Monday Morning Coffee

• After earning its first sweep of the season this past weekend against Michigan Tech North Dakota will enter the holiday break on a high note. After the impressive showing in Houghton, several UND players will be strong candidates for WCHA Player of the Week consideration. Corban Knight and/or Danny Kristo could take home offensive honors, while Clarke Saunders and Joe Gleason put up very nice numbers on the defensive side. UND will next take on Holy Cross January 4-5 at REA.
• If you have not already seen it, Sports Illustrated published a very nice article on North Dakota hockey's loyal following.
• The National Post featured Toronto Marlies winger Matt Frattin in an article in which Toronto brass had a number of nice things to say about the former Sioux star. Frattin came up big over the weekend as he scored the game tying goal with just 10 seconds left in regulation and then helped seal a 4-3 victory over Rochester by scoring in the shootout. He now has 12 points (8G, 4A) in 12 games this season.
• Brock Nelson recently went one on one with The Checking Line. He is currently tied for 3rd in scoring among AHL rookies with 22 points (11G, 11A) in 25 games.
• The Des Moines Register wrote on a quartet of Iowans currently playing for the Omaha AAA Under-16 Lancers, and included in the piece is North Dakota commit Christian Evers. The Omaha AAA program, which also produced UND commit and current USA NTDP forward Chris Wilkie, has quickly developed into a very powerful hockey program.
• North Dakota recruit Tucker Poolman's (Omaha-USHL) effectiveness on the power play earned some recognition from the USHL in its weekly update. Poolman, a defenseman, added a seventh power play goal over the weekend and is now tied for the league lead in that category. Meanwhile, recruit Paul LaDue continues to lead all USHL blueliners with 21 points (4G, 17A) in 24 games.
• The recently decommitted Brendan Lemieux got himself into some trouble with an illegal hit.

Thursday Morning Coffee

• Goaltender Clarke Saunders may be new to North Dakota, but he is certainly not unfamiliar with the WCHA. Saunders backstopped Alabama-Huntsville to victories over Nebraska-Omaha and Denver last season, and in 2010-11 he was in net when the Chargers defeated Nebraska-Omaha and Bemidji State. In the Nebraska-Omaha victory two seasons ago Saunders established two school records when he made 58 saves, including a 25 save second period.  
• North Dakota defenseman Dillon Simpson was recently featured in the Edmonton Oiler blog Copper and Blue. Despite being a junior, Simpson is still the third youngest player on the roster, and the 39th youngest among the WCHA's 317 players. 
• The University of Denver blueline has a player with a name very familiar to Fighting Sioux fans. Nolan Zajac, the youngest of the four hockey playing Zajac brothers, is a promising freshman defenseman for the Pioneers.
• Jonathan Toews views the NHL's latest CBA proposal with guarded optimism, saying that "Hopefully it gets the ball rolling in the right way."
• The Cheap Seats recently caught up with the parents of Jonathan and David Toews, and they shared some interesting insight into their role as hockey parents.
• Rant Sports is ranking the Top 100 players in the NHL, and St. Louis Blues winger T.J. Oshie comes in at number 71.
• TSN scout and NHL Network analyst Craig Button released his initial 2013 NHL Draft rankings yesterday. He has North Dakota recruit and Devils Lake native Keaton Thompson ranked 24th, while Grand Forks native Luke Johnson is listed as a player to keep an eye on. With J.T. Compher out of the Team USA lineup last weekend against North Dakota, Button said Thompson was the player he liked the most out of the Under-18ers. He also said he really likes Johnson's game and that he just needs to get stronger.
• The Hockey Writers also have a couple of draft watchlists on which Thompson appears. He comes in at number 49 on this list and number 41 on this one.
• North Dakota recruit Adam Tambellini comes from a well-known hockey family, but he is doing his best to forge his own path.

Weekend Musings, Etc.

The North Dakota men took to the ice for an exhibition game against the USA Hockey NTDP Under-18 team Friday night, and here are a few observations following the 6-4 UND victory:

• First for the most obvious, Knight Line Version 2.0 looked outstanding. Rocco Grimaldi, Corban Knight, and Danny Kristo combined for eight points (4G, 4A) and a +8.
• Clarke Saunders was the sharper of the two goaltenders vying for the starting job, and one would have to think he will be getting the start in the regular season opener against Alaska-Anchorage Friday night.
• The line of Stephane Pattyn, Colten St. Clair, and Derek Rodwell impressed. They were fast, gritty and hard to play against while also generating some nice offensive opportunities.
• It's great to see Derek Forbort so willing to shoot the puck. Granted it's only been exhibition action thus far, but he's scored a couple of very nice goals from the blueline without showing any hesitancy towards pulling the trigger.
• The strength of Andrew MacWilliam is something else. During one sequence he couldn't get a Team USA forward lined up squarely, but he was able to catch him with a forearm that contained enough power to separate puck from player. He must be just a beast to play against.
• Defenseman Jordan Schmaltz's offensive reputation comes as advertised. He's very smooth with the puck and has great offensive instincts. He also logged a lot of time on the power play and penalty kill units.
• Defensively there are still some things to clean up, but with an experienced bunch that should happen much sooner rather than later.
• For Team USA, North Dakota recruit and Devils Lake native Keaton Thompson looked good. He's a good skater who plays a very poised game. Scouts are high on him and with a solid season he could sneak into the first round of next summer's NHL Draft.

In other news...

• The UND women took to the road this weekend. They dropped the Friday night game against Ohio State, but bounced back with a Saturday afternoon victory.
• Matt Greene and a couple other NHLers spent some practice time with a Los Angeles area youth hockey team.
• The AHL and ECHL seasons kicked off Friday, and a number of former Sioux have had strong opening weekends. Brock Nelson and Matt Watkins got off to nice starts for Bridgeport (AHL). Nelson had a goal and two assists while Watkins had a goal and an assist in two Sound Tiger victories. Brad Malone notched two assists as Lake Erie (AHL) split its first two games of the year. In the ECHL, Aaron Schneekloth (1G, 2A) and Michael Forney (2G, 0A) helped Colorado to a weekend split while David Toews picked up a goal and an assist in two games with Bakersfield.
• Jean-Phillipe Lamoureux leads the Erste Bank Liga (Austrian elite league) with a .943 save percentage. He also has a 2.08 GAA. Lamoureux isn't the only former Sioux off to a strong start in Austria. Andrew Kozek is the league's leading goal scorer with nine, Ryan Duncan is T-3rd in goals with seven, and Curtis Murphy is T-9th in points among defensemen with eight (2G, 6A).
• Aaron Dell, who last weekend was released by the Colorado Eagles (ECHL), has signed with the Allen Americans of the CHL.
• In USHL play, North Dakota recruit and Grand Forks native Paul LaDue is a +8 with three assists in just four Lincoln Star games, while Sioux City defenseman Ryan Mantha leads his team with a +5 in three games. 
• The much-discussed on-campus arena for Nebraska-Omaha appears to be getting the greenlight. If it does indeed happen, it will be a big-step forward for the UNO program as it heads into the NCHC era.

Saturday Morning Coffee

• We've now turned the calendars to September, and with an NHL work stoppage looking all the more likely, more and more players are starting to voice their frustrations with the state of the labor negotiations. In an interview earlier this week Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise said NHL commish Gary Bettman is "pretty adamant about his third lockout of his tenure." Wild beat writer Michael Russo caught up with Parise a couple days ago and he had a few more things to say about the situation:

For whatever reason, [lockouts] seem to be what Gary likes to do. Whether this time around it’s a negotiating tactic or what, you’d hope that he’s smart enough to realize that as a league, the fanbases, with the momentum that the league has gotten, that it wouldn’t be a good idea to have a lockout.

I thought the first proposal was embarrassing. Embarrassing. If you look at it in the long run, in my opinion, it was a quick fix for them, but I feel seven years down the road, it’s not addressing the problem and we’re going to be in the exact same spot where we are now. I could go on for a long time, but I thought it was a joke.

• Parise goes on to say the current CBA that is set to expire this month is "their deal and now they want us to bail them out again." Former Minnesota defenseman Keith Ballard also offered his thoughts in the full text of the aforementioned Star-Tribune post.
• Depending on the duration of any potential work stoppage, Chicago Blackhawk captain Jonathan Toews might opt to play overseas during 2012-13. Toews and fellow 'Hawk Patrick Kane reportedly "would consider playing in Europe 'under the right circumstances and [during the] appropriate time'."
• Two of UND's goaltenders have their goalie mask artwork displayed on the website of Diel Airbrush. Clarke Saunders' mask has an Audioslave theme while Zane Gothberg's features Ralph Engelstad in his goalie gear.
• The artistic abilities of Brock Nelson and former BC Eagle star Chris Kreider were on full display this past week at the NHLPA's Rookie Showcase: 

Recruit Profile: Clarke Saunders

Photo-USCHO.com

Previous Team:  University of Alabama-Huntsville (NCAA)
Anticipated Arrival at UND: 2012
Position: Goaltender
Birthday:  September 19, 1989
Hometown:  Brockville, Ontario, Canada
Height:  6' 3"
Weight:  200 Lbs.
Shoots: Left


Profiles & Press Clippings:

• Transferring from UAH, will be eligible immediately as a junior
• College Hockey Inc 2011-12 Profile/Stat Page
• Elite Prospects Profile Page
• University of North Dakota Hockey Blog: Saunders Affirms Commitment to UND
• The Huntsville Times: Saunders Earns No. 1 Star of the Week
• The Brockville Recorder and Times: Saunders Answers Call
• The Brockville Recorder and Times: Braves Goalie Shoots, Scores First-Ever Goal
• The Brockville Recorder and Times: Braves Goalie Sets Record
• GCG: Clarke Saunders - Success is Not a Surprise 

2011-12:

• As a sophomore he played for the Alabama-Hunstville Chargers, posting a 3.72 GAA and .906 Save %. He led the team to its only two victories of the season, including a 44 save gem against Nebraska-Omaha. He also registered two fifty-plus save performances on the season, a 1-1 tie against Air Force (55 saves) and a 2-1 loss against Minnesota-Duluth (52 saves).

2010-11:

• The UAH freshman recorded a 3.80 GAA and .898 Save % in leading the Chargers to their only four wins of the season. He established a school record by recording 58 saves in a 2-1 overtime victory against Nebraska-Omaha, and during the second period of that game he set another school record by saving all 25 shots he faced.

2009-10:

• While playing for the Brockville Braves (CJHL) he recorded a 2.31 GAA and .915 Save % while going 31-7-1 in 39 regular season games. His 31 wins broke the franchise record for most wins in a season, a record he had previously set in 2007-08 (29 wins). He also had a 2.53 GAA and .897 Save % in 12 postseason appearances, and he was a member of the CJHL All-Stars in the 2010 Battle of Ontario. He finished his CJHL career with 81 victories, the third most in league history.

2008-09:

• He went 18-10-2 while posting a 2.75 GAA and .894 Save % in 37 regular season games with Brockville. He appeared in six playoff games, going 4-2 with a 3.66 GAA and .907 Save %. He was named to the CJHL All-Star team that took part in the 2009 Battle of Ontario, and he also became the first goaltender in franchise history to score a goal.

2007-08:

• In his first full season with Brockville he went 29-15-3 in 49 regular season games, producing a 3.16 GAA and .892 Save %. His 29 wins established a new franchise record, one that he would later break in 2009-10. In nine postseason games he went 3-4 while registering a 4.74 GAA and .870 Save %.

Monday Evening Post

• Jonathan Toews did not take part in Blackhawk practice today, and he has been ruled out for Tuesday night's game against Nashville after suffering an upper-body injury last weekend. He is also likely to miss this weekend's All-Star game in order to take advantage of the extra rest. The added rest comes at a good time as Toews' importance to the Blackhawks is immeasurable, and one observer says that unless Sidney Crosby can overcome his concussion issues, Toews is the future of the NHL.
• Taylor Chorney, recalled from Oklahoma City yesterday, is expected to be in the lineup tonight for Edmonton when they take on San Jose.  
• TJ Oshie, Chris Porter, and the St. Louis Blues are Western Conference contenders. 
• The red-hot play of Fargo Force goaltender Zane Gothberg (nine game win streak) has been receiving a lot of attention as of late, but a few future Sioux blueliners have also been producing some nice numbers in the USHL. Paul LaDue of Lincoln has seven points (3G, 4A) and is a +8 over his last seven games. Keaton Thompson of the USNTDP U-17 team has four points (1G, 3A) and is a +5 in his last five games, while Green Bay's Jordan Schmaltz appears to have found his groove in producing eleven points (3G, 8A) and a +3 in his last seven games.
• Alabama-Huntsville goaltender Clarke Saunders, who will transfer to UND following this season season, did all he could to keep his team competitive against top-ranked Minnesota-Duluth last weekend. In Friday's 2-1 loss at Amsoil Arena, Saunders stopped 52 of 54 Bulldog shots. On Saturday night he faced 47 more, stopping 43 of them in the Chargers' 4-3 loss. That's a lot of rubber in what was a respectable showing for Huntsville, which is now 2-24-1 on the season. Who did their two wins come against? Saunders' future WCHA/NCHC foes Nebraska-Omaha and Denver.

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. 

Team USA in Fargo, Malone Debuts, Oshie Evolving, Etc.

I took a rare night off from the Fighting Sioux home hockey schedule in order to take a look at 2012 incoming recruits Stefan Matteau, Miles Koules, and Zane Gothberg. Matteau and Koules play for the USNTDP's Under-18 team and were in Fargo to take on Gothberg and the Force. Here are a few observations:

• Koules centered a line featuring Matteau on his left wing and BC recruit Frankie Vatrano on his right. 
• The highly-skilled Team USA dictated play for much of the game, but Gothberg was outstanding. He stopped 35 of 38 shots and was very good in the shootout. He was tracking the puck very well, played with a lot of confidence, and earned the game's 1st Star. He's been a bit inconsistent this year for the Force, but that could be attributed to the Force as a whole being inconsistent.
• Matteau comes as advertised. He's not at all afraid of the physical side of the game, and he uses his size (6'1" 209 lbs.) effectively. He scored a goal on which he out-muscled a Force player behind the net, eventually working the puck to teammate Thomas Di Pauli. Gothberg made the initial save on Di Pauli's shot, but Matteau had worked his way into position in front of the net and was able to deposit the loose change. He's also a solid skater (at one point impressively and nimbly hurdling a downed Force player at center ice), he has a nice, quick wrist shot that he displayed on his shootout goal, and he was solid on the backcheck. There has been talk of Matteau potentially taking the CHL route rather than playing collegiately, but if he does indeed make his way to North Dakota next fall he will be an immediate impact player as a solid two-way power forward.
• Koules didn't find the scoresheet, but he has a nice nose for the puck. He, like most of Team USA, is a very solid passer, has very solid offensive instincts, and is a good, agile skater that accelerates very well. He's also good on the forecheck. Looking at his season as a whole, it's a bit surprising that he has just two goals in 24 games. That being said, he does lead the Under-18ers is assists, so perhaps he is developing into more of a playmaking centerman than the goal scorer he has been in the past.
• Though speculation has U-18 defenseman Seth Jones eventually jumping to the CHL, North Dakota is said to be in the mix if he were to opt for the college route. He's earned nothing but rave reviews from every corner of the hockey world, and after watching him live he certainly lives up to the expectations. He's very poised and quarterbacks the powerplay like he invented it. He skates well, passes well, blocks shots, logs heavy minutes, and anticipates the action very well rather than reacting to it. He's an elite defender who will go very early in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
• Michigan recruit Jacob Trouba was also impressive. He jumps into the play very well and is a very good all-around defenseman. Others who stood out on Team USA were Kyle Osterberg (Minnesota-Duluth recruit), Thomas Di Pauli (Notre Dame), Matthew Lane (Boston University), and Nicolas Kerdiles (Wisconsin), while Austin Farley (Minnesota-Duluth), Brian Cooper (Nebraska-Omaha), and Justin Wade (Notre Dame) impressed for the Force.
• Somehow, I managed to survive the game and the shuttle ride back home without hearing any news on the Sioux-Maverick game. I went off the grid and was able to watch North Dakota and UNO in its entirety following the USHL action.

-----

Brad Malone made his NHL debut last night for the Colorado Avalanche, becoming the 13th Fighting Sioux alumni to skate in the NHL this season. He logged 10:12 of ice time while centering the fourth line in the 4-1 loss to Edmonton. All Things Avs has a bit more on his debut.

-----

Prior to the St. Louis Blues relieving Davis Payne of his head coaching duties in favor of Ken Hitchcock, TJ Oshie was averaging 1.46 shot attempts per game. Since Hitchcock has taken over, Oshie's shots per game have doubled to 2.93 and he has routinely been among the best players on the ice. Hitchcock attributes the turnaround to an adjustment in playing style. Rather than playing an east-west game, Oshie is becoming a north-south player who is maturing before our very eyes.

Other Notes:

• I forgot to mention this earlier, but Alabama-Huntsville goaltender Clarke Saunders recently stated he was planning to transfer to North Dakota after the season due to UAH's adminstrative decision to discontinue Division I ice hockey. That situation, however, has been thrown into a state of flux due to the recent about-face on the part of UAH. The school is now planning on doing whatever it can to keep the program solvent, and they have begun the process of scheduling games for the 2012-13 season. Nothing is certain, and where this leaves Saunders is unknown at this point, but if the Chargers do indeed receive a reprieve he would have to sit out a year under NCAA transfer rules if he opted to leave Hunstville. Saunders, a sophomore with a 3.30 GAA and .918 save percentage in 15 games this season, would join Zane Gothberg as incoming 2012 goaltenders.
• Former 'Hawk Jeremy Roenick recently commented on the Hart Trophy-caliber season Chicago captain Jonathan Toews is having, including stating that Toews is very motivated by last season's Stanley Cup hangover. If you so desire, watch the entire interview.
• Recruit Nick Schmaltz scored his first career USHL last night in the Green Bay Gamblers 6-5 overtime win against Cedar Rapids. Assisting on the goal was big brother and fellow Sioux recruit Jordan Schmaltz. The 15 year-old Nick later added an assist and has now played in 8 USHL games, accounting for two points (1G, 1A) and a +5 rating.