Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

[Dirty]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Actually, I think he is funnier than heck and get a kick out of his antics.

He's a pompous whiny balding pr^ck 90% of the time. Actually he's balding 100% of the time.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Denver lost Bozak early, so that's at least a wash with Stoa leaving early. Bozak stayed a year longer than some had expected, but most Gopher fans are pretty glad he was ready for the next level.

Rakhshani turned down a very good offer from the Islanders to stay and be the Denver captain this year as a senior. As a fourth round pick, he's a not a sure-fire NHL prospect, but has developed very well as a middle rounder into a fine college player and leader, with a decent shot at the pro level. Had he been a first or second rounder, I think the pressure on him would have been greater to jump. But he's a great student, loves the school and knew he'd be captain with a pretty well stocked supporting cast. His descision to stay was crucial.

Ruegsegger has been really hampered by injuries in his career, and while he once was a serious NHL prospect, I think he's more likely headed for law school than an NHL career. He gives every ounce of effort he has for Denver, but his skating skills remain suspect to be playing beyond the AHL. There was no pressure on him to jump as a sixth round pick.

So, you kind of lucked out with Ruegs and Rakshani then. Great college players that don't necessarily translate to the pro game well so they stay. Gopher players that have stayed haven't turned out to be great college players and the ones that are great float right into the NHL right away. Kind of a tight rope you have to walk as a coach nowadays.

 

[Koho]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

So, you kind of lucked out with Ruegs and Rakshani then. Great college players that don't necessarily translate to the pro game well so they stay. Gopher players that have stayed haven't turned out to be great college players and the ones that are great float right into the NHL right away. Kind of a tight rope you have to walk as a coach nowadays.

I realize it seems like ancient history now, but Leopold was one to stay another year. And while it didn't pay off the way we are talking and he was only a Soph (but played like a Senior), Vanek could have left a year earlier than he did. So it isn't like Gophers have never benefited from guys staying longer than they had to (just not in the past few years). Getting lucky in which recruits (often signed a couple years before they'll even play) continue to develop and which blue-chippers stay longer has such a big part in how a team turns out these days, I don't see how people can put it all on the coaches. Luck in these areas seems to play a bigger part than it did just 10 years ago.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

I realize it seems like ancient history now, but Leopold was one to stay another year. And while it didn't pay off the way we are talking and he was only a Soph (but played like a Senior), Vanek could have left a year earlier than he did. So it isn't like Gophers have never benefited from guys staying longer than they had to (just not in the past few years). Getting lucky in which recruits (often signed a couple years before they'll even play) continue to develop and which blue-chippers stay longer has such a big part in how a team turns out these days, I don't see how people can put it all on the coaches. Luck in these areas seems to play a bigger part than it did just 10 years ago.

Well, I think that's what I was saying to Puck Swami is Denver is lined up pretty well for this year based on a little luck.

Vanek did stay another year and that NCAA tourney was disappointing cause I thought they had the horses to go all the way but they ran into a pretty darn good tUMD team. The other year they screwed up was the infamous Holy Cross year as they had it lined up pretty well that year too, although if they had won that they would have met UND in their own barn.

Then of course there is the year they lost to UND out in Denver cause Frazee can't cover a wrap around to save his life.

{sigh} Now I'm depressed again.

 

[state of hockey]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Then of course there is the year they lost to UND out in Denver cause Frazee can't cover a wrap around to save his life.

Don't forget about Erik Johnson being lazy as hell on that play as well.

 

[dggoddard]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

So, you kind of lucked out with Ruegs and Rakshani then. Great college players that don't necessarily translate to the pro game well so they stay. Gopher players that have stayed haven't turned out to be great college players and the ones that are great float right into the NHL right away. Kind of a tight rope you have to walk as a coach nowadays.

DU has worked hard to show players that leaving college early to go to the AHL is no bargain. Guys who left early for the AHL never it made the NHL (Skinner, Dingle, Paukovich).

Make the NHL team promise you that you'll be invited to camp with a real shot at making the big club or stay in college (Bozak, Stastny & Carle). So far its working pretty well.

And I suspect that DU has convinced the NHL teams that their prospects are getting great coaching, strength training and development at DU at no cost to the team.

 

[SoCalSiouxFan]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Make the NHL team promise you that you'll be invited to camp with a real shot at making the big club or stay in college (Bozak, Stastny & Carle). So far its working pretty well.

Also I suspect at those camps players have a chance to talk to other players that were upperclassmen in college, to find out how the pros compares to college as far as player development.

 

[Skeeterman]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Last year of the old WCHA, and most likely the last year of old Don Lou Chia Pet.

 

[Happy]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

DU has worked hard to show players that leaving college early to go to the AHL is no bargain. Guys who left early for the AHL never it made the NHL (Skinner, Dingle, Paukovich).

Make the NHL team promise you that you'll be invited to camp with a real shot at making the big club or stay in college (Bozak, Stastny & Carle). So far its working pretty well.

And I suspect that DU has convinced the NHL teams that their prospects are getting great coaching, strength training and development at DU at no cost to the team.

Denver is after all a private party school, where opening a book is just an option, and parting with very rich kids is fun. Expectations from the general public is none, and outside pressure to win is zero. What's not to like and stay an extra year to party.

 

[Koho]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

DU has worked hard to show players that leaving college early to go to the AHL is no bargain. Guys who left early for the AHL never it made the NHL (Skinner, Dingle, Paukovich).

Make the NHL team promise you that you'll be invited to camp with a real shot at making the big club or stay in college (Bozak, Stastny & Carle). So far its working pretty well.

And I suspect that DU has convinced the NHL teams that their prospects are getting great coaching, strength training and development at DU at no cost to the team.

I still think that even these efforts by the schools only have limited impact compared to the luck of everything working out to keep a player. Guys will still look at players like Wheeler who jumped right into the NHL and think they can too, despite the team giving them a list of players who didn't do that. Some guys will be drafted by teams that won't really give the player much choice about staying. Some kids will think they aren't playing enough, or against high enough level of competition etc or mainly see college as the means to get to their ultimate goal so will jump the first chance they get so they can 'see the money'.

If you get the kid that is drafted by the team that thinks college is a good place for a player to develop and isn't in need of the player immediately; If the kid enjoys college and believes he would benefit from staying as long as possible; and if he sets winning at the college level as a goal more important than starting to get a big paycheck for his life's commitment of becoming the best player he can; and if the player continues to develop and become a Senior leader who is skilled enough to be a star and have a shot at the NHL, then the school got lucky they ended up with that rare player.

 

[SJHovey]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

I realize it seems like ancient history now, but Leopold was one to stay another year. And while it didn't pay off the way we are talking and he was only a Soph (but played like a Senior), Vanek could have left a year earlier than he did. So it isn't like Gophers have never benefited from guys staying longer than they had to (just not in the past few years). Getting lucky in which recruits (often signed a couple years before they'll even play) continue to develop and which blue-chippers stay longer has such a big part in how a team turns out these days, I don't see how people can put it all on the coaches. Luck in these areas seems to play a bigger part than it did just 10 years ago.

Pohl, Riddle and G. Potulny scored 214 goals during their careers. This year's Minnesota team has 174 career goals.

 

[Goon]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Last year of the old WCHA, and most likely the last year of old Don Lou Chia Pet.

Skeeterman, repeat after me, "Lucia is doing a great job and I don't want him to go anywhere."

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Pohl, Riddle and G. Potulny scored 214 goals during their careers. This year's Minnesota team has 174 career goals.

This is true, but scoring is down league wide. Defensive systems have eroded college hockey.

 

[dggoddard]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Wooger made a couple of great points this weekend.

With the new TV timeout rules in the WCHA, more teams are going to be able to roll just two lines far more often. This is really going to help teams like CC & SCSU that have a few star players but don't have the depth of Minnesota, UND & Wisconsin.

With less shifts, teams with high concentrations of NHL draft picks will have less development time for third and fourth linemen.

Lucia made the comment or implied that DU's speed was killing the Gophers. DU has seven forwards under 5'10" who played this weekend. I think Lucia wants Minnesota to get faster, so the newest recruit is no surprise. DU went 5-0-0 against the Badgers last season and it was the same deal. They had no answer for the team speed.

 

[Skeeterman]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Skeeterman, repeat after me, "Lucia is doing a great job and I don't want him to go anywhere."

What Goon said

 

[Koho]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Lucia made the comment or implied that DU's speed was killing the Gophers. DU has seven forwards under 5'10" who played this weekend. I think Lucia wants Minnesota to get faster, so the newest recruit is no surprise. DU went 5-0-0 against the Badgers last season and it was the same deal. They had no answer for the team speed.

This can't be correct, because everyone says the Gopher's problem lately has been that they need bigger players. (And that BC team that won it all with Gerbe got lucky?)

 

[gophers79]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Wooger made a couple of great points this weekend.

Lucia made the comment or implied that DU's speed was killing the Gophers. DU has seven forwards under 5'10" who played this weekend. I think Lucia wants Minnesota to get faster, so the newest recruit is no surprise. DU went 5-0-0 against the Badgers last season and it was the same deal. They had no answer for the team speed.

Hopefully the Cepis kid coming in (5'7", 150 lbs I think) can provide a little bit of that quickness that has made great Gopher teams in the past so enjoyable to watch.

 

[Koho]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

I was glad to see young Lucia do so well yesterday. I would love to hear an explanation from the posters who ripped him in response to the Star Tribune article.

 

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

I was glad to see young Lucia do so well yesterday. I would love to hear an explanation from the posters who ripped him in response to the Star Tribune article.

There's a lot of haters. Reading Star Tribune comments on any story brings them out in droves.

 

[state of hockey]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers 2009-2010 the last year of the old WCHA

Matson deserves some goals. I love watching him find ways through people and keep puck possession on the boards against people twice his size. It blows my mind sometimes.