Sioux in the Pros Update

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

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

Tuesday Morning Coffee

• North Dakota, despite not playing any regular season games, has risen to number two in both the USCHO poll and the USA Today/USA Hockey poll. 
• Former Sioux defenseman Ben Blood was recalled by the AHL's Binghamton Senators yesterday. Blood, who played two games this past weekend with Elmira of the ECHL, will be with the team when they take on Joe Finley and the Rochester Americans tonight.
• Brock Nelson picked up his first professional points last weekend with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL), and here's a video of his first pro goal.
• Angus Certified recently interviewed Minnesota wild strength coach Kirk Olson. When asked to name the fittest hockey players he's trained, he mentioned Chris Porter, Zach Parise, and Drew Stafford.
• Former Sioux Travis Roche is currently tied for fifth among NLA (Swiss elite league) defensemen with eight points (1G, 7A). 
• Ryan Bayda is tied for seventh in DEL (German elite league) scoring with ten points (2G, 8A).
• UND recruit Wade Murphy has an eleven game point streak for the Penticton Vees (BCHL), the longest such active streak in the league. Murphy has recorded at least one point in each game he's played this season. Murphy is tied for the league lead with 20 points and he is the outright leader in assists (14) and points per game (1.80).