Friday Morning Post

• Senior defenseman Dillon Simpson was named team captain for the 2013-14 season, with junior forwards Michael Parks and Stephane Pattyn serving as assistant captains. Simpson was also tabbed as a player to watch in the NCHC this year in CBS Sports Network analyst/College Hockey New columnist Dave Starman's NCHC overview.
• The Hockey Writers' Gabriella Fundaro does a great job covering women's hockey and in her WCHA preview she says that despite their losses to graduation, North Dakota still has plenty of talent to make a run at the top of the WCHA standings.
• Corban Knight's bid to make Calgary's opening night roster ended yesterday when he was assigned to their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford. Away from the rink Knight has been forced to deal with a natural disaster and CBC Sports took a look at his family's recovery from this past summer's devastating Alberta flooding.
• NHL rookie Brock Nelson remains at New York Islanders' training camp, where he is fighting for a spot on the Isle.
• Buffalo Sabres winger Drew Stafford is looking forward to the upcoming season with a refreshed optimism as he looks to put Buffalo's disappointing 2012-13 season behind him.
• After signing the first one-way NHL contract of his career, Chris Porter finds himself in the middle of a logjam in terms of earning playing time in St. Louis. 
• Mike Commodore will reportedly be joining Vladivostok (KHL) for the 2013-14 season, joining Brandon Bochenski and Rastislav Spirko as Sioux alums playing in Russia's "super league." Bochenski, by the way, is currently T-8th in points with 10 (4G, 6A) while Spirko is T-18th with 8 (5G, 3A).
• Tony Hrkac will be inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday.
• Nick Schmaltz and Ryan Mantha were part of the victorious Team Johnson at last night's All-American Prospects Game in Pittsburgh, defeating Team Mullen and Shane Gersich 5-2. Schmaltz picked up an assist and was very good throughout the game while Gersich may have been the best player on the ice for the first period plus. Overall he played a fine game and was very noticeable in all three zones while Mantha played a solid defensive game. The United States of Hockey offers a nice recap of the event.
• UND recruits Austin Poganski and Chris Wilkie are hoping to form a dynamic duo for Tri-City (USHL) this season as the past, present, and future teammates look to help kickstart the Storm's offense. A highlight of the article is the North Dakota recruiting pitch Wilkie gave to Poganski while the two were playing in the Under-17 Four Nations Tournament. It worked.

Signings, Awards, Etc.

Signings:

• Danny Kristo signed a two-year Entry Level Contract with the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday. He has reported to Hamilton, the Canadiens' AHL affiliate, and he is expected to be in action tonight when the Bulldogs take on San Antonio. He is excited to take on this new challenge.
• Captain Andrew MacWilliam signed a two-year ELC with the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday and he will report to the Toronto Marlies, their AHL affiliate.
• Former Sioux captain Chris Porter signed a two-year, one way contract with St. Louis yesterday. It is the first one way deal for Porter, who celebrated the signing by picking up a pair of assists in the Blues' 4-3 shootout win over Chicago last night.
• North Dakota junior defenseman Derek Forbort is expected to forsake his senior year of eligibility and sign with the Los Angeles Kings, who will be making a push to get their former first round pick into the fold.
• Dillon Simpson tweeted his intentions of returning to North Dakota for his senior season.

Awards:

• Danny Kristo was named the College Hockey News Player of the Year this week. He was also named to the All-CHN First Team, while linemate Corban Knight made the All-CHN Second Team.
• The Ontario Reign's Mario Lamoureux led all ECHL rookies with 65 points (25G, 40A) this season and was named to the ECHL All-Roookie Team. Lamoureux, who was a very impressive +30 on the season, also finished second in the ECHL Rookie of the Year voting.
• Michael Forney of the Colorado Eagles finished the ECHL season with 79 points (35G, 44A) in 71 games, and for his efforts he was named to the All-ECHL First Team. Forney's 79 points were second most in the league while his 35 goals were the fourth most.
• Aaron Dell of the Allen Americans led the CHL in GAA (2.30) and finished second with a save percentage of .916, numbers good enough to earn him CHL Most Outstanding Goaltender honors for the 2012-13 season. He was also named to the All-CHL Team and the CHL All-Rookie Team.

Etc:

• Former Sioux great Tony Hrkac came in at number five among the Top 35 All-Time Milwaukee Admirals (AHL).
• Zach Parise recently took part in a Q&A with ESPN.
• Evan Trupp's Alaskan homecoming was a good move for the ECHL's Alaska Aces.
• Matt Greene is recovering nicely from back surgery and could return to the LA King lineup in time for the postseason.

Friday Morning Post

Here are a few quick links for your Friday morning:

• Ben Blood has a couple of games under his belt with the AHL's Binghamton Senators, and he recently had some glowing remarks concerning why he chose to utilize all four years of his collegiate eligibility at North Dakota (click on the excerpt for the full article):

"There's a number of reasons," Blood said as to why he stayed in school. "One, to get an education. Two, because North Dakota is such a special place. There's nothing like playing in Ralph Engelstad Arena. We have a coaching staff that's second to none there, and they certainly know what they're doing when it comes to developing hockey players and moving them on to the next level."

• Jonathan Toews returned to Chicago's lineup last night for game one of their opening round playoff series against Phoenix. After missing over a quarter of the season due to a concussion, the Blackhawk captain quickly registered a goal and later added an assist in a 3-2 overtime loss to Dave Tippett's Coyotes.
• A united New Jersey team opens its postseason tonight, and centerman Travis Zajac's return to full health makes the Devils a stronger playoff team. Zach Parise has delivered in his first year as team captain, but he knows legacies are defined by postseason success. And should the Devils make a deep postseason run, will that help ensure Parise's future in New Jersey?
• Matt Frattin has rejoined the Toronto Marlies for their AHL playoff run, but according to Mike Brophy, the Maple Leaf rookie graded out nicely during his first full professional season.  
• Recruit Drake Caggiula and the Stouffville Spirit are one win away from winning the Buckland Trophy as Ontario Junior Hockey League playoff champions. They lead their series against Whitby 3-2, with game 6 scheduled to take place tonight. Caggiula leads the OJHL in playoff scoring with 34 points (16G, 18A) in 22 games, including a three goal, one assist performance in Wednesday's 7-1 victory. Whitby's Devin Shore is currently second in playoff scoring, and he and Caggiula are lifelong friends turned current foes.
• Sioux recruit Chris Wilkie has accepted an invitation to join the USA Hockey NTDP Under-17 team next season. Wilkie spent this past season with the Omaha AAA U-16 Lancers, where he led the NAPHL in scoring during both the regular season and postseason. He was also recently named to the All-NAPHL 1st Team and All-Academic Team. 
• Recruits Nick Schmaltz and Brendan Lemieux were both selected in the 4th round of the Ontario Hockey League's Priority Selection last Saturday. Both players have committed to playing with the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers next season, but Schmaltz is at least keeping Windsor in his thoughts, and the Spitfires would surely love to lure Nick and older brother Jordan away from their USHL/NCAA commitments. Gambler head coach Derek Lalonde, however, feels that first round talents such as Schmaltz and Lemieux being selected in the fourth round is an indication they will both be in Green Bay this fall.
• Recruits Jordan Schmaltz (#34), Drake Caggiula (#185), and Miles Koules (#201) all found their way into the NHL Central Scouting's 2012 NHL Draft Final Rankings.
• A number of Sioux recruits will be in Fargo Saturday night when the Lincoln Stars head to Scheels Arena to take on the Fargo Force on the final day of the USHL regular season. Bryn Chyzyk and Zane Gothberg (Fargo) & Paul LaDue and Luke Johnson (Lincoln) have all committed to attending North Dakota.
• Gothberg is making a very strong case to be named the USHL's Goaltender of the Year. He currently leads the league in shutouts (seven), Goals Against Average (2.20), and Save Percentage (.922). 
• And for what it's worth, Boston College's Chris Kreider recently signed a professional contract with the New York Rangers. It's been 25 years since anyone has won the NCAA championship and played in the NHL playoffs during the same season. The last to do it? North Dakota's Tony Hrkac. You can read about that in this article.

Monday Evening Post

It's been about a week and a half since the last Sioux hockey update, so some of these items are a bit dated. Nonetheless...

• The NHL trade deadline came and went today without any blockbuster transactions taking place, but two former Sioux defensemen were involved in deals that have them packing their bags for The Sunshine State. The Tampa Bay Lightning acquired Brian Lee from the Ottawa Senators for former Hobey Baker Award winner Matt Gilroy. It's interesting to note that since December 30th Ottawa was 12-0-1 with Lee in the lineup, and just 4-8-2 when he sat out. Tampa Bay also picked up defenseman Mike Commodore from Detroit for a seventh round draft pick. Commodore appeared in just 17 games this season for the Red Wings, so the trade could prove to be the best scenario for him. He wishes things would have worked out in Detroit, but at the same time he's looking forward to the opportunity in Tampa Bay.
• Matt Frattin was recently called up by the Toronto Maple Leafs, and head coach Ron Wilson thinks the former Sioux star is a good fit for the second line.
• Late last week New Jersey Devils' center Travis Zajac resumed light skating as he continues to work towards a return from his nagging Achilles tendon injury. He was back on the ice this morning, but there is no timetable set for his potential return.
• Chicago Blackhawk captain Jonathan Toews has missed his last handful of games due to an upper-body injury. He was also involved in a single car accident last week, but he reportedly suffered no injuries as a result of the crash.
• The results of the 2011-12 Hockey Night in Canada/National Hockey League Player's Association Player Poll were recently released and former Sioux Jonathan Toews, Zach Parise, and Dave Tippett all garnered some attention.
• Matt Watkins was recently called up by the Phoenix Coyotes. He became the 15th former Sioux to skate in the NHL this season when he made his big league debut last Tuesday against Los Angeles. The Coyotes, of course, are coached by former Sioux Dave Tippett and he has his squad on a heck of a roll. Phoenix has not lost a game in regulation during the month of February and in one month's time they've climbed from 12th place in the Western Conference to sitting atop the Pacific Division.
• Former North Dakota defenseman Aaron Schneekloth recently recorded his 300th career point as a member of the ECHL's Colorado Eagles. Schneekloth has been particularly hot during the month of February. He's played 12 games this month and has produced multiple point efforts in nine of them. During that span he has registered 19 points (6G, 13A) as he continues to lead the league's defensemen in both goals and assists. His 52 points (18G, 34A) are also 12 more than any other defenseman in the league. His Colorado teammate Michael Forney has also been putting up some nice numbers as of late. The former Sioux forward has 15 points (7G, 8A) in his last 11 games, including a five point effort Friday night in which he put up a hat trick and two assists.
• Jason Gregoire has been out of the St. John's IceCaps' lineup recently due to a shoulder injury, but that didn't prevent the St. John's Telegram from getting to know him.
• Concordia University of Wisconsin has parted ways with men's hockey coach Tony Hrkac.
• Fighting Sioux junior center Corban Knight was named last week's WCHA Offensive Player of the Week after his strong performance against Michigan Tech.
• With UND's Connor Gaarder and others making their marks on the college hockey landscape, the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament is starting to get noticed as a pipeline to the NCAA.
• Recruit Drake Caggiula has had multi-point efforts in all three of Stouffville's (OJHL) Divisional Semifinal games. Caggiula has four goals and two assists as the Spirit leads Aurora 2-1 in their best of seven series.

Thursday Evening Post

A fun weekend of hockey in The Zenith City followed by being a bit under the weather during the week has led me to fall behind on disseminating Sioux hockey news. Also, due to the fact that the half-marathon and marathon training season is once again upon me, I'm going to start posting the links without as much personal commentary, as that will help utilize my time more efficiently. Continue to expect the Series Notes & Links, Recruit Profiles, etc., but I don't plan on doing the Series Recaps any longer. There are usually at least 3-4 good game stories written after every game (GF Herald, UNDsports.com, USCHO, opponent's beat writers, etc.), so there is more than enough fodder out there for you Saturday and Sunday morning readers. I also hope to start doing more original writing, so please bear with me as the blog continues to evolve. Without further stalling, here's what's been going on in the world of Sioux hockey:

• Sioux winger Brendan O'Donnell impressed enough during his injury shortened season to be ranked among Tampa Bay's top prospects.
• As Tradition of Excellence blogged about last October, next season's Nebraska-Omaha vs. North Dakota outdoor game was made official this week. Here is the Omaha World-Leader's take on the weekend. Tickets go on sale October 1st.
• Head coach Dave Hakstol says the legislation mandating the use of the Fighting Sioux nickname and logo creates "insurmountable challenges" for North Dakota athletics.
• Travis Zajac's checkup showed that his Achilles tendon is healing as it should, and he should be able to resume skating by the end of the week.
• Zach Parise is feeling great and is focused on the present. New Jersey's captain also says he does not want to talk contract during the season, but keeping Parise is a matter of dollars and sense for the Devils.
• Former Sioux player and current Lincoln Star coach Chad Johnson is loyal to his players.
• Hunter Bishop was recently named a co-recipient of the Hamilton Bulldogs' Community Player of the Month Award.
• Leaf's TV asks Matt Frattin 20 Questions:

• Frattin also did an interview with Leafs Nation.
• Jason Blake's presence in the Anaheim Duck lineup seems to have a significant impact on the team's success.
• David Toews (Toledo-ECHL) and Brian Lee (Ottawa-NHL) both recently returned to their respective lineups after sitting out with injury.
• Tony Hrkac's NCAA single season scoring record could be unbreakable.
• Evan Trupp was named the ECHL's Player of the Week. The following goal certainly helped his case:

 

• Aaron Schneekloth recorded his 300th point as a member of the Colorado Eagles (ECHL).
• Rastislav Spirko and Team Slovakia recently won the BellSwiss Bank Championship. In the four-team knockout format Spirko notched a goal in two games.
• Keaton Thompson and the Team USA Under-17 team recently swept all three of its games at the Vlad Dzurilla Tournament in Slovakia. Thompson recorded one assist during the tournament.
• Miles Koules and the Under-18 team finished in third place at the Five Nations Tournament in Finland. The Americans won two and lost two as Koules produced one assist in four games.
• North Dakota landed another recruit for its Class of 2014. Brendan Lemieux of the Toronto AAA Red Wings has given a verbal commitment to the Fighting Sioux. He is the son of former NHLer Claude Lemieux.
• Recruit Zane Gothberg is keeping a level head.
• Recruit Drake Caggiula was named to the OJHL's All-Prospect 1st Team.
  

Thursday Morning Coffee

• Jonathan Toews took a puck off the head during Chicago's 5-2 win over Columbus Tuesday night. A deflected Duncan Keith point shot earned Toews a few stitches, creating an "old-time hockey" look that's appreciated by both Chicago's captain and its head coach.
• New Jersey captain Zach Parise scored the overtime winner against Edmonton last night, extending his current point streak to five games. During the streak he has eight points (2G, 6A), and he also notched his 200th career assist Tuesday night against Calgary.
• Travis Zajac was hoping to be in the lineup when New Jersey visits his hometown of Winnipeg Saturday night, but due to lingering soreness in his Achilles tendon the team staff has opted to shut him down until after the all-star break. Zajac played in eight games after returning from injury, but he has now missed the Devils' last five games after his Achilles became inflamed.
• The 2012 Youth Olympic Games fire up this weekend in Innsbruck, Austria and Sioux recruit Nick Schmaltz will be participating. Team USA opens its play Saturday against host country Austria and they will take on Canada Sunday. Here is the IIHF's Schedule and Standings page. 
• Joe Finley is doing what he can to support injured Benilde-St. Margaret's hockey player Jack Jablonski, who suffered a severe spinal cord injury on December 30 after being checked into the boards. Finley and Jablonski worked out at the same training facility over the summer, and Finley recently sent Jablonski the Buffalo Sabre jersey he wore in his NHL debut earlier this season. 
• Former Sioux great Tony Hrkac is looking to turn his Concordia (WI) Falcons into a NCAA Division III power: