Sioux in the Pros Update

Here's an update on how some of the Sioux alums playing professionally are faring early on this season:

• Brandon Bochenski (Astana) is currently second in the KHL with 11 goals and fifth with 19 points through 19 games. Additionally, his three game winning goals are tied for third and his +14 rating is fifth best.
• Rastislav Spirko leads Spartak Moscow (KHL) with 14 points (6G, 8A) in 18 games.
• Danny Kristo (Hartford) is second among AHL rookies with 7 points (4G, 3A) in six games.
• Kristo and Brad Malone are among the AHL's leading goals scorers with 4 each.
• Corban Knight is tied for second on Abbotsford (AHL) with five points (1G, 4A) through seven games. His five points are also sixth most among AHL rookies.
• The Ulmer brothers are off to strong starts in the Austrian elite league. Jeff leads Ljubljana with 14 points (7G, 7A) in 14 games while Jason leads Linz with 21 points (7G, 14A) in 15 games. Andrew Kozek (6G, 4A) and Curtis Murphy (3G, 7A) are also among the top scorers for Linz.
• Jake Marto and Jason Gregoire are each among the top four scorers for Sodertalje (Sweden tier 2). Marto has nine points (2G, 7A) in 13 games while Gregoire has eight (2G, 6A) in eight.
• Ryan Bayda's eight points (5G, 3A) are tied for the Augsburger (Germany tier 1) team lead.
• Carter Rowney was signed by the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers and has two assists through two games.
• Aaron Dell has signed a Professional Try-Out (PTO) contract with the Norfolk Admirals (AHL) but has yet to see game action. Earlier this fall Dell signed an ECHL contract with the Utah Grizzlies.

Tuesday Morning Post

• Looking for a quick way to get up to speed on the men's college hockey season? The United States of Hockey has put together a 2013-14 college hockey preview that includes rankings for each conference and capsules for all 59 teams.
• As a professional rookie Brock Nelson got a taste of the NHL in the playoffs last season in the Islanders' first round series against Pittsburgh, and now he has earned a spot on New York's opening night roster.
• Joe Gleason has signed a deal with the Rockford Icehogs, Chicago's AHL affiliate.
• Following his hat trick yesterday for Astana (KHL), Brandon Bochenski now ranks among the league's top five in points (13), goals (7), game winning goals (3), and      +/- (+10).
• Matt Greene will be spinning some records tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 on KCRW's Guest DJ Project. That should be worth a listen if you are able to catch it.
• Kevin Allen of the USA Today says North Dakota recruit Nick Schmaltz is among the top American-born prospects for the 2014 NHL Draft. Schmaltz was interviewed following last week's All-American Prospects Game, and here's what he had to say:

Tuesday Morning Coffee

• The Copper and Blue blog takes a look at how Fighting Sioux defenseman Dillon Simpson is exceeding expectations on the North Dakota blue line. The Edmonton Oilers selected Simpson in the fourth round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
• Former Sioux All-American Brandon Bochenski has signed a three-year contract extension that will keep him with Barys Astana of the KHL through the 2014-15 season. Bochenski was a KHL All-Star last season while leading the Russian elite league with 27 goals and finishing third with 59 points in 49 games.
• The men's IIHF World Championships kick off this week in Finland and Sweden, and the only former Sioux currently slated to take part is Slovakia's Rastislav Spirko. Slovakia is in the same pool as Team USA, so you will be able to catch the former Sioux standout when the two teams meet Monday, May 7 at 12:15 CDT. That game will be broadcast live on the NBC Sports Network.

NHL Playoff Update:

• Matt Greene and the Los Angeles Kings have taken a 2-0 series lead on TJ Oshie and the St. Louis Blues. Greene picked up an assist in last night's 5-2 King victory, while Oshie had the biggest hit of the night when he laid into Dustin Penner. The Blues will try to make a series out of it when the two teams resume play Thursday night in Los Angeles.
• The New Jersey Devils will try to draw even with Philadelphia tonight, and Travis Zajac says the Devils are confident in their ability to leave Philly with a split despite dropping game one. In the game one loss Zajac contributed a goal while Zach Parise had a goal and an assist.
• Dave Tippett and the Phoenix Coyotes took a 2-0 series lead on Nashville Sunday night with an impressive 5-3 victory. That series picks up again tomorrow night in Nashville.

Super Sunday Evening Post

• Dillon Simpson recently came in at #17 on Copper and Blue's list of the top 25 Edmonton Oiler prospects under the age of 25. Simpson was drafted by Edmonton in the fourth round (92nd overall) of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. 
• The latest Sioux recruits, Adam Tambellini and Bryn Chyzyk, had big weekends on the ice. Chyzyk recorded one goal and three assists to help the Fargo Force (USHL) earn three out of four league points, while Tambellini produced two goals and three assists in two Vernon Viper (BCHL) wins. Tambellini was also the subject of a Dan Sallows profile, who had a number of nice things to say about the Viper forward, including, "Fighting Sioux fans are in for a treat come the 2013-2014 season, because the kid is going to be an absolute stud." Here is a nice highlight/interview video of Tambellini:

• Recruit Drake Caggiula returned from injury Thursday night and had two goals and an assist in three weekend games that saw his Stouffville Spirit (OJHL) take four out of a possible six points.
• The Grand Forks Herald's Brad Schlossman wrote a column for today's paper that examines the possible solutions to the NCAA losing committed recruits to the CHL.
• Matt Frattin scored two goals last night in the Toronto Marlies' 5-2 win over Abbotsford. Last season's NCAA goal scoring leader now has five goals in his last five games.
• Zach Parise had a goal and an assist today to extend his point streak to five games (5G, 2A) as New Jersey defeated Pittsburgh 5-2. The Devils have now won four straight and are well within striking distance of a top four finish in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, The Minneapolis Star Tribune offers up their take on the scenarios that could lead to Parise playing for the Wild. Another feature on New Jersey's captain cuts right to the chase: He just wants to win.
• Jonathan Toews is currently second in the NHL in Faceoff Percentage, trailing former Wisconsin Badger and current San Jose Shark Joe Pavelski by just 0.5%. He's also taken over the league lead in Takeaways, and it's how well he does the little things all over the ice that make him one of the best all-around players in the world. He's also advanced to the final round of Real GM's Be the GM contest, where he is matched up against Sidney Crosby. So go ahead and cast your vote.
• Brandon Bochenski continues to have a superb year for Barys Astana (KHL). The former Sioux All-American currently leads the league in goals with 23 and is tied for third in points with 52 (23G, 29A). While he is tempted to take another shot at sticking with an NHL team, he has found himself a comfortable life overseas.
• Kyle Radke continues to be sidelined by injury for the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (CHL).
• The Dallas Stars inducted former Sioux goaltender Ed Belfour into their Walk of Fame last night, and the Dallas crowd welcomed him with the classic "Eddie! Eddie!" chant. Here's a video of the pregame ceremony:

• Belfour says he is enjoying the retired life, but doesn't rule out the possibility of returning to the game as a coach.
• For those of you who read Swedish, Lee Goren recently stated he'd like to stay in Sweden to finish up his career. For those of you as fluent in Swedish as I, here's the article text translated via Google Translate and then edited by yours truly:

Goren Would Like To End His Career in Sweden
Kana Dicken talks to Lee Goren about playing time, his thoughts on the sport, and what the rest of his career holds.

     He had to skip practice on Wednesday, but expect Lee Goren, who would happily play out the remainder of his career with Skellefteå, to be on the ice tonight. After all, the more playing time he gets, the better. He logged a significant amount of ice time against Färjestad, 22:56 to be exact, so it's no wonder that Goren was not on the ice Wednesday.

     "It was Anders (Forsberg) who told me that I was cycling today. And I couldn't argue," says a smiling Goren. "There has nevertheless been a lot of minutes on the ice recently." But does he enjoy it that way? "Absolutely. All players want to play as much as possible. They want to be involved and contribute, make a difference on the ice."

     And it's not just playing time that drives Goren. The Tunge forward radiates energy off the ice. He simply likes the hockey life. "It has reached a certain point, where you are getting a little bit older and you realize that you need to enjoy it. You have no idea how many years you have left as a hockey player. Plus, there's a good group of guys here and a good team of leaders that I enjoy."

     Goren has also enjoyed some of his better seasons with Skellefteå, including this season, as he is not far off from matching his career-best numbers. "I feel really good here. Last time I left Skellefteå was to win a championship, and I did. Now I have come back to win one here." And the Canadian definitely wants to stay in Skelleftea for additional seasons. "This is where I want to finish my career," he observes. "I feel I have a few more years to play."

     Have you started to talk with Skelleftea about your future plans? "I don't know what my agent has done. But the team knows that I want to come back for another season, so it's up to them."

     But let's not jump the gun just yet, as it is time to think about tonight's game against Stockholm.
"They are difficult to play against and they have a really good goalie. It becomes even more challenging for us now that we are the league leaders, we are always the team to beat. It is important that we are ready to play."

Sunday Evening Post

• The Edmonton Oilers recalled Oklahoma City Barons' defenseman Taylor Chorney this morning. Chorney has played 25 games with the Barons, producing three goals, eight assists, and a +4 rating. This will be his second stint in the NHL this season, having previously played two games apiece for the Oilers and St. Louis Blues.
• Chicago Blackhawk captain Jonathan Toews was forced to leave yesterday's 5-2 loss to Nashville with an apparent upper-body injury. At this point the injury is not expected to keep him out of the lineup for an extended period of time, as head coach Joel Quenneville categorized Toews as day-to-day. With Patrick Sharp already sidelined, Chicago cannot afford to have Toews shelved for very long. The Edmonton Journal considers the former North Dakota star the Hart Trophy frontrunner, while Nashville associate coach Brent Peterson calls Toews "the best two-way player since Mark Messier."
• The New Jersey Devils may be turning to the NHL for some assistance in meeting their day-to-day financial obligations. Such a scenario does not bode well for a team that is looking to extend the contract of its captain Zach Parise, who says "it's hard to be competitive" if you don't spend to the cap. The more details that surface in regard to New Jersey's financial situation, the less likely it appears that they will be able to keep Parise.
• The Anaheim Ducks are apparently open to dealing Jason Blake should they receive the right offer. Blake, who is in the final year of his contract, has been playing some terrific hockey since his return from injury. Blake's recent performance may very well be piquing the interest of teams looking to add some depth to their lineup for the stretch run.
• Brandon Bochenski recorded a hat trick and added two assists in yesterday's KHL All-Star Game. Bochenski and Team Fedorov were able to pull out a 15-11 victory. 
• Brock Nelson was recently featured as part of the UND Sports Spotlight series:

• More than 100 NHL team representatives are expected to be on-hand when recruits Jordan Schmaltz and Luke Johnson take to the ice in Tuesday night's USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.
• Team USA dropped the bronze medal game at the Youth Olympic Games yesterday, losing to Canada 7-5. Recruit Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist as Team USA tried to mount a comeback, but a 7-2 deficit after two periods proved to be too steep of a hill for the Under-16 team to climb. In examining the boxscores, goaltending was the difference in Team USA's two medal round losses. The Americans out-shot Russia and Canada by a combined margin of 72-35, yet were outscored 12-7. Nick Schmaltz finished the tournament tied for the team lead in assists (four) and points (six).
  

Wednesday Evening Post

• Here's the latest Fighting Sioux injury update: Derek Forbort, Brendan O'Donnell, Rocco Grimaldi, and Derek Rodwell are all out for this weekend. Michael Parks hasn't officially been ruled out but more than likely will not see action against St. Cloud State. Don't expect any sympathy from the Huskies, however. Number one goaltender Mike Lee and their top forward Drew LeBlanc have both been sidelined for long stretches due to injury, while forwards Cam Reid and Mitch MacMillan both left the team over the holiday break. MacMillan, of course, has since joined North Dakota but will not be able to play until next January.
• Former Fighting Sioux All-American & assistant coach John Marks was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame tonight. Marks, who currently serves as head coach of the USHL's Fargo Force, is the ECHL's all-time leader in games coached, wins, and seasons spent behind the bench. ECHL Press Release
• Earlier this week it was announced that Brandon Bochenski was named to the KHL All-Star Game. He's having a strong season for Barys Astana as his 42 points currently rank sixth in the league while his 19 goals are fourth best. For those of you not familiar with the Russian "super-league," here's a not-so-glamourous look at the top hockey league not based in North America.
• Want a great stat line? Here is Jason Blake's from Sunday's victory against Vancouver: 2 goals, 1 assist, +3, and 10 shots, all in just 13 minutes of ice time. After missing 34 games this season, it seems he's doing all he can to make up for lost time. The Ducks are hosting Dave Tippet's Phoenix Coyotes tonight.
• TJ Oshie of the high-riding St. Louis Blues took part in a St. Louis Post-Dispatch fan Q&A session today. Much like I was during my days at UND, Oshie fesses up to being quite the collector of campus parking citations.
• Though he was recently sent down to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, Matt Frattin certainly got his licks in while playing with the Maple Leafs. He makes two appearances in the NHL's 25 Biggest Hits from the first half of the season.
• With two goals in the Blackhawks' 6-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres tonight, Jonathan Toews extended his point streak to five games. During the streak he has produced four goals and three assists in leading Chicago to a 4-0-1 record
• As Buffalo continues to struggle amid high expecations, speculation says both Derek Roy and Drew Stafford could be on the trading block. The Edmonton Journal asks whether Stafford would be a good fit for the Oilers.
• Russia handed Team USA a 7-1 defeat today in the final game of preliminary round play at the Youth Olympic Games. The good news (or bad news?) is that Nick Schmaltz and the Americans will have a chance to exact their revenge on Russia as the two teams meet again on Friday in the tournament semifinals. In four preliminary games Schmaltz produced a team-leading four points (1G, 3A). His three assists also lead Team USA.
• Nothing official has been reported in terms of Luke Voltin's move to the Chicago Steel. My guess is that it's a paperwork thing and that it is just a matter of time before it is announced.

Tuesday Morning Coffee

As part of its constant evolution, the blog is going to take a bit of a different approach to sharing the various news stories and links that are currently posted in a somewhat irregular fashion. I am usually able to get Sioux-related news items out via Twitter rather quickly, but sometimes the links to these items are outdated by the time they are included in a blog post. Therefore, I'm going to begin posting such links more frequently in order to get them out in a more timely manner. The links usually accumulate fast enough to warrant a blog post every couple of days or so, and these posts will not take the place of the Series Previews, Weekly Recaps, Recruit Profiles, etc. Also, I welcome any and all feedback, so if you have any suggestions, recommendations, or corrections, feel free to leave a comment as they are always appreciated. So without further rambling, please enjoy your initial cup of the Morning Coffee:

• Jonathan Toews recently appeared on the NHL Network's NHL Live program.
• Toews and the Chicago Blackhawks are off to a very good start this season, and much of the credit can be attributed to the production of The Fantastic Four, all of whom currently rank in the top 15 in the league in points.
• The Blackhawks have been finding ways to win this year even when they have not been at their best.
• Zach Parise had a goal and two assists last night in New Jersey's 5-4 victory in Tampa Bay. It took Parise 21 games to reach the 11 point mark this season, but the production has been ramped up as of late as he has 11 points in his last 8 games. Now that the Devils' top line of Parise, rookie Adam Henrique, and sniper Ilya Kovalchuk is hitting its stride, it will be interesting to see what role Travis Zajac is assigned when he makes his return to the lineup. Zajac could play as early as Friday.
• Parise and TJ Oshie each made the cut for Jeremy Roenick's All-American-Born team. Parise made the first line and Oshie the second. Also of note, 11 of the 12 included by Roenick are former college players.
• Oshie recently sat down with St. Louis' KSDK to answer a few questions regarding the Blues' season thus far.
• Aaron Schneekloth continues to produce for the Colorado Eagles. His 12 goals and 12 power-play points lead all ECHL defensemen.
• Brandon Bochenski notched a hat trick last week for Barys Astana (KHL).
• Jason Gregoire, who has missed a good portion of the St. John's IceCap season due to injury, is one of the native Winnipeggers playing in the Jet organization.
• Current Alabama-Huntsville goaltender Clarke Saunders has confirmed that he intends to transfer to North Dakota, regardless of whether the school is able to save it's fledgling ice hockey program. And due to UAH's initial decision to disband its program, Saunders will be eligible to play immediately. 

Running Down the Sioux in the Pros: ECHL & Overseas

As advertised, here is the rundown of the former Sioux playing in the ECHL and various leagues overseas. Tomorrow's post will feature updates on the Sioux recruits.

ECHL:

• Colorado Eagle defenseman Aaron Schneekloth is quite possibly having the best statistical year of his professional career. The Eagles franchise moved from the Central Hockey League to the ECHL this season, but the change in competition hasn't slowed Schneekloth. Through 17 games he has 16 points (8G, 8A), 6 power play goals, a +10 plus/minus rating, while his 16 points, 8 goals, and 6 PPG lead all ECHL defensemen. He was also a runner-up for last week's ECHL player of the week award after producing five points (4G, 1A) in three games. Earlier this month Schneekloth took part in a podcast to discuss several aspects of his career, including touching on his time spent at North Dakota.
• Schneekloth's Eagle teammate Michael Forney is also having a solid year, with 10 points (4G, 6A) in 17 games. Forney was recently featured in the Eagles' Player Profile series, and there was a decent amount of Mighty Duck talk. Here's the interview:

• Something about November must get the Toews family revved up. While brother Jonathan has been busy tearing up the NHL, David Toews has been on a nice streak of his own. The Toledo Walleye forward is currently on a 5 game point streak, during which he has accumulated 6 points (1G, 5A).

Overseas:

• Adam Calder is having a big year in the EPIHL (England Tier II). Through 20 games, he leads the Slough Jets with 21 goals and 39 points. His 39 points also rank him second in the league.
• Colby Genoway has 26 points (6G, 20A) in 19 games with Lausanne of Switzerland's Tier II league. He leads the team in assists, ranks second in points, is fifth in the league in assists, and is tied for 11th in points.
• Jean-Philippe Lamoureux is among the top goaltenders in Austria's Tier I league. He has started 23 of Olimpija Ljubljana's 24 games and has posted a 2.28 GAA and .937 Save %, both of which are second best in the league. The save percentage is his best since his high school days in Grand Forks.
• Andrew Kozek has 28 points (20 G, 8A) in 19 games for the Nikko Icebucks (Asia League). His 20 goals lead the Icebucks and rank second in the league, while his point total is tied for the sixth highest in the league.
• Curtis Murphy has notched 22 points (6G, 16A) in 24 games for EHC Linz (Austria-Tier I). He is the top point producing defenseman in the league.
• With 20 points in 16 games, Bill Trew leads the wonderfully named Landshut Cannibals (Germany-Tier II) in points and is tied for the team lead in assists. His 20 points are also 15th best in the league.
• Jordan Parise joined the Dresdner Eislowen after former Minnesota goaltender Kellen Briggs went down with an injury. In 11 games Parise leads the league with a 2.09 GAA, and his outstanding play has led to a contract with Augsburg of Germany's elite league. He is expected to make his Augsburg debut Friday against EHC Munich, which features former Sioux Jason Ulmer as its second leading scorer.
• Brandon Bochenski (Barys Astana-KHL) has 19 points (9G, 10A) in 21 games. His 9 goals are tops on the team and his point total has him tied for the team lead.

Nick Schmaltz an Elite U-16er & Other International News

There's a fair amount of international play coming up for current, future, and former Sioux. Below is a summary of those events:

• Today Sioux recruit Nick Schmaltz was named to USA Hockey's U-16 Boys' Select Team that will be participating in the 2012 (and inaugural) Winter Youth Olympic Games January 13-22 in Innsbruck, Austria. 
• Stefan Matteau, Miles Koules and their Team USA U-18 teammates will be traveling to Monthey, Switzerland to take part in the Four Nations Cup November 9-13. Team USA has not lost a game at the Four Nations since 1997.
• Keaton Thompson and Luke Voltin will head to Balashinkha, Russia with their Team USA teammates for the Under-17 Four Nations Cup November 9-13. Team USA will be looking to defend their gold medal.
• Jordan Schmaltz (Sioux City-USHL) and Zane Gothberg (Fargo-USHL) are members of the Team USA squad that will take part in the World Junior A Challenge November 7-13 in Langley, BC, Canada. Team USA is the three-time defending champion.
• Former Sioux Brandon Bochenski will take part in the Deutschland Cup November 11-13 in Munich, Germany.
• Current Sioux Rocco Grimaldi and Derek Forbort will be looking to work their way onto Team USA's World Junior Championship roster. Team USA's selection camp will take place in December, just ahead of the 2012 World Juniors, which begin December 26 and run through January 5 in Calgary and Edmonton, AB, Canada. Team USA is coached by former Sioux/current Nebraska-Omaha head coach Dean Blais, and he's assisted by former Sioux player/assistant coach and current Minnesota-Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin.

Fighting Sioux vs. Wisconsin Links, Bochenski on Team USA

North Dakota vs. Wisconsin - Series Notes & Links

• Gametime: Friday and Saturday: 7:07 CDT
• The game audio is available across the region via the Fighting Sioux Radio Network. Friday's game will be televised on Fox Sports North Wisconsin and Fox College Sports Atlantic. A stream of Saturday's game will be available for purchase at http://www.uwbadgers.com/allaccess/ (Live Events).
• Series Notes in PDF: North Dakota and Wisconsin
• Series previews from Bucky's 5th Quarter and Madison.com
• With a young team, Wisconsin has some players performing new roles this season.
• North Dakota is looking for offense from the 2nd and 3rd lines.
• USCHO's This Week in the WCHA
• USCHO's Weekend Picks

Other Sioux News:

• Joe Finley is off to a solid start for the AHL's Rochester Americans. Here's some brief commentary on his play after they defeated the Syracuse Crunch earlier this week: 

Finley was terrific, really. He faced some speed and it was no problem. For 6-foot-8, he really didn’t get beat wide. Plus, he plays mean. He doesn’t just clear the front of the net, either. “He keeps everyone pretty much out of the zone, he’s so big,” (Americans goaltender David) Leggio said.

• Yesterday Brandon Bochenski was named to the Team USA roster for the Deutschland Cup, which takes place Nov 11-13 in Munich, Germany. Bochenski has spent the past two season playing for Barys Astana in the Kontinental Hockey League (Russia), where he has produced 53 points (23G, 30A) in 48 games. He has 68 points (28G, 40A) in 156 career NHL games, where he last played in 2009-10 with Tampa Bay.
• 2011 Hobey Baker Award winner Andy Miele credited his linemates Brett Hextall and Ryan Duncan for helping him get off to such a strong start for the AHL's Portland Pirates. The start was so solid that this morning the Phoenix Coyotes called Miele up to the NHL.