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mprpich

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A heckofa first post, Mr Prpich. I make fairly frequent road trips around the WCHA rinks and my 4 year old still talks about sitting right behind the Sioux bench in November 2004 in Houghton. The unbelievable Frozen Four run last year and watching the Sioux win the WCHA Final Five this year rank right up there on my list of Sioux hockey memories. It was a pleasure watching you play in the green, white, and black. Best of luck to you.

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That, ladies and gentlemen, is one kick a$$ first post!!! I'm sure us common fans will talk about this one for years to come. As already stated, you're a class act Mike. You've shown it on and off the ice for 4 years, and you make us proud to be Fighting Sioux fans. I hope you always consider Grand Forks your home away from home. Don't be a stranger, as you'll always be welcome in the Forks.

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Mike,

I would like to say thank you. Thank you for the tough-as-nails style of play, and for throwin' down when it needed to be done. For leading on the ice by always going full throttle, and for being fearless on the penalty kill. I also want to thank you for the time you spent with the kids after the games by the tunnel.

You always had time to come out and sign, or hand over a broken stick. Good luck to you in all that you do in the future.

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Mike, I've been thinking about the right compliment and what I can say is that the way you play the game is timeless. You would have fit right in on the teams I saw in the 1970's with guys like Craig Ludwig, Marc Chorney, Cary Eades, and Doug Smail every bit as well as you did on the 21st century Sioux. Hard work, get-hit-and-get-right-back-up, get the other guy to lose focus, get the other coach kicked out :lol: are all qualities that people inside the game and those of us on the outside enjoy thoroughly. And thanks for giving us fans a look inside your character.

Wherever the road leads you, I wish you well. Come back and see us sometime, or drop us a line and let us know how its going.

Aloha.

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Thank you Mike P.

However, I say your job isn't done yet. Since you are the master of getting into people's heads, you need to enter a few of your teammate's heads and convince them the Senior season is the best. :glare:

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Mike,

I went to my first hockey game when I was 6 weeks old, that would be 3 maybe 4 years ago - oh all right change the years to decades. :glare: I've seen a lot of players come and go and most of them are "a part of the family" for the years they are here. We love them and appreciate them and then they are gone and we miss them, hope that they achieve all that they want in life, but there is no hole in our hearts when they leave, just good wishes.

There are however a few who climb into our hearts and hang on like a North Dakota tick that just won't let go. Farce Poobah reminded me of some of the guys who climbed into my heart along the way and even after 20-30 years it feels like yesterday. Guys like Eades, Phil Sykes, Mark Taylor, Chorney, Archibald, Ludwig, Vulcan, Smail, Hoogsteens, Panzers, Belfour, Hrkes, Goehring, Commodore, Greene, Jason Blake, Zack, Hales, and now you, who stay in my heart forever. :D These (and others that are currently blank due to hockey withdrawl) are the players that I constantly tell stories about, make sure my nephews know who they are and how they (and you) created this incredible Sioux Tradition that we are all so lucky to be a part of.

I was thinking of some of the times that you would take a penalty and I would get frustrated and then I chuckle because I would be yelling at you, however if anyone around me would have said one negative word about you I would have had their head - you're family, I can say anything I want about you, but look out if anyone else dis'es you. ;)

I've sat on the end of the opposing bench for the last four years and have had the pleasure of seeing that "smile" up close and personal every game. What a pleasure. Thank you for allowing us to be your family for the last 4 years and please come back soon and often - personally I think UND needs to hire an instigator coach and you my friend would fit the position perfectly. ;)

Thank you for your openness and sincerity and your total commitment to whatever task you were asigned - you've done it all with tenacity and determination.

YOU ARE ONE CLASS ACT AND ONE HECK OF A ROLE MODEL!!!!!!!!!

I hope you get everything you want in life - you deserve it. :D

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I forgot - congratulations on being one of the few (if not the only) players to get a coach ejected. There's something else that you were able to do that few could - get an emotional response from coach Hakstol - that's an accomplishment, make sure you put those two feats on your resume - they truly are unique skills. :glare:

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Thanks for the 4 years Mike. I never missed a game at home and caught a number on the road and have to say that unlike some other players, you were never invisible on the ice...you always made an impact. Thanks again for your effort and dedication.

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Thanks for your dedication to the Fighting Sioux program. I dont think people have any idea how much pain you played threw at the end of last season(2005). A normal person couldn't have done it. It shows how much character and heart you have. By that alone I can tell that you will be successful in life with whatever you do. Best of luck. I thank you for all the great memories.

I think that the next picture put into the Ralph should be the Picture of you saluting the fans. A huge picture like the Belfour picture.

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Anything that I've got to say here about Prpich has already been said before, time and time again. I still want to thank you Prp for the most great 4 years you gave us here at UND. I've loved every minute of watching you're antics, getting into fights and instigating opposing players. It was a highlight to see you salute Geoff Paukovitch rightfully so, and thus getting Gwoz ejected from that game. What a great career you had, and I'm so honored to have watched you play.

I hope that you make it back to Grand Forks and REA for visits after college, and good luck with all that you're future holds for you. Oh yeah, congratulations on making the Iowa Stars of the AHL. I look forward to hearing many stories of a successful career in the AHL, and who knows maybe one day you'll be instigating in the NHL.

I too definitely hope to see a huge picture of you saluting the fans after the Holy Cross game, that was a sweet a&* finale memory of the Prpich legend!

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Wow,

I saw this one pinned at the top of the page, and I thought "this looks interesting." I never thought I'd see a post, let alone a first post, from a player that was written so well. :glare: Everything has pretty much been said that could be said about you Mike, and I'll agree with it all. I'll never forget watching you work Peluso over like a 2-bit hooker, and when you drank from Maninno's water bottle, I stood up and cheered. The sad part of that was, it was about 4 am in Iraq, and I was watching the game by myself! :silly: You gave everything you had when you took to the ice, and thank you for everything you brought to UND hockey. Good luck in the future, and I hope to see you in the "Show" some day!

Here's to the newest legend of Fighting Sioux Hockey.... MR. PRPICH!

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Mike, thank you for this post! It means a lot to us fans to read this and to know you took the time to write it from the heart! Thanks for a lot of great hockey memories and stories to tell new Sioux fans about in the years to come!!

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Thanks for your dedication to the Fighting Sioux program. I dont think people have any idea how much pain you played threw at the end of last season(2005). A normal person couldn't have done it. It shows how much character and heart you have. By that alone I can tell that you will be successful in life with whatever you do. Best of luck. I thank you for all the great memories.

I think that the next picture put into the Ralph should be the Picture of you saluting the fans. A huge picture like the Belfour picture.

1. Great idea about the picture in the Ralph.

2. I've heard from several sources about how much pain Prpich was playing through at the end of last season. I know Greene had hamburger for an elbow or something like that. What was Prpich playing through again?

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Mike, you easily became a fan favorite with the grit and determination you brought to each and every game. You played tough every night and always with a smile on your face...you put a whole new meaning to the phrase, "Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin." As others have said, when a player enjoys himself on the ice as much as you obviously do, the excitement becomes infectious and helps to stir up the crowd. Thanks for all the great memories and good luck with wherever your future takes you.

There are many here that would be more than happy to buy you a drink, or all of them.

You'll always have a cold one waiting for you in Denver! :)cheers.gif

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