Random updates

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Brad Elliott Schlossman

The longest point streak of Matt Greene’s professional career is over, but his Los Angeles Kings are still red hot.

Greene entered the Western Conference Finals with a 4-game point streak, the longest since the first semester of his junior year at UND. He almost got one during the third period of L.A.’s 4-2 win over Phoenix in Game 1, but teammate Anze Kopitar couldn’t get his stick on a bouncing puck with an open net.

Greene’s Kings are 9-1 in the playoffs now and appear to have everything needed to win the Stanley Cup — skill up front, strong blue line, good goaltending. But the other three teams left aren’t pushovers.

In other news…

As of late last week, several people had applied for the UND assistant coaching position, but none were qualified. The job is open through May 30, so the we may not see the winner’s application for another week.

Word is filtering around in hockey circles that Grand Forks native Steve Johnson is a candidate for the assistant coaching position at Nebraska-Omaha. Johnson played at UND when UNO head coach Dean Blais was an assistant coach.

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Chuck Schwartz attended the USA Hockey Central District Tryout camp in Wisconsin over the weekend and commented on the players in attendance. He says Sioux commit Chris Wilkie was one of the better players there. Read his report here.

Schwartz also confirms what we’ve heard here — that Ryan MacInnis is going to be one of the top 1996-born recruits in the country (if he doesn’t go to the OHL after his stint with the NTDP).

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There’s a story in the Tucson paper about a Grand Forks native and her adopted daughter bonding over Coyotes hockey. Read that here.

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The Chicago Tribune details why, if the Hawks ever have to choose between Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, they will pick Toews. Read that here.

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The Colorado Springs Gazette shows that Colorado College has been the opposite of UND — great first halves, poor second halves. This story says that under coach Scott Owens, CC’s winning percentage decreases every month.

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UND recruit Jordan Schmaltz and the Green Bay Gamblers tied their USHL championship series 1-1 with Waterloo on Sunday night. The best-of-five series will resume Friday in Waterloo.

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The seniors graduate

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Brad Elliott Schlossman

The three seniors on the UND men’s team all received their degrees on Saturday afternoon.

Ben Blood and Mario Lamoureux both finished off their undergraduate degrees. Brad Eidsness earned his master’s in business administration (he earned his undergrad last year).

Pierre-Paul Lamoureux, who has helped out with the team the last two years, also earned his degree.

On the women’s side, two juniors earned their degrees. Jocelyne Lamoureux earned her undergraduate degree, as did goaltender Jorid Dagfinrud. Both players will be back next season for their senior years.

Academics aren’t analyzed too closely by fans, but it’s a huge day for the athletes, who have completed a major step in setting themselves up for life after hockey.

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Eades to coach Sioux Falls in the USHL

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Brad Elliott Schlossman

Cary Eades has accepted a job as head coach and general manager at Sioux Falls in the USHL.

Eades will replace Kevin Hartzell who was let go last week.

This is Eades’ second stint in the USHL. He coached the Dubuque Fighting Saints from 1991-93 before going to Warroad High School. Dubuque won the championship during his second season.

Last week, it was announced that Eades’ contract was not going to be renewed as an associate head coach for UND — a position he has held for the last eight seasons.

UND has not yet named a replacement.

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Major Target Center renovations coming

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Brad Elliott Schlossman

One item lost in the hoopla about the Minnesota Vikings getting necessary state funds to build a new stadium is that the stadium bill allows Minneapolis to renovate the Target Center [a quick summary is posted here].

All signs point toward the downtown basketball arena getting $150 million in arena upgrades.

These major renovations have to be music to the ears of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference members, who are close to signing an agreement with the Target Center to make it the home for the postseason NCHC tournament (at least for starters).

There’s a Target Center Renovation website that has as many details as you are going to find on the project that lies ahead. Read all the information here.

By the end of the month, we should know all the details on the NCHC’s postseason tournament plans.

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Vandy comes up big again

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Brad Elliott Schlossman

Former Sioux standout Chris VandeVelde has joined the AHL record books thanks to a pair of clutch goals in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

VandeVelde became the second player in league history to score overtime winning goals in two straight games.

On Monday, VandeVelde scored at 15:50 of the first overtime to lift the Oklahoma City Barons past the San Antonio Rampage 2-1 in Game 3, showing great patience, outwaiting the goalie and sniping it with the forehand [watch Game 3 winner at the end of this clip].

On Thursday night, VandeVelde scored at 1:05, receiving a pass on the top of the crease, moving the puck to his backhand and slipping it past Rampage goalie Jacob Markstrom [watch Game 4 winner here].

VandeVelde was named the first star in both contests. His Barons team — the top minor-league club of the Edmonton Oilers — are up 3-1 in the series and have a chance to close it out tonight in San Antonio.

The winner of that series will play Matt Frattin and the Toronto Marlies in the semifinals.

VandeVelde played five games for the Oilers, scoring his first NHL goal. He played 68 with the Barons.

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Two more Sioux reach conference finals

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Brad Elliott Schlossman

Three teams have punched their tickets to the NHL conference finals.

The teams who have advanced have a former Sioux as head coach (Dave Tippett, Phoenix Coyotes), captain (Zach Parise, New Jersey Devils) and alternate captain (Matt Greene, Los Angeles Kings).

Parise, Travis Zajac and the Devils knocked off the favored Philadelphia Flyers in five games, winning four in a row including Tuesday night’s Game 5 by the score of 3-1.

Should the Devils win in the conference finals, it would guarantee that another former Sioux player would get his name on the Stanley Cup.

So far, it has been a good playoffs for former Sioux. Teams with UND players on them are 30-16 overall and 7-2 in playoff series. The only Sioux players to be eliminated from the playoffs were done so at the hand of another fellow former Sioux.

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Assistant coach job description posted

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Brad Elliott Schlossman

UND has posted the job description for the open men’s hockey assistant coach position. As speculated here last week, UND is looking for someone to work with the defensemen.

The job description states that the new coach will “work extensively with the defensemen.”

Under preferred qualifications — not required — it states that it wants someone who played in the NHL as a defenseman and has coached in the NHL as a defenseman.

This job seems to point strongly toward Brad Berry, who currently works as the assistant coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Berry was an assistant coach at UND from 2000-06.

Other former Sioux who fit the preferred qualifications would be Rick Wilson, James Patrick and Brad Bombardir. All are currently in the NHL. Wilson is an assistant coach of the Wild, Patrick is an assistant coach of the Buffalo Sabres and Bombardir is in charge of player development with the Wild.

The job will be posted until May 30. Presumably, the start date for a new coach would be July 1.

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Novak is NCHC’s director of hockey ops

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Brad Elliott Schlossman

The NCHC announced today that the director of hockey operations will be Joe Novak, the assistant athletic director at Air Force with an extensive officiating background.

Novak has served as an NHL off-ice official for the last five years. He also was an off-ice official at the 2010 Olympic Games.

Novak also has served as an on-ice official for USA Hockey for the last 25 years.

He will be in charge of the officials, issuing suspensions for illegal hits and putting together schedules.

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It’s Matt Greene vs. Dave Tippett in the West

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Brad Elliott Schlossman

UND is guaranteed to have a former player in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Former Sioux captain Matt Greene and the Los Angeles Kings earned a trip to the Western Conference Finals on Sunday, finishing off a sweep of the St. Louis Blues.

Greene had a point in every game of the series and will take a four-game point streak into the conference finals. Greene has the same number of points as Jeff Carter.

Greene came within one game of winning the Stanley Cup as a rookie with the Edmonton Oilers, but they lost to former Sioux defenseman Mike Commodore and the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 7.

On the other side of the Western Conference Finals will be the Phoenix Coyotes, who are coached by former Sioux forward Dave Tippett.

For Tippett, this is the second different team he has coached to the conference finals in the last five years

Three years ago, the Dallas Stars fired Tippett — a move they may be regretting. Since that move, the Stars have not made the playoffs, while the Coyotes have made the playoffs all three years under Tippett.

Another interesting side note to this series is that it is Ron Hextall’s team against Brett Hextall’s team. Ron, Brett’s father, is the assistant general manager of the Kings. Brett is one of the healthy scratches or Black Aces for the Phoenix Coyotes. Brett hasn’t played for Phoenix yet this year, nor will he, but he’s with the Coyotes right now.

Matt Watkins also is with Phoenix. He’s played one game this season for Phoenix and depending on injuries and/or suspensions, it’s possible he could work his way in for a game.

One other connection is Phoenix video coordinator Steve Peters, a goaltender from 1986-90. Peters didn’t play any games as a rookie on the Hrkac Circus team — there was another rookie goalie who happened to steal the show — but played the next three seasons.

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Seth Jones signs with Portland

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Brad Elliott Schlossman

Seth Jones won’t be coming to UND.

The highly regarded defenseman prospect who was choosing between UND and the WHL signed with the Portland Winterhawks over the weekend. The move was expected after the Winterhawks gained the rights to negotiate with him a couple weeks ago.

Jones could be drafted first or second overall in the 2013 NHL Draft. Jones visited UND during the Bemidji State playoff series.

As a side note, I heard nothing but good things about Jones as a person and how he handled his recruitment (he never committed until his decision was final and he was up front during the decision process).

Jones isn’t far away from playing in the NHL.

UND should still be strong on the blue line with returners Derek Forbort, Andrew MacWilliam, Nick Mattson, Dillon Simpson, Joe Gleason and Andrew Panzarella. The Sioux also will bring in puck-moving defenseman Jordan Schmaltz from the Green Bay Gamblers. If needed, Dan Senkbeil also is a defenseman.

Paul LaDue and Geoff Crisfield will likely come in for the 2013-14 season, though final decisions have not been made.

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