Prospective Recruits

[MNState0fHockey]

They should be looking at the Minnetonka team period. Lettieri gets all the attention, but there are at least 3 other potential D1 recruits on that team.

Connor Thie (junior)

Max Coatta (junior)

Erik Baskin (senior)

Sam Rothstein (senior)

[siouxforce19]

Connor Thie (junior)

Max Coatta (junior)

Erik Baskin (senior)

Sam Rothstein (senior)

Yes. That would be them. lol

[Siouxhockey78]

Yes. That would be them. lol

sioux recruits

[MNState0fHockey]

Yes. That would be them. lol

For those not familiar with them

Minnetonka just got pounded by Duluth East in the Schwans Cup, but they face them again on Hockey Day Minnesota (outside on Lake Minnetonka). Going to be an outstanding game for anyone interested.

[siouxnami]

Guertler, Cammaratta, and Fasching all committing in a short time frame is as good a recruiting run as I've ever seen the Gophers have. But you're exactly right, what matters is how long they stick around and how much they develop.

props. Good post. +1.

Ahhhhh, now my fingers are burning....

[siouxnami]

I would just suggest 1 thing to the sky is falling crowd. Potentially the best 2 players in their first full year of college hockey in 2012-2013 are Jordan Schmaltz and Rocco Grimaldi...

[NDHockey]

I would just suggest 1 thing to the sky is falling crowd. Potentially the best 2 players in their first full year of college hockey in 2012-2013 are Jordan Schmaltz and Rocco Grimaldi...

But how long can we expect either them to be around? Grimaldi is already going to have one year burned up after his draft and Schmaltz seems like a 1 or 2 year college player. Just as we point out about other teams, we have to look at our own and wonder how long they'll be here. Heck, as we saw with JT Miller, you may even have to ask if they'll even show up!

[UND99]

I'm kind of late to the discussion here, but after UM landed Fasching, there was some talk about UND losing the recruiting battles to the Gophs/not having as stellar of a commitment list as UM. I completely disagree.

2012 Commits: Stef Matteau, Jordan Schmaltz, Miles Koules, Zane Gothberg, Colten St. Clair, Clarke Saunders - The members of this class and their abilities are well-known as it contains several high-end players who will contribute immediately. Gothberg's been up and down this season, but he's shown flashes of outstanding play, and I suppose the same can be said about Saunders. Besides, who knows what the goaltending situation will look like next season with Aaron Dell having a career decision to make this offseason.

2013 Commits: Luke Johnson, Paul LaDue, Drake Caggiula, Luke Voltin, Geoff Crisfield, Jack Rowe, Charlie Pelnik - Again, a very talented class both offensively and defensively. Crisfield looks every bit like the second coming of Andrew MacWilliam, while LaDue could become a star based on the progression of his development over the past two seasons. Pelnik appears to be raw but has the natural tools (size, skating ability, mean streak) to become a force. Voltin and Johnson are known commodities and any program in the country would take them in a heartbeat. Rowe and Caggiula are kind of wild-cards at this point and thus hard to project for an amateur such as myself, Rowe because of his limited action in the USHL this season due to injury and Caggiula simply because there's not much known about him.

2014 Commits: Nick Schmaltz, Keaton Thompson - This is the beginning of an outstanding class. The younger Schmaltz is considered to be among the elite 1996 BY prospects in North America, if not the world. Keaton Thompson is performing very well for the USNTDP Under-17 team and he may very well be on track to become the best hockey player the state of North Dakota has ever produced.

There's obviously a lot of fluidity to the commitment classes (accelerating education to come in early, changing commitments, sticking in juniors an extra year, etc.), but based on what we currently know, UND's recruit pipeline takes a backseat to nobody. And there are several recruits out there on the radar that could bolster the list even more - Clint Lewis, Ian McCoshen, Seth Jones, Alex Schoenborn, etc., etc., etc.

Again, nothing here really that's not already known, but I figured I'd put pen to paper finger to keyboard on my thoughts.

[siouxforce19]

But how long can we expect either them to be around? Grimaldi is already going to have one year burned up after his draft and Schmaltz seems like a 1 or 2 year college player. Just as we point out about other teams, we have to look at our own and wonder how long they'll be here. Heck, as we saw with JT Miller, you may even have to ask if they'll even show up!

There's too much focus on the high end guys with the high draft stock. You always have to take your chances with them and hope not to get burned. The under-the-radar recruits in the end are what are going to separate teams. Lots of teams have the high end prospects, but most of those guys won't be around 4 years. It's important to find guys that will be around four years to mix with the high end prospects, and progress while they are here. That's why we were so good last year. Guys like Frattin, Malone and Trupp. I'm sure no one thought that much of them when they committed, and I'm sure opinions changed a bit later. That's the key. Lots of good players out there that most of us won't know much about.

[fightingsioux4life]

I don't understand why people assume Mitch would be coming here. In fact, I'd prefer he didn't. If he can't get playing time at SCSU, he's not going to get any at UND, or a lot of other schools in our league. He clearly wasn't willing to work harder to get ice time at SCSU, and that just spells bad work ethic, and that's not going to fly here.

I don't think we want another kid like Derrick Byfuglien (Defenseman from Roseau). I remember him quitting the team as a freshman six games into his college career in 2000, whining and crying about lack of playing time. He went Major Junior with the Erie Otters (OHL) and then "enjoyed" a five year run in the ECHL with ten different teams. http://www.hockeydb....y.php?pid=51272. Dean Blais and his coaching staff could have worked with him and helped him develop into a solid NHL player, but he chose to take a hike instead of working on his game and earning playing time.

Let's stick with kids that are going to work hard and improve. That is why we have 7 NCAA titles and 15 WCHA titles.

[MNState0fHockey]

I'm kind of late to the discussion here, but after UM landed Fasching, there was some talk about UND losing the recruiting battles to the Gophs/not having as stellar of a commitment list as UM. I completely disagree.

2012 Commits: Stef Matteau, Jordan Schmaltz, Miles Koules, Zane Gothberg, Colten St. Clair, Clarke Saunders - The members of this class and their abilities are well-known as it contains several high-end players who will contribute immediately. Gothberg's been up and down this season, but he's shown flashes of outstanding play, and I suppose the same can be said about Saunders. Besides, who knows what the goaltending situation will look like next season with Aaron Dell having a career decision to make this offseason.

2013 Commits: Luke Johnson, Paul LaDue, Drake Caggiula, Luke Voltin, Geoff Crisfield, Jack Rowe, Charlie Pelnik - Again, a very talented class both offensively and defensively. Crisfield looks every bit like the second coming of Andrew MacWilliam, while LaDue could become a star based on the progression of his development over the past two seasons. Pelnik appears to be raw but has the natural tools (size, skating ability, mean streak) to become a force. Voltin and Johnson are known commodities and any program in the country would take them in a heartbeat. Rowe and Caggiula are kind of wild-cards at this point and thus hard to project for an amateur such as myself, Rowe because of his limited action in the USHL this season due to injury and Caggiula simply because there's not much known about him.

2014 Commits: Nick Schmaltz, Keaton Thompson - This is the beginning of an outstanding class. The younger Schmaltz is considered to be among the elite 1996 BY prospects in North America, if not the world. Keaton Thompson is performing very well for the USNTDP Under-17 team and he may very well be on track to become the best hockey player the state of North Dakota has ever produced.

There's obviously a lot of fluidity to the commitment classes (accelerating education to come in early, changing commitments, sticking in juniors an extra year, etc.), but based on what we currently know, UND's recruit pipeline takes a backseat to nobody. And there are several recruits out there on the radar that could bolster the list even more - Clint Lewis, Ian McCoshen, Seth Jones, Alex Schoenborn, etc., etc., etc.

Again, nothing here really that's not already known, but I figured I'd put pen to paper finger to keyboard on my thoughts.

Fasching Guertler, and Cammarata are widely considered the top 3 recruits in the 1995 birth year. In fact, Cammarata and Guertler went 1-2 in the USHL Futures Draft, and if Fasching hadn't gone to the USNTDP, he would have very likely gone in the Top 3 as well. I'm sorry, but those three headline a 2013 draft class for the Gophers that is probably only rivaled by Michigan at this point.

[fightingsioux4life]

Fasching Guertler, and Cammarata are widely considered the top 3 recruits in the 1995 birth year. In fact, Cammarata and Guertler went 1-2 in the USHL Futures Draft, and if Fasching hadn't gone to the USNTDP, he would have very likely gone in the Top 3 as well. I'm sorry, but those three headline a 2013 draft class for the Gophers that is probably only rivaled by Michigan at this point.

The whole recruiting process is a crapshoot, just like professional drafts. In a couple of years, we'll know which kids lived up to the hype and which kids fell short. I am not worried about our program at all, we will continue to bring in top talent.

[USA Hockey]

I'm kind of late to the discussion here, but after UM landed Fasching, there was some talk about UND losing the recruiting battles to the Gophs/not having as stellar of a commitment list as UM. I completely disagree.

2012 Commits: Stef Matteau, Jordan Schmaltz, Miles Koules, Zane Gothberg, Colten St. Clair, Clarke Saunders - The members of this class and their abilities are well-known as it contains several high-end players who will contribute immediately. Gothberg's been up and down this season, but he's shown flashes of outstanding play, and I suppose the same can be said about Saunders. Besides, who knows what the goaltending situation will look like next season with Aaron Dell having a career decision to make this offseason.

2013 Commits: Luke Johnson, Paul LaDue, Drake Caggiula, Luke Voltin, Geoff Crisfield, Jack Rowe, Charlie Pelnik - Again, a very talented class both offensively and defensively. Crisfield looks every bit like the second coming of Andrew MacWilliam, while LaDue could become a star based on the progression of his development over the past two seasons. Pelnik appears to be raw but has the natural tools (size, skating ability, mean streak) to become a force. Voltin and Johnson are known commodities and any program in the country would take them in a heartbeat. Rowe and Caggiula are kind of wild-cards at this point and thus hard to project for an amateur such as myself, Rowe because of his limited action in the USHL this season due to injury and Caggiula simply because there's not much known about him.

2014 Commits: Nick Schmaltz, Keaton Thompson - This is the beginning of an outstanding class. The younger Schmaltz is considered to be among the elite 1996 BY prospects in North America, if not the world. Keaton Thompson is performing very well for the USNTDP Under-17 team and he may very well be on track to become the best hockey player the state of North Dakota has ever produced.

There's obviously a lot of fluidity to the commitment classes (accelerating education to come in early, changing commitments, sticking in juniors an extra year, etc.), but based on what we currently know, UND's recruit pipeline takes a backseat to nobody. And there are several recruits out there on the radar that could bolster the list even more - Clint Lewis, Ian McCoshen, Seth Jones, Alex Schoenborn, etc., etc., etc.

Again, nothing here really that's not already known, but I figured I'd put pen to paper finger to keyboard on my thoughts.

Nice post, we have very good recruiting classes for 2012, 2013, and 2014.

[MNState0fHockey]

The whole recruiting process is a crapshoot, just like professional drafts. In a couple of years, we'll know which kids lived up to the hype and which kids fell short. I am not worried about our program at all, we will continue to bring in top talent.

No argument there. All on paper at this point.

[UND99]

No argument there. All on paper at this point.

Very much all on paper. If anyone could accurately project every player's development over the next 3-5 years, he/she would be the most highly sought after scout on the planet.

[MNState0fHockey]

Very much all on paper. If anyone could accurately project every player's development over the next 3-5 years, he/she would be the most highly sought after scout on the planet.

Again, no argument. However, considering the fact that Cammarata is averaging over a point per game and is tied for 9th in the USHL in scoring as a 16 year-old is incredibly impressive. I think he is the closest to being a sure thing of the bunch. He has shown he can score, regardless of the league or level. I think Fasching and Guertler will do well at the college level as well, but they are both off to slower starts in USHL play so it remains to be seen. I think AJ Michaelson was over-hyped and is really struggling to put the puck in the net.

[UND99]

Again, no argument. However, considering the fact that Cammarata is averaging over a point per game and is tied for 9th in the USHL in scoring as a 16 year-old is incredibly impressive. I think he is the closest to being a sure thing of the bunch. He has shown he can score, regardless of the league or level. I think Fasching and Guertler will do well at the college level as well, but they are both off to slower starts in USHL play so it remains to be seen. I think AJ Michaelson was over-hyped and is really struggling to put the puck in the net.

Your analysis of Cammarata, which I agree with, also applies to Luke Johnson. Johnson's a 94 birth year but is the same school year & draft year as Cammarata and is averaging nearly a PPG (22G, 20P) in his first USHL season. I've been to a number of Fargo Force games this year and Guertler's been very in and out, which I think is understandable considering his age. Fasching projects well but has yet to meet the hype others have bombarded him with, but again, he's young, all the tools and intangibles are there, and I'd be surprised if he doesn't become a big-time player. Voltin's been very good and is developing nicely, while Paul LaDue is turning into a very good player who I think is going to be better than anyone expects.

[MNState0fHockey]

Your analysis of Cammarata, which I agree with, also applies to Luke Johnson. Johnson's a 94 birth year but is the same school year & draft year as Cammarata and is averaging nearly a PPG (22G, 20P) in his first USHL season. I've been to a number of Fargo Force games this year and Guertler's been very in and out, which I think is understandable considering his age. Fasching projects well but has yet to meet the hype others have bombarded him with, but again, he's young, all the tools and intangibles are there, and I'd be surprised if he doesn't become a big-time player. Voltin's been very good and is developing nicely, while Paul LaDue is turning into a very good player who I think is going to be better than anyone expects.

Never said it didn't apply to Johnson. I think he has loads of talent, and is playing really well. Will be a great college player. I agree with you on Fasching and Voltin too. Guertler's play this year worries me a little, but as you said, he is young. Haven't seen LaDue play too much, so can't comment on him.

[siouxforce19]

Never said it didn't apply to Johnson. I think he has loads of talent, and is playing really well. Will be a great college player. I agree with you on Fasching and Voltin too. Guertler's play this year worries me a little, but as you said, he is young. Haven't seen LaDue play too much, so can't comment on him.

Guertler seems like kind of a douchey player when I've seen him. I don't know if that's what the Gophers are hoping for from him, but when I saw him he seemed to prefer picking fights with guys than anything. Obviously, he's talented, but to be successful in the USHL I think he needs to pick his battles and focus more on winning games than coming across the way he has been. LaDue impresses me because of how much progress he's made in just a few years. Keep getting better like he has, and you can't help but feel pretty good about his potential.

[ticklethetwine]

Fasching Guertler, and Cammarata are widely considered the top 3 recruits in the 1995 birth year. In fact, Cammarata and Guertler went 1-2 in the USHL Futures Draft, and if Fasching hadn't gone to the USNTDP, he would have very likely gone in the Top 3 as well. I'm sorry, but those three headline a 2013 draft class for the Gophers that is probably only rivaled by Michigan at this point.

Hudson should be a good player.

[Siouxhockey78]

Totally agree Gophers recruiting class is top notch but they have done it many times and the kids just don't pan out or leave early. UND has gone through it 2. The young men could be setting the world on fire with their play before attending school but doesn't mean it will can continue with College. College is a whole new ball game. We all will just have to wait and see what happens

[Goon]

Totally agree Gophers recruiting class is top notch but they have done it many times and the kids just don't pan out or leave early. UND has gone through it 2. The young men could be setting the world on fire with their play before attending school but doesn't mean it will can continue with College. College is a whole new ball game. We all will just have to wait and see what happens

I agree with that statement, how many times have we heard that Michigan, Minnesota or ________ insert team have had the best recruiting class “on paper” and how many of those players have ended up being on a the team that was an national champion?

Hockey on all levels is played on the ice not on paper. One of the best examples is the Boston Bruins that won last years Stanley Cup. They don’t have a number one line they have four lines of players that are all talented and chip in with goals, but their really isn’t very many stars on their team outside of Chara and Thomas. Instead of having one top line with a couple of decent lines they have three lines that probably are made up of second line players.

I mean honestly, you need blue chip athletes but you also need role players like last years Fighting Sioux hockey team. The teams that win it all are teams that had a good mix of role players and finishers but also players that have been in college for four seasons and have grown up together. You can’t load up a roster of all these players that were their former teams first line players. You have to have a mix of players that buy into a system and believe in their coaches and the systems these coaches employ… People always talk about how Donn Lucia has won two NCAA titles, but how many has his team won since Hakstol took over the Sioux? If you look at both coaches achievements during that time period UND has accomplished more during those 8 seasons.

Lastly, you can’t have an entire line up of offensive players that only play offense, you need to have players that kill penalties and do the character things. Someone has to be on the fourth line. Someone needs to be that guy that serves the penalty and takes one for the team by blocking shots and sacrifices the body to do what-ever-it-takes to win.

[Irish]

I agree with that statement, how many times have we heard that Michigan, Minnesota or ________ insert team have had the best recruiting class “on paper” and how many of those players have ended up being on a the team that was an national champion?

Hockey on all levels is played on the ice not on paper. One of the best examples is the Boston Bruins that won last years Stanley Cup. They don’t have a number one line they have four lines of players that are all talented and chip in with goals, but their really isn’t very many stars on their team outside of Chara and Thomas. Instead of having one top line with a couple of decent lines they have three lines that probably are made up of second line players.

I mean honestly, you need blue chip athletes but you also need role players like last years Fighting Sioux hockey team. The teams that win it all are teams that had a good mix of role players and finishers but also players that have been in college for four seasons and have grown up together. You can’t load up a roster of all these players that were their former teams first line players. You have to have a mix of players that buy into a system and believe in their coaches and the systems these coaches employ… People always talk about how Donn Lucia has won two NCAA titles, but how many has his team won since Hakstol took over the Sioux? If you look at both coaches achievements during that time period UND has accomplished more during those 8 seasons.

Lastly, you can’t have an entire line up of offensive players that only play offense, you need to have players that kill penalties and do the character things. Someone has to be on the fourth line. Someone needs to be that guy that serves the penalty and takes one for the team by blocking shots and sacrifices the body to do what-ever-it-takes to win.

I generally agree with your assessment about the nature and importance of role players and how you need a complete team. However, I think a couple of other things factor in this year. It is fairly clear to me after watching the game last night that this may be one of our off years. Add that to our title drought and you get more of an immediacy that usual. We need to reload fast if we are going to win #8. Seeing the Gophers reel in blue chippers (Good God, who would want to go to that program instead of ours) brings out our emotions. We can't continue to replace JT Millers with Dickin and Gaardners and be a top program. This team needs an immediate influx of talent of the nature that the Gophers are getting. We need to get some studs in and fast if we want to be contenders. I have faith that Hak can do it, but he needs to get busy.

[ticklethetwine]

Not really new news but today during the weekly chat from 3-4 pm. Brad was asked if he had any info on where Mitch McMillan is planning on going since he left St. Cloud before the Christmas break. Brad said he will try contact him in the next couple days but wouldn't be surprised if he comes to UND. Sounds like we may get another McMillian during the midway point next season. Brothers McMillian might be a good line combo.

[siouxforce19]

Not really new news but today during the weekly chat from 3-4 pm. Brad was asked if he had any info on where Mitch McMillan is planning on going since he left St. Cloud before the Christmas break. Brad said he will try contact him in the next couple days but wouldn't be surprised if he comes to UND. Sounds like we may get another McMillian during the midway point next season. Brothers McMillian might be a good line combo.

I think I'm the only one not all that enthused about this.