Lucia speaks for Broten, Woog and Parise and saves the world

[keikla]

I wouldn't say it is 'over'. Just won't ever be the same as it once was.

Agreed; especially if we keep seeing them in post-season play.

[jdub27]

The Gophers and Michigan will play 4 times per year plus probable meetings in the Big ten tourney. By the time 2016-17 rolls around we're talking about 12-15 games between those two schools while the Gophers and UND will not play at all during that same time period. You tell me who the Gopher players at that time would say is a bigger rivalry for them. A conference foe who they battle with 4 times a year or a non-conference opponent who they haven't played in years?

I see UND continuing to make the NCAA tournament, are you saying that the gophers won't be there?

[SJHovey]

Part of the problem is that when you're young (which as of now I have to claim is anything under about 55) you don't really have a lot of perspective on how rivalries change.

The UND-MN rivalry will change significantly over the years, even though they may still occasionally play, and the games will be good. But rivalries always change, and even had we remained within the same conference with them it could have changed.

You go back to my era, the late 70's through mid-80's in Grand Forks, MN wasn't even close to being the main rival. They were a good team, we enjoyed beating them and they drew nice crowds, but Wisconsin was the draw. The intensity of those games were every bit as high as what we've seen in the last decade plus with Minnesota.

You go back even another generation, to the late 50's through the mid-60's and all you'll hear about is Denver.

That's the beauty of sport. You can always find someone to dislike.

[MNState0fHockey]

The rivalry is over plain and simple. By the time this series resumes in 2016-17 Michigan will have become a MUCH bigger rival to the Gophers than UND will ever be again.

Both programs will (and have already started) moving on.

These programs won't play every year (there will be breaks in between scheduling agreements), and they aren't going to be competing for conference hardware.

As a fan that has watched Gopher Hockey for over three decades, I have seen rivalries heat up and cool off. In the 70's Michigan Tech was one of the Gopher's biggest rivals. Not so much now. The Badgers were unequivocally the Gophers biggest rival in the 1970's. Not so much the last few decades. I also remember when Michigan moved to the CCHA. People swore up and down that the. Michigan rivalry would never change. After a few decades of just playing showcase games, that rivalry became a shell of what it was.

Watching these two teams will still be fun. They are two great programs. But it won't be a series I circle every year when they play any longer. Conference rivalries will mean much more and I anticipate the rivalries with UW and Michigan are going to heat up again really quick. We've got 4 conference games with Michigan at the end of the season, and if the conference championship is on the line, those games will be a blast. Same with UND. I think it won't take long before rivalries with DU and Miami heat up and become the marquee series UND fans look forwards too.

[MNState0fHockey]

Part of the problem is that when you're young (which as of now I have to claim is anything under about 55) you don't really have a lot of perspective on how rivalries change.

The UND-MN rivalry will change significantly over the years, even though they may still occasionally play, and the games will be good. But rivalries always change, and even had we remained within the same conference with them it could have changed.

You go back to my era, the late 70's through mid-80's in Grand Forks, MN wasn't even close to being the main rival. They were a good team, we enjoyed beating them and they drew nice crowds, but Wisconsin was the draw. The intensity of those games were every bit as high as what we've seen in the last decade plus with Minnesota.

You go back even another generation, to the late 50's through the mid-60's and all you'll hear about is Denver.

That's the beauty of sport. You can always find someone to dislike.

Great post! Rivalries evolve. The games will always be fun, but the rivalry won't be the same.

[UNDBIZ]

Part of the problem is that when you're young (which as of now I have to claim is anything under about 55) you don't really have a lot of perspective on how rivalries change.

The UND-MN rivalry will change significantly over the years, even though they may still occasionally play, and the games will be good. But rivalries always change, and even had we remained within the same conference with them it could have changed.

You go back to my era, the late 70's through mid-80's in Grand Forks, MN wasn't even close to being the main rival. They were a good team, we enjoyed beating them and they drew nice crowds, but Wisconsin was the draw. The intensity of those games were every bit as high as what we've seen in the last decade plus with Minnesota.

You go back even another generation, to the late 50's through the mid-60's and all you'll hear about is Denver.

That's the beauty of sport. You can always find someone to dislike.

[Mariucci]

I see UND continuing to make the NCAA tournament, are you saying that the gophers won't be there?

Sure but odds are the teams won't face each other. Didn't we go 26 years in-between NCAA tourney match-ups from 1979-2005?

[jdub27]

Sure but odds are the teams won't face each other. Didn't we go 26 years in-between NCAA tourney match-ups from 1979-2005?

A lot of that had to do with being in the same conference which prevented first round match-ups. The NCCA will be more than happy to ship UND to St. Paul (where ticket prices happen to be the highest) for a first or second round match-up with UofM every chance they get. Having two fanbases that large with not far to travel is about the only chance they have at having a more than half full building at any of their regional sites.

[hrkac]

Great post! Rivalries evolve. The games will always be fun, but the rivalry won't be the same.

The media will do their best to pump it up and once gameday arrives i think it'll be frenzied but never the same. One way to ensure it continues is for both teams to drop the gloves in warmups during the first game in 2016.

[burd]

The rivalry is over plain and simple. By the time this series resumes in 2016-17 Michigan will have become a MUCH bigger rival to the Gophers than UND will ever be again.

It never was a true rivalry. More like a green cat playing with a half dead mouse. Or a green dog pushing a turd around with his snout before deciding that's the only kind of turd even he won't eat.

We'll miss that for sure.

[hrkac]

Michigan will be and Wisconsin already is. North Dakota really should concentrate more on promoting their rivalries with Denver and Minnesota-Duluth.

Denver already has been for many years. That might change now that Gwoz is gone.

[Sodbuster]

The Gophers and Michigan will play 4 times per year plus probable meetings in the Big ten tourney. By the time 2016-17 rolls around we're talking about 12-15 games between those two schools while the Gophers and UND will not play at all during that same time period. You tell me who the Gopher players at that time would say is a bigger rivalry for them. A conference foe who they battle with 4 times a year or a non-conference opponent who they haven't played in years?

I'm wondering how either team will score with their noses up in the air.

[Fetch]

But we will always love kicking ur butts

[brianvf]

Actually, I posted this same thought a while back as a potential reason to not schedule North Dakota. No WCHA, no Final Five TV coverage, less exposure in the TC press...the effects of that could potentially be felt down the road by UND. I didn't say it was for-sure, but it could certainly have been a reason to 'end' the rivalry.

If I were a MN player looking to make my decision about which college to attend for hockey, I'd be looking long and hard at all available options...not just the ones presented to me each spring at the F5 or ones that the Gophers play regularly. I'm sure most dream of ending up wearing the M, but that spot is only available to so many each year.

Will it affect some kids like it did with the one that sat behind you? Sure, I have no doubt for some of the casual fans.

I just don't think it will have a major affect at all on potential recruits. UND is still going to be a hockey powerhouse...they'll still be putting a ton of players in the NHL...they'll still be in the tourney most years. Kids will see that.

Plus, I kind of like how much Hammy keeps mentioning it on GPL...almost like he is trying to convince himself and others that it will DEFINITELY be the case. That greatly amuses me.

[tnt]

If I were a MN player looking to make my decision about which college to attend for hockey, I'd be looking long and hard at all available options...not just the ones presented to me each spring at the F5 or ones that the Gophers play regularly. I'm sure most dream of ending up wearing the M, but that spot is only available to so many each year.

Will it affect some kids like it did with the one that sat behind you? Sure, I have no doubt for some of the casual fans.

I just don't think it will have a major affect at all on potential recruits. UND is still going to be a hockey powerhouse...they'll still be putting a ton of players in the NHL...they'll still be in the tourney most years. Kids will see that.

Plus, I kind of like how much Hammy keeps mentioning it on GPL...almost like he is trying to convince himself and others that it will DEFINITELY be the case. That greatly amuses me.

Frankly, when you look at our lineup, we have been getting elite players from everywhere. How many times do you hear recruits talk about their first trip to the Ralph and they committed shortly thereafter. I don't see that changing anytime soon. Let's face it, you take one look at all the empty seats last weekend Minnesota had against Boston College, and if you were a recruit looking for a great college atmosphere, where would you want to go. UND has packed the barn against lower level competition, and with the competitiveness of the NCHC, I think fans are going to continue to show up.

[Goon]

The thread talking about this same topic on GPL is also quite comical.

I do find it humorous that Hammy thinks that UND won't be able to land the high-end MN recruits any longer...that not playing the Gophers every year will 'harm' their reach in the Cities. He's delusional, unless he honestly believes that MN recruits won't know about a school less than four hours away from them that is highly known for producing NHL talent. Oh yeah, I forgot, they won't be playing UMN any longer, so the MN recruits will forget about the Sioux and start playing for Penn St or OSU instead (at least, the ones that UMN doesn't want! ). Haha!

breaks my heart....not!

The Miami Sioux rivalry will be bigger than the new Sioux goofer rivalry will ever be.

Exactly, ever player that I have talked too lately is charged up about playing against Miami. They seem to do alright recruiting without the Gophers.

[Goon]

I'm wondering how either team will score with their noses up in the air.

Oh my God, that's funny.

[Goon]

Some of the stuff written on GPL is absolutely comedy gold. You can't make this stuff up. Mr Split personality JDUBBS1280 aka MNState0fHockey. and what ever else he calls himself this week with his 15 different twitter accounts is spinning himself in knots trying to tell everyone that UND isn't a rival.

[MNState0fHockey]

The media will do their best to pump it up and once gameday arrives i think it'll be frenzied but never the same. One way to ensure it continues is for both teams to drop the gloves in warmups during the first game in 2016.

I'm sure they will. The media tried to pump the tires on numerous "rivalries" for the Wild. Doesn't mean the fans bought in. Look at the North Stars vs Blackhawks rivalry. I used to HATE the. Blackhawks with the hate of a thousand suns. After the North Stars left and Wild came to town, just wasn't the same. Yeah, it's fun playing a great franchise like the Hawks, but the rivalry wasn't the same. Now that they are in the same division and they can competing more regularly, I have no doubt that rivalry will heat back up. It's just unrealistic to think that the UMN vs UND rivalry won't diminish. It already has for a lot of fans.

[MNState0fHockey]

Some of the stuff written on GPL is absolutely comedy gold. You can't make this stuff up. Mr Split personality JDUBBS1280 aka MNState0fHockey. and what ever else he calls himself this week with his 15 different twitter accounts is spinning himself in knots trying to tell everyone that UND isn't a rival.

It's hilarious that you can't argue points on their own merits, you have to try and discredit posters. If you disagree with the points made, the explain why. Simple fact is, you can't. I get a long with quite a few UND fans. It's nothing personal, it's a matter of opinion. Take a chill pill and engage in adult discussion.

[MNState0fHockey]

If I were a MN player looking to make my decision about which college to attend for hockey, I'd be looking long and hard at all available options...not just the ones presented to me each spring at the F5 or ones that the Gophers play regularly. I'm sure most dream of ending up wearing the M, but that spot is only available to so many each year.

Will it affect some kids like it did with the one that sat behind you? Sure, I have no doubt for some of the casual fans.

I just don't think it will have a major affect at all on potential recruits. UND is still going to be a hockey powerhouse...they'll still be putting a ton of players in the NHL...they'll still be in the tourney most years. Kids will see that.

Plus, I kind of like how much Hammy keeps mentioning it on GPL...almost like he is trying to convince himself and others that it will DEFINITELY be the case. That greatly amuses me.

UND recruited fine before this rivalry became as great as it was, and they will recruit just fine after.

[burd]

It's hilarious that you can't argue points on their own merits, you have to try and discredit posters. If you disagree with the points made, the explain why. Simple fact is, you can't. I get a long with quite a few UND fans. It's nothing personal, it's a matter of opinion. Take a chill pill and engage in adult discussion.

The refrain of every Dubber downward spiral.

[MNState0fHockey]

The refrain of every Dubber downward spiral.

Just facts man. If you disagree with a point, make a point.

[siouxforce19]

If the attitude of the fan bases matched the attitudes of the players.... this would be one lop sided series.

[MNState0fHockey]

If the attitude of the fan bases matched the attitudes of the players.... this would be one lop sided series.

Hope people aren't taking my comments to mean I don't appreciate the rivalry, or that I don't respect UND's program. I'm just old enough to have seen what realignment does to rivalries. The rivalries evolve. When the teams play, it will still be fun (especially for those of us who have lived thru this rivalry as it has been the past few decades). But just like many Gopher fans look at me funny when I say I remember when Michigan was a HUGE rival, there will come a day when people will look at us funny when we say UMN vs UND was a huge rivalry in college hockey. It's unfortunately an inevitability.