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. 

 

Tuesday Evening Post

• The Phoenix Coyotes fan blog Howlin' Hockey took a look at the outstanding accomplishments of Coyotes head coach and former Sioux Dave Tippett, whose efforts, the blog says, make him an unsung hero in the desert.
• With the NHL lockout now in its sixth week, NHL players who have chosen not to play in Europe have been trying to stay busy any way they can. One such way is through charity games, and a few former Sioux will be doing just that this week. Chris Porter and Zach Parise are part of a stellar lineup scheduled to take part in the Defending the Blueline charity game coming up this Sunday at Mariucci Arena. Jonathan Toews, meanwhile, will be taking part in the Champs for Charity game Friday night at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois.
• The New York Hockey Journal took aim at listing the top 25 players from the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, and New Jersey Devils. Drew Stafford made the list, coming in at number 21, but a certain New Jersey Devils' centerman is noticeably absent from the rankings. This page contains numbers 11 through 25, while this one has the top 10.
• Mario Lamoureux scored his first professional goal for the Ontario Reign (ECHL) Sunday afternoon. He also had an assist and finished the game with a plus 2 rating in the Reign's 5-2 win over the South Carolina StingRays. The StingRays' Hunter Bishop, who played four games with the Fighting Sioux before transferring to Ohio State, picked up an assist in that game as well. 
• Former Sioux Michael Forney (Colorado) is currently leading the ECHL in goal scoring with five, while Eagle teammate Aaron Schneekloth leads ECHL defensemen with five points (1G, 4A).
• USA Hockey released its roster for the US Junior Select Team last week and UND recruit Luke Johnson (Lincoln-USHL) made the team. The Junior Select Team will participate in the World Junior A Challenge (WJAC) November 5-11 in Nova Scotia. Hockey Canada is expected to release its WJAC Canada West selection camp roster tomorrow, with UND recruits Wade Murphy (Penticton-BCHL) and Adam Tambellini (Vernon-BCHL) expected to take part.
• And in closing, I'm sure most everyone has already seen this, but I'd be remiss if I didn't link to Brett Hextall's music video masterpiece, Hextall Style 2500. Whoop 'em: 

Friday Morning Coffee

A handful of stories for your Friday morning...

• Fighting Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol signed a six year contract yesterday to remain at UND through 2018. Brad Schlossman got in touch with CBS Sports Network's college hockey analyst Dave Starman to get his thoughts on Hakstol and the UND program.
• Travis Zajac (1G, 1A) was instrumental in the New Jersey Devils evening their series with Florida at two games apiece last night, but it was captain Zach Parise (1G) who provided the tonic to the Devils' hangover following Tuesday night's squandered opportunity. Earlier in the week, the Zajacs were dubbed as Manitoba's First Family of Hockey, while Parise is featured in the NHL's "Beacuse It's The Cup" series:

• The Chicago Blackhawks fell into a 3-1 hole last night as they suffered their third overtime loss of the series to Dave Tippett's Phoenix Coyotes. It will be tough sledding, but don't count the 'Hawks out, particularly with Captain Consistency Jonathan Toews leading the way. Last season they stretched eventual Stanley Cup finalist Vancouver to an overtime game seven after trailing the series three games to none, and expect Toews to continue to get better for as long as Chicago can prolong this series. On a sidenote, the Blackhawks' penchant for overtime action made some NHL history last night.
• Matt Watkins was called up by Phoenix Wednesday while Brett Hextall was part of a massive recall yesterday. Portland, the Coyotes' AHL affiliate, did not qualify for the playoffs, making those Pirate players with NHL deals available for an NHL call-up. Phoenix also has several players battling injuries, while forward Raffi Torres is facing what could be a lengthy suspension. 
• Drew Stafford and the Buffalo Sabres had a disappointing season amid high expectations, but Stafford says he will continue working hard to find the consistency that will help get the Sabres back into the playoffs.
• The AHL's Calder Cup Playoffs kicked off last night, and Matt Frattin scored a goal in helping the Toronto Marlies defeat the Rochester Americans (Joe Finley, Corey Fienhage) 4-3. According to this game story from the Rochester Democrat and Journal, Frattin earned the game's 3rd Star. In other action, the Oklahoma City Barons (Chris VandeVelde, Taylor Chorney) defeated the Houston Aeros (Chay Genoway) while Connecticut upended the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Brock Nelson).
• Adam Calder and the Slough Jets won the English Premier League's playoff championship over the weekend. Here you will find a story from the championship game.
• Recruit Drake Caggiula and the Stouffville Spirit sit in first place following round robin play at the Dudley Hewitt Cup, thus earning themselves a bye into Saturday's championship game. With a win Saturday, they would advance to the RBC Cup playoffs, which determine Canada's Junior A national champion. Caggiula, who has four points (1G, 3A) in three tournament games, was featured in this article after earning OJHL Playoff MVP honors.
• Sioux recruits Zane Gothberg and Bryn Chyzyk helped the Fargo Force advance to the second round of the USHL's Clark Cup Playoffs with a two-game sweep of Sioux City earlier this week. Gothberg posted a 0.98 GAA and .964 Save Percentage while Chyzyk pitched in with an assist. The Force begin the second round of the playoffs tonight against Lincoln, which features recruits Paul LaDue and Luke Johnson, while Jordan Schmaltz and Green Bay begin their series with Youngstown Saturday. Team USA (Miles Koules and Keaton Thompson) and Cedar Rapids (Jack Rowe) were eliminated from the playoffs following first round defeats.

Week 5 Recap: Sioux Swept, Frattin Scores, Chorney & Commie Debut, Etc.

The Fighting Sioux ventured into Mariucci Arena last weekend poised to cool down the hottest and highest scoring team in the WCHA, and while North Dakota and Minnesota engaged in two games that maintained relevance until the final horn, the Gophers came away with a weekend sweep and four conference points. The hot goaltending of Kent Patterson and a stingy team defense earned Minnesota a 2-0 shutout victory on Friday, while a late third period rally Saturday night saw the Gophers pull out a 3-2 victory, completing the first Minnesota sweep of North Dakota since December of 2005. A few observations:

• First and foremost, the reason Minnesota swept this series was because they are a very good team that played some very good hockey. They received consistently outstanding goaltending from Patterson, and their overall team defense and penalty killing units are vastly improved over the past few years. While North Dakota was able to generate several quality scoring chances each night, they were unable to apply sustained pressure in the offensive end, and even when they did get their best opportunities, Patterson was still very difficult to beat.
• Aaron Dell was outstanding in goal, flashing the form that made him the best statistical goalie in the WCHA last season. He made several huge saves to keep the Sioux within striking distance on Friday, and he served up much of the same Saturday as the teams engaged in another low scoring affair. Defensively, there were too many odd-man opportunities for comfort, but many of the defensive concerns we had over the course of the first month are being corrected.
• There appeared to be some nervousness out there for the Fighting Sioux this weekend. Danny Kristo did not look like his usual self, nor did Nick Mattson, and Derek Forbort really seems to be struggling to find his game. Overall, there seemed to be a number of guys pressing.
• Rocco Grimaldi scored his first collegiate goal Saturday night after being unable to play Friday due to a nagging lower body injury. His goal was a true goal scorer's goal, and when he is fully healthy he is going to add an entirely new dimension to the Sioux offense. The upcoming off week will hopefully aid in his return to full health, but as we look ahead I wonder what role his potential participation in the World Junior Championships will play on his health over the course of the season. The WJC's can be a grind, considering the selection camp, travel, game schedule, etc. so if he is indeed named to the Team USA roster hopefully he will be fully recovered in order to best handle the tournament's rigors.
• Overall, the Fighting Sioux find themselves in an unfamiliar spot as they currently sit in 11th place in the WCHA standings with a 1-5 record. They continue to show signs of improvement, as the goaltending and defensive corps are becoming the backbone of the team everyone expected them to be from the outset. Offensive depth continues to be a concern and the return to full health by Grimaldi and Brendan O'Donnell will certainly help in that area. While I'm sure the guys are itching to get back onto the ice to get the bitter taste of the sweep out of their mouths, perhaps the bye week will serve as an opportunity to regroup and focus on making a strong run into the holiday break in order to get into position for a strong second half push up the standings.

 Sioux in the Pros:

• Matt Frattin (Toronto-AHL) and Chay Genoway (Houston-AHL) faced one another for the first time as professionals Sunday night, and Frattin's two goals (including his first as a pro) helped the Marlies earn a 6-2 victory. In three games with the Marlies Frattin has three points (2G, 1A). Genoway recorded an assist in Sunday night's game, and he finished the week with two assists in three games. Frattin's first professional goal can be seen below:

• The Portland Pirates (AHL) defeated Manchester 4-1 Sunday night, and former Sioux had a hand in three of the four goals. Ryan Duncan and Brett Hextall each scored while Matt Watkins earned an assist.
• Jake Marto made his AHL debut Sunday with the St. John's IceCaps. He was returned to the ECHL's Colorado Eagles Monday, however. He was an emergency fill-in for the injury depleted IceCaps.
• Brad Miller had one goal and one assist in three games last week for the Gwinnett Gladiators (ECHL). Miller, Gladiator teammate Corey Fienhage, and Aaron Schneekloth (Colorado) all rank among the Top 20 ECHL defensemen in scoring.
• Mike Commodore (Detroit) and Taylor Chorney (St. Louis) each debuted for their new NHL teams Friday night. They are the 10th and 11th former Fighting Sioux to skate on NHL ice this season, and they were both in the lineup Saturday night as well.
• Among the other former Sioux highlights, New Jersey's Zach Parise had three points (1G, 2A) in three games, Chicago's Jonathan Toews had three points (1G, 2A) in four games, and St. Louis Blues forward TJ Oshie had three points (2G, 1A) in two games.

Sioux Recruits:

• Jack Rowe of Cedar Rapids (USHL) made his RoughRider debut Saturday night after missing the first month or so of the season due to injury. He was held pointless after logging three shots on goal, and he should be available to play this coming Friday when Cedar Rapids visits Fargo to take on the Force.
• Luke Johnson of the Lincoln Stars remained out of the lineup last weekend due to injury.
• A host of other Sioux recruits had the weekend off from regular season action as they prepare for an assortment of international competitions. For more on that, check out my international tournament summary from last week.

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.

Fighting Sioux & Maine Links & Former Sioux News

North Dakota vs. Maine - 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. Here's the standard broadcast information.
• Series notes in PDF: Maine's Take and North Dakota's Take
• The Sioux have been looking forward to the rematch after last year's series in Orono.
• Maine is expecting a challenge this weekend.
• The Bangor Daily News offers a concise series capsule.
• INCH's Friday Four-Cast
• USCHO's This Week in the WCHA
• USCHO's Weekend Picks

Former Sioux News:

• Matt Greene's first unofficial assist of the season? Packing advice for the King's recent European vacation.
• A recent Brett Hextall feature also includes some old footage of his father Ron's AHL days.
• Hextall's Portland Pirates have a lot of new talent, including fellow former Sioux Ryan Duncan and Matt Watkins.
• Speaking of Ryan Duncan, he is the feature in the most recent Pirates Notebook.
• Kyle Radke and the Rio Grande Killer Bees are also adjusting to a lot of new faces.
• A trio of former Sioux are part of the Colorado Eagles move to the ECHL. The Sioux contingent is comprised of Michael Forney, Jake Marto and Aaron Schneekloth. Marto and Schneekloth have been defensive partners in the preseason, and Forney has been playing on the Eagles' top line.
• Adam Calder is off to a sizzling start in the UK.
• David Toews has been loaned from Rockford (AHL) to their ECHL affiliate, the Toledo Walleye. I don't know what it is, but something tells me there's something mighty fishy about that transaction...
• David Hale has opted to retire from professional hockey. 
• TJ Oshie and Jason Blake both made a recent list of the 15 Slickest Shootout Goals. Ya gotta love the ol' spin-o-rama.
• In addition to the Maine series, there's a ton of action involving former and future Sioux this weekend. Look for all the highlights and summaries in the Week 2 Recap.
• And we'll leave you with Zach Parise's shootout goal from New Jersey's victory over Los Angeles last night. His slick backhand made a goalie named Quick look anything but. Check it out:

Week 1 Recap

I wasn't too sure how I was going to approach the blog posting during the season, being this is a new gig for me and all. At first I considered just posting stuff as it happened, but after additional thought I have decided to go the route of more structured weekly recaps. The recaps will feature reaction, thoughts, and opinions on the Sioux action from the previous weekend as well as highlights and summaries from the week that was for former and future Sioux. I'm getting this week's recap out well after the weekend's play came to a close, but I hope to get future recaps posted in a more timely manner, specifically by Monday night. This will be in addition to the usual articles, features, videos, and other news items I have been posting with some semblance of regularity. I will still be doing other posts in addition to the weekly recaps, and I've been pretty good (thus far) about staying on top of things in the Twitter universe (give me a follow @SiouxTradition if you'd like). So without further adieu...

Week 1 Recap
I haven't had an opportunity to watch the replays of either of last weekend's games, so all thoughts from the Ice Breaker are my initial reactions. Friday night saw the Sioux defeat Air Force 4-3, while on Saturday night Boston College claimed the tournament championship with a 6-2 victory over North Dakota.

• In both games, the defensive corps really seemed to struggle, but those struggles were magnified Saturday night due to the skill level of BC. 
• Air Force is a hardworking, skilled and smart team, but they don't have the high-end talent to capitalize on miscues the way BC was able to. Some of the turnovers and missed assignments that Air Force was unable to take advantage of on Friday turned into goals when they were presented to BC. 
• The silver lining to all this is that a lot of the suspect play we saw this weekend is fixable and will be cleaned up. I thought North Dakota skated with BC just fine and kept up with them all night. The vaunted Eagle team speed wasn't what did the Sioux in, it was simply some sloppy play that a very good team took advantage of. 
• Our top line, much like during the exhibition game, was clearly a cut above the rest of our combinations in terms of regularly generating offensive chances. 
• Brock Nelson was sensational Friday night, potting two goals to go with an assist and he is noticeably stronger on his skates, both with and without the puck. Corban Knight was also very good.
• We saw Derek Forbort score his first collegiate goal Saturday, when we also saw highly-touted freshman Rocco Grimaldi hit the ice for the first time as a Sioux. I think it's fair to assume he wasn't 100% healthy Saturday considering he wasn't healthy enough to even get into the lineup just the day before. He did show some flashes of being the dynamic top-end talent we were expecting to see, and with full health I believe we'll begin to see that talent with regularity. Rocco is also one of the Top 10 Americans to keep an eye on this season.
• It's very important to remember that this is a very young team and it is very early in the season. They played two good teams and came away with a split without playing their best hockey. This season could be a rollercoaster ride as the youngsters and veterans alike adjust to their surroundings: the freshman need time to adjust to the college game and the veterans also need time to adjust to their new teammates. If there is one thing I'm confident in, it is that the coaching staff will have this team playing their best hockey after the Christmas break as they make another strong run down the stretch.
• UND now sits at #6 in both the USA Today/USA Hockey and USCHO polls.

The NHL and AHL seasons both kicked off last week, and several former Sioux got off to great starts:

• The Portland Pirates (AHL) kicked off their season with a 4-2 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Brett Hextall, Ryan Duncan, and Matt Watkins all figured into the Pirate scoring.
• Jonathan Toews, who has a goal in two games thus far for the Chicago Blackhawks, has already accomplished a lot but is hungry for more. He's also ready to face his hometown team.
• TJ Oshie has two assists in two games and is primed for a big season.
• Zach Parise has looked strong early as the New Jersey Devils' new captain, and like Rocco Grimaldi, he is one of the Top 10 Americans to pay attention to in 2011-12.
• The Edmonton Oilers assigned Taylor Chorney to Oklahoma City of the AHL, but he was claimed off of waivers by St Louis. The Edmonton Oiler take on the transaction is bittersweet, while Chorney was all smiles upon his arrival to the Gateway to the West. At just 24 years of age, there is still plenty of time for Chorney to turn the corner and become a bonafide NHL defenseman.
• Detroit Red Wing defenseman Mike Commodore has resumed skating, but there is still no timetable for his return from a preseason knee injury.
• Jordan Parise signed with Dresdner Eislowen of the Bundesliga (Germany Tier 2).
• Lee Goren is off to a great start in the Swedish Elite League. You might need to copy and paste the text of this article into Google Translate.
• As always, a link to regularly updated stats of former Sioux in the pros can be found on the Past page.

Sioux Recruits:

• Luke Johnson had two assists for the Lincoln Stars last Friday in a 4-3 loss to Waterloo. He now has three assists two games into the young USHL season.
• Jordan Schmaltz notched two goals and an assist over the weekend, including Saturday's one goal and one assist performance on his 18th birthday. His Sioux City Musketeers split their two weekend games, and earlier this week he was recognized as the USHL's Defensive Player of the Week. He earned Defensive Player of the Week honors on five occasions last season.
• Luke Voltin, who is currently second in scoring on the USNTDP U-17 team with two goals and four assists in seven games, is happy his parents gave him the option to play hockey. Voltin and Schmaltz are also two of Chris Peters' early USHL standouts.
• Stefan Matteau leads the Under-18 team in scoring through the first seven games with one goal and four assists.

Other Info:

• Senior goaltender Brad Eidsness is a candidate for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
• Last season we saw four players reach a significant Fighting Sioux milestone as Matt Frattin, Chay Genoway, Jason Gregoire, and Evan Trupp all joined the Century Club by reaching the 100 point mark for their respective careers. Who might do it this year? Juniors Danny Kristo (64) and Corban Knight (57) are the two odds-on favorites.
• There have been rumblings of North Dakota taking part in an outdoor game next season against Nebraska-Omaha. Thus far it all appears to be speculative in nature, but it would certainly make for a fun day of outdoor hockey should it become a reality. Nebraska-Omaha, of course, is coached by former Fighting Sioux head coach Dean Blais, who is yet another with North Dakota connections to keep an eye on this season.
• And lastly, a very dedicated Colorado College fan has a remarkable streak going. UND staff is looking into whether Fighting Sioux hockey has had any such streaks.

Sioux in the Pros: Training Camp News

NHL training camp rosters are getting whittled down with the regular season just a week away, and several former Sioux are engaged in opening day roster spot battles. Among the camp rookies, Jason Gregoire, Matt Frattin, and Brad Malone have survived their teams' cuts thus far.

Brad Malone was impressive at the Colorado Avalanche training camp, and he's in the running for a job as Colorado's fourth line center. With his size and skill set, it's also within the realm of possibility that he could earn a spot on the wing if Av centerman Jay McClement is awarded the fourth line job.

Matt Frattin, who is averaging a point per game in five preseason contests (2 G, 3A), has virtually locked up the third line left wing spot for the Toronto Maple Leafs. As camp began, Frattin, Nazem Kadri, and Joe Colborne were all expected to compete for the position that was widely considered to be open for the taking. Colborne started slow and was inconsistent prior to being cut from camp, but both Kadri and Frattin were performing well and running neck and neck until Kadri suffered a knee injury that could keep him out of the lineup for up to a month. Frattin has impressed the Toronto staff, and he is looking forward to taking advantage of his opportunity by striking while the iron is hot.

Ryan Johnson may also benefit from an injury in his quest to make the Detroit Red Wing roster and defenseman Matt Smaby is experiencing a similar situation in Anaheim.

Among those who have been reassigned to minor league training camps, defenseman Joe Finley looks to shake off the injury bug and find a home in the Buffalo Sabres organization. After the Phoenix Coyotes assigned Brett Hextall to the Portland Pirate training camp, GM Don Maloney had some good things to say about the former Sioux forward (Click the quote for the full article):


"I think it's a fact of life that your first-round pick gets more time to show what he can do vs. a later-round pick. A good example for us might be (sixth-round pick) Brett Hextall, whose had a terrific camp; he's very good. We were really happy with him, and arguably, he could still be there, but we think he's a first-year pro, and we have a couple other guys, we're still waiting to see a little bit more from."

Evan Trupp, who recently signed with the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL), is participating in the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals training camp, while Derrick LaPoint is attending Syracuse Crunch training camp (AHL) on a tryout invitation.

Other former Sioux news:

• New Jersey Devils centerman Travis Zajac says he won't rush his comeback from an Achilles tendon injury.
• Zajac's Devils teammate Zach Parise comments on the upcoming season.
• There's been more discussion on the likelihood of TJ Oshie having a breakout season for the St Louis Blues.
• A Chicago Blackhawk blogger offers up some interesting statistical insight on the importance of playing alongside Jonathan Toews.
• Toews had the opportunity to play alongside his brother David this preseason, and though David has been assigned to the Rockford Ice Hog training camp, there's been a lot of good stuff published on their relationship. More on that in this video and this article.
• Jonathan Toews is also part of the heavy Sioux presence in the Shattuck-St Mary's pipeline to the pros.

Sunday Evening Links & Welcome To Twitter

• We're now on Twitter, so if you care to follow you can do so @SiouxTradition. Much thanks go out to our first (and thus far, only...) follower, @seerickson92.
• Zach Parise is prepared to face contract questions throughout the season, but he doesn't feel it will affect the New Jersey Devils' season.
• Parise would also welcome the Devils' captaincy if it were offered, but he understands the organizations' concerns of not wanting to have a one & done captain situation on their hands.
• Brett Hextall and the Phoenix Coyotes are hoping his strong rookie camp extends into main camp.
• Hextall also discusses how his father helped get his career to where it is.
• The Brothers Toews are enjoying Blackhawk training camp together.
• Jonathan Toews is heading into the season wanting nothing more than to win another Stanley Cup.
• If you want to catch some of the former Sioux skate in the preseason, check out the NHL Network's preseason game schedule.
• And to close, here's a brief interview with TJ Oshie following Day 1 of St Louis Blues camp:

Rookie Tourney Wrap, Who's Going Camping, Toews Getting Physical, Etc.

Rookie camp action wrapped up this week as NHL teams prepared for the start of their main training camps. Jason Gregoire and the Winnipeg Jets rookies closed out their Young Stars action with a 2-0 win over Vancouver. Gregoire finished with a goal and an assist over the course of the three game tournament, and he is heading into main camp with a shot to play for his hometown team.

The Phoenix Coyotes rookies dropped the second game of their two game set with the LA Kings by a score of 4-3. Brett Hextall scored a power play goal for the Coyotes, giving him three goals in the two games against Los Angeles, a franchise he is certainly familiar with. And as he embarks on his goal of making the Hextalls a four generation NHL family, he is playing the game in the family tradition.

Brad Malone wrapped up rookie camp with the Colorado Avalanche, and here's what one observer had to say:

Brad Malone: lovelovelove this kid, wasted no time getting physical in 1-on-1 drill, looking for contact immediately, picked a few corners and made Aitokallio look silly, worked with Mike Brennan for several minutes on deflections, tipping nearly every shot into the net or off the post (the shots were pretty soft, though)

And some more analysis on Malone's play.

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An interesting sidenote to the above stories of Gregoire and Hextall is the role college hockey has played. Gregoire stated that it wasn't until he was 15 that he became aware of the NCAA hockey option, and Brett was urged by his father Ron to take the college route so that he'd be prepared if his hockey career didn't work out. Last weekend, during a Q&A session at the FSC Breakfast/Sioux Fan Fast, Andrew MacWilliam commented that he too didn't hear much about the NCAA option until later on in the recruiting process.

MacWilliam commented that the Canadian major junior teams can come at you early and hard, doing whatever they can to make you ineligible for the college option. This is pretty significant considering that kids are 14-15 years of age during their CHL bantam draft year. I'm doing my best to paraphrase MacWilliam's comments from memory here, but he also stated that he knows of players that have exhausted their junior eligibility who won't be playing at the next level, and they are now less prepared to take on life after hockey because the educational aspect of the Canadian junior system is not as strong as it is in the NCAA.

It was some interesting commentary, and it certainly makes you wonder if the marketing arms of the NCAA and College Hockey, Inc. need to be pushing into Canada with more aggression in order to let families and kids know of the viability and benefits of the college choice. It goes without saying that college hockey most definitely isn't for everyone and that CHL hockey (of which, by the way, I am a fan of) also has an awful lot to offer, but the Canadian exposure to the college option appears to need strengthening. Of course, time will only tell if this past summer's rash of top US-born talent backing out of their collegiate commitments is a trend or a short term anomaly, but perhaps there will be more focus instead on retaining elite American talent.

Also interesting is if you look at the ten confirmed players who have committed to enrolling at North Dakota over the next few years, how many Canadians do you see? Stefan Matteau has dual citizenship, so do we count that as 1/2? There's really no point here, just a curious observation considering North Dakota's strong and proud tradition of Canadian-born players.

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It's post-Labor Day, so it's officially camping season. Here's a list of former Sioux players taking part in NHL training camps:

	Player	NHL Club
1	Jason Blake	Anaheim
2	Matt Smaby	Anaheim
3	Corey Fienhage	Buffalo
4	Drew Stafford	Buffalo
5	David Toews	Chicago
6	Jonathan Toews	Chicago
7	Brad Malone	Colorado
8	Mike Commodore	Detroit
9	Ryan Johnson	Detroit
10	Chris Vandevelde	Edmonton
11	Taylor Chorney	Edmonton
12	Matt Greene	LA Kings
13	Chay Genoway	Minnesota
14	Hunter Bishop	Montreal
15	Darcy Zajac	New Jersey
16	Travis Zajac (Injured)	New Jersey
17	Zach Parise	New Jersey
18	Brian Lee	Ottawa
19	Brett Hextall	Phoenix
20	Chris Porter	St Louis
21	TJ Oshie	St Louis
22	Matt Frattin	Toronto
23	Jason Gregoire	Winnipeg

24

Joe Finley

Buffalo

25     Michael Forney                Winnipeg

I don't think I missed anyone, but if I did let me know.

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The commitment to offseason training was rewarded yesterday as both TJ Oshie and Iron Man extraordinaire Chris Porter fared very well during the fitness testing at St Louis Blues camp. And here's a bit more on the conditioning testing.

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From the "For What It's Worth Department," Jason Blake's group won the Anaheim Ducks annual training camp kick-off golf tournament. Check out the sweet orange jackets awarded to the winners-The Master's has nothing on these things:

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Everyone knows Jonathan Toews is one of the best all-around hockey players in the world, but he appears to have spent some time this summer working on the physical side of his game:


Toews response to the hit can be found in this Sun-Times piece.

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The College Hockey Blog has released its WCHA Preview, which has North Dakota coming in second.

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Sioux commit Jordan Schmaltz is featured as one of the best players around yet to play in the NHL. If you don't want to go through the entire slideshow, the Schmaltz page is right here.

Quick Monday Evening Links

• Travis Roche signed a contract extension with Bern of the National League A, Switzerland's top tier league. The extension will keep Roche in Bern through the 2013-14 season. He finished 15th in the league in scoring last season with 41 Pts (9G, 32 A) in 39 games.
• Here are a couple more features on Matt Frattin: TSN Blog and Toronto Star article.
• According to Bleedin' Blue, TJ Oshie is one of five Blues that could surprise this year.
• Ryan Johnson is entering the Detroit Red Wing training camp with only one goal in mind.
• If you want to catch Brett Hextall and the Phoenix Coyotes rookies take on their counterparts for the LA Kings, the two game set will be streamed live at LAKings.com. The rookie games are scheduled for Wednesday at 8:00 PM and Thursday at 4:00 PM.

Former Sioux News, LaPoint Signs, NHL Rookie Camps, Links, Updates, Etc.

Former Sioux Ryan Johnson has accepted a try-out with the Detroit Red Wings. The faceoff and shot blocking specialist spent the latter portion of last season with the Chicago Blackhawks and would be a nice addition to Detroit's penalty killing unit if he can crack the roster.

Derrick LaPoint has signed with the Reading Royals of the ECHL. LaPoint, a former Florida Panther 4th Round draft pick, became a free agent August 15 after failing to come to terms on an entry level deal. The Royals are the ECHL affiliate of the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Meanwhile, as first reported by the Grand Forks Herald's Brad Schlossman, Andrew Kozek has signed on to play with the Nikko Ice Bucks of the Asia Hockey League. Also in Asia is Former Sioux Darcy Mitani, who plays for High 1 and is the league's all-time leader in Assists and Points.

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A few weeks ago Matt Frattin was confirmed to take part in Toronto's rookie tournament. Several additional former Sioux will also be taking part in NHL rookie camps and tournaments beginning next week as the NHL's preseason starts to rev up. Chay Genoway will suit up for the Minnesota Wild's entry (Full Roster) in the Traverse City NHL Prospects Tournament while Corey Fienhage will be playing for Buffalo. The MSG Network will be broadcasting the tournament's New York Ranger games (J.T. Miller will be playing), and depending on the standings after pool play, maybe we'll have the opportunity to catch the Wild or the Sabres take on the Rangers.

The Vancouver Canucks will be hosting the 2011 Young Stars Tournament. The Winnipeg Jets will be part of the tournament and while no Jet roster has been released, I'd expect Jason Gregoire to be part of the lineup.

Brett Hextall will be attending the Phoenix Coyotes rookie camp while Brad Malone is on the Colorado Avalanche training camp roster.

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According the to the Edmonton Journal Dillon Simpson is part of a deep pool of Oiler defenseman prospects while Sioux commit Jordan Schmaltz makes this Top 5 list of the top U.S.-born 2012 draft prospects.

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Here are a couple of updates from previous posts:

Sioux Commits in Fargo taking on the Force:

Date		Opponent	Sioux Commit	Sioux Schedule
Thu, Oct 20	vs	Sioux City	Jordan Schmaltz	@ Wisc. 21st & 22nd
Fri, Nov 11	vs	Cedar Rapids	Jack Rowe	No Game - Off Week
Fri, Nov 18	vs	Lincoln	Luke Johnson	No Game
Sat, Nov 19	vs	Lincoln	Luke Johnson	@ BSU 19th & 20th
Fri, Dec 09	vs	Team USA - 18	S. Matteau, M. Koules	vs. Neb-Omaha
Wed, Dec 28	vs	Lincoln	Luke Johnson	No Game
Fri, Jan 06	vs	Sioux City	Jordan Schmaltz	No Game
Sat, Jan 07	vs	Sioux City	Jordan Schmaltz	Clarkson @ Winnipeg
Thur, Jan 26	vs	Sioux City	Jordan Schmaltz	vs Wisc. 27th & 28th
Sat, Apr 14	vs	Lincoln	Luke Johnson	No Game

Road Game On-Sale Dates:

Series	Game Date	Tix On-Sale	Tickets/Details
Home Games	-	Sept. 10	Tickets
Wisconsin	Oct 21/22	Sept. 22	Tickets
Minnesota	Nov 4/5	Oct. 5	Details
Bemidji St	Nov 19/20	Sept. 17	Tickets
Alaska-Anchorage	Dec 2/3	Sept. 26	Tickets
Clarkson @ Winnipeg	Jan 7	TBD	Tickets
St Cloud St	Jan 20/21	Sept. 12	Tickets
Minnesota-Duluth	Feb 10/11	Sept. 26	Tickets
Denver	Feb 24/25	Sept. 10	Tickets
Final Five (St Paul)	Mar 15/16/17		Tickets
NCAA Regionals	Mar 23/24/25
Frozen Four (Tampa)	Apr 5/7

Prospect Development Camps, Pt. 2

Here's an update on the Sioux presence at the ongoing NHL prospect development camps:

Zane Gothberg is currently at the Boston Bruins development camp and it seems as though the B's like to mix things up and have some fun at camp, as cooking lessons and paint ball competition are a couple of the off-ice activities the players take part in. Here's a quote from the latter article concerning "The Great Zane's" paintball skills:

The first person of the day to be eliminated after being shot was goaltender Zane Gothberg. He walked off the course blinded by the splatter of paint that covered half of his protective mask.

This could be, ironically, a good sign. Being a goaltender, Gothberg is used to having small objects being projected at him at high speeds. It’s just his nature to get in the way of it.

This article features Gothberg's outlook on the camp, while this one profiles the three goaltenders at Bruins camp.

Here is a blog post containing a video interview with Gothberg.

From the reports I've read, Gothberg has been sharp at times and, even by his own admission, has struggled at times. This is to be expected from a young goaltender stepping in to face the kind of high-end talent he's facing. Bruins camp wraps up tomorrow with a scrimmage.

Phoenix Coyote camp ended today, and here's what one Phoenix fan blogger had to say about former Sioux Brett Hextall:

Yes, we all know his Dad. But Brett is a different beast. He’s tough and smart with the puck, but I’m pretty sure he’ll score more goals in his rookie year than his Dad’s entire career. Brett seems like he’ll be the one that takes big hits for plays and blocks shots. I don’t know how to explain it other than he seems like a worker (along the Fiddy/Korps/Winnik vein). Again, he’s not huge but it seems like he’s got a lot of heart and UND turns out a lot of smart players.

Fittingly enough, 2:00 into the video below is an interview with Hextall, who just wants to be a guy that opponents hate:



Michael Parks is at Philadelphia Flyers camp, which concludes tomorrow with a scrimmage. Not much has been said about Parks performance at camp, but this blogger thought "he brought a tremendous amount of speed to the drills," and we all know Speed Kills.

I caught some highlights of some of the Toronto Maple Leaf camp scrimmages, and I'm happy to report that Andrew MacWilliam is being his usual physical self.

Two camp time and roster updates from the previous development camp post:
Minnesota, July 12th-17th (Former Sioux Chay Genoway)
New Jersey, July 11th-July ? (Current Sioux Derek Rodwell, Former Sioux Darcy Zajac)

I haven't come across much else concerning the Sioux campers, but there are several camps on-going and several more yet to begin. I'll continue to post updates as more comprehensive evaluations and reports become available.