Monday, October 27, 2014

NCAA HOCKEY: Tickets for the 2015 NCAA Division I Men's Hokcey Regional Go on Sale

INDIANAPOLIS---Tickets for all four sites of the 2015 Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Regionals go on sale Tuesday, Oct. 28. The West regional will go on sale at 11 a.m. local time, while the other three regionals will go on sale at 10 a.m. local time. The tickets, being sold as three-game packages, may be purchased online at www.NCAA.com/FrozenFour or through each venue’s ticket office.

The Northeast Regional at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H., (hosted by the University of New Hampshire) and the West Regional at Scheels Arena in Fargo, N.D., (hosted by the University of North Dakota) will be held March 27-28. One regional will have start times of 2 and 5:30 p.m. Eastern, March 27 with a regional final game time of 5:30 p.m. Eastern, March 28. The start times for the other regional will be 4:30 and 8 p.m. Eastern, March 27, while the regional final is scheduled for 9 p.m. Eastern, March 28.

The East Regional at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I., (hosted by Brown University) and the Midwest Regional at the Compton Family Ice Arena in South Bend, Ind., (hosted by the University of Notre Dame) will be played March 28-29. Game times for one regional will be 3 and 6:30 p.m. Eastern, March 28, with the regional final being played at 5 p.m. Eastern, March 29. The other regional will play at 4 and 7:30 p.m. Eastern, March 28, with the regional championship at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, March 29.

If any of the aforementioned host institutions are selected to participate in the 2015 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Championship, they will be assigned to their host site. The times and ESPN platform for each regional will be announced on the selection show, which will air Noon Eastern, March 22 on ESPNU. Times and ESPN networks for all regional contests are subject to change.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Toronto Star: Junior hockey players deserve to be paid decently: Editorial

This subject has been coming to a head in the Canada. I have been following the story a little and frankly this same argument has come up from time-to-time in college sports.

The NCAA has talked about giving their athletes stipends as well. Obviously, that's not a weekly check, but some college are going to hand out a lot more money than $35.00-120.00 a week.
Toronto Star Editorial -- Still, CHL President David Branch argues the players “are amateur student athletes” who are paid an allowance and are eligible for university and college scholarships for their participation in a hockey program.

Really? A hockey “program”?

This isn’t cub camp. The reality is that these are young people (typically 16 to 20 years old) being taken advantage of by an organization that is the main funnel of talent for the enormously wealthy National Hockey League. (The average NHL team was worth $413 million in 2013, according to Forbes.)

Asking the players to work for $35 to $120 per week is like asking managers to work for free until they make the corner office. Their hard work on the way up earns the NHL its profits down the road — never mind the revenues the CHL earns immediately.

Even the promised scholarships are a point of dispute. The claim suggests the conditions to receive one are so onerous that the CHL pays out scholarships for only four players a year, totalling $30,000. The CHL disputes that. It says the Ontario Hockey League alone paid out $2 million in scholarship funding last year.

Loose Pucks an CHL blog is taking issue with the Toronto Star article.

(Video) Zane McIntyre's 10-Bell Save



I thought the goaltending was pretty good this weekend. Defensively, UND was also pretty good all weekend long. UND has only given up two even strength goals since the season opener against Bemidji State.

Oshie Check on Carcillo (Video)



Check out this hit by former Fighting Sioux forward T.J. Oshie blows up Daniel Carcillo aka " Car Bomb"with a clean, hard hip checks. Ouch! Carcillo would live the ice with a hyper extended knee.

Men's Division I Hockey Inter-Conference Records: 2014-2015



vs.
Atlantic Hockey
Big Ten
ECAC
Hockey East
NCHC
WCHA
OOC Record
Atlantic Hockey
0-1-0
(.000)
3-7-0
(.300)
1-6-0
(.143)
1-1-0
(.500)
2-2-0
(.500)
7-17-0
(.292)
Big Ten
1-0-0
(1.000)
1-0-0
(1.000)
5-6-1
(.458)
1-2-0
(.333)
2-6-1
(.278)
10-14-2
(.423)
ECAC
7-3-0
(.700)
0-1-0
(.000)
6-4-1
(.591)
3-5-0
(.375)
1-2-1
(.375)
17-15-2
(.529)
Hockey East
6-1-0
(.857)
6-5-1
(.542)
4-6-1
(.409)
2-2-1
(.500)
3-2-1
(.583)
21-16-4
(.561)
NCHC
1-1-0
(.500)
2-1-0
(.667)
5-3-0
(.625)
2-2-1
(.500)
7-5-0
(.583)
17-12-1
(.583)
WCHA
2-2-0
(.500)
6-2-1
(.722)
2-1-1
(.625)
2-3-1
(.417)
5-7-0
(.417)
17-15-3
(.529)

 

One of the concerns last season was the NCHC’s non-conference record. As you can see, so far, the NCHC has the best non-conference record. Obviously, that could change.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

UND vs. Providence Game Two Lines

UND Forward Lines
28 Stephane Pattyn (C)– 27 Luke Johnson–15 Michael Parks(A)
21 Brendan O’Donnell–13 Connor Gaarder (A) – 7 Wade Murphy
9 Drake Caggiula–8 Nick Schmaltz–11 Trevor Olson
29 Bryn Chyzyk–10 Johnny Simonson–14 Austin Poganski
UND Defensive Pairing
6 Paul LaDue–24 Jordan Schmaltz
20 Gage Ausmus–2 Troy Stecher
5 Nick Mattson–3 Tucker Poolman

UND Goalies
31 Zane McIntyre
33 Cam Johnson
30 Matt Hrynkiw
Providence Forward Lines
22 Brandon Tanev–24 Noel Acciari (C) –15 Steven McParland
12 Stefan Demopoulos–14 Ross Mauermann (C)–26 Brian Pinho
29 Conor MacPhee–21 Kevin Rooney–11 Niko Rufo
20 Shane Luke–18 Nick Saracino–9 Trevor Mingoia
Providence Defensive Parings
5 Kyle McKenzie–16 Anthony Florentino
19 Jake Walman–4 Mark Adams
3 John Gilmour–27 Josh Monk

Providence Goalies

32 Jon Gillies
35 Nick Ellis

Mark MacMillan out indefinitely following wrist surgery

The UND hockey team received some bad news today. 

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota head men’s hockey coach Dave Hakstol announced today that senior forward Mark MacMillan will be out indefinitely after undergoing wrist surgery on Saturday morning in Grand Forks.

MacMillan, a native of Penticton, British Columbia, was injured late in the second period of Friday’s game against Providence when a skate blade came into contact with his left arm causing a laceration to the wrist.


A fourth-round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2010, MacMillan leads UND with five goals in five games and is tied for the team scoring lead with seven points. He has appeared in 127 career games and leads all active UND skaters in goals (35), assists (46) and points (81).

UND Blitzes Providence College 6-1

After being run out of their own building two weeks earlier, UND used a balanced attack and scored six goals by six different players to beat the Providence College Friars 6-1 at Ralph Englestad Arena

UND's penalty-kill set the tone as the Friars went 0-for-9 on the man advantage and gave up a short-hand goal.

This game was supposed to be a goaltending battle between Zane McIntyre and Jon Gillies. However, UND chased the Friars All-American goalie after two periods of play, putting four pucks past him. Sophomore goalie Nick Ellis relieved Gillies at the start of the third period and UND put two more pucks past him as well. 

Head coach Dave Hakstol was asked how UND was able to get four goals past Gillies.

“We got a little bit of traffic (in front of him) and scored a couple of rebound goals,” Hakstol said. "Nothing fancy at all. We were in the right spot at the right time. Did the right things and fortunate to get a couple by him.”

UND dominated the Hockey East preseason favorite, but the UND head coach was quick to give his opponent credit. 

“They’re a good hockey team and they’re going to make plays and they did that,” Hakstol said. “Our guys showed up tonight and played hard tonight.”

The story of the game was the play of junior forward Drake Caggiula who scored a short-handed goal and three assists. After the game, Caggiula broke down UND's game plan.  

“We just played our game,” Caggiula said. “UND hockey is playing fast, playing physical, and just overall being hard to play against and that’s what we did all night long.”     

When Caggiula was asked about UND's success on the penalty-kill and why they have scored four short-handed goals in five games, he had this to say. 

“That’s the way we penalty kill,” Caggiula said. “We’re aggressive, and when the opportunity is there we’re more than welcome to take that opportunity. They always preach if the opportunity is there to take it. When we’re so aggressive we just create turnovers and we have been lucky so far and got a couple of short-handed goals off of it. We have to keep doing that.”  

Junior forward Bryn Chyzyk likes playing on the penalty-kill and gave his explanation on why UND is scoring so many short-handed goals. 

“We’re getting a couple of bounces, and getting some odd man rushes,” Chyzyk said. “We’re always pressuring pucks up at the blue line. We’re just pressuring pucks and a couple of bounces are hopping over their D-men and were taking advantage of that. Hopefully that will continue.” 

With the Win UND improves to 4-1-0. The loss drops Providence to 1-2-0 on the season. 

Same two teams tomorrow night at 7:07 pm CT. 


Friday, October 24, 2014

UND vs Providence College Lines - Links

UND Forward Lines
28 Stephane Pattyn (C)–16 Mark MacMillan (A) –15 Michael Parks(A)
21 Brendan O’Donnell–13 Connor Gaarder (A) –27 Luke Johnson
9 Drake Caggiula–8 Nick Schmaltz–11 Trevor Olson
29 Bryn Chyzyk–10 Johnny Simonson–17 Colten St. Clair
UND Defensive Pairing
6 Paul LaDue–24 Jordan Schmaltz
20 Gage Ausmus–2 Troy Stecher
5 Nick Mattson–3 Tucker Poolman

UND Goalies
31 Zane McIntyre
33 Cam Johnson
30 Matt Hrynkiw
Providence Forward Lines
22 Brandon Tanev–24 Noel Acciari (C) –15 Steven McParland
12 Stefan Demopoulos–14 Ross Mauermann (C)–26 Brian Pinho
29 Conor MacPhee–21 Kevin Rooney–11 Niko Rufo
20 Shane Luke–18 Nick Saracino–9 Trevor Mingoia
Providence Defensive Parings
5 Kyle McKenzie–16 Anthony Florentino
19 Jake Walman–4 Mark Adams
3 John Gilmour–27 Josh Monk

Providence Goalies

32 Jon Gillies
35 Nick Ellis



Game Day: Friday Morning Pontifications

First, it's early in the season, I get that. However, last season, the NCHC had a dreadful inter-conference record, (40-34-16, .533). As you can see from the chart, the NCHC has started out much better this season.




vs.
Atlantic Hockey
Big Ten
ECAC
Hockey East
NCHC
WCHA
OOC Record
Atlantic Hockey
0-0-0
(.000)
1-5-0
(.167)
0-3-0
(.000)
1-1-0
(.500)
2-2-0
(.500)
4-11-0
(.267)
Big Ten
0-0-0
(.000)
1-0-0
(1.000)
4-3-1
(.562)
1-2-0
(.333)
0-6-1
(.071)
6-11-2
(.368)
ECAC
5-1-0
(.833)
0-1-0
(.000)
6-4-1
(.591)
1-3-0
(.250)
1-1-0
(.500)
13-10-1
(.562)
Hockey East
3-0-0
(1.000)
3-4-1
(.438)
4-6-1
(.409)
0-1-0
(.000)
2-2-0
(.500)
12-13-2
(.481)
NCHC
1-1-0
(.500)
2-1-0
(.667)
3-1-0
(.750)
1-0-0
(1.000)
6-4-0
(.600)
13-7-0
(.650)
WCHA
2-2-0
(.500)
6-0-1
(.929)
1-1-0
(.500)
2-2-0
(.500)
4-6-0
(.400)
15-11-1
(.574)

Apparently, UND has a few new players.
Defensemen John Gilmour (lower body) and Kyle McKenzie (disciplinary reasons) are expected to be in the lineup for the first time this season. Also due to return is Nick Saracino, who was held out of last week’s exhibition game against the U.S. National Team Developent Program U-18s for precautionary reasons.

The series pits two of the top goaltenders in the nation against each other in PC junior Jon Gillies, a Calgary draft choice, and North Dakota junior Zach McIntyre, a Boston Bruins pick. North Dakota has 14 NHL draft picks on its roster to 7 for PC.

North Dakota swept Colorado College on the road last weekend. They went 5-for-7 on the power play and scored two shorthanded goals in Saturday’s 7-2 rout. Montreal pick Mark MacWilliams leads the team in scoring with five goals and seven points.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Providence Journal: #5 Friars ready for rough-and-tumble series at #3 North Dakota



Interesting take on what the Providence College Friars are expecting from UND. I think this is going to be a highly entertaining series between two talented teams.

Honestly, I don't see UND checking the Friars out of the building, but UND does seem to play more of physical game than they did last season.
Mark Divver, Providence Journal -- Fifth-ranked Providence College (1-1) is expecting a very physical two-game series when it visits third-ranked North Dakota (3-1) this weekend for the first time since President Reagan’s second term in office.

Playing in front of a big crowd in a hostile environment will be a test for the Friars.

“I always think you want to challenge yourself. We’ve done that every year. It’s going to be a great environment. We know it’s going to be great hockey. We want to make sure we’re playing our best,’’ coach Nate Leaman said.

The Friars – who were beaten, 6-4, in November 1987 on their last visit to Grand Forks — will be without center Mark Jankowski (shoulder) and defenseman Tom Parisi (shoulder), neither of whom made the trip. Co-captain Noel Acciari (ribs) is questionable, though he did travel with the team.

Defensemen John Gilmour (lower body) and Kyle McKenzie (disciplinary reasons) are expected to be in the lineup for the first time this season. Also due to return is Nick Saracino, who was held out of last week’s exhibition game against the U.S. National Team Developent Program U-18s for precautionary reasons.

Boston Bruins: Zdeno Chara Hurt After Checking John Tavares (video)



Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara blasts New York Islanders forward John Tavares with a good, hard, clean check. Incidentally, Chara would go to the dressing room after the hit and wouldn't return to the Bruins bench.

UPDATE: Chara hurt and will not return.

Johnny Boychuk Returns to Boston



One of my favorite former Boston Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk makes his return to Boston. Boychuk is now a teammate of former Fighting Sioux defenseman Brock Nelson. Boychuk is famously known for his deadly, heavy, accurate slap shot, which is known as a Johnny Rocket.
Joe Haggerty, CSNNE.COM – Johnny Boychuk texted every member of the Bruins team after learning he’d been traded to the New York Islanders. It was the affable B’s defenseman’s way of saying goodbye to his teammates knowing they’d be hopping on the runaway train known as the NHL regular season and Boychuk would be spending the next day packing his equipment and heading to Long Island.

It’s not at all surprising to know that the goodbye texts were about having a few last laughs, still friends but no longer teammates. Some of his old B’s teammates were thinking about those conversations on Wednesday as they ready to host Boychuk and his new-look Islanders on Thursday night at TD Garden.

"He actually texted me after the trade and told me I should give him a goal,” said a smirking Tuukka Rask, who needed a few moments to realize the media was talking about Boychuk rather than Chad Johnson when asked about facing “Johnny” on Thursday. “If its 9-1 or something for us...accidents happen. What can I tell you?

A Trip Down Memory Lane: UND vs. Providence



Here's a blast from the past. It is weird that UND hasn't played Providence since the 1989 season. Brad Schlossman broke the history of UND vs. P.C. All-Time UND has a 8-5 record against P.C. UND holds the edge against Providence (5-2, .714) in Grand Forks.
UND and Providence haven’t played since the old WCHA-Hockey East scheduling alignment. Their last meeting was 1989 in Providence. The teams have played four times in Grand Forks — 1987, 1986, 1983, 1981.