Future Gopher Coach Discussion

[upnorthkid]

Slukynskys, Stramel, and Pohlkamp were all obvious targets he missed on.

Also both last year and this year he only carried 14 forwards (unacceptable roster management) both times including a D3 PLAYER both times, so it has never been a space thing. Plus a bunch of guys you could cut to make room for better players.

this is the problem, not so much the targets thing. Provincialism aside, there were players in the portal or from the CHL this year that he should've gone after. zero excuse not to have. I can't really blame Bob for Stramel or Pohlkamp who went to coaches who coached them and good teams.

The Slukynsky thing has always been interesting. Whether it was Fersch knowing he wanted Hampton and that he could make Grant into a player and knowing that they just wanted to play together, probably made it a pretty easy sell (I'm still shocked they didn't end up at UND given their dad played at UND).
That said, WMU has been a really good team since Fersch got there (126-58-5 is a pretty crazy record in the NCHC and is 10th in all time winning %). Not like guys don't want to go play for him. Warroad, 1 year of Jr and then NCAA starter is a pretty rare path for guys

 

[bonin21]

this is the problem, not so much the targets thing. Provincialism aside, there were players in the portal or from the CHL this year that he should've gone after. zero excuse not to have. I can't really blame Bob for Stramel or Pohlkamp who went to coaches who coached them and good teams.

The Slukynsky thing has always been interesting. Whether it was Fersch knowing he wanted Hampton and that he could make Grant into a player and knowing that they just wanted to play together, probably made it a pretty easy sell (I'm still shocked they didn't end up at UND given their dad played at UND).
That said, WMU has been a really good team since Fersch got there (126-58-5 is a pretty crazy record in the NCHC and is 10th in all time winning %). Not like guys don't want to go play for him. Warroad, 1 year of Jr and then NCAA starter is a pretty rare path for guys

The Gophers never have great goalies and the best one to come out of the state in years was available along with a top 6 brother. That miss could have been what sealed Bob's fate.

Casey is already looking like another good but not great goalie.

 

[upnorthkid]

The Gophers never have great goalies and the best one to come out of the state in years was available along with a top 6 brother. That miss could have been what sealed Bob's fate.

Casey is already looking like another good but not great goalie.

yep think that's a very reasonable take based on what we know so far.

And agree Slukynsky is probably the best MN goalie since maybe Otter, would have to go back and check, who also didn't come here. Have always been baffled with how we target goalies and was happy to see us finally go back into the MN HS pool, though can't say it's a super deep pool we've seen historically, which is interesting for the quality of hockey players the state produces

I disagree on the calling Grant a top 6 guy when he transferred. Again he was undrafted, had 9 points at NMU and had never been a point per game guy in the USHL. I give all the credit in the world to Fersch for making him a top 6 guy.
That being said, i'd take a shot on a guy like him every day of the week when he transferred as an older guy with grit, speed, and who had shown he could absolutely light it up in HS over rostering Nick Michel or August Falloon, particularly if it meant you got the brother.

Random additional part, no idea if they had any desire to be in a city. They're Warroad kids and obviously a smaller community/college town might be what they wanted to. Seems to be the vibe from how they've talked about it in interviews.

 

[upnorthkid]

Additional random thing. Kind of interesting to follow Barto's career since leaving. Has gone on to be pretty good at Lindenwood and then MTU

 

[bonin21]

Faber starts the gold medal game against Celebrini/Mackinnon/McDavid

But not OT of the national title game.

 

[Vanek26]

Faber starts the gold medal game against Celebrini/Mackinnon/McDavid

But not OT of the national title game.

Shocked you found something to bitch about Bob in a game that doesn't involve him.