Friday Morning Post

• UND senior captain Dillon Simpson was named one of twenty candidates for the Lowes Senior CLASS Award.
• Freshman Gage Ausmus has settled into the role of the physical, stay-at-home defenseman early on in his UND career.
• The Dakota Student says sophomore forward Drake Caggiula bounced back nicely from the neck injury he sustained in the exhibition win over the NTDP U-18 team.
• After a one year hiatus, North Dakota and Wisconsin will resume their long-standing rivalry next season with a weekend series in Madison.
• Those who are unable to make it to Omaha for this weekend's series against Nebraska-Omaha can watch UNO's webcast of the games through a UND Insider subscription.
• TJ Oshie is off to the best start of his NHL career, and part of his success may be the result of him becoming more of a student of the game.
• Drew Stafford and Buffalo have struggled out of the gates this season, but the Sabres winger hopes to reverse the slow start.
• The achievments Chicago Blackhawk captain Jonathan Toews have made a big impression on President Obama.
• Sioux alum Travis Zajac is off to a bit of a slow start this season for the New Jersey Devils and on Halloween a trick-or-treater told him as much.
• The voting for the AJHL's All-Time Top 50 players continues, and up for vote this go-round are Sioux alums Dixon Ward, Garry Valk, Geoff Smith, Teeder Wynne and UND head coach Dave Hakstol.
• The Sioux City Journal published a great feature on recruit Trevor Olson (Sioux City-USHL), detailing the hip injury he's played through this season. Following this weekend's games he will undergo surgery in order to be fully prepared for his freshman season at UND next fall. The Musketeer captain is well-respected amongst his teammates and he sounds like quite the gamer. In a best-case scenario Sioux City, which is 9-0 with Olson in the lineup and 1-2 without him, could get their captain back towards the end of the season.
• Women's Four Nations Cup: The Lamoureux twins and Team USA will wrap up pool play tonight when they face Michelle Karvinen and Susanna Tapani's Finland squad at 6:00 CST. The Americans are 1-1 after their 4-2 defeat at the hands of arch-rival Canada. Finland is also 1-1 in pool play. Johanna Fallman and Team Sweden will be looking to pick up their first victory of the tournament when they play Canada this afternoon at 2:30 CST.
• World Junior A Challenge: UND's recruits playing in the World Junior A Challenge will resume play today when the semifinals get underway. Rhett Gardner and Canada West will take on Russia at 2:00 CST while Team USA, featuring recruits Nick Schmaltz, Ryan Mantha, and Austin Poganski, will take on Switzerland at 6:00 CST. Through two games, Schmaltz is tied for the tournament lead with six points (2G, 4A) and has earned the praise of NHL Central Scouting's Carl Edwards. Gardner, meanwhile, has yet to find the scoresheet, but his defensive efforts on the penalty kill have helped thrust Canada West into the semifinals.

Wednesday Morning Post

• Last Saturday's matchup with the NTDP Under-18 team might not have counted in the standings, but it was certainly more than just an exhibition game for UND.
• Mario Lamoureux has signed a Professional Try-Out contract with the Oklahoma City Barons (AHL). Lamoureux began the season with the ECHL's Ontario Reign, where he produced three goals in four games.
• Jonathan Toews notched his third career hat trick last night in helping lead Chicago to a come from behind victory against Ottawa. Here are the goals:

• Sioux alum Ryan Johnson was named Player Development Consultant for the Vancouver Canucks.
• Rangers Unlimited checks in to see how top NYR prospect Danny Kristo is faring in Hartford, with video of all six of Kristo's goals this season. Kristo has nine points (6G, 3A) in nine games thus far, second most among AHL rookies.
• Fox Sports West produced a really nice video featuring LA King winger Matt Frattin. Frattin discusses his move to southern California, his locker room banter with former Cornell goaltender Ben Scrivens, and his line dancing abilities. Check it out: 

• UND recruit Trevor Olson scored a pair of goals this past weekend as he's making the most of what's left of his USHL career. Olson, who will suit up for North Dakota next fall, is set to undergo season ending surgery in mid-November.
• Defenseman recruit Tucker Poolman scored his first goal of the season Sunday afternoon in the second period of Omaha's 6-5 win over Muskegon. He added two more in the third period for his first career USHL hat trick.
• A pair of exhibition games will get The World Junior A Challenge rolling this weekend, with pool play commencing next Monday. Team USA's entry will feature three North Dakota recruits in Ryan Mantha, Austin Poganski, and Nick Schmaltz while Rhett Gardner is currently battling for a roster spot at Canada West's selection camp.

UND Recruit Update

Here are a few notes on how some of UND's recruits are performing thus far this season:

• After playing Minnesota high school hockey the past few seasons, Shane Gersich has hit the ground running with the NTDP Under-18 team. Through ten games he has produced nine points (4G, 5A), including a team high two game winning goals. Gersich and the Under-18ers will be spending this weekend in North Dakota as Friday night they are scheduled to take on Fargo in a USHL matchup followed by Saturday night's exhibition game against UND. For those of you who have yet to see Gersich play, I expect you will like his game. He's a really good skater in that he's quick, fast, has good explosiveness, and is strong on his skates. He plays well in all three zones as a defensively responsible forward who hounds the opposition with his skating and quick, active stick. He has a very strong shot, he's strong on the puck, and he isn't afraid to go to the net. He's a fun player to watch.
• After missing the first two games of the season due to injury, Jack Rowe has scored three goals in three games for Cedar Rapids (USHL).
• Nick Schmaltz produced four points (1G, 3A) in two games this past weekend. He leads Green Bay (USHL) in scoring with ten points (4G, 6A) in nine games.
• After going pointless during the first five games of the season, Rhett Gardner has produced nine points (3G, 6A) in his last ten games with the Okotoks Oilers (AJHL).
• The Fargo Force (USHL) have struggled offensively this season having scored just eight goals in their seven games, but 16 year-old Christian Cakebread has scored three of them (38% of the team total).
• Christian Evers missed a handful of games due to injury earlier in the season, but the NTDP Under-17 team defenseman has produced four assists in the six games he has played.
• Austin Poganski leads Tri-City (USHL) with four points (4G, 0A) in six games. Right behind him is Chris Wilkie with three points (1G, 2A) in seven games.
• Sioux City (USHL) forward Trevor Olson has produced three points (1G, 2A) in three games since his return from injury. Teammate Ryan Mantha has chipped in with a goal and two assists in seven games on the blueline, despite his self-admitted troubles in the kitchen.

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. 

Wednesday Morning Post

• The College Hockey News released its preseason All-CHN Teams and UND senior Dillon Simpson was named to the second team.
• USCHO published its WCHA women's preview and they have North Dakota finishing second. They also released a more in-depth team preview of UND.
• The Chicago Tribune examines the professional accomplishments of Jonathan Toews and says he compares more than favorably to the likes of Jordan, Gretzky, and Lemieux. (Note: Link to article did not work in Internet Explorer or Chrome, but it did in Firefox and mobile browser)
• Motivated by what he calls just an average season, Zach Parise is looking to help lead the Minnesota Wild to the next level.
• The NCHC listed the alums of member programs to make NHL opening day rosters and North Dakota leads the way with nine.
• TJ Oshie says his ankle finally feels 100% for the first time in years.
• Hockey This Week explores Brock Nelson's famous bloodlines.
• Future Considerations released its October rankings of the top 30 NHL Draft prospects and UND commit Nick Schmaltz came in at number 19. Schmaltz made quite a jump as he did not appear on FC's preliminary rankings back in July, when Austin Poganski was ranked number 26.
• The Scouting Report says Schmaltz's performance at last week's All-American Prospects Game helped bump up his draft stock, and they also had high praise for the performance of Shane Gersich.
• Due to a lower body injury, recruit Trevor Olson has yet to play a game for Sioux City this season after being named team captain. He was scheduled to have an MRI earlier this week and based on this Tweet the results do not seem to have been favorable.  Olson, an over-ager who is in his last season of junior eligibility, really saw his USHL career take off last season following his trade to Sioux City from Green Bay.

Recruit Update

• North Dakota received its latest verbal commitment from Sioux City (USHL) forward Trevor Olson. Olson is a Duluth, Minnesota native who is expected to arrive on campus in the fall of 2014. For more information, check out his recruit profile. Olson and the Musketeers (including fellow UND recruit Ryan Mantha) will be closing out their USHL regular season with a weekend set against Charlie Pelnik (featured in this video profile) and the Fargo Force. This is a good opportunity to check out three future Sioux if you can make it out to Scheels Arena either Friday or Saturday night.
• Keaton Thompson and the NTDP Under-18 team will be seeking to win the fifth consecutive Under-18 World Championship for USA Hockey, a streak that began with the 2009 event held in Fargo-Moorhead. The tournament begins next week in Sochi, Russia, and Thompson will play a key role for Team USA.
• Recruit Adam Tambellini and the Surrey Eagles begin the BCHL Finals tonight against the Penticton Vees, whose roster includes UND commits Wade Murphy and Troy Stecher. The winner of the best of seven series will hoist the Fred Page Cup as BCHL champions and advance in the RBC Cup playoffs to take on the Alberta Junior Hockey League champions. Tambellini, who earlier in the playoffs squared off against his older brother Jeff's former team, is the leading goal scorer in the BCHL playoffs and he is third in total points with 13 (9G, 4A) in 11 games.  Murphy is averaging a point per game in the postseason with nine points (3G, 6A) in nine games while Stecher has recorded four assists in nine contests.
• Nick Schmaltz will finish the regular season as the highest scoring 1996-born player in the USHL. He has recorded 50 points (17G, 33A) in 62 games for the Green Bay Gamblers and has ten more points than Youngstown forward Kyle Connor. Schmaltz and the Gamblers have already clinched a playoff spot but they will be looking to earn home ice this weekend as regular season play wraps up.
• With two games left to play, Paul LaDue holds a five point edge as the USHL's top point producing defenseman. LaDue has recorded 47 points (12G, 35A) in 60 games for Lincoln.
• Rhett Gardner recently earned the Moose Jaw Generals' Team MVP and Top Forward awards. He also made his USHL debut with the Green Bay Gamblers, but he is unsure as to whether he will play with the Gamblers next season or remain with the Generals.
• Christian Evers was recently named to the All-NAPHL Under-16 First Team. He averaged more than a point per game from the blueline in NAPHL play this season, producing 29 points (10G, 19A) in 23 games. Evers, who is expected to play for the USA Hockey NTDP for the next two years, was selected by the London Knights in the fifth round of the OHL Priority Selection last weekend. He was considered to be a second round talent heading into the draft, but he dropped to the last pick of the fifth round due to his commitment to UND and expected commitment to the NTDP.  
• Thompson and Tambellini both made NHL Central Scouting's Top 10 lists of 2013 NHL Draft-eligible players for their respective divisions.

Recruit Profile: Trevor Olson

Photo-USHL.com

Current Team:  Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
Potential Arrival at UND:  2014
Position:  Forward
Birthday:  November 22nd, 1993
Hometown:  Duluth, MN
Height:  6'2"
Weight:  188
Shoots:  Right


Profiles & Press Clippings:

• USHL 2013-14 Profile/Stat Page
• Elite Prospects Profile/Stat Page
• Brad Schlossman UND Hockey Blog: Trevor Olson Commits To UND (Apr 2013)
• USHL: Musketeers Forward Commits to University of North Dakota (Apr 2013)
• Sioux City Journal: Olson Helps Muskies Race Past Omaha (Mar 2013)

2013-14:

• He will return to Sioux City (USHL), where he will serve as team captain.

2012-13:

• Began the season with the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers, where he recorded 16 points (7G, 9A) in 31 games. A mid-season trade sent him to Sioux City, where he produced 34 points (10G, 24A) in 32 games while serving as an alternate captain with the Musketeers. Despite spending just half the season with Sioux City, his +17 rating led the team, his 24 assists were second most among Musketeers and his 34 points tied for third most.

2011-12:

• He played in seven games for the Green Bay Gamblers, recording zero points.
• Playing in an injury shortened senior season for Duluth East (MN-HS), he recorded 35 points (11G, 24A) in 20 games in helping the Greyhounds to a 5th place finish at the Minnesota State HS AA Hockey Tournament.
• In the fall of 2011 he participated in the Upper Midwest High School Elite League, leading Team North in both goals (13) and points (25) in 24 games played.

2010-11:

• As a junior at Duluth East, he led the 'Hounds in scoring with 69 points (28G, 41A) in 30 games, helping them to a runner-up finish at the 2011 Minnesota State HS AA Hockey Tournament. In the state championship game he scored both Greyhound goals in a 3-2 triple OT loss to Eden Prairie.

2009-10:

• As a high school sophomore, he produced 15 points (7G, 8A) in 29 games for Duluth East, which finished 5th at the Minnesota State HS AA Hockey Tournament.