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North Dakota 2016 Off-Season Thread

Re: North Dakota 2016 Off-Season Thread

Koho said:
Parents of the players weren't willing to drive/fly down from Canada to see their kids honored to add to attendance?
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The age excuse doesn't work because this UND team was younger than Minnie, so gopher fans have to fall back on their provincial nature. Of the 27 players on the UND roster, 7 were from Canada, six from the Grand Forks area, 6 from Minnesota (other than EGF), two foreign, and six from other states. Very young and a nice balance.

Three Nodaks left early to turn pro and one Canadian. One Wisconsinite still undecided.
 
Re: North Dakota 2016 Off-Season Thread

burd said:
The age excuse doesn't work because this UND team was younger than Minnie, so gopher fans have to fall back on their provincial nature. Of the 27 players on the UND roster, 7 were from Canada, six from the Grand Forks area, 6 from Minnesota (other than EGF), two foreign, and six from other states. Very young and a nice balance.

Three Nodaks left early to turn pro and one Canadian. One Wisconsinite still undecided.
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Minnesotans outnumber those from ND and Canada. No wonder the team was good.
 
Re: North Dakota 2016 Off-Season Thread

Bonin21 said:
Minnesotans outnumber those from ND and Canada. No wonder the team was good.
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Only because of the two East Grand kids, who generally identify with Grand Forks. But there is no question Minnesota talent is huge for UND, as it is for so many programs. You have to wonder why UMTC doesn't have more success, with its access to so much talent as the flagship university in the state.

I like the balance this team had--about even parts Minnesota; NoDak/Grand Forks, other US states--with a couple of internationals. It's not like college hockey rosters are full of inter-city African American kids or East Indians or Dominicans, but some geographic mix has to be good for the kids.
 
Re: North Dakota 2016 Off-Season Thread

Player constituencies of UND teams in three categories: North Dakotans, Canadians and Minnesotans

Mean average since 2005 (11 seasons) with 26 player rosters:

North Dakotans (2.7 players/season) = 10%
Canadians (11.45 players/season) = 44%
Minnesotans (6.45 players/season) = 25%

Combined Canadians/Minnesotans = 69%
 
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Re: North Dakota 2016 Off-Season Thread

Bonin21 said:
Was this the first year Minnesotans had the highest number?
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2005 - 11, Canadians - 10.

Dean Blais tended to recruit more locally and in MN. His last season (2003-04): ND - 6, Canadians - 5, MN - 11
 
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SteveO said:
Player constituencies of UND teams in three categories: North Dakotans, Canadians and Minnesotans

Mean average since 2005 (11 seasons) with 26 player rosters:

North Dakotans (2.7 players/season) = 10%
Canadians (11.45 players/season) = 44%
Minnesotans (6.45 players/season) = 25%

Combined Canadians/Minnesotans = 69%
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Obsess much.

33,000 in attendance to witness the 2016 champs get recognized at Target Field today. Maybe they should recognize them once every home series here on out. ;)
 
Re: North Dakota 2016 Off-Season Thread

Leave it to goof fans to live vicariously through other program's successes... the obsession level has always been high, but this is ridiculous. Well, at least some minnesotans get to feel like winners.
 
Re: North Dakota 2016 Off-Season Thread

Just making sure North Dakotans know they're not a hockey state. They're a state with a good hockey team that couldn't hang with only in-state talent. :)
 
Re: North Dakota 2016 Off-Season Thread

icehawk said:
Obsess much.

33,000 in attendance to witness the 2016 champs get recognized at Target Field today. Maybe they should recognize them once every home series here on out. ;)
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You made a statement as if recruiting in Canada had somehow ended in the 70s and 80s and that simply is not true. No need for childish responses, these are the the facts. What the numbers over those 11 seasons from 2005 to the present indicate is UND has always sought to recruit heavily in Canada at a percentage of 44% or approx. 12 players every year. That's nearly half of the team.

Yet there is essentially very little representation of local North Dakotans over those years and investment in USA hockey and development. Dean Blais, a former Gopher, placed more emphasis on USA hockey with his ties to MN and local ND youth hockey programs...but that was rare in UND history.
 
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SteveO said:
You made a statement as if recruiting in Canada had somehow ended in the 70s and 80s and that simply is not true. No need for childish responses, these are the the facts. What the numbers over those 11 seasons from 2005 to the present indicate is UND has always sought to recruit heavily in Canada at a percentage of 44% or approx. 12 players every year. That's nearly half of the team.

Yet there is essentially very little representation of local North Dakotans over those years and investment in USA hockey and development. Dean Blais, a former Gopher, placed more emphasis on USA hockey with his ties to MN and local ND youth hockey programs...but that was rare in UND history.
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Hell they could all come from Canada. Just give me a good product on the ice. Your obsession with it is over the top. Hockey is hockey no matter where the players come from.
 
willythekid said:
Leave it to goof fans to live vicariously through other program's successes... the obsession level has always been high, but this is ridiculous. Well, at least some minnesotans get to feel like winners.
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I'm with ya Willy. 8 titles and current champs.
 
Bonin21 said:
Just making sure North Dakotans know they're not a hockey state. They're a state with a good hockey team that couldn't hang with only in-state talent. :)
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Produced the number 2 pick in the 2016 NFL draft though. I know the kid pretty well. ;)
 
Re: North Dakota 2016 Off-Season Thread

icehawk said:
Hell they could all come from Canada. Just give me a good product on the ice. Your obsession with it is over the top. Hockey is hockey no matter where the players come from.
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Yes I do have a personal interest as an American in USA hockey development, but it's not an obsession. I've played alongside and against Canadians for years and many of them are still my friends. But if you understand the condescending attitude and compare the slower development of USA hockey over many years, then you'll understand why most serious American born hockey players and coaches have sought to take up the noble challenge to invest in USA hockey development programs in multiple ways. Are they obsessed too?

Any college team can recruit from Canada, it's not difficult. Personally I don't respect an annual Canadian recruiting quota of near 50% as has been demonstrated for literally decades on UND rosters with very little investment in local and USA hockey. What I do respect is John Mariucci's refusal to import overage Canadians to play in the US and "a win at all cost" attitude, who instead committed to sound principles of fairness and to promote USA youth hockey development in MN.

Because of Mariucci's commitment, his impact on MN hockey accelerated the growth of the sport throughout the state represented today at all levels of play. UND's recruitment of MN players has largely benefited from that commitment. I don't see UND's commitment to USA hockey and therefore until that changes, I'm not much impressed with the UND hockey program, or Ralph Englestad for that matter (but that's another issue).
 
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Re: North Dakota 2016 Off-Season Thread

Well f^ck, if you aren't impressed, I should just kill myself.
 
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