All things Players Coming and Going.

yeah i mean if you want to lump 1st and 2nd rounders, sure that's fair.

Mooney probably the best "impact" guy we have coming in in terms of high end skill and would be a 1st rounder if he were 2 inches taller (maybe even an inch). Think someone will take a chance on Mooney late 2nd after seeing more small guys make it and with the grit/hitting he showed against his peers recently. Rombach I think will sneak in there as well.

"high end" guys are going to be limited from this group I agree, but there is a good amount of older, established talent on this roster as well. likely be a very different team to watch play style (and likely not in a fun way for fans unless you like grinding hockey, which i guess can be fun if they make it physical rather than clutch and grab).
Mooney is more likely to be a 6th rounder than a 2nd rounder. I think expectations of the impact he can have as a freshman have come way down, as well.

And I don't know how you can expect this team to "make it physical" when the Gophers have almost always been one of the softest teams in the country and almost all of the guys coming back are not known to hit basically anybody on the forecheck. It'll be a lot of slog hockey.
 

Mooney is more likely to be a 6th rounder than a 2nd rounder. I think expectations of the impact he can have as a freshman have come way down, as well.

And I don't know how you can expect this team to "make it physical" when the Gophers have almost always been one of the softest teams in the country and almost all of the guys coming back are not known to hit basically anybody on the forecheck. It'll be a lot of slog hockey.
fine with me if they overlook and take him late and he plays for us for 4 years. More and more I've seen, more and more it looks like he'll contribute. It's hard to know how much impact he'll have true, part of that is the NTDP was just not a very good team this year. He looked great at the WJC this year and certainly seemed better and better as he recovered post injury.

Teams play how they are coached. I'm not meaning its a team who just throws the body constantly, but is hard on forechecks and rubs guys out playing defensively (see Denver). You dumped a pair of finesse defensemen in Chesley and Rinzel and kept around Thomas and Gruba, your 2 most physical guys. Rombach we'll see on if he wants to hit or not, but his body positioning and winning puck battles are two things scouts have mentioned on him consistently

You again moved multiple non-physical (but highly skilled) forwards out in Moore, Wood, Kurth, and Snuggerud (though Jimmy would try hit, it was more out of frustration than his game) that played more a finesse game. Lamb, Zeimer, Hendrickson are all lunch pail type guys who drive the net and hit on the forecheck. Clark could be if you pushed him towards it (sorry kid but it is the only way you're playing pro hockey after college).

Again, not meaning the team is full of Tkachuk's, but hard, aggressive forechecking and a more physical defensive zone presence will fit this team rather than the wide open up and down we played last year (and historically)

I 0% expect this team is going to be ranked in the top 5 throughout the season, but is one who could, if Bob can coach them to do so, play a style that is tough to play against in a 1 and done and has enough talent on the roster to string games together playing that way. If Bob fails to do that this year and next, he's probably not coaching here anymore
 

Tough to play against in a one and done usually requires a goalie that can steal HUGE games, and doesn't look like they have that. Sorry, I'm just not seeing it anywhere across the lineup nor in the coaching staff.
 

Fraud as a fan that goes to every FF the Gophers make, regionals in SF/Fargo, away games in Kato/Col Springs/Madison/Duluth/Cloud, was a season ticket holder in the highest donation section (club room) until finally getting sick of Big Ten opponents...

Many Gopher fans just accept mediocrity (especially on here where they also support the irrelevant bball and football teams) and think conference banners in the lame Big Ten are cool. Two titles is 45 years is pathetic.

I'm a Gopher hockey fan, but I'm done with the Motzko era. It's so obvious the same things that happened at the end of the Lucia era are happening again and it's already a year late starting the next era. And the NIL and CHL are making the downward spiral even faster than the Lucia era.
I will retract my statement that you are not a fan BUT you are absolutely the worst Gopher fan I and many others have seen. All you do is bitch and bitch about the program even when the team is doing well (This is why you were banned from Gopher Puck Live). A good fan is a fan who supports a program in the good times and bad times but you can't even support the team when times are well. In 2022-2023 when we had one of our best teams in quite awhile all you talked about was how great Michigan was and complained about the Gophers (this is when you were labeled Eyeore).
I was there during the last few years of Lucia and times were not good but IMO if you are comparing the status of the current program to that of the the late Lucia years that that is insane.
You quit being a season ticket holder because of the Big Ten Conference which says you were more of a fan of the conference (WCHA) than the actual team, which says alot of your Gopher fandom.
Keep telling yourself you are a fan but you are definitely a fan this program does need want or need.
 

College hockey is the only sport I care to watch. I have seen it evolve over time. And honestly, I'm just sad because I believe NIL + CHL could be a death blow not only to the Gophers but to all six MN college teams. I think you may not see a MN school win a title in the next ten or even twenty years. On top of that MN HS players will also have a much harder time getting a D1 scholarship. It just sucks.

Combine that with the fact the NCAA doesn't care to fix the regionals, a lot of FF locations are lame (just do Tampa every year), the Big Ten is stuck at an odd number of teams... So much magic has been lost since that 2012 season which I view as the last fun one of the "old era" of college hockey.
 


College hockey is the only sport I care to watch. I have seen it evolve over time. And honestly, I'm just sad because I believe NIL + CHL could be a death blow not only to the Gophers but to all six MN college teams. I think you may not see a MN school win a title in the next ten or even twenty years. On top of that MN HS players will also have a much harder time getting a D1 scholarship. It just sucks.

Combine that with the fact the NCAA doesn't care to fix the regionals, a lot of FF locations are lame (just do Tampa every year), the Big Ten is stuck at an odd number of teams... So much magic has been lost since that 2012 season which I view as the last fun one of the "old era" of college hockey.
You want quality B1G hockey, then dropping the CHL ban is a great step. I live in the heart of CHL’s Western Hockey League and seeing some of those players move on to college hockey is going to be great.

The CHL is for 16 to 20 year olds who sign developmental contracts that provides educational scholarships and a $600 per month stipend. Once they reach college age, they will be wanting to play for a college experience and NIL. I think it will negatively affect the CHL as they provide by far more players to the NHL than college hockey.

I’m probably missing the downsides to being able to recruit more quality players, so please fill me in.

I still think U-Dub needs to upgrade their club program to the B1G.
 


I will retract my statement that you are not a fan BUT you are absolutely the worst Gopher fan I and many others have seen. All you do is bitch and bitch about the program even when the team is doing well (This is why you were banned from Gopher Puck Live). A good fan is a fan who supports a program in the good times and bad times but you can't even support the team when times are well. In 2022-2023 when we had one of our best teams in quite awhile all you talked about was how great Michigan was and complained about the Gophers (this is when you were labeled Eyeore).
I was there during the last few years of Lucia and times were not good but IMO if you are comparing the status of the current program to that of the the late Lucia years that that is insane.
You quit being a season ticket holder because of the Big Ten Conference which says you were more of a fan of the conference (WCHA) than the actual team, which says alot of your Gopher fandom.
Keep telling yourself you are a fan but you are definitely a fan this program does need want or need.
I have said it before... the 'ignore' function is a beautiful thing. Bonin made that list for me several weeks ago.
 

You want quality B1G hockey, then dropping the CHL ban is a great step. I live in the heart of CHL’s Western Hockey League and seeing some of those players move on to college hockey is going to be great.

The CHL is for 16 to 20 year olds who sign developmental contracts that provides educational scholarships and a $600 per month stipend. Once they reach college age, they will be wanting to play for a college experience and NIL. I think it will negatively affect the CHL as they provide by far more players to the NHL than college hockey.

I’m probably missing the downsides to being able to recruit more quality players, so please fill me in.

I still think U-Dub needs to upgrade their club program to the B1G.
It’s going to make some parts of college hockey get older which to me is horrible for the game. I don’t need to see 22-24 year olds grinding clutching and grabbing their way through a postseason. This is where hockey has generally gone in a bad direction at the ncaa level is more almost everyone is expected to play juniors because of the discrepancy in body size and physical maturity. Theres a reason the ccha and aha have been very active in recruiting chl

As a downstream, you may also see high school hockey in mn hurt as now the to Canada route is more viable. There will be some jostling as the league quality settles but in all giving an even bigger pool of 21 year old freshmen to pick from is not good for quality of hockey. And given the NA draft board this year, you may also see some high end guys go up there and just play their way out rather than come to college at all or only come down in a one and done style trying to go pro

Secondarily your NIL idea gets hairy. They can only earn it from Canada as they’re on a visa. High end kids may have some access but the vast vast majority are not going to be making anything meaningful. Scholarship sure; but the high end guys you’re talking about increasing the skill are not intending on being in college 4 years
 



I will retract my statement that you are not a fan BUT you are absolutely the worst Gopher fan I and many others have seen. All you do is bitch and bitch about the program even when the team is doing well (This is why you were banned from Gopher Puck Live). A good fan is a fan who supports a program in the good times and bad times but you can't even support the team when times are well. In 2022-2023 when we had one of our best teams in quite awhile all you talked about was how great Michigan was and complained about the Gophers (this is when you were labeled Eyeore).
I was there during the last few years of Lucia and times were not good but IMO if you are comparing the status of the current program to that of the the late Lucia years that that is insane.
You quit being a season ticket holder because of the Big Ten Conference which says you were more of a fan of the conference (WCHA) than the actual team, which says alot of your Gopher fandom.
Keep telling yourself you are a fan but you are definitely a fan this program does need want or need.
You have some weird obsession with Bonin and expressing how he doesn't fit your mold of what a fan is expected to be. As another poster mentioned, you might be better off putting him on ignore because his posts seem to really affect you.
 

Potential hope for MN college teams: If the GOP gets another four years it would not be completely insane to see them try to limit NCAA imports somehow over the next five years which would then obviously put MN and MNHS right back to the top. Chances of anything like that happening? Probably about 1 in 200. The hockey would obviously get WAY worse.
 

Potential hope for MN college teams: If the GOP gets another four years it would not be completely insane to see them try to limit NCAA imports somehow over the next five years which would then obviously put MN and MNHS right back to the top. Chances of anything like that happening? Probably about 1 in 200. The hockey would obviously get WAY worse.
i just don't see any way restricting athletes coming in would work unless they're going to shut down visas all over (which would be a very bad look) or try to flip the court ruling that's been pretty explicit now that you can't deny them coming in just because they've gotten paid elsewhere as an amateur. won't be surprised to see more and more legislation trying to shut down how NIL is used, but as far as restricting sports players I just don't see it (I think mostly they like that people want to come here and play our sports because our leagues are best, in simple terms).

A little worried for what this will mean for MN (especially northern) and ND hockey as you're already hearing of kids looking to go up to Canada to play now
 

i just don't see any way restricting athletes coming in would work unless they're going to shut down visas all over (which would be a very bad look) or try to flip the court ruling that's been pretty explicit now that you can't deny them coming in just because they've gotten paid elsewhere as an amateur. won't be surprised to see more and more legislation trying to shut down how NIL is used, but as far as restricting sports players I just don't see it (I think mostly they like that people want to come here and play our sports because our leagues are best, in simple terms).

A little worried for what this will mean for MN (especially northern) and ND hockey as you're already hearing of kids looking to go up to Canada to play now
MN HS hockey will be fine. The only U18 kids going up will be the ones with crazy parents sending them all over the country already (the Shattuck and Sioux Falls kids today) and a handful of 12th graders that would have previously gone to the USHL.
 



Justin Carbonneau - likely 1st rounder - BC
Ryder Ritchie - 2nd rounder - Supposedly to BU
Jack Ivankovic - likely 2nd round goalie - all signs to UM

JFC
 

MN HS hockey will be fine. The only U18 kids going up will be the ones with crazy parents sending them all over the country already (the Shattuck and Sioux Falls kids today) and a handful of 12th graders that would have previously gone to the USHL.
hopefully. hearing a lot of rumblings from up in my neck of the woods (218/701 area code) about it. WHL priority draft this year had 19 Minnesotans taken this year versus 10 last year (and 9 the year prior). Shit you go back 15 years or so and it was rare any kids were looking elsewhere and now junior programs have exploded in the states and there's more and more young players joining national teams (Little Caesars, etc.) to travel and play.
 

Justin Carbonneau - likely 1st rounder - BC
Ryder Ritchie - 2nd rounder - Supposedly to BU
Jack Ivankovic - likely 2nd round goalie - all signs to UM

JFC
On Ritchie (Wild 2nd rounder), it would certainly be nice if our local team would sack up and push a guy to play locally where they can watch his growth and development like they do out east.

Ivankovic we don't want because he's only 6ft tall ;) He was a beast at the WJC though. Toronto inroads for MI once again would be paying off
 

On Ritchie (Wild 2nd rounder), it would certainly be nice if our local team would sack up and push a guy to play locally where they can watch his growth and development like they do out east.
Or maybe they see that BU is a way better place for him to be...
 

Or maybe they see that BU is a way better place for him to be...
The U has a pretty good track record of developing players and the Wild have been on record they were very happy with how Faber developed here and other GMs/aGMs have been happy with keeping their guys here for extra seasons (Lacombe, Snuggerud are 2 other recent ones that come to mind). As far as BU guys, we have Boldy rostered but that was prior to Pandolfo's time. So no, I really doubt Guerin would prefer to have him out at BU
 

Because the MN schools aren't getting any of them...
I think it’s August 1st that NCAA schools can start signing CHL players. So how do you know we aren’t getting any of them to come to Minnesota? I’m sure it will come down to NIL funding so start making your donations.
 

It’s going to make some parts of college hockey get older which to me is horrible for the game. I don’t need to see 22-24 year olds grinding clutching and grabbing their way through a postseason. This is where hockey has generally gone in a bad direction at the ncaa level is more almost everyone is expected to play juniors because of the discrepancy in body size and physical maturity. Theres a reason the ccha and aha have been very active in recruiting chl

As a downstream, you may also see high school hockey in mn hurt as now the to Canada route is more viable. There will be some jostling as the league quality settles but in all giving an even bigger pool of 21 year old freshmen to pick from is not good for quality of hockey. And given the NA draft board this year, you may also see some high end guys go up there and just play their way out rather than come to college at all or only come down in a one and done style trying to go pro

Secondarily your NIL idea gets hairy. They can only earn it from Canada as they’re on a visa. High end kids may have some access but the vast vast majority are not going to be making anything meaningful. Scholarship sure; but the high end guys you’re talking about increasing the skill are not intending on being in college 4 years
Thank you for the NIL and visa reminder. I completely forgot about that.

I share your concern about high school players as I can see the upper tier kids going to the CHL, and then hoping to sign with a college team when they graduate high school. Or maybe not if they’re drafted at 18, and their NHL team wants them to stay in junior hockey. But it wouldn’t surprise me if more high schoolers went the junior hockey route. I don’t agree that that CHL players will wait until they’re 21 to join a college team. I think you’ll see them join at 17 and 18 after they graduate high school.

I understand your age gap concern, but don’t share it regarding junior hockey players moving to college.
 

I’m sure it will come down to NIL funding so start making your donations.
I hope you realize us "little guys" don't make a difference and that's why the U NIL is so far behind. No Pegulas, no Magic Johnsons, etc.
 


Thank you for the NIL and visa reminder. I completely forgot about that.

I share your concern about high school players as I can see the upper tier kids going to the CHL, and then hoping to sign with a college team when they graduate high school. Or maybe not if they’re drafted at 18, and their NHL team wants them to stay in junior hockey. But it wouldn’t surprise me if more high schoolers went the junior hockey route. I don’t agree that that CHL players will wait until they’re 21 to join a college team. I think you’ll see them join at 17 and 18 after they graduate high school.

I understand your age gap concern, but don’t share it regarding junior hockey players moving to college.
top flight guys if they're going to come (McKenna, Bear, Lakovic, etc). But you also have the pool of guys who are going to exhaust their junior years and be looking to keep going, who may not want to (or be able to) play ECHL. You won't see this in the B10 as much as we don't take as many of those guys, but for example to use the team that took a ton of CHL guys in Bowling Green. we'll see if all these guys hit campus, but these are their incoming Fr commits from the CHL

Ty Higgins would be a 21 year old FR
Brayden Crampton would be a 21 year old FR
Mazden Leslie would be a 20 year old FR
Connor Levis would be a 21 year old FR
Jeremie Minville would be a 21 year old FR
Noah Morneau would be a 21 year old FR
Luke Pfoh would be a 20 year old FR
Tanner Scott would be a 21 year old FR
Jake Sloan would be a 21 year old FR
Brandon Whynott would be a 21 year old FR

It's a great way to fill your roster with old, heavy guys who want to keep playing. The B10 and elite east coast schools plus DU and UND will pillage the 1st/2nd round type guys, but you also just upgraded the floor for the grinders of college hockey to do the above even more easily. You'll also see B10 schools do this by adding in players to fill roster slots as guys transfer, leave early, etc. and you'll push back guys to another year in juniors, which again is bad for the college games health overall. If you're looking to win now, you're better off with the guy who has put on the extra weight for his frame at age 21 than take an 18 year old filler which is what we've already seen with having kids play 2-3 years of juniors here. Now the pool just got even bigger to force them to keep doing that.
 

You have some weird obsession with Bonin and expressing how he doesn't fit your mold of what a fan is expected to be. As another poster mentioned, you might be better off putting him on ignore because his posts seem to really affect you.
My only obsession with Bonin21 is that he/she is the worst possible fan out there. It's sad he/she uses Bonin21 as his/her moniker. One of the best players ever to wear the M.
Just curious what you think a fan should be?
 

You have some weird obsession with Bonin and expressing how he doesn't fit your mold of what a fan is expected to be. As another poster mentioned, you might be better off putting him on ignore because his posts seem to really affect you.
I think the general issue with Bonin21 is that fact he is ALWAYS negative. He complains about everything around the Gopher program from parking to the merchandise they sell. He seeks out the negative and finds any little thing to complain about. At the same time he gushes about BU, BC, UND, UM, and MSU. It is not a good thing when you mention his name and everyone has a strong negative reaction. BTW, I don't mind if fans criticize the program, but most fans will give credit when credit is due, but he doesn't.
 

I think the general issue with Bonin21 is that fact he is ALWAYS negative. He complains about everything around the Gopher program from parking to the merchandise they sell. He seeks out the negative and finds any little thing to complain about. At the same time he gushes about BU, BC, UND, UM, and MSU. It is not a good thing when you mention his name and everyone has a strong negative reaction. BTW, I don't mind if fans criticize the program, but most fans will give credit when credit is due, but he doesn't.
i think he was excited one time last year when we swept UMD. it will be exciting to see him possibly rapture the year we finally win a natty again
 

My only obsession with Bonin21 is that he/she is the worst possible fan out there. It's sad he/she uses Bonin21 as his/her moniker. One of the best players ever to wear the M.
Just curious what you think a fan should be?
You talk about Bonin being negative and Eeyore like, yet all of your posts over the last several weeks are similarly negative complaining about and focusing on what you don't like about Bonin. Just block him and move on.
 

You talk about Bonin being negative and Eeyore like, yet all of your posts over the last several weeks are similarly negative complaining about and focusing on what you don't like about Bonin. Just block him and move on.
Thanks for the advice. Still wondering what you consider a good fan to be?
 


Any news on Mason West? Seems to be a good fit at Minnesota
would imagine he's going to figure out what he's doing after the NHL draft but everything written has said he's not going to MN and is considering ND, MSU, WI, and BC for visits which is a really confusing set of choices given stylistically they are grossly different. Now maybe he's already visited the U and knows so that's why not mentioned, but would doubt it. Seems like he screams ND to me and you can thank Anders Lee for that one
 




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