I had the chance to see behind the curtain this weekend here in Mankato when the Minnesota State men's program hosted an adult hockey day camp. Here is the list of things we got to do:
- Coach Ward broke down what the Mavs practice was going to look like and went over some of their game tactics
- Watched the Mavs practice
- Morning on ice practice with Coach Strand, Ward, and Paulsen along with six players.
- At lunch time had a Q&A with six players. Questions weren't all softballs and the players were really open in their answers.
- Afternoon practice with the coaches and some different players. Then a scrimmage to finish off the on ice time.
- Happy hour with the coaches and a gear sale. I picked up a $350 stick for $25, only blemish is a small chip out of the toe of the stick.
It only cost $125 for the day which included lunch and a practice jersey. I had a lot of great conversations with the coaches and players. Such a unique experience and even as a fan behind enemy lines, I did let some people know my allegiance, I was welcomed as a hockey fan. It was worth the price of admission for sure.
During happy hour Coach Strand fielded questions and didn't shy away from anything. On the subject of NIL it does seem like the coaches here will die on the hill about what NIL money is out there and being used to recruit. He did preface his remarks that MSU can't compete with the B1G schools in that regards but it just means that they have to recruit different types of players. Two transfer players during the Q&A did say how much they love being in Mankato from their previous teams and pointed to the coaches as being the big reason for the move, their previous schools were Boston University and Wisconsin.
Anyway to wrap it up on this, it was a lot of fun and interesting to hear what the coaches and players had to say on some things and have the chance for interaction with them.
I am the official Iowa Hawkeye football fan of GPL!
Another player who played pro hockey last year, will play in the NCAA this year. Jack Beck played 4 games in the AHL and 36 games in the ECHL as a point per game player. This is getting ridiculous.
https://twitter.com/GabbyJChernoff/status/1968429337918534031
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This is ridiculous
Pittsburgh signed him to come back earlier this summer as well
Frozen Four times in Vegas released. Thursdays games will be at 4 and 7:30 central (2 and 5:30 Vegas time) with the Saturday championship game at 6:30 central (4:30 Vegas time). Will be strange to actually go out after the games and not have to rush to a bar before closing time.
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Frozen Four times in Vegas released. Thursdays games will be at 4 and 7:30 central (2 and 5:30 Vegas time) with the Saturday championship game at 6:30 central (4:30 Vegas time). Will be strange to actually go out after the games and not have to rush to a bar before closing time.
shit i read the email and automatically just thought of it as local time. that's going to feel super weird
Frozen Four times in Vegas released. Thursdays games will be at 4 and 7:30 central (2 and 5:30 Vegas time) with the Saturday championship game at 6:30 central (4:30 Vegas time). Will be strange to actually go out after the games and not have to rush to a bar before closing time.
The game could finish at 4 am and you wouldn't have to worry about the bars closing. It's a wonderful city.
I definitely love the city, and yes, there's NO real problem finding an open bar even with a late game. If nothing else, most of the casinos have at least one bar that's going 24/7Frozen Four times in Vegas released. Thursdays games will be at 4 and 7:30 central (2 and 5:30 Vegas time) with the Saturday championship game at 6:30 central (4:30 Vegas time). Will be strange to actually go out after the games and not have to rush to a bar before closing time.
The game could finish at 4 am and you wouldn't have to worry about the bars closing. It's a wonderful city.
I definitely love the city, and yes, there's NO real problem finding an open bar even with a late game. If nothing else, most of the casinos have at least one bar that's going 24/7Frozen Four times in Vegas released. Thursdays games will be at 4 and 7:30 central (2 and 5:30 Vegas time) with the Saturday championship game at 6:30 central (4:30 Vegas time). Will be strange to actually go out after the games and not have to rush to a bar before closing time.
The game could finish at 4 am and you wouldn't have to worry about the bars closing. It's a wonderful city.
My point was usually the games get over late because of the time zones they are played in and we have to get back to the hotel because of an early flight. Especially on the east coast. This year we can actually go out and we will fly out at a decent time the next day... I have been to Vegas many times and am aware of the nightlife
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That's certainly understandable. I think I've just switched to slightly later flights long enough ago that I don't worry as much about it.I definitely love the city, and yes, there's NO real problem finding an open bar even with a late game. If nothing else, most of the casinos have at least one bar that's going 24/7Frozen Four times in Vegas released. Thursdays games will be at 4 and 7:30 central (2 and 5:30 Vegas time) with the Saturday championship game at 6:30 central (4:30 Vegas time). Will be strange to actually go out after the games and not have to rush to a bar before closing time.
The game could finish at 4 am and you wouldn't have to worry about the bars closing. It's a wonderful city.
My point was usually the games get over late because of the time zones they are played in and we have to get back to the hotel because of an early flight. Especially on the east coast. This year we can actually go out and we will fly out at a decent time the next day...
That's certainly understandable. I think I've just switched to slightly later flights long enough ago that I don't worry as much about it.I definitely love the city, and yes, there's NO real problem finding an open bar even with a late game. If nothing else, most of the casinos have at least one bar that's going 24/7Frozen Four times in Vegas released. Thursdays games will be at 4 and 7:30 central (2 and 5:30 Vegas time) with the Saturday championship game at 6:30 central (4:30 Vegas time). Will be strange to actually go out after the games and not have to rush to a bar before closing time.
The game could finish at 4 am and you wouldn't have to worry about the bars closing. It's a wonderful city.
My point was usually the games get over late because of the time zones they are played in and we have to get back to the hotel because of an early flight. Especially on the east coast. This year we can actually go out and we will fly out at a decent time the next day...
Unfortunately we have to fly into a place 4 hours from home and have that wonderful drive ahead of us. So, the lesser of 2 evils is an early flight and driving home during the daylight.
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Another player who played pro hockey last year, will play in the NCAA this year. Jack Beck played 4 games in the AHL and 36 games in the ECHL as a point per game player. This is getting ridiculous.
https://twitter.com/GabbyJChernoff/status/1968429337918534031
I know football is trying to go from having 2 portal windows to just one. I wonder if NCAA hockey will consider doing something similar, limiting it to say April 15th to July 15th or whatever. Of course I don't know if this is even considered a "portal" move. I think an add this late in the game is absurd.
Another player who played pro hockey last year, will play in the NCAA this year. Jack Beck played 4 games in the AHL and 36 games in the ECHL as a point per game player. This is getting ridiculous.
https://twitter.com/GabbyJChernoff/status/1968429337918534031
I know football is trying to go from having 2 portal windows to just one. I wonder if NCAA hockey will consider doing something similar, limiting it to say April 15th to July 15th or whatever. Of course I don't know if this is even considered a "portal" move. I think an add this late in the game is absurd.
adding an extra roster player late isn’t the problem for me, especially with the 26-man roster limit imposed by the House settlement which is so utterly absurd and ridiculous for men’s hockey.
the main issues are that (1) amateurism and being a student-athlete, as concepts, have become blatantly farcical, and college sports is not even trying to pretend that circle can be squared anymore; (2) the guy is actively under contract!!!
Another player who played pro hockey last year, will play in the NCAA this year. Jack Beck played 4 games in the AHL and 36 games in the ECHL as a point per game player. This is getting ridiculous.
https://twitter.com/GabbyJChernoff/status/1968429337918534031
I know football is trying to go from having 2 portal windows to just one. I wonder if NCAA hockey will consider doing something similar, limiting it to say April 15th to July 15th or whatever. Of course I don't know if this is even considered a "portal" move. I think an add this late in the game is absurd.
adding an extra roster player late isn’t the problem for me, especially with the 26-man roster limit imposed by the House settlement which is so utterly absurd and ridiculous for men’s hockey.
the main issues are that (1) amateurism and being a student-athlete, as concepts, have become blatantly farcical, and college sports is not even trying to pretend that circle can be squared anymore; (2) the guy is actively under contract!!!
I agree but that ship has already sailed. At least they could add a few more restrictions timewise.
FWIW, Bucci's 1st poll.
https://twitter.com/Buccigross/status/1968743688822981038
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FWIW, Bucci's 1st poll.
Putting us at 7 is very bullish, but not unreasonable. North Dakota at 5, WMU at 8, and St. Thomas at 16 are all completely insane though. Bucci is clearly just fishing for engagement from the big fanbases, like he always does.
https://twitter.com/SchlossmanGF/status/1968792773701579073
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The 1st USCHO poll is out. 6 B1G teams in top 20
https://twitter.com/USCHO/status/1970175442851098847
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I'm shocked Cornell didn't receive a first place vote.
I like the Gophers being ranked Higher then the Fighting Who!! 
Aloha!
@gopher6 I like that Wisconsin is ranked LAST! 😜
Dorothy: Who’s that?
Scarecrow: A man with an axe and a can of lube. I’ll ask if he wants to join us.
lol what? That is the most mailed in name of all time
The Whioux are going to play in Belfast in 2027 over Thanksgiving weekend with BADgers, QU, and Northeastern. They better stock up on beer with 2 of those fan bases.
https://twitter.com/SchlossmanGF/status/1970535116356059316
Friendship Four future years
2025
Miami, RIT, Sacred Heart Union
2026
Minnesota Duluth, Colgate, Providence, UConn
2027
North Dakota, Quinnipiac, Wisconsin, Northeastern
2028
Omaha, Dartmouth, Maine, Notre Dame
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lol what? That is the most mailed in name of all time
It fits the generic looking trophy I guess. 😂
Friendship Four future years
2025
Miami, RIT, Sacred Heart Union
2026
Minnesota Duluth, Colgate, Providence, UConn
2027
North Dakota, Quinnipiac, Wisconsin, Northeastern
2028
Omaha, Dartmouth, Maine, Notre Dame
Any meteors projected to be in the area in 2027? Asking for a friend. 😁
lol what? That is the most mailed in name of all time
They only got 125 submissions. I guarantee most of them were “The Engelstad Trophy” or “The Ralph” or “Nine Toes.”
One sites projection of the Spengler Cup roster.
https://twitter.com/TeamECH/status/1970622324937199829
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The Whioux are going to play in Belfast in 2027 over Thanksgiving weekend with BADgers, QU, and Northeastern. They better stock up on beer with 2 of those fan bases.
wisconSIN hockey fans don’t travel. They might get a handful of more fans cause the BADgers play at Minnesota in football that weekend. Plus it’s Belfast, not Sioux Falls, SD… Hawks fans in Ireland with no Mich Golden or Budweiser, they won’t know what to drink.
The Whioux are going to play in Belfast in 2027 over Thanksgiving weekend with BADgers, QU, and Northeastern. They better stock up on beer with 2 of those fan bases.
wisconSIN hockey fans don’t travel. They might get a handful of more fans cause the BADgers play at Minnesota in football that weekend. Plus it’s Belfast, not Sioux Falls, SD… Hawks fans in Ireland with no Mich Golden or Budweiser, they won’t know what to drink.
Wisconsin hockey fans exist? Interesting…
https://twitter.com/ToddMilewski/status/1972747686064615839
https://twitter.com/MikeMcMahonCHN/status/1972747203711234183
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From the looks of it not a ton of change
From the looks of it not a ton of change
I'd be curious how different the past few NCAA fields would look when using the old vs the new methodology.
Strange that Slaggert is leaving in a month into the season.
https://twitter.com/NDHockey/status/1973459214233379067
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Speaking of the Frozen Four, today was the first priority ticket window and what a cluster. Ticketing is moving back to Axs from Ticketmaster (Axs last managed the 2020 tournament I believe, maybe 2021).
Axs has some wicked strong ticket scamming protection that made logging into the NCAA site nearly impossible. At one point, I was logged in to their site via my iPad using my iPhone as a hotspot because while my iPad has cellular, it's through work and IP address' VPN suggested to Axs I was a bot. The regular Wifi (because I'm at work at 11a middle of the week) also obviously has a VPN and they thought I was a bot.
Ultimately, when my iPad refreshed at 11am, it wouldn't let me in (again thinking I was a bot). Somehow I was able to log in via my iPhone on cellular. Trying to pick individual seats from a seat map on a mobile phone is something.
I guess I should be glad I could get in at all, up until today you couldn't even log into the NCAA Axs site at all.
Oh, and even though we were the first group, there were no available seats between the blue lines in the lower bowl.
Speaking of the Frozen Four, today was the first priority ticket window and what a cluster. Ticketing is moving back to Axs from Ticketmaster (Axs last managed the 2020 tournament I believe, maybe 2021).
Axs has some wicked strong ticket scamming protection that made logging into the NCAA site nearly impossible. At one point, I was logged in to their site via my iPad using my iPhone as a hotspot because while my iPad has cellular, it's through work and IP address' VPN suggested to Axs I was a bot. The regular Wifi (because I'm at work at 11a middle of the week) also obviously has a VPN and they thought I was a bot.
Ultimately, when my iPad refreshed at 11am, it wouldn't let me in (again thinking I was a bot). Somehow I was able to log in via my iPhone on cellular. Trying to pick individual seats from a seat map on a mobile phone is something.
I guess I should be glad I could get in at all, up until today you couldn't even log into the NCAA Axs site at all.
Oh, and even though we were the first group, there were no available seats between the blue lines in the lower bowl.
this does not sound encouraging for tickets. Our group is later and I’d envision this one will sell given the location and people choosing to hold tickets or go anyway if they don’t make it moreso than say St. Louis
Penn State needs to wake up here. Need all the NPI karma the league can get. B10 teams are gonna beat each other up this year.
Let’s go Penn State. Help the Big 10. Tied 3-3 on NHL network.
I get rooting for Big Ten teams in non conference games but with how well Penn State is recruiting they are a huge threat and IMO they are becoming a team Gophers fans are going to dislike especially since they have 9 Canadians.
Penn State up 4-3 11 minutes left in the 3rd period.
I get rooting for Big Ten teams in non conference games but with how well Penn State is recruiting they are a huge threat and IMO they are becoming a team Gophers fans are going to dislike especially since they have 9 Canadians.
Penn State up 4-3 11 minutes left in the 3rd period.
Gophs failing in 2018 to force even one OT game vs. PSU, out of four straight, w/ a tourney bid on the line, wasn’t enough to make all Gopher puck fans hate Penn State? Mostly kidding- it’s always been hard for me to resent PSU that much when they generally keep it clean even in blowout Gopher Ws, which is more than Wisco or Michigan can say. (I do think it’d be hilarious if McKenna bails for CHL or something at mid-season due to being fed up and rootless in the college game.)
Earlier tonight a casual acquaintance of mine (Michigan alum) was bragging about Hage’s 5 point game. Against Mercyhurst, in an 11-1 W. Nearly used some very not nice words on him, instead I smiled and nodded. They really are everything that Minnesota fans get stereotyped as.
I’ll gladly root for every Big 10 team in non-conference play. Let’s stack that interconference record.
I’ll gladly root for every Big 10 team in non-conference play. Let’s stack that interconference record.
I guess I fall in the other camp. I believe if the Gophers take care of their own business, they will be fine. If they need help to make the tourney, it's on them. Watching our rivals lose brings me more joy than watching them win to help the conference. Penn St for me has been near the top of my B1G rival list for years, and to hear non stop McKenna stuff will only move them up more. Plus, I think their coach is a bit smug.
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Yep… I’ll never cheer for a rival… screw them. If we have to rely on rival, then we didn’t do our job.
When it comes to college hockey, if it comes to... The Gophers vs the world and I’m 110% fine with that.
I will root for anyone, IF it helps the Gophers. If that makes me a "hockey whore," so be it. 
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
A bubble team doesn't make the tournament in a year in which when their conference is garbage overall and I'd rather the Gophers make the tournament in a year like then not at all. Some of you have seem to have forgotten how much pride fans took when the WCHA was the dominant conference.
The Gophers can still "take care of their own business" regardless.