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.