“We expect the MIAC Hockey Showcase to be a fantastic way to kick off another successful year of men’s hockey,” stated MIAC Executive Director Dan McKane, noting that the nine MIAC men’s hockey teams will each play two nonconference games, with games set for 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 30, 31 and Nov. 1. “The event is a great way to showcase the amazing amount of talent that plays in our conference. The MIAC is regarded as one of the best conferences in NCAA Division III and fans who attend the Showcase will see for themselves the incredible skill and athleticism of our nine teams.”
St. Olaf captured its first MIAC regular-season title in 70 years last season, going 12-1-3, but it was Gustavus that stole the show, winning the conference’s post-season tournament — and earning the MIAC’s automatic berth in the NCAA Division III national tournament. At the national level, the Gusties blanked UW-Superior 2-0, then followed that up with a 3-2 OT win over UW-Stout to reach the national championship game, where Gustavus fell to Neumann 4-1.
Ticket prices are $5 which includes admission for the entire day. Children 5 and under are free.
Read All Team Capsules HERE
I think these lines allow you to mix in size and physical play on each line and create a potentially lethal first line if they gel accordingly. If the offense continues to struggle Lucia will get plenty of chances to maneuver the lineup.
Gophers Game Story HERE
Don Lucia Post Game Interview HERE
Star Tribune Game Story HERE
Pioneer Press Game Story HERE
Minnesota high schools are represented well in the new list put out by NHL Central Scouting that rates the top players from North American Junior "A" and Junior "B" leagues as well as U.S. High Schools.
Seven players from the State of Hockey were rated as "A" players on Central Scouting's 2009 Fall watch list. Of the 130 players Central Scouting rated, including 64 from junior leagues and another 66 from U.S. high schools, only 10 were given an "A" rating.
An "A" rating is a signal to the 30 NHL clubs that they should be looking at the players as potential first- or second-round draft picks in 2010. A "B" rating means the player will likely fall somewhere in the third to fifth rounds, and a "C" rating is for potential late round picks.
Forty-three players received a "B" rating while 74 were given a "C" rating and another three were listed in a "limited viewing" category.
Along with their seven "A" players, Minnesota is also represented by 11 "B" players and another 19 "C" players giving it a total of 37 high schoolers that Central Scouting believes teams should keep an eye on throughout the 2009-10 season.
Forwards Joe Basaraba (Shattuck St. Mary's), Nick Bjugstad (Blaine), Jason Clark (Shattuck St. Mary's), Max Gardiner (Minnetonka) and Brock Nelson (Warroad), along with defenseman Mark Alt (Cretin-Derham) and goalie Zane Gothberg (Thief River Falls) represent Minnesota's "A" players.
Gardiner is the brother of Jake Gardiner, who Anaheim selected with the 17th pick in the 2008 Entry Draft. Max is committed to play next season at the University of Minnesota along with Alt and Bjugstad. Basaraba is slated to play at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, while Nelson and Gothberg have committed to the University of North Dakota.
Clark is undecided.
"He sees the ice very well and he's a tough kid to play against," Jake Gardiner told NHL.com about his younger brother. "He's got that really good work ethic. We both got that from our father. I remember my father and me shooting at him when he was younger -- he'd always play goalie, but not anymore. He's really grown into his position as forward."
Bjugstad, who is a 6-5, 190-pound junior center, is trying to accelerate his education to graduate a year early so he could join the Gophers' program. He led Blaine with 31 goals and 27 assists as a sophomore last season.
"There are tough days where I feel like I need a break," Bjugstad told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "But you look ahead and you think about how much you have going. I try to take all this in a good way."
The other "A" rated players are goalie Sam Brittain of Canmore in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, forward Charlie Coyle of South Shore in the Eastern Junior Hockey League and forward Kevin Hayes of Nobles High School in Massachusetts.
Coyle is committed to Boston University and Hayes to Boston College.
Here is the complete list with ratings compiled by NHL Central Scouting.
No Minnesota forwards or goalies were selected to play for the U.S. Jr. Select Team that will compete at the World Junior A Challenge Nov. 1-8 in Summerside, P.E.I. But as usual Minnesota will be well represented by its elite defensemen. Nick Mattson of Chanhassen and Nick Jensen of Rogers, who are both playing this year in the USHL, are two of the six defensemen on the team. 
Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher tonight announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has acquired RW Chuck Kobasew from the Boston Bruins in exchange for RW Craig Weller, a second round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and the rights to RW Alexander Fallstrom, who was selected by Minnesota in the fourth round (116th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
WatchChuck Kobasew highlights
Kobasew, 27 (4/17/82), recorded one assist in seven games with the Boston Bruins this season. The 6-foot, 192-pound native of Vancouver, British Columbia notched 42 points (21-21=42) and 56 penalty minutes (PIM) in 68 regular season contests with the Bruins in 2008-09. He set new career-highs in assists and points and reached the 20-goal mark for the third time in his career. Kobasew added six points (3-3=6) and 14 PIM in 11 playoff contests.
He has tallied 155 points (78-77=155) and 272 PIM in 368 career NHL contests during seven seasons with Calgary and Boston. Kobasew collected 49 points (27-22=49) in 43 games with Boston College in 2000-01 and was named the Most Valuable Player of the Frozen Four helping the Eagles claim the 2001 NCAA championship. He was originally selected by the Flames in the first round (14th overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
Minnesota and UND rank first and second in the country in NHL draft picks on the roster.As heated as this rivalry gets there are often relationships and ties between Gophers and top talent Minnesotans who play for North Dakota. The Fighting Sioux's top two freshmen Danny Kristo and Joe Gleason both have ties to players on Minnesota's roster. Gleason played in high school with Gopher freshman Zach Budish and Kristo played high school and bantams with Gopher freshman Nick Leddy and more recently nationally with Jordan Schroeder.
The Gophers have 20 NHL picks, while UND has 15.
Minnesota’s highest-drafted players are Nick Leddy (16th overall), David Fischer (20th), Patrick White (25th), Aaron Ness (40th), Zach Budish (41st) and Mike Hoeffel (57th).
Only six players on the Gophers’ roster are undrafted.
UND’s highest drafted players are Danny Kristo (56th), David Toews (66th), Jason Gregoire (76th), Corey Fienhage (81st) and Chris VandeVelde (97th).
“The draft isn’t always the best way to measure great college players,” Lucia said. “Ryan Duncan was a pretty good player. He wasn’t drafted. That’s the thing with college players. Some of the greatest may never play in the NHL.” Read Entire Article HERERecently, they’ve been teammates on the U.S. Under-17 team, the Under-18 team and the 2009 World Junior team.The Star Tribune ran a story on captains Ryan Flynn and Tony Lucia. The trend of late is that the best players in the program have elected to leave early to pursue NHL careers, which means role players like Flynn and Lucia have the most games under their belt and will take on leadership roles for Minnesota. The best piece out of this article for Gopher fans was this by Lucia:
Kristo said the two talked on the phone Monday about life in general, but decided not to speak again until the series is over. -Grand Forks Herald Full Article HERE"There is absolutely no excuses for not making the NCAA tournament," said Lucia, referring to the Gophers missing it last year for the first time in nine seasons. "Certainly, we don't want a repeat, especially at a historic program like Minnesota." - Full Article HEREThe Pioneer Press have a piece on Alex Kangas trying to bounce back from his sophomore slump after a great freshman year.From the Sports Information Department of Minnesota GAME PREVIEW HEREIn his first 18 games, he was excellent — posting a 10-3-5 record with a 2.88 goals-against average and .920 save percentage. Then came the Jan. 9-10 nightmare in North Dakota, where Kangas yielded 11 goals and did not finish either game.
It was part of an ugly 4-8-1 stretch in which he failed to finish five starts and had Gophers fans holding their noses and scratching their heads.- Full Article HERE
From the Sports Information Department of North Dakota GAME PREVIEW HERE
"Thomas is going to miss some time," coach Lindy Ruff said. When asked for a more specific time frame, he replied, "weeks."
once played in the Classic Suburban Conference at Tartan with Anders Lee also plays for the Gamblers. Furne does not have a college committment yet, but if he plays like he did in the playoffs last year where he had four goals and four assists in just seven games you can bet he'll get the offer he's been looking for.
Former Breck and Minnesota Gopher star Blake Wheeler netted his second goal of the season in a 4-3 loss to Colorado in a rare Monday matinee game. The goal came midway through the second period and tied the game 2-2. Wheeler tipped the puck in on a pass from Michael Ryder on a rush into the Avs zone.
