It's the most coveted trophy in sports. Forget the World Cup trophy, the crystal football for the BCS title, and the Vince Lombardi trophy. The Stanley Cup is the greatest trophy in sports. Even ESPN has said so.
The Blackhawks got to raise the cup for the first time in 49 years, snapping the longest championship drought in the NHL. The Blackhawks had the perfect combination of youth and experience. And leading that youth was a former Sioux player, Jonathan Toews.
Toews had an incredible playoff run, scoring 29 points in the postseason, finishing only behind Danny Briere of the Flyers. He was the recipient of the Conn Smythe trophy and was the player who got to hoist the Cup for the first time. Not too shabby for a 22 year old.
I'm not huge into the NHL, but I am loving the influx of youth and college kids making an impact. And I salute the Blackhawks for having a great season.
June 11, 2010
June 4, 2010
Fienhage heading to Major Juniors
With the return of Chay Genoway to the Sioux this next season, the departure of Corey Fienhage to Major Juniors is no surprise. The Sioux are ridiculously stacked on the blue line next season and Fienhage was going to be looking at limited playing time. While the Sioux will miss him, he had to do what was right for him. I wish him all the best.
David Toews also headed to Canada after having two sub-par season with the Sioux. I'm not sure what happened with the younger Toews, but my thought is that he might have come in with a chip on his shoulder. Adjusting to the speed and toughness that is college hockey takes some serious mental ability, and in all honesty, David might just not have had that.
Aside from the seniors and those two, those are the only departures thus far. Stay tuned...
David Toews also headed to Canada after having two sub-par season with the Sioux. I'm not sure what happened with the younger Toews, but my thought is that he might have come in with a chip on his shoulder. Adjusting to the speed and toughness that is college hockey takes some serious mental ability, and in all honesty, David might just not have had that.
Aside from the seniors and those two, those are the only departures thus far. Stay tuned...
May 6, 2010
Chay's returning
In some good news for the Sioux this offseason, Chay Genoway has decided to return for his senior season, taking the medical hardship waver and coming back for now his 5th year. This is some great news for Sioux fans, as it means that aside from the senior departures (VandeVelde and Zajac), the Sioux are returning intact next year.
Time will tell if anyone else leaves (Fienhage might go to major juniors) but otherwise, this Sioux team next year will be stacked with some ridiculous talent.
Hooray!
Time will tell if anyone else leaves (Fienhage might go to major juniors) but otherwise, this Sioux team next year will be stacked with some ridiculous talent.
Hooray!
April 9, 2010
Sioux name will be retired
It's been a struggle for many years. And there has always been the fear that it might come down to a group of elitists that can tell other what is right for them. That decision came yesterday when the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education ruled that UND must retire the Sioux logo.
Check the article out here.
Essentially, this decision was not left to the majority. Over 2/3rds of the Spirit Lake Tribe voted to keep the nickname and while the leaders of the Standing Rock Tribe have not let a vote happen yet, over 1000 signatures have been collected from members of that tribe in support of the nickname and logo. Combine that with ridiculous support throughout the alumni base and the students. Yet somehow, a few people who might consider the nickname offensive voiced their opinion and since we live in a country where the majority doesn't rule anymore, UND will no longer be called the Fighting Sioux.
This name, this logo, what exactly does it mean? There's a lot of pride in this logo. Students, faculty, and alumni are proud to say they are members of Fighting Sioux nation. It symbolizes what the University of North Dakota is in all sports. Courageous. Tough. Decisive. Teamwork. It is a logo that was voted best in ALL of hockey. Let me repeat that. It was voted best in ALL of hockey. You know who came in 2nd?? The Blackhawks logo!!
This is frustrating beyond belief as a Sioux fan. The team I have been cheering for since I was about 16 will no longer be. And in the end, it boils down to money. UND has been trying to join the Summit League for awhile now, but the Summit League wouldn't consider UND until they had the logo issue "resolved." To me, that always meant that the logo would have to go. Now that it is gone, UND can finally join it's precious Summit League and make some money playing in a D1 conference. The dumb thing is, we all know where the school gets its revenue from athletics. It's not from football, basketball, or baseball. It's hockey.
The good news in the short term is the team will still be the Sioux this next season and the Engelstad arena is not going to undergo any changes, since it is a private facility. The NCAA said as long as the logo issue is there, it won't award any regionals to Grand Forks, but I could care less about that. Keep the arena as is. Keep the Sioux logos everywhere. Let those nickname opponents stare at them every day they drive by the arena.
Sad day for any hockey fan...
Check the article out here.
Essentially, this decision was not left to the majority. Over 2/3rds of the Spirit Lake Tribe voted to keep the nickname and while the leaders of the Standing Rock Tribe have not let a vote happen yet, over 1000 signatures have been collected from members of that tribe in support of the nickname and logo. Combine that with ridiculous support throughout the alumni base and the students. Yet somehow, a few people who might consider the nickname offensive voiced their opinion and since we live in a country where the majority doesn't rule anymore, UND will no longer be called the Fighting Sioux.
This name, this logo, what exactly does it mean? There's a lot of pride in this logo. Students, faculty, and alumni are proud to say they are members of Fighting Sioux nation. It symbolizes what the University of North Dakota is in all sports. Courageous. Tough. Decisive. Teamwork. It is a logo that was voted best in ALL of hockey. Let me repeat that. It was voted best in ALL of hockey. You know who came in 2nd?? The Blackhawks logo!!
This is frustrating beyond belief as a Sioux fan. The team I have been cheering for since I was about 16 will no longer be. And in the end, it boils down to money. UND has been trying to join the Summit League for awhile now, but the Summit League wouldn't consider UND until they had the logo issue "resolved." To me, that always meant that the logo would have to go. Now that it is gone, UND can finally join it's precious Summit League and make some money playing in a D1 conference. The dumb thing is, we all know where the school gets its revenue from athletics. It's not from football, basketball, or baseball. It's hockey.
The good news in the short term is the team will still be the Sioux this next season and the Engelstad arena is not going to undergo any changes, since it is a private facility. The NCAA said as long as the logo issue is there, it won't award any regionals to Grand Forks, but I could care less about that. Keep the arena as is. Keep the Sioux logos everywhere. Let those nickname opponents stare at them every day they drive by the arena.
Sad day for any hockey fan...
April 7, 2010
What do the Badgers need to do?
You take a look at the Frozen Four and aside from RIT, it's a surprisingly sterile Frozen Four. You have three number one teams and a number four team. In 2007, we saw no number one seeds and last year, we saw a three and a four seed. Although I'm guessing very few had this Frozen Four predicted, it makes a lot of sense that the three number one seeds that are in it made it.
Wisconsin is the only WCHA representative that made the dance. Does this Wisconsin team have what it takes to win it all? That's going to depend on a few things:
1. Goaltending, goaltending, goaltending. We know how serious and important net-minding is this time of year. The Badgers have a good goalie, not a great goalie. At this time of year, good is rarely enough to get the job done. The Badgers certainly have the offensive firepower to get in a shootout with any team in the league, but that's not how you want to win at this time of year. Gudmandson is going to have to be outstanding against an RIT team that has won it's last 12 games.
2. Don't overthink it. Wisconsin is the superior team in its matchup against RIT, no question. But to borrow a very old cliche, RIT is playing with house money and really has nothing to lose. People are talking about how RIT is going to be like Bemidji with stars in their eyes and just happy to be there. The problem with that is, RIT coach Wayne Wilson is one step ahead of that. He called up Bemidji St. coach Tom Serratore who said that the game in DC was second fiddle to the team winning the regionals. Wilson posted that message in RIT's dressing room. Wisconsin can beat this RIT team if it doesn't overthink the game.
3. Crack RIT's goalie. Jared DeMichiel has allowed 14 goals in their last 11 games. Granted, a lot of those games came against weak AHA opponents, but you can't overlook the fact that he held Denver to one goal and a New Hampshire team that had just shelled the best goaltender in the nation to two. Wisconsin certainly has the offense to do this, but they need to get the lead early. Crack DeMichiel early and the rest of the pieces should fall into place.
It should be a great Frozen Four. You have high-quality teams in place and with Miami of Ohio fighting for what should have been theirs last year, it's going to be exciting.
Wisconsin is the only WCHA representative that made the dance. Does this Wisconsin team have what it takes to win it all? That's going to depend on a few things:
1. Goaltending, goaltending, goaltending. We know how serious and important net-minding is this time of year. The Badgers have a good goalie, not a great goalie. At this time of year, good is rarely enough to get the job done. The Badgers certainly have the offensive firepower to get in a shootout with any team in the league, but that's not how you want to win at this time of year. Gudmandson is going to have to be outstanding against an RIT team that has won it's last 12 games.
2. Don't overthink it. Wisconsin is the superior team in its matchup against RIT, no question. But to borrow a very old cliche, RIT is playing with house money and really has nothing to lose. People are talking about how RIT is going to be like Bemidji with stars in their eyes and just happy to be there. The problem with that is, RIT coach Wayne Wilson is one step ahead of that. He called up Bemidji St. coach Tom Serratore who said that the game in DC was second fiddle to the team winning the regionals. Wilson posted that message in RIT's dressing room. Wisconsin can beat this RIT team if it doesn't overthink the game.
3. Crack RIT's goalie. Jared DeMichiel has allowed 14 goals in their last 11 games. Granted, a lot of those games came against weak AHA opponents, but you can't overlook the fact that he held Denver to one goal and a New Hampshire team that had just shelled the best goaltender in the nation to two. Wisconsin certainly has the offense to do this, but they need to get the lead early. Crack DeMichiel early and the rest of the pieces should fall into place.
It should be a great Frozen Four. You have high-quality teams in place and with Miami of Ohio fighting for what should have been theirs last year, it's going to be exciting.
March 29, 2010
After some time to reflect...
I've been contemplating the Sioux's loss to Yale and the ending of the season over the weekend...all while fighting an infection in my tooth (painful).
What to say? The Sioux fell in the opening round of the NCAA's for the 2nd straight year and will be watching the Frozen Four on TV again. So why did this happen again this year? I have a few thoughts on the matter:
1. The Sioux ran out of gas. After playing 6 games in 9 days, they had to fly 1500 miles to the east coast to play a Yale team that had essentially a 3 week break. Simply put, the Sioux team was not rested for this game.
2. They were no longer the underdogs. Most of the season, the Sioux were playing from behind, be it on the scoreboard or in the standings. The team seemed to embrace that role, and it worked all the way through the Final Five, where no one expected them to do anything. Once in the regional, everyone expected the Sioux to go all the way. This could have presented problems.
3. The defense was banged up. Yes, I know good teams play through injuries, but when your best player is still suffering from concussion symptoms, another is out, and two others are playing through injuries, it's not easy. I hate using it as an excuse, but certainly could be a reason.
4. The Sioux underestimated Yale. It's possible that UND was thinking this game would be easy against a ratty ECAC team that has no clear cut goaltender and is missing it's best forward.
5. Yale overachieved. As the Sioux did in the Final Five, Yale might have just said F this and risen up. Let's be honest; they were playing with house money and when that happens, teams generally do very well.
I don't want to sit here and say that it's ok that the Sioux lost because it's not. I don't care that they "did better" then they were supposed to. Once you get to the playoffs, do your job and win games. At the same time, I still am proud of this team. They worked very hard in the face of some ridiculous adversity. Let's not forget that the Sioux are one of the premier teams in the NCAA and always have a target on their back.
That being said, as Sioux fans, sit back and enjoy the Frozen Four.
Good job Sioux, good game
What to say? The Sioux fell in the opening round of the NCAA's for the 2nd straight year and will be watching the Frozen Four on TV again. So why did this happen again this year? I have a few thoughts on the matter:
1. The Sioux ran out of gas. After playing 6 games in 9 days, they had to fly 1500 miles to the east coast to play a Yale team that had essentially a 3 week break. Simply put, the Sioux team was not rested for this game.
2. They were no longer the underdogs. Most of the season, the Sioux were playing from behind, be it on the scoreboard or in the standings. The team seemed to embrace that role, and it worked all the way through the Final Five, where no one expected them to do anything. Once in the regional, everyone expected the Sioux to go all the way. This could have presented problems.
3. The defense was banged up. Yes, I know good teams play through injuries, but when your best player is still suffering from concussion symptoms, another is out, and two others are playing through injuries, it's not easy. I hate using it as an excuse, but certainly could be a reason.
4. The Sioux underestimated Yale. It's possible that UND was thinking this game would be easy against a ratty ECAC team that has no clear cut goaltender and is missing it's best forward.
5. Yale overachieved. As the Sioux did in the Final Five, Yale might have just said F this and risen up. Let's be honest; they were playing with house money and when that happens, teams generally do very well.
I don't want to sit here and say that it's ok that the Sioux lost because it's not. I don't care that they "did better" then they were supposed to. Once you get to the playoffs, do your job and win games. At the same time, I still am proud of this team. They worked very hard in the face of some ridiculous adversity. Let's not forget that the Sioux are one of the premier teams in the NCAA and always have a target on their back.
That being said, as Sioux fans, sit back and enjoy the Frozen Four.
Good job Sioux, good game
March 26, 2010
Down goes Denver
It's no secret how much I dislike the Denver program. I think it's on par with Minnesota in terms of arrogance from its fanbase. And Chambers is pretty much the worst reporter/beat writer on the planet.
Yet today, the program was humbled in a way it never has been before, falling 2-1 to RIT in the East Regional, sending the #15 Tigers to the regional championship game and sending Denver to the golf course.
Chambers made it quite clear earlier in the season that DU was well on it's way to its 8th championship and was making comparisons to the Boston University team that won it all last year. With all due respect, that Boston team was the best team I have seen in college hockey since the 1999 Maine Black Bears. This DU team was built around one line and a goaltender. This was not a complete team. Sure, in February they were clicking on all cylinders, but is it possible the DU boys were reading their press clippings a little? Starting to believe the National Championship would be theirs?
You can never lay down in college hockey, because as soon as you do, another team will jump on top of you and destroy you. As I've discussed before, the parity in college hockey is going way down. Any team on any given night can win. And in a one and done scenario, there is no second chance. You either show up or you're saying "what if?"
Hats off to RIT!
Yet today, the program was humbled in a way it never has been before, falling 2-1 to RIT in the East Regional, sending the #15 Tigers to the regional championship game and sending Denver to the golf course.
Chambers made it quite clear earlier in the season that DU was well on it's way to its 8th championship and was making comparisons to the Boston University team that won it all last year. With all due respect, that Boston team was the best team I have seen in college hockey since the 1999 Maine Black Bears. This DU team was built around one line and a goaltender. This was not a complete team. Sure, in February they were clicking on all cylinders, but is it possible the DU boys were reading their press clippings a little? Starting to believe the National Championship would be theirs?
You can never lay down in college hockey, because as soon as you do, another team will jump on top of you and destroy you. As I've discussed before, the parity in college hockey is going way down. Any team on any given night can win. And in a one and done scenario, there is no second chance. You either show up or you're saying "what if?"
Hats off to RIT!
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