Prospective Recruits

[SiouxFanatic]

Michigan is going to be throwing the kitchen sink to land him which I don’t think UND can match. Only way he’d end up here is if he buys into UND’s #culture.  

[SuhakiYeahYeah]

I've fully accepted that he's not coming here. It's just not happening. Never in a system that rewards those with the deepest pockets.

[scpa0305]

31 minutes ago, SiouxFanatic said:

Michigan is going to be throwing the kitchen sink to land him which I don’t think UND can match. Only way he’d end up here is if he buys into UND’s #culture.  

Are we talking about Gavin?

[brianvf]

12 minutes ago, scpa0305 said:

Are we talking about Gavin?

Yes.

[siouxfaninseattle]

1 hour ago, NoDak Hockey Nation said:

No chance UND gets him. It’s been reported that Canadians can get a special visa for “extraordinary athletic ability” to receive NIL. I’m betting McKenna will receive that and a lump sum of money that Mr Bonzer’s can’t afford.

Special visa for extraordinary athletic ability? I'm skeptical.

[NoDak Hockey Nation]

28 minutes ago, siouxfaninseattle said:

Special visa for extraordinary athletic ability? I'm skeptical.

It’s called an O-1 visa. Elliotte Friedman mentioned it on his podcast when discussing McKenna in college a week or two ago

[siouxfaninseattle]

39 minutes ago, NoDak Hockey Nation said:

It’s called an O-1 visa. Elliotte Friedman mentioned it on his podcast when discussing McKenna in college a week or two ago

I did some research on an 0-1 visa, and it looks like a couple of requirements are a job (or job offer) and demonstrated achievement. It looks like a huge stretch for McKenna to qualify.

[NoDak Hockey Nation]

Just now, siouxfaninseattle said:

I did some research on an 0-1 visa, and it looks like a couple of requirements are a job (or job offer) and demonstrated achievement. It looks like a huge stretch for McKenna to qualify.

Fair enough. I think he ends up at Michigan either way. Here’s to hoping Carter Bear comes to UND and can play after Christmas.

[nascar99]

20 minutes ago, NoDak Hockey Nation said:

Fair enough. I think he ends up at Michigan either way. Here’s to hoping Carter Bear comes to UND and can play after Christmas.

Cole Reschny looks like a really good 2-way C, playing for James Patrick for the Victoria Royals right now. He'd be nice to have this fall or next.

[.357]

2 hours ago, NoDak Hockey Nation said:

No chance UND gets him. It’s been reported that Canadians can get a special visa for “extraordinary athletic ability” to receive NIL. I’m betting McKenna will receive that and a lump sum of money that Mr Bonzer’s can’t afford.

If money were the sole driving factor in reeling in McKenna, UND would not have been 1 of only 2 co-finalists for him along with MI (according to an article last week that was posted here about UND & MI being the favorites). BC, BU & half the B10 would have also been listed as possible landing spots for him if it were only about the money; but they weren't mentioned. And if the MN collective can raise a boatload of money for any player, how come they weren't even in the conversation for McKenna but UND was?

He may very well go to MI, but it could be for a multitude of reasons. Anyone outside his personal circle claiming to know the reason why at this juncture is engaging in pure speculation. 

Does anyone think a guy of this stature will even tour a campus before he commits there, or will he likely just do a video tour?

 

[siouxforce19]

22 minutes ago, .357 said:

If money were the sole driving factor in reeling in McKenna, UND would not have been 1 of only 2 co-finalists for him along with MI (according to an article last week that was posted here about UND & MI being the favorites). BC, BU & half the B10 would have also been listed as possible landing spots for him if it were only about the money; but they weren't mentioned. And if the MN collective can raise a boatload of money for any player, how come they weren't even in the conversation for McKenna but UND was?

He may very well go to MI, but it could be for a multitude of reasons. Anyone outside his personal circle claiming to know the reason why at this juncture is engaging in pure speculation. 

Does anyone think a guy of this stature will even tour a campus before he commits there, or will he likely just do a video tour?

 

Can’t speak for if he plans to visit Michigan, but McKenna was in GF a couple years ago. So he’s been here before. 

[nascar99]

2 hours ago, .357 said:

If money were the sole driving factor in reeling in McKenna, UND would not have been 1 of only 2 co-finalists for him along with MI (according to an article last week that was posted here about UND & MI being the favorites). BC, BU & half the B10 would have also been listed as possible landing spots for him if it were only about the money; but they weren't mentioned. And if the MN collective can raise a boatload of money for any player, how come they weren't even in the conversation for McKenna but UND was?

He may very well go to MI, but it could be for a multitude of reasons. Anyone outside his personal circle claiming to know the reason why at this juncture is engaging in pure speculation. 

Does anyone think a guy of this stature will even tour a campus before he commits there, or will he likely just do a video tour?

 

Until Motzko and the Goofers go after & land at least one if not several high end CHLers, I'm not going to believe they're seriously in on any of these guys. They're too stuck in their own tribalism of recruiting 90% Minnesotans.

In regards to McKenna and North Dakota, North Dakota is one of if not the only NCAA hockey program that Western Canadians know anything about. Maybe some know a lot about Michigan cause it's Michigan, and some of the younger kids know about Denver now, but North Dakota has been the gold standard historically and they've always been extremely welcoming to (Western) Canadian players, unlike other programs such as Minnesota or even Boston College (who hasn't gone after many Western Canadians with the exception of Kobasew and Kolanos). Zakreski stated in his commitment interview/article with Schloss that he knew nothing about the other NCAA hockey programs except for North Dakota.

McKenna understands how much hockey means at North Dakota and how much it would mean to play at The Ralph, wear the green, white, & black in front of 12,000 a night. That's probably why he's rumored to be interested in UND.

[.357]

5 hours ago, nascar99 said:

Until Motzko and the Goofers go after & land at least one if not several high end CHLers, I'm not going to believe they're seriously in on any of these guys. They're too stuck in their own tribalism of recruiting 90% Minnesotans.

In regards to McKenna and North Dakota, North Dakota is one of if not the only NCAA hockey program that Western Canadians know anything about. Maybe some know a lot about Michigan cause it's Michigan, and some of the younger kids know about Denver now, but North Dakota has been the gold standard historically and they've always been extremely welcoming to (Western) Canadian players, unlike other programs such as Minnesota or even Boston College (who hasn't gone after many Western Canadians with the exception of Kobasew and Kolanos). Zakreski stated in his commitment interview/article with Schloss that he knew nothing about the other NCAA hockey programs except for North Dakota.

McKenna understands how much hockey means at North Dakota and how much it would mean to play at The Ralph, wear the green, white, & black in front of 12,000 a night. That's probably why he's rumored to be interested in UND.

If McKenna bypasses UND this year like Celebrini did the year before, the idea that this program is the gold standard for Western Canadians may need to be rethought.

As little as a week ago the rumors were that UND & MI were the favorites to land McKenna. Now less than a week later it appears he may be leaning more towards MI. And like I mentioned, if only UND & MI were reported to be the 2 landing spots for him, it leads me to think that money isn't the overriding factor for him in choosing a school; because if it were mostly about money, we'd also be hearing about BC, BU, WI, DU, MSU, ASU, etc, as well, but we're not.

He may connect more with their coach (maybe Naurato's selling their program better), he may enjoy the urban campus environment more, or his advisors may be guiding him to the B1G because A) it's more offensive-oriented compared to the NCHC & not as physically punishing of a conference, &/or B) the perceived greater visibility that B1G hockey brings. A whole multitude of possibilities. Never mind that it's as woeful as the CCHA & AHA when it it comes to titles. But winning a title doesn't sound as important to him as getting up to speed for the next level. Because if he truly wanted to win a title, he would be giving more consideration to an NCHC team to increase his odds of doing so.

Bringing in McKenna would have a domino effect in attracting other high-end players. But if he doesn't land at UND, Chyzyk needs to earn his salt by bringing in a couple of top-tier (or at least solid) CHL/portal centers to give UND a legitimate shot at going deep next year. UND won't be going far if they're weak up the middle. 

 

[nascar99]

2 hours ago, .357 said:

If McKenna bypasses UND this year like Celebrini did the year before, the idea that this program is the gold standard for Western Canadians may need to be rethought.

As little as a week ago the rumors were that UND & MI were the favorites to land McKenna. Now less than a week later it appears he may be leaning more towards MI. And like I mentioned, if only UND & MI were reported to be the 2 landing spots for him, it leads me to think that money isn't the overriding factor for him in choosing a school; because if it were mostly about money, we'd also be hearing about BC, BU, WI, DU, MSU, ASU, etc, as well, but we're not.

He may connect more with their coach (maybe Naurato's selling their program better), he may enjoy the urban campus environment more, or his advisors may be guiding him to the B1G because A) it's more offensive-oriented compared to the NCHC & not as physically punishing of a conference, &/or B) the perceived greater visibility that B1G hockey brings. A whole multitude of possibilities. Never mind that it's as woeful as the CCHA & AHA when it it comes to titles. But winning a title doesn't sound as important to him as getting up to speed for the next level. Because if he truly wanted to win a title, he would be giving more consideration to an NCHC team to increase his odds of doing so.

Bringing in McKenna would have a domino effect in attracting other high-end players. But if he doesn't land at UND, Chyzyk needs to earn his salt by bringing in a couple of top-tier (or at least solid) CHL/portal centers to give UND a legitimate shot at going deep next year. UND won't be going far if they're weak up the middle. 

 

Celebrini was aware of more options being out there, since he had been in the States for a few years and went to Shattuck. Did Berry and the mess of a recruiting approach even pursue Celebrini that hard? My understanding was his final 2 were Boston University and Wisconsin.

But yes, times have changed and UND isn't what it once was, but it is still held in high regard by most (Western) Canadians.

[NoDak Hockey Nation]

3 hours ago, .357 said:

If McKenna bypasses UND this year like Celebrini did the year before, the idea that this program is the gold standard for Western Canadians may need to be rethought.

As little as a week ago the rumors were that UND & MI were the favorites to land McKenna. Now less than a week later it appears he may be leaning more towards MI. And like I mentioned, if only UND & MI were reported to be the 2 landing spots for him, it leads me to think that money isn't the overriding factor for him in choosing a school; because if it were mostly about money, we'd also be hearing about BC, BU, WI, DU, MSU, ASU, etc, as well, but we're not.

He may connect more with their coach (maybe Naurato's selling their program better), he may enjoy the urban campus environment more, or his advisors may be guiding him to the B1G because A) it's more offensive-oriented compared to the NCHC & not as physically punishing of a conference, &/or B) the perceived greater visibility that B1G hockey brings. A whole multitude of possibilities. Never mind that it's as woeful as the CCHA & AHA when it it comes to titles. But winning a title doesn't sound as important to him as getting up to speed for the next level. Because if he truly wanted to win a title, he would be giving more consideration to an NCHC team to increase his odds of doing so.

Bringing in McKenna would have a domino effect in attracting other high-end players. But if he doesn't land at UND, Chyzyk needs to earn his salt by bringing in a couple of top-tier (or at least solid) CHL/portal centers to give UND a legitimate shot at going deep next year. UND won't be going far if they're weak up the middle. 

 

It’s already time to rethink that. McKenna isn’t coming to UND. Berry dropped this program to a new low in recruiting

[RhettRingers]

52 minutes ago, NoDak Hockey Nation said:

It’s already time to rethink that. McKenna isn’t coming to UND. Berry dropped this program to a new low in recruiting

 

[siouxforce19]

1 hour ago, nascar99 said:

Celebrini was aware of more options being out there, since he had been in the States for a few years and went to Shattuck. Did Berry and the mess of a recruiting approach even pursue Celebrini that hard? My understanding was his final 2 were Boston University and Wisconsin.

But yes, times have changed and UND isn't what it once was, but it is still held in high regard by most (Western) Canadians.

Celebrini just wanted to go to BU. Heard a clip of an podcast interview with him a while ago and he said he visited BU and that was all he needed to see. Had his mind made up and didn’t visit other schools. 

[RhettRingers]

4 hours ago, .357 said:

If McKenna bypasses UND this year like Celebrini did the year before, the idea that this program is the gold standard for Western Canadians may need to be rethought.

As little as a week ago the rumors were that UND & MI were the favorites to land McKenna. Now less than a week later it appears he may be leaning more towards MI. And like I mentioned, if only UND & MI were reported to be the 2 landing spots for him, it leads me to think that money isn't the overriding factor for him in choosing a school; because if it were mostly about money, we'd also be hearing about BC, BU, WI, DU, MSU, ASU, etc, as well, but we're not.

He may connect more with their coach (maybe Naurato's selling their program better), he may enjoy the urban campus environment more, or his advisors may be guiding him to the B1G because A) it's more offensive-oriented compared to the NCHC & not as physically punishing of a conference, &/or B) the perceived greater visibility that B1G hockey brings. A whole multitude of possibilities. Never mind that it's as woeful as the CCHA & AHA when it it comes to titles. But winning a title doesn't sound as important to him as getting up to speed for the next level. Because if he truly wanted to win a title, he would be giving more consideration to an NCHC team to increase his odds of doing so.

Bringing in McKenna would have a domino effect in attracting other high-end players. But if he doesn't land at UND, Chyzyk needs to earn his salt by bringing in a couple of top-tier (or at least solid) CHL/portal centers to give UND a legitimate shot at going deep next year. UND won't be going far if they're weak up the middle. 

 

I think Bryn has a lot more connections than we think.

[nascar99]

2 hours ago, RhettRingers said:

I think Bryn has a lot more connections than we think.

Chyzyk probably saw the CHL-NCAA rules changing even earlier than everyone else, plus he's likely connected with most minor hockey coaches across Western Canada as a result of scouting u16 players for the USHL Draft. Since he's from Manitoba, he has even more connections that would quickly connect him to people in the Dub in order to recruit that league easier.

It's gonna be so odd but interesting seeing teams across the CHL becoming pipelines for NCAA programs. In theory, North Dakota could develop a nice pipeline/relationship with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Regina Pats, Saskatoon Blades, etc. The same could happen for Michigan with the London Knights and/or Kitchener Rangers for example.

[gfhockey]

I think Bryn could out run Chuck Norris if bryn didn’t even run and Chuck had a day head start in the 1600m races

[The Sicatoka]

52 minutes ago, gfhockey said:

I think Bryn could out run Chuck Norris if bryn didn’t even run and Chuck had a day head start in the 1600m races

 

Superman wears Bryn Chyzyk pajamas. 

[.357]

4 hours ago, RhettRingers said:

I think Bryn has a lot more connections than we think.

It certainly sounds like it, but proof is in the pudding. Having connections is one thing, but being a good salesman by closing the deal & consistently landing top recruits is another. He has a ton of knowledge & a huge database, but does he have the charisma to sway a young player who may be on the fence & is receiving offers from many schools? After all, this is uncharted territory for him at this level. 

Patiently waiting for him to land a couple of whoppers. Once he does that, will punch my ticket & get onboard Team Chyzyk. I have faith that he can do it, but will reserve my giddiness for him until his results speak for themselves. 

[RhettRingers]

Just now, .357 said:

It certainly sounds like it, but proof is in the pudding. Having connections is one thing, but being a good salesman by closing the deal & consistently landing  top recruits is another. He has a ton of knowledge & a huge database, but does he have the charisma to sway a young player who may be on the fence & is receiving offers from many schools? After all, this is uncharted territory for him at this level. 

Patiently waiting for him to land a couple of whoppers. Once he does that, will punch my ticket & get onboard Team Chyzyk. I have faith that he can do it, but will reserve my giddiness for him until his results speak for themselves. 

Nothing will come from Major Junior until the season is over. We all just have to be patient. Medicine Hat is currently up 2-0.

[scpa0305]

18 hours ago, brianvf said:

Yes.

It’s going to be a long long long shot…especially considering who’s after him. But, we will land some decent CHL forwards…the current hole at F is way too big. They’ll go out and get 2-3 of them minimum. 

[NoDak Hockey Nation]

57 minutes ago, RhettRingers said:

Nothing will come from Major Junior until the season is over. We all just have to be patient. Medicine Hat is currently up 2-0.

Michigan already has his silent commitment