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Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

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  • Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

    Originally posted by cg_siouxfan View Post
    It's interesting how these informative stories about the struggles of being an NCAA Division I men's hockey coach always come out after the Gophers lose a player. You didn't have a similar outcry from Dave Hakstol when David Toews left the Sioux this summer. Is it because the Sioux coaching staff did a better job of managing their team, so it wasn't a devastating loss? BC and BU fans have made the same argument about their teams ability to have success.




    It's really too bad most of you people can't accept that people have different opinions and there are two sides to every situation.
    Minnesota lost two first round hockey players, both who are considered locks to make the NHL by their NHL teams, and UND lost a player who isn't good, and didn't even really have future playing for UND. I don't see any rational comparison, do you really?
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    The reason for the talent in the west? Because MN didn't rely on Canada.

    Originally posted by MN Pond Hockey
    Menards could have sold a lot of rope

    this morning in Grand Forks if North Dakota had trees.

    Comment


    • Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

      Originally posted by cg_siouxfan View Post
      Hey I can quote people out of context too! Yippee
      I assume you once fell off the back of a sugar beet truck, and landed on your head. so what?
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      The reason for the talent in the west? Because MN didn't rely on Canada.

      Originally posted by MN Pond Hockey
      Menards could have sold a lot of rope

      this morning in Grand Forks if North Dakota had trees.

      Comment


      • Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

        Originally posted by goldy_331 View Post
        Yep, lots of rational discussion here in these posts.
        Hey, hey, hey....you know **** well you can't count Dirty.

        Originally posted by cg_siouxfan View Post
        Hey I can quote people out of context too! Yippee
        Still doesn't mean he was wrong...stop being a ******
        Jordan Kawaguchi for Hobey!!
        Originally posted by Quizmire
        mns, this is why i love you.

        Originally posted by Markt
        MNS - forking genius.

        Originally posted by asterisk hat
        MNS - sometimes you gotta answer your true calling. I think yours is being a pimp.

        Originally posted by hockeybando
        I am a fan of MNS.

        Comment


        • Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

          Originally posted by Happy View Post
          I assume you once fell off the back of a sugar beet truck, and landed on your head. so what?
          That's how Mike Fairbourne got that plate in his head.

          Comment


          • Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

            Originally posted by mookie1995 View Post
            heck, i even enjoy hokydad!
            Me too. A guilty pleasure, indeed.

            Comment


            • Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

              Originally posted by MinnesotaNorthStar View Post

              Still doesn't mean he was wrong...stop being a ******
              BS.

              I've added more substantive discussion to this thread than half the Gopher posters have. Sorry I'm not tiptoeing around all these babies and their egos.

              Comment


              • Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                Originally posted by cg_siouxfan View Post
                BS.

                I've added more substantive discussion to this thread than half the Gopher posters have. Sorry I'm not tiptoeing around all these babies and their egos.
                **NOTE: The misleading post above was brought to you by Reynold's Wrap and American Steeples, makers of Crosses.

                Originally Posted by dropthatpuck-Scooby's a lost cause.
                Originally Posted by First Time, Long Time-Always knew you were nothing but a troll.

                Comment


                • Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                  Originally posted by MinnesotaNorthStar View Post
                  Hey, hey, hey....you know **** well you can't count Dirty.
                  I do too count! I matter! Don't tell me I don't matter!
                  Hollywood Hair Care Tip for Infinity (Directly from Hollywood himself)
                  when its minus 20 and u have to go outside.. make sure u wear a winter hat as the mohawk does not enjoy the winter weathe(r)
                  Hollywood Amazingness

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                  • Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                    Originally posted by cg_siouxfan View Post
                    BS.
                    A very succinct description of your posts.

                    Comment


                    • Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                      Originally posted by Puck Swami View Post
                      I think its fair to say that the culture of Minnesota hockey has changed a bit, somewhat.

                      Gopher Hockey once represented the pinnacle of desire for the high end Minnesota High School player, with maybe an Olympic team or a pro career as icing on the cake after a Gophers' career. Sure, some Gophers left early and some made the pros, but being a Gopher really represented the top of the Minnesota development system - grow up, play hockey in your town, be the high school star, then play for the Gophers and see what happens.

                      In recent years, The Gophers' success at producing NHL players has changed the goalposts. High end prospects growing up in Minnesota now view the the NHL as the end game much like a Canadian prospect does. The Gophers are now much more of stepping stone than an end in itself. Few Gopher players go from HS to the Gophers in wide-eyed admiration for the opportunity to play for their home state - they now play HS, then play junior somehere else, and they see hockey as a business and by the time they arrive on campus at the U, the agents and NHL are waiting for them. These guys are thinking about paychecks and payoffs and the Maroon and Gold are mostly a stepping stone for that.

                      I think the other WCHA programs don't have as strong of a home state pride factor vortex, and they have been viewed as pro stepping stones for a longer time, and were faster adjusting to this reality.
                      I see your point PS, but without some significant qualitative research it's a bit difficult in my view to second guess the motives of nearly every player on the Gophers that openly admit playing for the Gophers was one of their primary goals growing up in Minnesota. Based on iteration, the dream of playing for the Minnesota Golden Gophers hockey team is still quite strong among young hockey players throughout the State. The CBA has taken the edge off a bit though, with obviously some of the players over recent years coming in with more realistic aspirations of making it to the pros.

                      Comment


                      • Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                        Originally posted by HarleyMC View Post
                        I see your point PS, but without some significant qualitative research it's a bit difficult in my view to second guess the motives of nearly every player on the Gophers that openly admit playing for the Gophers was one of their primary goals growing up in Minnesota. Based on iteration, the dream of playing for the Minnesota Golden Gophers hockey team is still quite strong among young hockey players throughout the State. The CBA has taken the edge off a bit though, with obviously some of the players over recent years coming in with more realistic aspirations of making it to the pros.
                        What also hurts is that there are (in recent history) 4 of 5 MN D1 teams that have been competitive. If a player can't be a "star" or top-liner at MN, they'll just go to another MN (key part there) school, still represent the state, and maybe get more noticed, because they are better than the players that surround them.

                        Example:

                        1. Player goes to MN, starts off 3rd line or so, may make it to top line and do okay, maybe great.

                        2. Player goes to BSU, tUMD, SCSU, MSU-M, and shines right away on the top line or two, NHL notices after a year or two, boom.
                        Never really developed a taste for tequila. Kind of hard to understand how you make a drink out of something that sharp, inhospitable. Now, bourbon is easy to understand.
                        Tastes like a warm summer day. -Raylan Givens

                        Comment


                        • Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                          Originally posted by cg_siouxfan View Post
                          BS.

                          I've added more substantive discussion to this thread than half the Gopher posters have. Sorry I'm not tiptoeing around all these babies and their egos.
                          Are you that sham-wow guy, cause you sure seem to be to the rest of us?
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                          The reason for the talent in the west? Because MN didn't rely on Canada.

                          Originally posted by MN Pond Hockey
                          Menards could have sold a lot of rope

                          this morning in Grand Forks if North Dakota had trees.

                          Comment


                          • Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                            Originally posted by HarleyMC View Post
                            I see your point PS, but without some significant qualitative research it's a bit difficult in my view to second guess the motives of nearly every player on the Gophers that openly admit playing for the Gophers was one of their primary goals growing up in Minnesota. Based on iteration, the dream of playing for the Minnesota Golden Gophers hockey team is still quite strong among young hockey players throughout the State. The CBA has taken the edge off a bit though, with obviously some of the players over recent years coming in with more realistic aspirations of making it to the pros.
                            I don't think any qualitative research as you put it is necessary. If you can step back and take the mile high view (pun intended). Things have changed. Thousands of young kids in Minnesota grow up dreaming of playing for the Gophers, but they grow up and real life happens... agents, parents, high dollar contracts, all serve to make a player rethink all the options on the table. You can't begrudge a person for going for that brass ring. I forget the Denver player mentioned earlier that chose to stay and received a much smaller contract. Looking back, it probably had no effect on his development or longevity, but he should have sold when his stock was high. He ends up in the same place from a hockey perspective but without a big financial cushion. On that note, and I will end here, kudos to North Dakota and Dave Hakstol for being able to keep some of these players around when they could have bolted for the dollars. Not sure how he does it but I applaud that they have built an atmosphere to make it happen.

                            Comment


                            • Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                              Originally posted by ItsGood2BTheKing View Post
                              I don't think any qualitative research as you put it is necessary. If you can step back and take the mile high view (pun intended). Things have changed. Thousands of young kids in Minnesota grow up dreaming of playing for the Gophers, but they grow up and real life happens... agents, parents, high dollar contracts, all serve to make a player rethink all the options on the table. You can't begrudge a person for going for that brass ring. I forget the Denver player mentioned earlier that chose to stay and received a much smaller contract. Looking back, it probably had no effect on his development or longevity, but he should have sold when his stock was high. He ends up in the same place from a hockey perspective but without a big financial cushion. On that note, and I will end here, kudos to North Dakota and Dave Hakstol for being able to keep some of these players around when they could have bolted for the dollars. Not sure how he does it but I applaud that they have built an atmosphere to make it happen.
                              Almost every MN born recruit (>90%) that I've researched over recent years has verbally indicated to media sources that it's been his lifelong dream to play for the Gophers. That hasn't changed much and stating that playing for the Gophers is now only a "stepping stone" to the pros contradicts their often enthusiastic admission. Secondly, I applaud Don Lucia's openness and coaching emphasis in stating that the University of Minnesota is NOT a "farm team" for the NHL. I also concur with Lucia's emphasis on education and obtaining a college degree as a vital component of his vision and philosophy for student-athletes at the University of Minnesota. This operative vision negatively correlates with the perspective that the UMN is only a "stepping stone" to the pros. In my view, it is not outdated or obsolete simply because the University of Minnesota is in the education business and it must both in practice and in theory, uphold this timeless priority regardless of the prevailing trends and corporate pathologies of our self induced sports entertainment culture.

                              Furthermore, more research (either qualitative or mixed methodology would be effective) is needed to longitudinally determine with sufficient validity and reliability: 1) at what specific age young Minnesota hockey players begin to speculate and "dream" about playing for the Gophers?, 2) whether there are negative correlations with becoming a pro hockey player and maintaining that "dream"?, 3) what degree of influence do external sources have in positively or negatively mediating that "dream"?, and 4) do professional attributions represent a causal relationship of decline in the psychocultural component of that "dream" once it is fulfilled?

                              I'm not aware of any such extant research, but based on iteration of the above phenomena consistently demonstrated by recent Gopher players, it appears the "dream" is still quite active in the minds of young hockey players throughout the State. However, as I stated previously the CBA has changed the landscape of all of college hockey, making it more possible for players to make the jump to pro hockey earlier in their college career should they stay healthy and perform well. But to accurately determine the positive or negative correlations these opportunities have served in potentially changing the mindset of young Minnesota hockey players who aspire to play for the Gophers requires valid research data or it's simply an opinion without any basis in fact.

                              Here's one future recruit's (Ben Marshall) recent comment. Many others playing for the Gophers have made similar remarks:

                              Marshall, who will turn 18 next month, will play the 2010-11 season in Omaha, Neb., with the Lancers of the USHL, before moving back closer to home at the University of Minnesota.

                              When he was asked what his favorite sports team was growing up, Marshall responded quickly.

                              “It’s a dream for anyone growing up in Minnesota to play for the Gophers,” he said. “If you play hockey in Minnesota, you play for the Gophers, that’s what everybody wants to do. I’m just glad I’m able to do it.”
                              Lastly, as Don Lucia stated in his interview Minnesota and Michigan have been feeder programs for the NHL for years. I suspect UND may possibly see more defections in the very near future with NHL players such as Parise and Toews representing the quality of the UND hockey program as well. It would be interesting to research how much actual influence Dave Hakstol has in encouraging/persuading his players to stay in school.
                              Last edited by HarleyMC; 08-05-2010, 06:26 AM.

                              Comment


                              • Re: Excellent Interview with Don Lucia

                                Originally posted by HarleyMC View Post
                                I suspect UND may possibly see more defections in the very near future with NHL players such as Parise and Toews representing the quality of the UND hockey program as well. It would be interesting to research how much actual influence Dave Hakstol has in encouraging/persuading his players to stay in school.
                                I suspect Dave has about as much influence as Don, which is to say, not as much as they'd like.

                                After the 2006 season, when MN had 6 players jump early, UND had 5. In 2007, MN had 3 players leave, UND 4. In 2008 MN and UND both had 3 leave early.

                                You're always going to lose guys like Wheeler, Oshie, Potulny, Toews, Goligoski, Zajac, etc..., with one or two years of eligibility left. MN's experience hasn't been any better or worse than schools like Wisconsin, UND or Michigan in this regard.

                                I think there are two slight differences between what's happened in Minnesota recently, and some of the other schools. The first is the very early departure of top draft pick talent. The second is the very early departure of a couple of guys who didn't have top draft pick talent.

                                They lost Kessel and E. Johnson after just one season, and Okposo with 2.5 years left.

                                MN essentially lost 2.5 years of eligibility there, tops, imho. You're never going to get a player drafted that high, and that talented to stay more than 2 seasons. UND didn't keep Parise and Toews more than two, and I'm sure Michigan and Wisconsin can point to similar situations.

                                Furthermore, MN might be lucky they got 1 yr out of Johnson. Candidly, you get a top 5 or top 10 draft pick to stay 2 seasons, you are lucky.

                                I really don't think MN lost much "eligibility" with respect to it's top draft pick talent recently. You can argue .5 years for Okposo and a year for Kessel and Johnson, but even then you might be pushing it.

                                I don't see the loss of very high draft pick talent early as MN's problem. If you can't figure out that a guy drafted #1 overall is likely to stick around for only one season, that's your problem. And it's also a very limited problem, involving just a couple of players.

                                The second area is more puzzling. They've lost guys like Bickel, Lofquist and O'Brien after just one season.

                                These guys were not top 5 draft picks. I certainly don't know the particulars, but my recollection tells me they left, at least in part, for playing time issues.

                                It's these cases, to me, that separate MN's recent experience from that of other schools, and is the area they most need to try to address. I don't know if it's coaching, communication, the type of kid brought in, bad fortune or what. But by and large you're not seeing kids from DU, Wisconsin, UND, etc..., jumping ship after just one season, unless they fall into the category of top draft pick/can't miss or very marginal/walk on type player.
                                That community is already in the process of dissolution where each man begins to eye his neighbor as a possible enemy, where non-conformity with the accepted creed, political as well as religious, is a mark of disaffection; where denunciation, without specification or backing, takes the place of evidence; where orthodoxy chokes freedom of dissent; where faith in the eventual supremacy of reason has become so timid that we dare not enter our convictions in the open lists, to win or lose.

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