Grand Forks Herald - UND College Hockey Preview

On a mission

Thursday, September 30, 2010

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Chay Genoway is back, and the Sioux are determined to make it a special season

Butler machinery company (From left) Goaltender Brad Eidsness, defenseman Chay Genoway and forward Jason Gregoire.

Photo by Eric Hylden, Herald photographer

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Putting the pieces in place

Thursday, September 30, 2010

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The Herald will have full coverage of every game — home and road — including game stories, live in-game chats and postgame blog entries. You can get your coverage in a variety of places:

In the newspaper: Previews, features, profiles, game stories, photos and a breakdown of each weekend series will be available in the sports section of the Grand Forks Herald.

On the blog: Get in-depth

commentary as well as updates on recruits and former players at undhockey.areavoices.com.

Coaches poll

1. UND 2. St. Cloud State 3. Minnesota-Duluth 4. Denver 5. Minnesota 6. Colorado College 7. Wisconsin 8. Nebraska-Omaha 9. Bemidji St. 10. MSU-Mankato 11. Anchorage 12. Michigan Tech

On Twitter: Get 140-character

updates and links to stories via beat writer Brad Elliott Schlossman at

www.twitter.com/schlossmangf.

On Facebook: Get Sioux hockey updates in your news feed by “liking” the North Dakota hockey page at www.facebook.com/ northdakotahockey.

Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct.

Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov.

Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. Dec. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan.

Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb.

POY: Jack Connolly, Duluth ROY: Jaden Schwartz, CC

schedule

3 — MANITOBA (exh.) 6:07 8 — at Anchorage 11:07 9 — vs. Fairbanks 7:07 15 — at Bemidji St. 7:37 16 — at Bemidji St. 7:07 22 — at Maine 6:00 23 — at Maine 6:00 29 — DENVER 7:37 30 — DENVER 7:07 5 — DULUTH 7:37 6 — DULUTH 7:07 12 — at Wisconsin 7:07 13 — at Wisconsin 7:07 19 — at Omaha 7:37 20 — at Omaha 7:07 26 — NOTRE DAME 7:37 27 — NOTRE DAME 7:07

3 — ST. CLOUD 7:37 4 — ST. CLOUD 7:07 10 — at Mankato 7:37 11 — at Mankato 7:07 18 — U.S. U-18 (ex.) 7:07 30 — at Duluth 7:37

7 — ROB. MORRIS 7:37 8 — ROB. MORRIS 7:07 14 — MINNESOTA 7:37 15 — MINNESOTA 7:07 21 — OMAHA 7:37 22 — OMAHA 7:07 28 — at Colo. College 8:37 29 — at Colo. College 8:07 11 — ANCHORAGE 7:37 12 — ANCHORAGE 7:07 18 — at St. Cloud 7:07 19 — at St. Cloud 7:07 26 — BEMIDJI ST. 3:37 27 — BEMIDJI ST. 3:37

Mar. 4 — at Mich. Tech 6:07 Mar. 5 — at Mich. Tech 4:07 Mar. 11-13 — WCHA first round Mar. 17-19 — WCHA Final Five Mar. 25-27 — NCAA Regionals (Manchester, N.H., St. Louis, Green Bay, Bridgeport, Conn.)

Apr. 7-9 — Frozen Four (St. Paul)

2010-11

Media poll

1. UND 2. Minnesota-Duluth 3. St. Cloud State 4. Denver 5. Wisconsin 6. Minnesota 7. Colorado College 8. Bemidji St. 9. Nebraska-Omaha 10. MSU-Mankato 11. Anchorage 12. Michigan Tech POY: Chay Genoway, UND ROY: Jaden Schwartz, CC

By Brad Elliott Schlossman Herald Staff Writer

he end of the 2009-10 season was bitter for UND. A team that went 12-1 heading into the NCAA tournament had a quick exit after falling behind Yale early and not catching up. The 3-2 loss was not the way the Sioux had envisioned their season ending.

As hard as it might have been, UND coach Dave Hakstol took the podium later that week at Ralph Engelstad Arena and started to peer into 2010-11. If the Sioux didn’t start turning the page quickly, he said, they would lose a shot being a special team in the fall.

And so after a few days off to recharge the batteries, the players began offseason training.

Many of them stuck around for the summer to work out at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Matt Frattin, who won the team’s Iron Man competition this fall, worked out with a personal trainer back in Edmonton.

“On a whole, we had a pretty good summer,” Hakstol said. “Some individuals, I think had exceptional summers. One or two had sub-par summers. But in general terms, there was a lot of good work and dedication, and a bulk of our roster has done a good job proving themselves.”

T

The emphasis on the offseason workouts was done for obvious reasons. UND built a strong base last season with a young roster. The Sioux grew up as the season progressed and were one of the toughest teams in the country by the end.

An unproductive summer could have sent the Sioux back to Square One. The Sioux wanted to make sure they would continue building into this fall.

They know that nothing is guaranteed. Denver earned the No. 1 ranking for much of last season. Then, the Pioneers went 0-2 at the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five and were upset by RPI in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

But much like Denver last season, UND has a bunch of pieces to the puzzle. Now, the Sioux will try to fit them together.

Up front, UND has a lot of firepower.

The senior line of Evan Trupp, Brad Malone and Frattin was one of the best by the end of last season.

Danny Kristo, Jason Gregoire and Brett Hextall have all played on the first line in their careers.

Sophomores Corban Knight and Mike Cichy and freshman Brock Nelson are also highly dynamic players.

Mario Lamoureux, Carter Rowney, Brent Davidson, Brett Bruneteau and freshman Derek Rodwell are solid two-way, checkers. They will add some necessary grit and reliability to the forward unit.

Forwards

The strength of the team should be the defensemen.

UND led the conference in goals against last year — and that was with-

Defensemen

out having captain Chay Genoway may be the most dynamic offensive defenseman in the WCHA. Ben Blood and Andrew MacWilliam might be the two most physical defensemen in the league.

Seniors Derrick LaPoint and Jake Marto have been a solid combination since they were sophomores. Joe Gleason showed promise as a freshman. And the two recruits they are bringing in, Derek Forbort and Dillon Simpson, come with high acclaim.

Forbort was a first-round NHL pick in June. Simpson, only 17 years old, might be one next June.

Junior Brad Eidsness has earned all-conference honors in each of his first two seasons.

He’s a strong, reliable, consistent goaltender. He might not steal the Sioux many games, but he won’t lose any, either.

The coaching staff also has confidence in backup Aaron Dell, who showed flashes of excellence last year, but was too inconsistent. Dell could see more action as a sophomore.

Goalies

For the first time, every player on the Sioux team is one who committed while Hakstol was head coach and Cary Eades was associate coach of the squad. Genoway, a fifth-year senior, is the only player who was here pre-Dane Jackson.

So this staff recruited this team, has developed this team and knows which buttons to push to make them go.

They did it with the summer workouts. Now, they’ll try to fit the pieces together on the ice for this deep and talented team.

Coaching staff

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2010-11

Quick study

Page 3

Thursday, September 30, 2010

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The goalies

Junior goalie Brad Eidsness is on pace to graduate in record time

Brad Eidsness {3 } I Class:

Junior.

I Hometown:

Chestermere, Alta.

I Career stats: 82 games, 48-22-8 record, 2.34 goalsagainst average, .910 save percentage.

I Did you know? Eidsness is on track to graduate in three years.

John Stennes, Herald photographer

L Goalie Brad Eidsness looks for the puck during the Western Collegiate Hockey Association Final Five last season.

By Brad Elliott Schlossman Herald Staff Writer

rad Eidsness’ most impressive achievement at UND might not be winning a MacNaughton Cup as a freshman or becoming the first Sioux goalie since Karl Goehring to earn back-to-back all-Western Collegiate Hockey Association honors.

It might not be his Broadmoor Trophy or his record 40-plus games played as both a freshman and a sophomore.

It might not have anything to do with his notable feats on the ice.

Eidsness, a junior from Chestermere, Alta., is set to graduate with a degree in entrepreneurship this spring after just three years in college.

“That is not common,” said UND’s director of academic services Amanda Neubauer, who points to a study that shows that fewer than 25 percent of UND students — not just athletes — are able to graduate in four years.

The average is five years.

Despite the practice hours, video sessions and extensive travel that is common for Division I athletes, Eidsness is in position to finish his undergraduate degree in three and start his master’s in business administration next year.

B

%

Of all UND students graduate within three years.

Eidsness got a few credits out of the way before arriving at UND, took a full class load during the school year and went to summer school.

“It all kind of fell into place,” said Eidsness, who was named a WCHA scholar athlete and earned a spot on the all-academic team this spring. “I never overextended myself by any means. I took two or three courses each summer and a regular class load during the year.”

Seventh-year coach Dave Hakstol says he can’t remember anyone else earning a degree in three years.

“He’s organized, and he’s motivated,” Hakstol said. “He knows what he wants. He’s a guy who has taken great advantage of everything here, including extracurriculars.”

How did he do it?

Eidsness also has taken advantage of his opportunities to be UND’s No. 1 goaltender.

As a freshman, he battled senior Aaron Walski for the top spot. It took just three weeks for Eidsness to be anointed the go-to guy.

Despite a push from freshman Aaron Dell last season, there was never any question that Eidsness would be the guy come the playoffs.

“I think his play has been very consistent,” Hakstol said. “He’s met challenges that he’s had in front of him. He’s showed steady development.”

A second-team all-WCHA pick a year ago, Eidsness is expecting bigger and better things this season. He spent this summer working on his footwork as well as other areas of his game he felt he needed to round out.

“As last year progressed, I saw some improvements in my game,” he said. “I’m trying to move forward with those and keep getting better with every game.”

Classmate Brett Hextall said: “He’s a guy who really wants it. He has all of the ability in the world. We’re expecting a lot out of him and he’s expecting a lot out of himself . . . and he should, because he has all of the tools to do it. We’ll rely on him to have a good, solid year for us.”

UND’s No. 1 guy

Aaron Dell {3 }

Sophomore.

Airdrie, Alta.

I Career stats: 5 games, 1-3-1 record, 1.81 goalsagainst average, .897 save percentage.

I Did you know? Dell is a music major.

I Class:

I Hometown:

Tate Maris {35}

Sophomore.

Denver.

I Career stats: Maris did not see any game action as a freshman.

I Did you know? Maris’ father, Richard, played basketball at Colorado and Colorado State.

I Class:

I Hometown:

Page 4 Danny Kristo {7}

I Class:

Sophomore.

I Hometown: Eden Prairie, Minn.

I Career stats: 41 games, 15 goals, 21 assists, 36 points.

I Did you know? Kristo’s father, Mark, played at Bemidji State.

I Chose UND over: Minnesota.

Mike Cichy {8}

I Class: Sophomore.

I Hometown: New Hartford, Conn.

I Career stats: 23 games, 2 goals, 2 assists, 4 points.

I Did you know? Cichy is the first Connecticut native to play for UND since 1951.

I Chose UND over: Halifax of the QMJHL.

2010-11

Teammates rave about Knight

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Thursday, September 30, 2010

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Underclass forwards

Upbeat centerman could have a breakout season

Derek Rodwell {11}

I Class: Freshman.

I Hometown: Taber, Alta.

I Did you know?

Rodwell was a fifth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2009.

I Chose UND over: Providence.

Brett Bruneteau {13}

I Class: Sophomore.

I Hometown: Omaha, Neb. I Career stats: 27 games, 1 goal, 4 assists, 5 points.

I Did you know? Bruneteau has a brother playing for Vermont (Nick) and Lake Superior (Matt).

I Chose UND over: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and Nebraska-Omaha.

Carter Rowney {27}

I Class:

Sophomore.

I Hometown: Sexsmith, Alta.

I Career stats: 39 games, 1 goal, 7 assists, 8 points.

I Did you know? Rowney’s only goal last season was a game-winner.

Brock Nelson {29}

I Class: Freshman.

I Hometown: Warroad, Minn.

I Did you know? Nelson’s uncles, Dave and Eddie Christian, played at UND. I Chose UND over: Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha.

*Taylor Dickin

Freshman.

I Hometown: Winnipeg.

I Did you know? Dickin is expected to enroll in January.

I Chose UND over: Canadian colleges.

I Class:

L Sophomore Corban Knight is looking to take on a larger role with this year’s team.

so well. He’s really deceptive, too, like (Evan) Trupp.”

By Brad Elliott Schlossman Herald Staff Writer

ND coach Dave Hakstol insists that Corban Knight faces challenges like everyone else.

It’s just impossible to tell.

“Don’t know if you’ll find a better person,” Hakstol says. “He’s genuinely a great person. He’s intelligent, a really thoughtful teammate and very popular in the locker room.”

“It’s not like he avoids tough situations.

He just handles them well. He handles things with a real upbeat style. Very seldom are you going to come across someone like him.”

“Corban is one of the happiest kids you’ll ever meet,” teammate Brett Hextall says.

“He’s always got a smile on his face. He’s always cheering guys up who don’t have a smile on their face. He’s just a genuine, nice guy — really fun to be around.”

Knight has plenty of reasons to smile these days, too.

The sophomore from High River, Alta., is expecting big things after the progress he showed as a freshman.

Knight started his career with one point in the first 19 games. He closed the year with 12 in the final 18. By the time the stretch run arrived, he was playing a key role on a line with Darcy Zajac and Danny Kristo while earning power-play time.

“What would his second half have looked like if he didn’t have his injury?” asked Hakstol, who saw Knight miss five games with a high ankle sprain. “The injury came in his breakout game. You saw Corban take a big leap forward on that particular night and unfortunately, he got injured.

“We’re real excited where he’s at physically — how much he’s improved — and mentally how he looks ready to challenge the world this year.”

U

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Knight didn’t expect to be part of the Sioux last season. But less than a week before school started, a roster spot opened up because of Matt Frattin’s suspension, and Knight got the call.

“People don’t realize last year that they called him the day before school started,” Hextall said. “He packed that day and left the same day. It was an unfair situation for him.

Mentally, he wasn’t prepared. But still, last year, people were saying what a heck of a player he is.

“He’s worked hard and had a great summer in the gym. This year could be a huge year for him. People might be surprised by what he can do just because he didn’t put up a ton of points last year. This year, he’s prepared and ready to take on a big role with our team.”

That role will likely be at the center position.

The graduation of Chris VandeVelde and Darcy Zajac — both three-year regulars at center — means spots are up for grab. After last season ended, Hakstol mentioned Knight as a guy who could move from wing to center — Knight’s natural position.

“And I still feel that way today,” Hakstol said. “He’s done all the right things during the summer. He’s ready to step into that role.”

Knight’s excited about the opportunity in front of him.

“It was a whirlwind year last year and I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said. “It was probably the best thing that has happened for my hockey career. I was happy to be able to have the opportunity.

“I think I worked pretty hard this summer to improve my strength and quickness. Hopefully, it will pay off this year.”

Surprise arrival

Corban Knight {10}

Sophomore.

High River, Alta.

I Career stats: 37 games, 6 goals, 7 assists, 13 points.

I Did you know? Knight was teammates with Rodwell and Eidsness in juniors.

I Class:

I Hometown:

“He’s always got a smile on his face. He’s always cheering guys up who don’t have a smile on their face. He’s just a genuine, nice guy — really fun to be around.”

— Teammate

Brett Hextall

Hextall said he’s already noticed a difference in Knight’s game.

“His skill level is as good as anyone on our team,” said the son of an NHL general manager. “It’s hard to get the puck from him.

His hands are so good and he uses his body

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The X Factor

2010-11

Page 5

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Mario Lamoureux {9}

www.GrandForksHerald.com

Class:

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Upperclass forwards

Junior.

Grand

Hometown:

Forks.

stats: 66 games, 10 goals, 8 assists, 18 points.

Did you know? Lamoureux’s sisters, Monique and Jocelyne, play for the UND women’s team.

Chose UND over: Northern Michigan.

Career

Frattin and his classmates provide a dynamic line

Brent Davidson {15} Class:

Senior.

Hometown:

Morden, Man. stats: 29 games, 2 goals, 0 assists, 2 points.

Did you know? After switching to defense last year, Davidson is back to forward.

Chose UND over: Canadian colleges.

Career

Jason Gregoire {17} Class:

Junior.

Hometown:

Winnipeg. stats: 85 games, 32 goals, 34 assists, 66 points.

Did you know? Gregoire is the second-leading returning WCHA goal scorer.

Chose UND over: Denver.

Career

Evan Trupp {19} Class:

John Stennes, Herald photographer

Matt Frattin and Evan Trupp celebrate a goal in Ralph Engelstad Arena.

By Brad Elliott Schlossman Herald Staff Writer

When the team showed up for work-

outs one day this fall, Matt Frattin’s name was not on trainer Mark Poolman’s board.

Poolman replaced it with “The X Factor.”

That’s exactly what UND thinks Frattin could be this season.

The senior from Edmonton spent the summer back home, lifting with a trainer and preparing for his final year of college hockey. He returned to campus two weeks before school started and immediately made an impression on his teammates.

Frattin was in phenomenal shape and won the team’s annual Iron Man competition, which measures strength and fitness.

“He had a great summer,” linemate Evan Trupp said. “He’s put on some weight and I think he might be even more scary for opponents this year.”

Frattin has a rare combination of size, physicality and skill. All of those attributes were on display by the end of last season, when Frattin closed on a careerhigh six-game point streak and had 16 points in the last 13 games.

He showed his physicality in the first round of the playoffs, running over Minnesota defenseman Kevin Wehrs. Frattin was suspended one game for the hit — a ruling that UND strongly disagreed with.

He also scored four goals in the firstround series and earned a spot on ESPN’s SportsCenter for a highlight-reel goal against Yale in the NCAA tournament.

“Fratts is a power forward with finesse,” teammate Brett Hextall said.

“He’s just a truck out there. You saw how powerful he is with that hit on Wehrs last year.”

Frattin went without a goal in his first 11 games last season after returning from a team-imposed suspension.

He started to take off when coach Dave Hakstol put him on a line with two of his closest friends — Evan Trupp and

Friends and linemates

Anchorage

Senior.

Hometown:

Anchorage, Alaska. stats: 113 games, 23 goals, 44 assists, 67 points.

Did you know? Trupp’s father, Rick, played for Alaska-Fairbanks.

Chose UND over: Wisconsin and New Hampshire.

Career

Matt Frattin {21} Class:

Edmonton Miramichi

Edmonton, Alta. stats: 109 games, 28 goals, 31 assists, 59 points.

Did you know? Frattin enters the season on a career-long six-game point streak.

Chose UND over: Michigan State, Ohio State and New Hampshire.

Career

Grand Forks Anchorage, Alaska

Edmonton, Alta.

Miramichi, N.B.

Population: 260,203.

Of note: It accounts for 40 percent of Alaska’s population.

Population: 730,372.

Of note: It’s nicknamed the oil capital of Canada.

Population: 18,129.

Of note: The French settled here in 1648.

Brad Malone.

The three players didn’t know each other before coming to UND. Trupp grew up in Anchorage and played junior hockey in the British Columbia Hockey League. Malone grew up nearly 5,000 miles away in Miramichi, New Brunswick and played junior hockey in the United States Hockey League.

Frattin grew up in Edmonton — about 2,000 miles away from Anchorage and 3,000 from Miramichi — and played juniors in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

“I guess we all kind of met in the middle,” Malone said. “We became really good buddies in the dorms. It’s kind of a tradition around here that you are close with our class and it’s no different with us. The three of us hang out a lot.”

Frattin and defenseman Jake Marto even hopped in Malone’s Honda Civic and made the 38-hour drive from Grand Forks to Miramichi this summer. It took four days.

“They got to see where I’m from and what it’s all about,” Malone said. “They enjoyed themselves.”

Senior.

Hometown:

“It was definitely an experience,” Frattin said. “We had some good laughs on the road.”

Trupp, Malone and Frattin are known for keeping things light in the locker room.

“Those guys are a bunch of characters, that’s for sure,” teammate Corban Knight said.

On the ice, they are far different.

Malone is a power forward, using his 6-foot-2, 212-pound frame to punish opponents. He scores most of his goals around the crease.

Trupp, at 5-foot-9, 174, is a smaller, skilled forward who uses his playmaking abilities to setup linemates.

Frattin is a combination of the two, but his skill-set leans toward the goalscoring side.

“Everything about him is powerful,” Malone said of Frattin. “He has the hardest shot I’ve seen since Koz (Andrew Kozek). When you put all of his pieces together in the puzzle, and you put that in our lineup, it adds a lot of firepower.”

Different attributes

Brad Malone {22} Class:

Senior.

Hometown:

Miramichi, N.B. stats: 118 games, 17 goals, 28 assists, 45 points.

Did you know? Malone is the first New Brunswick native to play for the Sioux.

Chose UND over: Wisconsin.

Career

Brett Hextall {26} Class:

Junior.

Hometown:

Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Career stats: 76 games, 26 goals, 26 assists, 52 points.

Did you know? Hextall’s father, Ron, played in the NHL and is the general manager for the Los Angeles Kings.

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Andrew MacWilliam {2}

Sophomore.

Hometown: Calgary.

Career stats: 43 games, 0 goals, 3 assists, 87 penalty minutes.

Did you know? MacWilliam’s mother, Paula, is Australian.

Chose UND over: Denver, Colorado College, Boston University and Boston College.

Class:

Derrick LaPoint {3}

Senior.

Hometown: Eau Claire, Wis. Career stats: 106 games, 5 goals, 29 assists, 62 penalty minutes.

Did you know? LaPoint’s brother, Nate, is the head equipment manager at Wisconsin.

Chose UND over: Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Class:

The captain is back

Page 6

2010-11

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Thursday, September 30, 2010

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Defense

After missing most of last season, Chay Genoway looks forward to his senior year

Glorious returns

A handful of WCHA players have missed significant time with major injuries in recent years and have returned to have a lot of success.

Here’s a look at four of them:

Robbie Bina, UND. Bina had eight points as a freshman and nine as a sophomore, when he suffered a broken neck in March 2005. After taking a full year off, Bina returned to tally a career-high 32 points as a junior.

Derek Forbort {4} Class:

Freshman.

Hometown:

Duluth. you know?

Forbort is the highest draft pick on the team (1st round, 15th overall).

Chose UND over: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and Minnesota-Duluth.

Did

Brock Trotter, Denver. Five games into his college career in 2005, Trotter suffered a leg injury and was out for the season. He returned the next year to lead Denver in scoring with a point per game average.

Dillon Simpson {18} Class::

Freshman.

Ryan Stoa, Minnesota. The big forward blew out his knee during opened weekend of 2007. He returned to lead the WCHA in scoring in 2008-09.

Hometown:

Edmonton, Alta.

Did you know?

Simpson’s father, Craig, won two Stanley Cups with Edmonton.

Chose UND over: Michigan State, Wisconsin and Denver.

Malcolm Gwilliam, Michigan Tech.

Gwilliam suffered a stroke early in 2008 and sat out the rest of the season. He came back as a sixth-year senior and had a career year with 30 points.

Joe Gleason {20} Class:

Sophomore.

Hometown:

Edina, Minn. stats: 39 games, 0 goals, 9 assists, 31 penalty minutes.

Did you know? Gleason may see action at forward this season.

Chose UND over: Minnesota-Duluth and St. Cloud State.

UND’s Chay Genoway celebrates after scoring a goal against Minnesota last season in Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Career

Ben Blood {24} Class:

Junior.

Hometown:

Plymouth, Minn. stats: 74 games, 5 goals, 10 assists, 108 penalty minutes.

Did you know? Blood put on 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason.

Chose UND over: St. Cloud State.

Career

Jake Marto {25} Class:

Senior.

Hometown:

Grand Forks.

Career stats: 113 games, 13 goals, 30 assists, 40 penalty minutes.

Did you know? Marto was recruited to play baseball by Purdue.

Chose UND over: Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth.

Ryan Hill {28} Class:

Sophomore.

Hometown:

Hermantown, Minn. stats: Did not play as a freshman.

Did you know? Hill’s father, Randy, played baseball at MinnesotaDuluth.

Career

Sarah Kolberg, Herald photographer

By Brad Elliott Schlossman Herald Staff Writer

Chay Genoway slowly skated off the

ice with trainer Mark Poolman last November with no idea that he had played his last game of the season.

The captain, who suffered a concussion on an illegal check from behind by St. Cloud State forward Aaron Marvin, figured everything would be all right in short order. But the headaches persisted and days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months.

Pretty soon, the season was wrapping up and UND’s captain, leader, most dynamic offensive player and best defensive player was still sitting in the stands in a suit.

Genoway started to exercise in the spring, increased workouts in the summer and with a medical redshirt in hand, he is returning this fall to go out on his own terms.

The Sioux captain participated in a Q&A with the Herald earlier this week.

Q. What’s it like being on the ice again?

A. It’s just fun to be out there playing hockey again. It’s fun to be out there with teammates — on the ice — in a fun atmosphere after missing all of that last year. I’m ready to get going in a game atmosphere.

Q. How hard was last season?

A. It just got harder every week. The more I thought about it, the worse the injury got and the worse my stress level got. It kept getting harder because the guys were playing better and better. That

Chay Genoway {5} Class:

Senior.

Hometown:

Morden, Man. stats: 132 games, 20 goals, 70 assists, 140 penalty minutes.

Did you know? UND was the only WCHA school that recruited Genoway.

Chose UND over: Ivy League schools.

Career

made me want to be out there more and more, especially when playoff time started coming around. That’s when you really want to be out there. You really can’t put into words how hard it was.

Q. When did you feel you had overcome the concussion?

A. That’s hard to say. I had to work my way out of it. I still wasn’t feeling that good when I started working out. I kind of looked at it as a do-or-die thing. It didn’t feel good because my body had become so out of shape. A lot of symptoms were because of out how out-of-shape I was.

The more I worked out — the harder I worked out — the better I felt. I pushed harder and harder and progressively got better.”

Q. When it happened, did you have any idea you would be out for a long time?

A. No, not at all. That’s what’s weird about a hit like that, especially when you aren’t knocked unconscious. I thought I

would be back the next game or the next week.

Q. Are you upset about the hit?

A. Well, it wasn’t a clean hit. Do I think he meant to put me out like that? I don’t think so.

Q. Are you going to wear a specialized concussion helmet this season like teammate Brett Bruneteau?

A. Maybe. I haven’t decided yet.

Q. What’s going to be the hardest part about coming back after all of that time off?

A. I think the biggest thing for me is going to be bringing it every day, making sure my consistency is good. That goes with feeling in shape and that’s going to come with our practice schedule picking up. That’s going to come with time.

Q. How about your skills, like stickhandling and timing? Have those come back?

A. I think that stuff comes back. But when you are tired out there, that can be difficult at times. We’re still working on making sure we’re getting into game shape. It’s hard to differentiate from other years. I don’t know if I’m having a difficult time with it or if it’s just another year of getting into game shape.

Q. It seems like everyone is quite determined to make this a special season. Have you sensed that?

A. It’s a big year for a lot of guys. The older guys want to go out with a bang.

Maybe other people are putting words into our mouths because we’re an older team, but I don’t think this year is any different from any other year. We’ve always had big goals here.

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A family of hockey

2010-11

Page 7

Thursday, September 30, 2010

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WCHA rookies

Grandfather’s generation

Parent’s generation g

Billy Christian

Roger Christian

Relation: Grandfather. n Feats: Won an Olympic gold medal as part of the 1960 team; was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984. n

n Relation: Great uncle. n Feats: Won an Olympic gold medal as part of the 1960 team; was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989.

Ginny Christian Relation: Great uncle. n Feats: Won an Olympic silver medal as part of the 1956 team; was part of UND’s 1947 squad that defeated Michigan as the program’s first landmark win. n

Top 10 WCHA recruits {1} Jaden Schwartz, F, CC

Schwartz dominated the USHL as a 17-year-old and will join forces with his brother, Rylan, in Colorado Springs.

{2} Beau Bennett, F, DU

The California native tied as the leading scorer in the BCHL. He should be a scoring-line player his entire college career.

{3} Matt White, F, Omaha

Being undrafted, White has been under the radar. But he was the best player in the USHL last season.

{4} Derek Forbort, D, UND

The top defenseman recruit in the WCHA has size and puck skills. He’ll ease into UND’s loaded D-corps.

Dave Christian

Eddie Christian

Relation: Uncle. n Feats: Won an Olympic gold medal as part of the 1980 Miracle on Ice team; played for a national championship at UND; played 15 years in the NHL with five teams.

n Relation: Uncle. n Feats: Played four seasons at UND, winning a national championship in 1982.

n

UND freshman Brock Nelson has historic bloodlines

By Brad Elliott Schlossman Herald Staff Writer

rock Nelson’s father was a basketball player.

Ask Nelson if he ever considered that path and you’ll get a chuckle.

“I don’t know why I never played basketball,” he says, “but that was a good decision.”

Family members on his mother’s side might have had something to do with it.

Grandfather Billy Christian, who used to pull him out of school during lunch breaks to skate, won an Olympic gold medal in 1960 and was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984.

His great uncles, Roger and Ginny Christian, both have Olympic medals. Roger won gold with the 1960 team and was inducted into the U.S. Hall in 1989. Ginny, a member of the 1947 UND hockey team that defeated Michigan as the program’s first landmark victory, won silver in 1956.

His uncle, Eddie Christian, won a national championship with UND in 1982 and his other uncle, Dave Christian, was a member of the 1980 Miracle on Ice team. Dave, also a former Sioux, went on to play 15 years in the NHL. He went into the Hall in 2001.

To this day, the U.S. has never won an Olympic gold in men’s hockey without a Christian family member on the team.

“I’m pretty lucky to have that in my family,” said Nelson, who was a Minnesota Mr. Hockey finalist last year playing with the Warroad Warriors. “They got me started when I was pretty young.”

B

{5} Nick Bjugstad, F, Minnesota

The reigning Minnesota Mr. Hockey winner should instantly add much-needed offense for the Gophers.

{6} Brock Nelson, F, UND

Current generation

Brock Nelson

Jordy Christian

UND freshman n Feats: Minnesota Mr. Hockey finalist; first-round draft pick of the New York Islanders in June.

Relation: Cousin.

Feats: Junior at St. Cloud State.

Nelson is carving out his own spot in the family tree.

This summer, he became the first family member to be selected in the first round of the NHL draft. The New York Islanders picked him 32nd overall.

“He’s an exceptional talent, that’s the first thing that stands out,” UND coach Dave Hakstol said. “The second thing that really stands out is his poise and presence when the game is on the line. His best shifts during a game are when the game is to be won or lost.

“His best games seem to be on the biggest stage. I think that speaks a little bit to his mental capacity and his will to compete and his comfort level when things matter most.”

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound UND freshman led Warroad High School to three consecutive Section 8A titles. His breakout year came as a junior when he racked up 45 goals in 31 games.

Nelson caught the attention of most NHL scouts playing in the Minnesota Elite League in the fall. He committed to UND about that time, then averaged nearly three points per game as a senior.

“I believe he will continue to rise on the ladder of hockey players,” Warroad coach Albert Hasbargen said. “He can easily add several pounds of muscle. He is very coachable. He does stuff the puck in practice and in games that others can only dream about.

“His work ethic and self-discipline will continue to move him upward. This young man not only has great skills, but is a great

‘An exceptional talent’

Parents...

HUGE SELECTION!!!

n

{7} Jason Zucker,

person as well.”

Hakstol says he’s seen some good signs already from Nelson.

“I’m sure there are adjustments on many different levels, socially, academically and at the rink,” he said. “I expect Brock to handle them in stride. He’s a very quiet, low-key individual, who is as unassuming as a 6-4 guy can be. He handles everything with a very quiet confidence. He may come across as quiet and shy, but at no point do I see an uneasiness in any situation.”

Familiarity with the program

With two uncles and a great uncle who previously played at UND, Nelson is the latest in a string of recruits to come to the program with family history.

Current teammates Chay Genoway, Mario Lamoureux and Brett Hextall can say the same thing.

Genoway’s brother played at UND, Lamoureux’s brother and father played here and Hextall’s great uncle was a Sioux. Hextall said he thinks it can help.

“Brock’s probably heard all about the history and tradition here and might have a jump on everyone else,” Hextall said. “Now that he’s finally here, he realizes what’s going to be expected of him, what the coaches expect and what the program expects.

“Excellence is the only thing that’s accepted here. Brock knows that and he’ll be prepared for this season.”

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n

Nelson will have to earn his minutes on a deep UND team. Once he does, he’ll showcase his high-end skills.

F, DU

The Pioneers hit the jackpot with the Las Vegas native.

Zucker is a highlight waiting to happen.

{8} Mark Zengerle, F, Wisconsin

After tying Bennett for the BCHL scoring title, Zengerle will get plenty of opportunities in Madison.

{9} Erik Haula, F, Minnesota

The Shattuck-St. Mary’s grad from Finland was one of the USHL’s top offensive threats last season.

{10} Dillon Simpson, D, UND

At age 17, Simpson will have an adjustment to make in college. His poise with the puck is special, though.

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10 things to know about the WCHA

Page 8

2010-11

www.GrandForksHerald.com

Top 10 H players 1

http://undhockey.areavoices.com

H overview

hay Genoway,

D, UND

Genoway was the WCHA’s most dynamic player until his injury last season.

2

ack onnolly,

F, Duluth

The best two-way player for the Bulldogs is coming off of a 49-point sophomore season.

3

Herald Staff Writer

hroughout the years, teams have come and gone in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

It started with seven and grew one-by-one to 10. In the early 1980s, it went back down to six and eventually grew to 10 again.

When the member schools voted last summer to allow entry for Nebraska-Omaha and Bemidji State, it marked a watershed moment for the league. Never before has it played a season with 12 teams.

This will be the first and one of the big storylines to follow this season. There are plenty of other things to know about the league and its teams this season. The Herald compiled 10 of them.

T

ason Gre oire,

att ead,

A coveted undrafted free agent, Read decided to return for his senior season instead of signing a pro deal.

Expect to see a spike in fiveminute major penalties this season.

In the offseason, the NCAA decided to make “contact to the head” — at minimum — a mandatory major and game misconduct (ejection, but no suspension).

As players and referees adjust to the new rule, expect to see an increase in penalties, just as there was when the NCAA made checking from behind a mandatory fiveand-a-game.

Will the rule take away from some of the physical play in the game?

4. Five-minute majors

The WCHA may not be staying with 12 teams for long.

This summer, Penn State announced that it was starting construction on a new hockey arena and that it planned to add men’s and women’s hockey. It will be the sixth Big Ten school to have men’s hockey as a sport.

Because of that, the Big Ten is expected to form its own league in 2014. Minus Minnesota and Wisconsin, the WCHA will be back to 10 schools — unless it decides to go after Miami and Notre Dame.

1. Back to 10?

ustin Fontaine,

F, UND Now a senior, Fontaine has racked up 94 points in the past two seasons.

Garrett oe,

F, SCSU

If he can stay out of the penalty box, Roe has potential to be one of the WCHA’s most dynamic forwards.

5. The Schwartz brothers

Colorado College isn’t picked to finish near the top of the WCHA, but season ticket sales and interest in Colorado Springs have both spiked. Why? Attribute that to the Schwartz brothers from Wilcox, Sask. Last season, as a freshman, Rylan Schwartz was impressive, tallying 28 points in 39 games. He’s the team’s top returning scorer.

Rylan will be joined by brother Jaden, the highly touted preseason rookie of the year. Jaden was the first college player picked in the NHL draft in June.

6. Barriball’s return

The WCHA’s reigning player of the year, Denver goalie Marc Cheverie, decided to sign with the Florida Panthers in the offseason, giving up his final year of college eligibility.

That leaves a big question for the Pioneers this season. Will they be solid in net?

Sophomore Adam Murray figures to get a good look at being No. 1. But Murray struggled greatly last year when Cheverie went down with an injury (3-4-1, 3.80 goals-against, .874 save percentage).

If Murray falters again, the Pioneers will go with Sam Brittain, a freshman from the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

Brittain was drafted in the fourth round by Florida in June.

7. Cheverie gone

8. New-look Badgers

Wisconsin marched to the national championship game last season with a talented, veteran roster.

In the offseason, the Badgers suffered

heavy losses to the graduation and the NHL. They lost seven of their top eight scorers from last season. Their top three defensemen, juniors Brendan Smith, Ryan McDonagh and Cody Goloubef, signed NHL deals.

There’s still some good talent remaining — first-round pick Jake Gardiner, second-round pick Justin Schultz and gritty forward Craig Smith — but all of those losses will be difficult to overcome. innesota captain ay arriball

UND’s Chay Genoway isn’t the only captain in the league who is returning for his fifth year with a medical redshirt.

Minnesota captain Jay Barriball also will be back and is expecting to have a big season for the Gophers, who have underachieved the atore Tom Serr last three years. ean lais Barriball is the only play2. The colorful, er on the Gopher roster who new coaches has won an NCAA tournament Nebraska-Omaha and Bemidji game. He was the leadState both bring in experienced, ing scorer, successful and very colorful head as a freshcoaches into the league. man, on the Omaha coach Dean Blais, who 2006-07 made his mark at UND by winning squad that two national championships and beat Air five MacNaughton Cups, has never Force in the been one to bite his tongue in inter- first round views. The same goes for Bemidji and lost to State coach Tom Serratore, who led UND in the vent s enter the Beavers to a Frozen Four two regional final. emid i e ional years ago.

acob epis,

F, Minnesota

When Cepis became eligible last January, he injected some muchneeded life into the Gopher program.

rett lson,

F, Michigan Tech

He doesn’t get much attention playing in Houghton, but Olson is a difficult matchup for any team.

att Frattin,

F, UND

The Edmonton native has dynamic speed, a rocket shot and is very physical.

10

State’s first game as a member of the WCHA. Minnesota-Duluth also will have a new building. Amsoil Arena, a $38 million, 6,800-seat facility, will open on Dec. 30, when UND comes to town for the Hall of Fame Game.

By Brad Elliott Schlossman

F, UND Another fantastic two-way player, Gregoire is one of three 20-goal scorers returning in the league.

F, BSU

Thursday, September 30, 2010

A pair of new arenas will open on U.S. Highway 2 this season.

Bemidji State will play in the $35 million, 4,000-seat Bemidji Regional Events Center, located on Lake Bemidji. It replaces the aging John Glas Fieldhouse and will open on Oct. 15, when UND comes to town for a two-game series. It will be Bemidji

F, Denver

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The Bulldogs have their top three scorers back in Jack Connolly, Justin Fontaine and Mike Connolly. All three of them lit up the scoreboard for at least 40 points last season. In addition to them, Mike Montgomery, Brady Lamb, Dylan Olsen and freshman Justin Faulk lead a tough defense in front of goalie Kenny Reiter.

St. Cloud State’s success starts with goalies Mike Lee and Dan Dunn and filters through a dynamic set of forwards, led by Garrett Roe, Tony Mosey and Drew LeBlanc.

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2010-11

Page 9

Thursday, September 30, 2010

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Herald top 20

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Projected finish

Hockey East

ECAC Projected finish 1. Yale 2. Colgate 3. Dartmouth 4. Harvard 5. Cornell

1. Boston College 2. Maine 3. New Hampshire 4. Boston University 5. Merrimack 6. Northeastern 7. Vermont 8. UMass 9. UMass-Lowell 10. Providence

Don’t forget that …

John Muse has been clutch in the NCAA tournament. The senior goalie for Boston College is a perfect 8-0 in the NCAAs with a pair of national championships to his credit.

6. Princeton 7. Union

8. RPI 9. St. Lawrence

Don’t be surprised if …

Merrimack is a darkhorse in the league. The Warriors were greatly improved last season and have a bunch of key guys back, including Stephane Da Costa and starting goalie Joe Cannata.

10. Clarkson 11. Quinnipiac 12. Brown

1. Boston College

2. UND

3. Miami

4. Michigan

Three stars

Don’t forget that …

There’s still a Zajac playing college hockey. Kelly Zajac, the younger brother of former UND forwards Travis and Darcy, may wind up being the top scorer for Union this season.

Don’t be surprised if …

Cornell immediately finds a good replacement for four-year goalie Ben Scrivens. From Matt Underhill to Dave LeNeveu to David McKee to Scrivens, the Big Red always do it.

Chase Polacek, sr, F, RPI (above) The former Academy of Holy Angels standout will almost certainly lead RPI in scoring for a third straight season. He put up 52 points last season and has 112 for his career.

Broc Little, sr, F, Yale Little did a lot of celebrating last year en route to leading the country in goals per game with 27 tallies in 34 games. He should be Yale’s most prolific scorer again this season.

Austin Smith, jr, F, Colgate The Dallas Stars draft pick has put up at least 30 points in each of his first two seasons with the Raiders. He could contend for ECAC player of the year honors as a junior.

Blue-chip recruit

Matt Lindblad, F, Dartmouth. The Illinois native flirted this summer with changing his commitment to Wisconsin but stuck with Dartmouth. He was a top scorer in the USHL.

Three stars

Nyquist, jr, F, Maine (right) The 2010 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award is considered an early front-runner this year. Nyquist led the country last year with 61 points — eight ahead of the next closest guy.

Cam Atkinson, jr, F, Boston College Atkinson was the most dynamic player and leading scorer of the national championship team a year ago. He finished with 30 goals and 53 points and should build off of that.

Stephane Da Costa, so, F, Merrimack The Frenchman was the national rookie of the year after putting up 45 points in 34 games. He and linemate Chris Barton will give Merrimack a dangerous first line this season.

Gustav

Atlantic Hockey Projected finish 1. Air Force

2. RIT

3. Mercyhurst 4. Army

5. Robert Morris 6. Canisius

7. Holy Cross 8. UConn

9. Sacred Heart

10. Niagara 11. Bentley

12. American International

6. St. Cloud State

7. Maine

Blue-chip recruit

Coyle, F, Boston University.

The first-round pick of the San Jose Sharks received rave reviews for his performance at the World Junior evaluation camp in August.

Charlie

1. Miami

Lamoureux, sr, F, Air Force (right) The Grand Forks native was a Hobey Baker finalist as a sophomore and piled up 22 goals and 42 points as a junior.

He continues to be one of the elite players in the country.

Cameron Burt, jr, F, RIT Burt led RIT’s surprise charge to the Frozen Four a year ago. He tallied 32 points as a freshman and 47 as a sophomore. Burt will be among the league’s top scorers again.

Eric Delong, so, F, Sacred Heart Delong was one of the top rookies in the Photo by Rachel Boettcher, league last season, Den Mar Services averaging a point per game for the Pioneers. Sacred Heart needs similar production from the former MJHL standout.

Jason Fabian, F, Air Force. After two very good years with the Bismarck Bobcats in the NAHL, the former Roseau standout is set for a strong freshman season with the Falcons.

11. Minnesota

2. Michigan 3. Alaska

4. Notre Dame

5. Michigan State 6. Northern

12. Alaska-Fairbanks

Michigan

Don’t be surprised if …

Jacques

9. New Hampshire

10. Denver

Projected finish

It’s an expansion year for Atlantic Hockey. The league grew from 10 to 12 teams with the additions of Robert Morris and Niagara from College Hockey America, which folded.

RIT falters after its Frozen Four run. After Chris Tanev signed with Vancouver, RIT lost three of its top four defenseman from that team, including two prolific scorers.

8. Yale

CCHA

Don’t forget that …

Three stars

Blue-chip recruit

5. Minnesota-Duluth

7. Ohio State 8. Western Michigan

Three stars Andy

Taranto, so, F, Alaska (right) The former Fargo Force standout entered college hockey with a bang. He had 18 goals and 42 points in 39 games, leading the Nanooks to their first NCAA tournament berth ever.

Carl Hagelin, sr, F, Michigan The 22-year-old from Sweden had a breakout junior season for the Wolverines, racking up 50 points in 45 games — nearly matching his production from Years 1 and 2 combined.

Carter Camper, sr, F, Miami-Ohio The Rocky River, Ohio, native has put up at least 40 points in each of his first three college seasons. With 126 career points, he’s the leading career scorer in the country.

Blue-chip recruit

Merrill, D, Michigan. Merrill raised eyebrows when he committed to Michigan at age 14, but he’s still a top defenseman who can help replace Steve Kampfer and Chris Summers.

Jon

13. Boston University

9. Ferris State

10. Lake Superior 11. Bowling Green

Don’t forget that …

Former UND recruit Mike Fink will play for Bowling Green this season. Fink decided to open up his recruiting earlier this year in hopes of finding a place he’ll see more ice time.

Don’t be surprised if …

Miami-Ohio makes another Frozen Four run.

The RedHawks have a talented and veteran team returning with very few question marks. They should be a topfive team all season.

14. Colgate

15. Notre Dame

16. Wisconsin

17. Omaha

18. Michigan State

19. Air Force

20. Merrimack

Big year in store?

By Brad Elliott Schlossman

Herald Staff Writer

lya Kovalchuk considered it an early Christmas present.

Not only did he just sign a $100 million contract, his coach decided to place him on a line with former UND standouts Zach Parise and Travis Zajac.

I

Parise

Zajac “To play with those two guys, I’d play in goal,” Kovalchuk said. “They’re two of the best players in the league.”

And that’s what the NHL has been finding out the last two seasons. Parise, ranked one of the top 15 in the world by Hockey News, has been a 30-goal scorer in each of the last four seasons.

Zajac has back-to-back 20goal campaigns, while centering New Jersey’s top line. Last season, he had 25 goals, 67 points and registered a plus-22 rating.

Those numbers were very similar to that of NHL superstar Pavel Datsyuk (27 goals, 70 points, plus-17).

The two Devils forwards highlight UND’s crop of talented players in the NHL this season.

Others include Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, Los Angeles Kings alternate captain Matt Greene, Columbus Blue Jackets alternate captain Mike Commodore, St. Louis Blues forward T.J. Oshie and Buffalo Sabres forward Drew Stafford.

Several others figure to make a roster as well.

Recently graduated forward Chris VandeVelde scored a goal and added an assist in his first NHL preseason game with the Edmonton Oilers. If he doesn’t make the roster, he’ll play in the American Hockey League.

Classmate Darcy Zajac (Albany) will likely be there as well.

Old faces, new places

David Hale signed a one-year deal with the Ottawa Senators . . . Brian Lee also re-signed with the Sens. . . Jean-Philippe Lamoureux signed a one-year contract with the Abbotsford (B.C.) Heat in the American Hockey League. Abbotsford is the top farm team for the Calgary Flames. . . Zach Jones resigned with the South Carolina Sting Rays in the East Coast Hockey League. . . Rylan Kaip signed with the Houston Aeros in the AHL. . . Brad Miller signed with Elmira of the ECHL. After playing for six different NHL teams in six years, Brandon Bochenski signed a contract with Barys Astana in the Russia super league, the KHL. . . Ryan Bayda, who played 179 NHL games, signed with Nuremburg in the German Elite League. . .

Robbie Bina is headed to EHC Wolfsburg in the German Elite League after leading Stavanger to a title in the Norwegian League. . . Colby Genoway signed with Lugano of the Swiss Elite League. He’ll play on the same team as Brady Murray.

Brad Berry is the new assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets. . . Rick Wilson moved from his assistant job with the Tampa Bay Lightning to an assistant position with the Minnesota Wild. . . Brad Bombardier is now the director of player development for the Wild. . . Erik Fabian was hired as an assistant for the Sioux women. . . Jason Herter was named head coach of the Fargo Force in the United States Hockey League. . . Chad Johnson was named head coach and Andy Schneider an assistant coach of the Lincoln Stars in the USHL. . . Steve Johnson left the Force to be an assistant with St. Cloud State. . . Rick Zombo was named head coach at Lindenwood University. . . Charlie Burggraf was named head coach at Bethel.

Coaching ranks

Page 10

2010-11

An unforgettable year

www.GrandForksHerald.com

Thursday, September 30, 2010

http://undhockey.areavoices.com

Former players

By Brad Elliott Schlossman Herald Staff Writer

The night before Game 6, Jonathan

Toews couldn’t sleep.

He tossed and turned, just as he used to back in Grand Forks before big games.

This time, his mind was not on Minnesota, Wisconsin or Michigan.

Toews was thinking of a 3-foot trophy and hockey immortality that comes with winning it.

It finally started to sink in exactly how close he was to achieving hockey’s ultimate goal. Toews would get only a couple of hours of sleep that night. Little did he know, it was a preview of what was to come.

The next night, the 22-year-old from UND became the first Chicago Blackhawk in 49 years to hoist the Stanley Cup. As captain, it was his job to accept it from the commissioner. He also accepted the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP. The evening capped off one of hockey’s most decorated years ever.

With an Olympic gold medal, most valuable Olympic forward trophy, Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe in hand, Toews was officially launched past stardom and into superstardom.

Michael Jordan wore his jersey to a game, and the basketball Hall of Famer’s statue outside United Center also donned Toews’ No. 19.

He was a guest on the Jay Leno show and was a presenter on a music awards show.

He was on the cover of The Hockey News, Sports Illustrated and even the popular video game NHL 11.

In his home province of Manitoba, they renamed the arena where he learned to play the Jonathan Toews Community Centre. He got the key to the city and had a lake named after him in the northern part of the province.

By all accounts, Toews’ summer was busier and involved more travel than the 82-game grind of an NHL regular season.

He didn’t work out as much as he’s used to. He didn’t skate until late August.

That’s why Toews was eager to return to Chicago for training camp.

“To a certain point, it was a quick summer,” Toews said. “But I feel almost like I am craving the routine of getting back with the boys and getting back in the swing of things during the regular season.

It was a summer of two days there and two days here. There is so much stuff and you’re not used to bouncing around like that, with people demanding your time at different commitments, golf tournaments and appearances with the Stanley Cup. It was pretty busy and overwhelming.”

Toews would like to do it again, though.

The Blackhawks will have a much different cast of characters this season.

They still have Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, but they said goodbye to key players like goalie Antti Niemi, defenseman Brent Sopel and forwards Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien.

The departures have taken the Blackhawks out of the conversation as favorites this season. That’s all right with them.

“It’s all up to what we think of ourselves in the locker room,” Toews told NHL.com. “Do we think we’re good enough? Are we going to make excuses about the short summer? Are we going to make excuses about every team getting up to play us? It’s all up to us. I still feel there is not really any limit on what we can do.”

Many in the hockey world feel there is no limit on what Toews can do, either.

He has started to enter the discussion on whether he should be placed alongside Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin in the spotlight as the game’s future.

The Hockey News’ annual rankings of the best hockey players listed Toews at No. 5.

“There’s so much I can improve on and accomplish,” he said. “There is always going to be a new challenge.”

At age 22, Jonathan Toews has become a superstar

2010-11

Page 11

Forced into competition

Thursday, September 30, 2010

www.GrandForksHerald.com

http://undhockey.areavoices.com

Future faces Rocco Grimaldi, F

Future players

UND goalie recruit Gothberg will face a stiff challenge for playing time with the Fargo Force

Hometown:

Auburn Hills, Mich.

Team:

U.S. Under-18. note: Superstar in the making, draft eligible in 2011.

Of

Miles Koules, F

Hometown:

Los Angeles.

Team: U.S. Under-17.

Of note: Koules previously played at Shattuck-St. Mary’s.

Mark MacMillan, F Hometown:

Penticton, B.C.

Team:

Penticton (BCHL). note: Drafted by Montreal in the fourth round.

Of

Danny Mattson, F Hometown:

Minneapolis.

Team:

Chicago (USHL). note: Was a 2009 Minnesota Mr. Hockey finalist.

Of

Nick Mattson, D Hometown:

Chaska, Minn.

Team:

Indiana (USHL). note: Drafted by Chicago in the sixth round.

Of

Brendan O’Donnell, F Hometown:

Winnipeg.

Team:

Penticton (BCHL). note: Drafted by Tampa Bay in the sixth round.

Of

John Stennes, Herald photographer

UND recruit Zane Gothberg makes a save while playing for Thief River Falls last season. Gothberg will play in Fargo this year.

By Brad Elliott Schlossman Herald Staff Writer

Zane Gothberg won his first starting

goalie job by default.

As a 9-year-old mite hockey player in Thief River Falls, he was the only one on his team who enjoyed his rotation in goal.

So, Gothberg saved his teammates from the dreaded role and played in net for the rest of the year.

As he got older, it was his athleticism and talent that made him the slam-dunk No. 1 goaltender for the high school team.

Gothberg led the Prowlers to a couple of Section 8A championship games, earned a scholarship to UND, won the Frank Brimsek Award as the top goalie in the state and was drafted in the sixth round by the Boston Bruins.

This season, perhaps for the first time, Gothberg will have to earn a starting goalie job with big-time competition coming from a teammate.

Gothberg will be playing for the Fargo Force in the United States Hockey League.

The Force reached the USHL finals last season on the strength of great goaltending by 20-year-old Ryan Massa.

Massa has returned to the Force and will battle Gothberg for starts.

“Zane is a very mature kid and has been as long as I’ve known him,” said Tim Bergland, Gothberg’s coach at Thief River

Zane Gothberg, G Thief River Falls.

Team: Fargo (USHL).

Of note: Drafted

by Boston Bruins in sixth round.

Hometown:

Falls. “He approaches the game very adultlike. He’s very prepared. Sometimes, you take it for granted. He’s very sound mechanically and obviously at the high school level he did very well.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how he handles the next level. There are going to be more tests and challenges.”

Gothberg, who will come to UND when junior Brad Eidsness leaves, said he’s excited about the competition.

“The coaches really like how we have two goalies,” he said. “We’re pretty fortunate. Growing up, I didn’t have a lot of competition in Thief River Falls because there weren’t many goalies around. So, this will be a different change of pace, but that’s when the stars shine.”

Gothberg got a taste of strong competition in August. He participated in the World Junior Championship evaluation camp in

World Junior candidate

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Lake Placid, N.Y. Five highly touted goaltenders were present. One of them — Jack Campbell — was in net when the U.S. won gold at the tournament last winter, so he’s a lock to make the team. The other four battled for the final goalie spot. They’ll find out in December who gets it.

“I gave it my all,” Gothberg said. “I didn’t have anything to lose. I went in there, played confident and tried to do my best.”

Even if he doesn’t make the World Junior team, Gothberg said the experience in Lake Placid was beneficial.

“Not many guys from northern Minnesota get to travel for something like that and toss on the USA sweater,” Gothberg said. “It felt good to be with those college guys and major junior guys. The level of competition is unreal.”

With that experience, Gothberg is confident heading into the 2010-11 season.

“I’ve been doing a lot of training in the summer,” he said. “The USHL will be another step quicker. The season also gets pretty long in the USHL. You can look at it as a grind or you can look at it as an opportunity to show yourself.”

Reach Schlossman at (701) 780-1129; (800) 477-6572, ext. 129; or send e-mail to bschlossman@gfherald.com.

Mike Parks, F Hometown:

O’Fallon, Mo. Cedar Rapids (USHL).

Of note: Drafted by Philadelphia in the fifth round.

Team:

Jack Rowe, F Hometown:

Cary, Ill. Illinois (midget major).

Of note: Talented forward whose grandparents live in Grand Forks.

Team:

Jordan Schmaltz, D Hometown:

Verona, Wis. Sioux City (USHL).

Of note: Schmaltz’s father and two uncles played football for the Sioux.

Team:

Colten St. Clair, F Hometown:

Gilbert, Ariz.

Team:

Fargo (USHL). note: Offensive-minded player, draft eligible in 2011.

Of

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