Okposo leaves the Gophers

[AZSIOUX]

I don't think anyone criticized The Great One when he said he was going to let Wheeler develop at MN because he thought it was a good place to leave him instead of signing him to a pro contract. I think a lot of gopher fans beat their chest about that one.

You can't have it both ways.

I, too, think this is going to unite the gophers team in a way nothing else could have. I think they will have a strong 2nd half, unfortunately.

i wouldnt be beaten my chest that hard because if wheeler was ready no matter how many years 1,2 or 3 it took, gretzky would have plucked him into phx already with their youth movement

the great one knows hockey talent and knows wheeler wasnt ready for any pro level as of yet therefore giving wheeler no other options. hes looked at a project here in phx still, doesnt mean he isnt gona be a good pro here for the yotes but its pretty easy to see that the former scout with the coyotes that selected wheeler may have taken him a bit early. hell its not wheelers fault, happens a lot in drafts.

[Shawn-O]

i wouldnt be beaten my chest that hard because if wheeler was ready no matter how many years 1,2 or 3 it took, gretzky would have plucked him into phx already with their youth movement

the great one knows hockey talent and knows wheeler wasnt ready for any pro level as of yet therefore giving wheeler no other options. hes looked at a project here in phx still, doesnt mean he isnt gona be a good pro here for the yotes but its pretty easy to see that the former scout with the coyotes that selected wheeler may have taken him a bit early. hell its not wheelers fault, happens a lot in drafts.

That says it right there. What a reach...but it happens.

[dagies]

i think the whole lets show we have a great coach and screw kyle mentality will only go so far with what they have in the lineup. maybe right away it may work but after that they have a their tough part of the schedule in the 2nd half of the season. carman coming back will be good but losing kyle will hurt, hell they only have barriball left from that really solid first line they sported in game 1 of stoa,okposo, barriball. i think they will be playing on the road in the wcha playoffs. that doesnt mean they cant make the final 5 but the road just got tougher without a hell of a player.

man can christmas just happen so we can see the sioux whoop up on the east coasters!!

You may be right. I think they've got a great goalie in Kangas, and that can help out immensely. I guess we'll see how it plays out.

[AZSIOUX]

You may be right. I think they've got a great goalie in Kangas, and that can help out immensely. I guess we'll see how it plays out.

yeah i would roll with kangas for sure to see what happens. the D is very young of course but you need to play whoever gives you the best chance to win. in that case i hope they play the long island frazee

cant wait for some sioux hockey!!!

[dagies]

You know, considering how worked up many of the moron and gold get when Sioux fans wear their Holy Cross jerseys, maybe we should all get Maine or Islanders jerseys with "Snow" on the back.

[7NationalTitles]

One item that I don't know has been brought up, but is Snow's comments about Lucia and the Gophers are not the only time those comments have been made in recent memory of the Gophers. Similar comments have been made by other NHL teams, other players who left, or others close to the players. Take for example, when Chucko left, Calgary wanted him out at midseason but Chucko stayed even though Calgary didn't like what was happening to him. Granted, he hasn't developed much since then either but the comment was still made about the Gopher program. Eric Johnson last year had made some statements about his utilization and Kessel (and his parents) also intimated at such things. So Snow's comments are not just completely out of left field. It was also rumored that Pittsburgh wanted to Goligoski to develop in their AHL team also.

Do you think that if the Blues didn't think Oshie was developing correctly or that UND wasn't a good program to develope NHL talent, that they would leave him in school and not put any pressure on him to sign since he would be playing on the big club if he were there.

The point is, Snow's comment isn't just an isolated, one-time comment directed at the Gopher program (and indirectly at Lucia) in recent history. Somewhat of a pattern seems to be developing. But we haven't heard those same comments about UND's program. If I remember right, wasn't it Toews who said after he was drafted that if you want to develope towards playing in the NHL someday, you go to UND.

[AZSIOUX]

My summary on this situation

-kyle realizes he never wanted to be in minny after not playing good so he makes the call or isles know it and call KO and he bails

-he signs, lucia says in print that he was dissapointed that isles put KO on this position to sign to help kyle out

-garth doesnt like the comment lucia made and kyle dishes dirt on lucia saying he didnt play me in right situation,blah,blah, blah

-garth runs with those things that kyle says but acts like it was his words trying to take the heat off kyle overall for quitting

-people call it bullshi% what garth says about lucia coaching because it that was the case the isles would have signed KO when he wanted to go this last summer but if he did that it was either WHL or go back to college and no pro contract so KO stays in minny for the meantime. this reaks of KO pulling many strings here as all of a sudden a college guy himself in garth critisizes lucias coaching abilities.

-KO wanted no part of college this year and the isles said fine. come on in, we cant get any worse really

-KO burns many in this situation, not a good way to do things

[sagard]

So has Lucia just now lost his ability to develop players and teams or has it been a longer term problem?

Don't worry about the Gophers, they will be OK. Assuming Carmen comes back I'm guessing he will be able to contribute about the same amount of scoring that Okposo was contributing. However the team needs to improve if they want to make the tourney. Fischer, Hoeffel, White, Wheeler, Bariball, and Fairchild need to step up the second half.

[AZSIOUX]

So has Lucia just now lost his ability to develop players and teams or has it been a longer term problem?

Don't worry about the Gophers, they will be OK. Assuming Carmen comes back I'm guessing he will be able to contribute about the same amount of scoring that Okposo was contributing. However the team needs to improve if they want to make the tourney. Fischer, Hoeffel, White, Wheeler, Bariball, and Fairchild need to step up the second half.

oh, for sure not worried about them and never will be just a very hot topic that should raise eyerows all over the college hockey world. im guessing the nhl and college will come to a agreement that will stop this in the future. a kid can get up and leave for the juniors if he wants but not the nhl. it will just prevent bad situations like this from happening. KO wanted out. we all know it. its pretty clear.

[sagard]

oh, for sure not worried about them and never will be just a very hot topic that should raise eyerows all over the college hockey world. im guessing the nhl and college will come to a agreement that will stop this in the future. a kid can get up and leave for the juniors if he wants but not the nhl. it will just prevent bad situations like this from happening. KO wanted out. we all know it. its pretty clear.

Guys leaving for MJ mid-season is nothing new, but this should raise eyebrows because of the Gophers and Okposo's high draft status. Quick list I posted in the GPL thread:

Jason Bailey - Mich

Ryan Bellows - Dartmouth

Matt Smith - Clarkson

Kevin Montgomery - OSU

Nigel Williams - UW

Matt Auffrey - UW

AJ Thelen - MSU

TJ Fast - Denver

These guys were just the last couple of seasons. Hopefully Okposo is leaving for something a little better than a WHL team.

[Sodbuster]

On the behalf of many Sioux fans, I at least want to thank Mr. Okposo for giving us something to talk about in what has been a rather boring 2 weeks since the Saturday Sioux/Gopher game,

[sioux rube]

On the behalf of many Sioux fans, I at least want to thank Mr. Okposo for giving us something to talk about in what has been a rather boring 2 weeks since the Saturday Sioux/Gopher game,

It has been a bit dull in the land of college hockey lately.

[AZSIOUX]

Guys leaving for MJ mid-season is nothing new, but this should raise eyebrows because of the Gophers and Okposo's high draft status. Quick list I posted in the GPL thread:

Jason Bailey - Mich

Ryan Bellows - Dartmouth

Matt Smith - Clarkson

Kevin Montgomery - OSU

Nigel Williams - UW

Matt Auffrey - UW

AJ Thelen - MSU

TJ Fast - Denver

These guys were just the last couple of seasons. Hopefully Okposo is leaving for something a little better than a WHL team.

yeah that was my point considering his draft status

[Sioux Traveler]

Guys leaving for MJ mid-season is nothing new, but this should raise eyebrows because of the Gophers and Okposo's high draft status. Quick list I posted in the GPL thread:

Jason Bailey - Mich

Ryan Bellows - Dartmouth

Matt Smith - Clarkson

Kevin Montgomery - OSU

Nigel Williams - UW

Matt Auffrey - UW

AJ Thelen - MSU

TJ Fast - Denver

These guys were just the last couple of seasons. Hopefully Okposo is leaving for something a little better than a WHL team.

Did AJ Thelen leave or was he cut?

[Goon]

Did AJ Thelen leave or was he cut?

Thelen was cut.

[7>4]

Snow went from NHL goalie to GM overnight. Eventually if he stays on long enough (no sure thing with the Isles even if they win) he'll realize it's not always the best thing to say whats on your mind.

I agree. Snow's comments were completely bush league and showed a total lack of class. While I am no big fan of Lucia, no one can doubt that the guy is a solid coach. He has won both WCHA and National Championships. Give me a coach who wins NC's over a coach who develops pro talent any day.

I'm sorry, but IMO a player leaving his teammates in the middle of a season and pointing to the coach as a reason show a real lack of character. Minnesota gave KO the opportunity to play college hockey at the highest level. The kid should be greatful for his opportunity. His decision to move on could have been handled a lot better.

[Sioux_Hab-it]

Edmonton just signed the University of Alberta's goaltender in mid-season:

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=225680&hubname=

The big difference is that he will dress as Garon's backup and will be back in school for the start of next semester.

This is an issue for the NCAA because Canadian Universities are starting to offer more competitive scholarships. University of Alberta is doing it in hockey and Carelton University is doing it in basketball. Think of how attractive this would make Canadian Universitites to potential DI hockey recruits, if you can jump up and play with the Pro team that owns your rights for a couple of games and return to your school team to continue your education and hockey development. This scenario could even drain some of the talent out of the AHL or ECHL.

[AZSIOUX]

75% of the time hockeybuzz.com is wrong but they had a little mention that okposo will report to bridgeport (ahl) after WJT. im assuming he wll get time in the nhl after bailing but i guess we will find out.

hockey buzz

Rink Rats!

Islanders prospect Kyle Okposo will report to Bridgeport following the World Junior Championships.

players rally behind lucia

great comment

"You've got to persevere. You've got to hang in there, and just the fact that it isn't working out, you know, you've got to kind of make the commitment to stay," said Minnesota Wild general manager Doug Risebrough to the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Friday. "I don't think it's the right message. Those decisions should all be done in the summer, and whatever decision you make, you stick with it, persevere with it, good or bad."

[bienek]

One item that I don't know has been brought up, but is Snow's comments about Lucia and the Gophers are not the only time those comments have been made in recent memory of the Gophers. Similar comments have been made by other NHL teams, other players who left, or others close to the players. Take for example, when Chucko left, Calgary wanted him out at midseason but Chucko stayed even though Calgary didn't like what was happening to him. Granted, he hasn't developed much since then either but the comment was still made about the Gopher program. Eric Johnson last year had made some statements about his utilization and Kessel (and his parents) also intimated at such things. So Snow's comments are not just completely out of left field. It was also rumored that Pittsburgh wanted to Goligoski to develop in their AHL team also.

Do you think that if the Blues didn't think Oshie was developing correctly or that UND wasn't a good program to develope NHL talent, that they would leave him in school and not put any pressure on him to sign since he would be playing on the big club if he were there.

The point is, Snow's comment isn't just an isolated, one-time comment directed at the Gopher program (and indirectly at Lucia) in recent history. Somewhat of a pattern seems to be developing. But we haven't heard those same comments about UND's program. If I remember right, wasn't it Toews who said after he was drafted that if you want to develope towards playing in the NHL someday, you go to UND.

Do you actually think it matters to a top talented player like toews or okposo which school they go to. Of course they will pick one of the top programs in the country. Toews would be in the NHL right now with or without UND. BOTTOM LINE!

[Goon]

Edmonton just signed the University of Alberta's goaltender in mid-season:

[url="http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=225680&hubname="]http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=225680&hubname=

The big difference is that he will dress as Garon's backup and will be back in school for the start of next semester.

This is an issue for the NCAA because Canadian Universities are starting to offer more competitive scholarships. University of Alberta is doing it in hockey and Carelton University is doing it in basketball. Think of how attractive this would make Canadian Universitites to potential DI hockey recruits, if you can jump up and play with the Pro team that owns your rights for a couple of games and return to your school team to continue your education and hockey development. This scenario could even drain some of the talent out of the AHL or ECHL.

First off is this because CIAA (or what ever they are called) wants into the NCAA?

I Know UBC and a few others wants to go NCAA.

[Goon]

75% of the time hockeybuzz.com is wrong but they had a little mention that okposo will report to bridgeport (ahl) after WJT. im assuming he wll get time in the nhl after bailing but i guess we will find out.

hockey buzz

Rink Rats!

Islanders prospect Kyle Okposo will report to Bridgeport following the World Junior Championships.

players rally behind lucia

great comment

"You've got to persevere. You've got to hang in there, and just the fact that it isn't working out, you know, you've got to kind of make the commitment to stay," said Minnesota Wild general manager Doug Risebrough to the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Friday. "I don't think it's the right message. Those decisions should all be done in the summer, and whatever decision you make, you stick with it, persevere with it, good or bad."

First off, I don't take much of what comes out of HockeyBuzz.com as being very accurate this is the same blogger that said Oshie was going to probably sign. Ecklund is hardly ever right.

[Goon]

While I am no big fan of Lucia, no one can doubt that the guy is a solid coach. He has won both WCHA and National Championships. Give me a coach who wins NC's over a coach who develops pro talent any day.

Just trying to be the devils advocate:

Is Lucia a Solid coach? Didn't he win a NCAA title with a lot of Woog's recruits. Oh of my buddies once said Recruiting for Minnesota isn't that hard and probably one of the easies places in the college hockey world to sell. The Gophers have FSN, the john and tradition, I would think it would be pretty easy to get the top recruits.

Ok, here is a thought, maybe it is tDon or is Okposo just a whiny malcontent? I am not trying to start a flame feast, I am bored and I thought I would bring it up because I have heard rumblings from time to time.

[petey23]

I think K.O. is a malcontent.

Don't get me wrong, I think Lucia is a condescending, hypocritical, ego-maniac.....but in this case I think he was truely trying to take a little heat off of Kyle Okposo as he knew what kind of heat his decision would draw from Gopher Nation(the kid is from Minnesota and is now a pariah) and OK, maybe saying that the Islanders put KO in a tough situation makes the U of M look a little better too, but for the most part he was trying to look out for KO in this situation and made what I really consider a throw away comment about the Isles.

KO did not want to be at Minnesota this year and I am sure as he had conversations with the Isles brass whined about it a bit, or alot. The Isles see that with his attitude their number one draft pick is basicly wasting his time this year in Minnesota so they decide to pull him out.

Garth Snow should have just taken the high road and said we know it's a tough situation but after talking with our scouts and personnel decision makers and Kyle we just felt it was best for all involved to make the move now...and left it at that, rather than let his ego get in the way and try and talk himself into beleiving that this is a good precedent to set.

[Sioux_Hab-it]

First off is this because CIAA (or what ever they are called) wants into the NCAA?

I Know UBC and a few others wants to go NCAA.

I don't think so. I think it is more a case of the CIAU schools wanting to have a more profitable product. Attendance and facilities are also starting to improve and I would take CIAU hockey officials over those in the WCHA any day.

[redwing77]

Hab-It: Officiating can't be as inconsistent as what we've got. And it is truly rare to find a head of officials more incompetant than ours.

As for UBC and UAlberta (both of whom I hear are fairly competitive and were names thrown into the NCAA argument) have major roster issues right now, if they were to jump to the NCAA. Under the current NCAA eligibility guidelines, only 4 of UBC's 26 players (15.4%) would be NCAA eligible and only 3 of 27 (11.1%) would be eligible out of UAlberta's current roster. All of the ineligibility is due to Major Junior play.