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.

Thursday Morning Post

• Senior forward Michelle Karvinen was named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week following her strong performance in UND's road sweep of St. Cloud State. Karvinen picked up five points (4G, 1A) on the weekend and her seven goals on the season lead the nation.
• Karvinen will not be in the lineup when UND travels to Bemidji State this weekend. UND will also be without freshman forward Susanna Tapani and junior defenseman Johanna Fallman as all three will be preparing to compete in the women's Four Nations Cup in Lake Placid, NY, November 5-9. Tapani and Karvinen will represent Finland, while Fallman will skate for Sweden. Also competing at the Four Nations will be Sioux alums and Team USA standouts Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux.
• The UND men's hockey Twitter account Tweeted yesterday that sophomore forward Drake Caggiula practiced without limitation. This is most certainly a positive sign for Caggiula, who took a nasty head-over-heels spill during Saturday's exhibition game against Team USA. Hopefully we will see him in the lineup this weekend against St. Cloud State.
• UND freshman defenseman Keaton Thompson was featured in his hometown newspaper yesterday.
• The coaching staff of the BCHL's Penticton Vees will be in Grand Forks this weekend to watch a number of their former players take to the ice at Engelstad Arena.
• Danny Kristo continues his strong play to start the AHL season. Last night he picked up a goal and two assists in Hartford's 5-3 win over Bridgeport, giving him twelve points (7G, 5A) in ten games. While Kristo's performance thus far is impressive, Blue Seat Blogs stresses the importance of patience in letting prospects develop at the proper level.
• Corban Knight notched a goal and an assist, including the overtime game winner, in Abbotsford's 5-4 win over Utica last night. He now has nine points (4G, 5A) in ten games, putting him right up there with Kristo among the AHL's top rookie scorers.
• The Ottawa Sun says Hockey Canada would do right in naming Jonathan Toews captain for the 2014 Winter Olympics, going so far as to call him "the best all-around player in the world."
• TJ Oshie is off to the best start of his career for the St. Louis Blues, having notched ten points (2G, 8A) in ten games with a +8 rating. The creative and relentless Oshie has helped drive the Blues towards the top of the Central Division with a refreshing dose of class.
• North Dakota recruit Rhett Gardner (Okotoks-AJHL) was named to Canada West's roster for the 2013 World Junior A Challenge. Gardner, part of UND's excellent class of 1996 birth-year commitments, was one of 13 forwards selected out of the 36 invited to camp.

Wednesday Evening Post

Here's some news from the North Dakota hockey world, beginning with a wrap on the recently concluded international break:

• USA Hockey had an historically successful fall international break. For the first time ever, Team USA swept the four tournaments that make up the break. Monique and Jocelyne Lamoureux were part of the gold-medal winning US Women's national team at the Women's Four Nations Tournament. Team USA shutout Canada 3-0 in the championship game. In the Under-18 Four Nations Tournament, Keaton Thompson and Team USA won its fifth consecutive championship while Chris Wilkie and the Under-17ers did the same at their Four Nations Tournament. At the World Junior A Challenge, Luke Johnson and Team USA defeated Canada West and Wade Murphy to win its fourth title in the past five years. Johnson finished the tournament with four assists in four games while Murphy was named to the tournament All-Star Team after producing six points (3G, 3A) in four games.
• Josefine Jakobsen and the Danish women's national team advanced to the final round of Olympic qualification by winning their most recent round of pre-qualification play. Denmark swept their three pre-qualification games this past weekend and will play in February for the right to advance to the Sochi games. Jakobsen led the tournament with a +4 rating and was named Denmark's Player of the Game following their first game of the tournament.
• UND women's recruit Halli Krzyzaniak led Team Manitoba to a silver medal at the Canadian Women's Under-18 National Championships last weekend. Kryzyaniak. who captained the Manitoba squad, finished the tournament with a goal and an assist and was named the tournament's MVP and Top Defenseman.
• The Edmonton Journal's Cult of Hockey blog says Chris VandeVelde's strong play in Oklahoma City is bolstering his NHL dreams.
• Robbie Bina has signed a two-year extension with Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg of the German elite league. This is Bina's third year in Wolfsburg.
• Aaron Dell of the Allen Americans leads the Central Hockey League (CHL) in both GAA (1.79) and Save Percentage (.935). After losing his first professional start Dell has rattled off three consecutive victories, including last night's 5-4 shootout victory over Bloomington. Dell entered the game in a relief role after the Americans had given up three goals in the game's first eight minutes. He stopped 26 of 27 shots the rest of the way and stoned five out of five shootout attempts to lead Allen to the win.
• Jonathan Toews expects to make a decision on playing in Europe in the near future.

International Break, etc.

The first international break for USA Hockey began this weekend, and North Dakota hockey connections abound. USA Hockey has put together a nice composite detailing all the action, and here are the specifics for the North Dakota contingent:

• Monique and Jocelyne Lamoureux and the rest of the US Women's National Team will be taking part in the 2012 Women's Four Nations Cup November 5-10 in Kerava, Finland. The Four Nations field is comprised of the national teams from the USA, Canada, Finland, and Sweden, and in the 16 year history of the event only Canada (12) and the USA (4) have won gold. Team USA is the defending champion. North Dakota's Michelle Karvinen (Finland) and Johanna Fallman (Sweden) are also regular members of their respective national teams, but they have both been battling injuries this season and I do not believe they will be participating in the Four Nations.
• Also traveling abroad will be North Dakota recruit Chris Wilkie. Wilkie and the NTDP Under-17 team will be competing in the 2012 U-17 Four Nations Tournament in Monthey, Switzerland November 7-11. Team USA is the four-time defending champion, and the Americans are currently riding a 12 game winning streak at this event. The action gets underway Wednesday with a pre-tournament game against Switzerland, with their first tournament game coming Friday against Slovakia. 
• Keaton Thompson and the NTDP Under-18 team will be hosting the 2012 U-18 Four Nations Tournament November 6-10 in Ann Arbor, MI. Team USA is the four-time defending champion, having won 14 straight tournament games at the event. Their last loss came against Switzerland in 2007. The Americans begin play Tuesday against Finland, and all tournament games can be streamed via Fast Hockey (pay-per-view). 
• The 2012 World Junior A Challenge started up this weekend with a trio of exhibition games. The tournament officially starts tomorrow in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and runs through the gold medal game on Sunday, November 11. UND recruit Wade Murphy will be playing with Canada West while Luke Johnson is on the Team USA roster. Team USA will see its first action tomorrow against Canada East while Canada West opens its play Tuesday against the Czech Republic. Team USA placed third last season after winning the event three consecutive years from 2008 to 2010. All WJAC tournament games can be streamed free-of-charge at Fast Hockey. This tournament provides very high-quality action, so the free streaming should help scratch that mid-week hockey itch brought on by the NHL lockout.
• UND recruit Halli Krzyzaniak will serve as team captain for Manitoba at Canada's 2012 National Women's Under-18 Championship in Dawson Creek, BC. The tournament begins Wednesday and runs through Sunday, November 11.

UND Women Represent USA Hockey Well

Several current and future members of the North Dakota women's hockey team took part in a pair of USA Hockey events against Canada last week. Below is a quick summary of the results:

2012 Women's Under-22 Series:

• UND seniors Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux helped lead Team USA to an impressive three game sweep over Canada, outscoring the Canadians 12-6 in what was a breakout weekend for USA Hockey's Under-22 team.  Jocelyne led all players with six points (3G, 3A), while Monique's four points (1G, 3A) tied her for second with Wisconsin's Brianna Decker. Heading into the weekend, Team Canada had gone 10-1 in the previous eleven games of the series.

2012 Women's Under-18 Series:

• Three committed UND recruits represented USA Hockey's Under-22 team in its three game series against Canada. Canada won the series two games to one, despite being outscored by Team USA 9-8. UND recruit Alexis Shaw stopped 34 of the 39 shots she faced while splitting time in net for the Americans, while fellow North Dakota commits Gracen Hirschy (D) and Amy Menke (F) each contributed a goal. All three recruits are expected to arrive in Grand Forks in time for the 2013-14 season.

Saturday Afternoon Post

With game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final set for tonight, here's a quick batch of pre-game links:

• New Jersey successfully completed step one of the four step program designed for coming back from a three games to none series deficit. Zach Parise received some words of wisdom on the matter from his father, who has experience with the ultimate comeback.
• Parise, who hurt his ankle in game four after going hard into the boards, says he is fine. He didn't take part in this morning's optional team skate, choosing instead to try out a few new sticks before heading back to the locker room.
• Devil rookie Adam Henrique has been a clutch performer this postseason, and he says Parise is one of his role models. Henrique would surely like to play more than just a few more playoff games with the Devils' captain, and owner Jeff Vanderbeek reportedly has a deal in place that would enable New Jersey to regain its financial solvency, thereby strengthening its chances of retaining the free agent-to-be Parise.
• Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Travis Zajac make up New Jersey's top line and it hasn't put up the numbers one might have expected them to at this point of the series, but they remain fully confident that they'll soon break out of their scoring slump.
• Due to clashing viewing styles, Zajac's parents have to watch the playoff games in separate rooms.
• Matt Greene and the Kings are trying to maintain the "zero-zero" attitude, and as an undefeated playoff road team they are prepared for what promises to be a hostile atmosphere in New Jersey.

In other news...

• Jocelyne Lamoureux was named to the Capital One Academic All-America At-Large second team, a rather prestigious honor considering the teams are comprised of athletes from a number of NCAA sports.
• North Dakota has numerous entries in College Hockey Weekly's Top Games of the 2000's feature. Several other games earned honorable mention status.
• Recruit Jordan Schmaltz was recently featured with Nic Kerdiles (Wisconsin recruit) in a New York Islanders draft profile. The Isles have the fourth overall pick, but they also pick 34th and 50th, which is about where most outlets project Schmaltz to be selected. Red Line Report, well known for operating a bit out of the box, has Schmaltz going in the first round despite a bit of negative commentary.
• Bleacher Report says Matt Frattin was one of the top 10 steals of the 2007 NHL Draft.
• Reigning ECHL Defenseman of the Year Aaron Schneekloth was one of several players the Colorado Eagles added to their protected list.
• Chris Dilks of the Western College Hockey Blog looked a little deeper into the argument over whether or not the CHL is the fastest route to the NHL.
• Around the WCHA, Etc...The National Collegiate Hockey Conference is set to announce the Targer Center as the home of its postseason tournament...Alabama-Huntsville might find a home in the WCHA...The NCAA Ice Hockey Rules Committee has made these recomendations...Wisconsin has added a third goaltender in a move that should finalize their 2012-13 roster...St. Cloud State also picked up a goaltending recruit...A couple of WCHA commits, Anthony Stolarz (Nebraska-Omaha) and Taylor Cammarata, were among those that impressed The Hockey News at the recent NHL Scouting Combine...Wisconsin will play its final regular season home series of 2012-13 at the Dane County Coliseum rather than the Kohl Center...

Thursday Evening Post

• The men's and women's hockey teams both announced their team awards recently and the team MVP's are Brock Nelson and Jocelyne Lamoureux. Here are the full listings of the men's award winners and the women's award winners.
• The National Collegiate Hockey Conference announced the hiring of Joe Novak as its Director of Hockey Operations earlier this week. Novak was previously the assistant athletic director for the Air Force Academy and he has an extensive background in ice hockey officiating.
• The NCHC is also close to announcing the Target Center as the host for its postseason tournament. As the home of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves the Target Center is a non-ice hockey venue, but with the passage of the Minnesota Viking stadium bill, the downtown arena will be receiving a facelift in the near future.
• The College Hockey News recently published a Q& A with NCHC commissioner Jim Scherr.
• Most of you certainly know by now that USNTDP defenseman-extraordinaire Seth Jones has opted to play in the CHL following his signing with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League. Jones had narrowed his choices down to the WHL and North Dakota, but under the guidance of his father, did not make a commitment until he was 100% sure of his intentions. The way Jones handled the recruiting process is very admirable and I hope he has a splendid career in Portland and beyond.
• The Litter Box Cats, a Florida Panther blog, recently profiled Ryan Johnson in its chronicling of all of the franchise's former players. 
• Hockey's Future considers Sioux defenseman Derek Forbort to be a promising prospect for the Los Angeles Kings.

NHL Playoff Update:

• After dispatching the St. Louis Blues with a four game sweep, Matt Greene and the Los Angeles Kings became the first team to advance out of the NHL's conference semifinals. Greene played a big role in the series, producing a point in each of his four games. His current four game point streak is the longest of his professional career, and through two playoff rounds he has an identical stat line to that of the Kings' big midseason pickup Jeff Carter (9 Games: 1G, 3A, +3 rating). Also, The Hockey Writers put together a nice feature to help you get to know the Kings a little bit better.
• Los Angeles' opponent in the Western Conference Finals will be the Phoenix Coyotes, coached by former Sioux Dave Tippett. The Coyotes eliminated the Nashville Predators Monday night and will now take on the red-hot Kings, but facing obstacles is nothing new for Tippett and his Desert Dogs. The Coyotes and Kings begin their series Sunday in Phoenix.
• Tuesday night the suddenly delightful New Jersey Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2003 with a 4-1 series victory. Zach Parise says the Devils kept their cool against Philly, and it ultimately paid off. Parise is savoring his first opportunity to play in the conference finals, but the Devils know they are only halfway home and that there is a lot of work yet to be done. New Jersey will open the Eastern Conference Finals Monday night against either Washington or the New York Rangers.
• Heading into the week, Parise and teammate Travis Zajac (T-5th with 10 playoff points) were among those on Puck Daddy's Conn Smythe Watch List.

AHL Playoff Update:

• Matt Frattin and the Toronto Marlies advanced to the Western Conference Finals after winning their series against Abbotsford 4-1. Frattin scored four goals in the series and now has seven points (5G, 2A) in eight playoff games.
• Oklahoma City leads its series with San Antonio two games to one, with game four heading to overtime as I type this post. Chris VandeVelde has a goal in each of the last two games for OKC, including the overtime game-winner in game three, while Taylor Chorney is looking for his first playoff point. Should Oklahoma City prevail, they would take on Frattin and the Marlies in the Western Conference Finals.
• St. John's (Jason Gregoire, Jake Marto) currently leads its series with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton three games to two. Game six will take place Friday night. Gregoire and Marto have yet to play in the postseason. 

USHL Playoff Update:

• The Lincoln Stars, featuring recruits Luke Johnson and Paul LaDue, were eliminated from the Clark Cup playoffs following a 6-2 loss to Waterloo Monday night.
• Jordan Schmaltz is the last Sioux recruit standing this season, as he and the Green Bay Gamblers advanced to the Clark Cup Finals following their sweep of the Indiana Ice in the Eastern Conference Finals. Schmaltz had one point in each of the Gamblers' three wins over Indiana, and he is currently riding a four game point streak during which he has amassed four points (1G, 3A) and a +6 rating.

Sunday Morning Coffee

• UND held its annual Night of Champions award program last week and junior forward Jocelyne Lamoureux was named the 2011-12 Female Athlete of the Year. Also earning recognition were Brad Eidsness, the Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and Michelle Karvinen, the Female Rookie of the Year.
• In the latest episode of UND Sports TV former Sioux Brad Malone talked about his first season in the professional ranks while Danny Kristo discussed his decision to return to North Dakota for his senior season. The Malone segment opens episode 32.2 and Kristo's segment comes at the 2:00 minute mark of episode 32.3 on this page. 
• The Rat Trick, a Florida Panthers blog, ranked its top 20 forwards from the 2011-12 season, and Zach Parise and Jonathan Toews both made the list.

NHL Playoff Update:

• Following Friday night's 1-0 victory over Nashville, Dave Tippett and the Phoenix Coyotes are one win away from advancing to the Western Conference Finals. The Coyotes hold a 3-1 series lead and will look to finish off the Predators Monday night when the series returns to Phoenix for game five.
• With a commanding 3-0 series lead, the Los Angeles Kings will look to sweep their way into the Western Conference Finals when they host game four against TJ Oshie and the St. Louis Blues this afternoon. Matt Greene, who Blues coach Ken Hitchcock says is among a trio of Kings defenders who is "no fun to play against," is among the postseason leaders in shorthanded ice time, and the Kings' penalty killing unit has been perfect in killing all 14 of St. Louis's power play opportunities in the series.
• The New Jersey Devils will attempt to take a 3-1 series lead on Philadelphia when they host game four tonight. Zach Parise says the Devils' playoff run has been a blast, while teammate Patrik Elias says this edition of the Devils has an ingredient that's been missing in recent years, and part of that is due to the versatility of guys like himself and Parise. Backhand Shelf considers Parise to be New Jersey's leading candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy, while the outstanding New Jersey Devils blog In Lou We Trust takes a deeper look at Travis Zajac's impressive postseason performance.

AHL Playoff Update:

• Oklahoma City evened its second round series against San Antonio at one game a piece via a 5-4 OT win last night. Chris VandeVelde staked Oklahoma City to a 1-0 lead in the first period with his first goal of the playoffs. The series resumes Monday night in San Antonio when VandeVelde and Taylor Chorney will look to help the Barons take a 2-1 series lead. If you want to see VandeVelde's goal, go to the 0:25 mark of the following game recap video:

• After dropping the first game of their second round series against Abbotsford the Toronto Marlies have bounced back with two straight wins to take a 2-1 series lead. The Marlies won last night's game three by a 4-1 margin, and former Sioux Matt Frattin scored the game-winner for the second straight game. He now has six points (4G, 2A) in six playoff games, and you can check out his latest goal right here:

• St John's (Jason Gregoire, Jake Marto) leads their series with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 2-1, with game four scheduled for this afternoon.

USHL Playoff Update:

• Lincoln split a pair of games with Waterloo over the weekend and now trail the Black Hawks 2-1 in the best-of-five Western Conference finals. Sioux recruits Luke Johnson (1G, +1) and Paul LaDue (1A, +2) each chipped in on the Stars' 4-3 victory Friday night, while Waterloo bounced back with a 5-0 shutout last night. The Stars will look to extend the series to a decisive fifth game when the two teams play game four tomorrow night in Waterloo.
• Green Bay defeated Indiana 3-2 Friday night to take a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals. Sioux recruit Jordan Schmaltz continued his stellar postseason play by contributing an assist and a +3 rating. Schmaltz is second among all USHL defensemen in both +/- rating (+9) and points (2G, 3A) during the postseason. The Gamblers will go for the sweep this afternoon.