Wednesday Morning Post

• UND forward Colten St. Clair suffered a leg injury this past weekend against St. Cloud State and is expected to be out at least until the semester break. St. Clair's game contains an element of gritty hustle and his presence will be missed as an energy guy who plays a big role on the team's penalty killing unit.
• Drake Caggiula's slick first period goal against SCSU Friday night was chosen as NCAA hockey's top goal of the weekend.
• Sioux alum Dave Tippett became the all-time winningest coach in Phoenix Coyote franchise history last weekend.
• Chris Porter became the ninth Sioux alum to skate in the NHL this season when he made his season debut for St. Louis this past Saturday.
• The Hartford Courant says Danny Kristo has emerged as the Hartford Wolf Pack's most productive forward this season.
• Through 13 games Corban Knight leads Abbotsford (AHL) in points (12), assists (8), and +/- (+6).
• Mike Commodore recently did a good deed for a British Columbia charity. 
• Women's Four Nations Cup: Team USA defeated Sweden yesterday 10-0 with Sioux alums Jocelyne Lamoureux (1G, 1A) and Monique Lamoureux (0G, 2A) each posting a multi-point game for the Americans. Team USA's next action comes today against arch-rival Canada at 6:00 CST while UND defenseman Johanna Fallman and Sweden will take on Finland today at 2:30. Finland, featuring current UND forwards Michelle Karvinen and Susanna Tapani, dropped a tight 3-1 decision to Canada yesterday.
• World Junior A Challenge: Canada West and UND recruit Rhett Gardner earned the top seed out of Group B by going 2-0 in group play. They have advanced to Friday's semifinals where they will take on Group A's second seed. Team USA, featuring UND recruits Austin Poganski, Nick Schmaltz, and Ryan Mantha, opened group play last night with an 8-3 thrashing of Russia. Schmaltz scored two goals and assisted on two others and now has 12 points (7G, 5A) in his last five games of international competition dating back to August's Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup. Team USA's next game comes today at 6:00 CST against Canada East.
• NTDP Four Nations Tournaments: Recruits Shane Gersich and Christian Evers will be participating in a pair of Four Nations tournaments this week. Gersich and the NTDP Under-18 team will be in Finland while Evers and the Under-17 team will be in Slovakia. Both teams will play pre-tournament games today with regulation action beginning Friday. Check out USA Hockey's Four Nations info page for full schedules and notes for both teams.

Wednesday Morning Coffee

• The USOH is keeping a close eye on Team USA's top candidates for the World Junior Championships, and yesterday North Dakota freshman forward Rocco Grimaldi was in the spotlight. Grimaldi leads the team with four points (2G, 2A) in four games, and he has a six game point streak (3G, 3A) dating back to last season.
• Through four games, North Dakota has a four-way tie for the team lead in +/- rating, and all four leaders are freshmen. Grimaldi, Colten St. Clair, Jordan Schmaltz, and Drake Caggiula are all +4.
• North Dakota forward Brendan O'Donnell is one of several Tampa Bay Lightning prospects looking to have an impact season in the NCAA. Tampa Bay selected O'Donnell in the 6th Round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
• Jonathan Toews participated in Chicago's successful "Champs for Charity" game, which was played before nearly 12,000 fans, while Minnesota's Defending the Blueline charity game, which included Zach Parise and Chris Porter, was also deemed a success. As NHLers remain locked out, star-studded charity games are one way for players to remain active. Matt Greene is scheduled to take part in a charity game in California while Travis Zajac will do the same in Winnipeg.
• Zajac and his agent are evaluating several opportunities for the former Sioux centerman to play overseas and he might be headed to Europe within a few weeks (Zajac info at the very end of the post).
• Former Sioux captain Adam Calder suffered a fractured hip last Sunday in an English Premier League game. He underwent surgery Monday, and no further details have been released.
• Matt Frattin returned to Toronto Marlies practice last week, and he is no longer wearing a no-contact practice jersey. Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins said earlier this week that Frattin is about two weeks away from returning to game action.
• North Dakota recruits Adam Tambellini and Wade Murphy are currently at the Canada West World Junior A Challenge Selection Camp, where they are teammates on Team Blue. They played their first game last night, with Murphy scoring his team's lone goal in a 2-1 loss. The camp concludes tonight when Team Blue takes on Team White. Luke Johnson will participate for Team USA in the WJAC, which begins next Monday in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. All tournament games can be viewed online at no charge through Fast Hockey. 

Weekend Musings, Etc.

The North Dakota men took to the ice for an exhibition game against the USA Hockey NTDP Under-18 team Friday night, and here are a few observations following the 6-4 UND victory:

• First for the most obvious, Knight Line Version 2.0 looked outstanding. Rocco Grimaldi, Corban Knight, and Danny Kristo combined for eight points (4G, 4A) and a +8.
• Clarke Saunders was the sharper of the two goaltenders vying for the starting job, and one would have to think he will be getting the start in the regular season opener against Alaska-Anchorage Friday night.
• The line of Stephane Pattyn, Colten St. Clair, and Derek Rodwell impressed. They were fast, gritty and hard to play against while also generating some nice offensive opportunities.
• It's great to see Derek Forbort so willing to shoot the puck. Granted it's only been exhibition action thus far, but he's scored a couple of very nice goals from the blueline without showing any hesitancy towards pulling the trigger.
• The strength of Andrew MacWilliam is something else. During one sequence he couldn't get a Team USA forward lined up squarely, but he was able to catch him with a forearm that contained enough power to separate puck from player. He must be just a beast to play against.
• Defenseman Jordan Schmaltz's offensive reputation comes as advertised. He's very smooth with the puck and has great offensive instincts. He also logged a lot of time on the power play and penalty kill units.
• Defensively there are still some things to clean up, but with an experienced bunch that should happen much sooner rather than later.
• For Team USA, North Dakota recruit and Devils Lake native Keaton Thompson looked good. He's a good skater who plays a very poised game. Scouts are high on him and with a solid season he could sneak into the first round of next summer's NHL Draft.

In other news...

• The UND women took to the road this weekend. They dropped the Friday night game against Ohio State, but bounced back with a Saturday afternoon victory.
• Matt Greene and a couple other NHLers spent some practice time with a Los Angeles area youth hockey team.
• The AHL and ECHL seasons kicked off Friday, and a number of former Sioux have had strong opening weekends. Brock Nelson and Matt Watkins got off to nice starts for Bridgeport (AHL). Nelson had a goal and two assists while Watkins had a goal and an assist in two Sound Tiger victories. Brad Malone notched two assists as Lake Erie (AHL) split its first two games of the year. In the ECHL, Aaron Schneekloth (1G, 2A) and Michael Forney (2G, 0A) helped Colorado to a weekend split while David Toews picked up a goal and an assist in two games with Bakersfield.
• Jean-Phillipe Lamoureux leads the Erste Bank Liga (Austrian elite league) with a .943 save percentage. He also has a 2.08 GAA. Lamoureux isn't the only former Sioux off to a strong start in Austria. Andrew Kozek is the league's leading goal scorer with nine, Ryan Duncan is T-3rd in goals with seven, and Curtis Murphy is T-9th in points among defensemen with eight (2G, 6A).
• Aaron Dell, who last weekend was released by the Colorado Eagles (ECHL), has signed with the Allen Americans of the CHL.
• In USHL play, North Dakota recruit and Grand Forks native Paul LaDue is a +8 with three assists in just four Lincoln Star games, while Sioux City defenseman Ryan Mantha leads his team with a +5 in three games. 
• The much-discussed on-campus arena for Nebraska-Omaha appears to be getting the greenlight. If it does indeed happen, it will be a big-step forward for the UNO program as it heads into the NCHC era.

Recruit Profile: Colten St. Clair

Photo-USHL.com

Previous Team:  Fargo Force (USHL)
Anticipated Arrival at UND:  2011-12 (Redshirted)
Position:  Forward
Birthday:  November 22, 1992
Hometown:  Gilbert, AZ  
Height:  5' 11"
Weight:  183
Shoots:  Right


Profiles & Press Clippings:

• Elite Prospects Profile/Stat Page 
• NHL.com: Scouts See St. Clair's Work Ethic as Second to None (Jun 2011)
• Fox Sports Arizona: Two Arizona Prospects Hope to Be NHL Ice Breakers (Jun 2011)
• Arizona Rubber: Commitment Article

2011-12:

• He was enrolled at UND but sat out the season as a redshirt after questions concerning online high school course certifications led to him being ruled ineligible by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

2010-11:

• He spent the season with the Fargo Force of the USHL, producing 25 points (11G, 14A) in 42 games while serving as an assistant captain. In five playoff games he recorded a goal and an assist.
• In November of 2010 he played in the World Junior A Challenge, notching three assists in four games in helping Team USA take home the gold medal.

2009-10:

• He played for the Fargo Force and issued a 33 point (15G, 18A) campaign in 54 games. He added two goals and an assist in 13 playoff games.
• In November of 2009 he took part in the World Junior A Challenge where he scored two goals and had three assists in five games for the gold medal-winning Team USA squad.
• In August of 2009 he played for Team USA at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, producing a goal and two assists in four games.
• He took part in USA Hockey's Select 17 Development Camp where, according to US Hockey Report, he was the camp's top ranked forward and "outstanding in every game."

2008-09:

• Playing for the Fargo Force, he produced 26 points (17G, 9A) in 55 games as a USHL rookie. He also had two goals and three assists in ten playoff games.

2007-08:

• He was the second leading scorer at the 2007 USA Hockey Select 15 Development Camp, producing nine points (5G, 4A) in five games.
  

Harvard Recap

The Fighting Sioux entered a non-conference series needing a big weekend to bolster their national tournament hopes, and with a short bench they took three out of four points against a solid Harvard Crimson squad. Friday night saw the two teams battle to a 4-4 draw, while the Fighting Sioux sent their revered nickname out in style New Year's Eve by blowing by Harvard 7-3 in the final game in which a North Dakota athletic team will officially be known as the Fighting Sioux.

• Friday night the Sioux started out slow, played a good second period, and finished with an uncharacteristic third period in which they relinquished a two goal lead. Saturday night was a different story, as they had jump from the get-go and played a strong 60 minutes. There appeared to be some tired legs late Saturday, but considering the injuries this team is dealing with, that is very understandable.
• The freshmen are really starting to come into their own. A lot of very young players are playing an awful lot of minutes, and they are performing admirably. The team has had an awful lot of personnel issues this season and a lot of players have been thrust into roles that were not expected of them, and they have risen to the occasion and then some. Already short on skaters when fully healthy due to the pre-season eligibility issues of Colten St. Clair and Michael Di Puma, North Dakota played every healthy player on their roster and still was short a forward and a defenseman due to the unavailability of Corban Knight, Mario Lamoureux, Derek Rodwell, Derek Forbort, and Rocco Grimaldi. The fact that the shorthanded Sioux were able to post a seven-spot on a respectable Harvard team is a testament to this team's ability to adapt and evolve when faced with difficult situations. Saturday's victory was a signature win, and it could become a defining moment for this team.
• Scoring came from all over the lineup this weekend, with the top line not getting into the scoring column until Saturday night. Freshmen Nick Mattson and Brendan O'Donnell provided some spark Friday while Connor Gaarder continued his strong play by scoring his first collegiate goal Friday and following it up with a big three-point night Saturday. Six freshmen produced points in the Saturday night victory.
• On the injury front, it sounds like Grimaldi is still a couple weeks away from knowing how well the shut-down helped his knee heal. Knight, Lamoureux, and Forbort will be evaluated as the week goes on and may or may not be ready for the Clarkson game Saturday night while Rodwell is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury.  
• In browsing through some stats New Year's Day, a few interesting numbers jumped out. I sent them out yesterday via Twitter as I came across them, but here they are for those of you who do not use Twitter: 
• Freshmen accounted for 16 (8G, 8A) of the 30 points the Sioux tallied this weekend
• The Sioux are 8-2-1 with Connor Gaarder in the lineup, 2-6-1 with him out.
• Dillon Simpson had 0 points the first nine games of the season. He's now had at least one point in eight of his last 11 games.
• Danny Kristo has factored in on seven of UND's ten game-winning goal this season.

Fighting Sioux vs. Minnesota Notes & Links

North Dakota vs. Minnesota - Series Notes & Links:

• Gametime: Friday 7:07 CDT/Saturday 7:37 CDT
• Friday's game will be broadcast on Fox Sports North, Saturday's can be found on the Big 10 Network. Here's the standard broadcast information for those looking to find a member station of the Fighting Sioux Radio Network.
• Series notes: North Dakota and Minnesota
• Series Preview, Strib style 
• The Minnesota-North Dakota rivalry is among the best around.
• After a few down years, things are looking up on the Minnesota side of this rivalry, and they can't wait to get after it this weekend in what will be their biggest test of the young season.
• When North Dakota plays Minnesota, you might as well throw the records out the window.
• The Fighting Sioux have a handful of Twin Cities players of their own on the roster.
• The Dakota Student details the renewal of a classic rivalry.
• The previous link details the likelihood and desire for the UND-UM series to continue once NCHC and Big 10 hockey begins. The Star Tribune also takes a look at the continuation of the series.
• Last week North Dakota's Colten St. Clair was declared ineligible for the season, mainly due to an online high school record keeping snafu. He remains committed to the Fighting Sioux however, and is already looking forward to suiting up next fall.
• The Strib takes us down a Sioux-Gopher Memory Lane.
• In sophomore Erik Haula, Minnesota boasts the nation's leading scorer.
• The Minnesota Daily says Don Lucia cares about just one stat this weekend: WCHA points.
• The Strib also lists 5 Epic Sioux-Gopher Games. No mention of the 2007 West Regional Final? No matter the victor, that game was a classic.
• Gopher Sports did a short Q&A with GF Herald beat writer Brad Schlossman
• GF Herald's Ice Time
• INCH's Friday Four-Cast
• USCHO's Weekend Picks
• CHN's WCHA Power Rankings
• CHN's Tale of the Tape

Fighting Sioux vs. St. Cloud State Notes & Links

North Dakota vs. St. Cloud State - Series Notes & Links:

• Gametime: Friday 7:37 CDT/Saturday 7:07 CDT
• The games will be broadcast on a variety of media outlets across the region. As always, here's the standard broadcast information.
• Series notes in PDF: North Dakota and St. Cloud State
• There are some family ties being renewed this weekend. Mark MacMillan will be playing against his big brother Mitch, a Husky sophomore. The St. Cloud Times has a take on the MacMillans, as does The Dakota Student. Meanwhile, Brock Nelson and Jordy Christian, a Husky senior, are cousins. Jordy's father, Ed, played for North Dakota from 1980-84.
• Rocco Grimaldi's status for the weekend is doubtful, while fellow freshman Brendan O'Donnell will not be available. Both players have lower body injuries. 
• The Fighting Sioux received word today that the NCAA has ruled Colten St. Clair ineligible to play this season. No specifics have been released as to why he did not make it through the NCAA Clearinghouse, but there have been rumblings that there is some online coursework that has come under scrutiny.
• Due to injury St. Cloud State's junior goaltender Mike Lee did not make the trip with the team this weekend. The Huskies will likely rely on freshman goaltender Ryan Faragher in net. Faragher spent the last two seasons playing just down I-94 West for the NAHL's Bismarck Bobcats.
• Danny Kristo is becoming a complete player as the team's top offensive threat. He was also named 2nd Star by Habs Future for his play last weekend at Wisconsin.
• St. Cloud State senior forward Drew LeBlanc is approaching 100 career points. Let's hope it doesn't happen this weekend.
• This is the first series of the season in which the Fighting Sioux will face a future NCHC foe.
• GF Herald's Ice Time
• USCHO's This Week in the WCHA
• USCHO's Weekend Picks 
• INCH's This Week in the WCHA

Free Agency & A Mixed Bag

NHL free agency fires up Friday, and several former Sioux find themselves in search of new contracts. Drew Stafford and Chris Porter have already signed new deals, and below is a list of the other former Sioux who played in the NHL last season and will be looking to sign new deals this summer:

PLAYER 2010-2011 TEAM  FA STATUS NEW TEAM SIGNING/CONTRACT DETAILS Zach Parise New Jersey RFA Drew Stafford Buffalo RFA Buffalo 4 Years, $16 Million David Hale Ottawa UFA Matt Smaby Tampa Bay RFA Ryan Johnson Chicago UFA Chris Porter St Louis UFA St Louis 1 Year, 2 Way Contract T.J. Oshie St Louis RFA Taylor Chorney Edmonton RFA Oshie recently received a qualifying offer from St. Louis, which prevents him from becoming an UFA, while the New Jersey Devils have filed for arbitration in their effort to get Parise signed long-term without risking losing him to an offer sheet it might not be able to match. It will also be interesting to see where Jason Gregoire signs, and if any other former Sioux are able to make there way into the NHL. McKeen's Hockey published an interview with incoming recruit Rocco Grimaldi about a week before the NHL Draft,  and when asked about next year's outlook at North Dakota Grimaldi replied: "I expect to be a big part of it, to be a big contributor, and I expect to win. I really do expect to win. That's just the mental attitude that I have. We're going to be a pretty young team, but we're going to be a pretty dang good, solid, skilled team. I think we'll do really well. Obviously, I want to win in the end. That's our goal and hopefully I'll be a big part of that and be able to help along the way."  I love his positive outlook, the expectations he has of himself, and the expectations he has of the team. Here's the full interview. The USHL put together some short highlight reels of some it's NHL Draft prospects, including Grimaldi and fellow incoming recruit Colten St. Clair: Grimaldi: St. Clair: