish by McMahon, but that goal is Porter's for forcing the giveaway.

Now that the PK is over, the Sioux need to start to generate some offense. Get back to the 5-on-5 game they had earlier, because BU can't keep up with them.

If UND doesn't win, CC would be my next choice (with UMD out already).

This is just my opinion, but I think that organizations will continue to take steps to develop their players. If a team thinks one of its players has done all he can at his current level (college or CHL), I think they'll probably move them up to play against bigger, stronger, faster and generally better players. That way, the player will be ready for the big leagues sooner than if he stayed at the lower level. (In fact, if the eventual new system offers free agency sooner as a trade-off for a cap, then it will be in teams' best interests to play their younger players sooner, and develop them earlier.) I would guess most elite college players will be open to moving up for developmental purposes, even if it is not for the big contract that it would have been for last year. This is their career, and their dream. So I won't be surprised to see high draft picks move up in the offseason.

Red Line's March report included a lengthy report on the MN HS hockey tournament. The entire report is here: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/colu...ne-report_x.htm The fun excerpt is here: Everyone in hockey circles loves the Minnesota state high school championships each March, and this year's tournament was filled with a number of quality NHL prospects, including potential 2005 first-rounder Brian Lee, who also was named the recipient of the prestigious Minnesota "Mr. Hockey" award during the tourney. Lee has been a man among boys all season and controls every shift with his remarkable poise and patience. As for the action on the ice, senior forward T.J. Oshie was the top guy on everyone's Warroad Warriors radar screen. But RLR could make a very strong argument that defenseman Kyle Hardwick was Warroad's best all-around player during the club's run to the Class A tournament title, which was won in dramatic fashion: 4-3 in double overtime over Totino-Grace. Hardwick is strong on his skates, has a great stride and always knows exactly when to jump up into the play. He scored twice during the tournament and has now joined the USHL's Lincoln Stars, where he'll play for the rest of this season and probably most of the next. In the title game's third period, he scored a power-play goal off a wicked blast he targeted top shelf, stick side from just inside the blue line. Despite the impression Hardwick made, there's no question that Oshie was the Warriors' engine over the course of the season. Though he didn't dominate throughout the championship game, we were impressed that he grew stronger and exerted himself more as the match moved along. And he saved his best for last. Deftly noticing a change in Totino-Grace's defensive alignment, he chose a different way of taking, and winning, an offensive-zone draw 11 minutes into the second overtime session. "Their defense lined up differently for that draw than they had all game," said Oshie, who is Sioux Falls Stampede property and a North Dakota recruit. "They'd been lining up behind their center, but this time, they lined up behind their wings along the boards. So I pushed the puck forward, then was able to pass it to Aaron Marvin." For Oshie, the win was the culmination of an incredible family tale. Oshie, who finished his senior season with 37 goals and a state leading 100 points, came to Warroad three years ago via Mt. Vernon, Wash., where he grew up and played most of his amateur hockey career. But as his grandfather and uncle had both skated for Warroad many years ago, Oshie was inspired to return to his ancestral hockey home for his sophomore season. "This title feels just as great as the first," said Oshie, "but then again it might feel just a little bit better because this time we didn't lose all year." Indeed, the Warriors finished the year a near-perfect 29-0-2. *** As for the state Class AA championship, Academy of Holy Angels won the title game 6-4 over Moorhead. Despite his Moorhead side losing the state final for the second year in a row, centre Chris VandeVelde was really a "wow!" throughout the weekend. He had eight shots, a goal and an assist in the Spuds' 4-1 semifinal win over Duluth East, and versus Holy Angels, he scored a goal and had two assists despite the Stars' attempt to stifle him and his offensive mates. He has an incredibly long reach and is uncanny playing in traffic. When he got his skating legs going, he was nearly impossible to push off the puck, in an almost Keith Primeau

I don't know, but I did hear that UND's first WCHA series next year just may be at home against none other than Curious George's DU team. Maybe the weekend of 10/28. Perhaps #2 could go pro that Sunday.

God, If there is any question at all, I hope he hangs them up. On topic, I thought Radke looked shaky this weekend, but I don't blame him for it, as he hadn't played in so long. I doubt we will see much of him the rest of the way, as mistakes are too costly in this type of game. I expect them to rotate five defensemen the rest of the way. I saw enough this year to still expect nice things from Radke in his Sioux career.