Friday Morning Post

• UND senior captain Dillon Simpson was named one of twenty candidates for the Lowes Senior CLASS Award.
• Freshman Gage Ausmus has settled into the role of the physical, stay-at-home defenseman early on in his UND career.
• The Dakota Student says sophomore forward Drake Caggiula bounced back nicely from the neck injury he sustained in the exhibition win over the NTDP U-18 team.
• After a one year hiatus, North Dakota and Wisconsin will resume their long-standing rivalry next season with a weekend series in Madison.
• Those who are unable to make it to Omaha for this weekend's series against Nebraska-Omaha can watch UNO's webcast of the games through a UND Insider subscription.
• TJ Oshie is off to the best start of his NHL career, and part of his success may be the result of him becoming more of a student of the game.
• Drew Stafford and Buffalo have struggled out of the gates this season, but the Sabres winger hopes to reverse the slow start.
• The achievments Chicago Blackhawk captain Jonathan Toews have made a big impression on President Obama.
• Sioux alum Travis Zajac is off to a bit of a slow start this season for the New Jersey Devils and on Halloween a trick-or-treater told him as much.
• The voting for the AJHL's All-Time Top 50 players continues, and up for vote this go-round are Sioux alums Dixon Ward, Garry Valk, Geoff Smith, Teeder Wynne and UND head coach Dave Hakstol.
• The Sioux City Journal published a great feature on recruit Trevor Olson (Sioux City-USHL), detailing the hip injury he's played through this season. Following this weekend's games he will undergo surgery in order to be fully prepared for his freshman season at UND next fall. The Musketeer captain is well-respected amongst his teammates and he sounds like quite the gamer. In a best-case scenario Sioux City, which is 9-0 with Olson in the lineup and 1-2 without him, could get their captain back towards the end of the season.
• Women's Four Nations Cup: The Lamoureux twins and Team USA will wrap up pool play tonight when they face Michelle Karvinen and Susanna Tapani's Finland squad at 6:00 CST. The Americans are 1-1 after their 4-2 defeat at the hands of arch-rival Canada. Finland is also 1-1 in pool play. Johanna Fallman and Team Sweden will be looking to pick up their first victory of the tournament when they play Canada this afternoon at 2:30 CST.
• World Junior A Challenge: UND's recruits playing in the World Junior A Challenge will resume play today when the semifinals get underway. Rhett Gardner and Canada West will take on Russia at 2:00 CST while Team USA, featuring recruits Nick Schmaltz, Ryan Mantha, and Austin Poganski, will take on Switzerland at 6:00 CST. Through two games, Schmaltz is tied for the tournament lead with six points (2G, 4A) and has earned the praise of NHL Central Scouting's Carl Edwards. Gardner, meanwhile, has yet to find the scoresheet, but his defensive efforts on the penalty kill have helped thrust Canada West into the semifinals.

Friday Morning Post

• For a good look at this weekend's action, check out Brad Schlossman's Friday Morning Reading and USCHO's weekly NCHC picks.
• SCSU's Nick Oliver, a Roseau High alum, is excited to be heading to Grand Forks this weekend as he expects to see plenty of familiar faces in the stands.
• Dave Tippett earned his 165th win as head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes last night against Nashville, tying him with Bob Francis for the franchise record. Tippett also has the fifth highest point percentage (.613) in NHL history among coaches who have been behind the bench 500 or more games. Tippett's outstanding coaching resume tends to fly under the radar considering he doesn't lead one of the league's more ritzy franchises, yet he continues to put highly competitive teams on the ice year in and year out. What's interesting is to compare the careers of Tippett and Detroit head coach Mike Babcock. They're both in their 11th season as head coaches, with Babcock having coached 799 games to Tippett's 800. Babcock has 452 career victories to go along with a .635 points percentage while Tippett has notched 436 wins on his way to his .613 points percentage. Tippett's squads have missed the playoffs just twice in the past ten seasons, while Babcock's have done so only once. Tippett has never experienced a losing season percentage-wise, with his lowest single-season point percentage (.506) coming in 2008-09, his last season in Dallas. Babcock had a point percentage of .463 in 2003-04, his final season as head coach of Anaheim. The numbers do tilt towards Babcock, particularly considering his Detroit squad won the Stanley Cup in 2007-08. But considering the stark contrast in franchise stability between Detroit and Phoenix, Tippett's coaching numbers stack up quite nicely to Babcock's.
• On Saturday night Jonathan Toews will play his first regular season NHL game in his hometown of Winnipeg, and he's pretty pumped for the occasion.
• Toews has been named a finalist for Sportsnet's Canadian Athlete of the Year.
• Andy Strickland of True Hockey wonders, is TJ Oshie playing the best hockey of his career right now?
• St. Louis has had a couple of forwards go down with injuries recently, leading them to recall Chris Porter from Chicago (AHL).
• And here's the latest edition of Through These Doors:

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 Morning Post

• Brock Nelson scored his first career NHL goal last night in the Islanders' 5-4 overtime loss to Vancouver. Nelson has appeared in five games for the Islanders this season, registering one goal and one assist.
• The Toronto Maple Leafs look at rookie Andrew MacWilliam as their future physical shutdown defenseman.
• TJ Oshie says he got his competitive drive from his parents.
• Colorado Rubber Magazine recently published features on Sioux alums Aaron Schneekloth and Ashley Furia. Schneekloth retired from his playing days this summer and is now serving as an assistant coach for the ECHL's Colorado Eagles while Furia is playing professionally in Sweden. The Schneekloth piece can be found on page 10, while Furia's feature is on page 14.
• Russ Bitely listed his top American born players eligible for the 2014 NHL Draft. UND recruits Shane Gersich, Austin Poganski, Nick Schmaltz, and Chris Wilkie all made the list, with Schmaltz and Gersich making his top five.
• USA Hockey announced its roster for the 2013 World Junior A Challenge, and making the team are North Dakota recruits Schmaltz, Poganski, and Ryan Mantha. Schmaltz is prominently featured in this piece as one of three Green Bay (USHL) players named to the team.
• Canada West also announced its WJAC evaluation camp roster, and Rhett Gardner has earned an invite. Gardner's season got off to a bit of a slow start with Okotoks (AJHL) but he has since produced eight points in his last nine games. He says he hopes to parlay that momentum into a strong performance at camp. The World Junior A Challenge runs from November 4 through November 10 and all games will be streamed by FastHockey.
• The Scouting Report recently released its top 30 prospects for the 2014 NHL Draft and Schmaltz came in at number 17.
• A number of Sioux alums are off to strong starts this season, both in North America and overseas. A post detailing some of those starts is forthcoming. Update: The Sioux in the Pros Update has been posted.

Wednesday Morning Post

• The big news that broke yesterday was Ryan Gropp foregoing his commitment to UND in order to sign with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds. It sounds as though this was a decision made primarily by Gropp without much pressure from Seattle, and perhaps initially against the wishes of his parents. While the decommitment of a very talented player certainly stings, this isn't nearly as crucial as JT Miller's decision to sign with New York and go to Plymouth a month before he was expected to start classes at UND. When I put together this recruit matrix last month, I anticipated Gropp's arrival in Grand Forks to come in the fall of 2015. I'm not sure when the North Dakota staff planned on him arriving, but there is time to replace him with some of the outstanding talent that is currently uncommitted. 
• International Scouting Services released its updated top 30 prospects for the 2014 NHL Draft and two UND recruits made the list. Nick Schmaltz is ranked number 25 while Austin Poganski is ranked number 30.
• Despite a nagging lower body injury that was anticipated to keep him out of the lineup long-term, recruit Trevor Olson saw his health improve enough that he was upgraded to questionable to return to action. Sioux City's captain eventually did return to the lineup, recording an assist and a +1 rating in his first action of the season last Friday.
• While TJ Oshie's rugged & physical style of play might make him more susceptible to injury, he doesn't plan on changing anything about his game any time soon.
• David Toews has been released by the ECHL's Reading Royals.
• Rocco Grimaldi's slick second period goal from Friday night's 5-3 victory over Vermont is among the top 5 plays of the week. 

Thursday Morning Post

• Due to this season's conference realignment, USCHO says a new generation is now born in men's college hockey.
• Valley News Live says UND is heading into both a new season and a new era.
• The Herald examines the local connections on this season's team.
• The United States of Hockey previews some of the nation's impact freshmen, and UND's Wade Murphy, Gage Ausmus, and Adam Tambellini are all included.
• Gab Fundaro of The Hockey Writers says the UND women have enough depth and talent to potentially make a run at the Frozen Four.
• Travis Zajac will be wearing the A as an alternate captain for New Jersey this season, while TJ Oshie is expected to be named an alternate captain for St. Louis. They join Jonathan Toews (C - Chicago), Matt Greene (A - Los Angeles), and Zach Parise (A - Minnesota) as Sioux alums wearing letters in the NHL. Drew Stafford is no longer serving as an alternate captain for Buffalo.
• The Minnesota Wild season begins tonight against Los Angeles with Zach Parise and company wanting more for an encore to last season's first round playoff exit.
• The AJHL has opened voting in an effort to determine their Top 50 All-Time Players, and there is a big Sioux presence (including current captain Dillon Simpson) in the opening round of voting. 
• Matt Greene was a guest DJ for KCRW this week. Take a listen to his set.

Wednesday Morning Post

• The College Hockey News released its preseason All-CHN Teams and UND senior Dillon Simpson was named to the second team.
• USCHO published its WCHA women's preview and they have North Dakota finishing second. They also released a more in-depth team preview of UND.
• The Chicago Tribune examines the professional accomplishments of Jonathan Toews and says he compares more than favorably to the likes of Jordan, Gretzky, and Lemieux. (Note: Link to article did not work in Internet Explorer or Chrome, but it did in Firefox and mobile browser)
• Motivated by what he calls just an average season, Zach Parise is looking to help lead the Minnesota Wild to the next level.
• The NCHC listed the alums of member programs to make NHL opening day rosters and North Dakota leads the way with nine.
• TJ Oshie says his ankle finally feels 100% for the first time in years.
• Hockey This Week explores Brock Nelson's famous bloodlines.
• Future Considerations released its October rankings of the top 30 NHL Draft prospects and UND commit Nick Schmaltz came in at number 19. Schmaltz made quite a jump as he did not appear on FC's preliminary rankings back in July, when Austin Poganski was ranked number 26.
• The Scouting Report says Schmaltz's performance at last week's All-American Prospects Game helped bump up his draft stock, and they also had high praise for the performance of Shane Gersich.
• Due to a lower body injury, recruit Trevor Olson has yet to play a game for Sioux City this season after being named team captain. He was scheduled to have an MRI earlier this week and based on this Tweet the results do not seem to have been favorable.  Olson, an over-ager who is in his last season of junior eligibility, really saw his USHL career take off last season following his trade to Sioux City from Green Bay.

Monday Morning Post

• After establishing himself as more than just a long shot to make Philadelphia's opening night roster, Chris VandeVelde was the last forward cut made by the Flyers. He came into camp on an AHL deal and nearly parlayed it into an NHL contract. He will begin the season playing with Philly's AHL affiliate in Adirondack.
• The New Jersey Devils have lost two of the world's best players over the past two seasons in Ilya Kovulchuk and Zach Parise. Their success this season will be greatly impacted by how strong Travis Zajac and the rest of their centermen play down the middle.
• Despite being signed to a two-year, one-way contract in the offseason, Chris Porter was placed on waivers by the St. Louis Blues this weekend. Porter really established himself during the playoffs last season as part of the Blues' "CPR" line, but he ended up getting caught up in a numbers game during training camp. After clearing waivers, Porter will begin the season in the AHL.
• TJ Oshie had a strong preseason camp for St. Louis while changing his spots in the locker room.
• Brock Nelson proved he belongs in the NHL following a very good preseason. We'll find out today if he makes the Islanders' opening night roster.
• Over the weekend Sioux alum JP Lamoureux was inducted into the Lincoln Stars (USHL) Hall of Fame.

Thursday Morning Post

• Cousins Paul LaDue and Luke Johnson are set to make a big impact on UND during their collegiate careers.
• UND junior forward Andrea Dalen has been awarded Norway's Gold Puck for 2013.
• UND freshman defenseman Halli Krzyzaniak is preparing for her first season of college hockey.
• Johanna Fallman is a part of North Dakota's strong group of European talent.

Former Player Updates:

• Matt Frattin has had a strong preseason debut for the Los Angeles Kings' second line left wing spot. The style of play and the skill set Frattin possesses are exactly what the Kings are looking for in that spot, and that could have the Sioux alum primed for a breakout NHL season.
• Already having racked up a career's worth of accomplishments at the age of 25, the Chicago Sun-Times asks what's next for Chicago captain Jonathan Toews? Toews was recently ranked as the third best player in the NHL by a panel of NHL GM's and head coaches, while Zach Parise came in at number 23.
• Brock Nelson has made a strong push to make the New York Islander roster out of training camp, having earned enough trust of the Isles' staff along the way to have been spending time on the top penalty killing unit as an NHL rookie.
• Brad Malone is another former Sioux looking to make an opening night roster as he has had an impressive preseason thus far for the Colorado Avalanche.
• Former UND standout goaltender Jordan Parise has decided to call it a career as he is retiring from professional hockey.
• A healthy TJ Oshie could be what St. Louis needs to get them over the hump in the postseason.
• In what came as a bit of a surprise, the New York Rangers sent Danny Kristo down to their AHL affiliate in Hartford. By most accounts Kristo appeared to be having a strong preseason, and with the Rangers facing some injury and contract issues up front he appeared to be in line to take the battle for a roster spot down to the wire. Regardless, he showed several promising flashes during the preseason, so don't be surprised if he gets called up at some point during the season. 
• Travis Zajac is looking forward to putting a frustrating 2012-13 season behind him.
• Chris VandeVelde was invited to Philadelphia's training camp after signing an AHL deal with Adirondack, and he is now part of a trio trying to crack the Flyers' opening night roster.
• Andrew MacWilliam was re-assigned to the Toronto Marlies, but not before he left a positive impression on the Maple Leafs' staff.
• Quick Hits: Evan Trupp re-signed with the Alaska Aces (ECHL)...Aaron Dell signed with the Utah Grizzlies (ECHL)...Ryan Hill signed with the Mississippi RiverKings (SPHL)...Derek Forbort, one of the top players under the age of 25 within the LA King organization, was assigned to Manchester (AHL) after a solid preseason camp in LA...Darcy Zajac is lending a veteran presence to the Albany Devils (AHL)...Carter Rowney is attending Wilkes-Barre (AHL) training camp...Joe Gleason is attending Rockford (AHL) training camp...Updated Sioux in the Pros roster for 2013-14...

Recruit Updates:

• UND received a big verbal commitment this week from Christian Cakebread of the Fargo Force, a 1997-born forward who comes out of the Arizona Bobcat AAA program.
• Recruits Nick Schmaltz, Ryan Mantha, and Shane Gersich are all set to take part in tonight's All-American Prospects game in Pittsburgh (6:00 PM CDT start). Austin Poganski was originally scheduled to participate as well, but a minor injury will keep him out of the lineup. The United States of Hockey has a preview of the event, which can be viewed free of charge via FastHockey.
• The NHL's Central Scouting Service released its Preliminary Watch List for the 2014 NHL Draft, and a handful of North Dakota recruits are on the NHL's radar. Nick Schmaltz is listed as an A Skater (potential first round pick), Ryan Mantha, Austin Poganski, and Chris Wilkie are listed as B Skaters (potential second to third round picks), and Rhett Gardner and Shane Gersich are C Skaters (potential fourth round and later picks).
• Schmaltz came in at number 13 on Bob McKenzie's 2014 NHL Draft Preseason Report.
• Charlie Pelnik is expected spend the next couple of seasons playing for the Langley Rivermen (BCHL).

Sunday Afternoon Post

• The Edmonton Journal says that North Dakota senior Dillon Simpson has worked his way into becoming a solid Oiler prospect who possesses top-four NHL potential as a complete defenseman. 
• Sioux alums Zach Parise, Jonathan Toews, and TJ Oshie are among the Canadian and American Olympic hopefuls who will be attending Olympic orientation camps this week. Parise and Toews are all but locks to appear in their second consecutive Olympic tournament, while Oshie is a player who, with a strong NHL first half, could earn his way onto Team USA as a bottom six winger. This week's orientation camps will not include any on-ice activity for either nation as the cost of insuring the attendees' NHL contracts is too great.
• As part of its "30 in 30" series, NHL.com says Travis Zajac is the New Jersey Devils' X-Factor and that he must produce offensively for the Devils to achieve team success this season. His importance to the team became even more important when star winger Ilya Kovalchuk opted to return home to Russia to play in the KHL. 
• Former Sioux defenseman Aaron Schneekloth has opted to retire after twelve professional seasons. Schneekloth, the ECHL's Defenseman of the Year just two seasons ago, will remain with the ECHL's Colorado Eagles as an assistant coach. He spent the final seven seasons of his career with Colorado.
• According to a German sports website, former Sioux goaltender Jordan Parise is retiring after seven professional seasons. He spent last season with Valpellice of the Italian elite league, posting a 2.87 GAA and .906 save percentage.
• The Los Angeles Kings Rookie Camp starts next Wednesday (Sept 4) and Derek Forbort will be in attendance. While he is expected to spend this season with Manchester (AHL), Kings executive Mike O'Connell says he expects Forbort to play with bigger goals in mind.
• North Dakota goaltending commit Cam Johnson was interviewed during the Fargo Force (USHL) tryout camp this week. Here's the video of the brief interview:

Wednesday Morning Coffee

• As Brad Schlossman first reported on his UND hockey blog, former Sioux defenseman Mike Commodore has signed with the AHL's Texas Stars. 
• With 14 points (7G, 7A) over his last ten games, Jonathan Toews seems to have found his scoring touch. Toews currently ranks in the NHL's top 10 in goal scoring (T-8th with 14), face-off percentage (4th at 59.6%), plus-minus (T-9th at +18), and takeaways (T-1st with 35). He also leads the league in jersey sales. Add it all up, and does it equal a Hart Trophy?
• TJ Oshie, out of the St. Louis Blues' lineup with an upper-body injury, is expected to return to action by this weekend.
• Might Buffalo Sabres winger Drew Stafford be a trade target of the Detroit Red Wings?
• Chay Genoway had several familiar faces to greet him upon his arrival in Hershey.
• Two North Dakota commits have helped their teams advance to the second round of the BCHL playoffs.  Wade Murphy and the Penticton Vees made their way to the second round with a four-game sweep over Salmon Arm, with Murphy chipping in a goal and two assists. Adam Tambellini and the Surrey Eagles won their first-round match-up with Langley three games to one. Tambellini recorded seven points (6G, 1A) in the first round series, including a hat trick in last night's series clinching victory. Surrey begins second round play Friday while Penticton has a week and a half off before beginning play in the Interior Conference Finals March 29.
• North Dakota recruit Christian Evers will be taking part in the NTDP Evaluation Camp beginning this weekend, and Russ Bitely offers his notes on the camp's participants. East Grand Forks players Tanner Tweten and Tye Ausmus will also be attending the camp.

Friday Morning Coffee

• Danny Kristo, Corban Knight, and Rocco Grimaldi earned All-WCHA honors this season, and as a team UND placed 11 players on the All-Academic Team. A contingent of WCHA bloggers, writers, etc. also voiced their collective opinions on who the best of the best were during the 2012-13 WCHA regular season.
• Chay Genoway was traded to the Washington Capitals organization yesterday. He will report to the Capitals' AHL affiliate in Hershey.
• TJ Oshie is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
• Since Evan Trupp's trade to his hometown Alaska Aces (ECHL), the former Sioux winger has found the scoresheet in every game he's played. He has two goals and four assists in three games since joining the Aces.
• Mario Lamoureux (Ontario) continues to lead all ECHL rookies in point production with 59 points (25G, 34A) in 64 games. He is currently riding a seven game point streak during which he has amassed 10 points (4G, 6A).
• Brock Nelson (Bridgeport - AHL) is on a five game point streak during which he has produced eight points (2G, 6A). He currently leads all Sound Tigers with a 0.85 points per game average, and don't be surprised if he earns a late-season NHL call-up.
• A Chicago Tribune writer offers his reasoning as to why Jonathan Toews is the Chicago Blackhawk's first-half MVP.
• The Minnesota's GM recently discussed the impact of the Wild's newly acquired superstars Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. And if the Wild ever need an emergency Zamboni driver, Parise might just be their guy.
• A few months ago The Hockey News featured former Sioux standout goaltender Darren Jensen in its Backchecking segment.

Friday Morning Coffee

• Former Sioux captain Chris Porter became the 12th Sioux alum to play in the NHL this season when he made his season debut for the St. Louis Blues last night. Porter, TJ Oshie, and the rest of his teammates were singin' the Blues last night as they became the latest victim in the Chicago Blackhawks' historic start. Jonathan Toews scored twice in helping the 'Hawks earn at least one point in their 20th consecutive game. Chicago has not suffered a regular season regulation loss in nearly one calendar year, a stretch that dates back to March 26 of last season, and leading the way for the Blackhawks is a core of young stars.
• Travis Zajac played in his native Winnipeg last night for the first time as a professional, but the Devils were handed a 3-1 loss by the hometown Jets.
• Matt Frattin's NHL season was off to a fine start prior to being sidelined by minor knee surgery. He's on his way to a full recovery, but it will still be a few days before he returns to the lineup.
• Mike Commodore has yet to find an NHL home this season, but he's been trying to keep sharp by skating with an Alberta college team.
• It's a couple of months old, but former Sioux fan favorite Rastislav Spirko took part in a nice Q&A in which he talked about his time at North Dakota.
• Brett Hextall recently displayed his boxing skills in what was an impressive scrap:

• In the midst of a fine season, North Dakota junior defenseman Dillon Simpson is following in his father's footsteps. The Edmonton draft pick also took part in a Q&A with the Oiler blog Copper & Blue, which ranked him as the 12th best Oiler under the age of 25. Coming in at twelve is very solid considering the Oilers' bevy of young stars.
• UND sophomore Mark MacMillan is a Montreal Canadiens' prospect who is perhaps flying under the radar. 

 

Rankings and Features, Part 1

A number of players have been featured in an assortment of offseason rankings, series, lists, etc. Here is the first installment of a complete rundown:

• The Edmonton Journal's Cult of Hockey ranked Chris VandeVelde #25 among Edmonton Oiler prospects.
• Top Shelf Prospects says UND centerman Corban Knight is a prospect to keep an eye on within the Florida Panthers organization. TSP also calls Colorado's Brad Malone a super sleeper prospect while ranking Brock Nelson #2 among New York Islanders prospects.
• CSN Washington says Zach Parise, TJ Oshie, and Drew Stafford should all be under consideration for Team USA, assuming NHL players are allowed to participate in the 2014 Olympics.
• Oshie was also featured in Rant Sports' 20 Players in 20 Days series.
• Brian Lee was featured in the Tampa Bay Lightning's Boys of Summer series.
• The Pipeline Show's One to Watch series featured Dillon Simpson for the Edmonton Oilers, Rocco Grimaldi for Florida, and former Sioux and current Western Michigan forward Mike Cichy for the Montreal Canadiens.
• Chay Genoway checks in at #19 in First Round Bust's rankings of the top Minnesota Wild prospects.

Friday Morning Post

Vacation time starts today, but one last post is in order before heading out for a Great Lakes road trip:

• Jonathan Toews and TJ Oshie made Bleedin' Blue's list of the top 5 forwards in the Central Division.
• As part of NHL.com's 30 in 30 series, Travis Zajac was featured as the New Jersey Devils' x-factor for this coming season. Zajac played in only 15 regular season games last year after suffering an offseason Achilles tendon injury, but he was very good during New Jersey's run to the Stanley Cup Finals. 30 in 30 also asks how the Devils might go about replacing Zach Parise, both in the lineup and as captain.
• Danny Kristo was ranked #7 in NHL.com's listing of the Montreal Canadiens' top 10 prospects.
• Former Sioux standout Troy Murray is the current feature in the Chicago Blackhawks' 85 Years of Blood, Sweat, and Cheers series. Murray, who in 1980-81 led North Dakota in scoring as an 18-year old freshman, is currently Chicago's radio analyst, and his 99 point effort with Chicago in 1985-86 still stands as the most prolific offensive season produced by a UND alum at the NHL level. In case you missed them, Jonathan Toews was featured in the 85 years series last December and Ed Belfour was featured in November.
• The recently re-signed Chris VandeVelde scored seven goals in 68 AHL regular season games last year, but scored six times in just 14 postseason contests. The Edmonton Journal examined what was behind his playoff goal scoring surge. 
• The Brandon Sun ran a feature on David Toews earlier this week, and the Brandon Wheat Kings featured the piece as part of its Alumni Spotlight series. The younger Toews is currently without a contract for this upcoming season.
• The United States of Hockey took an in-depth look at the defensemen who will be participating in the USA Hockey WJC evaluation camp beginning this weekend, and incoming recruit Jordan Schmaltz possesses offensive skills that could prove to be indispensable to Team USA.
• The roster for the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game has been released and two UND recruits/North Dakota natives are on the list. Luke Johnson and Keaton Thompson will be participating in the inaugural showcase event that takes place September 29th in Buffalo, NY.
• The NCAA approved a few rules changes for the upcoming season.

Monday Evening Post

After taking a few weeks off, a bit of a catch-up effort in regard to UND hockey news is much needed. A lot of this is pretty old news, but hopefully some of the links will be of interest. So, here goes...

After TJ Oshie happily re-signed with St. Louis late last week, all but three of the eleven former Sioux free agents who played in the NHL last year have signed new contracts. Mike Commodore, Jason Blake, and Chris VandeVelde are the lone free agents still on the market. Below are the details:

PLAYER	2011-2012 TEAM	STATUS	NEW TEAM	SIGNING/CONTRACT DETAILS
Jason Blake	Anaheim	UFA
Taylor Chorney	Edmonton	UFA	St. Louis	1 Year, 2-Way Contract
Mike Commodore	Tampa Bay	UFA
Matt Frattin	Toronto	RFA	Toronto	2 Years, $1.7 Million
Chay Genoway	Minnesota	RFA	Minnesota	2 Years, 2-Way Contract
Brian Lee	Tampa Bay	RFA	Tampa Bay	2 Years, $2.3 Million
T.J. Oshie	St Louis	RFA	St. Louis	5 Years, $20.9 Million
Zach Parise	New Jersey	UFA	Minnesota	13 Years, $98 Million
Chris Porter	St Louis	UFA	St. Louis	1 Year, 2-Way Contract
Chris VandeVelde	Edmonton	RFA
Matt Watkins	Phoenix	UFA	NY Islanders	1 Year, 2-Way Contract

Derrick LaPoint was tabbed as the 2011-12 Defensive Player of the Year for the Reading Royals (ECHL) despite having his season cut short due to an emergency appendectomy. The former Sioux defenseman re-signed with Reading late last week.


In other signings...

• Matt Smaby, who was on the verge of a late-season call-up to Anaheim before suffering an injury, will remain with the Ducks organization via a one year, two-way contract.
• Jake Marto re-signed with the St. John's IceCaps (AHL).
• Lee Goren signed with Pelicans of the SM-Liiga (Finland's elite league). He spent last season with Skelleftea of the Elitserien (Swedish elite league).

In other news...

• Luke Johnson, who is anticipated to arrive on campus in the fall of 2013, was ranked as an A List Player for the 2013 NHL Draft. An A Lister is a player Central Scouting considers to be a potential first round talent.
• Here's a look at Jonathan Toews By the Numbers. Toews is currently in the running for TSN's Who's Better feature, which is seeking to find who the fans think is the best hockey player under the age of 25. CSN Chicago caught up with the Chicago captain at Blackhawks Convention 2012.
• Incoming freshman defenseman Jordan Schmaltz is eager to prove the worth of St. Louis' investment in him as a first-round draft pick, and in this fan Q&A he says winning the national championship with North Dakota is the goal for this upcoming season.
• Stanley Cup champion Matt Greene, whose parents watched him hoist The Cup from afar, is friend, foe, and one-time bodyguard to Zach Parise.  
• FS North took a look at the importance Shattuck-St. Mary's had in Parise's career development.
• Courtesy of the Lake Erie Monsters, here's a review of Brad Malone's first season as a professional.
• Corban Knight is among a number of WCHAers who rank near the top of the Florida Panther prospect pool in terms of NHL equivalency.
• Derek Forbort carries his potential as he continues to mature.
• The prospect of playing for his hometown Jets thrills Jason Gregoire, who is featured in this Winnipeg Jet Prospect Update.
• Hockey Prospectus ranked Danny Kristo fourth and Mark MacMillan fourteenth among the top Montreal Canadiens prospects, while Brock Nelson is ranked third among New York Islanders prospects.
• Incoming freshman goaltender Zane Gothberg is ready for the next level.
• The national championship-winning 1996-97 Men's Hockey Team will be inducted into the UND Athletics Hall of Fame.

Day 1 Former Sioux Free Agency Signings

Day one of the NHL free agency period came and went without Zach Parise or TJ Oshie striking deals, but several other former Sioux came to terms with NHL teams. Here are the details: 

• Parise is expected to announce his intentions today after reportedly working his short-list of potential destinations down to New Jersey, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Detroit. What is it going to take to sign Parise? Evidently the low-end of the spectrum is a ten year deal worth $80 million, which is what Pittsburgh is said to have offered, while Minnesota and Philadelphia have reportedly offered deals worth more than $100 million. On top of the long-term, big dollar salary, expect his deal to include a hefty signing bonus. It's pretty special when a player spends his entire career with a single franchise, which is why my heart would like to see him remain in New Jersey. My gut, however, says it's going to be either Minnesota or Pittsburgh, though New Jersey's re-signing of goaltender Martin Brodeur this morning might help the Devils' cause ever-so-slightly. 
• Oshie did not re-sign with St. Louis prior to Sunday's free agency period, making him a restricted free agent. However, Blues GM Doug Armstrong remains confident his team will come to terms with its star winger, saying that Oshie becoming a free agent "isn't something that is a concern to me at all." 
• Following a successful first season as a professional, Matt Frattin re-signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs to the tune of two years and $1.7 million. After following up a solid NHL campaign with a dominant performance in the AHL playoffs, the Leafs felt confident enough in Frattin's abilities to offer him a one-way deal. Leafs GM Brian Burke said he envisions Frattin being a top six forward who is "a big part of the future here." 
• Taylor Chorney signed a one year, two-way contract with St. Louis yesterday, setting him up for his second run with the Blues organization. Chorney has spent the bulk of his four year professional career with the Edmonton Oiler organization, but did spend a month with St. Louis last season as a waiver wire claim. St. Louis is becoming a popular destination for former and future Sioux this summer. Incoming freshman Jordan Schmaltz was a first round draft pick of the Blues a week and a half ago while free agents Oshie and Chris Porter could still re-sign with St. Louis.
• Matt Watkins has signed a one year, two-way contract with the New York Islanders. Watkins spent the majority of last season in Portland, playing for the AHL affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes. He was a mid-season call-up to Phoenix where he made his NHL debut on February 21.
• Where might the rest of UND's NHL free agents sign? Brad Schlossman examines that on a case-by-case basis.
• The chase for former University of Wisconsin blueline standout Justin Schultz was won by Edmonton, and current Sioux/Edmonton prospect Dillon Simpson thinks he's a good fit for the Oilers.
• Here's the updated list of former Sioux NHL free agent signings:

PLAYER	2011-2012 TEAM	STATUS	NEW TEAM	SIGNING/CONTRACT DETAILS
Jason Blake	Anaheim	UFA
Taylor Chorney	Edmonton	UFA	St. Louis	1 Year, 2-Way Contract
Mike Commodore	Tampa Bay	UFA
Matt Frattin	Toronto	RFA	Toronto	2 Years, $1.7 Million
Chay Genoway	Minnesota	RFA	Minnesota	2 Years, 2-Way Contract
Brian Lee	Tampa Bay	RFA	Tampa Bay	2 Years, $2.3 Million
T.J. Oshie	St Louis	RFA
Zach Parise	New Jersey	UFA
Chris Porter	St Louis	UFA
Chris VandeVelde	Edmonton	RFA
Matt Watkins	Phoenix	UFA	NY Islanders	1 Year, 2-Way Contract