Wednesday Morning Post

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

Thursday Morning Post

• A number of Sioux alums will be hitting the ice for the 2013-14 season this week as NHL rookie/prospect camps and tournaments kick into gear. Toronto's Rookie Tournament will feature four Sioux alums as the Maple Leafs (Andrew MacWilliam), Ottawa (Ben Blood), Chicago (Joe Gleason), and Penguins (Carter Rowney) will compete in a round robin tournament beginning today and running through the weekend. Danny Kristo will be part of the New York Ranger contingent competing at the Traverse City Tournament while Corban Knight and the Calgary Flames will be participating in the Young Stars Classic in Penticton, BC (Flames games will be streamed on their website). Derek Forbort will be attending the Los Angeles King rookie camp, which includes a pair of games against Anaheim, and Brock Nelson will participate in the New York Islanders rookie camp.
• Leading into the rookie tournaments, The Calgary Herald detailed Knight's unusually busy summer, while Blueshirts United featured Kristo in this nice interview:

• Hockey Prospectus recently ranked the Rangers' top prospects, and Kristo came in at number two while freshman forward Adam Tambellini was ranked fifteenth. Meanwhile, CBS New York says Kristo will be given every opportunity to crack the Ranger lineup. 
• Forbort checks in at number six amongst the Mayor's Manor top LA King prospects.
• Also from Mayor's Manor, Matt Frattin is fitting in nicely in Los Angeles following his offseason trade from Toronto.
• Following a strong performance at a tryout camp, Sioux alum Tate Maris earned an invite to the St. Charles Chill (CHL) training camp.
• David Toews has signed with the Reading Royals (ECHL) for the 2013-14 season.
• Former Sioux defenseman and Grand Forks native Nick Fuher has joined the Winkler Flyers (MJHL) staff as an assistant coach.
• The Hockey Guys have ranked the top recruiting classes for the next two seasons, and North Dakota's are ranked number two for 2013 and number one for 2014.
• Nick Schmaltz is a key cog in UND's 2014 freshman class, and TSN's Craig Button has him slotted at number 25 in his initial rankings for the 2014 NHL Draft.
• Sioux alum Phil Jackson recently did a Q&A with the LA Kings, and he mentions his time spent playing hockey as a youth with former Sioux All-American Terry Casey. Jackson and Casey were neighborhood friends in Great Falls, MT prior to Jackson's family moving to Williston, ND.

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.

Signings and Rankings

• A trio of former Sioux have recently signed contracts for the 2012-13 season. Yesterday David Toews signed with the Bakersfield Condors, where he will team up with Evan Trupp, while today it was announced that Aaron Schneekloth had re-signed with the Colorado Eagles. The Eagles now have three former Sioux on their roster in Schneekloth, Aaron Dell, and Michael Forney. Bakersfield, Colorado, and Mario Lamoureux's Ontario Reign are all in the ECHL's 8-team Western Conference, so they'll be facing off with each other on a pretty regular basis. Also signing today was Kyle Radke, who agreed to terms with the Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League. For an up-to-date listing of where the Sioux in the pros are playing this season, check out The Pros page.
• North Dakota received a verbal commitment from Penticton Vee (BCHL) standout Wade Murphy yesterday. There will be more on Murphy when his Recruit Profile is posted.
• Hockey Prospectus released its Top 100 NHL Prospects. Rocco Grimaldi (No. 36), Brock Nelson (No. 67), Corban Knight (No. 69), and Derek Forbort (No. 85) all made the list.
• NHL Central Scouting released its Preliminary Watch List for the 2013 draft, and three North Dakota recruits made the cut. Luke Johnson is an A-List player, while Keaton Thompson and Adam Tambellini are B-Listers. For reference, an A-List player is considered to have first-round potential, while a B-List player is considered to be a second or third-round player. Also of note, North Dakota natives Ryan Callahan (Grafton) and Alec Rauhauser (Bismarck) were ranked as C-List players, which have the potential to be fourth to sixth-round picks, while Waterloo (USHL) defenseman Ian McCoshen is an A-Lister. McCoshen has narrowed his collegiate choices down to Nebraska-Omaha, Minnesota-Duluth, and North Dakota.
• Kevin Allen of the USA Today ranked his Top 10 American-born 2013 Draft Prospects and Johnson came in at number 10. Future Considerations listed 10 players to watch at the 2012 USHL Fall Classic, and Johnson came in at number 10, while Hockey Prospect listed eight players (Johnson included) that scouts will be keeping their collective eyes on at the Fall Classic.
• United States of Hockey recently previewed the USA Hockey NTDP Under-18 team, and they had some nice things to say about Thompson.

Friday Morning Post

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

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

Wednesday Evening Post

• On the Fighting Sioux injury front, Brendan O'Donnell is out for this weekend's series against Wisconsin, while Derek Forbort is listed as questionable. O'Donnell suffered his upper-body injury against Minnesota, while Forbort is still ailing from an injury he sustained at the World Junior Championships.
• The first-ever NHL/USHL Top Prospects Game took place yesterday in Muskegon, MI. Team East defeated Team West by a score of 5-3 with over 100 NHL scouts in attendance. Sioux recruit Luke Johnson, one of just three 2013 draft-eligible prospects invited to participate, recorded two assists for Team West, while fellow Sioux recruit Jordan Schmaltz played for Team East.
• For the second consecutive week, Fargo Force goalkeeper Zane Gothberg was named the USHL Goaltender of the Week after helping the Force pick up three wins, including his third shutout of the season. He has been in net for the duration of Fargo's current nine game win streak, having posted a .943 save percentage and 1.43 GAA during that span. For the season, Gothberg leads USHL netminders in shutouts (3), is second in GAA (2.34) and save percentage (.918) and is third in wins (15).
• Reel Hockey Scouting has compiled scouting reports for future Sioux defensemen Charlie Pelnik and Jordan Schmaltz. The reports are rather unique in that they feature complete game iso videos of each player. Charlie Pelnik Scouting Report and Jordan Schmaltz Scouting Report
• Recruit Drake Caggiula, who was nicked up and had to sit out a couple games last weekend, is expected to be back in the Stouffville Spirit (OJHL) lineup this week. Caggiula has recorded 27 points (8G, 19A) in 19 games for the second place Spirit.
• David Toews has been placed on the Toledo Walleye's (ECHL) IR list with concussion symptoms.
• With the NHL All-Star break upon us, a few former Sioux have been reassigned to their AHL squads. Joe Finley (Buffalo Sabres) was assigned to Rochester, Taylor Chorney (Edmonton Oilers) to Oklahoma City, and Chris Porter (St. Louis Blues) was sent to Peoria. Porter's stint is officially a two game conditioning assignment, meaning he does not need to clear waivers in order to rejoin the Blues.
• Mike Commodore was on 590 The Fan's Brady and Lang in the Morning Show, and he discussed what it's been like to play for the Red Wings after coming over from the Columbus Blue Jackets. And while it wasn't discussed on the radio show, Commodore did Tweet his thoughts on the newest Detroit Tiger, Prince Fielder: "Cheli's Chili might want to change those glass windows to plexiglass before opening day. They might be within Fielder's range." Well, Google Earth says Chris Chelios' restaurant is 735 feet from home plate at Comerica Park, so he may not be that far off.
• A feature published by The Hockey Writers asks whether the New Jersey Devils should trade Zach Parise.
• Jonathan Toews was placed on IR yesterday, enabling Chicago to call up an extra player from Rockford, their AHL affiliate. Toews also will not be participating in the All-Star Game as he looks to recover from the wrist injury that forced him to miss Tuesday's game against Nashville. Due to the long All-Star break, the IR assignment will not force Toews to miss any additional action if he is ready to go once the NHL resumes regular season play.
• A Los Angeles Kings blog says the play of assistant captain Matt Greene is often overlooked.

Post Holiday Break Update, Part 2

This should hopefully get the blog caught up on the backlog of links and updates that have accumulated over the past week and a half. Expect an international update later today, a Harvard series recap Sunday or Monday, along with the remaining recruit profiles over the next week or so:

• TJ Oshie was sidelined for St. Louis' first two games out of the holiday break, but he returned to action last night and scored the Blues' only goal in a 2-1 shootout loss to Nashville. Oshie now has 19 points (11G, 8A) and a +10 in his last 24 games after a bit of a slow start, but still feels as though he can play better. His 24 points are one shy of David Backes' team leading 25, while his 12 goals are second to Alex Steen's 13.
• The Blues travel to Detroit to take on Mike Commodore and the Red Wings tonight. Commodore, who put in his work off the ice during an unfamiliar run of healthy scratches, has now played in the Wings' last four games, including last night's game against Chicago in which he registered his first point as a Wing. Red Wings' coach Mike Babcock says Commodore has seized the opportunity after earning his way back into the lineup.
• The New Jersey Devils have sustained their recent strong play, having won eight of their last eleven games. Travis Zajac's return to the lineup has bolstered the Devil's depth up the middle, but the consistently strong play of the top two lines has been key during New Jersey's surge. Zajac has been centering the third line and will most likely not be 100% health-wise until next season as he continues working his way back from an Achilles tendon injury. The Devils and team captain Zach Parise, meanwhile, can enter into contract extension negotiations beginning tomorrow.
• Last night Jonathan Toews, who has had a number of memorable NHL goals, was successful on his first career NHL penalty shot. The 'Hawks eventually earned a 3-2 victory over Detroit and extended their league-best point total to 52. Toews, who leads the 'Hawks with 21 goals and is second on the team with 38 points, continues to be mentioned in early Hart Trophy speculation and Chicago sports fans should be thankful for their hockey captain. Chicago head coach Joel Quenneville says it's the little things that make Toews so special. He was also recently featured in a rundown of Canada's last 10 years at the World Junior Championships, and he is one of many stars who can call themselves both Fighting Sioux and Shattuck-St. Mary's alumni.
• Anaheim Ducks forward Jason Blake, who suffered a lacerated wrist tendon just three games into the season, has been practicing with the team and should return to game action within a week. Meanwhile there is no set timetable for the return of Blake's teammate Matt Smaby, but Duck beat writer Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register said that Smaby is progressing nicely and official word on Smaby's status should come soon. Smaby underwent thumb surgery prior to the regular season and was originally expected to be out 2-3 months.
• Last week Colorado Avalanche rookie Brad Malone earned a nice review on his play since being called up from Lake Erie (AHL). In nine games with the Avs Malone has two assists and is a +1.
• Joe Finley, who made his NHL debut with Buffalo earlier this season, is climbing the Sabres ladder and not looking back.
• Drew Stafford has been in a season-long goal scoring drought, and he says extra focus is key to breaking out.
• David Toews made his AHL debut last night with the Rockford Ice Hogs. Prior to the call-up Toews had spent the entire season with the Toledo Walleye, playing in 24 games and producing nine points (2G, 7A).
• Taylor Chorney of Oklahoma City (AHL) received a three game suspension for an illegal check earlier this week.
• Reigning ECHL Player of the Week Michael Forney of the Colorado Eagles will have to sit out one game after receiving an instigating game misconduct last night against the Alaska Aces.

Travis Zajac's Return On Schedule, Malone Called Up, Etc.

There's been a lot of activity in the world of Fighting Sioux hockey recently. Enjoy the nuggets:

• Travis Zajac returned to practice with the New Jersey Devils Wednesday, and he appears on track to return to game action in two weeks. Zajac, who has yet to play this year due to an offseason Achilles tendon injury, said he is pain free and that his legs feel good. The Devils will surely welcome him back to the lineup with open arms as they currently hover near the .500 mark. Zajac was unable to play in his hometown of Winnipeg during the Devils' recent road trip, but teammate Zach Parise was in action against his hometown team, the Minnesota Wild. And due to Parise's impending free agency status, speculation has begun on whether Parise might return to the Twin Cities for good.
• Brad Malone had an impressive training camp this fall with the Colorado Avalanche and has been streaking for the Lake Erie Monsters (AHL) as of late. This afternoon his solid play was rewarded as he was called up by the Avs. He is expected to meet the team in Edmonton Friday, where he could be making his NHL debut. If he does crack the lineup, he will be the 13th Fighting Sioux alumni to see NHL action this season.
• The most recent Fighting Sioux alum to make his NHL debut was the Buffalo Sabres' Joe Finley, who debuted last Friday. Finley has appeared in three games, going scoreless with a -1 rating. His ice time was limited in the two games he played last weekend, but Wednesday night against Philadelphia his shifts came more regularly and he played a solid game.
• Matt Frattin had what was probably his best game as a Maple Leaf this week against New Jersey, scoring a goal on a powerful drive to the net during a game in which he was a force all over the ice. He recently discussed his collegiate and Frozen Four experiences and made a radio appearance with 590 The Fan.
• Jake Marto started the year in the ECHL with the Colorado Eagles prior to being called up by St. John's (AHL). He began as the IceCaps' number 6/7 defenseman, but has since worked his way onto the team's top pairing.
• TJ Oshie continues his outstanding play. In a recent game St. Louis Blues color analyst Darren Pang named Oshie the player of the game and stated that even if Oshie hadn't scored a goal, he still would have been the best player on the ice. He's been all over the ice and has been an integral part of the Blues surge under new head coach Ken Hitchcock.
• Jonathan Toews' tremendous November recently earned him the NHL's Second Star of the Month, and it has pushed him to the forefront of the early Hart Trophy speculation. Toews, who might very well become the greatest captain in Blackhawk history, was recently named a finalist for Manitoba's Male Athlete of the Year. Steve Yzerman, one of hockey's all-time greatest captains, recently profiled Toews as a part of Chicago's 85 Years of Blood, Sweat, and Cheers series. Former Sioux goaltender and recent Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Ed Belfour was also featured in the series.
• David Toews, meanwhile, is making his own mark in the professional ranks. He has been a consistent presence for the ECHL's Toledo Walleye.
• Brock Nelson has been on quite a tear recently, earning back-to-back WCHA Offensive Player of the Week honors. The New York Islander draft pick's productivity was recently analyzed by the Isles' statistician, while Nelson and a host of other collegians are faring well in Copper and Blue's NHL Equivalency ratings.
• Sioux recruit Drake Caggiula was named to Team North, which will compete in the Central Canada Cup Challenge.
• Recruit Zane Gothberg says he is enjoying being the Fargo Force's number one goaltender.
• One note on the Recruit Profiles: They are being posted in reverse order of the commitments, but they will also be updated as the recruits' pre-Sioux careers progress. Any individual honors, achievements, scouting reports, etc. will be added throughout their time as recruits. So if you're interested, check The Recruits page from time to time to see how things are developing for the future of Fighting Sioux hockey. Also, if anyone has additional information on any of the recruits, pass it along and I will include it in the profiles.

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.

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:

Two Sioux Named NHL Captains, New Recruit, Frattin Starts For Leafs, Etc.

Two former Fighting Sioux teammates were named NHL captains this week. Zach Parise was named captain of the New Jersey Devils, while Drew Stafford was named as an alternate captain for the Buffalo Sabres. This will be Parise's seventh NHL season, all with the Devils, while Stafford is entering his sixth season with the Sabres. They join Jonathan Toews (Chicago captain) and Matt Greene (Los Angeles alternate captain) as former Sioux serving as NHL captains.

Parise was recently interviewed by the New York Times concerning the upcoming season, while Stafford has been busy filming workout videos. Check it out:


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Matt Frattin was on the ice when the puck dropped on the NHL regular season tonight in Toronto, starting on the Maple Leafs top line in place of the suspended Clarke MacArthur. Frattin is one of two former WCHA players to make the Leafs roster out of camp, being joined by former Wisconsin Badger defenseman Jake Gardiner. He knows making the team is just the beginning, as each game will be an audition to retain his spot on the roster. Frattin was also featured in Meet the Leafs, and give the Toronto Star credit-they'd be hard pressed to find a better picture for the feature.

In other Sioux in the Pros news:

• Jason Blake, whose Anaheim Ducks are in Europe as part of the 2011 NHL Premiere, is getting a little extra attention these days due to his Finnish linemates.
• Joe Finley and Corey Fienhage recently signed with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League. Both had been taking part in Buffalo Sabre training camp prior to being reassigned to Rochester, which is Buffalo's AHL affiliate.
• Finley is hoping to have an injury free season for the first time in his professional career.
• David Toews is looking to make a name for himself with the AHL's Rockford Ice Hogs. (The article is from last week, but as of tonight, Toews was still on the Rockford roster)
• Jake Marto and Michael Forney were both recently released from St John's Ice Caps (AHL) training camp, meaning they'll likely be starting the season with the ECHL's Colorado Eagles. The Eagles also feature former Sioux Aaron Schneekloth. Forney was recently featured as part of The Illegal Curve's Prospect Pulse.

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The Sioux received a commitment today from Calgary native and Vernon Viper (BCHL) defenseman Geoff Crisfield. Crisfield, who this fall took part in Team Canada West's World Junior A Challenge evaluation camp, is expected to arrive at UND in the fall of 2013. Through five games with the Vipers this season the 6'1" 200 pound blueliner has one assist and seventeen penalty minutes. Looking at his statistics, he isn't afraid to mix it up, having earned 182 PIM in 40 games last season.
Crisfield's Viper Profile & Season Stats
Crisfield's Elite Prospect Profile

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The college hockey regular season commences tomorrow, and the Fighting Sioux will be hosting the annual Ice Breaker Tournament at Ralph Engelstad Arena. Friday will feature Boston College taking on Michigan State, while North Dakota will face Air Force. The Ice Breaker will be played under a four-team tournament format, with the losing and winning teams from Friday's games facing off against their counterparts on Saturday. Game times each day are slated for 4:07 and 7:37 CDT. The Fighting Sioux will play the 7:37 games each night, regardless of Friday night's outcome. Below are links from each competing team's respective athletic departments:

North Dakota Fighting Sioux
Michigan State Spartans
Air Force Falcons
Boston College Eagles
Broadcast Information

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.

NHL Training Camp Links & 2012 NHL Draft Prelim. Rankings

• Chris Vendevelde has been impressive at Edmonton Oiler training camp.
• TJ Oshie's approach to this season may be just what the St Louis Blues franchise needed.
• The Toews brothers comment briefly about their experience playing with one another.
• Once again, Brian Lee has a fight for playing time on his hands in Ottawa.
• The Portland Press Herald has a nice article on Brett Hextall adding to his family legacy.
• Toward the bottom of this Buffalo training camp notebook entry, Drew Stafford comments on the upcoming season.
• Jordan Schmaltz appears on this (very) preliminary 2012 NHL Draft ranking. Never mind the bit about him playing in Windsor-he'll be in Grand Forks next fall.
• The Western College Hockey Blog published their ballot for the WCHA preseaon poll. It's hard to believe DU's Jason Zucker isn't a first teamer, but then again, whose place would he take?

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Mike Brophy writes in his column at sportsnet.ca that Matt Frattin is taking advantage of his chances:

Matt Frattin has taken advantage of every opportunity he has been given to make the Maple Leafs. A finalist for the Hobey Baker Award with the University of North Dakota last season when he scored 36 goals and 60 points in 44 games the 23-year-old right winger looked like a man playing with boys at the team's rookie camp in Oshawa last week. He stood out in the weekend scrimmages and was flying again in the first pre-season game against the Senators. Frattin's greatest attribute in Game 1 was his drive to the net.

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Ryan Johnson welcomes the challenge of attending Detroit Red Wing training camp as a tryout attendee. Red Wing head coach Mike Babcock had a couple snippets about Johnson's performance thus far:

"I thought Huds, (Fabian) Brunnstrom and (Ryan) Johnson were a good line (previously), so I stayed with that. It had nothing to do with Patty, I just wanted to look at something else.'' 


"(Jan) Mursak was all over the puck, hounded hard. (Brendan) Smith was a good player today. Nyquist is a real good hockey player. Ryan Johnson and Brunnstrom have done a real nice job for themselves.''

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:

Sioux NHL Links & Rookie Camp Updates

Here are some links pertaining to former Sioux as we head into NHL training camps:

• New Jersey Devil Zach Parise reiterates that his one-year deal does not signify that he's intent on leaving the Devils following the season.
• In a Fire & Ice post, Parise discusses the upcoming season, including more on this contract situation and returning from last season's knee injury that kept him out of the lineup almost all year.
• Fellow Devil Travis Zajac discusses the uncertainty involved in recovering from his Achilles tendon injury.
• Coming off his most productive offensive season, the Buffalo Sabres' Drew Stafford discusses a new component of his offseason regimen and the Sabre organization's busy summer.
• According to Senators Extra, Brian Lee isn't getting enough credit for his solid play down the stretch for the Ottawa Senators.
• Senshot proposes a new defensive pairing for the Senators, based on Lee's improved late season play.
• St Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong discusses his team heading into the upcoming season, including what he considers to be TJ Oshie's best offseason as a Blue. On a Blues sidenote, it's nice to see former MSU Maverick David Backes earn the Captainship for St Louis. I've always admired his play and it's nice to see him being rewarded.
• The Edmonton Journal's Cult of Hockey chronicles Chris Vandevelde's place among the Edmonton Oiler's young forwards. It was fun to watch the development of Vandevelde down the stretch last season as he started earning ice time in all situations.
• Jonathan Toews and Steven Stamkos comment on Toews defeating Stamkos in TSN's Franchise Faceoff final. They each also comment on why they should be picked first in a fantasy hockey draft. I love Toews' answer. The Q&A session was part of the NHL's two-day player media tour that took place last week. Zach Parise also took part.

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Chay Genoway scored a goal for the Minnesota Wild, but it wasn't enough as the Wild fell to the Buffalo Sabres 6-3 yesterday in each team's opener in the Traverse City rookie tournament. Corey Fienhage notched an assist for the Sabres. Buffalo's next game is today at 1:30 against Columbus while the Wild face Detroit this evening at 5:30.

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Matt Frattin and the Toronto Maple Leaf's rookies defeated David Toews and the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 yesterday in the Maple Leaf's rookie tournament. The game was streamed on the Leafs official website with a half hour delay, and the quality was pretty good. Frattin seemed to be pressing early but played well in the second and third periods. I also thought Toews had a solid game, though neither player ended up in the scoring column. Also, former Wisconsin Badger defenseman Jake Gardiner looked very sharp for the Leafs and his two goals certainly displayed his strong skating and puck protection skills. The Leafs play again tonight, but Frattin will not be in the lineup. The Blackhawks were back on the ice taking on Ottawa at 1:00 this afternoon.

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Yesterday marked the first practice at the Winnipeg Jets' rookie training camp. Jason Gregoire, who will be battling for a full time NHL gig, is appreciative of the fan support the Jets received for their first practice.

Duncan Signs, David Toews Traded, Rookie Tourney Updates, Etc.

Ryan Duncan has signed a contract with the Portland Pirates of the AHL, an affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes. Duncan, who in 2006-07 became just the second ever Fighting Sioux to win the Hobey Baker Award, played for EC Red Bull Salzburg of the Austrian Elite League the past two seasons after appearing in two games for the AHL's Bridgewater Sound Tigers following his senior season at North Dakota.

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Today the New York Islanders traded the rights of David Toews to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for future considerations. Toews, the younger brother of former Sioux and current Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, spent two seasons at North Dakota before opting to join the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL last season. Toews was also added to Chicago's roster for the Toronto Maple Leaf rookie tournament, and on Saturday he'll be taking on former teammate and current Maple Leaf Matt Frattin.

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Speaking of Frattin, he was interviewed recently for Leafs TV, and had some great things to say about his time at North Dakota:



Heading into camp there's been alot of buzz concerning the open competition for the final forward spot among Toronto's top 12, a competition that will surely feature Frattin, Nazem Kadri, former DU Pioneer Joe Colborne and others. Hopefully a solid rookie tournament this weekend will propel Frattin towards a great training camp and a regular roster spot with the Leafs.

Frattin was also recently featured as one of five Leaf's prospects on the rise.

If you want to catch any of the Maple Leaf rookie tournament action, Toronto's games will be streamed on their official website.

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Derrick LaPoint, who recently signed with the Reading Royals of the ECHL, will be taking part in the Florida Panther rookie camp. LaPoint briefly discussed his upcoming professional plans with a local TV station.

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Jason Gregoire, who will be suiting up for Winnipeg's entry in the 2011 Young Stars Tournament, is featured as one of the five Jets to watch this weekend. The rookie tournament will be held in Penticton, BC and is hosted by the Vancouver Canucks.

Wanna catch some of the Young Stars in action? Here's the info.

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Below are a couple links concerning where Ryan Johnson might fit in with the Detroit Red Wings should he crack the roster:

Pro Hockey Talk
Detroit Hockey Report

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In more Motor City puck news, former Sioux Mike Commodore is ready to compete for a regular spot on the Red Wing blue line.

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Sioux commit Jordan Schmaltz is one of just four USHL players to make this list of 2012 draft eligibles to keep an eye on.

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Chuck Schwartz of Bucky's 5th Quarter recently unveiled his WCHA preview for this upcoming season.

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Finally, in a busy day for the Ralph, single game tickets go on-sale tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM and Sioux Fan Fest will take place on ice level of the main arena from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.