Guentzel

[fsiouxx]

Here is Reusse's take on Guentzel's departure

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/19032659.html

[redwing77]

Here is Reusse's take on Guentzel's departure

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/19032659.html

Not sure I care. Doesn't affect UND. I'm not sure if it will even affect UMN.

[farce poobah]

I have no inside information, and no idea what really happened.

But I can judge for myself which explanation better suits the public facts, and the Reusse version is a better fit than the Lucia version.

[Siouxman]

I think most suspected this anyway. The only interesting part are the comments at the end of the article.

[sioux7>5]

I love the line: "The Yankees of College Hockey" I do not think so there Patrick. Maybe they would need to have more championships then there biggest rivalto claim that title. But since I hate the Yankees, I guess it kinda fits. Go Sioux!

[Sodbuster]

I love the line: "The Yankees of College Hockey" I do not think so there Patrick. Maybe they would need to have more championships then there biggest rivalto claim that title. But since I hate the Yankees, I guess it kinda fits. Go Sioux!

I think he means it's the team everyone loves to hate.

[Goon]

I think the comments are more interesting that the article.

[kvinbe]

I really liked the way the article highlighted how Lucia's huge ego is now getting in the way of his team's development. I've noticed for years how Lucia's comments in the paper always show an attempt to distance himself from anything that is going wrong with his team. He takes an "us versus them" approach even within his own program. Instead of talking about "we" when things start to go wrong, he talks about "they." His ego is so incredibly large that he's constantly having to distance himself from his team's failures. No doubt this starts to wear on the players, and eventually somebody else (like an assistant coach) has to try to smooth things over for the players. I for one would much rather play for a coach like Dave Hakstol who is right in there with his players and taking full responsibility for his fair share of whatever might be going wrong. Hakstol hasn't been perfect, but he's always been a stand-up guy who stands behind his players. He calls players out, but not in the media so as to deflect possible damage to a huge ego.

[kvinbe]

And by the way, what business does Reusse have pointing out Lucia's incredibly huge ego. Isn't that a prototypical case of "the pot calling the kettle black."

[Goon]

I really liked the way the article highlighted how Lucia's huge ego is now getting in the way of his team's development. I've noticed for years how Lucia's comments in the paper always show an attempt to distance himself from anything that is going wrong with his team. He takes an "us versus them" approach even within his own program. Instead of talking about "we" when things start to go wrong, he talks about "they." His ego is so incredibly large that he's constantly having to distance himself from his team's failures. No doubt this starts to wear on the players, and eventually somebody else (like an assistant coach) has to try to smooth things over for the players. I for one would much rather play for a coach like Dave Hakstol who is right in there with his players and taking full responsibility for his fair share of whatever might be going wrong. Hakstol hasn't been perfect, but he's always been a stand-up guy who stands behind his players. He calls players out, but not in the media so as to deflect possible damage to a huge ego.

Personally I don't think Lucia is that great of a coach I think anyone could have won a national title with the two teams that he had. How long have we heard rumblings from time to time about players not being happy about lucia and his methods. I have to admist that I have enjoyed the implosions down in MPLS the last four seasons. When ever things are going bad for the Goofs the first thing people bring up is that Lucia won an NCAA title with a lot of Doug Woogs recruits.

When Guentzel left Johnny Pohl said on the show beyond the pond that Mikes Guentzel leaving was a huge loss/blow to the program.

[Siouxman]

I'm afraid that I have to quote a comment on the article that someone I know very well posted .

Is it just a coincidence that people are talking about a lack of team cohesiveness, or is it maybe due to the fact that they can't hold their underage drinking parties at Blarney's anymore?

BKJCJR

[sioux7>5]

I think he means it's the team everyone loves to hate.

I think he meant it exactly how I said it. People here in Minnesota really have a entitlement attiude about this hockey team, kinda like the Yankees. They just do not realize that they SUCK!

[Goon]

Time to dump "The Don"?

Lucia simply isn't the coach he was at CC where his teams always got better as the season went on. He's not a Gopher and he's done a terrible job recruiting players that fit into a team concept. He seems to think that recruiting the highest ranked players is some kind of contest that he needs to win. He needs to recruit players that fit into the program rather than change the program to fit a prima-donna player who isn't going to be around long anyway.

I thought this comment was funny.

[burd]

Personally I don't think Lucia is that great of a coach I think anyone could have won a national title with the two teams that he had.

He won two. A lot of people would be justified in saying that "anyone could have won a national title" with some of the teams Hak has had. I like Hakstol--that isn't a slam on him. But when you win two NCs back-to-back you've done something special.

That said, his teams have certainly underperformed the last several years, even though they have been pretty young.

[dagies]

Ahhhhh, I love Reusse.

[CDog]

I've been listening to and reading Reusse for 20 years. His comparison of the Gophers to the Yankees is in no way a compliment. It has nothing to do with championships, and has everything to do with all the advantages the Gophers have, the money, the TV contract, etc...Reusse takes every advantage at taking a swipe at that program, and he's always 100% accurate.

[The Sicatoka]

Reusse makes mention of unhappy upperclassmen on the Gopher roster.

Need I point out that Blake Wheeler left the Gophers, gave up a senior year, with no signed professional contract.

[Cardinal]

Personally I don't think Lucia is that great of a coach I think anyone could have won a national title with the two teams that he had. How long have we heard rumblings from time to time about players not being happy about lucia and his methods. I have to admist that I have enjoyed the implosions down in MPLS the last four seasons. When ever things are going bad for the Goofs the first thing people bring up is that Lucia won an NCAA title with a lot of Doug Woogs recruits.

When Guentzel left Johnny Pohl said on the show beyond the pond that Mikes Guentzel leaving was a huge loss/blow to the program.

1) One could argue that anyone could win a national title with teams Hakstol has had the last few years, but obviously that didn't happen. There are teams every year that have rosters that would indicate they could / should win a title, such as UND's the last few years.

2) "Implosions?" So, let's see: two regular season titles, one WCHA playoff title, All-Americans, etc. Yeah, the Holy Cross loss is terrible, and last season wasn't great (though they still made the most of things at the end when most people -- including myself -- thought they would go down without a fight).

And don't give me this BS that Sioux fans like to spit out about how the NCAA title is all that matters. Convenient excuse considering the lack of banners under Hakstol and the many that have been hung by the Gophers and other teams over that same time period.

3) Three of the four classes on the 2002 team were Lucia recruits. Obviously guys like Leopold and Pohl were big contributors and they were of course Woog recruits, but guys like Ballard, Taffe, Koalska, Riddle, Martin, etc. were Lucia recruits that made a huge difference on that team.

And, by the way, 100 percent of the players on the 2003 title team were Lucia recruits, so explain that one. Must have been the influence of Woog's recruits from the previous year that put them over the top, right?

[Cardinal]

Reusse makes mention of unhappy upperclassmen on the Gopher roster.

Need I point out that Blake Wheeler left the Gophers, gave up a senior year, with no signed professional contract.

Do you honestly think he left because he was unhappy? If that was the case he could have left the prior two summers. He did this because of a loophole in the CBA that's going to -- in his eyes / mind -- give him a better chance to get a big contract. He'll have a contract sooner that later.

[Dean]

1) One could argue that anyone could win a national title with teams Hakstol has had the last few years, but obviously that didn't happen. There are teams every year that have rosters that would indicate they could / should win a title, such as UND's the last few years.

2) "Implosions?" So, let's see: two regular season titles, one WCHA playoff title, All-Americans, etc. Yeah, the Holy Cross loss is terrible, and last season wasn't great (though they still made the most of things at the end when most people -- including myself -- thought they would go down without a fight), but to call the last four Gopher seasons implosions really paints you as a bigger idiot that most people already think you are, and that's saying something.

And don't give me this BS that Sioux fans like to spit out about how the NCAA title is all that matters. Convenient excuse considering the lack of banners under Hakstol and the many that have been hung by the Gophers and other teams over that same time period.

3) Three of the four classes on the 2002 team were Lucia recruits. Obviously guys like Leopold and Pohl were big contributors and they were of course Woog recruits, but guys like Ballard, Taffe, Koalska, Riddle, Martin, etc. were Lucia recruits that made a huge difference on that team.

And, by the way, 100 percent of the players on the 2003 title team were Lucia recruits, so explain that one. Must have been the influence of Woog's recruits from the previous year that put them over the top, right?

As painful as it is to admit, you are spot on (especially with point #1).

[The Sicatoka]

Do you honestly think he left because he was unhappy?

So if it's not Wheeler who are the unhappy upperclassmen?

[Goon]

When ever things are going bad for the Goofs the first thing people bring up is that Lucia won an NCAA title with a lot of Doug Woogs recruits.

Cardinal please tell what part of the statement isn't true? The first 2002 title contained a lot of Woogs recruits that is a true statement.

[Goon]

3) Three of the four classes on the 2002 team were Lucia recruits. Obviously guys like Leopold and Pohl were big contributors

One could make the argument that Woogs recruits were staples of the 2002 team since Leopold won the Hobey Baker Memorial and both players were major contributors on the score sheets as well.

[squirtcoach]

Golly Cardinal, nice defense of the gophers on the Siouxsports web site. Like anyone but you cares that losing to HC in 2006, not geting out of the regionals after being the #1 seed in 2007 and ending up #7 in the WCHA in 2008 is defined by you as "not an implosion."

I thought we were talking about whether Mike was forced out or felt an inner stirring that had him quit the second best job for a gopher hockey alum. My path has crossed Mike's a few times as our boys are the same age here in the cities. We have friends in common but I'm not going to inquire of them how he feels. That would be rude.

I really think the question is whether Mike's firing, and honestly that's what it was, is an indictment of the state of affairs "Chez Gopher".

So what do you think, is all well in gopherville. Or are you saying that there are no good gopher alumni who are qualified to be part of the coaching staff. And the firing of the most popular and only gopher alumni is a sign of things finally turning in the right direction for a program that is NOT imploding.

[buckysieve]

Golly Cardinal, nice defense of the gophers on the Siouxsports web site. Like anyone but you cares that losing to HC in 2006, not geting out of the regionals after being the #1 seed in 2007 and ending up #7 in the WCHA in 2008 is defined by you as "not an implosion."

I thought we were talking about whether Mike was forced out or felt an inner stirring that had him quit the second best job for a gopher hockey alum. My path has crossed Mike's a few times as our boys are the same age here in the cities. We have friends in common but I'm not going to inquire of them how he feels. That would be rude.

I really think the question is whether Mike's firing, and honestly that's what it was, is an indictment of the state of affairs "Chez Gopher".

So what do you think, is all well in gopherville. Or are you saying that there are no good gopher alumni who are qualified to be part of the coaching staff. And the firing of the most popular and only gopher alumni is a sign of things finally turning in the right direction for a program that is NOT imploding.

All this talk by Sioux fans about the Gopher program imploding the last few years is just wishful thinking and nothing more. A program that's imploding doesn't win two Macnaughton Cups and a Broadmoor trophy, which by the way is three more banners than the Sioux have won in that time. The Frozen Four is great great but the only thing those appearances have resulted in is Hakstol becoming known as the new "Woog."