T.J. Oshie & Drew Stafford Named To Inside College Hockey Teams

[buckysieve]

This logic is 100% accurate. It applies to all 1st round picks in my opinion, not just Johnson.

This logic isn't bad but Vanek, Heately, Parise, and Jack Johnson were all high first round picks and all played two years of college(unless JJ changes his mind). It's very rare for an 18 year old, especially a d-man to step right into the NHL. In fact, has any player from the U.S. development program ever gone straight to the NHL? My guess would be no but maybe I'm forgetting someone.

I also don't think you can underestimate the fact that his dream is to play for the Gophers. His parents are long time season ticket holders. His former teammates and friends from the U.S. program are on the gophers. And like I said, Lucia probably knows more than we do and he is super confident he's coming. In Don I trust.

[buckysieve]

Of course it does. But then again, sagard, it isn't your brother that speaks weekly with Don Lucia. And Don Lucia has made the "guarantee".

I know it sounds a little juvenile to say my brother talks to Lucia like I'm bragging or something, but the fact is that's the truth. Some people who post on message boards actually do have inside info that others don't get. It's the reason I knew Kessel was coming to the gophers well before most people. I'm just simply saying what Lucia thinks of the Johnson situation and everything I've said is an accurate account of what he thinks.

[MafiaMan]

I also don't think you can underestimate the fact that his dream is to play for the Gophers. His parents are long time season ticket holders. His former teammates and friends from the U.S. program are on the gophers. And like I said, Lucia probably knows more than we do and he is super confident he's coming. In Don I trust.

Blah blah blah...next season...blah blah blah. In Don you trust while I thank Holy Cross every day that the Gophers are busy plotting 2007 and not Milwaukee.

[THETRIOUXPER]

This logic isn't bad but Vanek, Heately, Parise, and Jack Johnson were all high first round picks and all played two years of college(unless JJ changes his mind). It's very rare for an 18 year old, especially a d-man to step right into the NHL. In fact, has any player from the U.S. development program ever gone straight to the NHL? My guess would be no but maybe I'm forgetting someone.

I also don't think you can underestimate the fact that his dream is to play for the Gophers. His parents are long time season ticket holders. His former teammates and friends from the U.S. program are on the gophers. And like I said, Lucia probably knows more than we do and he is super confident he's coming. In Don I trust.

The fact of the matter here is very simple. It really doesn't matter what his dreams are, what I think, what lucia thinks, what bucky and slappy think. The reality is the NHL team who owns his rights will determine where he will be next year. It sounds more like bucky's fantasy here than it does EJ's dream.

[Sioux_Hab-it]

This logic isn't bad but Vanek, Heately, Parise, and Jack Johnson were all high first round picks and all played two years of college(unless JJ changes his mind). It's very rare for an 18 year old, especially a d-man to step right into the NHL. In fact, has any player from the U.S. development program ever gone straight to the NHL? My guess would be no but maybe I'm forgetting someone.

I seem to recall that about 25 years ago that the Gophers were certain that a young 18 year old D-man was going to wear the brown and yellow but if memory serves me correct Phil Housley jumped straight to the Buffalo Sabres. There have been others and there will continue to be others. When you are talking someones playing career and abilities "A handshake is as good as a wink or a nod to a blind man".

[sagard]

I know it sounds a little juvenile to say my brother talks to Lucia like I'm bragging or something, but the fact is that's the truth. Some people who post on message boards actually do have inside info that others don't get. It's the reason I knew Kessel was coming to the gophers well before most people. I'm just simply saying what Lucia thinks of the Johnson situation and everything I've said is an accurate account of what he thinks.

The issue is no matter how badly Johnson wants to go to the "U" if his future employers offer him maximum money this summer he will have to strongly consider it. It happened with Ryan Suter, Jack Johnson and will happen with EJ. We know what his current intentions are, but playing in the NHL at 18 will be alluring and it's pointless to deny it. I suspect like Suter and JJ, he will choose to play a season at the college level but it's no sure thing despite what EJ and Lucia currently think.

[MafiaMan]

The issue is no matter how badly Johnson wants to go to the "U" if his future employers offer him maximum money this summer he will have to strongly consider it. It happened with Ryan Suter, Jack Johnson and will happen with EJ. We know what his current intentions are, but playing in the NHL at 18 will be alluring and it's pointless to deny it. I suspect like Suter and JJ, he will choose to play a season at the college level but it's no sure thing despite what EJ and Lucia currently think.

sagard, you continue to be the lone voice of reason in a Gopher world gone mad.

[PCM]

I know it sounds a little juvenile to say my brother talks to Lucia like I'm bragging or something, but the fact is that's the truth.

True facts? What a concept!

So who is your brother? Is he someone that Lucia tells his deepest, darkest secrets to, a confidant, a best friend or a trusted advisor? Or does he chat with The Don while pouring his mocha decaf latte at Caribou Coffee?

Unless your brother is someone close to Lucia or an organization insider, my guess is that he's getting the standard answers to the questions that head coaches get asked a hundred times a week. Those anwers are generally intended to spin the situation in the best possible light for the public's benefit.

I'm not saying that you're wrong about Johnson, but I am saying that with no context for your brother's association with or relationship to Lucia, your information can easily be placed in the "grain of salt" category.

[sagard]

sagard, you continue to be the lone voice of reason in a Gopher world gone mad.

We have our issues to deal with now, in nine days you all will get to start dealing with your own issues. If the Sioux win the NCAAs there will enough crazy talk about repeats and threepeats to make the Gopher fan base look modest.

[PCM]

We have our issues to deal with now, in nine days you all will get to start dealing with your own issues. If the Sioux win the NCAAs there will enough crazy talk about repeats and threepeats to make the Gopher fan base look modest.

Those are some true facts.

[MafiaMan]

...I am saying that with no context for your brother's association with or relationship to Lucia...

Not that there's anything wrong with that!

[MafiaMan]

If the Sioux win the NCAAs there will enough crazy talk about repeats and threepeats to make the Gopher fan base look modest.

Editor's note: Bold emphasis on "modest" is my own.

Cmon, let's be serious! Modest Gopher fans? I saw a friend of mine yesterday and discussed the game. Here are a few of the better 'excuses' given as to the HC loss (and I'm being totally serious):

1. It wasn't fair that the #1 team in the country had to go play on the road in Grand Forks. The regional should have been at Mariucci.

2. Holy Cross was clearly better than a 15 seed and the Gophers should have played Bemidji State instead.

3. The ice was kept super-sloppy so as to slow down the speed skaters donning the 'M' jerseys.

The best part is #1. I also heard that reason given on Saturday morning by three Gopher fans checking out of their rooms in Grand Forks. Do some people have a clue as to how far in advance these regional sites are picked? Apparently not.

[Walsh Hall]

This is going to be one of the most stressful off-seasons in regard to the flight watch for both Sioux and Gopher fans. The weeks after the draft are going to be interesting.

The one thing with the Sioux that I think is a positive in terms of players returning is their age. Stafford is still younger players on the team and Oshie, Toews, and Lee are young. I'm guessing that Stafford will be gone, but it's not like he's 23.

[sprig]

3. The ice was kept super-sloppy so as to slow down the speed skaters donning the 'M' jerseys.

Classic. Since HC looked much faster, guess they were given super secret info on which lanes had ice and which had water.

[MafiaMan]

Classic. Since HC looked much faster, guess they were given super secret info on which lanes had ice and which had water.

In further conspiracy theory interest, the Sioux zamboni driver was the mysterious 2nd shooter in the JFK assassination.

[sagard]

Cmon, let's be serious! Modest Gopher fans? ....... a clue as to how far in advance these regional sites are picked? Apparently not.

It's easy to pick on the delusional. There are fans in Green who are just as bad. In '02 and '03 the Gophers were frequently criticized in these parts for having lousy regular seasons and coasting through the playoffs via the home ice advantage with referees in their pockets.

[Upper Deck]

To me, college hockey is vastly turning into a college basketball scenerio - and then some. The top recruits go to the top schools, maybe play two years and are gone. The creme de la creme are starting to skip college and go straight to the pros (ie LaBron, KG). I think the mid-level schools will routinely be pulling "George Mason's" because most of their players stay 3-4 years and they get experience and leadership working together, while the top schools will be getting knocked off more and more. Just my $0.02 .. .

[MafiaMan]

It's easy to pick on the delusional. There are fans in Green who are just as bad. In '02 and '03 the Gophers were frequently criticized in these parts for having lousy regular seasons and coasting through the playoffs via the home ice advantage with referees in their pockets.

I don't know if they coasted, but it's obvious the home regional in 2003 as well as a key UNH injury in the Frozen Four helped propel the Gophers to the title that year. Don't get me started about referees when referring to 2002, though, lest we re-hash the no-calls on Hauser in OT followed immediately by a Maine penalty that promptly led to the game-winner.

EDIT: Those comments I just made are not intended to start a flame-fest. The Gophers were playing very well in 2003 and I don't think another team was even close to playing that good down the stretch. I still, however, wish the 2002 game had come down to an even-strength goal.

[Diggler]

It's easy to pick on the delusional. There are fans in Green who are just as bad. In '02 and '03 the Gophers were frequently criticized in these parts for having lousy regular seasons and coasting through the playoffs via the home ice advantage with referees in their pockets.

Of course this year's Sioux team is coasting through the playoff due to home ice and Gopher incompetence, not referees.

[sagard]

I don't know if they coasted, but it's obvious the home regional in 2003 as well as a key UNH injury in the Frozen Four helped propel the Gophers to the title that year. Don't get me started about referees when referring to 2002, though, lest we re-hash the no-calls on Hauser in OT followed immediately by a Maine penalty that promptly led to the game-winner.

EDIT: Those comments I just made are not intended to start a flame-fest. The Gophers were playing very well in 2003 and I don't think another team was even close to playing that good down the stretch. I still, however, wish the 2002 game had come down to an even-strength goal.

In '02 not facing either MSU or Michigan in the regionals was key. As for the Maine game, I'll never shed a tear for those guys. The '01 vs. Maine out east had one of the worst calls I've ever seen to allow Maine to tie the game. The stakes weren't as high, but they took P. Martin off the ice in the final minute for hooking on a play where he wasn't even engaged with the player who fell. Maine ties it up, Hauser coughs it up in OT and Gophers haters everywhere rejoice and riducule us relentlessly until 04-06-2002. There was one cheesehead who constantly talked about teasing 20,000 crestfallen Gophers fans because Hauser was going to blow it again.

In '03 UNH simply beating Cornell in the semifinals was HUGE. Having CC sent to Michigan was huge as well. The Gophers did earn that privilege though by beating them at the X. UND ducking out to Ferris in the first round game was lucky as well. The Gophers goaltending was a trainwreck that weekend of the regional and UND might have been able to get enough pressure to beat them. Two weeks later and Weber was fantastic vs. Michigan.

Typically you need a great team and lots of luck/breaks to win the NCAAs. That is what makes them so tough to capture.

[choyt3]

In '02 not facing either MSU or Michigan in the regionals was key. As for the Maine game, I'll never shed a tear for those guys. The '01 vs. Maine out east had one of the worst calls I've ever seen to allow Maine to tie the game. The stakes weren't as high, but they took P. Martin off the ice in the final minute for hooking on a play where he wasn't even engaged with the player who fell. Maine ties it up, Hauser coughs it up in OT and Gophers haters everywhere rejoice and riducule us relentlessly until 04-06-2002. There was one cheesehead who constantly talked about teasing 20,000 crestfallen Gophers fans because Hauser was going to blow it again.

In '03 UNH simply beating Cornell in the semifinals was HUGE. Having CC sent to Michigan was huge as well. The Gophers did earn that privilege though by beating them at the X. UND ducking out to Ferris in the first round game was lucky as well. The Gophers goaltending was a trainwreck that weekend of the regional and UND might have been able to get enough pressure to beat them. Two weeks later and Weber was fantastic vs. Michigan.

Typically you need a great team and lots of luck/breaks to win the NCAAs. That is what makes them so tough to capture.

Do your fellow Gopher fans allow negative commenting on officiating? Or will you get a pass on this because the comment is being made on this board?

[sagard]

Do your fellow Gopher fans allow negative commenting on officiating? Or will you get a pass on this because the comment is being made on this board?

What other boards are there right now? The locking of that thread just prevented mafiaman from getting tons of free material.

[ATLSiouxPhan]

Anyone up for turning this into a Oshie vs. Kessel thread or a Sioux vs. MN thread? I know I sure am.....

Well whadya know........This turned into a Sioux vs MN thread..........great job, thank you for the 2nd grade-level arguments..........I see London, I see France......

[jk]

I can't get too worked up about EJ because he's in the same boat as Toews. Top five pick, could get offered a ton, could go. Might opt to play 2006-07 in college to get physically stronger. I'm guessing we see both in college next year, but it could be only EJ just as easily as only Toews.

I'm also not jumping up and down about Potulny and maybe Irmen leaving, because the list of UND players who could leave if their future employer deems it desirable is probably as long as it has ever been.

[MafiaMan]

In '02 not facing either MSU or Michigan in the regionals was key.

In '03 UNH simply beating Cornell in the semifinals was HUGE. Having CC sent to Michigan was huge as well. The Gophers did earn that privilege though by beating them at the X.

Help me out here, sagard. Minnesota "earns" the privilege of shipping CC to the Michigan regional in 2003 by virtue of beating them at the X, but in 2002, Denver, which won the MacNaughton Cup AND the WCHA Final Five "earns" the right to play Michigan in their own building, while Minnesota had the easier task of playing the Michigan State/CC winner.

By virtue of your argument in 2003, do you not think that the brackets in 2002 should have been switched around and Minnesota should have wound up with the St Cloud/Michigan winner and Denver should have been dealt the Spartan/CC winner?