The NHL regular season ended tonight, and Kyle Turris will be returning to Madison to complete his semester of higher education, but not before he registered his first NHL point.
Toward the end of the 2nd period, Peter Mueller fed a one-timer to Kyle who slapped a nice shot on net, and the subsequent rebound was put home (by Dan Carcillo NHL leader in PIM w/ 324) giving Kyle his first NHL assist and point. I'm sure that it will be the first of many.
Phoenix was running a 5 forward set on this PP w/ Turris and Mueller running the point. The announcers commented that he didn't run the point at Wisconsin, and honestly how often does any team roll out 5 forwards on the PP? Darren Pang really likes KT, I think a little too much.
He ended his short season w/ 1 assist, 11 SOG, 2 PIM and a -4 rating.
Oh yeah, he also had a beautiful goal in the shoot out, a lazer right over the goalies glove side, he had no chance to make a save on that one.
Next season will be the real measure of how KT stacks up against NHL talent. I look forward to watching him play already, and will probably have tough choices some nights between him, Tom Gilbert and Joe Pavelski. Better get a DVR next year.
Monday AM Edit: Don Maloney (Coyote's GM) joined the broadcast for a few minutes during the game. He had a lot of nice things to say about Mike Eaves and the Wisconsin program, and their development of Kyle during the season. This can't but help the program, it's a good thing to be labeled by the top level of hockey in the world as a great place for future NHLers to want to go to develop their hockey abilities.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
$2,500 Badgers
After clobbering the San Antonio Rampage 7-1 yesterday, the Rockford Icehogs auctioned off the jerseys worn that night. The theme was Captain Hammy Hook, so the front of the jersey featured Hammy wearing an eye patch and sporting a hook. I don't know what pirates have to do with hockey, but then again, I don't know what giant red pigs have to do with hockey, either. Personally, I'm just glad the jerseys from that night (and from this season, for that matter) don't have pig butts on the shoulders. But I digress.
Speaking of digressing, let me further digress from the real topic of this post and mention that Rampage (and former Wolverine) goaltender Al Montoya was chased out of the net after allowing 3 goals on 7 shots in the first 9:48 of the game. Remember the '05 Midwest Regionals when CC came from behind to beat Michigan? I'm pretty sure Montoya was the goaltender, and yeah, that night was a lot of fun.
Anyway, back to the jersey auction. Jack Skille's team-issue jersey and Jake Dowell's one-game-wonder went for $2,500 each. Nice work, boys! (I would like to go on the record as stating that not only did I not purchase either of these, I didn't even bid on them!) The proceeds go to various charities in the Rockford area.
I'm assuming Skille is battling an injury right now, although let me know if I'm wrong. I know he had been injured last weekend and was day-to-day. He didn't play on Mar 28 due to the injury, but he did play Mar 29 (1A, -1, 3SOG) and Mar 30 (1G, 1A, +1, 4SOG). He also played Apr 4 (held off the scoresheet, E, 2 SOG). But he didn't play yesterday, and I don't see any indication he was called up.
Looks like Dowell played pretty well this weekend. He had was held off the scoresheet but had 4 SOG and finished +1 on Friday in a 3-0 win over Quad City. And he had 1A, 2SOG, and finished +1 on Sat. And let's not forget a week ago Friday when he scored a goal RIGHT IN FRONT of me, Gandalf, nubeetle, and ltzgored. Yeah, that was fun.
Getting back to crazy expensive jerseys, I'd like to take this opportunity to mention Andy Brandt's crazy expensive one-game-wonder, just in case any of you missed it. (And no, I did not purchase or even bid on this jersey, either.) Not the most attractive jersey, but hey, the proceeds went to charity. Brandt's jersey was the highest priced jersey -- it went for $3,975. Andy's a fan favorite!! (Not that I'm surprised.) The Gwinnett newspaper had a really nice article that includes some quotes from our favorite Gwinnett Gladiator.
Speaking of digressing, let me further digress from the real topic of this post and mention that Rampage (and former Wolverine) goaltender Al Montoya was chased out of the net after allowing 3 goals on 7 shots in the first 9:48 of the game. Remember the '05 Midwest Regionals when CC came from behind to beat Michigan? I'm pretty sure Montoya was the goaltender, and yeah, that night was a lot of fun.
Anyway, back to the jersey auction. Jack Skille's team-issue jersey and Jake Dowell's one-game-wonder went for $2,500 each. Nice work, boys! (I would like to go on the record as stating that not only did I not purchase either of these, I didn't even bid on them!) The proceeds go to various charities in the Rockford area.
I'm assuming Skille is battling an injury right now, although let me know if I'm wrong. I know he had been injured last weekend and was day-to-day. He didn't play on Mar 28 due to the injury, but he did play Mar 29 (1A, -1, 3SOG) and Mar 30 (1G, 1A, +1, 4SOG). He also played Apr 4 (held off the scoresheet, E, 2 SOG). But he didn't play yesterday, and I don't see any indication he was called up.
Looks like Dowell played pretty well this weekend. He had was held off the scoresheet but had 4 SOG and finished +1 on Friday in a 3-0 win over Quad City. And he had 1A, 2SOG, and finished +1 on Sat. And let's not forget a week ago Friday when he scored a goal RIGHT IN FRONT of me, Gandalf, nubeetle, and ltzgored. Yeah, that was fun.
Getting back to crazy expensive jerseys, I'd like to take this opportunity to mention Andy Brandt's crazy expensive one-game-wonder, just in case any of you missed it. (And no, I did not purchase or even bid on this jersey, either.) Not the most attractive jersey, but hey, the proceeds went to charity. Brandt's jersey was the highest priced jersey -- it went for $3,975. Andy's a fan favorite!! (Not that I'm surprised.) The Gwinnett newspaper had a really nice article that includes some quotes from our favorite Gwinnett Gladiator.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Badger USHLers Saturday Update
Ok, trying a different format tonight. Tonights scores can be found here.
Breakdown of Badger recruits:
Forwards:
Brock Montpetit (Waterloo): 1 goal on 4 shots, 4 PIM and was Even
Craig Smith (Waterloo): 4 shots, 4 PIM and was +1
Matt Thurber (Omaha): 1 shot and finished Even
Travis Erstad (Lincoln): finished Even
Chris Hickey (Tri-City): 5 shots, 2 PIM and was -1
Defensemen:
Patrick Wiercioch (Omaha): Finished +1
Eric Springer (Sioux Falls): 2 shots and was +1
Ryan Little (Green Bay): 4 PIM and was -1
Goalies:
Aaron Crandall: Did not play.
USHL Recruit of the weekend: Going to give this to Craig Smith. He has been playing well lately after not making much noise during the 1st half. Look forward to seeing him and Tyler Barnes play in person next season when Waterloo visits the Resch Center.
The final regular season standings can be found here. I'm assuming that the playoffs start next weekend and I'll give some updates as that progresses.
Breakdown of Badger recruits:
Forwards:
Brock Montpetit (Waterloo): 1 goal on 4 shots, 4 PIM and was Even
Craig Smith (Waterloo): 4 shots, 4 PIM and was +1
Matt Thurber (Omaha): 1 shot and finished Even
Travis Erstad (Lincoln): finished Even
Chris Hickey (Tri-City): 5 shots, 2 PIM and was -1
Defensemen:
Patrick Wiercioch (Omaha): Finished +1
Eric Springer (Sioux Falls): 2 shots and was +1
Ryan Little (Green Bay): 4 PIM and was -1
Goalies:
Aaron Crandall: Did not play.
USHL Recruit of the weekend: Going to give this to Craig Smith. He has been playing well lately after not making much noise during the 1st half. Look forward to seeing him and Tyler Barnes play in person next season when Waterloo visits the Resch Center.
The final regular season standings can be found here. I'm assuming that the playoffs start next weekend and I'll give some updates as that progresses.
Friday, April 4, 2008
USHL Badger Recruit Update
During 2008, I've taking a liking to following the USHL, mainly just the Badger recruits, and plan to update their progress every weekend, this will be a regular thing next season. I plan to attend more games in Green Bay next season as well w/ the blog's good friend DCB, and I'll have scouting reports as well.
Disclaimer: I know Dplaya over at HIW does USHL reports too, not trying to compete w/ him, I'm mainly concerned about our recruits and that is who I'm going to report on.
Green Bay was rolled by Waterloo tonight 7-1. Goalie Aaron Crandall was in net and made 47 saves on 54 shots. Apparently the Gamblers didn't want to play defense tonight. Gambler Ryan Little was -1, w/ a shot and 6 PIM. On the winning side, Craig Smith had a nice night w/ 2 assists, 5 shots and was +2 . Brock Montpetit, also on Waterloo, had 1 shot and was even.
Lincoln beat Tri-City 4-2. Travis Erstad, Lincoln, didn't crack the score sheet. Chris Hickey, Tri-City, had 5 shots and was -1.
Omaha put a beating on Sioux City 7-1. For Omaha, Matt Thurber had 2 assists, was +2, and had 4 shots. Really looking forward to seeing him play since I missed him in Green Bay a few weeks back when he had the flu. His teammate, Patrick Wiercioch was +1.
Sioux Falls won in a shootout 3-2 over Des Moines. Dman Eric Springer did not crack the score sheet.
With the regular season ending this weekend in the USHL, I'll be rolling out my first USHL wrap up on Chris Hickey, Ryan Little and Aaron Crandall next week since their teams will not be continuing on in the playoffs.
Disclaimer: I know Dplaya over at HIW does USHL reports too, not trying to compete w/ him, I'm mainly concerned about our recruits and that is who I'm going to report on.
Green Bay was rolled by Waterloo tonight 7-1. Goalie Aaron Crandall was in net and made 47 saves on 54 shots. Apparently the Gamblers didn't want to play defense tonight. Gambler Ryan Little was -1, w/ a shot and 6 PIM. On the winning side, Craig Smith had a nice night w/ 2 assists, 5 shots and was +2 . Brock Montpetit, also on Waterloo, had 1 shot and was even.
Lincoln beat Tri-City 4-2. Travis Erstad, Lincoln, didn't crack the score sheet. Chris Hickey, Tri-City, had 5 shots and was -1.
Omaha put a beating on Sioux City 7-1. For Omaha, Matt Thurber had 2 assists, was +2, and had 4 shots. Really looking forward to seeing him play since I missed him in Green Bay a few weeks back when he had the flu. His teammate, Patrick Wiercioch was +1.
Sioux Falls won in a shootout 3-2 over Des Moines. Dman Eric Springer did not crack the score sheet.
With the regular season ending this weekend in the USHL, I'll be rolling out my first USHL wrap up on Chris Hickey, Ryan Little and Aaron Crandall next week since their teams will not be continuing on in the playoffs.
Badger Recruit Recap: Tyler Barnes
This spring/summer I plan to do an update on every currently known UW committed recruit. (I'm going to try and do it alphabetically by last name if possible) I have no idea if that will be once a week or once a month, it all depends on my free time. The first recruit to be profiled is Tyler Barnes from Burnsville high school in Minnesota.Tyler Barnes-Forward-Burnsville H.S. Minnesota
Tyler Barnes had a very solid season for Burnsville high school. He notched 23 goals and 27 assists for 50 points in 24 games. Fellow future D-1 forward Jake Hendrickson (committed to UMD) had 47 points for the Blaze. You want to talk about consistency? Tyler notched a point in every single game he played this season. He also contributed 14 multi-point games. Barnes highest scoring game came in an early December contest vs. Apple Valley where he scored 3 goals and added a helper for a nice 4 point night.
For all of his successes this season he was rewarded by being named to the All State second team by the associated press. The Star Tribune named Barnes to it’s second team all Metro team. And the Pioneer press honored Barnes by naming him an Honorable mention All State forward. Perhaps the biggest personal highlight of the season for Barnes was being named as one of the top 10 Mr. Hockey finalists. While he didn’t win the award, (It went to Roseau’s Aaron Ness) it’s one hell of an accomplishment.
While his team, the Burnsville Blaze didn’t make it to the state tournament, they still had a very successful season. With a 22-6 overall record and a 17-3 conference record they won the Lake Conference. Burnsville ended their season in an overtime thriller in which they lost to Edina 4-3. Barnes notched 1 goal in the game. Edina ended up making it to the state championship before losing to eventual champion Hill-Murray.
Barnes chose Wisconsin over Denver, Colorado College and St. Cloud State. After last seasons Minnesota State hockey tournament, the US hockey report had this to say about Barnes: "Very skilled, good stick... Came through at key times in the tournament -- a goal and assist vs. Blaine; two goals vs. Grand Rapids… A difference maker." NHL Central Scouting has Barnes ranked as the 112th best North American hockey player for the upcoming draft.
It’s hard to project exactly when Barnes will come to the University of Wisconsin. Next season he will for sure play with Waterloo in the USHL which drafted him in the futures draft. Depending on how many early departures UW has, and how successful he is in the USHL will determine when he enters the Madison campus. Right now he’s projected to be a 2009 entry but could very likely wait until 2010.
BCHL Recruit Wrap Up
The BCHL season isn't over, but it is for our future Badger recruits, and it's a good time to recap their seasons.
For those you who follow the Hockey in Wisconsin blog (and if you don't you should!), know that Derek Lee and Justin Schultz gave verbal commitments to Wisconsin earlier in 2008. They are both currently scheduled to arrive in Madison in 2009. At the time of their commitments, they were considered two of the top prospects left for the birth year (I believe 1990) and were being courted by several other NCAA schools. I remember listening to some Boston U fans crying about their commitments, since they supposedly offered the kids a chance to come in for next season, but being wise young men, they would rather don the Cardinal and White of Wisconsin, even if they have to wait a year.
Justin Schultz played his 1st season w/ the Westside Warriors and looks to have the makings of a great defensemen. From his stats, he doesn't take a lot of penalties and appears to be a solid performer on the PP. He was tied for the team lead in scoring for defensemen. His stats:
Regular Season: 57 games 9-31-40 w/ 5 PP goals and 28 PIM
Post Sesaon: 11 games 3-5-8 w/ 1 PP goal and 4 PIM
Derek Lee played in his 2nd season for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks (Scott Gudmandson played w/ him last year) and is buddies w/ Kyle Turris. Derek is a smaller player, but incredibly quick, and it sounds like a great playmaker. Things that are definately needed on the Badger's roster. He lead his team in scoring in the regular season. His stats:
Regular Season: 51 games 21-56-77 w/ 11 PP goals and 28 PIM
Post Season: 11 games 4-5-9 and 6 PIM
I'm not sure where these kids will be playing next year. I'm assuming they will return to the BCHL, but I suppose they could jump to the USHL too, if a spot is available. If anyone knows how that works, feel free to shed some light on things. I think the BCHL is basically the equivalent of the USHL, but not 100% sure on that.
I don't have the NHL's central scouting info in front of me, but I want to say Justin Schultz is projected as a 2nd or 3rd round pick in this summer's NHL draft, while Derek Lee is projected in the 4th or 5th round. The next round of central scouting rankings is suppose to be out soon, and I'll post the important Badger related information when it becomes available.
While I'm talking about recruiting, Andy Baggot has a piece about the next recruiting class. He thinks that Jordy Murray and Derek Stepan are coming next season. Speaking of those kids, I'll have a Shattuck St. Mary's update soon, along w/ a USHL recruit wrap up. Those seasons are almost over.
I have more thoughts on recruiting in general I would like to share in the future. I'll wait for a slow Badger Hockey news week to discuss that.
For those you who follow the Hockey in Wisconsin blog (and if you don't you should!), know that Derek Lee and Justin Schultz gave verbal commitments to Wisconsin earlier in 2008. They are both currently scheduled to arrive in Madison in 2009. At the time of their commitments, they were considered two of the top prospects left for the birth year (I believe 1990) and were being courted by several other NCAA schools. I remember listening to some Boston U fans crying about their commitments, since they supposedly offered the kids a chance to come in for next season, but being wise young men, they would rather don the Cardinal and White of Wisconsin, even if they have to wait a year.
Justin Schultz played his 1st season w/ the Westside Warriors and looks to have the makings of a great defensemen. From his stats, he doesn't take a lot of penalties and appears to be a solid performer on the PP. He was tied for the team lead in scoring for defensemen. His stats:
Regular Season: 57 games 9-31-40 w/ 5 PP goals and 28 PIM
Post Sesaon: 11 games 3-5-8 w/ 1 PP goal and 4 PIM
Derek Lee played in his 2nd season for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks (Scott Gudmandson played w/ him last year) and is buddies w/ Kyle Turris. Derek is a smaller player, but incredibly quick, and it sounds like a great playmaker. Things that are definately needed on the Badger's roster. He lead his team in scoring in the regular season. His stats:
Regular Season: 51 games 21-56-77 w/ 11 PP goals and 28 PIM
Post Season: 11 games 4-5-9 and 6 PIM
I'm not sure where these kids will be playing next year. I'm assuming they will return to the BCHL, but I suppose they could jump to the USHL too, if a spot is available. If anyone knows how that works, feel free to shed some light on things. I think the BCHL is basically the equivalent of the USHL, but not 100% sure on that.
I don't have the NHL's central scouting info in front of me, but I want to say Justin Schultz is projected as a 2nd or 3rd round pick in this summer's NHL draft, while Derek Lee is projected in the 4th or 5th round. The next round of central scouting rankings is suppose to be out soon, and I'll post the important Badger related information when it becomes available.
While I'm talking about recruiting, Andy Baggot has a piece about the next recruiting class. He thinks that Jordy Murray and Derek Stepan are coming next season. Speaking of those kids, I'll have a Shattuck St. Mary's update soon, along w/ a USHL recruit wrap up. Those seasons are almost over.
I have more thoughts on recruiting in general I would like to share in the future. I'll wait for a slow Badger Hockey news week to discuss that.
KT makes NHL Debut
Kyle Turris made his debut for the Phoenix Coyotes last night on Fan Appreciation Night in the desert. KT played on a line w/ the Coyotes top two forwards Peter Mueller and Shane Doan. Probably an obvious decision, but a wise one none the less by the Great One. Made the transition easier for the young man w/ an All-Star and a Rookie of the Year candidate out there w/ him.
KT played pretty well on that line and saw some PP action as well, played over 18 minutes. He had 5 shots and a couple really good scoring chances. Playing w/ Mueller and Doan I won't be surprise to see KT log a few points in the next two games. He had a delay of game penalty for flicking the puck over the glass. He won a few faceoffs, but that is something he'll have to work on.
He wore #91 in the game since #19 was already taken.
Everyone was pretty excited for him to be there, and Darren Pang probably had to be dragged from the arena, otherwise he would have talked about him all night.
KT played pretty well on that line and saw some PP action as well, played over 18 minutes. He had 5 shots and a couple really good scoring chances. Playing w/ Mueller and Doan I won't be surprise to see KT log a few points in the next two games. He had a delay of game penalty for flicking the puck over the glass. He won a few faceoffs, but that is something he'll have to work on.
He wore #91 in the game since #19 was already taken.
Everyone was pretty excited for him to be there, and Darren Pang probably had to be dragged from the arena, otherwise he would have talked about him all night.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Some love for Josh Engel
Those of you who know me know that I'm a Josh Engel fan. He didn't get much ice time in 05-06, but he stepped in splendidly that season after Piskula was injured. He was solid on D, and who could forget his pass to Skille, leading to the GWG against Cornell? This season, Eaves moved Engel up to F in order to get him more ice time. He scored his first goal pretty quickly in the Badgers first game of the season. Then, of course he was injured and missed some ice time, but he returned and continued to play as a forward. I was never a fan of his playing at F, although I was happy to see him get some ice time. I just thought he could be better used on D. After Smith was injured, Eaves moved Engel back to D, and I thought Engel played great. He seemed solid to me, and I was never worried when he was out on the ice. I'm glad I got to see him finish the season on D.
As DPlaya reported today, the Albany River Rats (AHL) have signed Engel to an amateur tryout agreement. Good Luck, Josh!!
As DPlaya reported today, the Albany River Rats (AHL) have signed Engel to an amateur tryout agreement. Good Luck, Josh!!
Some fun around the WCHA
A few fun links:
INCH -- Caption This: What Is J-P Doing? -- My favorite answer? Contrary to the belief held by opposing fans, the entire North Dakota lineup CAN'T fit through Lammy's five-hole. (Go ahead and add your own captions in the comment section. You won't win anything, but hey, it's fun!)
Who's Whining Now -- The DU Timeline for the 2007-2008 Season -- Wisconsin is a key player in this timeline!
LetsGoDU -- 2007-08 College Hockey Bad Boyz Finalists -- I can't decide who to vote for. You know I'm tempted to vote for Hak, but I think that I'm really going to have to go with Daddy Shep. Yeah, definitely Daddy Shep.
INCH -- Caption This: What Is J-P Doing? -- My favorite answer? Contrary to the belief held by opposing fans, the entire North Dakota lineup CAN'T fit through Lammy's five-hole. (Go ahead and add your own captions in the comment section. You won't win anything, but hey, it's fun!)
Who's Whining Now -- The DU Timeline for the 2007-2008 Season -- Wisconsin is a key player in this timeline!
LetsGoDU -- 2007-08 College Hockey Bad Boyz Finalists -- I can't decide who to vote for. You know I'm tempted to vote for Hak, but I think that I'm really going to have to go with Daddy Shep. Yeah, definitely Daddy Shep.
Kyle Turris Analysis
Kyle Turris signed monday w/ the Phoenix Coyotes and will make his NHL debut tonight at home against the Dallas Stars. The Coyotes have 3 games left and they are not headed to the playoffs so KT will be returning to campus to finish the semester after getting his feet wet in the NHL.
There has been a lot of talk all over the place about him turning pro. Obviously if you ask the Coyotes they think he is ready for the NHL, while there are a lot of fans who would disagree. For the record, I wish Kyle all the best in the NHL and hope 15 to 20 years from now I'm watching him finish up his Hall of Fame career. He has worked hard most of his life for this moment, and I think that any of us in his situation would have found it hard to turn down a large sum of money and the chance to play under the Great One himself.
That certainly doesn't mean that I can't voice my opinion on what I think of him turning pro and leaving the University of Wisconsin. Why not start w/ a breakdown of his season.
There was a lot of hype surrounding KT coming into the season, being the 3rd overall pick does that sort of thing. We all knew that at best he would be here 2 seasons, and I think most of us figured he would carry the team and have no problem taking it to the WCHA. Personally, I thought KT was going to be good for a 20-30-50 season. I even named my fantasy WCHA team after him, "Turris for Hobey" and traveled to Dayton, OH to start the season just to see him play in the Lefty McFadden tourney.
Kyle was off to a fast start following the Lefty and a home series against CHA's Rob Morris. 5 goals and 7 assists later, KT briefly lead the nation in scoring and there was a huge buzz about him, and why wouldn't there be? Kyle did have a leg up on everyone, having already played w/ a junior version of Team Canada against Russia in a "super" series where Canada went 7-0-1. He was in mid-season form already while everyone else was just stretching their legs. But Notre Dame and Ohio State didn't know what to expect and Rob Morris pales in comparison competition wise to even UAA and Tech in WCHA play.
The start of the WCHA schedule was very unkind to young Kyle. People were planning their defenses around him and doing everything they could to take him out of the play. Goons like Joe Finley and TJ Oshie were taking their legal shots along w/ their cheap shots at him when the lgm came to town. Following the RM series, Kyle wouldn't score again until St. Cloud State came to town to start December and tallied only 7 points the rest of the first half.
Kyle missed the first 4 games to start the 2nd half of the season due to the WJC, where he played very well and was one of the top performers on Team Canada. Looking back on his play there, I can't help but notice that KT was playing on basically the WJC all-star team. Team Canada was loaded w/ 1st round NHL draft picks and future 1st round picks like Karl Alzner and John Tavares just to name a few. Kyle plays very well with other highly talented players, and I'm sure that is something the Coyotes noticed as well, but still I wondered to myself, why couldn't he produce these results here at Wisconsin? On the big stage, he appears to be one of the best talents in the world, but why can't he put UW on his back and carry them when needed? Also, besides playing w/ a large number of the best young hockey players in the world for Team Canada, he was also playing against kids his own age. The WCHA isn't full of only 18 and 19 year old kids like the WJC tourney. All teams have 22, 23, 24 year olds, more physically developed players, and I think this is something that a lot of people ignore.
So, it was no surprise to me that when Kyle returned two things happened. He played well right out of the gate on his return, netting 2 goals in the Randy Schmidt revenge game crushing of Denver, but following that he only scored 2 more goals the rest of the season including the 1st round of the WCHA and NCAA playoffs this past weekend. He kinda disappeared down the stretch when we needed him the most, though he was a presence during the NCAA Regional, and I think to the surprise of many fans, never put the team on his shoulders when they really needed that goal to win or tie an important game.
In the end, KT led the team in scoring which is no small feat for a freshman, and certainly an accomplishment in itself. I don't think I'm alone in thinking that while Kyle played well for the majority of the season, he certainly didn't "carry the team" and was very inconsistent. Being consistent is important. Jamie McBain, Pat Johnson, Blake Geoffrion are players on Wisconsin's team when I think about consistent.
You take away the Lefty and RM series and KT goes from almost a point a game, down to about 0.7 pts/game. I think that is a huge difference and shows how inflated his stats were this season with that early outburst of scoring. Though he hit the post about 8 times this season, and if his sniper shots were an inch farther one way on all of those, the whole season might have been different. He still had a good rookie campaign in the WCHA, but hardly earth shattering. He totaled 19 points in WCHA play, which was behind other freshmen like Tyler Bozak (24 pts), Garrett Roe (28 pts) and Richard Bachman, who despite not being comparable in stats, carried his team and was named WCHA POY.
To summarize, I don't think Kyle is quite ready for the NHL yet and the following reasons are why I thought he would have been better served returning and polishing his game here at Wisconsin. This is based on a myriad of observations during the 2007/2008 season.
1) No doubt that he plays better w/ better talent around him, but Phoenix isn't busting w/ talent either, not in an apples to oranges comparison to Team Canada at the WJC. They were the equivalent of an NHL All-Star team to be. And this is the comparison that NHL scouts are missing.
2) KT needs to find some consistency, which is vital over an 82 game schedule. Getting an point once every 3 games is ok for a role player, not a superstar.
3) KT never dominated the WCHA and to move on to an even higher level of play, I would have liked to see him come back, light up the WCHA and carry Wisconsin to a top finish in the standings next year. He dominated the BCHL last year, dominated the WJC this year, but didn’t really light up the WCHA against older competition. Sure teams were gunning for him, and it could be argued that that helped his line mates, but what about the Power Play then? How come he didn’t score another PP goal after the RM series? Teams can’t gun for a player on the PP like they can at equal strength.
4) Last but certainly the biggest reason why I and many other fans thought he should come back: size. Plain and simple, he still has a lot of growing to do and muscle to add to his body. He was roughed up by the older players in the WCHA and made less a factor for large portions of the WCHA schedule. I'll be very interested to see how he does against the men of the Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks to finish this NHL season.
People like to bring up that Pat Kane and Sam Gagner, similar sized players, are having a lot of success in the NHL this season. Yes they have, but I also think they are both better players at this exact moment in time, and they are both shorter then KT and are more physically developed. I think in 5 years, Kyle will be better than both of them, but right now they are farther along in their development, hence their successful rookie campaigns.
It’s obvious that Kyle has high end talent. His sniper shots, even when they find the pipe, are a thing of beauty. His breakaway goal where he schooled Soft Goal Wangas (SGW) w/ a gopher on his back will be on the opening highlight reel next season. And his pass to McBain in the 2nd period this past Sunday in the NCAA Regional was made by a highly skilled player and he made it look easy. Sometimes KT disappeared though and was too often a non-factor down the stretch in important games. As an individual player on a line, when not surrounded by the most talented players in Canada, he needs to improve.
In the end, this is all just water under the bridge. Kyle has made his choice and Wisconsin needs to move on w/ out him. Some might say that we are back to square one w/ his early departure, but I don't think so. We have a lot of talent in the pipeline and his departure will allow another young man the chance to don the Cardinal and White and show us what he's got. Whoever Eaves decides that will be, I think him and his fellow freshman will fill in nicely and along w/ our returning players put Wisconsin in the top half of the WCHA next season.
Good luck to you Kyle, despite what I think, you’ve made your choice and I wish you the best. You have been a joy to watch for most of the season. I made a lot of observations during the season, which is the basis for my analysis, but truly I hope you prove me wrong and win the Calder next season.
There has been a lot of talk all over the place about him turning pro. Obviously if you ask the Coyotes they think he is ready for the NHL, while there are a lot of fans who would disagree. For the record, I wish Kyle all the best in the NHL and hope 15 to 20 years from now I'm watching him finish up his Hall of Fame career. He has worked hard most of his life for this moment, and I think that any of us in his situation would have found it hard to turn down a large sum of money and the chance to play under the Great One himself.
That certainly doesn't mean that I can't voice my opinion on what I think of him turning pro and leaving the University of Wisconsin. Why not start w/ a breakdown of his season.
There was a lot of hype surrounding KT coming into the season, being the 3rd overall pick does that sort of thing. We all knew that at best he would be here 2 seasons, and I think most of us figured he would carry the team and have no problem taking it to the WCHA. Personally, I thought KT was going to be good for a 20-30-50 season. I even named my fantasy WCHA team after him, "Turris for Hobey" and traveled to Dayton, OH to start the season just to see him play in the Lefty McFadden tourney.
Kyle was off to a fast start following the Lefty and a home series against CHA's Rob Morris. 5 goals and 7 assists later, KT briefly lead the nation in scoring and there was a huge buzz about him, and why wouldn't there be? Kyle did have a leg up on everyone, having already played w/ a junior version of Team Canada against Russia in a "super" series where Canada went 7-0-1. He was in mid-season form already while everyone else was just stretching their legs. But Notre Dame and Ohio State didn't know what to expect and Rob Morris pales in comparison competition wise to even UAA and Tech in WCHA play.
The start of the WCHA schedule was very unkind to young Kyle. People were planning their defenses around him and doing everything they could to take him out of the play. Goons like Joe Finley and TJ Oshie were taking their legal shots along w/ their cheap shots at him when the lgm came to town. Following the RM series, Kyle wouldn't score again until St. Cloud State came to town to start December and tallied only 7 points the rest of the first half.
Kyle missed the first 4 games to start the 2nd half of the season due to the WJC, where he played very well and was one of the top performers on Team Canada. Looking back on his play there, I can't help but notice that KT was playing on basically the WJC all-star team. Team Canada was loaded w/ 1st round NHL draft picks and future 1st round picks like Karl Alzner and John Tavares just to name a few. Kyle plays very well with other highly talented players, and I'm sure that is something the Coyotes noticed as well, but still I wondered to myself, why couldn't he produce these results here at Wisconsin? On the big stage, he appears to be one of the best talents in the world, but why can't he put UW on his back and carry them when needed? Also, besides playing w/ a large number of the best young hockey players in the world for Team Canada, he was also playing against kids his own age. The WCHA isn't full of only 18 and 19 year old kids like the WJC tourney. All teams have 22, 23, 24 year olds, more physically developed players, and I think this is something that a lot of people ignore.
So, it was no surprise to me that when Kyle returned two things happened. He played well right out of the gate on his return, netting 2 goals in the Randy Schmidt revenge game crushing of Denver, but following that he only scored 2 more goals the rest of the season including the 1st round of the WCHA and NCAA playoffs this past weekend. He kinda disappeared down the stretch when we needed him the most, though he was a presence during the NCAA Regional, and I think to the surprise of many fans, never put the team on his shoulders when they really needed that goal to win or tie an important game.
In the end, KT led the team in scoring which is no small feat for a freshman, and certainly an accomplishment in itself. I don't think I'm alone in thinking that while Kyle played well for the majority of the season, he certainly didn't "carry the team" and was very inconsistent. Being consistent is important. Jamie McBain, Pat Johnson, Blake Geoffrion are players on Wisconsin's team when I think about consistent.
You take away the Lefty and RM series and KT goes from almost a point a game, down to about 0.7 pts/game. I think that is a huge difference and shows how inflated his stats were this season with that early outburst of scoring. Though he hit the post about 8 times this season, and if his sniper shots were an inch farther one way on all of those, the whole season might have been different. He still had a good rookie campaign in the WCHA, but hardly earth shattering. He totaled 19 points in WCHA play, which was behind other freshmen like Tyler Bozak (24 pts), Garrett Roe (28 pts) and Richard Bachman, who despite not being comparable in stats, carried his team and was named WCHA POY.
To summarize, I don't think Kyle is quite ready for the NHL yet and the following reasons are why I thought he would have been better served returning and polishing his game here at Wisconsin. This is based on a myriad of observations during the 2007/2008 season.
1) No doubt that he plays better w/ better talent around him, but Phoenix isn't busting w/ talent either, not in an apples to oranges comparison to Team Canada at the WJC. They were the equivalent of an NHL All-Star team to be. And this is the comparison that NHL scouts are missing.
2) KT needs to find some consistency, which is vital over an 82 game schedule. Getting an point once every 3 games is ok for a role player, not a superstar.
3) KT never dominated the WCHA and to move on to an even higher level of play, I would have liked to see him come back, light up the WCHA and carry Wisconsin to a top finish in the standings next year. He dominated the BCHL last year, dominated the WJC this year, but didn’t really light up the WCHA against older competition. Sure teams were gunning for him, and it could be argued that that helped his line mates, but what about the Power Play then? How come he didn’t score another PP goal after the RM series? Teams can’t gun for a player on the PP like they can at equal strength.
4) Last but certainly the biggest reason why I and many other fans thought he should come back: size. Plain and simple, he still has a lot of growing to do and muscle to add to his body. He was roughed up by the older players in the WCHA and made less a factor for large portions of the WCHA schedule. I'll be very interested to see how he does against the men of the Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks to finish this NHL season.
People like to bring up that Pat Kane and Sam Gagner, similar sized players, are having a lot of success in the NHL this season. Yes they have, but I also think they are both better players at this exact moment in time, and they are both shorter then KT and are more physically developed. I think in 5 years, Kyle will be better than both of them, but right now they are farther along in their development, hence their successful rookie campaigns.
It’s obvious that Kyle has high end talent. His sniper shots, even when they find the pipe, are a thing of beauty. His breakaway goal where he schooled Soft Goal Wangas (SGW) w/ a gopher on his back will be on the opening highlight reel next season. And his pass to McBain in the 2nd period this past Sunday in the NCAA Regional was made by a highly skilled player and he made it look easy. Sometimes KT disappeared though and was too often a non-factor down the stretch in important games. As an individual player on a line, when not surrounded by the most talented players in Canada, he needs to improve.
In the end, this is all just water under the bridge. Kyle has made his choice and Wisconsin needs to move on w/ out him. Some might say that we are back to square one w/ his early departure, but I don't think so. We have a lot of talent in the pipeline and his departure will allow another young man the chance to don the Cardinal and White and show us what he's got. Whoever Eaves decides that will be, I think him and his fellow freshman will fill in nicely and along w/ our returning players put Wisconsin in the top half of the WCHA next season.
Good luck to you Kyle, despite what I think, you’ve made your choice and I wish you the best. You have been a joy to watch for most of the season. I made a lot of observations during the season, which is the basis for my analysis, but truly I hope you prove me wrong and win the Calder next season.
Hobey Hat Trick
First off, I would like to thank 60min for letting me be part of the blog. I'm excited to write about Badger Hockey, both Men's and Women's, and giving updates about recruits. I'm sure I'll throw in my thoughts on my favorite alumni too. This should be a lot of fun.
The Hobey Hat Trick was announced yesterday. The Hat Trick consists of BC's Nathan Gerbe, Miami's Ryan Jones and Michigan's Kevin Porter.
I certainly was surprised by this, as were every North Dakota fan. I figured Jean-Philippe Lamoureux would be among the trio. I certainly figured Kevin Porter was going to win, but JPL has been one of the best goalies in the nation this year (and yes it hurts to write that).
Really if Brian Elloit didn't win the Hobey 2 years ago, no goalie deserves to win it. You can't get much better than that, and if a goalie did, I would acknowledge it.
In general, the Hobey Baker is a joke of an award anyway. The examples are endless, but Richard Bachman of CC is a prefect example from this season. He was named WCHA POY and Top Goalie, yet isn't even named a finalist for the award. The fact that he is a freshman is irrelevant, I thought it was an award for the best player in the country? I've also heard rumors that they weren't going to give the award to another Front Range player, as CC and Denver have each had winners this decade, and Eric Ehn of Air Force was a finalist last year.
The Hobey Hat Trick was announced yesterday. The Hat Trick consists of BC's Nathan Gerbe, Miami's Ryan Jones and Michigan's Kevin Porter.
I certainly was surprised by this, as were every North Dakota fan. I figured Jean-Philippe Lamoureux would be among the trio. I certainly figured Kevin Porter was going to win, but JPL has been one of the best goalies in the nation this year (and yes it hurts to write that).
Really if Brian Elloit didn't win the Hobey 2 years ago, no goalie deserves to win it. You can't get much better than that, and if a goalie did, I would acknowledge it.
In general, the Hobey Baker is a joke of an award anyway. The examples are endless, but Richard Bachman of CC is a prefect example from this season. He was named WCHA POY and Top Goalie, yet isn't even named a finalist for the award. The fact that he is a freshman is irrelevant, I thought it was an award for the best player in the country? I've also heard rumors that they weren't going to give the award to another Front Range player, as CC and Denver have each had winners this decade, and Eric Ehn of Air Force was a finalist last year.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Thank You, 2007-08 Badgers!
I had intended to start this blog a little later in the off-season, but this weekend got me all fired-up about Badger Hockey, and I was a little distressed by some of the media coverage of this past weekend. So I decided to get the blog rolling today. And with my first "real" post (besides the obligatory introductory post), I'd like to say "thank you" to the 2007-08 men's and women's hockey teams.
The women's team finished 3rd in the WCHA regular season with a conference record of 20-5-3 and an overall record of 29-9-3. They finished 2nd in the WCHA Final Face-Off, and they finished 2nd in the NCAA tourney. Not too shabby. If this is what it means to struggle with inconsistency and youth, I'll take it. They were a joy to watch this season, and I wish I had been able to make it to more games. And, of course, my favorite Badger, Jinelle Zaugg, set a career scoring record for the Badgers this season. In her 4-year career with the Badgers, she scored 89 goals, surpassing the record of 84 goals previously held by Meghan Hunter. Zaugg also now holds the career record for game-winning goals with 22; Sara Bauer had 17. To the seniors #4 Mikka Nordby, #6 Emily Morris, #8 Jinelle Zaugg -- thank you for being Badgers, and best of luck in your future endeavors. To the players who will return next year, as well as next year's incoming freshman -- I look forward to another great year of Badger Hockey.
By the way, I am happy to say that 8 Badgers will be playing in the 2008 IIHF World Women's Championship from April 4-12, in Harbin, China. Current Badgers Meghan Duggan, Hilary Knight, Erika Lawler, and Jessie Vetter will play for Team USA, as will Badger Alums Molly Engstrom (2001-2005) and Kerry Weiland (1999-2003). Badger Alums Meaghan Mikkelson (2003-2007) and Carla MacLeod (2001-2005) will play for Team Canada.
The men's team had a pretty rough year. They finished 6th in the WCHA with a 11-12-5 conference record and a 16-17-7 overall record. They failed to reach the Final Five. They struggled with youth and inconsistency during the season, bouncing between flashes of brilliance and stretches of horrible play. But they secured an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, and dang, they made us Badger Fans proud this past weekend!
I have to admit, I went into the weekend with no expectations. I knew they were capable of playing well, but I just didn't know if they would be able to put it all together. So I thought they could do well and win, but I wouldn't have been surprised if they didn't. Especially since they had a history this season of showing up flat for big games. But they didn't show up flat. They worked hard for the entire weekend (121 minutes 47 seconds, no alibis, no regrets), and they played outstanding. They trounced Denver 6-2, and they dominated North Dakota for most of the game before losing 3-2 in overtime. I'm still trying to figure out how North Dakota won. (Please don't tell me. I don't really want to know. Personally, I'm blaming Lamoureux, who was absolutely fantastic in goal. Is he graduating this year? It seems like he's been around forever. I've been told that it's not really him anymore, that each year they grab a new kid and put him in Lammy's jersey.)
Anyway, after a rough season and almost missing the NCAA tourney, what the boys did this weekend was amazing, and I would like to salute them. Boys, you made us proud, and I hope you're proud of what you did this weekend. I haven't been this excited about Badger Hockey since Milwaukee in '06. (It's too bad that the off-season is now upon us. I'll have to try to carry over my enthusiasm until next season. Dang, I would've liked to watch the Badgers in Denver!)
I'm a little distressed about some media coverage of this past weekend. I specifically object to this:
I feel that the above excerpts imply that the Badgers lost the game due to inconsistency or due to self-destruction. But they worked hard and played well the entire weekend. Unfortunately, North Dakota regrouped after the 2nd period, and Lammy stood on his head. The Badgers did not self-destruct, and I'm irritated by the implication that they did. Honestly, I thought they showed they belonged in the tourney, and I thought they showed the fans what they were capable of doing. The Badgers made me proud this weekend, and I feel they deserved a bit better from the media.
Not surprisingly, I prefer Milewski's take on the weekend: "Are Badgers on cusp of greater things?". Because I think they are. This weekend I felt like the team found their identity. I wish they had found it earlier in the season, but I'm glad they found it, and I hope they carry it into next year. To the 2007-08 Badger Men: thanks for an exciting end to the season, and thanks for sticking with it despite all of the rough patches. To the seniors #4 Davis Drewiske (signed with LA), #6 Josh Engel, #18 Matt Ford (drafted by Chicago), and #20 Kyle Klubertanz (signed with Anaheim), and to Kyle Turris (signed with Phoenix), thank you for being Badgers, and best of luck in your future endeavors. To the players who will return next year, as well as next year's incoming freshman -- I look forward to another great year of Badger Hockey.
The women's team finished 3rd in the WCHA regular season with a conference record of 20-5-3 and an overall record of 29-9-3. They finished 2nd in the WCHA Final Face-Off, and they finished 2nd in the NCAA tourney. Not too shabby. If this is what it means to struggle with inconsistency and youth, I'll take it. They were a joy to watch this season, and I wish I had been able to make it to more games. And, of course, my favorite Badger, Jinelle Zaugg, set a career scoring record for the Badgers this season. In her 4-year career with the Badgers, she scored 89 goals, surpassing the record of 84 goals previously held by Meghan Hunter. Zaugg also now holds the career record for game-winning goals with 22; Sara Bauer had 17. To the seniors #4 Mikka Nordby, #6 Emily Morris, #8 Jinelle Zaugg -- thank you for being Badgers, and best of luck in your future endeavors. To the players who will return next year, as well as next year's incoming freshman -- I look forward to another great year of Badger Hockey.
By the way, I am happy to say that 8 Badgers will be playing in the 2008 IIHF World Women's Championship from April 4-12, in Harbin, China. Current Badgers Meghan Duggan, Hilary Knight, Erika Lawler, and Jessie Vetter will play for Team USA, as will Badger Alums Molly Engstrom (2001-2005) and Kerry Weiland (1999-2003). Badger Alums Meaghan Mikkelson (2003-2007) and Carla MacLeod (2001-2005) will play for Team Canada.
The men's team had a pretty rough year. They finished 6th in the WCHA with a 11-12-5 conference record and a 16-17-7 overall record. They failed to reach the Final Five. They struggled with youth and inconsistency during the season, bouncing between flashes of brilliance and stretches of horrible play. But they secured an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, and dang, they made us Badger Fans proud this past weekend!
I have to admit, I went into the weekend with no expectations. I knew they were capable of playing well, but I just didn't know if they would be able to put it all together. So I thought they could do well and win, but I wouldn't have been surprised if they didn't. Especially since they had a history this season of showing up flat for big games. But they didn't show up flat. They worked hard for the entire weekend (121 minutes 47 seconds, no alibis, no regrets), and they played outstanding. They trounced Denver 6-2, and they dominated North Dakota for most of the game before losing 3-2 in overtime. I'm still trying to figure out how North Dakota won. (Please don't tell me. I don't really want to know. Personally, I'm blaming Lamoureux, who was absolutely fantastic in goal. Is he graduating this year? It seems like he's been around forever. I've been told that it's not really him anymore, that each year they grab a new kid and put him in Lammy's jersey.)
Anyway, after a rough season and almost missing the NCAA tourney, what the boys did this weekend was amazing, and I would like to salute them. Boys, you made us proud, and I hope you're proud of what you did this weekend. I haven't been this excited about Badger Hockey since Milwaukee in '06. (It's too bad that the off-season is now upon us. I'll have to try to carry over my enthusiasm until next season. Dang, I would've liked to watch the Badgers in Denver!)
I'm a little distressed about some media coverage of this past weekend. I specifically object to this:
As well as this:SUN., MAR 30, 2008 - 10:33 PMFive months into the season, when you can count the number of competitive lives you have remaining on one hand, it's awfully hard to change who you are.
Soft doesn't become edgy. Plodding doesn't become smooth. Unreliable doesn't become proficient. It just doesn't work that way.
The University of Wisconsin men's hockey team illustrated that point in distressing, excruciating fashion Sunday night at the Kohl Center. Third-seeded UW blew a two-goal lead in the third period and wound up enduring a 3-2 overtime loss to top-seeded North Dakota in the NCAA Midwest Regional championship game.
SUN., MAR 30, 2008 - 11:23 PM Then an amazing thing happened. After they routed Denver in a regional semifinal Saturday and dominated North Dakota for all but a few minutes of regulation time in the final Sunday, the once-ugly Badgers started looking pretty good to you.
Just about the time you thought they had turned a corner, however, the Badgers showed for the umpteenth time this season they just couldn 't make it all the way around the bend. UW's 3-2 overtime loss to North Dakota was a microcosm of a season that just never got rolling.
I feel that the above excerpts imply that the Badgers lost the game due to inconsistency or due to self-destruction. But they worked hard and played well the entire weekend. Unfortunately, North Dakota regrouped after the 2nd period, and Lammy stood on his head. The Badgers did not self-destruct, and I'm irritated by the implication that they did. Honestly, I thought they showed they belonged in the tourney, and I thought they showed the fans what they were capable of doing. The Badgers made me proud this weekend, and I feel they deserved a bit better from the media.
Not surprisingly, I prefer Milewski's take on the weekend: "Are Badgers on cusp of greater things?". Because I think they are. This weekend I felt like the team found their identity. I wish they had found it earlier in the season, but I'm glad they found it, and I hope they carry it into next year. To the 2007-08 Badger Men: thanks for an exciting end to the season, and thanks for sticking with it despite all of the rough patches. To the seniors #4 Davis Drewiske (signed with LA), #6 Josh Engel, #18 Matt Ford (drafted by Chicago), and #20 Kyle Klubertanz (signed with Anaheim), and to Kyle Turris (signed with Phoenix), thank you for being Badgers, and best of luck in your future endeavors. To the players who will return next year, as well as next year's incoming freshman -- I look forward to another great year of Badger Hockey.
Greetings, Badger Hockey Fans!
My name is 60 (well, that's not my real name, haha, but you know what I mean), and I used to write for HIW before the site changed locations. When HIW moved, I toyed with idea of creating a blog, as did Chuck Schwartz. At the time, both of us decided not to do anything. But then I was talking to my buddy Gandalf, and he was really interested in the idea. So I thought I'd start something up. I'm currently in the process of adding contributors. Gandalf, of course, will be participating, and I imagine he'll have quite a bit to say about Badger recruits (and KT, too!), and I'm hoping that Chuck Schwartz will join us and do the same (with recruiting, not necessarily KT). Nubeetle should provide some good coverage of the women's team, as well as alumni updates. I tend to be pretty fired-up about Badger alumni, but you probably figured that out from my posts on HIW. And, of course, we'll all post about the current men's and women's teams.
For those of you (like Gandalf!!) who are less-than-familiar with the 1990 Championship Team, they had a motto that went a little bit like this: "60 Minutes. No Alibis. No Regrets." It was written on a sign, and the boys liked it, and I believe they carried the sign around on road trips. So that's how I got my name, and that's how I got the name of this blog. As the blog description states, this blog will talk about Badger recruits (future Badgers), current Badgers (duh!), and Badger alumni (forever Badgers). I dislike the term "former Badger", because once you're a Badger, aren't you always a Badger?!
This blog is not meant to be a competitor to DPlaya's fantastic HIW blog. Rather, we hope to be a complementary blog, focusing primarily on Badger Hockey, rather than all of the other hockey in Wisconsin of which DPlaya does an outstanding job covering. (Besides, we could never compete with HIW, anyway -- it's just too good!)
Hope you all enjoy this humble blog. Please bear with me with formatting issues as I get things set up, as this is the first blog I've run myself. And of course, if you have anything you'd like me to post, please feel free to email me at sixtymin@gmail. com. Go RED!
For those of you (like Gandalf!!) who are less-than-familiar with the 1990 Championship Team, they had a motto that went a little bit like this: "60 Minutes. No Alibis. No Regrets." It was written on a sign, and the boys liked it, and I believe they carried the sign around on road trips. So that's how I got my name, and that's how I got the name of this blog. As the blog description states, this blog will talk about Badger recruits (future Badgers), current Badgers (duh!), and Badger alumni (forever Badgers). I dislike the term "former Badger", because once you're a Badger, aren't you always a Badger?!
This blog is not meant to be a competitor to DPlaya's fantastic HIW blog. Rather, we hope to be a complementary blog, focusing primarily on Badger Hockey, rather than all of the other hockey in Wisconsin of which DPlaya does an outstanding job covering. (Besides, we could never compete with HIW, anyway -- it's just too good!)
Hope you all enjoy this humble blog. Please bear with me with formatting issues as I get things set up, as this is the first blog I've run myself. And of course, if you have anything you'd like me to post, please feel free to email me at sixtymin@gmail. com. Go RED!
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