Sunday Afternoon Post

• As NHL.com's "30 in 30" series continues, a pair of UND sophomores found their way into their respective organization's Top 10 prospect lists. Jordan Schmaltz came in at number 6 among St. Louis' prospects, while Rocco Grimaldi sits at number 8 in Florida's deep prospect pool.
• The New England Hockey Journal published an outstanding feature on North Dakota sophomore goaltender Zane Gothberg, the Boston Bruins' 6th round draft choice in 2010. Gothberg says the goal for 2013-14 "is to win our last game, with that one coming in the national championship." 
• The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics are already very much on the mind of Sioux alum Jonathan Toews, who is a candidate to wear the C for Team Canada.
• SportsNet NY put together a quick little profile on New York Ranger prospect Danny Kristo.
• UND recruit Rhett Gardner, who will suit up for the AJHL's Okotoks Oilers this season, says the current plan is for him to spend two years playing juniors before heading to UND one year out of high school.
• USA Hockey's Under-18 Select team, featuring North Dakota recruits Ryan Mantha, Austin Poganski, and Nick Schmaltz, fell one victory short of earning the gold medal at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup. Despite dropping a 4-0 decision to Canada in the gold medal game, it was a strong showing for a hard-working Team USA, and a great individual tournament for Schmaltz. He led Team USA in scoring with eight points (5G, 3A) in five games, and his five goals were the most of any player in the tournament. Poganski and Mantha each picked up one assist in five games played.

Top Shelf Prospects has been running through each NHL team's top prospects this offseason, and a few Sioux alums have been featured:

• Corban Knight (Calgary Flames) 
• Brock Nelson (New York Islanders)
• Danny Kristo (New York Rangers)

Tuesday Morning Post

• Jason Gregoire has signed a one year deal with Södertälje of the Allsvenskan (Sweden Tier 2). He will be reunited with former Sioux and St. John's IceCap teammate Jake Marto, who signed with Södertälje earlier this summer.
• Brent Davidson has signed with Valpellice of Italy's elite league after spending last season with Herning (Denmark).
• The Hockey News featured former UND standout goaltender Darren Jensen in the print edition of its Backchecking segment several months ago, and it has recently found its way into the digital realm.
• Tony Hrkac will be inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame next month, joining fellow Sioux alum Greg Johnson, who was inducted in 2010.
• North Dakota goalie Zane Gothberg continues to impress Boston Bruins management.
• UND forward Rocco Grimaldi is on his way to building a big NHL future.
• UND sophomore forward Rebecca Kohler and incoming freshman defenseman Halli Krzyzaniak have been invited to Hockey Canada's National Women's Team Development Camp.
• A trio of UND commits are currently representing USA Hockey in the Ivan Hlinka Tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Nick Schmaltz was named USA's Player of the Game in a 1-0 exhibition game victory over the Czech Republic Saturday while Austin Poganski and Ryan Mantha each picked up assists in yesterdays 3-2 OT loss to Finland. They resume play this morning at 7:00 AM CDT against Russia. Below are recent features on each UND commit:
• Nick Schmaltz
• Ryan Mantha
• Austin Poganski
• The Scouting Report is taking a look at some of the top USHL prospects for the 2014 NHL Draft and aside from the above feature on Schmaltz, Poganski and fellow UND commit Chris Wilkie were also recently highlighted.
• Incoming UND freshman defensemen Gage Ausmus and Keaton Thompson were invited to USA Hockey's National Junior Evaluation Camp, but they were both among the first round of cuts. They could potentially play themselves back into consideration with strong first halves to the NCAA season, and they will both be eligible for next year's World Junior Championship team as well.

WCHA Instant Impact: Zane Gothberg (UND)

The 12th and final entry of the Instant Impact series features North Dakota freshman goaltender Zane Gothberg. Also, a big thank you to all the staff and coaches for their willingness to take the time to answer my questions and talk about the featured players.

Previous Entries:
Joey Benik, SCSU                                           Austin Farley, UMD
Blake Tatchell, UAA                                         Adam Wilcox, UM
Hunter Fejes, CC                                             Juhjar Khaira, MTU
Nic Kerdiles, UW                                             Brad Robbins, BSU 
Anthony Stolarz, UNO                                     Quentin Shore, DU
Teddy Blueger, MSU

Zane Gothberg, G, North Dakota
Vitals: 6' 2" - 198 lbs - 8/20/1992
Hometown: Thief River Falls, MN
Previous Team: Fargo Force (USHL)

North Dakota enters the 2012-13 season fully intent on bowing out of the WCHA with style. UND will move to the fledgling National Collegiate Hockey Conference next year, but in the meantime they will be looking to hoist two of college hockey's most revered trophies one final time. But as special as it may be to win the MacNaughton Cup and Broadmoor Trophy, that certainly is not the ultimate goal of this team. With a talented and experienced group of returnees supplemented by a good recruiting class, UND has the pieces in place to contend for the program's eighth national championship.

Offensively, North Dakota loses Brock Nelson, the league's leading goal scorer, and captain Mario Lamoureux, but all other forwards return. Seniors Danny Kristo and Corban Knight will lead the way upfront, and expect redshirt freshman Rocco Grimaldi to be an immediate offensive force. Ben Blood is the lone loss on the UND blueline, and the experienced defensive corps led by Andrew MacWilliam and Derek Forbort will be fortified by bluechip freshman Jordan Schmaltz.

North Dakota's biggest loss comes in goal, with All-WCHA goaltenders Brad Eidsness (graduated) and Aaron Dell (signed professionally) moving on from their UND careers. This loss of experience means that for the first time in five seasons, someone other than Dell or Eidsness will be tasked with manning the pipes as the number one goaltender. And while UND does gain the services of Clarke Saunders, a junior transfer from Alabama-Huntsville, they have a high-end recruit who will be expected to make a strong push towards the number one spot. That recruit is Zane Gothberg.

Gothberg comes to North Dakota on the heels of a fantastic high school and junior career. He was a three-year starter in goal for Thief River Falls (MN-HS), eventually culminating his high school career by winning the Frank Brimsek Award as the top senior goaltender in Minnesota after posting a 1.81 GAA and .925 save percentage in 2009-10. In 2010-11 he appeared in 23 games for the Fargo Force (USHL), recording a 2.23 GAA and .908 save percentage. Last season he won Fargo's number one goaltending spot and ran with it, earning USHL Goaltender of the Week honors on three occasions on his way to being named the All-USHL First Team goaltender. His 2.22 GAA and league-leading seven shutouts and .921% save percentage also helped earn him USHL Co-Goaltender of the Year honors.

According to Fargo Force associate head coach Byron Pool, Gothberg "is a big, strong athletic goaltender. He is tremendously conditioned and competes on every puck. He is a leader and gives the players in front of him a lot of confidence. He knows his position very well and has tremendous upside."

"Technically," Pool said, "Zane is a very sound goaltender. He knows his angles, is very square to the puck, and tracks the puck very well. Where Zane took a step for us last year was in his strength and conditioning. By being stronger he was able to use his athleticism to make those big cross-crease saves. Also, his recovery became a lot quicker."

When asked what qualities Gothberg possesses that will enable him to succeed at the NCAA level, Pool stated that "Zane is a great goaltender and he does not like to play second fiddle. He has a burning desire to play every minute of every game. He will push anyone who is ahead of him on the depth chart and fight tooth and nail to keep his starting position if and when he gets it. This competitiveness not only creates great competition between your goaltenders but it also makes your practices that much better as shooters are facing goaltenders who don't like to be scored on." Expect that competitiveness to be a driving force in Gothberg's push to become North Dakota's number one goaltender.

Tuesday Evening Post

• The Pipeline Show published its 2012-13 NCAA All-Canadian teams, and three members of the Fighting Sioux made the cut. Corban Knight made the first-team while Dillon Simpson and Andrew MacWilliam form the defensive pairing for the second-team.
• As most probably already know, North Dakota received a verbal commitment from a highly-regarded defense recruit today. Christian Evers currently plays for the Omaha AAA Lancer Under-16 team (same program that produced UND recruit Chris Wilkie) and he tweeted last night of his intentions to attend UND. He is currently a high school sophomore and he becomes the first 1997 birth year player (and, I believe, the first-ever Iowan) to commit to North Dakota. For more information, check out his Recruit Profile.
• After putting up six points (2G, 4A) in two weekend games, North Dakota recruit Wade Murphy received an honorable mention in the BCHL's weekly honors. For the season Murphy ranks second overall in the BCHL scoring race with 17 points (5G, 12A) in 8 games, and his 12 assists and 2.1 PPG average both lead the league. 
• Chris VandeVelde was named an alternate captain for the AHL's Oklahoma City Barons. The Barons should be fun to watch this season, especially if the NHL lockout lingers. Until the NHL and the NHL Players Association can come to an agreement on a new CBA, young Edmonton Oiler superstars Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, and Justin Schultz will be keeping their skills sharp in Oklahoma City.
• Jake Marto has been re-assigned to the ECHL's Colorado Eagles, where he will join fellow former Sioux Michael Forney and Aaron Schneekloth. Aaron Dell had also been participating in Colorado's training camp, but he was recently released by the team.
• Former Sioux Travis Zajac is training in his hometown of Winnipeg as he waits for a resolution to the NHL lockout. If the lockout drags on for too long, he says he will consider playing in Europe this season. 
• ESPN released a list of the Top 25 NHL Players Under 25. You need an ESPN Insider subscription to view the entire list, but you'll be able to see who's number one for free.
• Bucky's 5th Quarter published its 2012-13 WCHA Preview, and they have North Dakota finishing second in the conference. Individually, Danny Kristo (First Team), Corban Knight (Third Team), Rocco Grimaldi (All-Freshman Team, Rookie of the Year), Jordan Schmaltz (All-Freshman Team), and Zane Gothberg (All-Freshman Team) all received preseason honors. 
• Radio Free Omaha predicts a second-place conference finish for UND this season, while Kelly Green and White has North Dakota sitting at number two in its preseason WCHA Power Rankings.
• Top Shelf Prospects also put together a 2012-13 WCHA Preview, and they say North Dakota is a contender for the league title while Kristo will be a player to watch.

Saturday Morning Coffee

• We've now turned the calendars to September, and with an NHL work stoppage looking all the more likely, more and more players are starting to voice their frustrations with the state of the labor negotiations. In an interview earlier this week Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise said NHL commish Gary Bettman is "pretty adamant about his third lockout of his tenure." Wild beat writer Michael Russo caught up with Parise a couple days ago and he had a few more things to say about the situation:

For whatever reason, [lockouts] seem to be what Gary likes to do. Whether this time around it’s a negotiating tactic or what, you’d hope that he’s smart enough to realize that as a league, the fanbases, with the momentum that the league has gotten, that it wouldn’t be a good idea to have a lockout.

I thought the first proposal was embarrassing. Embarrassing. If you look at it in the long run, in my opinion, it was a quick fix for them, but I feel seven years down the road, it’s not addressing the problem and we’re going to be in the exact same spot where we are now. I could go on for a long time, but I thought it was a joke.

• Parise goes on to say the current CBA that is set to expire this month is "their deal and now they want us to bail them out again." Former Minnesota defenseman Keith Ballard also offered his thoughts in the full text of the aforementioned Star-Tribune post.
• Depending on the duration of any potential work stoppage, Chicago Blackhawk captain Jonathan Toews might opt to play overseas during 2012-13. Toews and fellow 'Hawk Patrick Kane reportedly "would consider playing in Europe 'under the right circumstances and [during the] appropriate time'."
• Two of UND's goaltenders have their goalie mask artwork displayed on the website of Diel Airbrush. Clarke Saunders' mask has an Audioslave theme while Zane Gothberg's features Ralph Engelstad in his goalie gear.
• The artistic abilities of Brock Nelson and former BC Eagle star Chris Kreider were on full display this past week at the NHLPA's Rookie Showcase: 

Thursday Evening Post

• The Los Angeles Kings took a 1-0 series lead over the New Jersey Devils last night in the Stanley Cup Finals by way of a 2-1 overtime victory. None of the former Sioux taking part in the Finals figured into the scoring, but Matt Greene and the Kings are now just three wins away from hoisting the Cup. The Kings have yet to lose on the road this postseason, but the Devils are not in unfamiliar territory as this is the third time in four postseason series they've dropped game one. New Jersey sports a 1-3 record in series opening contests but is 11-4 in all other games. Game two is scheduled for Saturday night (7:00 CDT) in New Jersey.
• A little more info was released regarding Matt Frattin's season-ending knee injury. Damien Cox of the Toronto Star tweeted last night that Frattin will most likely not be ready for fall camp as his surgery requires four months of post-procedure rehab. He's apparently already had surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.
• An interesting nugget from this offseason game plan for the Chicago Blackhawks: Jonathan Toews is one of just three NHL forwards to have a double digit + rating each of the past five seasons. Pavel Datsyuk and Alex Burrows are the others.
• The agent of Lee Goren says that the former Sioux All-American will most likely either be re-signing with Skelleftea or moving to Rogle, another Swedish Elite League club (info from this Swedish article). Goren and Skelleftea advanced to the league finals this past season, where he suffered a concussion that caused him to miss the last several games of the series. Earlier this season, he expressed his desire to perhaps play a few more years in Sweden (last bullet point on the post).
• Former Sioux standouts Zach and Jordan Parise are scheduled to join a host of other stars for a charity hockey game in Minneapolis in a few weeks. The proceeds will go to Defending the Blue Line, an organization that helps military families pay for hockey expenses.
• The USHL announced its All-USHL First and Second Teams today, and two Sioux recruits earned recognition. Fargo Force goalie Zane Gothberg, who was also a co-recipient of the league's Goaltender of the Year award, and Green Bay Gambler defenseman Jordan Schmaltz were each named to the First Team. This is the second consecutive season Schmaltz has made the First Team, and both he and Gothberg are expected to arrive in North Dakota this fall.
• The recruit profiles for the incoming class of freshmen and transfers have been updated to reflect their performances during the 2011-12 season. The profiles for the recruits anticipated to arrive in 2013-14 and beyond will be updated shortly. You can find all of them on The Recruits page.

Friday Morning Coffee

After a couple of weeks off, it's time to do some catching up. Perhaps a lot of this is old news to some of you, but hopefully there are a few links that will be of interest. Since the last post...

• UND announced its incoming class of freshmen (and a transfer) for the 2012-13 season. It's a very promising mix of talent that should blend nicely with a strong group of returnees. Also worth remembering is that in addition to the six newcomers, we will also get our first glimpse of Colten St. Clair, Mitch MacMillan (eligible Spring semester), and a healthy Rocco Grimaldi. All of this is enough for Inside College Hockey to rank North Dakota third in its very early preseason rankings.
• Incoming freshman goaltender Zane Gothberg was named the USHL's Co-Goaltender of the Year. The Fargo Force goalie was the league's regular season leader in Save % (.921) and Shutouts (7) while finishing second in Goals Against Average (2.22). Additionally, his playoff GAA (1.78) and Save % (.942) led the league. He shared top goaltender honors with Green Bay's Ryan McKay. 
• Former Sioux associate head coach Cary Eades was named the head coach and general manager of the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede. This is Eades' second stint in the USHL, having previously served as the HC/GM of the Dubuque Fighting Saints for a very successful two-year tenure in the early 1990's. Eades is a flat-out winner, and expect him to achieve big things in South Dakota, where he'll surely help grow the sport in a state with a promising future on the ice.
• Chuck Schwartz of Bucky's 5th Quarter attended USA Hockey's Central District Midget Festival, and in his individual notes he says UND recruit Chris Wilkie was "one of the best players" at the event. Wilkie is anticipated to arrive on campus in the fall of 2014 and will play for the USNTDP's Under-17 team this upcoming season. Everything I've heard/read about Wilkie has been very positive - lots of skill, welcomes the physical game, incredible motor, tremendous work ethic.

NHL Playoff Update:

• Matt Greene and the Los Angeles Kings advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals after eliminating the Phoenix Coyotes in five games. Greene, who has his sights firmly set on the Cup, will be making his second trip to The Finals. The former Sioux captain was a member of the Edmonton Oilers when they came up just short against Carolina in the 2006 Finals, losing in seven games.
• Greene and LA's ecstasy, of course, is the agony of Dave Tippett and the Phoenix Coyotes. Phoenix made a strong run to the Western Conference Finals but a sluggish start to the series was too much to overcome against a strong Los Angeles team. Regardless of how the season ended, Tippett and the Coyotes should be proud of their season, which was forged from an uncertain and chaotic situation. Tippett and Coyote GM Don Maloney have somehow made it work in the desert, while a trio from Phoenix's staff has international roots that run deep.
• The New Jersey Devils are one win away from joining Los Angeles in the Stanley Cup Finals as they lead the New York Rangers three games to two in the Eastern Conference Finals. Former Sioux Zach Parise and Travis Zajac have played lead roles in New Jersey's fantastic playoff run, sharing the team lead with seven goals apiece, a total that is eclipsed league-wide only by Philadelphia's Claude Giroux and Daniel Briere, who have eight each. The Devils will look to eliminate New York tonight (7:00 CDT).
• Parise, whose DNA is riddled with hockey smarts, is the second leading scorer for the Devils during the postseason with 14 points (7-7). He is among a trio of Americans looking to become the first US-born captain (and just the second ever) to win The Cup since the Dallas Stars' Derian Hatcher hoisted sport's greatest trophy in 1999. Despite (and perhaps, because of) New Jersey's extended playoff run, Parise's impending free agency status remains attractive fodder for the media. The Detroit News ponders what Red Wing life would be like with Parise and Ryan Suter in the fold, but might New Jersey's postseason success be enough to keep him a Devil? The Star Tribune, meanwhile, examines the potential of Parise returning to Minnesota.
• Life is good for Zajac, who is third on the team with 12 postseason points (7-5). His strong playoff contributions are a bit of a redemption story following an injury-plagued regular season.

AHL Playoff Update:

• Matt Frattin and the Toronto Marlies have taken a three game to one series lead over Chris VandeVelde, Taylor Chorney and the Oklahoma City Barons in the AHL's Western Conference Finals. Frattin has been fantastic in the postseason as he is tied for the league lead with eight goals, while VandeVelde is T-5th with five. Frattin, who possesses a nice arsenal of offensive weapons, is part of the contingent of Toronto "Young Guns" leaving its mark on the AHL Playoffs. Game five takes place tonight in Toronto at 6:00 CDT.
• St. John's was swept by Norfolk in the Eastern Conference Finals. Jason Gregoire and Jake Marto did not appear in the postseason for the IceCaps. 

USHL Playoff Update:

• Jordan Schmaltz was The Last Man Standing among North Dakota recruits, and he stood for as long as he could. Schmaltz and the Green Bay Gamblers defeated Waterloo Wednesday night in the decisive game five of the USHL's Clark Cup Finals, thereby capping a tremendous USHL career for the incoming UND defenseman. He finished the postseason T-1st in +/- among defensemen (+10) and he was T-2nd among blueliners in points (2-5-7). The next question regarding Schmaltz is where he will be selected in June's NHL Entry Draft. Here are a few draft prospect profiles from Last Word on Sports, Hockey Prospectus (#46), and NHL Mock Draft.

Miscellaneous:

• According to Bleedin' Blue, TJ Oshie's season graded out at a B+, and he is among a number of Americans looking to make their Olympic debuts in 2014.
• Jonathan Toews was named Best Forward and Team MVP in the Blackhawks' Fan Choice Awards, while Comcast Sportsnet breaks down the Chicago captain's season and future expectations.
• Condors Connect checks in with Evan Trupp.
• Adam Calder will not be returning to the Slough Jets, the team with which he won the English Premier League's playoff championship this past season. No word as of yet on where the former Sioux will be playing next season.
• Former Alaska-Anchorage Seawolf and current Backhand Shelf columnist Justin Bourne shares his experience in choosing between college and major junior hockey.

Sunday Morning Coffee

• Miles Koules announced via Twitter yesterday that he has opted to play for the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers next season. The one-time committed Sioux recruit is the third US NTDP alum in the past nine months to back-out of a commitment to play for North Dakota in order to jump to Candian major juniors, joining JT Miller and Stefan Matteau. An increased opportunity for ice-time and game action factored into his change of plans, and expect more on the reasoning behind Koules' decision Monday. 

NHL Playoff Updates:

• The GF Herald breaks down the former Sioux vying to have their names etched into the Stanley Cup, while the Winnipeg Free Press takes a look at the two Western Conference semifinal series.
• The Stanley Cup, for the 18th straight season, will be won by a non-Canadian based team.
• Round two of the Stanley Cup playoffs fired up Friday night, and Dave Tippett's Phoenix Coyotes went to overtime, again, before taking game one from Nashville 4-3. Here are Tippett's postgame comments:

• Former Sioux captain Matt Greene and the Los Angeles Kings, the Western Conference's eighth seed, continued their strong postseason run by defeating the St. Louis Blues 3-1 last night. Greene became the unlikely hero when he scored the shorthanded game-winning goal by "lumbering" up the ice and chipping in a Dustin Brown rebound. Greene's shorty was just the second postseason shorthanded goal by a defenseman in Kings' history, with Rob Blake scoring the other back in 1993. TJ Oshie assisted on the lone goal for St. Louis, while Chris Porter did not dress. Check out Greene's goal right here:

• The New Jersey Devils open their second round series against Philadelphia this afternoon, and Devil head coach Peter DeBoer has decided to shake up his line combinations, including moving captain Zach Parise to the second line. The move is intended to spark the second line, which was relatively quiet in the first round, as Parise makes a lot of plays that can get a team headed in the right direction. Meanwhile Travis Zajac, who was one of the first round's standouts, could be the "X-Factor" against the Flyers.

AHL Playoff Update:

• Five former Sioux remain standing after the first round of the AHL's Calder Cup playoffs. The St. John's IceCaps (Jason Gregoire, Jake Marto) eliminated Syracuse (Matt Smaby) Friday night, though none of the trio of former Sioux played during the series. Oklahoma City (Chris VandeVelde, Taylor Chorney) and Toronto (Matt Frattin) have also advanced to the conference semifinals, which begin Tuesday.

USHL Playoff Updates:

• Lincoln (Paul LaDue, Luke Johnson) eliminated Fargo (Zane Gothberg, Bryn Chyzyk) with a 3-2 overtime victory Friday night. The Stars move on to the Western Conference Finals, where they will face the Waterloo Blackhawks, who feature a potential Sioux recruit in defenseman Ian McCoshen. Earlier this season McCoshen said he had narrowed his collegiate choices down to Wisconsin, Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha, and North Dakota. The schedule has not yet been set for this series, but as the top seed in the conference, Lincoln will have the home-ice advantage. 
• Despite the loss, Gothberg had what is probably the best season between the pipes in the short history of the Fargo Force franchise, and Slightly Chilled touched upon what Gothberg meant to his team. He finished the postseason with a 1.78 GAA and .942 Save % in six games, and expect to hear his name called when the USHL hands out its  regular season awards.
• In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Indiana Ice will be taking on the Green Bay Gamblers and Sioux recruit Jordan Schmaltz. That series begins Thursday in Green Bay. 

Friday Morning Coffee

A handful of stories for your Friday morning...

• Fighting Sioux head coach Dave Hakstol signed a six year contract yesterday to remain at UND through 2018. Brad Schlossman got in touch with CBS Sports Network's college hockey analyst Dave Starman to get his thoughts on Hakstol and the UND program.
• Travis Zajac (1G, 1A) was instrumental in the New Jersey Devils evening their series with Florida at two games apiece last night, but it was captain Zach Parise (1G) who provided the tonic to the Devils' hangover following Tuesday night's squandered opportunity. Earlier in the week, the Zajacs were dubbed as Manitoba's First Family of Hockey, while Parise is featured in the NHL's "Beacuse It's The Cup" series:

• The Chicago Blackhawks fell into a 3-1 hole last night as they suffered their third overtime loss of the series to Dave Tippett's Phoenix Coyotes. It will be tough sledding, but don't count the 'Hawks out, particularly with Captain Consistency Jonathan Toews leading the way. Last season they stretched eventual Stanley Cup finalist Vancouver to an overtime game seven after trailing the series three games to none, and expect Toews to continue to get better for as long as Chicago can prolong this series. On a sidenote, the Blackhawks' penchant for overtime action made some NHL history last night.
• Matt Watkins was called up by Phoenix Wednesday while Brett Hextall was part of a massive recall yesterday. Portland, the Coyotes' AHL affiliate, did not qualify for the playoffs, making those Pirate players with NHL deals available for an NHL call-up. Phoenix also has several players battling injuries, while forward Raffi Torres is facing what could be a lengthy suspension. 
• Drew Stafford and the Buffalo Sabres had a disappointing season amid high expectations, but Stafford says he will continue working hard to find the consistency that will help get the Sabres back into the playoffs.
• The AHL's Calder Cup Playoffs kicked off last night, and Matt Frattin scored a goal in helping the Toronto Marlies defeat the Rochester Americans (Joe Finley, Corey Fienhage) 4-3. According to this game story from the Rochester Democrat and Journal, Frattin earned the game's 3rd Star. In other action, the Oklahoma City Barons (Chris VandeVelde, Taylor Chorney) defeated the Houston Aeros (Chay Genoway) while Connecticut upended the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (Brock Nelson).
• Adam Calder and the Slough Jets won the English Premier League's playoff championship over the weekend. Here you will find a story from the championship game.
• Recruit Drake Caggiula and the Stouffville Spirit sit in first place following round robin play at the Dudley Hewitt Cup, thus earning themselves a bye into Saturday's championship game. With a win Saturday, they would advance to the RBC Cup playoffs, which determine Canada's Junior A national champion. Caggiula, who has four points (1G, 3A) in three tournament games, was featured in this article after earning OJHL Playoff MVP honors.
• Sioux recruits Zane Gothberg and Bryn Chyzyk helped the Fargo Force advance to the second round of the USHL's Clark Cup Playoffs with a two-game sweep of Sioux City earlier this week. Gothberg posted a 0.98 GAA and .964 Save Percentage while Chyzyk pitched in with an assist. The Force begin the second round of the playoffs tonight against Lincoln, which features recruits Paul LaDue and Luke Johnson, while Jordan Schmaltz and Green Bay begin their series with Youngstown Saturday. Team USA (Miles Koules and Keaton Thompson) and Cedar Rapids (Jack Rowe) were eliminated from the playoffs following first round defeats.

Monday Evening Post

Another men's hockey season came to an end yesterday in St. Paul, and while the sting of the season-ending loss will most assuredly stay with the team for awhile, I'd just like to take the time to congratulate the players, coaches, and staff on another entertaining and successful season.

The 2011-12 Fighting Sioux displayed a tremendous amount of character, heart, and perseverance in battling through a trying season during which they were confronted with a dizzying series of personnel challenges. Rather than folding under the weight of these challenges, the team met them head-on and, from the depths of the WCHA standings, fought its way into national championship contention, earning itself a Final Five Championship and a top seed in the NCAA tournament along the way.

This team never quit believing that it could win a national championship, and it never quit believing it could become one of the great teams in this program's rich and storied history. While they may have fallen a few wins short of their ultimate goal, they built themselves into a team that is as easy for Fighting Sioux fans to be proud of as any in recent memory.

*****

In other Fighting Sioux hockey news:

• The United States of Hockey posted a review of last weekend's NCAA regional action, including commentary on Danny Kristo's strong play.
• Travis Zajac returned to the New Jersey Devil lineup last night, and he played well in managed minutes. He had an assist in 13:31 of ice time, and he won 62.5% of his draws. He was a guest on NHL Live today where he spent a couple minutes discussing his return from injury:

• Zajac's New Jersey teammate Zach Parise scored his 30th goal of the season last night, making him the first former Sioux to reach the 30 goal mark five times as an NHLer. Dave Christian did it four times.
• As mentioned in a previous post, Chris VandeVelde scored his first career NHL goal yesterday. The USHL issued this release on the former Lincoln Star, and it includes video of his sneaky wrister.
• Jonathan Toews is ramping up the intensity of his workouts and he looks to return to Chicago's lineup in the near future.
• Last night was Ed Belfour Heritage Night in Chicago. A brief video documenting the event can be viewed here, while the Blackhawk organization published a nice piece on the undrafted, yet undaunted former Sioux goaltender.
• Matt Frattin was a full participant in Maple Leaf practice today, after which he chatted about his foot injury, North Dakota's NCAA tournament fate, and who holds college hockey bragging rights inside the Maple Leaf lockeroom:

• Once the season is over, expect Frattin to rejoin the Toronto Marlies (AHL) for their playoff run.
• An NHL scout recently projected the first round of this summer's upcoming NHL Draft, and he had Sioux recruit Jordan Schmaltz going 17th overall to Los Angeles, where Matt Greene is a blue line stalwart and Derek Forbort is a top defense prospect.
• Recruit Zane Gothberg of the Fargo Force was named the USHL's Goaltender of the Week for the third time this season, and expect him to be among the top candidates for the league's Goaltender of the Year award. Force head coach John Marks thinks Gothberg has the potential to become UND's number one goalie sooner rather than later.
• Recruits Charlie Pelnik and Nick Schmaltz are off to New York this week for the 2012 Under-16 National Championships. The tournament runs Wednesday through Sunday, and Pelnik's Shattuck-St. Mary's team is scheduled to take on Schmaltz and Chicago Mission Friday evening.
  

Sunday Afternoon Post, Part 2

And serving number two:

• Danny Kristo's play this season has reminded Montreal Canadien fans of why the team selected him with the 56th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Kristo and Mark MacMillan were also part of The Montreal Gazette's look at the Canadien prospects participating in the NCAA Tournament.
• Former Sioux All-American John Marks says his current job as head coach of the USHL's Fargo Force is the best gig he's had in awhile.
• Recruit Zane Gothberg posted his USHL-leading sixth shutout of the season Friday night as the Fargo Force beat Des Moines 2-0. He is also second in the league in GAA (2.29) and Save Percentage (.919), and he had been riding a scoreless streak that ended at 154:49 when Des Moines scored a first period goal last night in a 4-2 Force win.
• Recruit Drake Caggiula and the Stouffville Spirit continue their strong run in the OJHL playoffs. They've won their first two series, and currently lead Georgetown 2-1 in the Northwest Conference Finals, with game four of the the best-of-7 series scheduled for tonight. Individually, Caggiula has had very nice postseason thus far, ranking third among OJHL playoff scorers with 20 points (9G, 11A) in 13 games.
• Adam Tambellini was recently named the Vernon Vipers' Rookie of the Year. The Sioux recruit finished the BCHL season as the Vipers' third leading scorer, averaging more than a point-per-game with 56 points (27G, 29A) in 55 contests. Tambellini and fellow North Dakota recruit Geoff Crisfield are part of a strong core expected to return to Vernon next season.
• Defenseman recruit and potential first-round 2012 NHL Draft pick Jordan Schmaltz was recently profiled by The Hockey Writers, who had a lot of nice things to say about the current Green Bay Gambler.
• Recruit Chris Wilkie was an invitee of the 2012 US National Team Development Program Evaluation Camp, which took place in Ann Arbor, MI last week. The evaluation camp is a major part of the process of building the USA Hockey Under-17 team roster. Results and reports from the evaluation camp will be passed along as they become available.

Here are a few links that have recently trickled in related to items covered in the post from earlier today:

• Travis Zajac says he is excited to be making his return to the New Jersey lineup.
• Jonathan Toews says his recovery from a concussion is "probably the most frustrating thing" he's had to go through.
• The Toronto Maple Leafs assigned a pair of forwards to their AHL affiliate today, likely signaling a return to the lineup for Matt Frattin Tuesday night when the Leafs take on Carolina.
• Chris VandeVelde made his NHL season debut this afternoon, and in the midst of Edmonton's five-goal, second period onslaught, he scored his first career NHL goal. He is the 16th former Sioux to play for an NHL club this season. Here's the goal:

Thursday Evening Post

• Yesterday it was reported that junior forward Taylor Dickin has not been practicing this week due to the lower body injury suffered Friday night against Denver. He is unlikely to play this weekend against Minnesota State, which of course means the Fighting Sioux will play one forward short.
• After being dealt to the Tampa Bay Lightning on the NHL's Deadline Day, former Sioux defensemen Mike Commodore and Brian Lee were excited to make their Lightning debuts, and they were able to do just that Tuesday night against Montreal. They were paired together during even strength situations, and they were both regulars on the penalty kill. They both had very solid games for their new team and Lee delivered what was probably the hit of the game:

• For Lee, the trade to Ottawa might provide a fresh start that will enable him to spark his career, while for Commodore it is perhaps a bittersweet move after he quickly became a fan favorite in Detroit despite his abbreviated stay. Commodore, by the way, tweeted his appreciation of the aforementioned article.
• Matt Frattin was apparently the target of a number of trade inquiries leading up to the deadline, but Toronto GM Brian Burke is too high on Frattin to trade him (towards the bottom of the article).
• In an injury update, Jonathan Toews is said to be progressing in his recovery from an upper-body injury that is unofficially suspected of being a concussion. He will not travel with the team to begin their next roadie, but it is possible that he could join the team at some point on the trip. Toews is also mentioned in a Rogers Sportsnet article covering the increase in the number of Winnipeggers playing for the WHL's Tr-City Americans, the team that once held Toews' CHL rights.
• Phoenix Coyote head coach Dave Tippett currently has 397 career wins as a NHL head coach. When he reaches the 400 win mark, he will become just the 28th coach in league history to do so.
• The Fargo Force will be holding their first-ever Skills Challenge this weekend. Sioux recruit Bryn Chyzyk will lead Team Chyzyk while fellow recruit Zane Gothberg will compete for Team Farley. The Skills Challenge will take place at 4:00 PM Sunday afternoon at Fargo's Scheels Arena.

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.
  

Recruit Profile: Zane Gothberg

Photo-USHL.com

Previous Team:  Fargo Force (USHL)
Anticipated Arrival at UND:  2012
Position:  Goaltender
Birthday:  August 20th, 1992  
Hometown:  Thief River Falls, MN
Height:  6'2"
Weight:  190
Shoots:  Left


Profiles & Press Clippings:

• Pointstreak 2011-12 Profile/Stat Page
• Elite Prospects Profile/Stat Page
• New England Hockey Journal: Gothberg Growing, Gaining Confidence (Nov 2011)
• Slightly Chilled: Circle of Life... (Oct 2011)
• WEEI Radio Boston Blog: Zane Gothberg Can't Mask His Excitement (Jul 2011)
• USA Hockey: Gothberg Always Willing to Work Hard (Oct 2010)
• The Bruins Blog: Great Experiences For Goaltending Prospect Gothberg (Aug 2010)
• WEEI Radio Boston Blog: Zaney Draft Pick Breaks Goaltending Mold (Jul 2010)
• NHL.com: Family Matters For Gothberg (Jun 2010)
• MN Hockey Hub: Prowler Between the Pipes (Jan 2010)
• He was selected in the 6th round (165th overall) by the Boston Bruins in the 2010 NHL Draft.

2011-12:

• He played for the USHL's Fargo Force, posting a regular season record of 26-16-4. He led all league goaltenders in shutouts (7) and Save % (.921), while his 2.22 GAA was second in the league. He was named the USHL Goaltender of the Week for Week 16, Week 17, and Week 26, and due to his outstanding regular season play he was named Co-Goaltender of the Year, an honor he shared with Green Bay's Ryan McKay, and First Team All-USHL. His strong play carried over into the postseason, where he posted a league leading 1.79 GAA and .942 Save %.
• In November of 2011 he participated in the World Junior A Challenge, helping Team USA win the bronze medal. He played in two games and posted a 0.50 GAA and a .979 Save Percentage, including a 4-0 shutout of Sweden in the bronze medal game.

2010-11:

• He spent the season with the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League, playing in 23 games with a 2.23 GAA and .908 Save Percentage.
• He was a member of the undefeated, gold medal-winning Team USA entry in the 2010 World Jr. A Challenge, posting a 2.05 GAA and .929 Save Percentage in four tournament games.

2009-10:

• As a high school senior he played for the Thief River Falls Prowlers (MN-HS), posting a 1.81 GAA, .925 Save Percentage, and three shutouts in 27 games on his way to winning the Frank Brimsek Award as the top senior goaltender in Minnesota high school hockey. He also earned 1st Team All-State honors.
• In August of 2009 he was named to the USA Hockey Select Under-18 team that played at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. He saw action in three games and posted a 4.96 GAA and .865 Save Percentage.
• He attended the USA Hockey Select 17 Development Camp in July of 2009, posting a 3.60 GAA and .893 Save Percentage in five games on his way to being named one of the camp's top five goalies by the US Hockey Report.

2008-09:

• In his junior year at Thief River Falls he played in 27 games, recording a 1.49 GAA to go along with four shutouts in earning Honorable Mention All-State recognition.

2007-08:

• As a high school sophomore at Thief River Falls he played in 26 games and posted a 2.15 GAA.

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.

Monday Evening Post

• Jonathan Toews did not take part in Blackhawk practice today, and he has been ruled out for Tuesday night's game against Nashville after suffering an upper-body injury last weekend. He is also likely to miss this weekend's All-Star game in order to take advantage of the extra rest. The added rest comes at a good time as Toews' importance to the Blackhawks is immeasurable, and one observer says that unless Sidney Crosby can overcome his concussion issues, Toews is the future of the NHL.
• Taylor Chorney, recalled from Oklahoma City yesterday, is expected to be in the lineup tonight for Edmonton when they take on San Jose.  
• TJ Oshie, Chris Porter, and the St. Louis Blues are Western Conference contenders. 
• The red-hot play of Fargo Force goaltender Zane Gothberg (nine game win streak) has been receiving a lot of attention as of late, but a few future Sioux blueliners have also been producing some nice numbers in the USHL. Paul LaDue of Lincoln has seven points (3G, 4A) and is a +8 over his last seven games. Keaton Thompson of the USNTDP U-17 team has four points (1G, 3A) and is a +5 in his last five games, while Green Bay's Jordan Schmaltz appears to have found his groove in producing eleven points (3G, 8A) and a +3 in his last seven games.
• Alabama-Huntsville goaltender Clarke Saunders, who will transfer to UND following this season season, did all he could to keep his team competitive against top-ranked Minnesota-Duluth last weekend. In Friday's 2-1 loss at Amsoil Arena, Saunders stopped 52 of 54 Bulldog shots. On Saturday night he faced 47 more, stopping 43 of them in the Chargers' 4-3 loss. That's a lot of rubber in what was a respectable showing for Huntsville, which is now 2-24-1 on the season. Who did their two wins come against? Saunders' future WCHA/NCHC foes Nebraska-Omaha and Denver.

Tuesday Evening Post

• TJ Oshie scored a dynamite goal last night to put the streaking St. Louis Blues atop the NHL's Western Conference. The play started with a face-off win deep inside their own zone, and some slick passing and great spacing gave Oshie the opportunity to receive and bury a beautiful pass from David Perron. It was going to take a special play to beat either Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak or his Stars counterpart Kari Lehtonen, and Oshie and his linemates were able to get it done and provide what turned out to be the only goal in a 1-0 thriller. The St. Louis Game Time blog calls it the Blues' Goal of the Year (So Far) and goes so far as to say that last night's win could be a turning point for the franchise. It's been quite the in-season turnaround for St. Louis. In the thirteen games with Davis Payne behind the bench, the Blues went 6-7-0. Since Payne was replaced with Ken Hitchcock, the Blues have soared to the top of the West by going 21-5-6 Oshie is currently tied for the team lead in goals with 14 and is second on the team in points with 30. Here's the goal from Monday night:

• Detroit defenseman Mike Commodore returned to the Red Wings' lineup tonight against the Dallas Stars. It's the first action for Commodore since taking a shot to his right foot Sunday, January 8.
• The emerging play of Chicago Blackhawk winger Viktor Stalberg is meshing nicely with superstars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.
• Though the New Jersey Devils continue their strong play and are now threatening to move into the top four of the Eastern Conference, trade rumors continue to swirl around captain Zach Parise, and they will only intensify as we approach the February 27 trade deadline. In Lou We Trust speculates what it would take for other teams to land Parise, while St. Louis might have the necessary components to make Parise a Blue. The situation has the cash-strapped Devils in a bit of a tough situation as it's awfully hard to imagine that they'd deal Parise in the heat of a playoff race. On the other hand, they certainly don't want to see him walk as an unrestriceted free agent this summer. Whatever happens, it will be one of the top NHL story lines over the course of the next several months.
• Last weekend's North Dakota-Minnesota series was featured in the NY Times.
• Zane Gothberg had another outstanding game last night for the Fargo Force, posting his third shutout of the season and the second in his last five games. The reigning USHL Goaltender of the Week stopped all 27 shots he faced in leading the Force to a 4-0 win against Sioux Falls. Gothberg and the Force are riding a seven game win streak, during which time the future Sioux netminder has a 1.41 GAA and .946 Save %.
• Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist to lead Team USA to a 5-4 win over Finland in the Youth Olympic Games. The Americans, who now sit at 2-1-0, will close out preliminary round play Wednesday against Russia.
• There has been no substantiation at this point, but it is being rumored that North Dakota recruit Luke Voltin has been dismissed from the USNTDP Under-17 team. Chris Dilks of the Western College Hockey Blog first reported the news, and Voltin no longer appears on the team's official roster. He has played in 25 games with the U-17 team, producing five goals and seven assists. Updates will be posted as information is made available.