Gopher Hockey!

[Hockey Guy]

Well, the Gophers started practicing! I’m so pumped! I bet Lucia is leaving practice everyday with a huge smile on his face. His main stress this year will be the expectations this team has. I think they should warm up for the season by scrimmaging the Wild a few times. I think the average age on both teams is about the same! JK.

[8-Ball]

HG- I hear ya- it is looking very promising. I can't wait!

[buzzsaw]

Hey HG, I live in Lakeville as well! The Gophers have high expectations... kinda like the Twins and Vikings...

[GregT]

Hopefully they will actually perform, unlike the other MN teams.

I'm excited for the games to begin as my 7yo will be playing during one of the intermissions on Oct 15th.

[tashit]

If any MN team actually performs it will be the Gophers and I'm sure they will. I didn't get to watch the game but judging by the score, the Wild had a pretty impressive first game. At least they're off to a better start than the Vikes!

[8-Ball]

Strib story says the coaches have picked the Gophs to finish 1st in WCHA. Hopefully that will not be the kiss of death it often times turns out to be...

[redlake]

Gophers are so overated this year. Lucia is a great coach but they don't have the talent to competet this year. Denver and North Dakota have younger teams and more talent. I look for the Rodents to finish 3rd at best. Duluth will challenge them for that spot.

[Shorelunch]

(Contact US Regarding This Word),

I'm the biggest Sioux fan and Gopher hockey hater there is, but stop hitting the houchie pipe. The Gophs have some outstanding talent in place. ND may have too young of team on D this year, or at least the first half of the year, and the Pies lost some talent as well. Between DU, UM, UND, UW and CC, spots 1-5 in the WCHA are anyone's guess - my guess is as I just listed. And then there's usually a surprise team to throw in as well.

[snowman678]

The gophs had a fairly talented team last year, they lost virtually nobody, & have an incomming freshman class that is widely regarded as the best in the nation. I really can't see how that adds up to having no talent. I can't wait for another season of awesome WCHA hockey, could we have another all WCHA frozen four?

[tashit]

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The gophs had a fairly talented team last year, they lost virtually nobody, & have an incomming freshman class that is widely regarded as the best in the nation. I really can't see how that adds up to having no talent. I can't wait for another season of awesome WCHA hockey, could we have another all WCHA frozen four?

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Exactly. They made it to the Frozen Four (although they shouldn't have), really didn't lose anyone, plus have probably the best incoming class.

[8-Ball]

I agree. I am a little concerned about goal. I know the incoming kid has talent, but wondering how he will respond at this level when called on... Give me a break Red Lake- the Gophs have no talent? What planet are you on?

[buzzsaw]

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Give me a break Red Lake- the Gophs have no talent? What planet are you on?

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That would be planet smokem' peace pipe up on the Red lake range. Lay off the geef and open your eyes young fella... the WCHA will once again have a team that wins the NCAA's... I just don't know who it will be, I just know it won't be SCSU, Mich Tech, Alaska or UMD.

[buzzsaw]

Heres the kiss of death! The new rankings came out and guess who's #1???

USCHO.com/CSTV Division I Men's Poll

October 10, 2005

Team (First Place) Record Pts Last Week

1 Minnesota (15) 0-0-0 765 2

2 Denver (23) 0-0-0 758 1

3 Cornell 0-0-0 668 4

4 Boston College ( 1) 0-0-0 662 3

5 Ohio State ( 1) 0-0-0 639 5

6 Colorado College 2-0-0 624 6

7 Michigan 2-0-0 558 8

8 New Hampshire 0-0-0 509 9

9 North Dakota 1-1-0 455 7

10 Michigan State 2-0-0 373 17

11 Wisconsin 1-1-0 359 10

12 Maine 1-1-0 326 11

13 Northern Michigan 0-0-0 325 12

14 Boston University 0-0-0 315 13

15 Dartmouth 0-0-0 223 14

16 Colgate 1-0-0 210 18

17 Harvard 0-0-0 199 15

18 Mass.-Lowell 1-1-0 104 16

19 Vermont 0-0-0 81 19

20 Bemidji State 2-0-0 74 -

[Hockey Guy]

The most scrutinized position of all Minnesota sports (including pro), is probably the goaltender for the Gophers. I have watched Frazee play a number of times and I think he’s the real deal. Goalies are streaky. That’s the nature of the position. Remember, this kid held off the best players in the world to win the Gold last year in the World Junior Cup. I also read an article from the Denver paper that said he was pretty impressive at the pre-Olympic tryouts last month against the best pro players the U.S. has to offer. He might be jittery at first but I think he will ultimately be one of the best goalies to come out of the U of M. Don’t forget that Briggs was pretty awesome the first half of last year as well.

[8-Ball]

Well, I feel a little better after reading your post-HG. Looking forward to what the young whippersnapper does between the pipes. Bring it on!

[Proctor Pete]

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I look for the Rodents to finish 3rd at best. Duluth will challenge them for that spot.

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Duluth ain't gonna challenge anyone this year. 25 players on the roster total with 4 goalies. Dressing at least 10 true freshmen every night. Saw both losses to Bemidji State....Oy Vey! What a year to buy season tickets! Yuck!

[buzzsaw]

Updated incoming recruit info:

From USHR from this summer's Select 17 Festival:

Select 17 Forwards

1. Michael Carman (Rosemount, MN) 6'0"/180, Powerful skater, a bull who can go through guys to the net - and did all week. Very Impressive here. Committed to Minnesota. Plays in the National Program.

2. Ryan Flynn (Lino Lakes, MN) 6'3"/215, Left wing on Kyle Okposo's line. Dynamic pair used combination of finesse and power. Plays in the National Program. Being recruited by Boston College, Harvard, Gophers, Colorado College.

3. Blake Geoffrion (Brentwood, TN) 6'2"/190, Big, physical player with soft hands. Made excellent passes, and can shoot it. Had excellent game Wednesday (2 goals, 1 assist) and beat Wes Vesprini with an unstoppable shot. Committed to Wisconsin. Plays in the National Program.

4. Kyle Okposo (St. Paul, MN) 6'0"/200, Very strong, very hard to knock off puck, and a total competitor. Committed to Gophers. Leaving Shattuck to play senior season at Des Moines (USHL). Named to the U.S. Under-18 Select Team going to Slovakia/Czech Republic in August.

5. Rhett Rakhshani (Huntington Beach, CA) 5'10"/170, Committed to Denver.

6. Patrick Kane (Buffalo, NY) 5'10"/153 Probably either Michigan or Boston University

7. Chris Atkinson (Kinderhook, NY) 5'8"/175 Committed to Vermont

8. James Marcou (Kings Park, NY) 5'7"/145 Committed to UMass

9. Michael Forney (Thief River Falls, MN) 6'2"/190, Big powerful wing as the leading point-getter here. Was involved in 11 of his team's 20 goals. Plays for Thief River Falls Lincoln high school. On Sioux Falls' (USHL) 25-man protected list. Named to the U.S. Under-18 Select Team going to Slovakia/Czech Republic in August

The highlighted guys have committed to the U of M!

[buzzsaw]

'06 NHL draft: the year of the Gopher

Other than a national team, I wonder if in the history of the NHL draft any team has ever had the draft that the Gophers should have in '06.

Kessel (proj #1)

EJohnson (top 5?)

Okposo (top 10?)

Carman (low 1st-2nd?)

Flynn (low 1st-2nd?)

Fischer (3rd?)

...and chance at Forney (top 10?)

[NAPAFISH]

Red lake sounded bout right tonight. The team that played tonight is not the #1 ranked in the nation. To much standing around, reaching, lazy penalties. The Nanooks have one player who has been drafted. How embarrassing, hopefully, HOPEFULLY this was an abberation. With all the hype with this Kessell kid. I was expecting more. Hopefully tonight we will see a different team

[8-Ball]

Give the kid a chance- You are already giving up on him based on his 1st game as a goph- non-conference nonetheless? Relax. It won't be an overnight transformation into Superman.

[30 inch eyes]

they took af a lot too lightly this weekend, thinking af would just lay over to the #1 ranked team, but they(af) showed UM that they really need to come to play, that other teams won't just give them the win. The gophers will get a wake up call this week at practice. I always say, an early season loss is a great wake up call for a young team. It kind of brings them back to reality.

[buzzsaw]

I was there on Friday night and was talking with Jeff Dubay between periods and we both agreed that they had no legs and just plain seemed sluggish. I was not impressed at all.This kind of a weekend will come back to haunt us at the end of the year.

[Hockey Guy]

They did play terrible this weekend but I think they will be fine. First of all, it's a good wake up call. Second, Alaska Fairbanks is going to make some serious noise this year. Third, it's better to lose earlier rather than later for the NCAA rankings. Those of you that have read some of my previous posts know I was worried about this happening. I just hope Lucia can turn it around. He can start by cutting Harrington as far as I'm concerned.

[redlake]

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I was there on Friday night and was talking with Jeff Dubay between periods and we both agreed that they had no legs and just plain seemed sluggish. I was not impressed at all.This kind of a weekend will come back to haunt us at the end of the year.

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You are right buzzsaw. You and Jeff Dubay. I guess you really like to do some name dropping. Buzzsaw, why don't you just change your name to ilovethegophers? You wouldn't know good hockey if you watched it on Hockey Night In Canada.

Buzzy, you make hockey fans look bad. You're a cake eater. You have 2000+ posts and you don't know what your talking about. You are a confused young man. Take up a hobby like fishing. You're pathetic. If you have more than four Gopher shirts in your wardrobe, you're a loser. I hang my head in shame for the hockey you pretend to know.

I maybe could cheer for the gophers if real hockey fans attended the games. They have 80 percent attendance of white collar business men who need to be seen at the game. They don't know who is playing or what it takes to win. It is just an observation and it might be right. It is called "come see me at the game, having a beer. Look at me." Fans that are at the game and don't really know what is going on. I have been there. The OLD mariucci arena had real hockey. Those days are gone. The days I remeber are

Pat Micheletti in 1984 scoring 48 goals with 48 assists. Cory Millen. Wally Chapman. Steve MacSwain. That was real hockey. Buzzsaw.

That is why the home field advantage isn't there anymore for the gophers. It is like going to a professional game. Fans sitting on their hands, drinking beer, careful so they don't spill on their Ralph Lauren gopher sweatshirt.

Hockey is a game for those who love the game. The love is 15 to 20 percent in the twin cities. Come to Bemidji. We love our hockey and we play in a barn. We want you to come there.

P.S. (Hockeyguy, I like you. I think you know something and you know the history. The Gophers will be O.K. after Thanksgiving. It will take Lucia some time to get his team to follow his system. After that, they will only go as far as their goaltending.)

[buzzsaw]

Oh Red, where do I start with you.....

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You are right buzzsaw. You and Jeff Dubay. I guess you really like to do some name dropping. Buzzsaw, why don't you just change your name to ilovethegophers? You wouldn't know good hockey if you watched it on Hockey Night In Canada

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I went to high school at Hopkins with him, lived across the street from him, caught the same bus to school everyday for three years and you have to come out and act like a little fire water drinking fool again.

Gary Sargent

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I maybe could cheer for the gophers if real hockey fans attended the games. They have 80 percent attendance of white collar business men who need to be seen at the game. They don't know who is playing or what it takes to win. It is just an observation and it might be right. It is called "come see me at the game, having a beer. Look at me." Fans that are at the game and don't really know what is going on. I have been there. The OLD mariucci arena had real hockey. Those days are gone. The days I remeber are

Pat Micheletti in 1984 scoring 48 goals with 48 assists. Cory Millen. Wally Chapman. Steve MacSwain. That was real hockey

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You left out a few Mr. Knowitall.... Tim Harrer, Butsy Erickson, Bonin, Ulseth, Bjugstad,, Skarda, Olimb etc.. Go sit near the student section, learn a few fun chants and have fun... maybe your opinion would change... I go to alot of games, I don't suspect you do.... but It sounds like you don't need to as you already know everything about anything.

remember these images???

Keep stereotyping if it makes you feel better about yourself.