I gotta assume Cullen comes in early the way things are going so probably him. Kvasnicka won't hurt either though IDK if he's good enough to be top 6 right away, probably not if I had to guess. They definitely have their work cut out for them though because they need centers and Dmen.Yep... more and more like SiouxSports every time I look.
Tying for the conference championship and making the NCAA tournament as the #5 overall seed is now considered a "Bad Season" around here.
I will ask again since you like to throw blanket statements around without any detail or analysis.
Which players/recruits make you think next year will be any better?
I gotta assume Cullen comes in early the way things are going so probably him. Kvasnicka won't hurt either though IDK if he's good enough to be top 6 right away, probably not if I had to guess. They definitely have their work cut out for them though because they need centers and Dmen.Yep... more and more like SiouxSports every time I look.
Tying for the conference championship and making the NCAA tournament as the #5 overall seed is now considered a "Bad Season" around here.
I will ask again since you like to throw blanket statements around without any detail or analysis.
Which players/recruits make you think next year will be any better?
100% this and I hope it's not just bringing in Harper. Phillips is clearly not ready from a skating standpoint and is really just regarded as their team's fighter, though we do know this team could absolutely use more grit and hitting. Grimes seems fine but isn't going to move the needle on that group outside of hoping for internal growth.
I understand that a one and done tournament isn’t the best way to determine a champion in hockey, but is the format we have and it isn’t going to change. That said, this program shouldn’t go 20 years between titles. And let’s be honest, if Bob’s team didn’t choke against Quinnipiac we aren’t having this discussion.
Funny... the Gophers tied for the conference championship last year, nobody seems to remember that.
Is this year bad? Of course. Anybody that says it isn't clearly isn't paying attention.
Does one bad year mean we should fire the coach? It's starting to sound like SiouxSports around here these days.
Which players on this roster makes you think next year will be better?
Essentially the entire forward group is eligible to return. Age matters in college hockey. Ziemer already has more goals than he did his freshman year. Hendrickson has already outscored his freshman year as well. You don’t think Mooney, Moe, Moore, etc. aren’t going to make similar jumps in production? Cullen and Kvasnicka are both better than Lamb and J. Mittelstadt. How do you think this team won’t be better? This year the team is relying on a bunch of freshmen and it shows, next year won’t have the same growing pains.
Just one? When was the last time that the Gophers didn't finish the season in a worse spot than the previous season?Guess what happens to the 65 year old CEO when the company goes through a multiple year downturn?
then I guess we’re in and supportive of Bob being our coach for next year at minimum given this is just one 😉
in reality, I don’t think Bob is naive enough to think he will be given 2-3 years by this fan base if the team isn’t playing better. He saw what happened to Lucia and his teams at the end
i cannot wait for you to suggest the Denver should fire Carle this year or next year if they don't get back to the FF or Nightingale from MSU (regional final-->regional semifinal last year).
We were 7 in PWR in 2024 pre tourney, 5 last year. 2023 1, 2022 6, 2021 4.
So 2021 4, regional finals, B10 CT title
2022 6 FF semis, B10 RS title
2023 1 FF title, B10 RS title
2024 7 regional finals
2025 5 regional semis, B10 RS title
Looks like treading water (with overall net positive) the last 2 years. 24 and 25 both had looks of contenders who needed things to go right if they were going to win it. It didn't, just the difference of the exact moment it happened where the season would end each year (we had to come back vs Omaha in the 3rd to even play BU with Nelson basically willing them to win). There's no shame in that.
It's how it is basically every year for every team. Shit WMU went to double OT in their 1st round game and again against DU. Sometimes it works out. Most of the time it doesn't.
That said, this is the first time things have looked this "bad" since probably the middle of the Lucia tenure (imo; end of Lucia tenure wasn't good, but wasn't this bad) and if one (Coyle) wants to project its no better next year, then yeah I get what you're saying. But to try and say 24 vs 25 was markedly different, I just don't see that being true objectively when you're weighing the entirety of the season.
This conversation is getting more convoluted than it needs to be. It’s simple, some of us on here wanted Bob to add from the portal. He should’ve added 2 defenseman, plus 2 forwards with the addition to Ludke. His inability to use the modern day tools and advantages is what is annoying fans the most. This program should never miss the tournament.
I think most of the guys you mention will be fine in the bottom 6, Cullen could probably be top 6, not sure about Kvas. Main issue is they need better centers than the ones they have imo to push them down/out of the lineup. I just don't think any of the ones we currently have would be playing 1C on a good gopher team which is why none of them were when we still had Oliver Moore. Clark could probably be fine centering the second line but he doesn't score much on his own.Funny... the Gophers tied for the conference championship last year, nobody seems to remember that.
Is this year bad? Of course. Anybody that says it isn't clearly isn't paying attention.
Does one bad year mean we should fire the coach? It's starting to sound like SiouxSports around here these days.
Which players on this roster makes you think next year will be better?
Essentially the entire forward group is eligible to return. Age matters in college hockey. Ziemer already has more goals than he did his freshman year. Hendrickson has already outscored his freshman year as well. You don’t think Mooney, Moe, Moore, etc. aren’t going to make similar jumps in production? Cullen and Kvasnicka are both better than Lamb and J. Mittelstadt. How do you think this team won’t be better? This year the team is relying on a bunch of freshmen and it shows, next year won’t have the same growing pains.
If Ludtke plays to his potential he’s a 1C. I’ve been a little disappointed in his play this year. He was a bonafide stud for Omaha his freshman season. Still time for him though. I hope he figures it out.
Funny... the Gophers tied for the conference championship last year, nobody seems to remember that.
Is this year bad? Of course. Anybody that says it isn't clearly isn't paying attention.
Does one bad year mean we should fire the coach? It's starting to sound like SiouxSports around here these days.
Which players on this roster makes you think next year will be better?
Essentially the entire forward group is eligible to return. Age matters in college hockey. Ziemer already has more goals than he did his freshman year. Hendrickson has already outscored his freshman year as well. You don’t think Mooney, Moe, Moore, etc. aren’t going to make similar jumps in production? Cullen and Kvasnicka are both better than Lamb and J. Mittelstadt. How do you think this team won’t be better? This year the team is relying on a bunch of freshmen and it shows, next year won’t have the same growing pains.
I agree on Ziemer, Hendrickson, Mooney, Moe, and Moore. I would also include Pritchard. This assumes they all return by the way. Good college players? Yes. Great college players? That remains to be seen.
Do you really think Cullen or Kvas will come in and be better than Lamb right away?
You are losing Luke and Cal on the back end. The defensive core for next year is ugly, no other way to put it.
At this point I'm not going to bet on that happening and Motzko probably shouldn't either. That would be a nice development if it happens though.If Ludtke plays to his potential he’s a 1C. I’ve been a little disappointed in his play this year. He was a bonafide stud for Omaha his freshman season. Still time for him though. I hope he figures it out.
Nobody is hanging on to the illusion that this team is making the tourney this year, right?
Anyone who is a sports fan...hope is sometimes the only thing we have. Until it's official...hope. 😉
This. it’s why I’ll hold onto that hope until they say it’s over and why I’ll be at every game until that’s the case
exactly this and without it I couldn’t respect myself as the fan I think I am. Seasons fly by compared to the off season. Expectations may not be where they used to be right now so I hope for the effort, the pride on ice, so when we score I can do my version of a celly 😁 and put rankings, and past losses out of mind and enjoy the moment. That’s the simple good stuff. Let’s get’em boys!!
“Good pace, a lot of north and south, or it could be east and west, I’m not sure but either way…” Wooger
Pohlad baseball ⚾️ it’s not arrogance, we really are “that good” #”Hey Siri, play “faithfully” by Journey max volume”
Funny... the Gophers tied for the conference championship last year, nobody seems to remember that.
Is this year bad? Of course. Anybody that says it isn't clearly isn't paying attention.
Does one bad year mean we should fire the coach? It's starting to sound like SiouxSports around here these days.
Which players on this roster makes you think next year will be better?
Essentially the entire forward group is eligible to return. Age matters in college hockey. Ziemer already has more goals than he did his freshman year. Hendrickson has already outscored his freshman year as well. You don’t think Mooney, Moe, Moore, etc. aren’t going to make similar jumps in production? Cullen and Kvasnicka are both better than Lamb and J. Mittelstadt. How do you think this team won’t be better? This year the team is relying on a bunch of freshmen and it shows, next year won’t have the same growing pains.
I agree on Ziemer, Hendrickson, Mooney, Moe, and Moore. I would also include Pritchard. This assumes they all return by the way. Good college players? Yes. Great college players? That remains to be seen.
Do you really think Cullen or Kvas will come in and be better than Lamb right away?
You are losing Luke and Cal on the back end. The defensive core for next year is ugly, no other way to put it.
Do you not think they’ll be better than John Mittelstadt right away? He has 0 goals and 3 assists but regardless I’m looking at the forward group as a whole. Lamb and John Mittelstadt have a combined 9-13-22pts right now. Between Cullen and Kvasnicka and all the other forwards taking a step forward they will easily surpass those 22pts, do you disagree? Freshmen aren’t meant to replace seniors anyways that’s Jimmy Clark, Ludtke, Ziemer and others job. People have been ripping Bob incessantly for this recruiting class for the last year and a half because a couple guys committed elsewhere and we ended up with the highest ranked American forward and a guy whose tearing up the vaunted CHL whose stock has never been higher. Meanwhile Berchild and Lutner’s stock has never been lower.
Funny... the Gophers tied for the conference championship last year, nobody seems to remember that.
Is this year bad? Of course. Anybody that says it isn't clearly isn't paying attention.
Does one bad year mean we should fire the coach? It's starting to sound like SiouxSports around here these days.
Which players on this roster makes you think next year will be better?
Essentially the entire forward group is eligible to return. Age matters in college hockey. Ziemer already has more goals than he did his freshman year. Hendrickson has already outscored his freshman year as well. You don’t think Mooney, Moe, Moore, etc. aren’t going to make similar jumps in production? Cullen and Kvasnicka are both better than Lamb and J. Mittelstadt. How do you think this team won’t be better? This year the team is relying on a bunch of freshmen and it shows, next year won’t have the same growing pains.
I agree on Ziemer, Hendrickson, Mooney, Moe, and Moore. I would also include Pritchard. This assumes they all return by the way. Good college players? Yes. Great college players? That remains to be seen.
Do you really think Cullen or Kvas will come in and be better than Lamb right away?
You are losing Luke and Cal on the back end. The defensive core for next year is ugly, no other way to put it.
Do you not think they’ll be better than John Mittelstadt right away? He has 0 goals and 3 assists but regardless I’m looking at the forward group as a whole. Lamb and John Mittelstadt have a combined 9-13-22pts right now. Between Cullen and Kvasnicka and all the other forwards taking a step forward they will easily surpass those 22pts, do you disagree? Freshmen aren’t meant to replace seniors anyways that’s Jimmy Clark, Ludtke, Ziemer and others job. People have been ripping Bob incessantly for this recruiting class for the last year and a half because a couple guys committed elsewhere and we ended up with the highest ranked American forward and a guy whose tearing up the vaunted CHL whose stock has never been higher. Meanwhile Berchild and Lutner’s stock has never been lower.
Such optimism is not allowed, good sir.
I believe in Motzko as a coach. I do think with the changing landscape having a GM would be a good call. Would love to see us make that move this offseason. Tony Gasparini and Motzko are close so he could make sense.
For when Motzko retires I am all-in for Raboin.
In my mind the issue with Motzko is that he has underperformed for at least the last three seasons, including the Nat Championship game. I make this claim because of the overwhelming amount of talent that he has had on his roster. Honestly, there is no reason you shouldn’t win a Natty, by a large margin, with Kines, Cooley, Snuggy, Faber, Lacomb, and the rest. These aren’t just NHL players, they dominate in the NHL. That was an underperforming team.
the next season probably could have made it farther, but was probably the least disappointing of the three
last year, maybe the most disappointing of them all, that was championship caliber talent. What the hell happened at the end of the season? Honestly, that team looked like the most apathetic team I have seen in a long time, in any sport I am not sure why that was, but I do wonder if they hadn’t lost confidence in Motzko. Regardless of the reason, disengaged is the only way to describe the team at the end of the last season. Disengaged players don’t stick around, so when they all bolted it wasn’t a surprise to me. The fact that it was a surprise to Motzko is inexcusable.
the worst part, and we are seeing it show up this season, is Motzko doesn’t know how to recruit in this new era of NIL and all the other pros being eligible changes. It’s not just that he isn’t successful, he seems to be flat out obstinate about “playing the new game.” So this season we have the worst of all worlds, mid tier talent with bottom tier coaching.
In my mind he doesn’t know how to Coach the high end talent that he could get to the U of M, the flagship school in the state of Hockey, and he is no longer effectively recruiting high end talent. not because the U doesn’t have the resources, but because he refuses to play by the new rules.
but, prove me wrong Motztko. I don’t expect you to win any of the next six games, so winning even one would be a pleseant surprise. Win 3, and I will reassess my opinion, which is….
he needs to go.
This season has been a disappointment to be sure but saying that he and his coaching staff don’t know how to recruit after the run they went on this past August is ridiculous. Also, yes the Gophers should have won that national championship game but we seem to always forget that there was another team out on the ice that night as well. An older very solid team that is exactly the kind of team that wins that kind of tournament. But I agree with you on the disappointing end to last season.
Do you not think they’ll be better than John Mittelstadt right away? He has 0 goals and 3 assists but regardless I’m looking at the forward group as a whole. Lamb and John Mittelstadt have a combined 9-13-22pts right now. Between Cullen and Kvasnicka and all the other forwards taking a step forward they will easily surpass those 22pts, do you disagree?
One of those two current players is scoring at just under a point-per-game clip and leads both our special teams, don’t be disingenuous here; if Cullen and Kvasnicka can put up a combined 1.0 ppg and make our PP look respectable, great, but that’s still a pretty high set of expectations for two freshmen
Do you not think they’ll be better than John Mittelstadt right away? He has 0 goals and 3 assists but regardless I’m looking at the forward group as a whole. Lamb and John Mittelstadt have a combined 9-13-22pts right now. Between Cullen and Kvasnicka and all the other forwards taking a step forward they will easily surpass those 22pts, do you disagree?
One of those two current players is scoring at just under a point-per-game clip and leads both our special teams, don’t be disingenuous here; if Cullen and Kvasnicka can put up a combined 1.0 ppg and make our PP look respectable, great, but that’s still a pretty high set of expectations for two freshmen
Lol yeah, not sure why Lamb is lumped in with J Mitt. I mean I could see if you said Falloon or Pahlsson for point production wise purposes. Hell even then, both those guys scored at pretty good clips in their last year of juniors before coming here.
Talk about a teaser... @eric-vegoe ends the GPL Overtime podcast last night saying "The scoop is what people are saying off the record".
Assume it has to do with Motzko. But I could be wrong.
Talk about a teaser... @eric-vegoe ends the GPL Overtime podcast last night saying "The scoop is what people are saying off the record".
Assume it has to do with Motzko. But I could be wrong.
You assume or you hope? Haha
@rau4skiumah2-0 when you say the recruiting he did last season, what are you refering to? That he was able to fill the vacancies?
I am looking at him being out recruited by literally 1/2 of the B1G. Mich, Mich St, PSU, Wisconsin all had better recruiting + portals + Canadian professionals.
Out side of maybe moony, I just don’t see that he got anyone the caliber of Knies, Snuggy, Cooley, LaComb, Faber, Moore, Rinzell, Wood, etc, etc…
Has he ever had a roster with so little talent? by his own standards he is getting worse at recruiting high end talent. And we certainly don’t have a roster that competes I. The top 1/2 of the B1G.
also, why the hell does UMD or North Dakota get anything but our scraps, we are the flag ship university and you aren’t going to convince me that UMD or North Dako have more NIL money. So what’s the deal there?
@coach-kline
He’s referring to the 2027 class with Casey, Conboy, Cullen, Harper, Geiger, McArthur, Jarvis.
It’s a great class but obviously they’re no help this season.
@coach-kline
He’s referring to the 2027 class with Casey, Conboy, Cullen, Harper, Geiger, McArthur, Jarvis.
It’s a great class but obviously they’re no help this season.
that clarifies things. Thanks.
now I need to look them up and see if I need to change my opinion.
@rau4skiumah2-0 when you say the recruiting he did last season, what are you refering to? That he was able to fill the vacancies?
I am looking at him being out recruited by literally 1/2 of the B1G. Mich, Mich St, PSU, Wisconsin all had better recruiting + portals + Canadian professionals.
Out side of maybe moony, I just don’t see that he got anyone the caliber of Knies, Snuggy, Cooley, LaComb, Faber, Moore, Rinzell, Wood, etc, etc…
Has he ever had a roster with so little talent? by his own standards he is getting worse at recruiting high end talent. And we certainly don’t have a roster that competes I. The top 1/2 of the B1G.
also, why the hell does UMD or North Dakota get anything but our scraps, we are the flag ship university and you aren’t going to convince me that UMD or North Dako have more NIL money. So what’s the deal there?
i have such a hard time with this post because I have no idea if you don't watch any college hockey, or where you're coming to this from as to what college hockey is right now because you're talking about it out of both sides of your mouth
Do you want to get older and heavier (Wisconsin) and play tight checking, low scoring hockey that works pretty well, but is boring to watch? There are many MN fans who would be irate at this. Wisconsins FR guys are: 21, almost 21, 20, 20, 20 will turn 20 in 2 weeks, and 19. They took one guy from Duluth in the portal (Dubinsky). The rest are leftovers from when Hastings came there originally. They recruit old checkers, same as they did at Kato. Their incoming class has 1 draft pick with likely 1 more (Zajic). They are doing well this year because they have 10 upperclassmen and their only "contributing"/scoring underclassmen are Morrissey who's almost 23 and Tulk who's about to turn 21.
Comparing to Mich, MSU, and PSU, I agree with you fully as this is the "style" of recruit we have targeted. If you listened to Bob at all, he told everyone this was coming with MN talent being quite down. Luckily, he has the top ranked MN kid for the next draft class (Cullen) committed. The others that everyone was clamoring for in that class are distantly behind him in the Central Scouting rankings.
You're seeing what that transition to getting older and heavier looks like, which is what Bob said we needed to do because we get tighter checked in the postseason. You need that older core of guys who hit and play solid back to front hockey to mix with the "star" type players (its the same type of way we won our titles in 02 and 03) or you need your best players to be that crop of older guys at that point in their career. There's a reason we've haven't seen the most "talented" team win it all since what, 2017 or 2016?
on your comments on UND and UMD, they're 2 separate things imo. UND is one of the most historically blue blood college hockey programs of all time and are #5 in wins and #3 in titles and they place a ton of guys into the NHL while historically recruiting Canada really well. There are 2 drafted MN kids playing at UND, Zellers who's parents went to UND and Laurila who's from Moorhead (which I'll get to when discussing UMD). I would assume one who follows college hockey at all would know this, hence why this post is confusing.
As far as UMD, their roster is littered with the 218 area code kids who have felt for years overlooked by the Gophers. They have 5 drafted MN kids, 3 from Hermantown and 1 from Warroad. I grew up up there and northern MN is far heavier UND and UMD fans than they are Gopher fans. As someone from up there, its frustrating we don't recruit there at all effectively, because they are exactly the type of lunch pail older guys coming in older that play that style growing up. The "we're the flagship, we should get whatever we want" concept is exactly why we don't recruit well there because its exactly the type of places that don't take kindly that you only come say hi when you want something from them (I say this with love of being from there, but happy I don't still live there lol).
There could be a very long discussion regarding why our fortunes are so tied to the ebbs and flows of how MN is doing each year and if that is how things should be going forward. Again things I would expect someone following Gopher hockey to know but I have no idea where you're coming at this from with the Q regarding ND and UMD. There are a bunch of purists in this state who only want MN players on the roster and view that as the "Pride on Ice" that it is as close to all MN as you can get. I'm not going to sit here and belabor this point, but you put that in play for decades of being MN only and you're going to have a real hard time just walking up to CHL kids and convincing them to come play there when you don't have relationships with the coaches, local scouts/trainers, etc. and it is a massive portion of why this school needs a GM for the program who can be out there doing exactly that.
On your comment of talent above, just a couple random points but you're listing guys who are 1st-2nd round players with the 2 second rounders being guys who developed while they were here. People thought Lacombe was meh when he played his FR year with tons of mistakes. Ditto on Knies when he committed. People forget about all the guys who are similar in terms of hype but just never hit that mark, even when highly drafted (Tristan Broz for example speaking of Knies; really solid college player who maybe will scratch through and hit the NHL someday, but even 2nd rounders end up being a crap shoot).
You're 100% right there's not "first round" talent on this team. Mooney has fun skills but is a small guy. It's a tough path but he's put up as many points as 1st rounder Ryker Lee at MSU. The league has gotten way tougher in that regard for your highly drafted guys unless you're truly special with only Martone of the high tier drafted Fr to be in the top 50 in scoring. That's why I get in part why Bob is saying we need to get older. I fucking hate sucking this year, but when you only have 6 upperclassmen skaters with them all being tail end of the draft in terms of talent guys, you're going to have a transition period because we have no class balance. That's on Bob for not going to the portal more heavily to balance classes, but it sounds like we didn't have the NIL to compete with Michigan and BU grabbing the highest end guys. Still thought we could've done better, but its not as simple as you get them in and they all work out.
@coach-kline
He’s referring to the 2027 class with Casey, Conboy, Cullen, Harper, Geiger, McArthur, Jarvis.
It’s a great class but obviously they’re no help this season.
that clarifies things. Thanks.
now I need to look them up and see if I need to change my opinion.
on paper that class looks much better. Cullen the gem of the group in Central Scouting rankings and he's finally healthy again hwich is great. Harper also seems to really be producing well. The rest are a little too far out but all in the 4 star range with a couple 3 stars. Geiger and McArthurs numbers are going to look bad because the U17 team once again looks so so on paper.
Honestly the forward group to me looks like a typical rebuild. The talent is there but they’re just too young and inexperienced at the moment. I don’t have a ton of worries there.
The d core is where I get a little queasy. Not sure the talent level is where it should be, and while there are reinforcements on the way, we can’t afford another year of this in 2026-27.
I like where we’re at in net with LDP and Casey waiting in the wings.
Not completely the point of this discussion but I agree on that I wish we were better about recruiting from all across the state like we used to. It’s gotten better under Bob. The last years of the Lucia era felt like he and his staff didn’t know that there were hockey players outside of the SW metro. I could go on about this for hours but it’s another reason I think some apathy fell upon the program in the mid 2010s. But anyway, I still would like to see more out state players come play for the Gophs. It’s fun to see guys like Huglen and McLaughlin from the 218 or Nelson and Lamb from the southern end of the state. Also another aspect of this most recent recruiting class that I liked. They got guys from all over.
Do you not think they’ll be better than John Mittelstadt right away? He has 0 goals and 3 assists but regardless I’m looking at the forward group as a whole. Lamb and John Mittelstadt have a combined 9-13-22pts right now. Between Cullen and Kvasnicka and all the other forwards taking a step forward they will easily surpass those 22pts, do you disagree?
One of those two current players is scoring at just under a point-per-game clip and leads both our special teams, don’t be disingenuous here; if Cullen and Kvasnicka can put up a combined 1.0 ppg and make our PP look respectable, great, but that’s still a pretty high set of expectations for two freshmen
You’re being disingenuous I said between Cullen, Kvasnicka and ALL other forwards collectively can make up for the loss of those 22 pts. I already said I’m looking at the forward group as a whole. I’m not expecting freshmen to directly replace a senior but regardless Mooney and Javon Moore have a combined 28pts in 21 games right now. So yeah I think Cullen one of the best players in the country for his age group and Kvasnicka who’s scoring 1.4 ppg and leading his team have the potential to make up the loss of Lamb and Mittelstadt’s 22pts. I don’t care if Bob gets fired tomorrow. The defensive corps is bad. The goalies are bad. Having only one right shot defenseman is stupid but I believe once the forward core of Ziemer, Mooney, Moe, Moore, Hendrickson become upperclassman add Cullen and Kvasnicka and hopefully Fitzhenry and Schneider down the road can be very good. All these guys have more potential than Lamb on paper I’m not saying they all are right now but Lamb is not very good he’s just the only senior forward in the top 9.
I remember people ripping Lacombe and kinda just laughing to myself because I could see the upside with him. He sometimes tried to do a little too much as a freshman and it was a bit ugly at time (that 9-3 loss or whatever it was to North Dakota where he committed some egregious turnovers) but he was also someone who had the confidence to try things like that knowing full well he’d get teamed out by his coach if it didn’t work. And lo and behold 2 years later he’s hitting Cooley on super crisp stretch passes for breakaways. Sometimes you just gotta let guys like that develop rather than bench them for mistakes.@rau4skiumah2-0 when you say the recruiting he did last season, what are you refering to? That he was able to fill the vacancies?
I am looking at him being out recruited by literally 1/2 of the B1G. Mich, Mich St, PSU, Wisconsin all had better recruiting + portals + Canadian professionals.
Out side of maybe moony, I just don’t see that he got anyone the caliber of Knies, Snuggy, Cooley, LaComb, Faber, Moore, Rinzell, Wood, etc, etc…
Has he ever had a roster with so little talent? by his own standards he is getting worse at recruiting high end talent. And we certainly don’t have a roster that competes I. The top 1/2 of the B1G.
also, why the hell does UMD or North Dakota get anything but our scraps, we are the flag ship university and you aren’t going to convince me that UMD or North Dako have more NIL money. So what’s the deal there?
People thought Lacombe was meh when he played his FR year with tons of
Anyhow you raise a lot of good points in that post and as rough as this year is to watch I can kinda understand what Motzko is trying to do. Lucia had recruited Nelson and he was a super late bloomer who got a fifth year but he was a menace as a senior/5th year guy. Same with Brodzinski who got brought in a year earlier than they hoped. You need some guys like that as your plan B attack to supplement the star players when the refs swallow their whistles late in the year.
i have such a hard time with this post because I have no idea if you don't watch any college hockey, or where you're coming to this from as to what college hockey is right now because you're talking about it out of both sides of your mouth……
You're seeing what that transition to getting older and heavier looks like, which is what Bob said we needed to do because we get tighter checked in the postseason. You need that older core of guys who hit and play solid back to front hockey to mix with the "star" type players (its the same type of way we won our titles in 02 and 03) or you need your best players to be that crop of older guys at that point in their career. There's a reason we've haven't seen the most "talented" team win it all since what, 2017 or 2016? ……
on your comments on UND and UMD, they're 2 separate things imo. UND is one of the most historically blue blood college hockey programs of all time and are #5 in wins and #3 in titles and they place a ton of guys into the NHL while historically recruiting Canada really well.
I can see why it might sound like I’m talking out of both sides of my mouth by grouping teams with different identities. My point is simpler: regardless of identity, those teams recruited better than we did. They recruited to their identity and got players who fit their system. Every team I mentioned did that.
NIL, the portal, and expanded access to experienced players make a complete turnaround possible in a single season. Look at college football and Indiana. Cignetti took a bottom-dweller to the College Football Playoff in year one and the championship in year two by aggressively using the portal to bring in older, ready-made players. The portal lets you get the players you want immediately. If that’s the model, the obvious question is why Bob didn’t do the same?
This also shows why “blue bloods” don’t really exist anymore. Programs don’t win recruits on reputation; they win them with NIL. Texas Tech and Ole Miss make the same point from a different angle—both are perennial bottom feeders, yet both made it to the playoffs because they have huge NIL budgets. The Ohio State–Indiana comparison makes this clear. Ohio State has the first choice of players, not because it’s a blue blood, but because it operates with roughly a $35M NIL budget compared to Indiana’s ~$3M. That gap shows up in NFL-caliber talent—Ohio State’s roster is stacked with it—though elite players alone still don’t guarantee the best team. NIL buys access to better players, not automatic success.
That same logic applies to college hockey. Between NIL, the portal, and expanded eligibility for Canadian major junior and other pro-adjacent players, the landscape has fundamentally changed. We have a clear NIL advantage over UMD, UND, and likely Wisconsin, even if we can’t consistently match Michigan, Boston University, or Boston College. Head-to-head, there’s no reason we should be losing recruits to UMD or UND when we control the resource advantage. If Bob is going for the best talent angle, as he has in the past, we should lose very few, if any, recruits to these schools.
The biggest issue I see with Bob is his resistance to fully engaging the portal, NIL, and these expanded player pools, even though the department is trying to support him. Bob is worse than Ryan Day (OhSt football coach) in his adaptation to the changing landscape.. Whatever identity he wants—Wisconsin-like, Michigan-like, or something else—the players to build it were available before the season. He just didn't get them.
We need a coach who embraces NIL, the portal, and the new eligibility realities, gets ahead of the curve, and learns how to win in this environment. Complaining about the changes isn’t a strategy. If he wants an older team, those players are right there. He needs to adapt and go get them.
Regardless of the reason, disengaged is the only way to describe the team at the end of the last season. Disengaged players don’t stick around, so when they all bolted it wasn’t a surprise to me. The fact that it was a surprise to Motzko is inexcusable.
I think this is an important point to make. Motzko mentioned again on his radio show this week that he thought Rinzel would be back as a junior. I think most fans felt he was gone the second the season was over. How can the coach have his head buried in the sand? None of these departures should have been shocking. Kurth had graduated, so even his departure shouldn't have been a surprise.
Regardless of the reason, disengaged is the only way to describe the team at the end of the last season. Disengaged players don’t stick around, so when they all bolted it wasn’t a surprise to me. The fact that it was a surprise to Motzko is inexcusable.
I think this is an important point to make. Motzko mentioned again on his radio show this week that he thought Rinzel would be back as a junior. I think most fans felt he was gone the second the season was over. How can the coach have his head buried in the sand? None of these departures should have been shocking. Kurth had graduated, so even his departure shouldn't have been a surprise.
I actually think this is another example of Bob still operating under the old rules. In the current landscape, any player can leave at any time for any reason—not just for the NHL. The idea that only projected NHL starters are at risk of leaving is outdated. That seems to be the framework Bob is still using.
One of PJ Fleck’s strengths is his understanding of this reality. He knows where all 85 of his players’ heads are at, he stays in constant communication with players, families, and agents, and inserts himself directly into those conversations. When a player like Bucky Irving left, Fleck knew before Oregon did—and he also recognized it was the right move, since Oregon could offer life-changing money Minnesota couldn’t match. Similarly, before Koi Perich even entered the portal, Fleck knew his decision and was already reallocating the NIL dollars earmarked for him toward the program’s highest needs. Fleck picked up 19 experienced players in the transfer portal, compared to 22 high school seniors/ incoming freshmen.
Regardless of the reason, disengaged is the only way to describe the team at the end of the last season. Disengaged players don’t stick around, so when they all bolted it wasn’t a surprise to me. The fact that it was a surprise to Motzko is inexcusable.
I think this is an important point to make. Motzko mentioned again on his radio show this week that he thought Rinzel would be back as a junior. I think most fans felt he was gone the second the season was over. How can the coach have his head buried in the sand? None of these departures should have been shocking. Kurth had graduated, so even his departure shouldn't have been a surprise.
yep, I recall at the halfway mark last year Rinzel was leading all NCAA defensemen in points and +/- by a healthy margin. That type of year means they’re planning to go, 99 times out of 100.
Maybe I'm in the minority but I don't get the obsession with these CHL players. I couldn't care less what league or nationality a player comes from but all things being equal who is more likely to stay an extra year? Do Faber, Lacombe, Johnson(Cali but legacy player), Snuggerud, Chesley and others stay 3 or 4 years if their from Saskatchewan? The 2 most recent underclassmen to leave early were both from out of state. It's not like the majority of these CHL players are coming in and dominating college hockey either. Of the top 20 in points per game right now 2 are from the CHL, 14 from the USHL and 6 are from the state of Minnesota. Superstar Gavin McKenna is 48th and of the 48 is dead last in +/- at -3. Cayden Lindstrom was taken 4th overall in his draft and has 4 points, yet people want the U to shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars to these unproven kids when you can find equal or better college players for free in your own back yard? People seem to judge other teams recruiting classes on hype but only judge gopher players in hindsight. Like yeah maybe Gruba and Pahlsson don't pan out but that doesn't change the fact that every team in the country were after them and Bob won the recruiting battle. People were losing their minds when Lutner and Trottier committed elsewhere but both are looking like they are going to be undrafted while Cullen and Harper could be first or second round picks. I'd take Kvasnicka, Cullen and Harper at this point as a whole over Berchild, Trottier and Lutner every day of the week.
I am way behind on reading this message board.
I get your point here. I don't think in most years the Gophers would need to rely on the CHL. That said, Bob's 2024 recruiting cycle was not good. Did we only get a commitment from Moe? And last year we lost so many players to either graduation or the pros. The roster was decimated. There is only so much you can do in the portal. There were some significant gaps to be quickly filled and I don't get the impression Bob ever considered recruiting the CHL.
There wasn't a lot of top end talent from the CHL, but I think we would all appreciate a few seasoned 21 year old players (4-6th round NHL picks) right now.
For the Top end recruits, Bob is doing great. I like this year's commitments and am hoping for a couple more (has Fitzhenry committed yet?). However, going forward I think Gopher coaches need to decide if they want to round out the roster with 1-2 players that are likely to be on campus at 19 years old to play on the 3/4 lines vs 21 year old players with an extra 150 games of CHL experience under their belt.
For reference, the teams above the Gophers in the standings chose the 21 year old players with an extra 150 games of CHL experience under their belt.
There wasn't a lot of top end talent from the CHL, but I think we would all appreciate a few seasoned 21 year old players (4-6th round NHL picks) right now........
However, going forward I think Gopher coaches need to decide if they want to round out the roster with 1-2 players that are likely to be on campus at 19 years old to play on the 3/4 lines vs 21 year old players with an extra 150 games of CHL experience under their belt.
For reference, the teams above the Gophers in the standings chose the 21 year old players with an extra 150 games of CHL experience under their belt.
I think this is the key issue, but it’s important to be realistic: true top-end talent doesn’t stick around until age 21. Those players leave early for the NHL. Waiting for “top-end” 21-year-old college players is a fool’s errand.
Bob just needs to get the best available, and I think that was the point of your last comment, the teams that are ranked ahead of us did.
Where Bob deserves credit is in poaching Tanner Ludtke from Minnesota State. Ludtke was a good player for MSU, and they were upset that he left. Bob needs to do much more of that—actively raiding programs like UMD and North Dakota for their top talent, lure those players into the portal with NIL$, and bring them to Minnesota. If we don't Michiagan. Michigan State, and the Boston teams will.
Where Bob deserves credit is in poaching Tanner Ludtke from Minnesota State. Ludtke was a good player for MSU, and they were upset that he left. Bob needs to do much more of that—actively raiding programs like UMD and North Dakota
(1) he was at Omaha; Pritchard, his old teammate at Lakeville South, was the guy Bob stole from Mankato
(2) I agree that Bob should’ve had us in the running for Sacha Boisvert and Jayden Perron in the UND post-Berry exodus, especially with Wood’s recent success to point to. That being said, its always going to be a bit harder for us to get a good haul in the portal every single year when much of the annual ECAC/AHA reshuffling is gonna be guys who have no ties or particular draw to Minnesota. So maybe moving forward the program needs to expand its brand into a more nationally oriented, location-agnostic one for elite players if that’s what it really takes to stay competitive
Where Bob deserves credit is in poaching Tanner Ludtke from Minnesota State. Ludtke was a good player for MSU, and they were upset that he left. Bob needs to do much more of that—actively raiding programs like UMD and North Dakota
(1) he was at Omaha; Pritchard, his old teammate at Lakeville South, was the guy Bob stole from Mankato
(2) I agree that Bob should’ve had us in the running for Sacha Boisvert and Jayden Perron in the UND post-Berry exodus, especially with Wood’s recent success to point to. That being said, its always going to be a bit harder for us to get a good haul in the portal every single year when much of the annual ECAC/AHA reshuffling is gonna be guys who have no ties or particular draw to Minnesota. So maybe moving forward the program needs to expand its brand into a more nationally oriented, location-agnostic one for elite players if that’s what it really takes to stay competitive
boisvert and Perron were both committed prior to even entering the portal if you ask und fans. And if you ask und fans, they’ve felt both were addition by subtraction. Obviously much of that is bitterness, but before they were even listed as in the portal, there was lots of info they were committed to Michigan and BU
Where Bob deserves credit is in poaching Tanner Ludtke from Minnesota State. Ludtke was a good player for MSU, and they were upset that he left. Bob needs to do much more of that—actively raiding programs like UMD and North Dakota
(1) he was at Omaha; Pritchard, his old teammate at Lakeville South, was the guy Bob stole from Mankato
(2) I agree that Bob should’ve had us in the running for Sacha Boisvert and Jayden Perron in the UND post-Berry exodus, especially with Wood’s recent success to point to. That being said, its always going to be a bit harder for us to get a good haul in the portal every single year when much of the annual ECAC/AHA reshuffling is gonna be guys who have no ties or particular draw to Minnesota. So maybe moving forward the program needs to expand its brand into a more nationally oriented, location-agnostic one for elite players if that’s what it really takes to stay competitive
boisvert and Perron were both committed prior to even entering the portal if you ask und fans. And if you ask und fans, they’ve felt both were addition by subtraction. Obviously much of that is bitterness, but before they were even listed as in the portal, there was lots of info they were committed to Michigan and BU
maybe that’s the case, but how much of those 2 being pre-committed can be attributed to Michigan and BU simply being more proactive with the portal? Perron and his new team both seem to be doing alright, and meanwhile Boisvert has hardly played at full health during BU’s implosion. Doesn’t seem to be any indication Boisvert is a locker room cancer or anything. Michigan is just a black box to me as Naurato doesn’t seem to really do anything in his job other than telling high end talent guys they can come and do whatever the hell they want for a year or two.
I personally don't think there are enough quality players in the portal to ignore the CHL.There wasn't a lot of top end talent from the CHL, but I think we would all appreciate a few seasoned 21 year old players (4-6th round NHL picks) right now........
However, going forward I think Gopher coaches need to decide if they want to round out the roster with 1-2 players that are likely to be on campus at 19 years old to play on the 3/4 lines vs 21 year old players with an extra 150 games of CHL experience under their belt.
For reference, the teams above the Gophers in the standings chose the 21 year old players with an extra 150 games of CHL experience under their belt.
I think this is the key issue, but it’s important to be realistic: true top-end talent doesn’t stick around until age 21. Those players leave early for the NHL. Waiting for “top-end” 21-year-old college players is a fool’s errand.
Bob just needs to get the best available, and I think that was the point of your last comment, the teams that are ranked ahead of us did.
Where Bob deserves credit is in poaching Tanner Ludtke from Minnesota State. Ludtke was a good player for MSU, and they were upset that he left. Bob needs to do much more of that—actively raiding programs like UMD and North Dakota for their top talent, lure those players into the portal with NIL$, and bring them to Minnesota. If we don't Michiagan. Michigan State, and the Boston teams will.
Nothing against Raboin but I see he's got 5 guys on his roster born in 2001. Makes Mankato look young lol. I don't know if that's by necessity or by choice.I believe in Motzko as a coach. I do think with the changing landscape having a GM would be a good call. Would love to see us make that move this offseason. Tony Gasparini and Motzko are close so he could make sense.
For when Motzko retires I am all-in for Raboin.
Thanks for the correction on Ludket and Pritchard.
I would like to see us go more national, certainly in years when Minnesota talent is down.
maybe that’s the case, but how much of those 2 being pre-committed can be attributed to Michigan and BU simply being more proactive with the portal? Perron and his new team both seem to be doing alright, and meanwhile Boisvert has hardly played at full health during BU’s implosion. Doesn’t seem to be any indication Boisvert is a locker room cancer or anything. Michigan is just a black box to me as Naurato doesn’t seem to really do anything in his job other than telling high end talent guys they can come and do whatever the hell they want for a year or two.
In college football, programs routinely communicate with players through agents and line up NIL deals before they ever enter the portal, and players’ agents do the same when seeking better money or a better situation. If football operates this way, it’s hard to believe Michigan hockey doesn’t.
I’m not saying that’s what happened here, but it absolutely does happen.
Naurato builds a thug culture.
I can't lie, I am expecting a rough game tonight. Yet my lovely bride and I will be at the game, cheering on our boys!
Go Gophers!!!!
Nothing against Raboin but I see he's got 5 guys on his roster born in 2001. Makes Mankato look young lol. I don't know if that's by necessity or by choice.I believe in Motzko as a coach. I do think with the changing landscape having a GM would be a good call. Would love to see us make that move this offseason. Tony Gasparini and Motzko are close so he could make sense.
For when Motzko retires I am all-in for Raboin.
jeez, bingo nights put on by the nurses must be their go-to team building activity.
in all seriousness its gotta be necessity rather than preference. Augustana’s hockey program is what, 3.5 years old now? 2.5 years removed from independent status. No real draw for recruits other than, I guess, some nice new facilities popping up. It’s always gonna be a bit of a motley crew of misfits
Where Bob deserves credit is in poaching Tanner Ludtke from Minnesota State. Ludtke was a good player for MSU, and they were upset that he left. Bob needs to do much more of that—actively raiding programs like UMD and North Dakota
(1) he was at Omaha; Pritchard, his old teammate at Lakeville South, was the guy Bob stole from Mankato
(2) I agree that Bob should’ve had us in the running for Sacha Boisvert and Jayden Perron in the UND post-Berry exodus, especially with Wood’s recent success to point to. That being said, its always going to be a bit harder for us to get a good haul in the portal every single year when much of the annual ECAC/AHA reshuffling is gonna be guys who have no ties or particular draw to Minnesota. So maybe moving forward the program needs to expand its brand into a more nationally oriented, location-agnostic one for elite players if that’s what it really takes to stay competitive
boisvert and Perron were both committed prior to even entering the portal if you ask und fans. And if you ask und fans, they’ve felt both were addition by subtraction. Obviously much of that is bitterness, but before they were even listed as in the portal, there was lots of info they were committed to Michigan and BU
maybe that’s the case, but how much of those 2 being pre-committed can be attributed to Michigan and BU simply being more proactive with the portal? Perron and his new team both seem to be doing alright, and meanwhile Boisvert has hardly played at full health during BU’s implosion. Doesn’t seem to be any indication Boisvert is a locker room cancer or anything. Michigan is just a black box to me as Naurato doesn’t seem to really do anything in his job other than telling high end talent guys they can come and do whatever the hell they want for a year or two.
I mean one, it’s illegal to contact them with NIL offers prior to being in the portal so when someone enters and is a do not contact, it’s a little bit squirrelly imo for it to be remotely on the coach.
the Perron stuff is more stylistic. He never really fit und as he’s more a “defense optional” guy. Boisvert confused me ending up at und in the first place given he’s from Quebec but no idea the backstory there. Maybe more the “if he isn’t all in on being here, we don’t want him” kind of thing we have sometimes with our highly drafted guys who seem to have an eye on the nhl at times
More just noting what people have said about it up in my former neck of the woods
If I’m Bob:
1) Start contacting Max Burkholder’s agent immediately. Is it tampering? Who knows. Probably, but everyone’s doing it. Adapt or die.
2) Buy Gordon a second home in Edmonton so he can live at Edmonton Oil Kings games for Blake Fiddler.
If I’m Bob:
1) Start contacting Max Burkholder’s agent immediately. Is it tampering? Who knows. Probably, but everyone’s doing it. Adapt or die.
2) Buy Gordon a second home in Edmonton so he can live at Edmonton Oil Kings games for Blake Fiddler.
DTA certainly can as nothing is getting enforced. Bob has no NIL.
I’d tell whatever alumni I want right now that hey I need you to start working back channels with the chl and you’ll be on staff next year. Again it won’t get enforced but you need to get plugged in now before visits start getting set up post season
These games against Michigan and Michigan State are going to be very painful (and embarrassing), but showing the clear disparity in talent and speed is important in moving this program forward.
I think at a certain point even Bob himself realizes his time has come.
@maroon_and_gold quite a few fans booing when Bob got announced today. Cant be a fun spot to hear…
@maroon_and_gold quite a few fans booing when Bob got announced today. Cant be a fun spot to hear…
Thats been happening for awhile now.