University of North Dakota Hockey: 2011-2012

[Big Papa]

Re: University of North Dakota Hockey: 2011-2012

North dakota is an awesome hockey program and you have some great recruits coming in. Key here is that they develop so I'm sure you will remain a powerhouse for years to come.

[cross cheque]

more underclassmen left the sue this year. so choke on it.

At least they didn't go backwards to the ushl

[jerryj]

Re: University of North Dakota Hockey: 2011-2012

this offseason is going to hurt the sioux program for 2 or 3 years. i see the sioux as a bottom half wcha team this year. next year theyll lose kristo, blood, likely forbort, both goalies, a couple role players and 50/50 on nelson (islanders are going to get gun shy on letting guys develop too long in ncaas).. no way theyll contend the year after that. with grimaldi and miller being 1st rounders (especially if they go mid first), they will likely leave after their second year (maybe third- but heck, grimaldi is on record saying hed like to be in the nhl a year or two from now). ill be very surprised if you make the FF in the next 3 years. its going to take a while to recover from losing half your team (especially when the half the sioux have going forward is almost unanimously the bad half). just my $.02. and yes, i know its impossible to predict one year ahead much less 2 or 3.. but this offseason has been devastating for the sioux program and its not necessarily over.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: University of North Dakota Hockey: 2011-2012

this offseason is going to hurt the sioux program for 2 or 3 years. i see the sioux as a bottom half wcha team this year. next year theyll lose kristo, blood, likely forbort, both goalies, a couple role players and 50/50 on nelson (islanders are going to get gun shy on letting guys develop too long in ncaas).. no way theyll contend the year after that. with grimaldi and miller being 1st rounders (especially if they go mid first), they will likely leave after their second year (maybe third- but heck, grimaldi is on record saying hed like to be in the nhl a year or two from now). ill be very surprised if you make the FF in the next 3 years. its going to take a while to recover from losing half your team (especially when the half the sioux have going forward is almost unanimously the bad half). just my $.02. and yes, i know its impossible to predict one year ahead much less 2 or 3.. but this offseason has been devastating for the sioux program and its not necessarily over.

North Dakota will be a top half team as they are significantly better than Tech, Mankato and Bemidji, and are far stronger than Minnesota, St Cloud and Anchorage. That being said, they're not going to fight for the MacNaughton, but should be on the same level as Wisconsin and Omaha to fight for 4th. I see DU, CC and Duluth fighting it out for the top three spots at this point. It's no fun losing players like Gregoire and Hextall, but considering that Blood, Kristo, Dell and Eidsness were all potential early departures and they decided to stay, it has been far from devastating.

What's interesting, is that you think North Dakota is going to have a ton of early departures from a very poor team. Typically, players from the better teams leave early. If Forbort, Nelson, Dell, Kristo, Grimaldi and Miller all leave early after next season, it will likely mean that those players had very successful seasons, and that would seemingly translate into plenty of Sioux victories. That being said, North Dakota fortunately has an excellent reputation among NHL clubs as a place to develop their prospects, and rarely do franchises pull their prospects out earlier than normal...other programs in the WCHA have the opposite reputation. The only way I see all of those guys leaving early (especially Miller and Nelson) is if North Dakota puts together a great season like this past year, and perhaps top it off with a title...not a bottom half finish.

[jerryj]

Re: University of North Dakota Hockey: 2011-2012

North Dakota will be a top half team as they are significantly better than Tech, Mankato and Bemidji, and are far stronger than Minnesota, St Cloud and Anchorage. That being said, they're not going to fight for the MacNaughton, but should be on the same level as Wisconsin and Omaha to fight for 4th. I see DU, CC and Duluth fighting it out for the top three spots at this point. It's no fun losing players like Gregoire and Hextall, but considering that Blood, Kristo, Dell and Eidsness were all potential early departures and they decided to stay, it has been far from devastating.

What's interesting, is that you think North Dakota is going to have a ton of early departures from a very poor team. Typically, players from the better teams leave early. If Forbort, Nelson, Dell, Kristo, Grimaldi and Miller all leave early after next season, it will likely mean that those players had very successful seasons, and that would seemingly translate into plenty of Sioux victories. That being said, North Dakota fortunately has an excellent reputation among NHL clubs as a place to develop their prospects, and rarely do franchises pull their prospects out earlier than normal...other programs in the WCHA have the opposite reputation. The only way I see all of those guys leaving early (especially Miller and Nelson) is if North Dakota puts together a great season like this past year, and perhaps top it off with a title...not a bottom half finish.

Sioux
fair enough. im surprised to hear you say you have a FAR STRONGER team than MN when Minny had a 5th place WCHA finish (and a winning record against top 10 teams. including taking the series against the sioux. the issue wasnt talent it was consistency and that is expected when you got 7 freshman playing every night) combined with the fact that the sioux lost way more this offseason. sure they lost cepis, hoeffel, and ness.. but budish back negates any one of those and the rest of last years seniors didnt produce anyway. we will see.

I see denver CC and possibly UNO battling for first with wisconsin, UM, st cloud and duluth rounding out the top 7. id predict the sioux to end in 8th.. maybe steal a series in the first round of the WCHA playoffs but missing the NCAAs.

in regards to players leaving early- you make good points there. but personally i dont even question that kristo is gone next year (i still think he may sign this summer). he was scouted heavily this year and is right now one of their top prospects. good or bad year he is gone. if forbort has a good year he will be seen as ready to sign. if he has a bad year the kings will sign him to develop him theirselves. top 15 picks rarely last 3 years in the college system. and that was my point with grimaldi and miller. the best thing that could happen to the sioux at this point, in this offseason, is for those 2 to slide to the end of the first or even the 2nd.

[carltonbarrett]

Re: University of North Dakota Hockey: 2011-2012

Stinks that you guys are losing a lot of underclassmen in addition to heavy graduation losses. You're not alone though, BC is going through the same thing. Hopefully both teams will bounce back nicely....

[Dirty]

Re: University of North Dakota Hockey: 2011-2012

What if Di Puma's mom is a cougar?

[cross cheque]

What if Di Puma's mom is a cougar?

Hostile and abusive names, litigation to follow.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: University of North Dakota Hockey: 2011-2012

Sioux
fair enough. im surprised to hear you say you have a FAR STRONGER team than MN when Minny had a 5th place WCHA finish (and a winning record against top 10 teams. including taking the series against the sioux. the issue wasnt talent it was consistency and that is expected when you got 7 freshman playing every night) combined with the fact that the sioux lost way more this offseason. sure they lost cepis, hoeffel, and ness.. but budish back negates any one of those and the rest of last years seniors didnt produce anyway. we will see.

I see denver CC and possibly UNO battling for first with wisconsin, UM, st cloud and duluth rounding out the top 7. id predict the sioux to end in 8th.. maybe steal a series in the first round of the WCHA playoffs but missing the NCAAs.

in regards to players leaving early- you make good points there. but personally i dont even question that kristo is gone next year (i still think he may sign this summer). he was scouted heavily this year and is right now one of their top prospects. good or bad year he is gone. if forbort has a good year he will be seen as ready to sign. if he has a bad year the kings will sign him to develop him theirselves. top 15 picks rarely last 3 years in the college system. and that was my point with grimaldi and miller. the best thing that could happen to the sioux at this point, in this offseason, is for those 2 to slide to the end of the first or even the 2nd.

Minnesota split with North Dakota this past year, so not sure how that equals taking the series??

Honestly, your logic behind your picks doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. It seems as though you are predicting with your heart and not your head.

IMO, North Dakota is far stronger than Minnesota. Defensively it is not even close. North Dakota had one of the top teams defensively in the country last year, and that should be a strength for the squad this year as well. Offensively it should be closer this year than last, as North Dakota lost some significant firepower, but is reloading with some top end freshmen talent. Minnesota lost their top 3, and 4 of the top 5 scorers (all seniors who "didn't produce" according to you) and their top returning scorer is Haula who put up 24 points...not exactly a team that lights it up. You talk up Budish, but he hasn't been a world beater in his time in the lineup (9 goals in 46 games doesn't put too much fear into the opposition). Patterson is equal to Dell, so that aspect is basically a push, but North Dakota is stronger in just about every other aspect of the game.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: University of North Dakota Hockey: 2011-2012

Stinks that you guys are losing a lot of underclassmen in addition to heavy graduation losses. You're not alone though, BC is going through the same thing. Hopefully both teams will bounce back nicely....

They will. Both squads will probably start slowly, but York and Hakstol are both amazing at getting their teams to peak in the second half, and I'm sure we'll see that again next year. I won't be surprised if we meet again (schools will play in the Ice Breaker) in March or April. Hopefully we can take one from you guys to exact some revenge from '06-'08.

[SiouxFanatic]

Re: University of North Dakota Hockey: 2011-2012

Honestly, your logic behind your picks doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. It seems as though you are predicting with your heart and not your head.

I immediately thought that when reading his posts. Oh well though, just leaves room for the Sioux to surprise everyone then again not many people are predicting the Sioux to finish 8th like him so he'll probably end up being the only one surprised when the Sioux finish higher up.

[jerryj]

Re: University of North Dakota Hockey: 2011-2012

Minnesota split with North Dakota this past year, so not sure how that equals taking the series??

Honestly, your logic behind your picks doesn't really make a whole lot of sense. It seems as though you are predicting with your heart and not your head.

IMO, North Dakota is far stronger than Minnesota. Defensively it is not even close. North Dakota had one of the top teams defensively in the country last year, and that should be a strength for the squad this year as well. Offensively it should be closer this year than last, as North Dakota lost some significant firepower, but is reloading with some top end freshmen talent. Minnesota lost their top 3, and 4 of the top 5 scorers (all seniors who "didn't produce" according to you) and their top returning scorer is Haula who put up 24 points...not exactly a team that lights it up. You talk up Budish, but he hasn't been a world beater in his time in the lineup (9 goals in 46 games doesn't put too much fear into the opposition). Patterson is equal to Dell, so that aspect is basically a push, but North Dakota is stronger in just about every other aspect of the game.

well if I was picking with my heart i think id have minnesota higher than 5th or 6th heading into the year so there goes that theory. my guess is the only difference you would make is switching the gophers with the sioux- so i could JUST as easily say the same to you. i read your post and got the impression you simply dont like the idea of someone thinking the sioux are an average team for the first time in a while. i agree goaltending is a push. defense goes to the sioux. and I have scoring going to the gophers. i dont see what the problem is there.

and if you expect the sioux to look anywhere close to as defensively sound as last year when they were playing with 3 goal leads all night, then you my friend are the one using your heart over your head. LOL. and for the record- i make a jab on here once in a while about the sioux.. but I dont take satisfaction in them losing. outside of minnesota I support the sioux above all others. i simply dont think they will be a factor after losing like 70% of their scoring. again- the gophs lost a lot of their scorers too but its well known they didnt have ANY real scorers to begin with. if bjugstad and budish were to combine for 35g this year (even you will agree thats not far fetched) that would nearly negate all of their departing senior forwards from last year. i did botch the UM-ND series though so ill shut up now.

[hockeyfan33]

Re: University of North Dakota Hockey: 2011-2012

I feel like Dell came out of nowhere, was he a highly regarded recruit ?

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Re: University of North Dakota Hockey: 2011-2012

I immediately thought that when reading his posts. Oh well though, just leaves room for the Sioux to surprise everyone then again not many people are predicting the Sioux to finish 8th like him so he'll probably end up being the only one surprised when the Sioux finish higher up.

Agreed. There are some people who think North Dakota is going to win the WCHA next year (collegehockeysource.com...although that site is full of terrible errors. they don't even place UNO in the WCHA.) and some who think the Sioux will finish 8th and everyone will defect from the program after (jerryj). IMO, the Sioux will fight for 4th-5th along with UNO and Wisconsin. In order to compete for the top spot we would have to get either a tremendous amount of lucky breaks, or have a few players step it up ala Knight and have breakout years. I just don't see that happening, but I'm not too worried about it. The 4th place WCHA team this season won the National Championship.

[Dirty]

Re: University of North Dakota Hockey: 2011-2012

I will stop posting on this crappy board if UND finishes 8th place or lower next year.