Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

My head hurts after reading some of the comments on that article.

You mean like this one:

I am disappointed in the latest round of recruits. I don't really get the whole Swede thing but, whatever. What bugs more is that the Gophers used to be the team every kid dreamed of playing for. Now, ever recruit is a rich kid from Shattuck or another private school. All the kids who used to be Gophers in the past are going to Nebraska-Omaha.

This guy is obviously Norwegian.

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

Tack Sverige! Nu skickar över Malin Åkerman skulle vara bra.

I gotta disagree here...I think Swedish women look BETTER without the "bra".

[Slap Shot]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

Bonin is not being himself if he's not questioning recruits.

[Bonin21]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

Bonin is not being himself if he's not questioning recruits.

I blame Patrick White.

[mnstate0fhockey]

If you're not from MN, you'll have to prove you belong here to get the support of the old school folks. That doesn't take long for those that stick. All the talk before they get on campus (including a bunch by me) means nothing. For the record, I didn't leave any of those comments lol.

Heck, the two recruits I'm currently questioning most are MN kids.

I wasn't even referring to those comments, there are a few comments in there that are so clueless it's borderline comical.

[mnstate0fhockey]

you mean like this one:



This guy is obviously norwegian.

That's one

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

You mean like this one:



This guy is obviously Norwegian.

I remember my old school norwegian grandfather telling when I was very young in the 70s...I don't care who you marry, you can marry a woman of any race you want...but please just not a swede.

I think that posters in this article are missing two facts:

1. How many of our Europeans have been poor choices? Vanek and Haula were likely among the top player or two (with Bjugs) on their respective teams. These guys have every bit of potential to match (cept probably Hogland but he serves another hard to fill benefit for this year's team)

2. The Gophers are not handpicking 'rich' kids and ignoring the great high school players. We recruit the best kids possible and fill the rest of the roster to fill critical team holes. When we take the best kids we take them regardless of whether they play high school, NTDP, USHL or Shattuck.

But I'm sure I don't need to tell anyone on the board this.

[mnstate0fhockey]

I remember my old school norwegian grandfather telling when I was very young in the 70s...I don't care who you marry, you can marry a woman of any race you want...but please just not a swede.

I think that posters in this article are missing two facts:

1. How many of our Europeans have been poor choices? Vanek and Haula were likely among the top player or two (with Bjugs) on their respective teams. These guys have every bit of potential to match (cept probably Hogland but he serves another hard to fill benefit for this year's team)

2. The Gophers are not handpicking 'rich' kids and ignoring the great high school players. We recruit the best kids possible and fill the rest of the roster to fill critical team holes. When we take the best kids we take them regardless of whether they play high school, NTDP, USHL or Shattuck.

But I'm sure I don't need to tell anyone on the board this.

Exactly and Exactly! Well said

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

An $8M Mariucci Renovation Plan is in the works which may scrap the Olympic size rink for NHL size to accommodate more seating and better sight lines.

With the tradeoff for more seating and better sightlines, scraping the O-size for NHL size makes a lot of sense to me. At present only 8 teams inc. MN currently use O-size (CC, N. Mich., SCSU, Mankato State, UAA, Alaska, New Hampshire...Kohl Center is close at 97'). It will accelerate their game, but I don't think it will make any difference at all in the execution of the Gopher's style of hockey.

[purpleinnebraska]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

At present only 8 teams inc. MN currently use O-size (CC, N. Mich., SCSU, Mankato State, UAA, Alaska, New Hampshire...Kohl Center is close at 97'). It will accelerate their game, but I don't think it will make any difference at all in the execution of the Gopher's style of hockey.

Kato switched to a near-NHL size rink last year (90'). Coach Hastings said at the time, "Hockey's hockey, but if we have the opportunity to prepare them on an NHL sheet, we should try to help them." Obviously, the Gophers don't have that concern, having produced a busload of NHL players. But for us, if it helps us in recruiting against other schools, I'm OK with it. Not sure it made much difference in style or quality of play. All of our guys had experience on NHL-sized rinks before coming here, and we play a majority of our road games on the smaller rink. If we had Europeans like Bristedt coming in, there might be some adjustment, but that's not an issue for us.

The one concern I had was that we'd lose our home ice edge. That didn't seem to be a problem last year, but that's a pretty small sample size.

[Jaws]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

I'm all for it. I've never been a fan of the Big sheet. Good news as far as I'm concerned

An $8M Mariucci Renovation Plan is in the works which may scrap the Olympic size rink for NHL size to accommodate more seating and better sight lines.

With the tradeoff for more seating and better sightlines, scraping the O-size for NHL size makes a lot of sense to me. At present only 8 teams inc. MN currently use O-size (CC, N. Mich., SCSU, Mankato State, UAA, Alaska, New Hampshire...Kohl Center is close at 97'). It will accelerate their game, but I don't think it will make any difference at all in the execution of the Gopher's style of hockey.

[Hammy]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

The problem is 99% of fans in MN really only know the MN kids... that's their comfort zone. They don't grasp as much about what is outside of that. The layman Gopher fan (meaning the vast majority of fans that aren't as into things as us rubes on GPL and here) assume the MN prospect is the better route because that is what they know. They are aware of the HS star but that's about the extent of it. They have no real frame of reference to judge a kid like Fällström and so they doubt it.

The scouting report on Fällström that I received from somebody that has scouted him (in person) and has also extensively scouted MN tells me all I need to know that he is a high caliber recruit. When you're told the opinion from a well versed hockey guy that the kid is a 1st line NTDP type of forward, it says a lot. Those kinds of players don't grow on trees (in MN or anywhere else). They beat out BC for the kid and it's not like BC recruits 16 year old chumps.

I understand the unknown is sometimes more difficult to grasp (especially for the casual fan) but some people need to develop a little more faith considering how well the team has performed in recent seasons with this coaching staff.

[HarleyMC]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

Kato switched to a near-NHL size rink last year (90'). Coach Hastings said at the time, "Hockey's hockey, but if we have the opportunity to prepare them on an NHL sheet, we should try to help them." Obviously, the Gophers don't have that concern, having produced a busload of NHL players. But for us, if it helps us in recruiting against other schools, I'm OK with it. Not sure it made much difference in style or quality of play. All of our guys had experience on NHL-sized rinks before coming here, and we play a majority of our road games on the smaller rink. If we had Europeans like Bristedt coming in, there might be some adjustment, but that's not an issue for us.

The one concern I had was that we'd lose our home ice edge. That didn't seem to be a problem last year, but that's a pretty small sample size.

Ok...funny CHN has the Verizon Wireless at 87', but I think you're accurate at 90'. There's been a bit of an arms race in arena renovation in various venues throughout college hockey over the past couple years (Yost/$16M, Munn/$20M this year). State of the art facilities obviously attracts fans, helps create a competitive atmosphere and I agree provides a competitive edge in recruiting talent.

The O-size is a good fit for the Gophers puck possession game, but the downside is it also allows D time to play a more positional game as well. The O-size allows players to create time and space whereas the smaller NHL rink requires greater reaction times and instinctual playmaking. But as you said, they've all logged lots of ice time on NHL rinks and there doesn't seem to be any significant advantage in the W/L column on either sheet for the Gophers. I think it's a good move.

[4four4]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

An $8M Mariucci Renovation Plan is in the works which may scrap the Olympic size rink for NHL size to accommodate more seating and better sight lines.

With the tradeoff for more seating and better sightlines, scraping the O-size for NHL size makes a lot of sense to me. At present only 8 teams inc. MN currently use O-size (CC, N. Mich., SCSU, Mankato State, UAA, Alaska, New Hampshire...Kohl Center is close at 97'). It will accelerate their game, but I don't think it will make any difference at all in the execution of the Gopher's style of hockey.

Is this a done deal? Or a done deal that needs money to change to NHL ice?

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota Gophers Offseason Thread 2014 - Quick, Reload!

The O-size is a good fit for the Gophers puck possession game, but the downside is it also allows D time to play a more positional game as well. The O-size allows players to create time and space whereas the smaller NHL rink requires greater reaction times and instinctual playmaking. But as you said, they've all logged lots of ice time on NHL rinks and there doesn't seem to be any significant advantage in the W/L column on either sheet for the Gophers. I think it's a good move.

The B1G tourney or FrozFour are never on Olympic ice.