Minnesota Gopher Hockey

[buzzsaw]

That was a good one liner 30 inch eyes!

All I can say is that it pays to recruit offensive defensemen! Year after year our defensemen are top notch and can bury the biscuit... Leopold, Paul Martin, Ballard and now the new crew. It's a big series next weekend at CC!!

[buzzsaw]

Here is some info on incoming recruits...

The Dean Blais Award (Lifetime Recruiting Achievement)

And the ESPA goes to: Minnesota coach Don Lucia and his staff

It was remarkable that Blais' staff could get supreme talent to flock to Grand Forks, North Dakota before the palace on the prairie. Lucia's crew is equally remarkable for annually retooling without breaking a sweat. Do these guys even have to make phone calls? Last year, they lost Keith Ballard, Troy Riddle, Grant Potulny and Thomas Vanek —four players that would start for a college hockey All-Star team. They simply reloaded with the best high school player in Minnesota (Alex Goligoski), the top scoring defenseman on the USNTP team (Nate Hagemo), and the 2004 USHL player of the year (Mike Howe).

Next year, to compensate for the loss of Barry Tallackson and...well...Barry Tallackson, they'll simply insert the one of the best high school players in Minnesota (R.J. Anderson), the second-leading scorer the USNTP team behind Phil Kessel (Peter Mueller, but not until 2006) and the possible 2005 USHL player of the year (Blake Wheeler). They may be college hockey's version of the Yankees, and like George Steinbrenner, Lucia won't be apologizing. He'll still be a lot more likeable, however.

Best Recruit in a Leading Role (Phil Kessel Award)*

The Nominees Are: Brock Bradford (Boston College), Blake Wheeler (Minnesota), Jack Johnson (Michigan)

And the ESPA goes to: Blake Wheeler

Johnson is projected as a top five pick in next year's NHL draft and Bradford had his pick of any school in the country before deciding on the Eagles. But, when Wayne Gretzky uses the fifth overall pick in the draft on a dominant junior from Breck high school in Minneapolis, that results in an ESPA. Assuming Wheeler decides to develop his game in the college ranks, his size, skill and speed will make him the closest thing to an unstoppable force since Mr. Incredible. But even Pixar couldn't create a better prototype for a forward than this kid.

* Admittedly it is a bit peculiar to name an award after a player who hasn't even signed a letter of intent. However, with the talk of college hockey recruiting centering around Mr. Kessel.

[buzzsaw]

Who was the defensive player of the week you ask????

No. 1 Minnesota vaulted to the top spot of the USCHO.com/CSTV polls with a dominant performance at the College Hockey Showcase this past weekend anchored by goaltender Kellen Briggs, the USCHO/ITECH Defensive Player of the Week.

Facing then-No. 1 Michigan on Friday, Briggs surrendered one goal in the first period and nothing more for the rest of the weekend. He made 23 saves for a 5-1 win. The next night, Briggs was a perfect 24-for-24 in a 5-0 blanking of Michigan State.

Briggs, who hails from Colorado Springs, Colo., has a 10-2-0 record this year with a 1.91 goals against average and a .932 save percentage.

It's still early but it's looking all good! AGAIN!!!!

[buzzsaw]

More information on our new recruits...

As one of about 7,000 hockey-mad Michiganders who packed Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor last week for a charity exhibition match featuring the U.S. Under-18 Team against a collection of locked-out NHLers, many of them Detroit Red Wings, I saw a lot of crazy stuff.

“It was pretty incredible out there,” said U.S. goaltender Jeff Frazee, who’ll attend Minnesota next season. “You look at all these guys you looked up to when you were younger, and there they are shooting the puck at you.”

Despite the opposition’s star power, Frazee was the show stopper (Gopher fans – you’re going to love this guy). He stoned Draper on a breakaway by getting his leg pads down in a textbook butterfly position. Shortly thereafter, he robbed hulking defenseman Derian Hatcher with a glove save on a shot from the high slot. In the third period, he stifled Chelios on a breakaway.

“Right when I stopped Draper on the breakaway in the first period, I settled down and kicked it in gear,” Frazee said. “I was really nervous.”

As nervous as Frazee may have been, he could at least concentrate solely on stopping the puck. The U.S. defensemen had to contend with oncoming forwards like Fedorov and Boston Bruin Sergei Samsanov, guys with more speed than the VIP room at an Amsterdam dance club.

All of the Under-18 team’s players left Yost with a personal scrapbook moment. Phil Kessel, the most coveted college recruit since God-knows-when – and no, he hasn’t made a decision yet – scored his team’s first goal in the second period, blowing past Hatcher as if the 13-year NHL vet was sitting in a beanbag chair.

“When you’re out there, you don’t really think about it,” said Kessel, who was flattened after he shot and didn’t see the puck go into the net. “But when you get to the bench, you think, ‘I just walked so-and-so.’”

Of course, not everyone’s prime memory of the evening was as visceral as Kessel’s.

“It was definitely a highlight,” said Johnson, “to see Tara Reid.”

[nolte]

Boy the WCHA is looking tough. The top three teams in the nation are from the W right now. Plus there are two more in the top ten. Looks like the other three conferences better pick it up a notch. But as we all know that can change very quickly. Just a testament to the strength of the W.

[buzzsaw]

Anything less than a sweep against SCSU this weekend will be dissapointing. I look for a two game goal total margin of 12-3 or 4.

[merc40]

I agree with you that the Gophers need a sweep this weekend!!! They need to bring a much better game this Friday night than they did last Friday against CC!! They were cookin on all cylinders the third period of Saturday nights game. I am sure the veterans will get the younger guys ready for that rowdy arena! I think the key is to get the first goal and keep lighting it up!!! I don't think we have played from behind too often this year have we? Go Gophs!! I am looking forward to watching the game!! I will say we will sneak out a victory tonight 3-2 and blow them out at Mariucci 5-1 Saturday night!! We will see what happens!

[buzzsaw]

It could be close tonight... only because all of the bad 80's metal that they blast right over the rink.. The freshman and sophomores could get confused and think they should be growing their hairout to blend in ~ I went here a few years ago and thought it was a ridiculous scene! I went to a hockey game and a lip sych concert broke out to "Were not gonna take it" and "Cum on feel the noise" and "Welcome to the jungle" I thought this place was supposed to be so nice... National hockey center and all.... I was dissapointed to say the least.

[Sportland_Bait]

Just got home from the game. Great action, another one for the good guys!

Jason Erlandson

[buzzsaw]

Whoa Nellie, that turned out to be a closer game (after the first period) than I expected. Alot of close calls by both teams... I am amazed that only three goals were scored. I'd say St. Clopud probably had to play their best game of the year last night for it to be so close, but then again I haven't seen them play so who knows?!

[30 inch eyes]

W (that's all that needs to be said)

[30 inch eyes]

SWEEP

[buzzsaw]

Any predictions?? We've got Merrimack on Friday and most likely Harvard on Saturday. I don't know alot about these two squads... I guess they are decent but on the road at Marriucci???? I'll say Gophers win 6-1 Friday and 5-2 Saturday.

P.S. What happened to North Dakota??? They really just stink! I guess they didn''t reload like I thought they did.

[Wayne Sieber]

BuzzSaw,

Just to clarify the games are on Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd. And I am with you - Another Sweep is in the works!! Also, it really pains me to see the Suzies (Sioux) falling, falling falling!!!!

FD.

[Quickstrike]

anyone know if the games against UMD are sold out or if there is anyway to get tickets? i have a feeling i'll be walking into a massacre here but thanks for any info.

GO DOGS!!!

[buzzsaw]

Thanks Feetdown, you are correct my friend! I see that Harvard has risen to #10 in the nation so maybe it will be a good game, apparently they have a good goalie.

As far as getting tickets to the Gophers/UMD tilt January 28/29th... you could either buy scalped tickets out in front of Marriucci the night(s) of the game which is a gamble or you definitely should be able to walk up to the ticket counter the day of the game and buy standing room tickets.

P.S. Don't count out your Bulldoggies just yet, they have lost games were they have outplayed their opponents and their luck will change! They are an underrated team right now in my book.

[buzzsaw]

A memo from www.insidecollegehockey.com

SURPRISE TEAM

How can you be a surprise success after winning two out of the last three NCAA titles? Simple – freshmen just aren’t supposed to contribute this much this fast, and no home ice advantage should be good for almost a year without a home loss.

But that’s what we’ve seen from Minnesota thus far. The rookies have been superlative, and the team is unbeaten (and looks all but unbeatable) at Mariucci Arena. Where some coaches use a roster filled with freshmen and sophomores as an excuse for early-season struggles, Don Lucia has used a similar roster to climb to the top of the national rankings . Rookie defenders Alex Goligiski and Derek Peltier are getting it done both offensively and defensively, and a sophomore who had a whopping 15 games of collegiate experience under his belt prior to the season (Ryan Potulny) is averaging a goal a game.

Add to that the fact that goalie Kellen Briggs seems to have spent the summer patching any holes he had in his game, and the Gophers' 13-4-0 mark is no fluke. The Gopher-haters out there (and there are scores of them) say that the kids won’t be able to sustain their success over a full season. Of course, they said that about a Minnesota sophomore goalie named Stauber once too.

MUST-SEE SERIES

Colorado College at Minnesota , Jan. 8-9. For the talented Tigers, all roads suddenly lead through the Twin Cities. If they want to get to the Frozen Four, they might have to win two games in Mariucci Arena during the NCAA West Regional. Prior to that, if they want to win the WCHA Final Five, that’ll require two (or three) wins at the Xcel Energy Center. And prior to that, if the Tigers want their second MacNaughton Cup in three years, having four points in their luggage when they leave Minneapolis after this series may be vital. As for the Gophers, their coach won three Cups when he was at CC, but he’s got none to his credit at Minnesota. If his team wants its first outright WCHA title since 1992, this will be the weekend to get it done.

INCH's First Half All-WCHA Team

Pos. Player Of Note

G Kellen Briggs, Minnesota Young, inexperienced defensemen? No worries, especially when your goalie is playing as well as Briggs has thus far.

D Lars Helminen,

Michigan Tech The league’s best offensive defenseman thus far is the lone ray of light in another long, cold winter in Houghton.

D Brett Skinner, Denver Skinner has been the blueline corps leader for the defending national champions. He and Matt Carle form one of the country's best defensive tandems.

F Ryan Potulny,

Minnesota After an injury wiped out most of Potulny’s rookie season, we wondered what he’d do with health. Seventeen goals in as many games is your answer.

F Marty Sertich, Colorado College The league’s leading scorer has members of the Sertich family thinking that the Hobey would look good next to the Spencer Penrose trophy at Uncle Mike’s house.

F Brett Sterling, Colorado College Another member of the “here’s what I can do when I’m healthy” club. This kid from Pasadena and his dozen goals have the Tigers smelling like roses.

[buzzsaw]

More good memories for the Mighty Minnesota Gophers...

[buzzsaw]

Okay so now that we have an idea of who will be playing who and where in the WCHA tourney... who's going to win it? I'll go with Denver....

[30 inch eyes]

CC

[8-Ball]

Why did my posts get erased??

[buzzsaw]

They didn't bud, I believe they are on the other Gopher hockey thread.

[8-Ball]

Woops-my bad..

[buzzsaw]

[buzzsaw]

So Phil Kessell has decided to join the good guys!! Well atleast for a year or two until he pulls a Vanek and departs for the NHL... Here is a look at a few of our other incoming horses.

Golden Gopher Men’s Hockey Signs Five Top Recruits R.J. Anderson is a 5-11, 180-pound defenseman from Lino Lakes, Minn.

The University of Minnesota men’s hockey program has announced the signing of five top recruits to join the Golden Gophers beginning with the 2005-06 season. R.J. Anderson, Justin Bostrom, Jeff Frazee, Ryan Stoa and Blake Wheeler have all signed national letters of intent to play for Minnesota.

R.J. Anderson is a 5-11, 180-pound defenseman from Lino Lakes, Minn. Anderson is entering his senior season at Centennial High School. En route to helping the Cougars to the 2004 Class AA State Championship, Anderson led the state’s defensemen in scoring with 29 goals and 56 assists for 85 points. His 56 helpers led all Minnesota high school players. Anderson was named AP and St. Paul Pioneer Press all-state, Minneapolis Star Tribune all-metro and all-North Suburban Conference. An offensive blueliner with great vision and puck skills, Anderson led his team’s defensemen in scoring in his sophomore season with six goals and 33 assists.

Justin Bostrom, a 5-9, 170-pound forward from Vadnais Heights, Minn., is in his first full season with the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League (USHL). He is yet to see action this year as he is recovering from a bout with mononucleosis. In 13 games last season with the Musketeers, Bostrom tallied two goals and four assists. Prior to his tenure in the USHL, Bostrom excelled at Mounds View High School. He was named AP and Pioneer Press all-state honorable mention, second team Star Tribune all-metro and all-Suburban East Conference in both his sophomore and junior seasons. Last season, Bostrom led the team in scoring with 24-35--59 after finishing eighth in the state in scoring during his sophomore year with 37-32--69. This past summer, Bostrom was a member of the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that captured the gold medal at the Under-18 Junior World Cup.

Jeff Frazee, a 6-0, 190-pound goaltender from Burnsville, Minn ., joins the Golden Gophers from the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich. A member of the NTDP Under-18 Team this season, Frazee holds a 5-2-0 record with a 2.65 goals-against average and a .915 saves percentage.

Earlier this season, Frazee turned aside 20 shots as Team USA beat Sweden, 1-0, to win gold at the 2004 U18 Four Nations Cup in Ann Arbor. Rated as one of the top goaltender prospects in the nation, Frazee attended the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, Minn., during his freshman and sophomore seasons. In 2002 -03, he posted a 14-1-1 record and was named all-Missota Conference en route to leading the Stars to third place at the 2003 Class AA Minnesota State Tournament. Frazee had a perfect 6-0-0 record in his freshman year at Holy Angels.

Ryan Stoa is a 6-2, 193-pound forward from Bloomington, Minn . A teammate of Frazee in the U.S. National Team Development Program, Stoa is currently fourth on the team in scoring with six goals and eight assists in 15 games. Earlier this season, he helped lead the U.S. Under-18 Team to the gold medal at the Four Nations Cup in Ann Arbor. He also helped the Under-17 Team capture gold at the 2003 U17 Four Nations Cup. During the 2003-04 season, Stoa tallied 25 goals and 21 assists for 46 points to finish fourth on the team in scoring. Prior to his time in Ann Arbor, Stoa attended Bloomington Kennedy High School. During his sophomore season, he had totals of 14-22--36 and was named all- Lake Conference honorable mention.

Blake Wheeler joins the Maroon and Gold as a 6-4, 185-pound forward from Plymouth, Minn. Earlier this summer at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Wheeler became the highest drafted high school player since 1983 when the Phoenix Coyotes selected him fifth overall. He was the first American selected at the Draft and joined Thomas Vanek as the highest NHL pick for a Golden Gopher. Wheeler is currently in his first season with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers. In 16 games this season, he is 16th in the league in scoring with seven goals and seven assists. Prior to joining the Gamblers, Wheeler was a standout player at Breck High School in Golden Valley, Minn. Last year in his junior season, he led the state in scoring with 45-55--100 and led the Mustangs to the Class A State Championship. He was named AP and Pioneer Press all-state, Star Tribune all-metro and all-Tri Metro Conference. In his sophomore season, Wheeler had totals of 15-27--42 and was named all-conference in the team’s 20-6-0 campaign. Wheeler also played tight end for Breck’s football team, collecting 50 receptions for 800 yards in his junior season. He won both the state hockey and football championships that season, and was selected as the MVP for both championship teams.

"We are extremely happy with the student-athletes that we are bringing into the Golden Gopher hockey program, "Minnesota Head Coach Don Lucia said. "All five of these recruits are welcomed additions to our team, and bring impressive credentials, both on and off the ice. The outstanding skill, competitiveness and work ethic that these five individuals possess will be a great fit for Minnesota Hockey."

More on Phil Kessel...........

ANN ARBOR – Phil Kessel told a crowd gathered here and reporters from across the continent waiting on a conference call what Minnesota coaches have hoped to hear for months: he will become a Golden Gopher in the fall.

Kessel, the immensely talented U.S. National Team Development player who has dazzled crowds on college campuses and at the World Junior Championship this year, is the most coveted college hockey recruit in years, if not ever.

"I came to the decision within the last couple days," Kessel said. "It's been real hard making a decision, but I felt like the Gophers fit me best. I woke up one morning and felt in my heart that Minnesota is the right fit for me."

The Gophers won a recruiting battle with Kessel's hometown team, the Wisconsin Badgers. Also beat out were Boston College, Boston University, Michigan, and, at least for the moment, the possibility of Kessel joining the major junior ranks.

Kessel has dealt with tremendous attention over the past year, something that seems to have caught the somewhat quiet teenager off guard.

"You just take it in stride," he said. "I'm not the kind of person that likes all the hoopla. I don't like all the chants and signs like that. I like to keep it low-key."

Minnesota head coach Don Lucia can't comment on Kessel until he signs his National Letter of Intent during the April signing period. In the meantime, there's no shortage of coaches and scouts willing to sing the 17-year-old's praises.

"Phil is a special player, there's no question about that," said Ron Rolston, head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Team. "We've seen Phil continue to make great progress the past two seasons against elite competition. Phil is just one example of the great benefit USA Hockey's National Team Development Program has played in helping to continue to move hockey forward in our country."

Who's Next?

With Kessel committed, here are three uncommitted stars considering college hockey, all with 1989 birthdates. None are considered to be at Kessel's talent level yet, but the recruiting battles still figure to be fierce:

• Angelo Esposito (F, 1989, Shattuck-St. Mary's)

• Sam Gagne (F, 1989, Toronto Marlies midgets)

• Nick Petrecki (D, 1989, Capital District Selects-EJHL)

The major junior possibility still looms, as Kessel's OHL rights are held by the Saginaw Spirit. But he has always professed a desire to play college hockey, and last summer decided to accelerate his schooling – finishing high school in three years – in order to join the college ranks this fall.

"I thought college hockey was the best fit for me," Kessel said. "I have a lot of respect for Saginaw and their organization, but college hockey [is what] I've always wanted to play."

Saginaw general manager Bob Mancini, a former college player and coach, recognizes that things could always change, but seems resigned to the fact that Kessel will not play in the OHL.

"I don't think we were ever a real, true option he considered," Mancini said, "although we would have loved to have had him. You never know what's going to happen, but he's made it very clear that he intends to play college hockey, and you have to respect that."

In the end, Kessel's decision to attend Minnesota over Wisconsin was clearly a difficult one, and one he didn't take lightly.

"Minnesota plays more of an offensive style," he said. "They're both great schools and theyre both great teams.

"This decision was&the hardest decision I've ever made," he added. "The hardest phone call was definitely Coach Eaves last night."

Kessel will join a recruiting class at Minnesota that already includes No. 5 overall NHL draft pick Blake Wheeler, two U.S. NTDP teammates in Jeff Frazee and Ryan Stoa, Shattuck-St. Mary's star Kyle Okposo, and heralded Minnesota high school defenseman R.J. Anderson. They will join an already talented cast: the Gophers have had Inside College Hockey's third-ranked recruiting class each of the past two years, and none of the six Minnesota seniors graduating are stars.