2012 Off-Season

[sachishi4]

That's not easy. That bear can clobber those pitches. Seriously.

IIRC, TC Bear only loses a handful of these each year.
On a related note, Ambroz slashed the PA guy and got 2 minutes in the box.

in the offensive zone no less

[ex_goldy]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/147462155.html

Anyone worried about Guentzel leaving for MSU-Mankato can rest easy.

I don't remember reading about why Hastings never stuck here. I always just chalked it up to him walking into the turmoil of the last 3 seasons here.

Initially he was public about his desire to remain here (even if it was just blowing smoke) when the UNO head coach position opened up. Maybe his later departure when Blais was named head coach and extended an invitation had something to do with what was speculated about our program at the time, but I've always felt that, given his history with the Omaha Lancers program, he is most comfortable living and working in Omaha and that the only reason he wanted nothing to do with the head coaching job at the time was because it was too risky for him with only 1 year of D1 coaching under his belt. Now that he's been Lucia and Blais' padawan for some years, he must feel ready to take the reins in Mankato, especially if they lead him back to Omaha.

For Hastings it was simply a matter of him wanting to be a head coach. Staying at Minnesota was a bad choice if the program didn't improve. Omaha was the most likely opening of head coach if Lucia would have another losing year, Blais would get hired here, Hastings steps in at Omaha. Mankato position opened up first and his name had to be at the top of any openings list.

I'm not sure what's going to happen with Guenzel now. Lucia might be happy to stay here for another 4 years with his current crop of recruits. The pressure's off, he's always said he wants to stay here as long as the as the U will have him. I don't see him being happy as a commissioner unless he can't coach anymore.

[magoose]

I hope to see the FF get under the skin of all the returning players and have another great off-season. I want to see those guys who got a taste of success not want to give up their spot just because a name behind you is suppose to be better. Prove it Freshman.

[Norm]

I don't remember reading about why Hastings never stuck here. I always just chalked it up to him walking into the turmoil of the last 3 seasons here.

He didn't like working with Hill any more than his friend Mike Guentzel did.

Boy, this Hill must of been some character.
He couldn't coach, Guentzel and Hastings wanted nothing to do with him and left.. WOW

Apparently Don is his only friend.

[ProudAlum89]

Question for the more knowledgeable than myself. What is the normal window for players signing and leaving early? I seem to remember Kessel signing 'late' but don't remember when that was. The number of players jumping early seems to have slowed down, so can we stop worrying about the Gophers yet?

[Armadillo]

Question for the more knowledgeable than myself. What is the normal window for players signing and leaving early? I seem to remember Kessel signing 'late' but don't remember when that was. The number of players jumping early seems to have slowed down, so can we stop worrying about the Gophers yet?

I believe the majority of signings happen in the two-three weeks after the tournament, but May can be pretty active at times. Kessel left REALLY late; I want to say July or even August. That's why so many people were so angry with him. As for this season, I don't have any insider information, but I bet the Gophers get through the summer without any major leavings.

[vant0037]

Question for the more knowledgeable than myself. What is the normal window for players signing and leaving early? I seem to remember Kessel signing 'late' but don't remember when that was. The number of players jumping early seems to have slowed down, so can we stop worrying about the Gophers yet?

I believe the majority of signings happen in the two-three weeks after the tournament, but May can be pretty active at times. Kessel left REALLY late; I want to say July or even August. That's why so many people were so angry with him. As for this season, I don't have any insider information, but I bet the Gophers get through the summer without any major leavings.

I wish I had your optimism. I'm really hoping Bjugstad stays, but when Gopher hockey is your mistress, I've become a spurned lover and don't trust anyone.

[The St Thomas Gopher]

Christian Horn. Thoughts?

[Jaykay3]

Christian Horn. Thoughts?

He'll come in right away and be able to fill a spot on the 3rd or 4th line, exactly what they needed.

[team22tank]

Question for the more knowledgeable than myself. What is the normal window for players signing and leaving early? I seem to remember Kessel signing 'late' but don't remember when that was. The number of players jumping early seems to have slowed down, so can we stop worrying about the Gophers yet?

I believe the majority of signings happen in the two-three weeks after the tournament, but May can be pretty active at times. Kessel left REALLY late; I want to say July or even August. That's why so many people were so angry with him. As for this season, I don't have any insider information, but I bet the Gophers get through the summer without any major leavings.

I wish I had your optimism. I'm really hoping Bjugstad stays, but when Gopher hockey is your mistress, I've become a spurned lover and don't trust anyone.

Kessel hadn't been drafted yet when he was here. He didn't get drafting until after his Freshman season at the end of June. Then he made his decision about mid Summer if I remember right.

[Hammy]

Christian Horn. Thoughts?

He'll come in right away and be able to fill a spot on the 3rd or 4th line, exactly what they needed.

I think it is a good fit. He has good upside but can play multiple roles effectively. I think he is getting better and will get better now that it will be all hockey.

He's a good athlete. Just like Condon, Horn is an all state HS lacrosse player. He got knocked out of a recent BSM game though and his injury will apparently keep him out of the remainder of the lacrosse season. But he'll be ready to go this summer for hockey workouts, etc

[thinkbui]

Question for the more knowledgeable than myself. What is the normal window for players signing and leaving early? I seem to remember Kessel signing 'late' but don't remember when that was. The number of players jumping early seems to have slowed down, so can we stop worrying about the Gophers yet?

I believe the majority of signings happen in the two-three weeks after the tournament, but May can be pretty active at times. Kessel left REALLY late; I want to say July or even August. That's why so many people were so angry with him. As for this season, I don't have any insider information, but I bet the Gophers get through the summer without any major leavings.

I wish I had your optimism. I'm really hoping Bjugstad stays, but when Gopher hockey is your mistress, I've become a spurned lover and don't trust anyone.

Kessel hadn't been drafted yet when he was here. He didn't get drafting until after his Freshman season at the end of June. Then he made his decision about mid Summer if I remember right.

And at that point, it was pretty clear that he wanted to sign during that offseason and was later just holding out to get the rookie max.

[Gopherguy05]

6 year contract extension for Chokestol in ND. Got to think Eades has got to see the writing on the wall now and be looking for any opening to get a head coaching job at....

[Stuart19]

Erik Haula will be wearing the maroon sweater for another year!!!! Bjugstad still undecided.

http://www.twincities.com/vikings/ci_20 ... n-wild-now

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/147481375.html

[Armadillo]

Already covered in the "Early Departures 2012" thread, but hey, good news is good news!

[GrandForksGopher]

[Tee09]

Christian Horn. Thoughts?

He'll come in right away and be able to fill a spot on the 3rd or 4th line, exactly what they needed.

I think it is a good fit. He has good upside but can play multiple roles effectively. I think he is getting better and will get better now that it will be all hockey.

He's a good athlete. Just like Condon, Horn is an all state HS lacrosse player. He got knocked out of a recent BSM game though and his injury will apparently keep him out of the remainder of the lacrosse season. But he'll be ready to go this summer for hockey workouts, etc

Is he as fast as Condon? He was a blast to watch, especially that last goal against North Dakota.

[gopher wes]

Thank you for posting!

[Hammy]

Is he as fast as Condon? He was a blast to watch, especially that last goal against North Dakota.

No, he's not quite to that level of skating. But certainly not a slouch.

[2-for-Diving]

OK, so it appears that we'll be returning the roster intact save maybe Bjugstad and/or someone pulling a Stu Bickel/Jim O'Brien. The next challenge for this program's return to form is playing well WITH expectations.

This year there will be pressure to perform well; this past season was very different. If they are not playing up to expectations how will they handle it? Maybe they thrive on the pressure? I can't wait to find out. What, it's only April!? Ugh...

[frozen4champs]

Thank you for posting!

Best part is a ton of highlights vs the Whioux,Sue, Poo

[Norm]

Thank you for posting!

Best part is a ton of highlights vs the Whioux,Sue, Poo

"Look at all the green jerseys leaving the building. What a sweet sight it is."

[h8red]

I'll predict I'm in a minority here, but I don't think anybody on the Gophers is ready to play in the big leagues, including Bjugstad. He is a special talent and an obvious NHL player, but against like kind competition this year, such as BC, he was held in check. He is a year younger than his class and came in straight from high school, which makes him all the more special; however, another year in school might look a whole lot better than minor league hockey.

I've stated that before so does that mean I have to agree with you? That sucks. Can I change my mind & say that Bjugstad should turn pro now because he's more than ready?

[GopherPete]

Ha I love the MacMillan cross check on Nelson @ 0:43

[Bash Brother]

Thats MacMillan

[GopherPete]

Thats MacMillan

My bad, i usually always double check to make sure i am not posting inaccurate info...guess i got a little careless

[gopher wes]

As awesome as that video is, I miss when FSN used to release the full season highlight video. Those were the best. Love looking back at some of those.

[GrandForksGopher]

As awesome as that video is, I miss when FSN used to release the full season highlight video. Those were the best. Love looking back at some of those.

I loved those videos

[magoose]

172 days is far too long for a drop of the puck. On a good note, I think I have my boss convinced we need to visit our new plant in PA around lets say April 11. 2013. It is only a 2 hr drive from something that will occur around said date. Not sure if I can get the tickets paid, but I will take the airfare anyday.

[GopherPete]

172 days is far too long for a drop of the puck. On a good note, I think I have my boss convinced we need to visit our new plant in PA around lets say April 11. 2013. It is only a 2 hr drive from something that will occur around said date. Not sure if I can get the tickets paid, but I will take the airfare anyday.

[steps1299]

Roman retweeted this last night....Hopefully this means something good.

RT @NBjugstad72: Just woke up screaming at the top of my lungs. Must of had a bad dream about #springworkouts. @S_warning22 feels me

[GrandForksGopher]

Roman retweeted this last night....Hopefully this means something good.

RT @NBjugstad72: Just woke up screaming at the top of my lungs. Must of had a bad dream about #springworkouts. @S_warning22 feels me

Definitely a good sign if he's working out with the team

[GopherPete]

Roman retweeted this last night....Hopefully this means something good.

RT @NBjugstad72: Just woke up screaming at the top of my lungs. Must of had a bad dream about #springworkouts. @S_warning22 feels me

Definitely a good sign if he's working out with the team

I agree, but wouldn't he probably still work out with the team in the meantime even if he did plan on signing after the semester....

[thinkbui]

Roman retweeted this last night....Hopefully this means something good.

RT @NBjugstad72: Just woke up screaming at the top of my lungs. Must of had a bad dream about #springworkouts. @S_warning22 feels me

Definitely a good sign if he's working out with the team

I agree, but wouldn't he probably still work out with the team in the meantime even if he did plan on signing after the semester....

Probably, but if he wasn't working out with them at all, then it would have been a sign that he's most likely gone.

[GrandForksGopher]

Roman retweeted this last night....Hopefully this means something good.

RT @NBjugstad72: Just woke up screaming at the top of my lungs. Must of had a bad dream about #springworkouts. @S_warning22 feels me

Definitely a good sign if he's working out with the team

I agree, but wouldn't he probably still work out with the team in the meantime even if he did plan on signing after the semester....

Not necessarily, but yes its possible.

[dryfly]

Roman retweeted this last night....Hopefully this means something good.

RT @NBjugstad72: Just woke up screaming at the top of my lungs. Must of had a bad dream about #springworkouts. @S_warning22 feels me

Definitely a good sign if he's working out with the team

I agree, but wouldn't he probably still work out with the team in the meantime even if he did plan on signing after the semester....

I would if it were me - if he signs he's going to need to be in the condition of his life when camp starts later in the summer, else its 100% sure he'd be doing bus trips all year long. Would probably happen anyway but 100% certain unless in shape.

[younggopherdiehard]

Is Student transferring? Someone posted that on minnhock.

[thinkbui]

Is Student transferring? Someone posted that on minnhock.

Not saying he isn't, but it's hard to believe he would since he already sat out a year for transferring to here.

[Iceburg]

He could go D-III and play right away.

[h8red]

Who do you think will win the goalie job for next year?

[Norm]

He could go D-III and play right away.

Yup. Rumors have him going to St. Cloud.

[Jaykay3]

Who do you think will win the goalie job for next year?

Wilcox and Shibrowski will probably split starts at the beginning but I would expect Wilcox to win the job eventually.

[Hammy]

Who do you think will win the goalie job for next year?

Wilcox and Shibrowski will probably split starts at the beginning but I would expect Wilcox to win the job eventually.

I don't know who will win the job in the end but I do agree that splitting starts would seem pretty likely for the first 50% or so of the season.

[vant0037]

Is Student transferring? Someone posted that on minnhock.

Not saying he isn't, but it's hard to believe he would since he already sat out a year for transferring to here.

I'll give his parents credit, they came to just about every game and stayed until at least the end of the 2nd period.

[GopherPete]

Is Student transferring? Someone posted that on minnhock.

Not saying he isn't, but it's hard to believe he would since he already sat out a year for transferring to here.

I'll give his parents credit, they came to just about every game and stayed until at least the end of the 2nd period.

I heard they encouraged his transfer to the U so that they could get free tix

[bobman543219]

Is Student transferring? Someone posted that on minnhock.

Not saying he isn't, but it's hard to believe he would since he already sat out a year for transferring to here.

I'll give his parents credit, they came to just about every game and stayed until at least the end of the 2nd period.

I heard they encouraged his transfer to the U so that they could get free tix

[GopherPete]

I heard they encouraged his transfer to the U so that they could get free tix [/quote]

[/quote]

I encourage you to look up the word encourage, and you might find that it makes perfect sense. Oh, and that post was the first time I used the word encourage.

[gopher wes]

Great post! Thank you, bobman

[thinkbui]

The banquet is this Friday.

As a side note, for once it seems like people are having an intelligent conversation on the official Facebook page this offseason. Interesting speculation for the Unsung Hero award: https://www.facebook.com/GoldenGopherHo ... 1051339419

[yakimagopher]

Man, what a great year. Never expected the McNaughton Cup, making it that much sweeter. Bummed about the Broadmoor, but stuff happens in a single elimination tournament. NCAA's went pretty much as I thought they would. The game I was most unsure about was the BU game, I KNEW they'd beat the Whiox and was ecstatic when we got placed in the same regional as them. They had to be one of the more overrated #1 seeds in a long time. As much as I was hoping they'd find a way past BC, they just looked like they were peaking at the right time and were going to be very difficult to beat. That being said, I was proud of how well the boys played in that game until BC managed to convert and open the floodgates. The Gophers convert on a couple of those early opportunities and it is a completely different game... Nice to see them lose Kreider and Doumalin, otherwise it would have been tough to see anybody get by them next year. They'll still be tough, glad they aren't in our conference. It will be interesting to see if Milner is really that good, or if he just got hot at the end of the year.

Huge optimism for next year! Regardless of what happens with Bjugstad, they are going to have an awesome defensive corps and still plenty of firepower at forward, especially now that we know Haula is staying. Can't imagine what it will be like if Bjugstad stays and we keep that first line intact. I just can't get over how blessed we are at defense. Unless there is an unexpected early departure, we will have the same starting 6 defenseman that we had this year and it turned out to be a strength for us. Give them all a year of experience and they will be formidable. NOW, throw in a couple of elite recruits and you'll create competition for ice time and force everybody to work harder for ice time. Our defense should be among the top corp in the NCAA's next year.

Goaltending seems to be the only real question mark, and I am not that concerned about it, especially since our D should be so stacked. Patterson was obviously pretty solid, but I'll go on record as saying that I don't think he was as elite as people made him out to be. He threw a bunch of shutouts early in the year, and his overall numbers were obviously pretty good, but he didn't exactly steal any games for us either, and in two of the biggest games of the year (Whioux in Final Five and BC in FF) he didn't really do much to keep us in the game. I'm not suggesting that he let in a bunch of goals that he shouldn't have, but after watching Milner you realized that there was a whole other level of play that was absent from Patterson's game. Again, not a knock on him, because he was solid, but in those big games at the end of the year you sometimes need your goaltender to go above and beyond and I don't think he was able to do that. I think he may have gotten burned out. If you take away those first couple of months where he threw a bunch of shutouts against Sacred Heart, Vermont, Alaska Anchorage, I think his numbers for the rest of the season were good, but not great. With an even better and more experienced D corps next year, I think that we will rely less on our goaltender. Wish we had him back, but unless Shibrowski and Wilcox both turn out to be busts, I think we'll be OK.

Tough part about next year is that anything less than a McNaughton, Boradmoor, and NCAA Championship game will probably be a disappointment, unless we get hit with a bunch of unexpected departures or injuries. Gonna be a LONG summer.... I haven't been this optimistic in years!

[trixR4kids]

Obviously I've been one of the bigger Patterson apologists on this site and for good reason. I actually agree that Patterson might not be as elite as some think. Which isn't so much a knock against him it just has more to do with the fact that Kangas and Frazee were pretty mediocre.

As far as comparing him to Milnar, Milnar's D was way better and I feel like he didn't have to make as many tough saves on a consistent basis.

[gopherhockeyfan7]

Obviously I've been one of the bigger Patterson apologists on this site and for good reason. I actually agree that Patterson might not be as elite as some think. Which isn't so much a knock against him it just has more to do with the fact that Kangas and Frazee were pretty mediocre.

As far as comparing him to Milnar, Milnar's D was way better and I feel like he didn't have to make as many tough saves on a consistent basis.

I disagree on Kangas being mediocre. He struggled as a Senior while having that hip injury that shut him down half way through, but he was pretty solid with defensemen playing terribly all around him. Something that got way better this year was defensemen clearing rebounds after the goalie makes the 1st save. We quit leaving the goalie on his own and the results were much better. I think you put a crew that played more like this years D, he would have been even better.

Patterson started out unbelievably hot, but came back down to earth the second half of the year. Still a great season for him, but I agree that he wasn't elite. It will be very interesting to see how the goalie situation plays out next season. Hopefully some competition will spur some great play out of Shibrowski and Wilcox.

[Norm]

Obviously I've been one of the bigger Patterson apologists on this site and for good reason. I actually agree that Patterson might not be as elite as some think. Which isn't so much a knock against him it just has more to do with the fact that Kangas and Frazee were pretty mediocre.

As far as comparing him to Milnar, Milnar's D was way better and I feel like he didn't have to make as many tough saves on a consistent basis.

My take on Patterson is that he over achieved last year and part of this year. Hell, he was routinely stopping breakaways. Things like that tend to average out over the long haul and thats what happened. But it was still a couple of great years for him. We probably finish 8th or 9th place in 2011 without him.

[gopher wes]

Couldn't agree more with your take on Patterson, yakima. He was a stud for the Gophers this year and Norm is probably right. Without Patterson the Gophers probably end up in a fight for home ice like the prior 3-4 years. I think Patterson's success came more due to the D as a whole finally tightening up in front of him. Add to that a team that could finally score some goals and it takes a lot of pressure off of your goalie and it definitely takes the spotlight off of the goaltender from a fan's viewpoint. Quite a difference from Kangas' time at the U where he was relied on to pretty much steal every game the Gophers played because they couldn't score enough goals to beat really anyone(on top of having a crappy D corps in front of him).

Now if they can have one of their defensemen bury 10-15 goals....wow! Schmidt was great on the PP with all those assists, but if he(or someone) can find a way to score some more goals from the blueline....again, wow!

The last time the Gophers had a defensman score double digit goals was Mike Vanelli in '06-'07. IMO, not to nitpick at the D corps which I thought was awesome and I highly praised most of the year, but that needs to change.

[Handyman]

Obviously I've been one of the bigger Patterson apologists on this site and for good reason. I actually agree that Patterson might not be as elite as some think. Which isn't so much a knock against him it just has more to do with the fact that Kangas and Frazee were pretty mediocre.

Qualifying this by saying I have only been watching since Hauser's frosh year I will say that Patterson is the best goalie the Gophs have had since I started watching. Some goalies before him didnt have great defenses and that hurt them some had better defenses and that helped them immensely but Kent was pretty consistent all year no matter how the D played. Minus resting him there was rarely even a suggestion that he should take a game off, he took the starting goalie job and ran and wouldnt let up...something no goalie has done around here in a while.

He was one of the 2-3 best goalies in the nation overall so in that context he was elite. Compared to past years and the goalies that have gone through college hockey he would not be though.

[trixR4kids]

Obviously I've been one of the bigger Patterson apologists on this site and for good reason. I actually agree that Patterson might not be as elite as some think. Which isn't so much a knock against him it just has more to do with the fact that Kangas and Frazee were pretty mediocre.

As far as comparing him to Milnar, Milnar's D was way better and I feel like he didn't have to make as many tough saves on a consistent basis.

I disagree on Kangas being mediocre. He struggled as a Senior while having that hip injury that shut him down half way through, but he was pretty solid with defensemen playing terribly all around him. Something that got way better this year was defensemen clearing rebounds after the goalie makes the 1st save. We quit leaving the goalie on his own and the results were much better. I think you put a crew that played more like this years D, he would have been even better.

Patterson started out unbelievably hot, but came back down to earth the second half of the year. Still a great season for him, but I agree that he wasn't elite. It will be very interesting to see how the goalie situation plays out next season. Hopefully some competition will spur some great play out of Shibrowski and Wilcox.

He struggled as a sophmore and Junior too. At best he was league average those years. Finally we got someone who was above league average and it did wonders for the team. And yeah his D kinda sucked but he seemingly never made any big saves and would let in a weak goal now and then and it cost us many games throughout the year. Kinda like Mark Andre Fleury during the playoffs this year though not quite as ridiculous.

My take on Patterson is that he over achieved last year and part of this year. Hell, he was routinely stopping breakaways. Things like that tend to average out over the long haul and thats what happened. But it was still a couple of great years for him. We probably finish 8th or 9th place in 2011 without him.

I think that's a good assessment. Goalies can't be expected to steal every single game it's just not realistic.

In response to Handy:
I guess I didn't know enough about the other goalies in the league to say where Patterson compares but he's definitely well above league average and to say he's elite probably wouldn't have been a stretch. And I wouldn't have been surprised if he was in the top 2-3.

[Handyman]

Well when it comes to the WCHA he was goalie of the year so yeah he was above average And since he was 2nd team All-American that means, by definition he was at worst the 4th best goalie in the nation according to the voters.

[vant0037]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/150058785.html

Eades is out at UND.

[Hammy]

My feeling is Patterson may have worn down a bit as the season went along. I'm sure he would say he was fine but it is a long grind and he played pretty much every minute. I think it goes to show that while it may be great to have a top goalie take over the job, it is still worthwhile to give the occasional game to the other guy. Kent played more minutes this season than any other D1 goalie from what I saw. Over 2500 minutes.

I sort of wonder if the pressure/pursuit of the league title made Lucia want to keep him in as much as possible compared to other seasons where we saw a little more time for the backup goalie. Lucia has been receiving heat in recent years and maybe felt a little more pressure to win some hardware this year to pacify the critics a bit.

Kent had a very good year. I was advocating for him to start much earlier in his college career than he did so I am happy he went out on a pretty high note for his senior year.

I think we are in good shape for next year in net. They'll have to prove themselves but the talent is there and the team defense should be good and give them plenty of support.

[sec 16 row16 seat 16 17]

do we have a eades scandal.

[sec 16 row16 seat 16 17]

KP was the wall.

[thinkbui]

I tend to agree with the Patterson 'apologists' here. Sure he cooled off a bit after breaking Stauber's shutout record, but even so he was still frequently bailing out the team defense, which while much improved was still very inexperienced. I got annoyed when people (not on here) blamed Kent for the 4-0 deficit after 2 periods against BC. Maybe the quick PPG was one he should have had, but I always interpreted that loss as our inexperience catching up to us. We beat BU and UND they way they could be beaten, with the kind of depth we had, but we needed experience to go along with that to beat BC and just didn't have it. Unfortunately for Kent, that meant 6 pucks went by him that for the most part weren't his fault, especially when the last 3 seemed to be after "roll of the dice" overcommitment on offense that left defense lacking.

[Hammy]

Tough part about next year is that anything less than a McNaughton, Boradmoor, and NCAA Championship game will probably be a disappointment, unless we get hit with a bunch of unexpected departures or injuries. Gonna be a LONG summer.... I haven't been this optimistic in years!

I missed this earlier but this is crazy talk to me. We'll have a good team. No doubt about that. But we aren't at the level where we should be considered disappointment if we don't win all three trophies.

[yakimagopher]

I wasn't intending to suggest that it would be a disappointment if they didn't WIN the NCAA tourney, but I think they should get a whiff of the title game. Obviously once you get into the NCAA tourney, it is tough to expect to win and you always run the risk of hitting a hot team, but I don't think just getting to the tourney is going to meet expectations. Barring injuries or unexpected departures, I'd think most people would consider it a disappointment to not at least make it to the FF considering what they did this year and what they'd have coming back. Again, barring departures. They lose Bjugstad and somebody else and it changes the equation a bit.

[Hammy]

Even then, two league trophies and a trip to the final game is a very tough task. To consider anything less than that as a disappointment is not exactly a grounded take on it.

[gopheritall]

Tough part about next year is that anything less than a McNaughton, Boradmoor, and NCAA Championship game will probably be a disappointment, unless we get hit with a bunch of unexpected departures or injuries. Gonna be a LONG summer.... I haven't been this optimistic in years!

I missed this earlier but this is crazy talk to me. We'll have a good team. No doubt about that. But we aren't at the level where we should be considered disappointment if we don't win all three trophies.

They better win all 3 or the bandwagon will be empty again. While they are at it they should win the beanpot too...and the axe and little brown jug...and throw in the Grey Cup.

If people temper their expectations (which they won't) it should be a fun year to watch the best team in town.

[gopherhockeyfan7]

I expect the team to be in the top 3 of the WCHA, be at the Final Five again, and make the NCAAs and be in contention to be in Pittsburgh. They should be talented and good enough to make it there, but it really depends on the draw you get sometimes or who has the hot goalie.

So, basically my expectations of them from before 2008 apply again.

[Golden FE Ranger]

Tough part about next year is that anything less than a McNaughton, Boradmoor, and NCAA Championship game will probably be a disappointment, unless we get hit with a bunch of unexpected departures or injuries. Gonna be a LONG summer.... I haven't been this optimistic in years!

I missed this earlier but this is crazy talk to me. We'll have a good team. No doubt about that. But we aren't at the level where we should be considered disappointment if we don't win all three trophies.

I have to agree with Hammy here. First off, I think it is fair to expect next years team to be at the top of the league going into the season. That said, if they are battling it out and finish in the top three I think it is hard to be too disappointed. After that, things get a lot more complicated. As we all know, the tourneys in NCAA hockey are one and done. That does not lend itself to having the best team win consistently. I don't think it is reasonable for any team to expect to win the NC in a particular year. It is nice, however, to go in with the expectation that the team will be a contender.

[JWG]

Realistic expectations, and pretty standard for me:
- Home ice WCHA first-round
- Final Five
- NCAA participant

Nice to have's with some level of expectation of getting at least one:
- Banner (any of 3 possible)
- Frozen Four

[Norm]

Realistic expectations, and pretty standard for me:
- Home ice WCHA first-round
- Final Five
- NCAA participant

Nice to have's with some level of expectation of getting at least one:
- Banner (any of 3 possible)
- Frozen Four

Seems like awfully meager expectations. We could finish 6th in the WCHA and meet them. I wanna be top 2-3.

[trixR4kids]

If you're 6th in the WCHA you won't be in the NCAA so that kinda implies that we'd have to be top 1-4 anyhow.

[thinkbui]

If you're 6th in the WCHA you won't be in the NCAA so that kinda implies that we'd have to be top 1-4 anyhow.

That's my thought too. A good Gopher team should finish in the top third of the WCHA. That was one of my benchmarks prior to 2008, that was my benchmark for climbing out of the darkness the last several seasons, and now that we have, that's again one of my benchmarks for a successful season. That's by no means the only measuring stick, but good things start from a strong conference season.

[GrandForksGopher]

I've heard from multiple people close to the UND program, as well as someone from Eades immediate family, a reason to why he was released by Hakstol and it wasn't a contract dispute. I won't say anything on here yet, but people should be hearing things soon.

[Chris Eckes]

I've heard... things... also. I'm not going to say any of them, but in order to keep you all in suspense I wanted to say that I've heard... things. I love lording the fact that I know something slightly before everyone else over all of you!

[GrandForksGopher]

I've heard... things... also. I'm not going to say any of them, but in order to keep you all in suspense I wanted to say that I've heard... things. I love lording the fact that I know something slightly before everyone else over all of you!

I'm waiting to see if it comes out publicly or not. A couple of the people I talked to thought it might be coming public soon but weren't sure. And obviously, although I've heard from multiple people, it's not "official," therefore it isn't 100% true at this point. I would personally rate it as 90% probability in regards to being true, though, just coming from the people I talked to.