Former Minnesota captain Grant Potulny, who recently returned to the team as a volunteer assistant coach, has been elevated to full-time status with the team. He replaces Mike Hastings, who joined new coach Dean Blais at Nebraska-Omaha. Potulny helped the Gophers to national championships in 2002 and 2003, scoring the overtime winner in the title … Read more
As anticipated, the WCHA voted Friday to admit Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha beginning with the 2010-11 season, making the conference a 12-team league. The expansion is the league’s first since Minnesota State joined in 1999-2000. The vote, which puts the Bemidji State program back on solid ground only months after it became the first No. … Read more
In a dimly lit ballroom, a light shines down on some very well known people who are surrounded by reporters, video cameras and photographers snapping hundreds of photos. These stylish looking people in suits are in the spotlight, both literally and figuratively, but no, it’s not a movie premier with popular actors and paparazzi, it’s … Read more
What do the Chicago Blackhawks, President Barack Obama and the Chicago Cubs have in common? Well, the obvious answer is the city, but the more important relation here is John Moore. This 18-year-old is undoubtedly going to be snatched up in the first round of the NHL entry draft, as he’s Central Scouting’s top-ranked defensemen … Read more
Mike Hastings is moving from his position as assistant coach at Minnesota to the associate head coach position at Nebraska-Omaha. Hastings will join new Mavericks coach Dean Blais and Nick Fohr, who as an assistant coach for former UNO coach Mike Kemp, in the new staff. “Mike Hastings has a proven track record of developing … Read more
St. Cloud State has given coach Bob Motzko a six-year contract through the 2014-15 season, the school announced Tuesday. Bob Motzko led St. Cloud State to an 18-17-3 record last season. Motzko, who has a 81-58-19 record in four years since taking over for Craig Dahl in 2005, will earn more than $1 million over … Read more
North Dakota has until Oct. 1 to get a long-term approval from two tribes to use its Fighting Sioux nickname, and that doesn’t appear likely. The North Dakota Board of Higher Education voted 8-0 Thursday to retire the nickname, which dates to the 1930s, if a 30-year approval agreement can’t be reached with the Standing … Read more
Bemidji State did not get the answer it was looking for from the WCHA on Tuesday. But it also did not get the answer it dreaded. The WCHA did not vote on the Beavers’ application for admission to the league at the end of its meeting Tuesday. Instead, it voted to open the door for … Read more
Officials from Bemidji State have made their argument for admission to the WCHA. Now, they wait. The contingent from the group that hopes to be the 11th member of the WCHA made a presentation to the league and its member schools Monday at meetings in Marco Island, Fla. The WCHA will discuss matters Tuesday, but … Read more
Bemidji State makes its pitch to the WCHA on Monday, and it’s bringing along a large group. According to a story in the Bemidji Pioneer, the school is sending eight people to Marco Island, Fla., for an hourlong presentation. They are: • Jon Quistgaard, school president; • Bill Maki, vice president for finance and administration; … Read more
Minnesota’s Jordan Schroeder continues to be the top choice of collegiate players eligible for this year’s NHL Entry Draft, that according to the NHL Central Scouting Service’s (CSS) final rankings. Schroeder, who ranked second on the Gophers in scoring this year with 45 points (13 goals, 32 assists) behind only Ryan Stoa, was ranked fifth … Read more
They came into their Northeast Regional semifinal game with similar streaks for consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Trailing only Michigan, New Hampshire had earned its eighth straight berth to North Dakota’s seven. The two teams shared other similarities. On the plus side: some of the most highly skilled players in the country and a penchant for … Read more
Minnesota Duluth’s incredible 5-4 overtime win Friday against Princeton defies easy categorization. For each team, the game’s script had elements both of the familiar and the fantastic. Winning games they weren’t supposed to was nothing new for the Bulldogs, who did that three times last weekend in the WCHA Final Five. UMD, the seventh-seeded team … Read more
Narrowest of Margins In Friday night’s West Regional action, Minnesota-Duluth scored an extra-attacker tying goal versus Princeton with just 0.8 seconds left in the game, before going on to win after more than 15 minutes of overtime. But New Hampshire eclipsed even that narrow margin, scoring with just 0.1 seconds left in the game. Of … Read more
Miami’s coaching staff apparently made the right choice in goaltenders. It was no foregone conclusion that Cody Reichard was going to be in net to earn all-regional honors and help the RedHawks claim their first trip to the Frozen Four this weekend at Mariucci Arena. In fact, after a week of competition in practice between … Read more
If it wasn’t already abundantly clear from their shared histories how close Denver coach George Gwozdecky and Miami coach Enrico Blasi are, that story got another chapter in the makeshift media room at Mariucci Arena. First, Gwozdecky took his turn in emotionally describing his relationship with his former player and assistant coach. Then Blasi did … Read more
It’s easy to look at the box score and flush out that Minnesota-Duluth’s power play made the difference in its 5-4 overtime victory Friday over Princeton in the West Regional. The Bulldogs scored one of their two final-minute goals with the man advantage (actually a two-man advantage because goaltender Alex Stalock was on the bench) … Read more
The 2009 NCAA Tournament field was announced on Sunday morning and the overall number one seed was awarded to Boston University. The Terriers won the Hockey East Championship and finished the season with a 31-6-4 record. The Terriers will be the number one seed in the Northeast Regional in Manchester, N.H. Boston University will be … Read more
The field of 16 teams for the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship was announced on Sunday with Hockey East regular and post-season champion Boston University taking home the number one overall seed. The Terriers were joined by Michigan, Notre Dame and Denver as the tournament’s top seeds. Overall, the seedings were as expected, though that … Read more
Two heroes, one award. That was the conundrum at the WCHA Final Five, where UMD goaltender Alex Stalock and his teammate MacGregor Sharp both put in starring performances. Todd D. Milewski reports.