Also I wonder how much hoopla is being made over this if West goes in the 2nd or 3rd round like he was projected to.
Does Chicago take him that high if the last tall, lanky, raw MN high school player they took late in the first round didn’t pan out as well as it did? (Rinzel)
these last two posts were way better put than I was able to do!
I’d push back on the idea that LaCombe and Rinzel were overlooked or quietly developed here. Both were already highly regarded prospects. LaCombe and Rinzel were first round draft picks, and their development at Minnesota was strong but followed the trajectory they were already on. That reflects the strength of the Minnesota hockey system more than any under the radar recruiting success.
It is a feather in the cap for Bob that players like Knies and Cooley chose Minnesota, and there is value in that. But those were obvious targets and elite prospects that any top program would have pursued and it’s great we got them! The question is whether we are identifying and developing players who were not already on everyone’s radar. Programs like Denver, Maine Western Michigan etc seem to get an edge by finding those types of players and building them into impact contributors.
Another concern is retention. If our development track were viewed as truly exceptional, you would expect players, agents and NHL teams to support staying longer. Instead, it frequently feels like players leave as soon as they are able. Yes it happens at other programs as well but seems more prolific here. Nobody faults someone for heading to the NHL, but players like Kurth, Chesley and possibly O Moore could have benefited from another season, yet still appeared eager to move on.
The broader question is whether Minnesota is effectively blending elite talent with sharp evaluation and real developmental depth. If we can combine high-end prospects with some diamond in the rough recruiting, and keep those players long enough to maximize that development, it may be the step needed to elevate the program to its full potential a la early 2000’s.
Wasnt Lacombe recruited when he was playing forward for Shattuck and was still tiny? At the time that Lacombe, Rinzel and Knies each committed they were not considered NHLers if I remember correctly. Their stock increased after that. Even the year leading before Knies got here, there were a lot of questions about his skating. Going after Cooley was a no brainer.
That recruiting stretch was one elite and deserves credit. Although, how much do we have to give credit to Raboin? I bet he had a huge hand in some of those recruiting wins.
I’d push back on the idea that LaCombe and Rinzel were overlooked or quietly developed here. Both were already highly regarded prospects. LaCombe and Rinzel were first round draft picks, and their development at Minnesota was strong but followed the trajectory they were already on. That reflects the strength of the Minnesota hockey system more than any under the radar recruiting success.
It is a feather in the cap for Bob that players like Knies and Cooley chose Minnesota, and there is value in that. But those were obvious targets and elite prospects that any top program would have pursued and it’s great we got them! The question is whether we are identifying and developing players who were not already on everyone’s radar. Programs like Denver, Maine Western Michigan etc seem to get an edge by finding those types of players and building them into impact contributors.
Another concern is retention. If our development track were viewed as truly exceptional, you would expect players, agents and NHL teams to support staying longer. Instead, it frequently feels like players leave as soon as they are able. Yes it happens at other programs as well but seems more prolific here. Nobody faults someone for heading to the NHL, but players like Kurth, Chesley and possibly O Moore could have benefited from another season, yet still appeared eager to move on.
The broader question is whether Minnesota is effectively blending elite talent with sharp evaluation and real developmental depth. If we can combine high-end prospects with some diamond in the rough recruiting, and keep those players long enough to maximize that development, it may be the step needed to elevate the program to its full potential a la early 2000’s.
Wasnt Lacombe recruited when he was playing forward for Shattuck and was still tiny? At the time that Lacombe, Rinzel and Knies each committed they were not considered NHLers if I remember correctly. Their stock increased after that. Even the year leading before Knies got here, there were a lot of questions about his skating. Going after Cooley was a no brainer.
That recruiting stretch was one elite and deserves credit. Although, how much do we have to give credit to Raboin? I bet he had a huge hand in some of those recruiting wins.
Lacombe was not a major recruit from what I recall, though I am sure good programs were intrigued. Rinzel and Knies were the classic high upside plays though those do not always pan out, obviously.
Good point on Raboin. Have to give him credit during that run.
I think the thing that is kind of annoying but also is just one of things that just is what it is, is that with West going on Chiclets and just saying that “he never really heard from Minnesota” and nothing more is now we’ll never know what happened or why he didn’t hear much from Motzko and everyone is assuming the worst. Yet another thing that Bob has to have hanging over his head even if there was, and I’m guessing there was, a reason why the U didn’t reach out to Mason. But Bob is a professional and a head coach in his 60s so he’s not going to go bad mouth a kid. What I mean is we’ll zilch or next to it from Motzko/the U and probably very little more from the West camp. Which to be fair to West, he didn’t bring it up or bad mouth the Gophers. He was asked and gave a quick, polite answer and quickly moved on to the positives about why he said yes to Michigan State. But still, it’s just this vague answer that everyone and their mother is running with and assuming the worst. This notion that Bob can’t recruit was pretty much out to bed this last August. But West is back in the news so so is this story. There are criticisms to be had of Motzko and his staff, but for the most part I don’t think recruiting, player development, and player retention is one of them. Like someone else pointed out, got an extra year or two from players like Knies, Faber, Snuggerud, LaCombe, Johnson, and at one point Cooley. Also plenty of alumni have talked about how much they enjoyed playing for him and how much he and his staff helped grow their game. So I’m sorry, but that criticism I don’t really buy.
I’d push back on the idea that LaCombe and Rinzel were overlooked or quietly developed here. Both were already highly regarded prospects. LaCombe and Rinzel were first round draft picks, and their development at Minnesota was strong but followed the trajectory they were already on. That reflects the strength of the Minnesota hockey system more than any under the radar recruiting success.
It is a feather in the cap for Bob that players like Knies and Cooley chose Minnesota, and there is value in that. But those were obvious targets and elite prospects that any top program would have pursued and it’s great we got them! The question is whether we are identifying and developing players who were not already on everyone’s radar. Programs like Denver, Maine Western Michigan etc seem to get an edge by finding those types of players and building them into impact contributors.
Another concern is retention. If our development track were viewed as truly exceptional, you would expect players, agents and NHL teams to support staying longer. Instead, it frequently feels like players leave as soon as they are able. Yes it happens at other programs as well but seems more prolific here. Nobody faults someone for heading to the NHL, but players like Kurth, Chesley and possibly O Moore could have benefited from another season, yet still appeared eager to move on.
The broader question is whether Minnesota is effectively blending elite talent with sharp evaluation and real developmental depth. If we can combine high-end prospects with some diamond in the rough recruiting, and keep those players long enough to maximize that development, it may be the step needed to elevate the program to its full potential a la early 2000’s.
On your first two paragraphs, when LaCombe, Rinzel and Knies were recruited they were not seen as the superstars we’ve come to see them as now, which was my point.
I’d push back on the idea that LaCombe and Rinzel were overlooked or quietly developed here. Both were already highly regarded prospects. LaCombe and Rinzel were first round draft picks, and their development at Minnesota was strong but followed the trajectory they were already on. That reflects the strength of the Minnesota hockey system more than any under the radar recruiting success.
It is a feather in the cap for Bob that players like Knies and Cooley chose Minnesota, and there is value in that. But those were obvious targets and elite prospects that any top program would have pursued and it’s great we got them! The question is whether we are identifying and developing players who were not already on everyone’s radar. Programs like Denver, Maine Western Michigan etc seem to get an edge by finding those types of players and building them into impact contributors.
Another concern is retention. If our development track were viewed as truly exceptional, you would expect players, agents and NHL teams to support staying longer. Instead, it frequently feels like players leave as soon as they are able. Yes it happens at other programs as well but seems more prolific here. Nobody faults someone for heading to the NHL, but players like Kurth, Chesley and possibly O Moore could have benefited from another season, yet still appeared eager to move on.
The broader question is whether Minnesota is effectively blending elite talent with sharp evaluation and real developmental depth. If we can combine high-end prospects with some diamond in the rough recruiting, and keep those players long enough to maximize that development, it may be the step needed to elevate the program to its full potential a la early 2000’s.
Wasnt Lacombe recruited when he was playing forward for Shattuck and was still tiny? At the time that Lacombe, Rinzel and Knies each committed they were not considered NHLers if I remember correctly. Their stock increased after that. Even the year leading before Knies got here, there were a lot of questions about his skating. Going after Cooley was a no brainer.
That recruiting stretch was one elite and deserves credit. Although, how much do we have to give credit to Raboin? I bet he had a huge hand in some of those recruiting wins.
I think a lot of people confuse in their memory (which I have almost none of, it feels like) the difference in how a kid is viewed at the time he is recruited, typically as a 16yo, versus what the projection was coming into the program at 18yo or older. Every coach has examples of kids who looked like sure things that plateaued, or guys they passed on who excelled as they approached entering college. I assume that a fan will be more aware of the misses their coach had than how many misses an opposing coach had. So it would be tough to judge. Seems like Bob has done pretty well this summer.
Not sure why so many people (mostly on Twitter) think we were after Zimmerman. No way he was offered by any big dogs. Mankato is a great spot for him.
He is obviously a quality player but I think he got a bit overhyped based on being an older player at his level for several years. Should carve out a nice role with MSU.
One thing I think Bob has done a great job with is getting an extra year out of players who are headed towards pro hockey. The players already mentioned above, but also Faber, Knies, Meyers, Rinzel. It seemed like the trend was for players to leave a year too early, but Bob managed to get a lot of these guys to stick around or at least another year or two.
think he finished with 1G 2A (the announcer was challenging to follow). Pretty impressive how he just controls the puck and play. Could’ve had a boatload more assists if Moorhead could’ve finished tonight
think he finished with 1G 2A (the announcer was challenging to follow). Pretty impressive how he just controls the puck and play. Could’ve had a boatload more assists if Moorhead could’ve finished tonight
If they played him with Zimmerman and Bergeson he’d put up 100 points as a sophomore
Brayden Willis, who’s currently leading the ntdp u17 team in points posted a photo of him in a gopher jersey as a kid. Anyone know if he has any ties to the U? Late birthday so not eligible to commit yet I don’t think.
Brayden Willis, who’s currently leading the ntdp u17 team in points posted a photo of him in a gopher jersey as a kid. Anyone know if he has any ties to the U? Late birthday so not eligible to commit yet I don’t think.
I just looked at his NTDP profile to see if there was any information that indicated that. Didn't find anything, but his dad's name is Bruce Willis so there's that. Also he's a Vikings fan.
Brayden Willis, who’s currently leading the ntdp u17 team in points posted a photo of him in a gopher jersey as a kid. Anyone know if he has any ties to the U? Late birthday so not eligible to commit yet I don’t think.
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I just looked at his NTDP profile to see if there was any information that indicated that. Didn't find anything, but his dad's name is Bruce Willis so there's that. Also he's a Vikings fan.
Unfortunate, but I wouldn't hold that against him.
Tact is the ability to step on a man's toes without messing up the shine on his shoes - Harry S Truman
Okay, looks like his dad is from Hibbing and played in the USHL before going to the green guys to play baseball. There's no baseball rivalry between the schools so he might not have negative feelings toward the Gophers. https://fightinghawks.com/sports/general/roster/b-j--willis/7935
Jan 1 recruiting window opens soon. Joey Cullen is the obvious target everyone will be going after but we have the inside track on. Other than him, I’d keep an eye on:
Brayden Willis - F (NTDP). Arizonan, but has ties to Minnesota.
Nash Roed - F (White Bear Lake)
Henry Buttweiler - F (Moorhead)
Henry Meier - F (Shattuck St. Mary’s) Neal Broten’s grandson
Jonny Bloedow - F (Cretin-Derham Hall)
Cole Swanson - F (Hibbing)
For Dmen, it’s probably the deepest talent pool I can remember in a while in terms of MN players. A quite extensive list of notable guys:
Luke Christopherson (Portland WHL, originally Two Rivers HS)
Beck Thoreson (Moorhead/NTDP)
Easton Dozark (Moorhead)
Tony Timmerman (Oshawa OHL)
Jack Hair (Little Caesar’s, originally Edina)
Becker Wenkus (Edina)
Liam Brooks (Duluth East)
and that’s leaving off some real good players. Like I said, Joey Cullen is the real catch of this class though. Won’t take him for granted til he’s on campus. Every program in the country, including those with deep pockets, will be after him.
Jan 1 recruiting window opens soon. Joey Cullen is the obvious target everyone will be going after but we have the inside track on. Other than him, I’d keep an eye on:
Brayden Willis - F (NTDP). Arizonan, but has ties to Minnesota.
Nash Roed - F (White Bear Lake)
Henry Buttweiler - F (Moorhead)
Henry Meier - F (Shattuck St. Mary’s) Neal Broten’s grandson
Jonny Bloedow - F (Cretin-Derham Hall)
Cole Swanson - F (Hibbing)
For Dmen, it’s probably the deepest talent pool I can remember in a while in terms of MN players. A quite extensive list of notable guys:
Luke Christopherson (Portland WHL, originally Two Rivers HS)
Beck Thoreson (Moorhead/NTDP)
Easton Dozark (Moorhead)
Tony Timmerman (Oshawa OHL)
Jack Hair (Little Caesar’s, originally Edina)
Becker Wenkus (Edina)
Liam Brooks (Duluth East)
and that’s leaving off some real good players. Like I said, Joey Cullen is the real catch of this class though. Won’t take him for granted til he’s on campus. Every program in the country, including those with deep pockets, will be after him.
would imagine the dollar part won’t matter given how well Matt has done for himself. Will be all about his personal development path, which is why I definitely won’t take it for granted until he’s on campus
Jan 1 recruiting window opens soon. Joey Cullen is the obvious target everyone will be going after but we have the inside track on. Other than him, I’d keep an eye on:
Brayden Willis - F (NTDP). Arizonan, but has ties to Minnesota.
Nash Roed - F (White Bear Lake)
Henry Buttweiler - F (Moorhead)
Henry Meier - F (Shattuck St. Mary’s) Neal Broten’s grandson
Jonny Bloedow - F (Cretin-Derham Hall)
Cole Swanson - F (Hibbing)
For Dmen, it’s probably the deepest talent pool I can remember in a while in terms of MN players. A quite extensive list of notable guys:
Luke Christopherson (Portland WHL, originally Two Rivers HS)
Beck Thoreson (Moorhead/NTDP)
Easton Dozark (Moorhead)
Tony Timmerman (Oshawa OHL)
Jack Hair (Little Caesar’s, originally Edina)
Becker Wenkus (Edina)
Liam Brooks (Duluth East)
and that’s leaving off some real good players. Like I said, Joey Cullen is the real catch of this class though. Won’t take him for granted til he’s on campus. Every program in the country, including those with deep pockets, will be after him.
Gonna go ahead and press the panic button right now.
It's well afternoon today and Joey Cullen hasn't committed.
Jan 1 recruiting window opens soon. Joey Cullen is the obvious target everyone will be going after but we have the inside track on. Other than him, I’d keep an eye on:
Brayden Willis - F (NTDP). Arizonan, but has ties to Minnesota.
Nash Roed - F (White Bear Lake)
Henry Buttweiler - F (Moorhead)
Henry Meier - F (Shattuck St. Mary’s) Neal Broten’s grandson
Jonny Bloedow - F (Cretin-Derham Hall)
Cole Swanson - F (Hibbing)
For Dmen, it’s probably the deepest talent pool I can remember in a while in terms of MN players. A quite extensive list of notable guys:
Luke Christopherson (Portland WHL, originally Two Rivers HS)
Beck Thoreson (Moorhead/NTDP)
Easton Dozark (Moorhead)
Tony Timmerman (Oshawa OHL)
Jack Hair (Little Caesar’s, originally Edina)
Becker Wenkus (Edina)
Liam Brooks (Duluth East)
and that’s leaving off some real good players. Like I said, Joey Cullen is the real catch of this class though. Won’t take him for granted til he’s on campus. Every program in the country, including those with deep pockets, will be after him.
Gonna go ahead and press the panic button right now.
It's well afternoon today and Joey Cullen hasn't committed.
Don’t know anyone following, but sounds like Joey Cullen broke his wrist so is going to be out for a bit
From a reliable source (I know):
“Joey C from Moorhead
6-8 weeks. Broken arm. Wrist ok.
OP Earliest? Feb 1
Latest? Feb 15”
NOT a Doctor, but I'd have to assume that a break in one of the main arm bones is way easier to recover fully from than breaking bones in the wrist area.
Don’t know anyone following, but sounds like Joey Cullen broke his wrist so is going to be out for a bit
From a reliable source (I know):
“Joey C from Moorhead
6-8 weeks. Broken arm. Wrist ok.
OP Earliest? Feb 1
Latest? Feb 15”
NOT a Doctor, but I'd have to assume that a break in one of the main arm bones is way easier to recover fully from than breaking bones in the wrist area.
Don’t know anyone following, but sounds like Joey Cullen broke his wrist so is going to be out for a bit
From a reliable source (I know):
“Joey C from Moorhead
6-8 weeks. Broken arm. Wrist ok.
OP Earliest? Feb 1
Latest? Feb 15”
NOT a Doctor, but I'd have to assume that a break in one of the main arm bones is way easier to recover fully from than breaking bones in the wrist area.
It depends on what you mean by "wrist" because the long bones of the arm do, indeed, form part of the wrist...
...But yes, the wrist is where the growth plates are, so for younger athletes, if their growth plates are still open, a break that involves the growth plate can mean surgery and a prolonged recovery period. Fractures involving the "wrist"-y side of the hand bones can also be problematic, but they're less common. That being said, a "wrist fracture" can be the long bones and be just fine, especially for things like a torus fracture that can heal in just a few weeks (I told a kid he could go back to playing sports after 3-4 weeks in one case).
@rowshkex and this is why I declared at the beginning that I wasn't a doctor, because I was quite certain it was way more complex than my understanding and explanation could properly convey.
Coming from a layman, I think of the "wrist" as being basically from where a watchband would fit out to around the base of the thumb. Not quite sure where in my mind the difference between the elbow and forearm really is, so, an inch or two past the actual joint, maybe?
To me, anything between those two areas, I would generally think would be easier to heal as a relatively simple bone break, than someplace that multiple bones are coming together in a joint area.
And, of course, if someone is coming to me (as proclaimed non medical professional) for any medical advice, they're definitely talking to the wrong person...
Jan 1 recruiting window opens soon. Joey Cullen is the obvious target everyone will be going after but we have the inside track on. Other than him, I’d keep an eye on:
Brayden Willis - F (NTDP). Arizonan, but has ties to Minnesota.
Nash Roed - F (White Bear Lake)
Henry Buttweiler - F (Moorhead)
Henry Meier - F (Shattuck St. Mary’s) Neal Broten’s grandson
Jonny Bloedow - F (Cretin-Derham Hall)
Cole Swanson - F (Hibbing)
For Dmen, it’s probably the deepest talent pool I can remember in a while in terms of MN players. A quite extensive list of notable guys:
Luke Christopherson (Portland WHL, originally Two Rivers HS)
Beck Thoreson (Moorhead/NTDP)
Easton Dozark (Moorhead)
Tony Timmerman (Oshawa OHL)
Jack Hair (Little Caesar’s, originally Edina)
Becker Wenkus (Edina)
Liam Brooks (Duluth East)
and that’s leaving off some real good players. Like I said, Joey Cullen is the real catch of this class though. Won’t take him for granted til he’s on campus. Every program in the country, including those with deep pockets, will be after him.
Gonna go ahead and press the panic button right now.
It's well afternoon today and Joey Cullen hasn't committed.
Blake Vanek has 4 goals in 5 games since joining Calgary. Haven’t seen enough of him to say we should snag him, but will say he seems like a better option than Nevers, who hasn’t gotten any better in his time in USHL
Blake Vanek has 4 goals in 5 games since joining Calgary. Haven’t seen enough of him to say we should snag him, but will say he seems like a better option than Nevers, who hasn’t gotten any better in his time in USHL
I don't watch enough to know where he might fit into a roster like Minnesota's, but of the games I did get to see him play last year I thought he was better than he was getting credit for. Part of the curse of being the kid of a legend.
Another reason we gotta get our $h!t together as a program is because the top 2010, 2011 & 2012 birth years in the country are all Minnesotan. I can’t remember a time where that’s happened.
2010 - Joey Cullen
2011 - Owen Moulton
2012 - Jack Keiser
Would be a catastrophic time to have the wheels fall off the bus recruiting-wise.
