COMMITTED UND Recruits

[brianvf]

8 minutes ago, gfhockey said:

It was actually their assistant coach on a podcast. And msu media reported it

Their assistant coach was talking about a player that got $80-90k in NIL from a B10 school.
It was on Ausmus & Schmaltz podcast.  So I don't think it was Kernan they were talking about.

[bale31]

3 minutes ago, gfhockey said:

It was actually their assistant coach on a podcast. And msu media reported it

 

 

I'm gonna chime in here for a bit as the resident MSU fan (although I rarely post anymore cause you guys don't really care about MSU, nor should you). He and Pritchard de-committed at the same time. Frankly, it was assumed they were both going to the Gophers. Troy Ward went on the Live In Five podcast and talked in pretty broad terms what was happening starting at about the 48 minute mark. His comment was that they got an email from the parents of one of the recruits and one guy got an offer of $70K-$80K (I think that was the number) from a Big Ten school. People were assuming the parents one was Kernan and the Big Ten one was Pritchard. I'm not sure either of those are correct, just assumptions made. Ward's comments were very harmless, but they were pretty vague. I suspect he kept them vague to take a shot across the bow of certain programs that are hiding behind the veil of secrecy and not admitting what they are doing (and how much they are paying kids) without directly saying it. He's pretty smart when it comes to playing those word games to get his point across without necessarily throwing colleagues under the bus.

For a little context, MSU has been killed again this year in terms of the roster. We were obviously forced to re-build the roster with transfer kids 2 years ago after Hastings left (we lost 5 guys to the portal that year, I think). Additionally there was not a single commit that stayed on with MSU after he left. This year we had 9 guys graduate (many transfers from the last 2 years). We had multiple portal entrants that left us with 5 forwards, 4 defensemen and 2 goalies coming back. We had some really good recruits (as seen above) that we've been hearing about for a year and a half and that went into thin air. Add to that the feeling of our players being snubbed for awards and fans are grumpy and viciously going after whoever they feel grievances should be aired at.

 

[fightingsioux4life]

2 minutes ago, bale31 said:

I'm gonna chime in here for a bit as the resident MSU fan (although I rarely post anymore cause you guys don't really care about MSU, nor should you). He and Pritchard de-committed at the same time. Frankly, it was assumed they were both going to the Gophers. Troy Ward went on the Live In Five podcast and talked in pretty broad terms what was happening starting at about the 48 minute mark. His comment was that they got an email from the parents of one of the recruits and one guy got an offer of $70K-$80K (I think that was the number) from a Big Ten school. People were assuming the parents one was Kernan and the Big Ten one was Pritchard. I'm not sure either of those are correct, just assumptions made. Ward's comments were very harmless, but they were pretty vague. I suspect he kept them vague to take a shot across the bow of certain programs that are hiding behind the veil of secrecy and not admitting what they are doing (and how much they are paying kids) without directly saying it. He's pretty smart when it comes to playing those word games to get his point across without necessarily throwing colleagues under the bus.

For a little context, MSU has been killed again this year in terms of the roster. We were obviously forced to re-build the roster with transfer kids 2 years ago after Hastings left (we lost 5 guys to the portal that year, I think). Additionally there was not a single commit that stayed on with MSU after he left. This year we had 9 guys graduate (many transfers from the last 2 years). We had multiple portal entrants that left us with 5 forwards, 4 defensemen and 2 goalies coming back. We had some really good recruits (as seen above) that we've been hearing about for a year and a half and that went into thin air. Add to that the feeling of our players being snubbed for awards and fans are grumpy and viciously going after whoever they feel grievances should be aired at.

Hang in there. Mankato would make a great replacement for Miami when they leave (which is only a matter of time).

[tnt]

2 minutes ago, bale31 said:

I'm gonna chime in here for a bit as the resident MSU fan (although I rarely post anymore cause you guys don't really care about MSU, nor should you). He and Pritchard de-committed at the same time. Frankly, it was assumed they were both going to the Gophers. Troy Ward went on the Live In Five podcast and talked in pretty broad terms what was happening starting at about the 48 minute mark. His comment was that they got an email from the parents of one of the recruits and one guy got an offer of $70K-$80K (I think that was the number) from a Big Ten school. People were assuming the parents one was Kernan and the Big Ten one was Pritchard. I'm not sure either of those are correct, just assumptions made. Ward's comments were very harmless, but they were pretty vague. I suspect he kept them vague to take a shot across the bow of certain programs that are hiding behind the veil of secrecy and not admitting what they are doing (and how much they are paying kids) without directly saying it. He's pretty smart when it comes to playing those word games to get his point across without necessarily throwing colleagues under the bus.

For a little context, MSU has been killed again this year in terms of the roster. We were obviously forced to re-build the roster with transfer kids 2 years ago after Hastings left (we lost 5 guys to the portal that year, I think). Additionally there was not a single commit that stayed on with MSU after he left. This year we had 9 guys graduate (many transfers from the last 2 years). We had multiple portal entrants that left us with 5 forwards, 4 defensemen and 2 goalies coming back. We had some really good recruits (as seen above) that we've been hearing about for a year and a half and that went into thin air. Add to that the feeling of our players being snubbed for awards and fans are grumpy and viciously going after whoever they feel grievances should be aired at.

 

There is no doubt that something needs to be fixed in the portal and NIL systems because this kind of raiding of teams and the subsequent chain effect isn’t good for what is supposed to be amateur athletics.  The more I witness it, the less I like college sports.  

[bale31]

Just now, tnt said:

There is no doubt that something needs to be fixed in the portal and NIL systems because this kind of raiding of teams and the subsequent chain effect isn’t good for what is supposed to be amateur athletics.  The more I witness it, the less I like college sports.  

I'm not gonna lie, it's getting harder and harder to rationalize spending money on Blue Line Club (read: donation) and seats for my family. I feel like apathy is setting in to a lot of the fans that are casuals and not diehards. 

[.357]

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/center-jack-kernan-commits-to-und

His decision came down to UND and Wisconsin.

"North Dakota is a premier organization," Kernan said. "It has been such a big program for so many years. The facilities and coaching staff are great. The players were really good to me when I got up there to see it myself. It felt like the right fit."

Kernan visited UND this week.

He arrived Wednesday and left Thursday.

"It was amazing," Kernan said. "It started off by meeting the staff, then an amazing tour of The Ralph. It was mind-blowing in a way. The facilities are unbelievable. I got to have dinner with the coaching staff.

"Then, I got to hang out with some of the guys and be around them. I felt invited. They were very inviting and friendly. It was a great way to meet some of them and feel like part of the team in a way. We wrapped it up, I talked with the staff and came to the decision that this is the fit."

[scpa0305]

1 minute ago, .357 said:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/center-jack-kernan-commits-to-und

His decision came down to UND and Wisconsin.

"North Dakota is a premier organization," Kernan said. "It has been such a big program for so many years. The facilities and coaching staff are great. The players were really good to me when I got up there to see it myself. It felt like the right fit."

Kernan visited UND this week.

He arrived Wednesday and left Thursday.

"It was amazing," Kernan said. "It started off by meeting the staff, then an amazing tour of The Ralph. It was mind-blowing in a way. The facilities are unbelievable. I got to have dinner with the coaching staff.

"Then, I got to hang out with some of the guys and be around them. I felt invited. They were very inviting and friendly. It was a great way to meet some of them and feel like part of the team in a way. We wrapped it up, I talked with the staff and came to the decision that this is the fit."

Seems like an ok get

[cberkas]

1 hour ago, sioux24/7 said:

Does anyone here like Bucci?

Not really

1 hour ago, skateshattrick said:

Yes. He is a great spokesman for college hockey and is a genuinely good guy. He's not a good announcer, but neither was Barry Melrose. He's way more likeable than Barry Melrose. 

For being a spokesman for college hockey he seems to not understand basic things about college hockey. If he spent more time watching college hockey and not hawking hats he’d be more likable. 

[tnt]

3 minutes ago, .357 said:

https://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hockey/center-jack-kernan-commits-to-und

His decision came down to UND and Wisconsin.

"North Dakota is a premier organization," Kernan said. "It has been such a big program for so many years. The facilities and coaching staff are great. The players were really good to me when I got up there to see it myself. It felt like the right fit."

Kernan visited UND this week.

He arrived Wednesday and left Thursday.

"It was amazing," Kernan said. "It started off by meeting the staff, then an amazing tour of The Ralph. It was mind-blowing in a way. The facilities are unbelievable. I got to have dinner with the coaching staff.

"Then, I got to hang out with some of the guys and be around them. I felt invited. They were very inviting and friendly. It was a great way to meet some of them and feel like part of the team in a way. We wrapped it up, I talked with the staff and came to the decision that this is the fit."

It’s like I said before, recruiting involves a lot of different things coming together. Very interesting that he mentioned a couple times how the current players made him feel welcome.  Hopefully the coaches stress how important that is in the whole recruiting process.  We have a lot to offer, but if the players aren’t receptive that could be a deal breaker.

[Godsmack]

52 minutes ago, bale31 said:

I'm gonna chime in here for a bit as the resident MSU fan (although I rarely post anymore cause you guys don't really care about MSU, nor should you). He and Pritchard de-committed at the same time. Frankly, it was assumed they were both going to the Gophers. Troy Ward went on the Live In Five podcast and talked in pretty broad terms what was happening starting at about the 48 minute mark. His comment was that they got an email from the parents of one of the recruits and one guy got an offer of $70K-$80K (I think that was the number) from a Big Ten school. People were assuming the parents one was Kernan and the Big Ten one was Pritchard. I'm not sure either of those are correct, just assumptions made. Ward's comments were very harmless, but they were pretty vague. I suspect he kept them vague to take a shot across the bow of certain programs that are hiding behind the veil of secrecy and not admitting what they are doing (and how much they are paying kids) without directly saying it. He's pretty smart when it comes to playing those word games to get his point across without necessarily throwing colleagues under the bus.

For a little context, MSU has been killed again this year in terms of the roster. We were obviously forced to re-build the roster with transfer kids 2 years ago after Hastings left (we lost 5 guys to the portal that year, I think). Additionally there was not a single commit that stayed on with MSU after he left. This year we had 9 guys graduate (many transfers from the last 2 years). We had multiple portal entrants that left us with 5 forwards, 4 defensemen and 2 goalies coming back. We had some really good recruits (as seen above) that we've been hearing about for a year and a half and that went into thin air. Add to that the feeling of our players being snubbed for awards and fans are grumpy and viciously going after whoever they feel grievances should be aired at.

 

Excellent post, bale31. Couldn’t agree more with everything you just said. I too listened to that episode of Live in Five and frankly found it one of their best episodes largely because of Coach Ward. My ears perked up when he talked about having or getting a thick skin, not only in dealings with players, parents, and agents, but also opposing coaches. He was clever in his choice of wording and reading between the lines, I took his comments to be directed at other programs raiding his and/or other smaller programs’ talent by throwing money at them.
 

I don’t blame Mankato fans for being pissed seeing guys that their program spent time and resources recruiting and in some cases, developing only to see them bail. 
 

On a side note, I took a hockey trip to Minnesota State to see you guys play UND, I wanna say second half of the 2012-2013 season. If memory serves, UND lost the outright share of the McNaughton Cup because we lost the Saturday night game to you guys in overtime. That said, I stuck around to watch the celebration by your players and fans and it was such a fun atmosphere there in your barn. It definitely ranks up there in my list of favorite road trips. Fans were super cool.

[brianvf]

Looks like he has decent speed and hands:

 

[Blackheart]

2 hours ago, sioux24/7 said:

Does anyone here like Bucci?

It's so disappointing that the biggest advocate for college puck knows so little about the game.  Somehow he has parlayed that into an announcing gig at every Frozen Four with his BU buddy Colby.  At the very least, they are tough to listen to.  Please give us Holden, Starman, Matvick, Lapanta, Don Cherry or Slapshot's Jim Carr instead.

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

14 minutes ago, Blackheart said:

It's so disappointing that the biggest advocate for college puck knows so little about the game.  Somehow he has parlayed that into an announcing gig at every Frozen Four with his BU buddy Colby.  At the very least, they are tough to listen to.  Please give us Holden, Starman, Matvick, Lapanta, Don Cherry or Slapshot's Jim Carr instead.

"STICK A GRAND FORKS IN 'EM!" is one of the worst calls in hockey history.

[Blackheart]

14 minutes ago, AlphaMikeFoxtrot said:

"STICK A GRAND FORKS IN 'EM!" is one of the worst calls in hockey history.

That was so Clown Shoes...

[siouxfaninseattle]

4 hours ago, scpa0305 said:

Seems like an ok get

I think he's a great get. When his coach says he plays "Sioux" hockey, that's a pretty big compliment.

[tnt]

39 minutes ago, siouxfaninseattle said:

I think he's a great get. When his coach says he plays "Sioux" hockey, that's a pretty big compliment.

…and his remarks about this being the type of player UND used to recruit was very telling as well.  When you hear things like that along with Schlossman’s revelation about scouts and coaches relaying the need for UND to be more visible in the recruiting scene, it makes you wonder how Schlossman and the administration were so blind to the need to make a change.
 I get that the league titles were part of the reason to kind of overlook how things have changed since Hakstol, but when the fans have been mocking the use of the word “culture” for a while and the constant not playing 60 minutes, the contrast could not have been more glaring to sit up and take notice.

[hockeytherapy13]

4 hours ago, Blackheart said:

That was so Clown Shoes...

I see what you did there

[AlphaMikeFoxtrot]

Zakreski with a PP goal. Played bumper for almost 2 minutes of 5x3 and finally put it home.

[.357]

26 minutes ago, tnt said:

When you hear things like that along with Schlossman’s revelation about scouts and coaches relaying the need for UND to be more visible in the recruiting scene, it makes you wonder how Schlossman and the administration were so blind to the need to make a change.
 

A good number of fans here were also carrying the previous regime's water to a large degree, hesitant to any thought of a HC change. It's an interesting dynamic when you've got a successful program falling below expectations for the last 7-8 years & the number of people who deny or rationalize away these shortcomings.

If UND hadn't had a rash of injuries early last year, there's a good chance UND flips a few of those bad losses, squeaks into the playoffs & BB is still at the helm. Those injuries, while seeming to be a bad thing at the time, were a blessing in disguise & probably were the catalyst leading to his firing; preventing this program from sinking any further. If the HC had remained the same, the UND fanbase would still be clueless about how much the active recruiting had fallen off & Chyzyk would still be in Waterloo. 

[Username Taken]

17 minutes ago, .357 said:

A good number of fans here were also carrying the previous regime's water to a large degree, hesitant to any thought of a HC change. It's an interesting dynamic when you've got a successful program falling below expectations for the last 7-8 years & the number of people who deny or rationalize away these shortcomings.

If UND hadn't had a rash of injuries early last year, there's a good chance UND flips a few of those bad losses, squeaks into the playoffs & BB is still at the helm. Those injuries, while seeming to be a bad thing at the time, were a blessing in disguise & probably were the catalyst leading to his firing; preventing this program from sinking any further. If the HC had remained the same, the UND fanbase would still be clueless about how much the active recruiting had fallen off & Chyzyk would still be in Waterloo. 

That’s part of the problem. How are we supposed to know as fans that BB just basically stopped recruiting? We had some studs under the Berry tenure. Crazy to think of what could have been if he actually put some effort into it. 

[.357]

9 minutes ago, Username Taken said:

That’s part of the problem. How are we supposed to know as fans that BB just basically stopped recruiting?  

The only way the fans & admin could have known about the drop-off in recruiting is if the beat reporter had written about it. But it's difficult to ascertain if he had known about this deficiency before the firing or not.

[crb1]

4 hours ago, Username Taken said:

That’s part of the problem. How are we supposed to know as fans that BB just basically stopped recruiting? We had some studs under the Berry tenure. Crazy to think of what could have been if he actually put some effort into it. 

This has been the biggest disappointment for me regarding the BB era. I never would have guessed that recruiting would take such a back seat. From the outside, it always felt like we were just missing out on top players due to bad luck, but learning now that our head coach was so disengaged from recruiting is pretty disheartening.

 

Don’t get me wrong—BB seems like a great guy: friendly, approachable, and well-liked. But this whole recruiting situation has really left a bad taste in my mouth. Like you, I can’t help but wonder what could’ve been with a little more effort.

 

One thing that’s especially hard to wrap my head around is Jax. He was around during the Hakstol years and continued through the BB era. If he saw the issues with recruiting, did he ever raise those concerns with BB? And if he did, why didn’t anything change? It’s tough to believe he’d stick around if no one was listening. Just a lot of questions—and probably not many answers.

[burd]

7 hours ago, .357 said:

The only way the fans & admin could have known about the drop-off in recruiting is if the beat reporter had written about it. But it's difficult to ascertain if he had known about this deficiency before the firing or not.

How do we know now that BB basically stopped recruiting?  What is the direct evidence?

[SIOUXELEVENS]

Don’t think it stopped just not a lot of energy or resources put into it. I would guess lots of text messages and zoomed calls. 

[gfhockey]

47 minutes ago, burd said:

How do we know now that BB basically stopped recruiting?  What is the direct evidence?

Source?