Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford steps into the Ducks Rickard Rakel



The game is getting feisty. Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford steps into the Ducks forward Rickard Rakel and causes a bit of a dustup.

Clayton Stoner Cross-Checks Andrew Shaw in the Face



Anaheim Ducks defenseman Clayton Stoner was very lucky that he's still in the game. Stoner cross-checks Marcus Kruger from behind, causing him to slide face first into the end boards. Kruger suffered a minor cut for his efforts.

But Stoner wasn't done. The Ducks defender goes on to perform oral surgery on Andrew Shaw.

To quote Brendan Shanahan, "this was a blatant attempt to injure an opponent." In other words, this was an egregious act that deserved a penalty. Also, I think that Shaw has an expectation to not be cross-checked in the face. The play is basically over.

If I was the commissioner of the NHL, these are the types of plays that would be highly punished. My question is, would this hit be worthy of a call from the Department of Player Safety. Is this suspension worthy?

2015-16 UND Hockey Schedule

Date            Opponent                                   Time (CT)
Oct. 3         Manitoba (exh.)                       7:07 pm
Oct. 9          vs. Lake Superior State^             3:30 pm
Oct. 10        vs. Maine^                                    7:00 pm
Oct. 16        at Bemidji State                            7:37 pm
Oct. 17       Bemidji State                           7:07 pm
Oct. 23        at Vermont                                           TBA
Oct. 24        at Vermont                                           TBA
Oct. 30        at Colorado College*                         TBA
Oct. 31        at Colorado College*                         TBA
Nov. 6        Wisconsin                                  7:37 pm
Nov. 7        Wisconsin                                  7:07 pm
Nov. 13      Miami*                                       7:37 pm
Nov. 14      Miami*                                       7:07 pm
Nov. 20       at St. Cloud State*                              TBA
Nov. 21       at St. Cloud State*                              TBA
Nov. 27       at Michigan State                                TBA
Nov. 29       at Michigan State                                TBA
Dec. 4         Denver*                                     7:37 pm
Dec. 5         Denver*                                     7:07 pm
Dec. 11        at Minnesota Duluth*                  7:07 pm
Dec. 12        at Minnesota Duluth*                  7:07 pm
Jan. 1         Alabama-Huntsville                7:37 pm
Jan. 2         Alabama-Huntsville                7:07 pm
Jan. 9         US. Under-18 Team (exh.)            TBA
Jan. 15       Omaha*                                     7:37 pm
Jan. 16       Omaha*                                     7:07 pm
Jan. 22       Colorado College*                   7:37 pm
Jan. 23       Colorado College*                   7:07 pm
Jan. 29        at Western Michigan*                  6:00 pm
Jan. 30        at Western Michigan*                  6:00 pm
Feb. 12        at Denver*                                           TBA
Feb. 13        at Denver*                                           TBA
Feb. 19       Minnesota Duluth*                 7:37 pm
Feb. 20       Minnesota Duluth*                 7:07 pm
Feb. 26        at Omaha*                                    7:07 pm
Feb. 27        at Omaha*                                    7:07 pm
Mar. 4        Western Michigan*                 7:37 pm
Mar. 5        Western Michigan*                 7:07 pm
Mar. 11-13  NCHC Quarterfinals (Best of 3)
Mar. 18-19  NCHC Frozen Faceoff (Minneapolis)
Mar. 25-27  NCAA Regionals
Apr. 7-9       NCAA Frozen Four (Tampa)
* NCHC game
^ Ice Breaker Tournament (Portland, Maine)
All times Central
Home games in bold
Schedule subject to change

Monday, May 18, 2015

UND to Announce New Head Coach at 1:00 PM

The news is breaking fans right now. According to Brad Schlossman, UND is going to hire Brad Berry to be the next head coach of UND.
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota Director of Athletics Brian Faison will introduce the 16th head coach of the UND men’s hockey program today at a news conference in the main lobby of Ralph Engelstad Arena. The news conference will begin at 1 p.m. Central. A live of stream of the news conference will be available at UNDsports.com.

The new head coach, Faison and current UND players will be available for interviews immediately following the news conference.

For additional information, contact UND Assistant Athletics Director for Media Relations Jayson Hajdu at 701.740.7659 (cell) or at jayson.hajdu@athletics.und.edu.

Dave Hakstol Named Head Coach of the Philadelphia Flyers

They say to be careful what you wish for. Coach  Dave Hakstol is moving on. The news broke this morning that Hakstol is going to be the next head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. For the fans that wanted Hakstol fired because his teams didn't win an NCAA title, you won't have Hak to kick around anymore. I must say personally, I am shocked. I don't think many saw this coming.


Official Press Release -- Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall announced this morning that Dave Hakstol has been named the 19th head coach in Flyers history.

“Dave brings a wealth of head coaching experience and success to the Philadelphia Flyers organization,” said Hextall. “He’s a proven winner and we are pleased to have him become part of the Flyers family.”

“I am extremely excited to be named the Philadelphia Flyers new head coach,” said Hakstol. “Through the process here with Ron [Hextall] and everybody in the Flyers organization I have gained even more of an understanding of the history and tradition of this organization and I’m very proud to become part of the Philadelphia Flyers today.”

Hakstol, 46 (7/30/1968), comes to the Flyers from the University of North Dakota where he spent the last 11 seasons compiling an overall record of 289-143-43 with a .654 winning percentage in 475 games. In 2014-15, he led North Dakota to a 29-10-3 record with a .726 winning percentage and a berth in the NCAA Frozen Four.

North Dakota made the NCAA Tournament in every one of Hakstol’s 11 seasons and reached the Frozen Four seven times in that span, which is the most of any program in the country during that period. Hakstol led North Dakota to an overall postseason record of 54-24 for a .692 winning percentage, including a 17-11 record in the NCAA Tournament, during his tenure.

He joined the school’s coaching staff in 2000 as an assistant coach, and took over the head coaching job four years later. Under Hakstol’s watch, North Dakota won three regular season conference championships – two in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA, 2008-09, 2010-11) and one in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC, 2014-15).  North Dakota also won WCHA playoff championships in 2005-06, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.  Hakstol received conference coach of the year honors twice, in the WCHA in 2008-09 and in the NCHC in 2014-15.  He was also an eight-time finalist for the Spencer Penrose Award as national coach of the year.

Hakstol’s program has produced 20 NHL players and a total of 46 that have played professionally at some level. His former players include Jonathan Toews (CHI) and Matt Greene (LAK), each of whom have won two Stanley Cups since leaving the school, as well as T.J. Oshie (STL), Travis Zajac (NJD), Drew Stafford (BUF, WPG) and Chris VandeVelde (EDM, PHI). He has also had seven players named Hobey Baker Award finalists, including Ryan Duncan who won the award in 2007, and 11 players named All-Americans.

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Frank Black Cloud: Fighting Sioux will not be silenced

This was a letter to the editor that was posted in the Fargo Forum. Before you label this gentleman a racist, don't do it, he's a member of the Dakota Sioux. This is one of the assumptions that people make when they talk about the Fighting Sioux. There are a lot of natives American that like the Fighting Sioux nickname.



In response to the outlandish claim that we Sioux are “racist”:

You obviously have no clue as to what you are talking about, nor do you have a full and complete understanding as to the name Fighting Sioux or its origins.

I, for one, am a proud Dakota Sioux and a very proud Fighting Sioux supporter as are many, many other members of the Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe. Our support and dedication to the name and logo are rooted deeply within our connection to our elders and the “gift” they bestowed upon the University of North Dakota in the 1930s and later solidified in the Sacred Pipe Ceremony in 1969.

I am a member of the group “The Sioux Were Silenced” because we were silenced and it’s a shame that you, as reporters, don’t explore that fact.

Nor do you even try to dig deeper into the facts that surround the removal of the gift that was given to UND by my ancestors and the elders of both Spirit Lake (Devils Lake Sioux Tribe back then) and Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Why hasn’t the news media tried to explore the facts behind the sealing of the documents that could reveal the true reason and the real agenda behind the attack on the Sioux people and the name and logo at UND?

Were there any natives represented at that meeting with the NCAA and if so, who were they? What’s in the documents that they are trying to hide? What are you afraid of?

A good reporter would investigate these types of questions that the residents of North Dakota have the right to know. Then again, you may not be that good of a reporter.

We will never be quiet. We will not be silent any longer. We want answers and we will get them.

Frank Black Cloud from Fort Totten, N.D

Friday, May 15, 2015

Men’s and Women’s Hockey Players to Graduate this May


Here’s a list of the UNDhockey players that gradate this Saturday. I would like to congratulate them all. If you look at the list, a majority of these players graduated in four years. That's no easy task playing division I hockey and going to school.  

Men’s Hockey (6): Connor Gaarder (Entrepreneurship), Mark MacMillan (Entrepreneurship), Nick Mattson (Management), Brendan O'Donnell (Communication), Michael Parks (Communication), Stephane Pattyn (Entrepreneurship)

Women’s Hockey (3): Andrea Dalen (Business Economics), Michelle Karvinen (Graphic Design & Technology), Tori Williams (Psychology)

Thursday, May 14, 2015

On-Ice Officials for the Conference Finals

Dmitry Kulikov of the Florida Panthers being e...
If you're not reading scouting the refs, I recommend you start perusing it. The site is run by Josh Smith, that's the same Smith that is a contributing editor of the Hockey Writers. 

Here are the on-ice officials for the Stanley Cup Conference Finals. 

Referees:

Eric Furlatt, Steve Kozari, Wes McCauley, Dan O’Halloran, Kevin Pollock, Chris Rooney, Kelly Sutherland, and Brad Watson. Standby referee is Gord Dwyer. 

Linesmen:

Derek Amell, Scott Cherrey, Michel Cormier, Greg Devorski, Shane Heyer, Brad Kovachik, Brian Murphy, and Pierre Racicot. Standby linesman is Steve Miller. (Scouting the Refs)

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Video: New York Ranger: Derek Stepan's Series-Clinching Goal and Hand Shake


The New York Rangers are going back to the Eastern Conference Finals for a second year in a row. Former Wisconsin Badgers forward Derek Stepan scored the series-clinching goal at the 11:24 mark fo the overtime period.

Video: Brooks Orpik levels Dan Boyle



This is the hit Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik put on Rangers defenseman Dan Boyle. Do you think that this is a dirty hit? Is there a suspension coming? Boyle left the game after the hit.





UND Hockey Waiting on Two

The UND hockey team received some good news in the last couple of days. Troy Stecher is coming back for his junior season.

The good news didn't stop there. Leading scorer Drake Caggiula is going to return for his senior season. With these developments, UND should again be one of the top teams in the NCHC based on who's staying and who's coming in.

Now, UND is waiting on two players to make their decision. Jordan Schmaltz and Paul LaDue have yet to make their intentions known. It was thought that Schmaltz was signing with the Blues, but he's not tipped his hand as of yet.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Family Affair: UND lands Colton Poolman

The University of North Dakota is known for its brother teams. This past year, UND had the Schmaltz Bros (Nick and Jordan). As of today, there will be another Poolman attending UND. Tucker's brother Colton Poolman has committed to UND. I would imagine that he's a year or two out. Here's the link to his Elite Prospects Page.






Monday, May 11, 2015

NFL Suspends Tom Brady Four Games #DeflateGate

The NFL has ruled: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been suspended for four games. The Patriots are going to lose a first-round draft choice and will fined a million dollars.
Gregg Rosenthal, NFL.COM -- The NFL announced Monday that Tom Brady has been suspended without pay for four games for violating the NFL policy on the integrity of the game. This news comes less than a week after independent investigator Ted Wells found that it was "more probable than not" that Brady was "at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities" regarding the deflation of Patriots game balls used in the AFC Championship Game against the Colts.

Forum editorial: UND logo process too long

It looks like the Fargo Forum is trolling the UND fan base. Not a bad plan if you need impression and page views. The Forum's editorial board wrote an article that takes issue with the nickname replacement process at UND.  Below is a part that stood out for me.  
Now the committee will cull the accepted list. There were actually two lists, one of acceptable names, one of names deemed not acceptable. But who’s counting? After the cull, remaining names will be rated using a point system. The finalists will be put to a public vote, initially scheduled this month, but likely to be delayed.

The process has been so unnecessarily politically correct and convoluted that (horror of horrors!) the North Dakota Legislature might have done a better job. UND likely would have a new moniker by now had lawmakers taken up the task.

Here’s the reality: No matter how long it takes to replace the old name and symbol, and no matter what emerges as UND’s identifier, a noisy and unrepentant segment of alumni and “Sioux” fans will not be appeased. Meanwhile, advocates for the university’s logo methodology will fall back on the faux thoroughness and fairness of the process. It won’t matter. In that unhappy and well-understood context, a focused, pragmatic committee could have selected a new moniker in a helluva lot shorter time than it has taken. The university would have moved on, and most UND supporters would have, too. (Inforum.com)

Sunday, May 10, 2015

USA Phenom Auston Matthews to Spurn North American Hockey?

by Redwing77

I read Eric Burton's Sin Bin Article about how US NTDP phenom and future NHLer Auston Matthews may sign with a team in the Swiss Leagues.

This is baffling news to be sure.

Eric states in his article that he doesn't think that "anyone should be shocked by these revelations."

I beg to differ.  I think there should be two entities and one eyebrow raised at a third that should be shocked.

First, USA Hockey.  USA Hockey prides itself on developing solid American players for North American hockey, be it NCAA or Major Juniors with the aim at marketing that player towards a career in the NHL.  Auston Matthews going to Europe in anything less than the typical (rookie contract expires and does not get re-signed or ages out of NCAA/CHL without a pro contract opportunity) is a slap in the face to USA Hockey.  No way around that.

Second, and most stingingly, to the CHL.  It's rarely news when a top flight prospect, be it Canadian or American, goes to the Major Junior leagues from the position Matthews sits in now.  They parade around the interweb crowing that it is the dream of "every North American and most European" teenager to play for the CHL before they make their pro debut.  But it IS news when they are spurned, not for the NCAA, but for EUROPE and by a NORTH AMERICAN player nonetheless.  I think it stings them more than the NCAA because, in that regard, Eric is right.  No way was Matthews going the NCAA route.  No way.

The eyebrow being raised is by the NHL.  Now, I doubt that this move would really hurt Auston's draft stock, but it isn't going to endear him to the NHL either.  Here's why:

1.  When the NHL drafts a European player (and sometimes even before that player is drafted), that player is pressed to come to the US or Canada to get into North American's style of hockey.  It is very different over in Europe.  It has been stated in the past that those skaters from Europe who refuse such pressure are deemed more of a risk than otherwise.  How will this impact Matthews?  I'm not sure it will because he comes from North American style hockey to begin with.

2.  The Swiss Leagues is hardly a juggernaut in European hockey.  I mean no disrespect to the Swiss Leagues.  Many former UND players have gone there to play.  Switzerland also is a beautiful country with extremely nice and polite people in it.  However, it's not the "go to" avenue in Europe to get to the NHL.  It's considered that the best path in that regard runs through the Elite leagues of Scandinavia: mainly Finland and Sweden.   The Swiss Leagues are mentioned enough in North American to warrant the same notoriety with the DEL (German) and the Czech Leagues.  To be fair, I'd put even the KHL as a better path than the Swiss Leagues if it weren't for the financial peril the KHL finds itself in.

So I want to know:  Why Swiss Leagues?  Is it financial?  If it is displeasure over the WHL team who owns his rights, why not do the typical and use the NCAA as leverage?  Heck, why not just stay in the USHL until his draft year and ask the team who drafts him their advice?  There's every bit of likelihood that whomever drafts him will want him to get seasoned a bit back into the North American leagues and that would mean Major Juniors once he signed... assuming that he doesn't jump immediately into the NHL.

As for that, though, in my armchair scout opinion, I think this move DOES hurt Matthews.Getting used to the pro game AND reacclimated to North American hockey is a lot for a 17 or 18 year old to do.

It's not going to make him drop in the draft any, but I do think it will impact how long it takes him to get to the NHL... by a few months.

'Hab' or 'Hab' Not? That is the Question

by Redwing77

Well, my Wings are eliminated and the questions surround their head coach prevail, but that's not really news.  What IS news is that Tampa Bay is on the verge of total collapse.

Yup.

Game 6 is HUGE.  Why?  Because I truly believe that Tampa has ZERO chance at advancing if the series goes to seven games.  ZERO.

For this reason, Game 6 is must watch.

The series has been  a roller coaster.  We've seen Carey Price play like he's the most overrated overhyped goaltender in NHL History and then, next thing you know, he's invincible.  We've seen Bishop play above his head, and then suck in such epic fashion that you wonder how he even got a pro contract.  And the Montreal power play?  Maybe that's the key to the whole thing.  COMPLETE NON FACTOR in the first three games.

In fact, one may argue that the Montreal Power Play benefited Tampa!

In any case, apart from that, I think the only other item that jumped out to me in this series is that Andrej Sustr is a hot-headed liability.  Montreal's power play is back running and Carey Price continues to be epic, so Tampa Bay isn't going to be able to take careless penalties anymore.

My prediction?  I still believe Tampa can finish Montreal off.  But I'm not betting on Tampa beyond Game 6.

Saturday, May 09, 2015

Video: Capitals Disallowed Goal Against the Rangers



Capitals forward Joel Ward thought he had scored the go-ahead goal against the Rangers in the second period of Friday's game. Unfortunately for Ward, the refs ruled that he had interfered with the Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist.


Ruling per the Washington Post

According to NHL rule 69.1, “Goal will be disallowed if . . . an attacking player initiates intentional or deliberate contact with a goalkeeper, inside or outside of his goal crease. Incidental contact with a goalkeeper will be permitted, and resulting goals allowed, when such contact is initiated outside of the goal crease, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact. The rule will be enforced exclusively in accordance with the on-ice judgement of the Referee(s), and not by means of video replay or review.”

Daily News: Tom Brady will be suspended by Roger Goodell

Any one have a prediction on how long of a suspension that Tom Brady will receive? I have seen were some want Brady to be suspended for the whole season. That would be pretty harsh in my opinion.
Gary Myers, New York Daily News -- Tom Brady will be the highest-profile player ever suspended in the 96-year history of the NFL.

Roger Goodell’s decision is expected to be announced next week, and it is no longer a matter of if the NFL commissioner will suspend Brady, but for how long he will suspend him.

In conversations I’ve had with several key sources who always have a good sense of what goes on at 345 Park Ave., there is little doubt that Goodell considers Brady’s role in DeflateGate a serious violation.

The NFL is convinced, according to sources, that connecting all the dots of the evidence supplied by Ted Wells leads to one conclusion:

Brady cheated.
Finally, are we to believe that the New England Patriots are the only team that cheats? I hardly think so.

According to Myers who talked to multiple sources, Tom Brady is going to  receive a two-game suspension. It also looks like the Patriots are going to be fined $250,000.00

Deflated balls or not, does anyone think that the result against the Colts would have been any different. I am not condoning cheating, but the Patriots beat the Colts 45-7. DeflateGate or not, the Patroits were a better team than the Colts.

Thursday, May 07, 2015

(UPDATED) Herald Poll: Vote for the Two "No Nickname" Options



The Grand Forks Herald has an on-line poll where you can vote for the two no nickname options. North Dakota is winning by a large margin. Update: the vote tally keeps going up. Don't forget to vote.

Wednesday, May 06, 2015

Tampa Bay Lightning: Tyler Johnson's Buzzer Beater Puts Habs on the Brink


The Tampa Bay Lightning have pushed the Montreal Canadiens to the Brink of elimination when Lightning forward Tyler Johnson scored the game-winning goal at the one-second mark of the third period.

I must say that I am shocked. I thought that the Habs would have put up a bigger fight in this series. All the games that I have watched in this series have been exciting and full of action.