Friday Morning Coffee

• As I’m sure everyone has heard, Danny Kristo announced his intentions to return to North Dakota for his senior year, and the Montreal Gazette says that he feels he has some unfinished business at the collegiate level.
• The Fighting Sioux received a commitment from Weyburn Red Wing (SJHL) captain Coltyn Sanderson for the 2012-13 season. Learn a bit more about the latest Sioux recruit via his Recruit Profile.
• After playing this past season with the AHL’s Portland Pirates, former Sioux Hobey Baker Award winner Ryan Duncan will head back to Europe next season in order to rejoin EC Salzburg (Austria Tier 1). Duncan spent the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons with Salzburg, producing 111 pts (43G, 68A) in 99 regular season games. Duncan, who registered 36 points (14G, 22A) in 64 games with Portland, feels his “style of play is better suited for the European game.”
• Speaking of Austria’s tier 1 league, former Sioux All-American defenseman Curtis Murphy and EHC Linz  recently won the league’s play-off championship. EHC Linz went 12-5 in winning three best-of-seven playoff series, eliminating former Sioux netminder JP Lamoureux’s Olimpija Ljubljana squad in the semifinals. Murphy led all league defensemen in scoring during both the regular season and playoffs by producing 44 points (16G, 28A) in 50 regular season games and 13 points (2G, 11A) in 17 playoff games.
• Lee Goren's Skelleftea squad fell to Brynas in the finals of the Swedish Elite League, losing out four games to two. Goren missed the last several games of the championship series due to a concussion, but he was able to produce 13 points (5G, 8A) in 14 games prior to his injury.
• After a 17 -year professional career, former Sioux Darcy Mitani has decided to retire. He spent the majority of his pro career playing in Asia, and he retires as the all-time leading scorer in the Asia Hockey League with 372 points (131G, 242A). He is also the tenth all-time leading scorer the Asia League's predecessor, the Japan Ice Hockey League, with 331 points (145G, 186A). He discusses his career and retirement in this interview from Winnipeg's 4th Line Hockey Show:

NHL Playoff Updates:

• TJ Oshie and Chris Porter were the first former Sioux to move on to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The St Louis Blues dispatched the San Jose Sharks in five games, with Oshie pitching in three assists during the first round. Oshie has thrived under the guidance of head coach Ken Hitchcock, while  Porter, who has yet to play this postseason, was recently featured in the USHL’s Alumni Voices series.
• The Blues’ second round opponent will be Matt Greene and the Los Angeles Kings, who advanced after eliminating the Playoff’s top seeded Vancouver Canucks in five games. Greene is  a +1 but has yet to make his way onto the scoresheet. The Kings were able to eliminate the Cauncks despite knowing full well how difficult winning that fourth game can be.
• Jonathan Toews, who had four points (2G, 2A) in six playoff games, and the Chicago Blackhawks were eliminated by Dave Tippett’s Phoenix Coyotes. Tippett and the Coyotes will take on the Nashville Predators in the second round.
• Travis Zajac, Zach Parise, and the New Jersey Devils advanced to the second round of the playoffs by winning a game seven double-OT thriller against the Florida Panthers last night. The Devils won back-to-back OT games to win the series after trailing three games to two, with Zajac scoring the winner in game six. Zajac leads New Jersey with six points (3G, 3A) in seven playoff games, and TSN’s Bob McKenzie says New Jersey is a much better team with him in the lineup. Parise contributed four points (2G, 2A) in the first round, and the Devils will take on Philadelphia in the second round.

AHL Playoff Update:

• Matt Frattin and the Toronto Marlies swept Joe Finley and the Rochester Americans in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs. Frattin had a goal and two assists in the three-game sweep, while Joe Finley did not figure into any of Rochester’s scoring. Former Sioux Corey Fienhage was also on Rochester’s postseason roster but did not dress for any of the games.
• Oklahoma City eliminated the Houston Aeros three games to one, meaning Barons Chris VandeVelde and Taylor Chorney will move on to the second round while Chay Genoway will have to wait until next season for his next action. Neither VandeVelde nor Genoway recorded any points in the four games, and Chorney did not play due to a knee injury suffered in the regular season.  The good news for  OKC and Chorney, however, is that he is expected to return to the lineup for their second round series.
• Brock Nelson and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers were swept out of the playoffs by the Connecticut Whalers. Nelson appeared in two of the three games and did not record any points.
• The St. John’s IceCaps (Jason Gregoire, Jake Marto) lead the Syracuse Crunch (Matt Smaby) two games to one in their first round series. None of the former Sioux have played during the series.

Recruit Updates:

• Paul LaDue (1G, 1A in three games) and Luke Johnson (0G, 0A in three  games) of the Lincoln Stars have a two game to one lead in their USHL second round playoff series against the Fargo Force and Zane Gothberg (1.57 GAA, .943 Sv % in five games) & Bryn Chyzyk (0G, 1A in five games). Gothberg’s postseason 1.57 GAA and .943 Sv % lead all USHL goaltenders. The Force will try to extend the series to a fifth and deciding game when the two teams meet for game four Friday night in Fargo.
• Jordan Schmaltz and the Green Bay Gamblers have advanced to the USHL’s Eastern Conference Finals (vs. Indiana) after knocking off Youngstown three games to one. Schmaltz has one goal, two assists, and a +6 rating through four playoff games. His +6 rating during the playoffs leads all defensemen.
• Drake Caggiula and the Stouffville Spirit saw their run to the RBC Cup fall one victory short as they fell to the Soo Thunderbirds in the championship game of the Dudley Hewitt Cup. Caggiula finished the tournament with two goals and three assists in five games.

Sunday Afternoon Post, Part 1

Here is the first of two servings of the latest nuggets concerning Fighting Sioux men's hockey:

• Brad Schlossman has a full listing of links on his blog concerning UND's win over Western Michigan yesterday in the NCAA tournament's West Regional. North Dakota will look to book a trip to its sixth Frozen Four in the past eight years when it faces off against Minnesota for the sixth and final time this season.
• New Jersey Devil centerman Travis Zajac will return to the lineup tonight against Pittsburgh. Zajac has been limited to 8 games this season due to an Achilles tendon injury he suffered in the preseason, and has not played since January 2nd. Zajac will get right back at it on one of the Devils' two top lines, and his return gives New Jersey a much-needed pair of fresh legs as it looks to make a strong push heading into the playoffs.
• Chris VandeVelde was recalled yesterday by the Edmonton Oilers and is expected to be in the lineup this afternoon when the Oilers take on Columbus. He will be the 16th former Sioux to play in the NHL this season. VandeVelde has spent the entire season with with the Oklahoma City Barons, Edmonton's AHL affiliate, where he's produced 22 points (7G, 15A) in 65 games. He was also recently featured in an Oklahoma City Gameday episode.
• Chicago Blackhawk center Jonathan Toews practiced for the fifth consecutive day yesterday as he continues to work towards a return from a concussion. The injury will cause him to miss his 16th game tonight, and the Blackhawks are adamant about not rushing him back into the lineup.
• Zach Parise is wrapping up a very nice bounce-back season after missing most of last year due to a knee injury, and one of the keys to his individual success has been eliminating the talk of his impending free agency status. Parise, who would be the offseason's most coveted free agent should New Jersey not be able to re-sign him, has recorded 63 points (29G, 34A) while playing in all 75 of New Jersey's game this season.
• The Buffalo Sabres are making what could become a historic push towards the postseason, and fueling the effort has been the play of Drew Stafford and his linemates Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno. Buffalo, which has won four in a row and has not had a regulation defeat over its last eight games, currently holds down the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. As for Stafford, the former Sioux winger has registered 12 points (4G, 8A) and a +10 rating over his last seven games, and has 45 points (17G, 28A) for the season. This is the second most prolific season of his six year career, and his 28 assists have established a new career high.
• When Stafford hit the 45 point mark, he became the fourth former Sioux to do so this season, joining Toews, Parise, and TJ Oshie. As of Saturday morning, 21 former collegians had reached that mark, and UND's four led all NCAA institutions. 13 of those 21 players played in the WCHA, with Wisconsin (Joe Pavelski, Derek Stepan, Dany Heatley) and Minnesota (Blake Wheeler, Phil Kessel, Thomas Vanek) each having three players on the list. David Backes (MSU), Paul Stastny (DU), and Curtis Glencross (UAA) round out the WCHA representation.
• Matt Frattin has missed Toronto's last two games due to a lower-body injury, while Darcy Zajac is out of the Albany Devil lineup indefinitely with an upper-body injury.
• Evan Trupp went scoreless last night, snapping his five game scoring streak, but the Bakersfield Condor (ECHL) has been very productive over the last month and a half. Since February 8, Trupp has recorded 16 points (9G, 7A) and a +8 rating in 13 games.
• Ryan Duncan had been looking forward to getting back into the lineup after suffering a nasty cut to the face last Sunday, and he had recovered enough to rejoin the Portland (AHL) lineup last night.
• The Anaheim Ducks have had a rash of injuries hit its defensive corps recently, and should they need to make a call to the AHL's Syracuse Crunch for reinforcements, it sounds like former Sioux Matt Smaby would be the one getting the call.

Running Down the Sioux in the Pros: NHL & AHL

Today's offering is a rundown of how some of the former Sioux in the NHL and AHL have been faring. Tomorrow's post will feature the ECHL and overseas professionals, while Thursday will cover Sioux recruits. 

NHL:

• Jonathan Toews has been red-hot as of late, putting up a stat line of 8G-8A-16 Pts and a +8 in Chicago's last 9 games. For the season, Toews has 25 points (13G, 12A), a +9, 4 GWG, and a 61.5% face-off percentage. He leads Chicago in goals, points, and game winners while dominating in the face-off circle. Blackhawk head coach Joel Quenneville says Toews is better than ever, perhaps because the little things Toews continues to work on are adding up to a lot. The Captain has earned his respect the right way, one analyst has him in the early lead for the NHL's Hart Trophy, and earlier this month CBC featured him in their Open Ice Gameday segment.
• Drew Stafford and Buffalo have not had the start to the season they were hoping for, and that has the Sabres alternate captain looking to regain his scoring touch.
• TJ Oshie is tied for second on the St Louis Blues with 15 points (6G, 9A) in 23 games. Oshie, who also has a +6 rating, has been playing very well recently on a line that also features Alex Steen and former Minnesota State Maverick David Backes. The Blues are 7-1-2 in their first 10 games under new coach Ken Hitchcock.
• Zach Parise has had a frustrating start to his season statistically, though he and his coach feel he's been playing good hockey as he returns from last season's knee injury. Parise, who has never made it out of the first round of the playoffs with the Devils, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and potential trade speculation has been swirling after he recently met with members of his management team. There's no hiding Parise's desire to win a Stanley Cup Playoff championship, but will he continue his pursuit of The Cup as a Devil?
• Travis Zajac continues rehabbing from his preseason Achilles injury, and it is anticipated he will begin practicing with his teammates when the Devils return from their current roadtrip. Also, Zajac was recently named as one of the 50 greatest players in the history of the British Columbia Hockey League, and younger brother Darcy (Albany-AHL) recently discussed what it was like growing up in the Zajac family.
• Matt Frattin continues to earn his ice in Toronto as a member of the Maple Leaf's All-WCHA "Kid Line."
• Joe Finley, who has been playing well for the AHL's Rochester Americans, recently signed a multi-year NHL two-way contract with Buffalo. Finley is expected to give the Sabres additional depth and size on their blueline, if and when he is called up to Buffalo.

AHL

• Chay Genoway is the leading point producer among Houston's defensemen with 11 points (1G, 10A) in 19 games. Genoway's 11 points, which have all come in the last 13 games, rank second among the AHL's rookie d-men.
• Brad Malone and the Lake Erie Monsters have gone 5-0-0-1 over their last six games, and Malone has been a big reason why. He has 8 points (3G, 5A), 2 game winners, and is a +5 during the Monsters' hot stretch, and he was recently featured in a short Q&A.
• Ryan Duncan (4G, 7A) and Matt Watkins (4G, 7A) are each tied for second among Portland Pirates with 11 points. Watkins, who was recently featured by the Portland Daily Sun, has been especially hot of late, producing 7 points (3G, 4A) and a +5 over his last 4 games. The Pirates have won six of their last seven after a bit of a slow start.
• Corey Fienhage has joined Jake Marto and Derrick LaPoint as former Sioux who have received in-season promotions from the ECHL to the AHL. Fienhage began the year with Gwinnett of the ECHL, but was called up by the Rochester Americans last weekend. He's played in one game with Rochester thus far.

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.

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.