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Minnesota Gopher's Reaction to NCAA Regional Placements

March 28, 2013, 1:01 pm
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This is gold.  If you're not a Gopher fan, or a western college hockey person, than this is just the video for you.  Behold, exactly what went through each Gopher hockey fan's head during the selection show:


Enjoy.  :D

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2012-2013 Season Recap

March 28, 2013, 6:45 pm
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It's been one hell of a season.


(Photo: Dave Harwig)
As Bulldog fans we've been blessed over the last few seasons to be able to watch our team play well into March.  I mean off the top of their heads, can anyone tell me the last time the Bulldogs were swept, away from home in the first round of WCHA playoffs?


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UMD Recruiting Update

March 31, 2013, 3:12 pm
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The Bulldogs lose 7 seniors to graduation, including 2 defensemen and 5 forwards.  Add that to the loss of Chris Casto and the Dogs need to replace 8 skaters.  Before chaos erupts, these "expected arrivals" are not a sure thing.  The official roster hasn't been released at this point.

Expected Arrival: 2013-2014

Dominic Toninato
Photo: M. Joy Photography
Forward - Fargo Force (USHL)
Birthdate: March 9th, 1994
Height: 6-1  Weight: 168
Hometown: Duluth, MN

Dom Toninato, a Duluth East alum, has had a very successful first year in the USHL.  As a member of the Fargo Force, Toninato has scored 27 goals for 67 points in the 59 games he's played in this season.  The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect is +25 on the year while only spending 42 minutes in the penalty box.

Toninato recently broke the Fargo Force regular season scoring record, as he now stands as the all-time single season record holder with his 67 points.  That story can be found here.


Sammy Spurrell
Photo: Emily Van Ee
Center - Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL)
Birthdate: October 5th, 1992
Height: 5-11  Weight: 180
Hometown: Sherwood Park, AB

Sammy Spurrell has spent his last few seasons in the AJHL with the Spruce Grove Saints.  Spurrell has tallied 16 goals, 12 assists for 28 points in the 25 games he's played in.  He sustained an injury during the year, resulting in the low amount of games he's participated in.  Overall, Spurrell has earned 114 points in the 148 games hes wore a Spruce Grove sweater.
"I am very excited for the opportunity to go down there (Minnesota) next year, it has been a dream of mine for about 5 years now," says Spurrell.  It was harder than I anticipated but I just had to be patient and it finally came along. I had some injury trouble this year but I kept at it and was rewarded with a scholarship to Minnesota-Duluth."
"Sammy is a tireless worker in regards to improving his game," proclaims Head Coach and General Manager Jason McKee. "We couldn't be happier to see Sammy moving on to play at the Division 1 level. Sam has the ability to change the game in a variety of ways which has included very timely scoring for the Saints throughout his career."
For Spurrell's roster information click here.  For the story on Spurrell's recent commitment, click here.

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Gwozdecky Fired, Now What?

April 1, 2013, 6:13 pm
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The University of Denver Pioneers fired 19-year men's hockey coach George Gwozdecky today.

Gwozdecky, who's now 59 years old, had one more season left in the 12-year contract he signed and was reportedly talking with the school about an extension, which obviously failed to conclude.

The School, who made it sound as though Gwozdecky was "leaving" and not fired, released an official announcement today and stated that Gwozdecky will speak tomorrow at 11:00am about leaving the school.  The following are highlighted from the school's release:
“We certainly wish George the best in his future endeavors and we are thankful for his 19 years at the helm of our hockey program,” said Vice Chancellor for Athletics and Recreation Peg Bradley-Doppes. “He certainly had his fair share of success, returning the program to the pinnacle of the collegiate hockey world during our great run in the middle of the previous decade. In addition, he has always run our program with class and professionalism, which has certainly made our fans proud to be Pioneer supporters." 
“We must now turn our attention toward a new direction for our hockey program with another innovative coach taking the lead for our inaugural season in the newly formed National Collegiate Hockey Conference.”
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Fire Lucia? Umm... Why?

April 2, 2013, 9:35 am
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The Minnesota Golden Gopher hockey team finds themselves falling short of the NCAA title game once again, this time, failing to make the Frozen Four.
"Don't blame the players, if you want to blame somebody, blame me," said Don Lucia, Gopher coach, during his last radio show of the season. "You still have to look at the big picture and what the kids accomplished... It was a pretty good run for our guys."
Gopher fans aren't exactly happy with the team's first round exit during the NCAA tournament, while college hockey hockey fans are wondering what the heck happened to the team that was picked by a lot of people to win the national championship, preseason of course, and didn't come close.

Patrick Reusse wrote a great article pointing out mistakes and flaws in a program that has shown more disappointment in recent years than success.

Should Don Lucia be fired?  It seems to be the thing to do right now, right?

The Gophers are able to get the top recruits from not only the state of hockey, but also the surrounding areas.  Every year I see fans salivate at the thought of the returning talent and incoming freshman, and how this is going to be the year "Pride on Ice" takes it all.

It's no secret that the Gopher's have 15 NHL prospects on their team, giving them arguably the most talented team in the entire country.  So what's the deal?  It's Lucia the problem here?  Should the Gophs just have fired him the day after the 3-2 OT loss to Yale much like they handled the Tubby situation?

But hold on one second here...

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Josh Berlo named UMD's Athletic Director

April 3, 2013, 6:36 pm
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The University of Minnesota Duluth found a replacement for the former AD, Bob Nielson, who left for Western Michigan early during the academic year.

Josh Berlo comes from Notre Dame, where he served as senior assistant athletics director for guest relations and event marketing.  He leaves Notre Dame after 12 years of success.
"Josh has a proven track record of leadership in Division I athletics with strategic planning, budgeting, recruiting and hiring of coaches, NCAA compliance, academic mentoring of student athletes, and increasing resources for programs and facilities," said UMD's Chancellor, Lendley Black. "He also understands the values and importance of Division II athletics. We believe his experience and skills will help foster the continued national prominence of UMD athletics and promote new levels of excellence."
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College Hockey's Finest Finding NHL

April 5, 2013, 2:59 pm
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Today has been quite the day for college hockey's talented players.  Theres been multiple signings today, especially in the WCHA.  Denver's Scott Mayfield, Minnesota State's Eriah Hayes, Minnesota's Mark Alt and North Dakota's Derek Forbort have all signed with professional teams today.

Minnesota State's Eriah Hayes
Minnesota's Mark Alt










If you'd like to keep up with the college hockey departures, click "Early Departures" in the navigation bar above, or just click this link here to keep up with all the confusion.Read more »
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WCHA's Top Prospects

April 5, 2013, 3:58 pm
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This year the Western Collegiate Hockey Association has donated many talented players to the professional ranks.  Some of them leaving school early to pursue dreams while others are finding paychecks waiting after they've finished their senior seasons.

With 10 (give or take) WCHA players gone to the NHL so far, who's left?  It would seem as though the best are gone, but that is far from the case.  Below is a few of the conference's finest hockey players that could potentially make their hockey dreams come true.

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Top Scoring NCHC Recruits

April 6, 2013, 7:02 pm
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It's that time again! The top NCHC committed recruits, seperated by each player's estimated arrival.  I'll post the rest of the conferences tomorrow.


Take into the consideration the difficulty of the leagues and strength of schedules each player is faced with.  For example, the competition in the USHL is much more difficult than that of the Minnesota State High School League.

Enjoy.

Expected Arrival 2013:
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The Effects of Gwozdecky's Release

April 8, 2013, 10:03 am
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Since the firing of former Denver hockey coach, George Gwozdecky, the Pioneers have been faced with issues other than finding a new coach for the team.

With the early departures of Scott Mayfield and Juho Olkinuora, the de-commitment from Gage Ausmus and the backlash from former players and fans about the reasoning for Gwozdecky's firing, one must ponder what's going to happen next.

Mayfield, a promising 6-4 defenseman, left the team with two years of NCAA eligibility left to pursue a professional career with the Edmonton Oilers.  Olkinuora, a very talented goaltender from Finland, left the team with two years of eligibility as well, signing with the Winnipeg Jets.

Will others follow in the steps of Mayfield and Olkinoura?
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USHL Update

April 9, 2013, 11:21 am
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The Bulldog Country OFFICIAL USHL Update.  

It really looks a lot more important if you bold it, so why not?  The United States Hockey League is the US' tier 1 junior hockey league.  When explaining it, I usually revert to calling the USHL "AAA minor league" College Hockey.  Many college hockey players will spend time in the USHL or the NAHL or a league within the CJHL.

In the USHL, playoffs are right around the bend, which means teams will compete for the Clark Cup.  Some UMD Recruits are on teams that have clinched a playoff berth.  Can you guess who?  UMD recruits from Fargo are also highlighted, earning rewards and accomplishments.  More to follow below...

Enjoy.

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Former Tiger, Future Husky

April 10, 2013, 8:24 am
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If you're in the Bensenville, Illinois area and looking for something to do tonight, wing into the Chicago Edge Arena.  Inside, you'll find the Chicago Steel lacing up their skates and preparing to take the ice in hopes of defeating the Youngstown Phantoms.

Inside Chicago's locker room, you'll find a blonde haired kid, roughly 6-1, about to take the ice for his final home game in the United States Hockey League.  It's not his last game of the season, as Chicago still has two more games on the road, but failed to clinch a playoff berth.

Tyler Heinonen will pull on his Chicago Steel sweater just three more times before he'll venture farther north, where he'll join Mel Pearson and the rest of the Michigan Tech Husky hockey team.  But let's not jump ahead to far now, let's take a step back.

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Playoffs? Playoffs!?!

April 11, 2013, 4:45 pm
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Pessimism.  Fans of sports around the state of Minnesota share this one trait.  It’s in our blood.   Whether you’re a fan of the Vikings, Twins, Gophers, Wild, or Timberwolves; being prepared to be let down is built into our preseason expectations.  That's what happens when many of us were too young to remember, if even born, the '87 and '91 Twins championships, but have the ’98 Vikings (damn!), permanently ingrained in our brains.
By David Case & Michael Becker


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Brenden Kotyk Commits to UMD

April 11, 2013, 7:06 pm
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The University of Minnesota Duluth receives a commitment from a former St. Scholastica defenseman, Brenden Kotyk.



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Frozen Four 2013: From Four to Two

April 11, 2013, 10:36 pm
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On the first day we watched Yale's Jesse Root score a goal nine seconds in overtime to beat Minnesota, UMass-Lowell completely dismantle a surging Wisconsin, North Dakota score twice in the last period to squeeze by Niagara, and New Hampshire bury four goals in a row to blow by Denver.

On the second day we watched St. Cloud State roll over Notre Dame, Yale score four to pull off the upset over North Dakota, Miami shutout Minnesota State, Quinnipiac score three late goals to squeeze by Canisius, UMass-Lowell blank New Hampshire, and Union end the reigning-champions, Boston Colleges', season.

By the end of the second day, both Yale and UMass-Lowell had punched their tickets to Pittsburgh, allowing them to wait and watch as four more teams fought for the final two spots.

On the final day of regionals, day three, we watched St. Cloud State's Joey Benik score twice to blow by Miami, and Quinnipiac's Matthew Peca earn a natural hat trick to send the Bobcats over Union.

The Frozen Four was set.  Yale would square off against UMass-Lowell, while St. Cloud State would battle Quinnipiac for a spot in the national championship game.

So who are the remaining two?

Photo: NCAA Associated Press
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2013 College Hockey National Championship

April 14, 2013, 12:56 pm
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Yale University Bulldogs
National Champions

Photo: CollegeHockeyNews.com
Typically, when there's a low scoring hockey game, it tends to be filled with a lot of back and forth movement, but the quality shots and intensity levels are usually just marginal.  This game was just a little bit different, though.

The amount of quality shots followed by amazing saves, hard hits that occurred both offense and defensively, tricky passes leaving one wondering how the hell the guy got the puck, and, well, penalties in this game was numerous.  All in all, this was one of the best hockey games i've seen to date.

It was so far from your average, typical college hockey game.

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UMD Bulldog Hockey Club

April 15, 2013, 2:17 pm
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I NEED YOUR HELP!


But before I can ask the questions, I need to explain what is exactly going on.

Awhile ago I wrote an article titled, The Attendance Issue, which discussed a couple of my opinions regarding the lack of attendance from both students and fans.  Well, after a couple of meetings things began to snowball and before I knew it, we had a group formed in hopes of bettering the atmosphere at Amsoil and show that we truly are the best fans in the country.

After meetings with Lendley Black (UMD's Chancellor), Lisa Erwin, (Vice Chancellor of Student Life), UMD Athletics, and the UMD Student Association, the ball began to roll, and kept picking up speed as time went on.

In the end, Jace Romano, Erik Doeden, Mike Becker and myself created a group for students that is much like Michigan Tech's group "Mitch's Misfits".

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Jim Montgomery to Succeed Gwozdecky in Denver

April 15, 2013, 8:48 pm
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The wait is finally over.

Although the amount of unanswered questions and confusion was at an all-time high throughout the majority of the process, Denver Athletics finally found what seems to be a perfect fit for the new Pioneer men's hockey coach.

When the dust had finally settled, fans received closure from Peg Bradley-Doppes about the firing of their beloved George Gwozdecky and Denver had named Jim Montgomery as their new men's hockey head coach.

Photo: Denver Pioneer Athletics

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UMaine Releases the Search Party

April 16, 2013, 12:07 pm
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Roughly one week ago, the University of Maine fired their long-time head coach, Tim Whitehead.  The decision came after a dramatic downfall in performance from the previous year, as Maine went from making the NCAA tourney to only managing to win 11 games this year.
"This is about the future of our marquee program," UMaine Athletic Director Steve Abbott said.  "Since 2008, UMaine has experienced declining Hockey East success, season ticket sales and overall ticket revenues, and waning student engagement in men's ice hockey. The President and I are committed to ensuring that our Men's Hockey Program is financially sustainable, continues to focus on developing the student-athlete and is known nationally for excellence."

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Hockey's Greatest Song

April 18, 2013, 7:59 am
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Just days after the bombs went off during the Boston Marathon, the Boston Bruins took to the ice for the first time since before the incident.  The Bruins' professional singer, Rene Rancourt, sang the National Anthem, and to be honest, if this doesn't give you goosebumps than I'm not sure what will.


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