About one month ago, the WCHA Blog kicked off its list of which WCHA towns make for the best roadtrips. For my list, I’m basing this off five criteria (Access, Bars, City Experience, Hotels, and Ticket Cost / Availability). For a detailed list of what these five items mean to me, click here.
Here is a list of the cities the preview has previously covered up until today:
10. Houghton
9. Grand Forks
8. Mankato
7. St. Cloud
6. Madison
5. Anchorage
This week, its city No. 4: Minneapolis, Minn., which is home to the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Access
This review as a whole is a bit different for me since I’ve lived in the Twin Cities area my whole life and therefore have never had a chance to ‘visit’ the area. However, as I’ve stated before, I’ve been to all the other WCHA towns, so I feel that I can compare the Minneapolis area to these towns.
Minneapolis is probably the easiest city to get to in the WCHA. It’s about an hour away from St. Cloud and Mankato, two hours from Duluth, and a little over four hours from Madison and Grand Forks. The drive from most of these areas is pretty painless, although the Twin Cities area can certainly generate its share of traffic as you get closer to either downtown.
With the 35W bridge disaster, it’s a little tougher to navigate the area around the Minnesota campus, but it’s still manageable, especially at night (when hockey games generally are) as opposed to rush hour.
The Twin Cities also features an international airport with several flights a day to the Denver / Colorado Springs area, among others.
Bars
As is the case with most big schools in major cities, there are plenty of options for having some fun before and after the games. There are obviously many bars in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area, but I think you’ll find that you won’t need to leave the U of M campus to find a good time.
Before the games, there are three places that most fans venture to that are all in the same general area. Sally’s Saloon and Eatery is the biggest hangout of the three. Like the others, it’s just a few blocks from Mariucci Arena and is a typical sports bar. It gets very busy before the games but is big enough to accommodate the hockey crowd. However, it can get very packed if the campus has another event going on that day. The menu is limited on gamedays but is still very solid. It’s a tad spendy, but the atmosphere is what keeps people coming back over the years.
Down the street a bit you’ll find Big Ten Restaurant & Bar. This place gets packed as well, but mainly because it’s very small compared to Sally’s. Big 10 is known for their subs, which are excellent. They have a much better selection of beer on tap, if that’s your thing.
Stub and Herbs is the other of the mainstays for pregaming. Featuring both an upper and lower level, there’s nothing overly special about it, but they have a lot of room and your traditional bar food.
If you’re looking to have some fun at night, The Library is the most popular bar on campus after dark. It gets very packed with the ‘hip and trendy’ crowd, but they have good specials on the weekend and the “scenery” is nice. And yes, it’s about two blocks away from the infamous Blarney Pub and Grill.
Finally, if you’re looking for a late-night snack after your do some bar-hopping, Burrito Loco, which is adjacent to The Library, is where you’ll want to go. They are open well past bar close and it is the place to go for after hours food.
City Experience
There are quite a few things to do in the Twin Cities area. In the fall, Viking and Gopher football games could kill some time on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. The Wild start up in early October, which would make for a good time in St. Paul on a Thursday or Sunday. Out-of-towners like to frequent the Mall of America as well if they’ve never been to the Twin Cities area.
Click here to visit the official visitors guide to the Twin Cities.
Hotels
There are not too many options near Mariucci Arena. The best bet for visitors is the Radisson that is right by the three bars / restaurants I mentioned earlier. It’s well over $100 a night though, which could be problematic.
There is a Days Inn down the street a bit that could be a more viable option for the money-conscience.
If readers have other suggestions here, please feel free to chime in via the comments section, since this is one area that I don’t deal with too often in Minneapolis.
Ticket Cost / Availability
As anyone who has visited the Twin Cities to watch a Gopher game, you know that this is a potential issue. Gopher games are all essentially sold out before tickets go on sale to the public. Scattered single seats and standing-room tickets can be had when tickets go on sale in mid-September each year.
However, buying tickets from scalpers out front has always been a popular route of attack, and now that scalping tickets is legal in Minnesota, this is likely to be an increased course of action for folks looking for seats. The standard ticket is $30, but unless the Gophers are playing someone like North Dakota or Wisconsin, you can likely pay under face-value from scalpers to get in if you play your cards right.
As with any roadtrip though, it’s nice to have tickets in-hand before leaving.
Summary
As I said before, I’ve never “visited” Minneapolis since I live here, but I think it has all the ingredients to be a great roadtrip town: the hockey will almost always be good because of the quality of Minnesota’s teams each year, it’s easy to get to the area and it’s centrally located, and there are plenty of places to hangout around Mariucci. Lodging could be a slight issue if you don’t want to have to drive at all, but finding a decent place isn’t an issue at all. And finally, tickets to Gopher games aren’t going to fall into your lap, but with some many resources online to find tickets, it really shouldn’t be too tough to have them with you before you depart.
Overall Grade: B
Friday, August 31, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Ben Hanowski verbals to SCSU
According to Kevin Allenspach's blog, Little Falls senior Ben Hanowski has committed to St. Cloud State for the fall of 2009. He'll be reunited with ex-linemate Jared Festler, who will join SCSU next fall after playing for Lincoln in the USHL.
Birkholz commits to Minnesota
The Gopher Hockey Blog is reporting that Blake forward Josh Birkholz has committed to the University of Minnesota for the fall of 2010. Birkholz, who stands a 6', 170 lbs. and is from Maple Grove, Minn., could come in a year earlier if the Gophers are hit hard with pro departures.
WCHA Arena No. 5 – DECC
About a month ago, the WCHA Blog kicked off its list of which WCHA arenas are the best. I'm basing my list off of three criteria (Arena, Atmosphere, and Crowd). For a detailed list of what these three items mean to me, click here and scroll down a bit.Here is a list of the arenas that I've already covered:
10. Sullivan Arena - Anchorage, AK
9. John MacInnes Student Ice Arena – Houghton, MI
8. Alltel Center – Mankato, MN
7. World Arena – Colorado Springs, CO
6. Magness Arena – Denver, CO
This week, its arena No. 5: the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, better known as the DECC, which is home to the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs.
Arena
The DECC is one of the oldest arenas in the WCHA, as it opened over forty years ago in 1966. If you’re a first-time visitor to the building, this fact would not surprise you. The building itself is not the greatest, but has held up okay when you consider the constant wear and tear it’s put through on an annual basis.
As the name would suggest, the DECC is home to several other events aside from the men’s and women’s hockey games. A quick look at the calendar on the DECC’s website would show you things like concerts, plays, craft shows, and even a cook-off occupy the facility at various times throughout the year.
Despite the deficiencies in the quality of the building, the sitelines are some of the very best in the WCHA. There are very few bad seats in the house, as the seating arrangement is basically an elevated bowl. Because it’s a smaller arena, you’ll feel like you’re right on top of the action in a majority of the seats.
Because of the arena’s age, the city of Duluth and UMD are working on getting a new rink built. Many college hockey fans have probably read through the struggles the city and university have had over the last few years in getting the legislation pushed through. For more on that, click here.
Atmosphere
Most of the contests I’ve witnessed at the DECC have involved the University of Minnesota taking on the Bulldogs, so my view of the atmosphere may be a bit jaded in this case, but I’ve always found it to be very good at the DECC.
The UMD band is one key reason why the atmosphere is so great. They do a very good job of keeping the crowd fired up, and they also work in concert with the students a great deal to get some fun chants going. I’m sure Minnesota goaltender Jeff Frazee and former Badger Robbie Earl (among others) could attest to this.
With UMD’s struggles over the last few years, opposing team’s fans have had a bit easier of a time getting into the building, so that can dilute the overall atmosphere in a way. Still though, there are plenty of Bulldog fans to be found, and they help make it a great place to watch a hockey game.
Crowd
As I eluded to in the Atmosphere section, the crowds at the DECC are generally pretty good – if not great – when some of the better WCHA teams come to town. The arena holds about 5,300 onlookers for hockey games, and games against the likes of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota generally result in near-full houses, thanks in part to those schools’ ability to bring fans with them on the road.
For Minnesota games specifically, the students really get into the whole ‘anti-Gopher’ angle, which is great to hear and witness as a fan of the Gophers.
Summary
The DECC gets a little higher rating than it possibly deserves from me because it’s one of the last “old rinks” in the WCHA. While the new and modern facilities are nice, there’s something to be said about an old barn like the DECC. You don’t see the rink attendants shooting water out onto the ice with a garden hose at places like Mariucci or the Ralph while the Zamboni is resurfacing the ice.
Overall Grade: B
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Lucia interview with PA and Dubay
Minnesota head coach Don Lucia joined PA and Dubay on KFAN 1130 AM yesterday to talk a little bit about the Gophers' offseason losses and to also look ahead to the 2007-08 season. You can listen to and/or download that interview by clicking here and scrolling down a bit.
Pioneers add AJHL forward Colborne for 2008
The Denver coaching staff has been very busy this summer when it comes to recruiting players for this fall, but according to a report published by the U.S. Hockey Report, they have added Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL) forward Joe Colborne for the fall of 2008. In his first season for Camrose last year, Colborne had 20 goals and 28 assists in 53 games. According to the Kodiaks' website, he stands a 6'3", 175 lbs.
DU stays busy on the recruiting trail for '07
Denver has added two more recruits for this fall. Defenseman Joey Brehm, who was a senior last year at Edina High School, will join the Pioneers this fall, according to a press release from the DU athletic department. He was scheduled to play for the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL.
As the Western College Hockey Blog points out, goalie Lars Paulgaard, who was reportedly set to join the Pioneers this fall as well, is not listed in the release. Instead, goalie Eddie Guinn, who played in the Central States Hockey League last season, will join DU this fall as their third goalie behind senior Peter Mannino and fellow freshman Marc Cheverie.
As the Western College Hockey Blog points out, goalie Lars Paulgaard, who was reportedly set to join the Pioneers this fall as well, is not listed in the release. Instead, goalie Eddie Guinn, who played in the Central States Hockey League last season, will join DU this fall as their third goalie behind senior Peter Mannino and fellow freshman Marc Cheverie.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Holy Angels' forward Danny Mattson to UND
Holy Angels junior forward Danny Mattson has committed to North Dakota for the fall of 2009, according to Brad Schlossman's blog. He had 19 goals and 49 assists last year for the Stars. This summer, Mattson participated in the 2007 Under-18 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka as a member of Team USA. That team was selected based off of performances from the Select 17 Player Development Camp.
WCHA Blog's Take: Another great get for Dave Hakstol and Co. Depending upon when players come in due to early departures, UND now has five Twin Cities kids committed for the fall of 2009. Mattson joins fellow forwards Danny Kristo (Eden Prairie, now US-NTDP) and Mike Fink (Hopkins, now Waterloo in the USHL), along with defensemen Cory Fienhage (Eastview) and Joe Gleason (Edina).
WCHA Blog's Take: Another great get for Dave Hakstol and Co. Depending upon when players come in due to early departures, UND now has five Twin Cities kids committed for the fall of 2009. Mattson joins fellow forwards Danny Kristo (Eden Prairie, now US-NTDP) and Mike Fink (Hopkins, now Waterloo in the USHL), along with defensemen Cory Fienhage (Eastview) and Joe Gleason (Edina).
Former UND defenseman Lee featured on NHL.com
Former North Dakota defenseman Brian Lee is featured in an article on NHL.com that discusses some of the Ottawa Senators' top prospects. Lee played two seasons at North Dakota and registered six goals and 47 assists. He was a first round pick by the Sens in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and signed with Ottawa this past summer, forgoing his final two years in Grand Forks.
Nate Hagemo to attempt a return?
The Gopher Hockey Blog is reporting that former Gopher defenseman Nate Hagemo may attempt a comeback with Minnesota this fall. He suffered a shoulder injury early in his freshman season (2004-05) and that plagued him the rest of his freshman year. He played in three games during his sophomore year before deciding to take a medical redshirt and to use that season to fully recover from the injury. Finally, after attempting to rejoin the team last fall, he was unable to play and announced that his hockey career was over.
WCHA Blog's Take: Even though this is still in the early stages and nothing is finalized, this would certainly be a great story if Hagemo was able to return to the ice and contribute in any form. That being said, I wouldn't hold my breath on him contributing in a meaningful fashion. The injury he had was obviously severe, and he's played three games over the last two-and-a-half years.
Good luck to Nate, and hopefully he can prove me wrong.
WCHA Blog's Take: Even though this is still in the early stages and nothing is finalized, this would certainly be a great story if Hagemo was able to return to the ice and contribute in any form. That being said, I wouldn't hold my breath on him contributing in a meaningful fashion. The injury he had was obviously severe, and he's played three games over the last two-and-a-half years.
Good luck to Nate, and hopefully he can prove me wrong.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Fromer UND defenseman Smaby featured on Lightning's website
Former North Dakota defenseman Matt Smaby is featured in an article on the Tampa Bay Lighting's website that talks about their top prospects. Smaby, who was a 2003 second round draft pick by Tampa Bay, played three seasons for UND before forgoing his senior year. Click here to read more.
Friday, August 24, 2007
UM recruit Larson to red shirt this season
As the Gopher Hockey Blog first reported, it appears as though Minnesota recruit Nick Larson will red shirt this season for the Golden Gophers. He was slated to play with Omaha in the USHL after wrapping up his senior year at Hill-Murray last season. However, he is now listed on the official roster on the U of M's athletic website.
Larson was a seventh round pick by the Washington Capitals in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
WCHA Blog's Take: As the Gopher Hockey Blog points out, this is kind of an odd move, since red shirts are rarely used in college hockey and it appears as though Larson will lose out on lots of game action by red shirting as opposed to playing a full season in the USHL. Regardless, I'd suspect there is a legit reason behind this choice and hopefully it turns out for the best for all involved.
Larson was a seventh round pick by the Washington Capitals in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
WCHA Blog's Take: As the Gopher Hockey Blog points out, this is kind of an odd move, since red shirts are rarely used in college hockey and it appears as though Larson will lose out on lots of game action by red shirting as opposed to playing a full season in the USHL. Regardless, I'd suspect there is a legit reason behind this choice and hopefully it turns out for the best for all involved.
WCHA Roadtrip Town No. 5 – Anchorage
About one month ago, the WCHA Blog kicked off its list of which WCHA towns make for the best roadtrips. For my list, I’m basing this off five criteria (Access, Bars, City Experience, Hotels, and Ticket Cost / Availability). For a detailed list of what these five items mean to me, click here.
Here is a list of the cities the preview has previously covered up until today:
10. Houghton
9. Grand Forks
8. Mankato
7. St. Cloud
6. Madison
This week, it’s city No. 5: Anchorage, AK., which is home to the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves.
Access
If there was ever going to be a mark against a city in the WCHA, it would certainly come here. Obviously Anchorage is very far away from most other WCHA schools, and requires a flight to gain access to the city.
There are daily flights from Denver and Minneapolis to the city of Anchorage, so finding a flight isn’t the problem. The price that one must pay for their ticket is the issue, as most flights from either airport cost in the neighborhood of between $500 and $600.
If and when a person gets to Anchorage though, it’s no different that navigating around a normal city, assuming the weather is decent. There are some minor hiccups, but all in all, getting around Anchorage is not problematic.
Bars
As with any large city, Anchorage’s downtown area features plenty of fun places to grab a drink or a bite to eat. I’ve only been to Anchorage once, but over those four days I tried to visit as many places as possible.
One of my favorites was the F Street Station, which is in the heart of downtown and near many of the other bars and restaurants in the area. We went there late at night and it was absolutely packed, mostly with college-aged kids. Because the bar itself is pretty small on the inside, it did get pretty tough to move around. The food is above-average and is served much later into the night than some other establishments in the area.
Chilkoot Charlie's was one of the most unique bars I’ve ever been to. It’s located just outside of downtown Anchorage and – like the Red Carpet in St. Cloud – features several different mini-bars inside. They have everything from a live band area to a room with wood stumps for tables and seats with underwear hanging on the walls. As you can imagine, most of the crowd was more young than old, but at the very least it’s worth a stop if you make it up to Anchorage.
Humpy's Great Alaskan Alehouse was another favorite of mine. It was very roomy inside and like the previous two bars, most of the clientele were college-aged. Because the inside was so large, it was much easier to spread out and getting service was also easier.
If you’re looking for a reasonably priced restaurant that’s close to the arena and is a step above the “college / bar scene,” Sorrento's Restaurant is an excellent choice. They feature outstanding Italian food in a classic setting.
City Experience
The city of Anchorage – or more appropriately the surrounding area – may top all other WCHA cities in terms of City Experience. In my opinion, if the City Experience wasn’t so great, very few fans would want to make the trip up to Anchorage to watch their team play.
Even from the downtown area, the views of the Cook Inlet and the nearby mountains are spectacular. But the real fun happens when you leave the downtown area. One drive that I was advised to make was down to Seward. On my lone trip, the weather was very good – near 50 degrees in February – and because of that, the highways down to Seward were drivable, although we were warned beforehand that the warm temperature could result in possible avalanches.
But, we encountered few problems on the 130 mile drive. Just outside the city, you’ll drive along Turnagain Arm, and there are several places to stop to take pictures on the road. Further along Highway 1, you’ll be able to turn off into the city of Alyeska. There are a few ski resorts here, and you can spend a few bucks to take one of the ski lifts to the top of one of the mountains. The ride up was fairly smooth and the view was great.
On this day, there were some melting problems on the road that results in some unexpected slick spots as you ducked in and out of the shadows, but we were able to manage. As we neared Seward, there was thick fog that almost ruined our view from the city out into Resurrection Bay. Luckily the fog lifted during our lunch-break and we were able to see what all the fuss is about – Seward is defiantly worth the drive.
One could also venture north out of Anchorage and up towards Wasilla. This is as far north as we went, but this drive was very picturesque, but much different than the drive to Seward.
Be on the lookout for wildlife on both drives though. We saw a handful of moose while in the Anchorage area, but fortunately none on or near the highway.
Hotels
There are several lodging options in downtown Anchorage. We were able to secure a very good rate at the Captain Cook Hotel, which is one of the best hotels in Anchorage. This hotel was very nice, and featured arguably the best hotel bar I’ve seen. There are a handful of restaurants in the hotel, and there are also several shops on the first floor. Ask a hotel worked about the “secret” breakfast area on the top floor, too.
Sullivan Arena is only a few miles from the heart of downtown, so there are plenty of hotel options near the arena, although most aren’t within walking distance.
Ticket Cost / Availability
This is another area where Anchorage excels. Tickets are very inexpensive and are easy to obtain on most nights. Additionally, because most of the crowds in Anchorage are sparse, one can move around Sullivan Arena a bit to find optimal seating or to view the game from different angles.
Summary
This is one trip that each WCHA fan should try to make at some point. Even though it’s much more expensive than most other WCHA trips, it’s worth it. The city is great and if you plan things out right you can really maximize your time in Anchorage.
Overall Grade: B
Here is a list of the cities the preview has previously covered up until today:
10. Houghton
9. Grand Forks
8. Mankato
7. St. Cloud
6. Madison
This week, it’s city No. 5: Anchorage, AK., which is home to the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves.
Access
If there was ever going to be a mark against a city in the WCHA, it would certainly come here. Obviously Anchorage is very far away from most other WCHA schools, and requires a flight to gain access to the city.
There are daily flights from Denver and Minneapolis to the city of Anchorage, so finding a flight isn’t the problem. The price that one must pay for their ticket is the issue, as most flights from either airport cost in the neighborhood of between $500 and $600.
If and when a person gets to Anchorage though, it’s no different that navigating around a normal city, assuming the weather is decent. There are some minor hiccups, but all in all, getting around Anchorage is not problematic.
Bars
As with any large city, Anchorage’s downtown area features plenty of fun places to grab a drink or a bite to eat. I’ve only been to Anchorage once, but over those four days I tried to visit as many places as possible.
One of my favorites was the F Street Station, which is in the heart of downtown and near many of the other bars and restaurants in the area. We went there late at night and it was absolutely packed, mostly with college-aged kids. Because the bar itself is pretty small on the inside, it did get pretty tough to move around. The food is above-average and is served much later into the night than some other establishments in the area.
Chilkoot Charlie's was one of the most unique bars I’ve ever been to. It’s located just outside of downtown Anchorage and – like the Red Carpet in St. Cloud – features several different mini-bars inside. They have everything from a live band area to a room with wood stumps for tables and seats with underwear hanging on the walls. As you can imagine, most of the crowd was more young than old, but at the very least it’s worth a stop if you make it up to Anchorage.
Humpy's Great Alaskan Alehouse was another favorite of mine. It was very roomy inside and like the previous two bars, most of the clientele were college-aged. Because the inside was so large, it was much easier to spread out and getting service was also easier.
If you’re looking for a reasonably priced restaurant that’s close to the arena and is a step above the “college / bar scene,” Sorrento's Restaurant is an excellent choice. They feature outstanding Italian food in a classic setting.
City Experience
The city of Anchorage – or more appropriately the surrounding area – may top all other WCHA cities in terms of City Experience. In my opinion, if the City Experience wasn’t so great, very few fans would want to make the trip up to Anchorage to watch their team play.
Even from the downtown area, the views of the Cook Inlet and the nearby mountains are spectacular. But the real fun happens when you leave the downtown area. One drive that I was advised to make was down to Seward. On my lone trip, the weather was very good – near 50 degrees in February – and because of that, the highways down to Seward were drivable, although we were warned beforehand that the warm temperature could result in possible avalanches.
But, we encountered few problems on the 130 mile drive. Just outside the city, you’ll drive along Turnagain Arm, and there are several places to stop to take pictures on the road. Further along Highway 1, you’ll be able to turn off into the city of Alyeska. There are a few ski resorts here, and you can spend a few bucks to take one of the ski lifts to the top of one of the mountains. The ride up was fairly smooth and the view was great.
On this day, there were some melting problems on the road that results in some unexpected slick spots as you ducked in and out of the shadows, but we were able to manage. As we neared Seward, there was thick fog that almost ruined our view from the city out into Resurrection Bay. Luckily the fog lifted during our lunch-break and we were able to see what all the fuss is about – Seward is defiantly worth the drive.
One could also venture north out of Anchorage and up towards Wasilla. This is as far north as we went, but this drive was very picturesque, but much different than the drive to Seward.
Be on the lookout for wildlife on both drives though. We saw a handful of moose while in the Anchorage area, but fortunately none on or near the highway.
Hotels
There are several lodging options in downtown Anchorage. We were able to secure a very good rate at the Captain Cook Hotel, which is one of the best hotels in Anchorage. This hotel was very nice, and featured arguably the best hotel bar I’ve seen. There are a handful of restaurants in the hotel, and there are also several shops on the first floor. Ask a hotel worked about the “secret” breakfast area on the top floor, too.
Sullivan Arena is only a few miles from the heart of downtown, so there are plenty of hotel options near the arena, although most aren’t within walking distance.
Ticket Cost / Availability
This is another area where Anchorage excels. Tickets are very inexpensive and are easy to obtain on most nights. Additionally, because most of the crowds in Anchorage are sparse, one can move around Sullivan Arena a bit to find optimal seating or to view the game from different angles.
Summary
This is one trip that each WCHA fan should try to make at some point. Even though it’s much more expensive than most other WCHA trips, it’s worth it. The city is great and if you plan things out right you can really maximize your time in Anchorage.
Overall Grade: B
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Minnesota freshman White featured on NHL.com
Minnesota freshman forward Pat White is featured in an article on NHL.com that talks about some of the Vancouver Canucks' top prospects. The Canucks took White with the 25th overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
WCHA Blog's Take: White has a chance to be one of the higher-impact freshmen in the WCHA this season. Minnesota brings back all of their forwards from last season except for Jim O'Brien, but White's talent and ability to play center should help him slide into a spot on a scoring line sooner rather than later.
WCHA Blog's Take: White has a chance to be one of the higher-impact freshmen in the WCHA this season. Minnesota brings back all of their forwards from last season except for Jim O'Brien, but White's talent and ability to play center should help him slide into a spot on a scoring line sooner rather than later.
INCH A to Z: Tech's Geoff Kinrade
Click here to read more about Michigan Tech's Geoff Kinrade, who was featured today as a part of Inside College Hockey's annual A to Z list of various players throughout college hockey.
Previous WCHA players featured this summer:
Minnesota Duluth's Drew Akins
Minnesota State's Mick Berge
Denver's Chris Butler
Wisconsin's Shane Connelly
Alaska Anchorage's Paul Crowder
Previous WCHA players featured this summer:
Minnesota Duluth's Drew Akins
Minnesota State's Mick Berge
Denver's Chris Butler
Wisconsin's Shane Connelly
Alaska Anchorage's Paul Crowder
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Minnesota's Fischer featured on NHL.com
Golden Gopher sophomore defenseman David Fischer is featured in an article on NHL.com that talks about some of the Montreal Canadiens top prospects. The Apple Valley, Minn. native was Montreal's first round pick (20th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Click here to read the article.
WCHA Arena No. 6 – Magness Arena
About a month ago, the WCHA Blog kicked off its list of which WCHA arenas are the best. I'm basing my list off of three criteria (Arena, Atmosphere, and Crowd). For a detailed list of what these three items mean to me, click here and scroll down a bit.Here is a list of the arenas that I've already covered:
10. Sullivan Arena - Anchorage, AK
9. John MacInnes Student Ice Arena – Houghton, MI
8. Alltel Center – Mankato, MN
7. World Arena – Colorado Springs, CO
This week, its arena No. 6: Magness Arena, which is home to the Denver Pioneers.
Arena
Magness Arena is one of the newer rinks in the WCHA. It was built as a part of the Ritchie Center and opened in 1999. Its setup is similar to Michigan Tech’s John MacInnes student ice arena, which is a part of Tech’s Student Development Center.
The main entrance to the arena is inside the Ritchie Center, and is right near a fabulous gift shop. Like the gift shop found at the World Arena, as of the last time I was there, you were able to buy official WCHA game pucks at this shop, which are a personal must-get at any WCHA rink.
Once you’re inside the arena, you’ll find a very modern-looking and up-to-date rink. The arena is basically one big bowl, with both of the ends and one of the sides going up very high. The other side is home to the press box, so it doesn’t have the same amount of seats or incline. There is also a nice array of food and beverage inside the arena.
Keep in mind that the DU basketball team also plays in Magness Arena, so like the Kohl Center in Madison, there are some sightline issues because of the multi-purpose use of the facility. The lighting inside the arena is also a little dark, which is something that is more prevalent on TV than in person.
The DU campus is small and packed into a busy part of the city of Denver and not on the outskirts or anything like that, but fortunately, there is generally plenty of parking around the arena. There is a ramp just south of the arena that many fans make use of.
Atmosphere
This is one area where Magness is hurt when compared to most of the other arenas ahead of it. I’ve only been to games that saw the Pioneers play host to Minnesota, but the arena was far from rockin’ in any of the games.
Maybe not surprisingly, the atmosphere I could best compare Magness to is the World Arena, which is just a few miles down the road. Both arenas are generally much more full than empty, but they just don’t have the same feel as other arenas in the league that feature near capacity crowds on a nightly basis.
Crowd
For hockey games, Magness Arena holds just over 6,000 people, although in most cases, you’d think there was less than that in the house because of the lack of noise. The student section is louder and more into the game than the rest of the crowd would indicate, and that certainly helps things out.
Summary
Like the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Magness Arena falls victim to some of the nation’s best arenas besting ranked ahead of it on the list. The arena itself is as nice as or nicer than 99 percent of the arenas in the country. However, the soft-spoken nature of much of its guests is the major knock against it in my mind.
Overall Grade: B
10. Sullivan Arena - Anchorage, AK
9. John MacInnes Student Ice Arena – Houghton, MI
8. Alltel Center – Mankato, MN
7. World Arena – Colorado Springs, CO
This week, its arena No. 6: Magness Arena, which is home to the Denver Pioneers.
Arena
Magness Arena is one of the newer rinks in the WCHA. It was built as a part of the Ritchie Center and opened in 1999. Its setup is similar to Michigan Tech’s John MacInnes student ice arena, which is a part of Tech’s Student Development Center.
The main entrance to the arena is inside the Ritchie Center, and is right near a fabulous gift shop. Like the gift shop found at the World Arena, as of the last time I was there, you were able to buy official WCHA game pucks at this shop, which are a personal must-get at any WCHA rink.
Once you’re inside the arena, you’ll find a very modern-looking and up-to-date rink. The arena is basically one big bowl, with both of the ends and one of the sides going up very high. The other side is home to the press box, so it doesn’t have the same amount of seats or incline. There is also a nice array of food and beverage inside the arena.
Keep in mind that the DU basketball team also plays in Magness Arena, so like the Kohl Center in Madison, there are some sightline issues because of the multi-purpose use of the facility. The lighting inside the arena is also a little dark, which is something that is more prevalent on TV than in person.
The DU campus is small and packed into a busy part of the city of Denver and not on the outskirts or anything like that, but fortunately, there is generally plenty of parking around the arena. There is a ramp just south of the arena that many fans make use of.
Atmosphere
This is one area where Magness is hurt when compared to most of the other arenas ahead of it. I’ve only been to games that saw the Pioneers play host to Minnesota, but the arena was far from rockin’ in any of the games.
Maybe not surprisingly, the atmosphere I could best compare Magness to is the World Arena, which is just a few miles down the road. Both arenas are generally much more full than empty, but they just don’t have the same feel as other arenas in the league that feature near capacity crowds on a nightly basis.
Crowd
For hockey games, Magness Arena holds just over 6,000 people, although in most cases, you’d think there was less than that in the house because of the lack of noise. The student section is louder and more into the game than the rest of the crowd would indicate, and that certainly helps things out.
Summary
Like the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Magness Arena falls victim to some of the nation’s best arenas besting ranked ahead of it on the list. The arena itself is as nice as or nicer than 99 percent of the arenas in the country. However, the soft-spoken nature of much of its guests is the major knock against it in my mind.
Overall Grade: B
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
UW gets St. Lawrence transfer for 2008
According to Todd Milewski's blog on The Capital Times' website, the Wisconsin Badgers have added former St. Lawrence forward Tom Bardis as a transfer for the 2008-09 season. Bardis, a Alpharetta, Ga., native, will be able to practice with UW this season. As a freshman last season, Bardis had two goals and two assists in 12 games for the Saints.
Okposo, Rakhshani featured on NHL.com
A pair of WCHA sophomores -- Minnesota's Kyle Okposo and Denver's Rhett Rakhshani -- are featured in an article on NHL.com that highlights some of the New York Islanders' top prospects. Both are expected to be key contributors for their respective teams this upcoming season. They, along with Pat Kane, tied for the scoring lead with 10 points at the U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp that was recently held in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Porter signs with St. Louis
Former North Dakota player Chris Porter has signed with the St. Louis Blues, according to a report in the Grand Forks Herald. He was originally selected in the ninth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, but was not signed by the team last week, which allowed him to become a free agent.
Site News
It seems as though things have calmed a bit in the land of the WCHA, as most teams have their rosters finalized for the upcoming season. With school starting in just a few weeks, I'm sure things will pick up again very soon.
Starting in a little over a week or so, I'll start my WCHA preview for the 2007-08 season. Aside from team-by-team previews, the WCHA Blog will examine:
-WCHA Conference Schedules
-Non-Conference Schedules
-Key Losses from Last Season by Team
-Scoring Losses by Team from Last Season
-Freshmen by Team
-Freshmen by Age and Previous League
-Scoring Breakdown by Class from Last Season
-Top Five Returning Scorers per Team
-NHL Rights by Team
If you have any other suggestions of items you'd like to see covered in the preview, feel free to comment below.
Starting in a little over a week or so, I'll start my WCHA preview for the 2007-08 season. Aside from team-by-team previews, the WCHA Blog will examine:
-WCHA Conference Schedules
-Non-Conference Schedules
-Key Losses from Last Season by Team
-Scoring Losses by Team from Last Season
-Freshmen by Team
-Freshmen by Age and Previous League
-Scoring Breakdown by Class from Last Season
-Top Five Returning Scorers per Team
-NHL Rights by Team
If you have any other suggestions of items you'd like to see covered in the preview, feel free to comment below.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Frazee and Tallackson featured on NHL.com
Current Minnesota junior goalie Jeff Frazee and ex-Golden Gopher Barry Tallackson are featured in an article on NHL.com that highlights some of the New Jersey Devils' top prospects. Click here to read the full article.
Former CC netminder Zaba signs with Rangers
Former Colorado College goalie Matt Zaba signed with the New York Rangers on Saturday. He was an eighth round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, but was not signed by the Kings after completing his senior year this past season. Zaba won 55 games over his four seasons in Colorado Springs.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Team USA takes fifth
Team USA defeated the Czech Republic today by a score of 6-5 in a shootout to earn fifth place at the 2007 Under-18 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka. Minnesota recruit Aaron Ness and Wisconsin recruit Jordy Murray each had two assists in the win. Murray also scored the winning goal in the shootout. Minnesota Duluth recruit Brady Hjelle came in to relieve Aaron Crandall, who allowed four first period goals. Hjelle stopped 24 of 25 shots the rest of the way, and was a perfect three for three in the shootout.
2007-08 U-18 NTDP roster and schedule released
The 2007-08 U.S. National Team Development Program's Under 18 team released its roster and schedule for the upcoming season.
Players in bold have already committed to a WCHA school.
Roster
Goalies
35 Joe Cannata
30 Michael Clemente
1 Nick Maricic
Defensemen
5 Ryan Grimshaw
24 Ryan Hegarty
28 Sam Lofquist (Minnesota)
3 Sean Lorenz
4 Joe Marciano
22 Nick Pryor (Wisconsin)
2 David Warsofsky
17 Steven West
Forwards
16 Kelen Corkum
7 Robbie Czarrik
19 Justin Florek
6 Patrick Gaul
12 Jimmy Hayes
8 Danny Kristo (North Dakota)
26 Kevin McCarey
21 Colin Moore
10 Colin Reddin
27 Vinny Saponari
9 Jordan Schroeder (Minnesota)
20 Grant Scott (Minnesota)
14 David Wohlberg
Click here to view the full schedule. Games at or near WCHA cities include:
9/19 Texas Tornado -- Blaine, Minn. (Super Rink)
9/20 Fairbanks Ice Dogs -- Blaine, Minn. (Super Rink)
9/21 Topeka RoadRunners -- Blaine, Minn. (Super Rink)
9/22 Southern Minnesota Express --Blaine, Minn. (Super Rink)
10/26 University of Minnesota -- Minneapolis, Minn.
10/27 St. Cloud State University -- St. Cloud, Minn.
12/14 University of Minnesota-Duluth -- Duluth, Minn.
12/15 University of Wisconsin Superior -- Superior, Wis.
Players in bold have already committed to a WCHA school.
Roster
Goalies
35 Joe Cannata
30 Michael Clemente
1 Nick Maricic
Defensemen
5 Ryan Grimshaw
24 Ryan Hegarty
28 Sam Lofquist (Minnesota)
3 Sean Lorenz
4 Joe Marciano
22 Nick Pryor (Wisconsin)
2 David Warsofsky
17 Steven West
Forwards
16 Kelen Corkum
7 Robbie Czarrik
19 Justin Florek
6 Patrick Gaul
12 Jimmy Hayes
8 Danny Kristo (North Dakota)
26 Kevin McCarey
21 Colin Moore
10 Colin Reddin
27 Vinny Saponari
9 Jordan Schroeder (Minnesota)
20 Grant Scott (Minnesota)
14 David Wohlberg
Click here to view the full schedule. Games at or near WCHA cities include:
9/19 Texas Tornado -- Blaine, Minn. (Super Rink)
9/20 Fairbanks Ice Dogs -- Blaine, Minn. (Super Rink)
9/21 Topeka RoadRunners -- Blaine, Minn. (Super Rink)
9/22 Southern Minnesota Express --Blaine, Minn. (Super Rink)
10/26 University of Minnesota -- Minneapolis, Minn.
10/27 St. Cloud State University -- St. Cloud, Minn.
12/14 University of Minnesota-Duluth -- Duluth, Minn.
12/15 University of Wisconsin Superior -- Superior, Wis.
Friday, August 17, 2007
WCHA Roadtrip Town No. 6 – Madison
About one month ago, the WCHA Blog kicked off its list of which WCHA towns make for the best roadtrips. For my list, I’m basing this off five criteria (Access, Bars, City Experience, Hotels, and Ticket Cost / Availability). For a detailed list of what these five items mean to me, click here.
Here is a list of the cities the preview has previously covered up until today:
10. Houghton
9. Grand Forks
8. Mankato
7. St. Cloud
This week, it’s city No. 6: Madison, Wisc., which is of course home to the Wisconsin Badgers.
Access
Getting to Madison is not the easiest thing for many WCHA fans. The closest other WCHA city is Minneapolis, but that’s still about 270 miles – or four hours – away. Mankato (292) and Houghton (324) are the next two closest towns, and those are nearly five hours away because of the non-interstate roads needed to get there.
The city of Madison is not home to an international airport, so fans coming from areas too far to drive will likely have to fly into Minneapolis, Milwaukee, or Chicago and make the drive.
The drive from the Twin Cities to Madison is fairly easy, since 99 percent of the drive is on Interstate 94.
The area around the Kohl Center is a little tricky to navigate if you’re not familiar with the area, but it’s tough to get too lost in a city of Madison’s size.
Bars
If bars are your thing, then Madison is your town. As most people are well aware of, Madison is the quintessential college town, which means that locating a watering hole is quite easy.
Because there are so many bars in the area, I’m sure I’ll miss some that other people absolutely love and couldn’t live without on their trip to Madison. That being said, my farvoite Madison Bar is the Nitty Gritty. It’s one of the closest establishments to the Kohl Center and – like many bars in the area – gets packed before and after games, but the atmosphere is great.
Speaking of atmosphere, State Street Brats is another must-stop. As the name would suggest, it’s located on State Street and offers phenomenal brats. The building has two levels and is great for watching other games on TV. Like the Nitty Gritty, it gets very busy before and after games, so if you want to secure a seat, you’ll need to get there early. If you’re looking for something other than beer to drink, their Citrus and Rose Bowl drinks aren’t too bad.
The Red Shed is another favorite of mine. It’s much smaller than the other two bars I’ve listed so far, so getting up to the bar can be a bit of an issue. They are known for their Long Islands (told you I’d be fair) that are served in mason jars.
Finally, last year, my friends and I found a bar that we hadn’t been to before that offered a “hip and trendy” kind of vibe that is much different than many of the bars in Madison. The City Bar offers more of a Minneapolis feel, as it’s not packed with college kids, is dimly lit, and has couches and chairs to relax in. The food was a step above the other bars in the area as well.
City Experience
Because the downtown area offers so much to do before and after games, I personally haven’t ventured out into the Madison area. It’s not a very big city when compared to other WCHA towns, and I usually visit in the dead of winter, which isn’t real conducive to venturing around a city, but click here to visit the city’s convention and visitor bureau’s website.
Hotels
The city of Madison has plenty of hotels, but there isn’t a lot to be had around the Kohl Center. The Doubletree Hotel Madison is a stones throw away from the arena, but be warned – as is the case with most Doubletrees, it’s a spendy place: rooms often cost nearly $200 per night.
The University Inn is a few blocks away from the Kohl Center, but its closer to most of the bars I mentioned above, and is also less than $100 a night. It’s not the classiest place in the world, but it’s far from the “Roach Motel.”
For other lodging options in the Madison area, click here.
Ticket Cost / Availability
Because the Kohl Center is such a large building, getting a ticket to watch your squad take on the Badgers is never a problem. Where you sit inside the building could be an issue though, but we’ll touch on that more when we review the Kohl Center as part of the WCHA Blog’s arena ratings.
Much of the lower bowl is taken up by season ticket holders, but if you’re online or calling right when tickets go on sale, you’ll at least have a shot at sitting in the lower level.
Single game tickets cost between $18-22 dollars, which isn’t too bad for a program as big as Wisconsin. It’s less than what Minnesota and North Dakota charge. Additionally, UW doesn’t change ticket prices depending on who the Badgers are playing, so that is certainly a plus.
Summary
Although Madison is one of my personal favorite trips, the town itself is not the best for traveling fans. It’s far away from many WCHA cities, and the town itself doesn’t offer much in terms of things to do outside of the downtown area.
All that being said, there is a clear gap between city No. 7 (St. Cloud) and Madison on my list. Madison is a great town, and the rating of six is more representative of the other great cities to visit in the WCHA than it is Madison’s lack of appeal.
Overall Grade: B
Here is a list of the cities the preview has previously covered up until today:
10. Houghton
9. Grand Forks
8. Mankato
7. St. Cloud
This week, it’s city No. 6: Madison, Wisc., which is of course home to the Wisconsin Badgers.
Access
Getting to Madison is not the easiest thing for many WCHA fans. The closest other WCHA city is Minneapolis, but that’s still about 270 miles – or four hours – away. Mankato (292) and Houghton (324) are the next two closest towns, and those are nearly five hours away because of the non-interstate roads needed to get there.
The city of Madison is not home to an international airport, so fans coming from areas too far to drive will likely have to fly into Minneapolis, Milwaukee, or Chicago and make the drive.
The drive from the Twin Cities to Madison is fairly easy, since 99 percent of the drive is on Interstate 94.
The area around the Kohl Center is a little tricky to navigate if you’re not familiar with the area, but it’s tough to get too lost in a city of Madison’s size.
Bars
If bars are your thing, then Madison is your town. As most people are well aware of, Madison is the quintessential college town, which means that locating a watering hole is quite easy.
Because there are so many bars in the area, I’m sure I’ll miss some that other people absolutely love and couldn’t live without on their trip to Madison. That being said, my farvoite Madison Bar is the Nitty Gritty. It’s one of the closest establishments to the Kohl Center and – like many bars in the area – gets packed before and after games, but the atmosphere is great.
Speaking of atmosphere, State Street Brats is another must-stop. As the name would suggest, it’s located on State Street and offers phenomenal brats. The building has two levels and is great for watching other games on TV. Like the Nitty Gritty, it gets very busy before and after games, so if you want to secure a seat, you’ll need to get there early. If you’re looking for something other than beer to drink, their Citrus and Rose Bowl drinks aren’t too bad.
The Red Shed is another favorite of mine. It’s much smaller than the other two bars I’ve listed so far, so getting up to the bar can be a bit of an issue. They are known for their Long Islands (told you I’d be fair) that are served in mason jars.
Finally, last year, my friends and I found a bar that we hadn’t been to before that offered a “hip and trendy” kind of vibe that is much different than many of the bars in Madison. The City Bar offers more of a Minneapolis feel, as it’s not packed with college kids, is dimly lit, and has couches and chairs to relax in. The food was a step above the other bars in the area as well.
City Experience
Because the downtown area offers so much to do before and after games, I personally haven’t ventured out into the Madison area. It’s not a very big city when compared to other WCHA towns, and I usually visit in the dead of winter, which isn’t real conducive to venturing around a city, but click here to visit the city’s convention and visitor bureau’s website.
Hotels
The city of Madison has plenty of hotels, but there isn’t a lot to be had around the Kohl Center. The Doubletree Hotel Madison is a stones throw away from the arena, but be warned – as is the case with most Doubletrees, it’s a spendy place: rooms often cost nearly $200 per night.
The University Inn is a few blocks away from the Kohl Center, but its closer to most of the bars I mentioned above, and is also less than $100 a night. It’s not the classiest place in the world, but it’s far from the “Roach Motel.”
For other lodging options in the Madison area, click here.
Ticket Cost / Availability
Because the Kohl Center is such a large building, getting a ticket to watch your squad take on the Badgers is never a problem. Where you sit inside the building could be an issue though, but we’ll touch on that more when we review the Kohl Center as part of the WCHA Blog’s arena ratings.
Much of the lower bowl is taken up by season ticket holders, but if you’re online or calling right when tickets go on sale, you’ll at least have a shot at sitting in the lower level.
Single game tickets cost between $18-22 dollars, which isn’t too bad for a program as big as Wisconsin. It’s less than what Minnesota and North Dakota charge. Additionally, UW doesn’t change ticket prices depending on who the Badgers are playing, so that is certainly a plus.
Summary
Although Madison is one of my personal favorite trips, the town itself is not the best for traveling fans. It’s far away from many WCHA cities, and the town itself doesn’t offer much in terms of things to do outside of the downtown area.
All that being said, there is a clear gap between city No. 7 (St. Cloud) and Madison on my list. Madison is a great town, and the rating of six is more representative of the other great cities to visit in the WCHA than it is Madison’s lack of appeal.
Overall Grade: B
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Five former drafted WCHA players now free agents
Inside College Hockey has compiled a list of former NCAA players that were drafted by an NHL team but were not signed by August 15, which makes them free agents. Below you'll find the player's name, their WCHA team, and the NHL team that originally drafted them.
Chad Brownlee (Minnesota State/Vancouver)
J.D. Corbin (Denver/Colorado)
Chris Porter (North Dakota/Chicago),
Mike Vannelli (Minnesota/Atlanta),
Matt Zaba (Colorado College/Los Angeles)
Chad Brownlee (Minnesota State/Vancouver)
J.D. Corbin (Denver/Colorado)
Chris Porter (North Dakota/Chicago),
Mike Vannelli (Minnesota/Atlanta),
Matt Zaba (Colorado College/Los Angeles)
Team USA defeats Slovakia 5-3
After losing their first two games in the 2007 Under-18 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka, Team USA bounced back today to defeat Slovakia by a 5-3 score. From a WCHA perspective, Denver recruit Nate Dewhurst scored two goals for the U.S., with Minnesota recruit Aaron Ness chipping in a goal as well. North Dakota recruit Mike Cichy and Wisconsin recruit Jake Gardiner had assists. UMD recruit Brady Hjelle got the win in goal for the U.S.
Ex-Gopher Goligoski featured in NHL.com article
Former Minnesota defenseman Alex Goligoski is featured in an NHL.com article that discusses some of the Pittsburgh Penguins' top prospects. Goligoski signed with the Penguins earlier this summer after completing his junior year with the Golden Gophers, where he was named a first-team All-American.
Former Gopher Martin re-signs with Devils
Former University of Minnesota defenseman Paul Martin has re-signed with the New Jersey Devils. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
DU adds a defenseman for this season
On the heels of sophomore defenseman Keith Seabrook signing with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL, the Denver Pioneers have added a defensemen for this fall. According to Chris Heisenberg, John Ryder will join the Pioneers for this upcoming season. Ryder played this past season with the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets in the USHL. The Colorado Springs native played in 50 games, registering four goals and two assists to go along with a minus 22 rating. He is currently listed at 6'1", 190 lbs.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
USA 2007 National Junior Evaluation Camp recap from Hockey's Future
Hockey's Future recently published a recap of last week's festivities in Lake Placid, N.Y., where USA Hockey held their 2007 National Junior Evaluation Camp. Click here to read the article.
Lessard, Niskanen, and Sertich featured on NHL.com
Former Minnesota Duluth players Junior Lessard and Matt Niskanen, along with former Colorado College player Marty Sertich, are featured in an NHL.com article today about some of the Dallas Stars' top prospects. Both Lessard (2004) and Sertich (2005) are former Hobey Baker award winners.
Gibbons tabbed as new SCSU assistant
Mike Gibbons, who has been the head coach at Eastview High School in Minnesota for the last 10 years, was hired to be St. Cloud State's new assistant coach. He played his college hockey at Bemidji State University, and has been an assistant coach with the Beavers, along with Northern Michigan, Colorado College, and Denver.
Aaron Broten and MacInnes to be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
USA Hockey announced today that four new members -- including former Golden Gopher Aaron Broten and former Michigan Tech head coach John MacInnes -- will be enshrined into U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame as the Class of 2007 on Friday, Oct. 12, at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in Grand Forks, N.D.
From the release about Broten:
Broten enjoyed a highly successful two-year playing career (1979-81) at the University of Minnesota before joining the professional ranks. At Minnesota, he set a record for points by a rookie (25-47—72) en route to being named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s Freshman of the Year. The following season, he recorded a still-standing Gopher-record 106 points (47-59) to lead the team to the WCHA title and the NCAA championship game.
After leaving Minnesota, Broten went on to play 748 career games in the National Hockey League. During his 12-year career (1981-92), he played for five different NHL teams, including the Colorado Rockies/New Jersey Devils franchise, Minnesota North Stars, Quebec Nordiques, Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets. On the international level, Broten competed at five world championships, two Canada Cups and one world junior championship. He retired from professional hockey in 1992.
From the release about MacInnes:
The late MacInnes is one of the most renowned college hockey coaches in U.S. history. After playing two seasons (1945-46/1949-50) at the University of Michigan in goal and three years (1946-49) in the Detroit Red Wings system in the International Hockey League, he became the league director of the Ann Arbor (Mich.) Amateur Hockey League. There, he initiated the first Bantam classification. After four years in Ann Arbor, he headed to Michigan Tech University, where he began a historic 26-year (1956-82) head-coaching career.
While at Tech, MacInnes led the Huskies to three NCAA championships and seven WCHA championships, and was named the NCAA Coach of the Year twice and the WCHA Coach of the Year six times. He has already been inducted into the University Michigan Hall of Honor, Michigan Tech University Sports Hall of Fame, State of Michigan Sports Hall of Fame and Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame. He was honored with the NHL’s prestigious Lester Patrick Award in 1986 and the Legend of College Hockey Award in 1999.
From the release about Broten:
Broten enjoyed a highly successful two-year playing career (1979-81) at the University of Minnesota before joining the professional ranks. At Minnesota, he set a record for points by a rookie (25-47—72) en route to being named the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s Freshman of the Year. The following season, he recorded a still-standing Gopher-record 106 points (47-59) to lead the team to the WCHA title and the NCAA championship game.
After leaving Minnesota, Broten went on to play 748 career games in the National Hockey League. During his 12-year career (1981-92), he played for five different NHL teams, including the Colorado Rockies/New Jersey Devils franchise, Minnesota North Stars, Quebec Nordiques, Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets. On the international level, Broten competed at five world championships, two Canada Cups and one world junior championship. He retired from professional hockey in 1992.
From the release about MacInnes:
The late MacInnes is one of the most renowned college hockey coaches in U.S. history. After playing two seasons (1945-46/1949-50) at the University of Michigan in goal and three years (1946-49) in the Detroit Red Wings system in the International Hockey League, he became the league director of the Ann Arbor (Mich.) Amateur Hockey League. There, he initiated the first Bantam classification. After four years in Ann Arbor, he headed to Michigan Tech University, where he began a historic 26-year (1956-82) head-coaching career.
While at Tech, MacInnes led the Huskies to three NCAA championships and seven WCHA championships, and was named the NCAA Coach of the Year twice and the WCHA Coach of the Year six times. He has already been inducted into the University Michigan Hall of Honor, Michigan Tech University Sports Hall of Fame, State of Michigan Sports Hall of Fame and Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame. He was honored with the NHL’s prestigious Lester Patrick Award in 1986 and the Legend of College Hockey Award in 1999.
Team USA loses again
Team USA lost their second game of the 2007 Under-18 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka to Finland today by a 5-3 score. The U.S. got out to an early 2-0 lead but was unable to hold off the Fins. Team USA dropped their opener to Russia yesterday by a 5-3 score.
From a WCHA perspective, only Minnesota recruit Aaron Ness factored into the scoring, as he assisted on Team USA's third goal of the game. Ness, a defenseman, will join the Gophers in the fall of 2009.
Next up for the U.S. is Slovakia. Puck drops at 1 p.m. EST on Thursday.
From a WCHA perspective, only Minnesota recruit Aaron Ness factored into the scoring, as he assisted on Team USA's third goal of the game. Ness, a defenseman, will join the Gophers in the fall of 2009.
Next up for the U.S. is Slovakia. Puck drops at 1 p.m. EST on Thursday.
WCHA Arena No. 7 – World Arena
Three weeks ago, the WCHA Blog kicked off its list of which WCHA arenas are the best. I'm basing my list off of three criteria (Arena, Atmosphere, and Crowd). For a detailed list of what these three items mean to me, click here and scroll down a bit.Here is a list of the arenas that I've already covered:
10. Sullivan Arena - Anchorage, AK
9. John MacInnes Student Ice Arena – Houghton, MI
8. Alltel Center – Mankato, MN
This week, its arena No. 7: the World Arena, which is home to Colorado College Tigers.
Arena
For hockey games, the World Arena holds just shy of 7,800 people, making it one of the larger arenas in the WCHA. Because it holds that many people, the arena features seating on all four sides of the ice. Most of the seats are very good, although some of the seats that are high in the corners on the “long sides” of the ice are almost behind the goal-line, which makes for tough viewing at times. It’s often tough to secure seats in the lower bowl because of the Tigers’ strong season ticket base, but any seat in that level is very good.
There is plenty of parking for those attending a game at the World Arena, as the facility features a large parking lot right in front of the arena. This lot is big enough to hold everyone for the game, which is key in this case because there are not many other options nearby aside from some side streets.
The World Arena does offer a nice mix on in-arena entertainment, including a bubble-hockey table. There is also a nice arcade area, which may be nice for those traveling with youngsters. The arena also offers a nice gift-shop just inside one of the main doors, and it offers a good deal of merchandise, including official WCHA game pucks, which make for a great collectible.
Atmosphere
I have only been to the World Arena for games where the University of Minnesota has taken on the Colorado College, and in those cases, it’s been a packed house each and every time. Because of that, I feel as I’ve experienced about as good of an environment as the World Arena can offer outside of a CC vs. DU matchup.
That being said, the arena doesn’t offer the greatest atmosphere. The ceiling in the arena is very high, which tends to give it a cavernous feel. It’s a multi-purpose facility, which tends to hurt the overall vibe the arena puts out.
The World Arena also relies heavily on piped-in rock music, which to me is a mark against it. Arenas like the Kohl Center (Madison) and Mariucci Arena (Minneapolis) are two examples of arenas that incorporate a band and for that get higher marks in this category than the World Arena does.
Crowd
The person that makes up most of the crowd for Tiger games tends to be a bit on the older side, which can lead to a quieter crowd than the (usually) high number of people in the building would indicate. If the fans in the World Arena had even half the passion of the fans that fill the Kohl Center on a nightly basis, this arena would be much higher on the list.
There is an above-average student presence, which is located on the end of the arena that the visiting team defends twice. They aren’t the most vocal group of students in the WCHA, but if the Tigers get rolling, the students can make their voices heard.
Summary
The World Arena is a step above the three arenas that come before it on my list. Its’ ranking of No. 7 is more because of the high-end quality of some of the arenas ahead of it on the list, and not because the World Arena is poor.
The atmosphere and crowd aren’t the greatest, but they certainly aren’t the worst. And the arena itself is very solid, especially when you consider it’s not a hockey-only facility.
Overall Grade: B-
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Team USA falls to Russia 5-3
Team USA was defeated in their first official game in the 2007 Under-18 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka by Russia 5-3 today. Mike Cichy, who will join North Dakota in the fall of 2008, had a pair of assists for Team USA, while Nate Dewhurst, a '08 recruit for Denver, scored a goal for the U.S. Jordy Murray (Wisconsin, 2008) also had an assist.
Team USA takes on Finland in their second of three first-round games tomorrow.
UPDATE: UMD recruit Brady Hjelle (2008) started in goal for the U.S. He made 28 saves in the loss.
Team USA takes on Finland in their second of three first-round games tomorrow.
UPDATE: UMD recruit Brady Hjelle (2008) started in goal for the U.S. He made 28 saves in the loss.
Monday, August 13, 2007
UW's Turris & UM's Wheeler featured on NHL.com
Minnesota junior forward Blake Wheeler and Wisconsin freshman forward Kyle Turris are featured in a NHL.com article that discusses some of the Phoenix Coyotes' top prospects. Wheeler was the fifth overall pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, while Turris was the third overall pick in this past summer's 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Despite the gap in age, both figure to be key players for their respective teams in the 2007-08 season.
Ivan Hlinka Memorial set to begin on Tuesday
The 2007 Under-18 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament is set to being on Tuesday, August 14. Both Team USA and Team Canada feature future WCHA players. Team USA features seven players that are currently committed to play at various WCHA schools. To view those players, click here. To view the entire Team USA roster, click here.
In terms of Team Canada, David Toews -- the younger brother of former North Dakota star Jonathan Toews -- is the only future WCHA player on its roster. He will join UND in the fall of 2008. Click here to view Team Canada's roster.
Future Badger Štěpán Novotný, who currently plays with the younger Toews at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Fairbault, Minn., is a member of the Czech Republic.
Click here to view the entire tournament schedule. The bronze and gold medal games will be on Saturday, August 18.
Team USA Schedule:
In terms of Team Canada, David Toews -- the younger brother of former North Dakota star Jonathan Toews -- is the only future WCHA player on its roster. He will join UND in the fall of 2008. Click here to view Team Canada's roster.
Future Badger Štěpán Novotný, who currently plays with the younger Toews at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Fairbault, Minn., is a member of the Czech Republic.
Click here to view the entire tournament schedule. The bronze and gold medal games will be on Saturday, August 18.
Team USA Schedule:
Aug. 14 USA vs. Russia 9:00 a.m. (EST)
Aug. 15 USA vs. Finland 9:00 a.m. (EST)
Aug. 16 USA vs. Slovakia 1:00 p.m. (EST)
O'Brien officially leaves Minnesota
Last week, rumors started from an article in The Ottawa Citizen that Minnesota sophomore Jimmy O'Brien would be leaving the team and signing with the Ottawa Senators, the team who took him in the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Minnesota head coach Don Lucia refuted those statements in both the Thursday and Saturday editions of the Star Tribune. In both instances, Lucia said he spoke directly with O'Brien, who told his head coach that he had no intentions of turning pro and that there was nothing to the rumors.
Less than one week after those claims, O'Brien has decided to forgo his final three seasons at Minnesota. He is no longer listed on the U of M's official team roster.
WCHA Blog's Take: It's certainly odd to see a player like O'Brien leave early, but it's in very poor taste on O'Brien's part to tell his head coach he's staying, and then just days later turn around and sign a pro deal.
This leaves the Gophers with just seven defensemen on the roster, with three of them being freshmen.
Less than one week after those claims, O'Brien has decided to forgo his final three seasons at Minnesota. He is no longer listed on the U of M's official team roster.
WCHA Blog's Take: It's certainly odd to see a player like O'Brien leave early, but it's in very poor taste on O'Brien's part to tell his head coach he's staying, and then just days later turn around and sign a pro deal.
This leaves the Gophers with just seven defensemen on the roster, with three of them being freshmen.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Former UND player Bochenski featured on Bruins' website
Former University of North Dakota player Brandon Bochenski is featured in an article on the Boston Bruins' website. The article talks about Bochenski's play since joining the Bruins midway through last year after a trade from the Blackhawks, and also touches on a business that he owns in the Twin Cities: Elodie, which is a designer women’s clothing boutique.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
National Junior Evaluation Camp final stats
For skaters, the format is as follows: Name, Goals, Assists, Total Points. I should note that these stats include all games, including the USA Team Blue vs. USA Team White games they played for the first two days of the camp.
Patrick Kane - 6-4-10
Kyle Okposo - 4-6-10
Rhett Rakhshani - 5-5-10
Kevin Montgomery - 2-5-7
Tyler Ruegsegger - 2-5-7
Mark Arcobello - 4-2-6
Doug Rogers - 2-4-6
Ben Smith - 1-5-6
Jonathon Blum - 3-2-5
Mike Carman - 2-3-5
Aaron Palushaj - 3-2-5
Colin Wilson - 3-2-5
Jordan Schroeder - 1-3-4
Kevin Shattenkirk - 1-3-4
Chris Summers - 1-3-4
James vanRiemsdyk - 3-1-4
Patrick White - 1-3-4
Blake Geoffrion - 1-2-3
Trent Palm - 2-1-3
Luke Popko - 0-3-3
Ben Ryan - 2-1-3
Eric Tangradi - 1-2-3
T.J. Brennan - 2-0-2
Ian Cole - 0-2-2
Brian Day - 1-1-2
Cade Fairchild - 1-1-2
Jamie McBain - 0-2-2
Max Pacioretty - 0-2-2
Mike Ratchuk - 1-1-2
Tony Romano - 1-1-2
Matt Rust - 2-0-2
David Fischer - 0-1-1
Ryan Flynn - 1-0-1
T.J. Galiardi - 0-1-1
Jimmy Hayes - 1-0-1
Ryan McDonagh - 0-1-1
Kevin Quick - 0-1-1
Teddy Ruth - 0-1-1
Bob Sanguinetti - 1-0-1
Brian Strait - 0-1-0
For goalies, the format is as follows: Name, Shots Faced, Saves Made, Save Percentage
John Unice - 59-53-.898
Jeremy Smith - 89-79-.888
Kent Patterson - 66-57-.864
Joe Palmer - 79-68-.861
Thomas McCollum - 36-29-.806
Patrick Kane - 6-4-10
Kyle Okposo - 4-6-10
Rhett Rakhshani - 5-5-10
Kevin Montgomery - 2-5-7
Tyler Ruegsegger - 2-5-7
Mark Arcobello - 4-2-6
Doug Rogers - 2-4-6
Ben Smith - 1-5-6
Jonathon Blum - 3-2-5
Mike Carman - 2-3-5
Aaron Palushaj - 3-2-5
Colin Wilson - 3-2-5
Jordan Schroeder - 1-3-4
Kevin Shattenkirk - 1-3-4
Chris Summers - 1-3-4
James vanRiemsdyk - 3-1-4
Patrick White - 1-3-4
Blake Geoffrion - 1-2-3
Trent Palm - 2-1-3
Luke Popko - 0-3-3
Ben Ryan - 2-1-3
Eric Tangradi - 1-2-3
T.J. Brennan - 2-0-2
Ian Cole - 0-2-2
Brian Day - 1-1-2
Cade Fairchild - 1-1-2
Jamie McBain - 0-2-2
Max Pacioretty - 0-2-2
Mike Ratchuk - 1-1-2
Tony Romano - 1-1-2
Matt Rust - 2-0-2
David Fischer - 0-1-1
Ryan Flynn - 1-0-1
T.J. Galiardi - 0-1-1
Jimmy Hayes - 1-0-1
Ryan McDonagh - 0-1-1
Kevin Quick - 0-1-1
Teddy Ruth - 0-1-1
Bob Sanguinetti - 1-0-1
Brian Strait - 0-1-0
For goalies, the format is as follows: Name, Shots Faced, Saves Made, Save Percentage
John Unice - 59-53-.898
Jeremy Smith - 89-79-.888
Kent Patterson - 66-57-.864
Joe Palmer - 79-68-.861
Thomas McCollum - 36-29-.806
Friday, August 10, 2007
National Junior Evaluation Camp stats after Day 5
For skaters, the format is as follows: Name, Goals, Assists, Total Points
Kyle Okposo - 4-5-9
Patrick Kane - 6-2-8
Rhett Rakhshani - 4-3-7
Doug Rogers - 2-4-6
Tyler Ruegsegger - 1-5-6
Mark Arcobello - 3-2-5
Jonathon Blum - 3-2-5
Mike Carman - 2-3-5
Colin Wilson - 3-2-5
Kevin Montgomery - 0-4-4
Kevin Shattenkirk - 1-3-4
Ben Smith - 0-4-4
Chris Summers - 1-3-4
James vanRiemsdyk - 3-1-4
Patrick White - 1-3-4
Blake Geoffrion - 1-2-3
Trent Palm - 2-1-3
Aaron Palushaj - 2-1-3
Jordan Schroeder - 1-2-3
T.J. Brennan - 2-0-2
Cade Fairchild - 1-1-2
Jamie McBain - 0-2-2
Max Pacioretty - 0-2-2
Mike Ratchuk - 1-1-2
Ben Ryan - 2-0-2
Eric Tangradi - 1-1-2
Ian Cole - 0-1-1
Brian Day - 0-1-1
David Fischer - 0-1-1
Ryan Flynn - 1-0-1
T.J. Galiardi - 0-1-1
Jimmy Hayes - 1-0-1
Ryan McDonagh - 0-1-1
Luke Popko - 0-1-1
Kevin Quick - 0-1-1
Tony Romano - 1-0-1
Matt Rust - 1-0-1
Teddy Ruth - 0-1-1
Brian Strait - 0-1-1
Bob Sanguinetti - 0-0-0
For goalies, the format is as follows: Name, Shots Faced, Saves Made, Save Percentage
John Unice - 45-41-.911
Jeremy Smith - 80-71-.888
Joe Palmer - 71-61-.859
Kent Patterson - 53-45-.849
Thomas McCollum - 36-29-.806
Kyle Okposo - 4-5-9
Patrick Kane - 6-2-8
Rhett Rakhshani - 4-3-7
Doug Rogers - 2-4-6
Tyler Ruegsegger - 1-5-6
Mark Arcobello - 3-2-5
Jonathon Blum - 3-2-5
Mike Carman - 2-3-5
Colin Wilson - 3-2-5
Kevin Montgomery - 0-4-4
Kevin Shattenkirk - 1-3-4
Ben Smith - 0-4-4
Chris Summers - 1-3-4
James vanRiemsdyk - 3-1-4
Patrick White - 1-3-4
Blake Geoffrion - 1-2-3
Trent Palm - 2-1-3
Aaron Palushaj - 2-1-3
Jordan Schroeder - 1-2-3
T.J. Brennan - 2-0-2
Cade Fairchild - 1-1-2
Jamie McBain - 0-2-2
Max Pacioretty - 0-2-2
Mike Ratchuk - 1-1-2
Ben Ryan - 2-0-2
Eric Tangradi - 1-1-2
Ian Cole - 0-1-1
Brian Day - 0-1-1
David Fischer - 0-1-1
Ryan Flynn - 1-0-1
T.J. Galiardi - 0-1-1
Jimmy Hayes - 1-0-1
Ryan McDonagh - 0-1-1
Luke Popko - 0-1-1
Kevin Quick - 0-1-1
Tony Romano - 1-0-1
Matt Rust - 1-0-1
Teddy Ruth - 0-1-1
Brian Strait - 0-1-1
Bob Sanguinetti - 0-0-0
For goalies, the format is as follows: Name, Shots Faced, Saves Made, Save Percentage
John Unice - 45-41-.911
Jeremy Smith - 80-71-.888
Joe Palmer - 71-61-.859
Kent Patterson - 53-45-.849
Thomas McCollum - 36-29-.806
Former Seawolf Bourne featured on NHL.com
Former Alaska Anchorage player Justin Bourne is featured in an article on NHL.com. The article talks about Bourne getting an invite from the New York Islanders to attend their training camp. He is the son of Bob Bourne, who played 12 seasons with the Isles.
Former UW player Earl featured on NHL.com
Former Wisconsin forward Robbie Earl is featured in an article on NHL.com that talkes about some of the Toronto Maple Leafs' top prospects. The story discusses Earl's first season in the Toronto organization. He left UW after his junior season, and had 30 points in 67 games last year with the Leaf's AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.
WCHA Roadtrip Town No. 7 – St. Cloud
Three weeks ago, the WCHA Blog kicked off its list of which WCHA towns make for the best roadtrips. For my list, I’m basing this off five criteria (Access, Bars, City Experience, Hotels, and Ticket Cost / Availability). For a detailed list of what these five items mean to me, click here.
Here is a list of the cities the preview has previously covered up until today:
10. Houghton
9. Grand Forks
8. Mankato
This week, it’s city No. 7: St. Cloud, MN., which is of course home to the St. Cloud State University Huskies.
Access
St. Cloud is one of the more accessible towns in the WCHA. It’s similar to Mankato in that it’s about one hour from the Twin Cities. If you’re coming from the Twin Cities, you can either take Interstate 94 up through the Maple Grove / Rogers area; or, you can take Highway 10 through Anoka / Elk River. The two roads, which run parallel to each other, are about the same mileage wise. It’s a little easier to get to the downtown area in St. Cloud from Highway 10, but that route also features a handful of traffic lights in the Elk River area, and has a lower speed limit.
St. Cloud gets the nod for accessibility over Mankato because, despite the similarities in distance from Minneapolis (71 miles from St. Cloud, 81 miles from Mankato), the St. Cloud area is much closer to Grand Forks and Duluth, which of course feature a pair of WCHA teams.
Bars
There are not any bars within walking distance from the National Hockey Center, but downtown St. Cloud features plenty of eating and drinking establishments.
Before the game, arguably the best place is MC’s Dugout Bar and Grill, which is located in the heart of downtown. They have very good food and the place is always packed with hockey fans on the night of a game. Because of its popularity, it fills up quick, so you should arrive about two hours prior to puck-drop if you hope to obtain a table.
Another popular pre-game hangout is McRudy's Pub, which is right down the street from MC’s. If you’re looking for a family-friendly option in the downtown area, the Green Mill – which is connected to the Best Western Kelly Inn – is one of your better bets.
After the game, I’m sure there are many places to go if you want to have some fun, but in my mind, one only needs the infamous Red Carpet. It’s a multi-level bar with several themed “mini bars” inside. It’s my personal favorite in terms of post-game bars in WCHA towns.
City Experience
I generally visit the Granite City when the Golden Gophers are in town, and more often that not, the two teams play a home-and-home series, which means I haven’t had too many chances to visit the area around St. Cloud.
If your team visits St. Cloud early in the season, one could make the drive 10-mile drive from St. Cloud to Collegeville to check out the campus of St. John’s University. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to catch a St. John’s football game from famous Clemens Stadium.
Even if there isn’t a football game, it’s a cool campus to checkout, especially in the fall.
For more on the area, check out Granite Country, “official site for St. Cloud area travel.”
Hotels
I previously mentioned the Best Western Kelly Inn, and this in my opinion is the best option for visitors. It’s very close to the National Hockey Center and is located in downtown, so you are close to all the bars and restaurants.
The Kelly Inn can fill up quickly, but there are plenty of other lodging options in the St. Cloud area.
Ticket Cost / Availability
Tickets usually aren’t too tough to come by in St. Cloud, unless you’re attending a Gopher or Sioux game. The Gophers, of course, bring lots of fans up from the Twin Cities area – to a point where, last year, St. Cloud State decided they wouldn’t sell tickets online to the Gopher games. Fans had to either call the SCSU box office or drive up to St. Cloud to get tickets to that series, which is an obvious attempt to keep Minnesota fans out of the building. To me that’s a poor move, but they have every right to sell tickets how they feel.
The cost for tickets rises for Gopher games to around $25 per seat. I’m not 100 percent sure if the same holds true for other “big name” series, but SCSU certainly isn’t the first school to implement this idea.
Summary
St. Cloud is similar to Mankato in many ways. Both are pretty easy to get to from the Twin Cities, which is arguably the hub of the WCHA. They both feature some fun before and after game options for eat and/or drink, but both towns also features schools that raise ticket prices depending on who their team is playing, which is a negative.
The bottom-line is that they both make for fun cities to visit and are pretty accessible to the average WCHA fan.
Overall Grade: B-
Here is a list of the cities the preview has previously covered up until today:
10. Houghton
9. Grand Forks
8. Mankato
This week, it’s city No. 7: St. Cloud, MN., which is of course home to the St. Cloud State University Huskies.
Access
St. Cloud is one of the more accessible towns in the WCHA. It’s similar to Mankato in that it’s about one hour from the Twin Cities. If you’re coming from the Twin Cities, you can either take Interstate 94 up through the Maple Grove / Rogers area; or, you can take Highway 10 through Anoka / Elk River. The two roads, which run parallel to each other, are about the same mileage wise. It’s a little easier to get to the downtown area in St. Cloud from Highway 10, but that route also features a handful of traffic lights in the Elk River area, and has a lower speed limit.
St. Cloud gets the nod for accessibility over Mankato because, despite the similarities in distance from Minneapolis (71 miles from St. Cloud, 81 miles from Mankato), the St. Cloud area is much closer to Grand Forks and Duluth, which of course feature a pair of WCHA teams.
Bars
There are not any bars within walking distance from the National Hockey Center, but downtown St. Cloud features plenty of eating and drinking establishments.
Before the game, arguably the best place is MC’s Dugout Bar and Grill, which is located in the heart of downtown. They have very good food and the place is always packed with hockey fans on the night of a game. Because of its popularity, it fills up quick, so you should arrive about two hours prior to puck-drop if you hope to obtain a table.
Another popular pre-game hangout is McRudy's Pub, which is right down the street from MC’s. If you’re looking for a family-friendly option in the downtown area, the Green Mill – which is connected to the Best Western Kelly Inn – is one of your better bets.
After the game, I’m sure there are many places to go if you want to have some fun, but in my mind, one only needs the infamous Red Carpet. It’s a multi-level bar with several themed “mini bars” inside. It’s my personal favorite in terms of post-game bars in WCHA towns.
City Experience
I generally visit the Granite City when the Golden Gophers are in town, and more often that not, the two teams play a home-and-home series, which means I haven’t had too many chances to visit the area around St. Cloud.
If your team visits St. Cloud early in the season, one could make the drive 10-mile drive from St. Cloud to Collegeville to check out the campus of St. John’s University. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to catch a St. John’s football game from famous Clemens Stadium.
Even if there isn’t a football game, it’s a cool campus to checkout, especially in the fall.
For more on the area, check out Granite Country, “official site for St. Cloud area travel.”
Hotels
I previously mentioned the Best Western Kelly Inn, and this in my opinion is the best option for visitors. It’s very close to the National Hockey Center and is located in downtown, so you are close to all the bars and restaurants.
The Kelly Inn can fill up quickly, but there are plenty of other lodging options in the St. Cloud area.
Ticket Cost / Availability
Tickets usually aren’t too tough to come by in St. Cloud, unless you’re attending a Gopher or Sioux game. The Gophers, of course, bring lots of fans up from the Twin Cities area – to a point where, last year, St. Cloud State decided they wouldn’t sell tickets online to the Gopher games. Fans had to either call the SCSU box office or drive up to St. Cloud to get tickets to that series, which is an obvious attempt to keep Minnesota fans out of the building. To me that’s a poor move, but they have every right to sell tickets how they feel.
The cost for tickets rises for Gopher games to around $25 per seat. I’m not 100 percent sure if the same holds true for other “big name” series, but SCSU certainly isn’t the first school to implement this idea.
Summary
St. Cloud is similar to Mankato in many ways. Both are pretty easy to get to from the Twin Cities, which is arguably the hub of the WCHA. They both feature some fun before and after game options for eat and/or drink, but both towns also features schools that raise ticket prices depending on who their team is playing, which is a negative.
The bottom-line is that they both make for fun cities to visit and are pretty accessible to the average WCHA fan.
Overall Grade: B-
Thursday, August 9, 2007
National Junior Evaluation Camp stats after Day 4
For skaters, the format is as follows: Name, Goals, Assists, Total Points
Patrick Kane - 6-1-7
Kyle Okposo - 3-3-6
Rhett Rakhshani - 3-2-5
Doug Rogers - 1-3-4
Tyler Ruegsegger - 0-4-4
Patrick White - 1-3-4
Kevin Montgomery - 0-4-4
Chris Summers - 1-3-4
Mike Carman - 2-1-3
Blake Geoffrion - 1-2-3
Aaron Palushaj - 2-1-3
Colin Wilson - 2-1-3
Jonathon Blum - 2-1-3
Kevin Shattenkirk - 1-2-3
Mark Arcobello - 2-0-2
Jordan Schroeder - 0-2-2
Ben Smith - 0-2-2
Eric Tangradi - 1-1-2
James vanRiemsdyk - 2-0-2
Jamie McBain - 0-2-2
Trent Palm - 1-1-2
Mike Ratchuk - 1-1-2
Brian Day - 0-1-1
Ryan Flynn - 1-0-1
T.J. Galiardi - 0-1-1
Jimmy Hayes - 1-0-1
Max Pacioretty - 0-1-1
Luke Popko - 0-1-1
Tony Romano - 1-0-1
Matt Rust - 1-0-1
Ben Ryan - 1-0-1
T.J. Brennan - 1-0-1
Cade Fairchild - 0-1-1
David Fischer - 0-1-1
Ryan McDonagh - 0-1-1
Kevin Quick - 0-1-1
Teddy Ruth - 0-1-1
Brian Strait - 0-1-1
Ian Cole - 0-0-0
Bob Sanguinetti - 0-0-0
For goalies, the format is as follows: Name, Shots Faced, Saves Made, Save Percentage
John Unice - 28-25-.893
Jeremy Smith - 80-71-.888
Kent Patterson - 53-45-.849
Joe Palmer - 45-37-.822
Thomas McCollum - 25-18-.720
Patrick Kane - 6-1-7
Kyle Okposo - 3-3-6
Rhett Rakhshani - 3-2-5
Doug Rogers - 1-3-4
Tyler Ruegsegger - 0-4-4
Patrick White - 1-3-4
Kevin Montgomery - 0-4-4
Chris Summers - 1-3-4
Mike Carman - 2-1-3
Blake Geoffrion - 1-2-3
Aaron Palushaj - 2-1-3
Colin Wilson - 2-1-3
Jonathon Blum - 2-1-3
Kevin Shattenkirk - 1-2-3
Mark Arcobello - 2-0-2
Jordan Schroeder - 0-2-2
Ben Smith - 0-2-2
Eric Tangradi - 1-1-2
James vanRiemsdyk - 2-0-2
Jamie McBain - 0-2-2
Trent Palm - 1-1-2
Mike Ratchuk - 1-1-2
Brian Day - 0-1-1
Ryan Flynn - 1-0-1
T.J. Galiardi - 0-1-1
Jimmy Hayes - 1-0-1
Max Pacioretty - 0-1-1
Luke Popko - 0-1-1
Tony Romano - 1-0-1
Matt Rust - 1-0-1
Ben Ryan - 1-0-1
T.J. Brennan - 1-0-1
Cade Fairchild - 0-1-1
David Fischer - 0-1-1
Ryan McDonagh - 0-1-1
Kevin Quick - 0-1-1
Teddy Ruth - 0-1-1
Brian Strait - 0-1-1
Ian Cole - 0-0-0
Bob Sanguinetti - 0-0-0
For goalies, the format is as follows: Name, Shots Faced, Saves Made, Save Percentage
John Unice - 28-25-.893
Jeremy Smith - 80-71-.888
Kent Patterson - 53-45-.849
Joe Palmer - 45-37-.822
Thomas McCollum - 25-18-.720
Lucia says O'Brien will remain at Minnesota
After a story ran in Wednesday's edition of the Ottawa Citizen claiming that University of Minnesota sophomore Jimmy O'Brien would be leaving the Gopher program, Minnesota head coach Don Lucia refuted that claim in Thursday's Star Tribune.
"There is nothing to that story," Lucia told the Star Tribune. "Everybody else is coming back."
INCH A to Z: Alaska Anchorage's Paul Crowder
Click here to read more about Alaska Anchorage's Paul Crowder, who was featured today as a part of Inside College Hockey's annual A to Z list of various players throughout college hockey.
Previous WCHA players featured this summer:
Minnesota Duluth's Drew Akins
Minnesota State's Mick Berge
Denver's Chris Butler
Wisconsin's Shane Connelly
Previous WCHA players featured this summer:
Minnesota Duluth's Drew Akins
Minnesota State's Mick Berge
Denver's Chris Butler
Wisconsin's Shane Connelly
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Minnesota's O'Brien rumored to be signing with Ottawa
Minnesota sophomore Jimmy O'Brien, a first round pick by the Ottawa Senators in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, is leaning toward leaving the Gopher program, according to an article in today's edition of The Ottawa Citizen.From the article:
Look for Ottawa's top 2007 draft pick, Jim O'Brien, to sign with the Senators and forego the balance of his college career. O'Brien, a 6-2 centre drafted 29th overall, was the youngest player in college hockey last season, as a 17-year-old with the University of Minnesota. A source says O'Brien, now 18, is leaning toward turning professional.
WCHA Blog's Take: O'Brien was the youngest player in college hockey last year, and played most of his minutes as the Gophers' fourth line center. This year, he was slated to shift back to defense, a position he has played in the past.
While this wouldn't be a crushing blow to the Gophers, it's an odd move by O'Brien if it comes to fruition. He's obviously no where near ready to play in the NHL or AHL, so he would likely play major junior hockey in Canada.
INCH A to Z: UW's Shane Connelly
Click here to read more about Wisconsin's Shane Connelly, who was featured today as a part of Inside College Hockey's annual A to Z list of various players throughout college hockey.
Previous WCHA players featured this summer:
Minnesota Duluth's Drew Akins
Minnesota State's Mick Berge
Denver's Chris Butler
Previous WCHA players featured this summer:
Minnesota Duluth's Drew Akins
Minnesota State's Mick Berge
Denver's Chris Butler
National Junior Evaluation Camp stats after Day 3
For skaters, the format is as follows: Name, Goals, Assists, Total Points
Patrick Kane - 4-1-5
Rhett Rakhshani - 3-1-4
Mike Carman - 2-1-3
Blake Geoffrion - 1-2-3
Kyle Okposo - 1-2-3
Doug Rogers - 1-2-3
Tyler Ruegsegger - 0-3-3
Kevin Montgomery - 0-3-3
Kevin Shattenkirk - 1-2-3
Patrick White - 1-1-2
Colin Wilson - 1-1-2
Jamie McBain - 0-2-2
Trent Palm - 1-1-2
Mike Ratchuk - 1-1-2
Chris Summers - 1-1-2
Mark Arcobello - 1-0-1
Brian Day - 0-1-1
Ryan Flynn - 1-0-1
T.J. Galiardi - 0-1-1
Max Pacioretty - 0-1-1
Aaron Palushaj - 1-0-1
Tony Romano - 1-0-1
Matt Rust - 1-0-1
Ben Ryan - 1-0-1
Jordan Schroeder - 0-1-1
Eric Tangradi - 1-0-1
James vanRiemsdyk - 1-0-1
Jonathon Blum - 1-0-1
T.J. Brennan - 1-0-1
Cade Fairchild - 0-1-1
Kevin Quick - 0-1-1
Teddy Ruth - 0-1-1
Brian Strait - 0-1-1
Jimmy Hayes - 0-0-0
Luke Popko - 0-0-0
Ben Smith - 0-0-0
Ian Cole - 0-0-0
David Fischer - 0-0-0
Ryan McDonagh - 0-0-0
Bob Sanguinetti - 0-0-0
For goalies, the format is as follows: Name, Shots Faced, Saves Made, Save Percentage
John Unice - 28-25-.893
Jeremy Smith - 53-47-.887
Kent Patterson - 30-26-.867
Joe Palmer - 45-37-.822
Thomas McCollum - 25-18-.720
Patrick Kane - 4-1-5
Rhett Rakhshani - 3-1-4
Mike Carman - 2-1-3
Blake Geoffrion - 1-2-3
Kyle Okposo - 1-2-3
Doug Rogers - 1-2-3
Tyler Ruegsegger - 0-3-3
Kevin Montgomery - 0-3-3
Kevin Shattenkirk - 1-2-3
Patrick White - 1-1-2
Colin Wilson - 1-1-2
Jamie McBain - 0-2-2
Trent Palm - 1-1-2
Mike Ratchuk - 1-1-2
Chris Summers - 1-1-2
Mark Arcobello - 1-0-1
Brian Day - 0-1-1
Ryan Flynn - 1-0-1
T.J. Galiardi - 0-1-1
Max Pacioretty - 0-1-1
Aaron Palushaj - 1-0-1
Tony Romano - 1-0-1
Matt Rust - 1-0-1
Ben Ryan - 1-0-1
Jordan Schroeder - 0-1-1
Eric Tangradi - 1-0-1
James vanRiemsdyk - 1-0-1
Jonathon Blum - 1-0-1
T.J. Brennan - 1-0-1
Cade Fairchild - 0-1-1
Kevin Quick - 0-1-1
Teddy Ruth - 0-1-1
Brian Strait - 0-1-1
Jimmy Hayes - 0-0-0
Luke Popko - 0-0-0
Ben Smith - 0-0-0
Ian Cole - 0-0-0
David Fischer - 0-0-0
Ryan McDonagh - 0-0-0
Bob Sanguinetti - 0-0-0
For goalies, the format is as follows: Name, Shots Faced, Saves Made, Save Percentage
John Unice - 28-25-.893
Jeremy Smith - 53-47-.887
Kent Patterson - 30-26-.867
Joe Palmer - 45-37-.822
Thomas McCollum - 25-18-.720
WCHA Arena No. 8 – Alltel Center
Two weeks ago, the WCHA Blog kicked off its list of which WCHA arenas are the best. I'm basing my list off of three criteria (Arena, Atmosphere, and Crowd). For a detailed list of what these three items mean to me, click here and scroll down a bit.
Here is a list of the arenas that I've already covered:
10. Sullivan Arena - Anchorage, AK
9. John MacInnes Student Ice Arena – Houghton, MI
This week, its arena No. 8: the Alltel Center (formally known as the Midwest Wireless Civic Center) which is home to the Minnesota State Mavericks.
Arena
Now known as the Alltel Center thanks to Alltel’s acquisition of Midwest Wireless, the Midwest the building is a fairly safe bet for the average WCHA or college hockey fan.
The 4,832 seat arena is similar to some of the other smaller arenas in the WCHA, such as the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud or Sullivan Arena in Anchorage. The Alltel Center features a horse-shoe type design, with seating on three of the four sides of the Olympic-sized ice sheet.
Inside the arena, the sightlines for viewing aren’t too bad. Some of the seats on the open end of the horseshoe can get kind of far away from the action, but other than that, fans should have no trouble getting a clear view of the game. Unless you’re attending a Gopher / Maverick contest, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting good seats.
The arena is off-campus and is a join-venture between the city and the university, and alcohol is sold at the arena. Somewhat along those lines: watch out for lines in the bathrooms if there is a packed house.
There is a fair amount of parking near the arena, including a good-sized ramp that is southwest of the arena along Riverfront Drive – you can’t miss it.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere for Maverick games can get to be fairly good for a team that has generally been a bottom-half team in the WCHA over time, and certainly much better than the atmosphere one will typically find in Anchorage or Houghton.
One thing that I find important is the presence of a band, which is something the Alltel Center features. Located right next to the student section and behind the net of the opposing team for two of the three periods, they do a good job getting the crowd into the game.
After the Mavericks score a goal though, the celebration music comes from the sound system within the arena. Anyone who has been to a game at the Alltel Center knows that the infamous “ole ... ole ole ole” song blasts through the speakers, and that really gets the crowd going. As generic as that song may be, it does the trick in this instance.
I have been to a pair of games in Mankato that didn’t involve the Gophers, and there was – not surprisingly – a drop off in intensity in terms of atmosphere.
Crowd
The average crowd member at the Alltel Center isn’t head-over-heels into the game, but like I eluded to earlier, they certainly aren’t at the bottom of the WCHA in terms of fan involvement. Like any team, the better the Mavs are doing on the season – and in particular on that evening – can really influence the crowd and its level of involvement.
The student section can be hit or miss, much like the rest of the crowd, depending a bit upon on the Mavs are doing on the ice. For Gopher games specifically, they get quite into the game, although there seems to be more Gopher fans in the Minnesota State student section than at any other visiting arena.
Summary
My opinion of the Alltel Center is probably inflated because I generally see the Gophers play there, which usually increases the amount of people in the building and tends to bring out the best of opposing fans, mainly because the Mavericks are of course an in-state opponent for the Gophers.
That being said, I feel that the arena itself is very good, especially when you consider it’s a multi-purpose facility. If the Mavericks were able to string together a handful of successful seasons on the ice, I think the Alltel Center could turn into a real home-ice advantage for Minnesota State.
Overall Grade: C+
Here is a list of the arenas that I've already covered:
10. Sullivan Arena - Anchorage, AK
9. John MacInnes Student Ice Arena – Houghton, MI
This week, its arena No. 8: the Alltel Center (formally known as the Midwest Wireless Civic Center) which is home to the Minnesota State Mavericks.
Arena
Now known as the Alltel Center thanks to Alltel’s acquisition of Midwest Wireless, the Midwest the building is a fairly safe bet for the average WCHA or college hockey fan.
The 4,832 seat arena is similar to some of the other smaller arenas in the WCHA, such as the National Hockey Center in St. Cloud or Sullivan Arena in Anchorage. The Alltel Center features a horse-shoe type design, with seating on three of the four sides of the Olympic-sized ice sheet.
Inside the arena, the sightlines for viewing aren’t too bad. Some of the seats on the open end of the horseshoe can get kind of far away from the action, but other than that, fans should have no trouble getting a clear view of the game. Unless you’re attending a Gopher / Maverick contest, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting good seats.
The arena is off-campus and is a join-venture between the city and the university, and alcohol is sold at the arena. Somewhat along those lines: watch out for lines in the bathrooms if there is a packed house.
There is a fair amount of parking near the arena, including a good-sized ramp that is southwest of the arena along Riverfront Drive – you can’t miss it.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere for Maverick games can get to be fairly good for a team that has generally been a bottom-half team in the WCHA over time, and certainly much better than the atmosphere one will typically find in Anchorage or Houghton.
One thing that I find important is the presence of a band, which is something the Alltel Center features. Located right next to the student section and behind the net of the opposing team for two of the three periods, they do a good job getting the crowd into the game.
After the Mavericks score a goal though, the celebration music comes from the sound system within the arena. Anyone who has been to a game at the Alltel Center knows that the infamous “ole ... ole ole ole” song blasts through the speakers, and that really gets the crowd going. As generic as that song may be, it does the trick in this instance.
I have been to a pair of games in Mankato that didn’t involve the Gophers, and there was – not surprisingly – a drop off in intensity in terms of atmosphere.
Crowd
The average crowd member at the Alltel Center isn’t head-over-heels into the game, but like I eluded to earlier, they certainly aren’t at the bottom of the WCHA in terms of fan involvement. Like any team, the better the Mavs are doing on the season – and in particular on that evening – can really influence the crowd and its level of involvement.
The student section can be hit or miss, much like the rest of the crowd, depending a bit upon on the Mavs are doing on the ice. For Gopher games specifically, they get quite into the game, although there seems to be more Gopher fans in the Minnesota State student section than at any other visiting arena.
Summary
My opinion of the Alltel Center is probably inflated because I generally see the Gophers play there, which usually increases the amount of people in the building and tends to bring out the best of opposing fans, mainly because the Mavericks are of course an in-state opponent for the Gophers.
That being said, I feel that the arena itself is very good, especially when you consider it’s a multi-purpose facility. If the Mavericks were able to string together a handful of successful seasons on the ice, I think the Alltel Center could turn into a real home-ice advantage for Minnesota State.
Overall Grade: C+
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