0:05
This is The GPL Podcast, sponsored by Vintage Minnesota Hockey, your exclusive source for throwback Minnesota jerseys.
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Visit vintagemnhockey.com.
0:19
Now, here's Hammy, Vego and your host, Jupiter.
0:40
Well, we're only 25 minutes late, but who's counting?
0:44
Yes, due to some technical difficulties on my end, yes, I'm a moron, we're way late tonight.
0:50
I'm sorry, folks.
0:51
But all that matters is that Gopher Hockey is back, and of course, joining me again on this year's podcast, Hammy and Vegoe.
0:59
Guys, how are ya?
1:01
For the love of God, I didn't even know if we were going to be doing one this year at the radio.
1:04
I'm so sorry, I'm a complete mess up.
1:08
Gopher, that's not getting everything going.
1:11
It took a while.
1:13
Computers, they frighten and confuse me.
1:18
Well, this is the 94th podcast, guys.
1:22
We're starting to get up there.
1:24
How many years?
1:25
Somebody asked me that today, and I was like, I don't even know how many years it's been.
1:29
Is this our fifth year or is this our sixth year?
1:32
I want to say, I think this could be our fifth year.
1:36
Yeah, I know I was with my ex-girlfriend at the time in our old place, so I know that's at least five years ago.
1:45
Yeah, and I'm in my new place in my apartment since I've now officially divorced, so good for me.
1:49
We're all having life changes now, aren't we?
1:52
There you go, ladies.
1:53
The man's available.
1:54
Yeah, we'll see how well that goes.
1:56
Not well at all.
2:00
Well, the season here is here, guys.
2:03
The season starts up Friday, up at Alaska Anchorage.
2:10
Vegoe, you went to what we'd called the Media Day today.
2:17
What's going on down there at the U?
2:18
They're ready to play some hockey.
2:20
I mean, we didn't have an official Media Day.
2:21
I mean, this is what it was today.
2:25
Yeah, it's strange.
2:26
I think there's been a lot of turnover at the University of Minnesota the last couple of weeks with Ben Gordon coming on and Corey Millen joining as a student assistant and just trying to figure out how things are going to go this year.
2:41
I know the locker room was kind of a rush to get finished.
2:44
And of course, the late edition of Rem Pillow look as well.
2:49
So a lot, a lot of change happening.
2:51
And I think everybody's excited for them to actually start playing games.
2:55
How did it all look down there?
2:56
Did you get to see anything?
3:00
The word I got is that they are keeping non-hockey people out of that area, at least for a while.
3:07
I think they want to have it be a while factor to the recruits when they come in, not having seen it before.
3:14
All the players are very complimentary about it.
3:16
And the common favorite spot was the lounge.
3:22
They now have an actual place for the team to hang out on campus in the facility.
3:26
And that's something they haven't had ever really there.
3:29
So while the players said they've had a lot more bonding time together, they all get there at Sunday at noon to watch football.
3:36
And they all go back to their residence around 7.
3:40
So it sounds like they're doing some good bonding in there.
3:43
What's with all the secrecy though?
3:45
I mean, really?
3:45
Dude, I'm going to infiltrate that thing.
3:51
Yeah, it's going to be like Mission Impossible or something.
3:53
I mean, come on, we've seen artist renditions.
3:55
I mean, can you even, I mean, is it really blocked off to even go down that hallway anymore, Veegs?
4:01
That door that I tweeted out is the only way in.
4:04
And they don't let people in.
4:07
And I've seen the hallway and it looks very nice.
4:09
You know, lots of high quality photos on the walls and, you know, Gopher Hockey memorabilia and things about the tradition of the program.
4:21
But that's about it.
4:22
Yeah, is that door that you took a picture of, is that kind of just past where you would, if you were to go straight, I mean, is it just past where you'd go for the visitor bench?
4:31
So you'd come in from the elevator down to the lower level.
4:35
Yeah.
4:35
And normally where you go towards the Gopher Lock Room, they have now taken all that space back.
4:42
And that is now all Gopher team area.
4:45
From the sounds of it, visiting teams will not be able to go through that area to get to that bench.
4:52
They'll have to go through the Zamboni door like most rinks in college hockey.
4:56
So that will be a bit of a change.
4:58
I got a funny story about it.
4:59
Penn State, the athletic SID, Brian Deutsch, had to deliver a stick to the bench because they couldn't get through a team area behind the benches.
5:11
So that's the way it's going to be in the area, Gino.
5:13
I'm guessing there's access there, but maybe only to like a medical area.
5:17
I mean, they didn't really close off that bench area.
5:20
It's just that live access to where their locker room is.
5:23
It's key secured, so you're going to have a password or ID to swipe.
5:27
And then all the other team stuff is going to be in a different area because they dug out on the other side of the arena some space there.
5:35
Wow.
5:36
I'm looking forward to seeing it.
5:37
I might try to get down there next weekend.
5:39
But it sounds like they're not letting anybody see anything.
5:41
So not yet.
5:44
I think they'll want to show it off to the key people here the next month or so.
5:49
Well, hopefully they do.
5:50
But you had kind of mentioned a little bit there about Ben Gordon and Corey Millen.
5:56
Hammy, what are your thoughts on bringing these two former Gophers on?
5:59
I mean, we had obviously Mark Barr was there for a long time.
6:03
He's no longer there.
6:04
He took a buyout and they weren't going to renew his contract and all that type of stuff.
6:08
And Ben Gordon's taken over his video stuff and kind of coordinating and then obviously Corey Millen is there as well.
6:14
What are your thoughts on bringing these two guys aboard?
6:18
Well, I mean, it's always nice to bring additional alums in that have a lot of passion for the program.
6:24
And I'm sure that they'll kind of help in any way that they can.
6:29
I know that there's some limitations based on NCAA rules.
6:32
But nonetheless, I think it's always valuable to have guys that have that kind of maroon and gold blood and they really want to see the program succeed and they have a passion for it.
6:41
And having those ties to any alums for that matter, I always think is a positive thing.
6:48
I've never been the one to emphasize that the head coach or every coach has to be a Gopher alum.
6:56
But nonetheless, it is nice to have that kind of passion around the program.
6:59
And I think that they'll obviously add value as time goes along.
7:06
Oops, sorry, I had you guys on mute, still getting back into it here.
7:11
Boy, I bet we better actually start talking about the season, huh?
7:16
All summer, Hammey, we thought that Rem Pitlick was 99% chance staying where he was going to stay.
7:23
What made him change his mind, decided to become a Gopher this year?
7:27
Well, I mean, I'm sure it's a combination of factors.
7:30
I think that once you get drafted and you have those opinions kind of start to creep into the mix and what's the best long-term plan for a player with regard to their development.
7:41
And, you know, I think it's just a matter of all.
7:45
And, you know, him probably competing against players, you know, from a US level and seeing how he stacks up.
7:53
I think it's just a combination of factors.
7:55
But I would guess that ultimately the cooler heads, for lack of a better way of putting it, prevailed and realized that, I mean, when you're the leading scorer in the USHL, you know, by a pretty healthy margin, going back to that level for another year isn't really necessarily going to help your development in the long run.
8:14
He's going to get plenty of opportunities to play a good role here at the U this year.
8:19
So I just think that that was just kind of a combination of factors.
8:23
What are your thoughts on Mr.
8:24
Pitlick there, Veegs?
8:28
Well, I think I agree a lot with what Hammey said.
8:30
He didn't really have a whole lot left to prove at the USHL level.
8:35
He did get cut from the World Junior Camp.
8:37
So maybe he wasn't quite used to playing with that level of talent.
8:41
And so for him to really push himself, he needed to play at the University.
8:45
I think it looks like he'll start the season with Vinny Leterri and Leon Verstapp.
8:50
So those are two veteran guys who will be good for him to play with.
8:54
I know Vinny has been a little snake bit on scoring goals and shooting the puck, but I think he's a good playmaker, good center man, and Leon works really hard.
9:03
So those are two good guys to play with.
9:06
Speaking of Vinny, over under of how many sticks he's going to break this season?
9:11
Well, he's changed up his model, so I think he's probably going to be under a dozen this year, but hard to tell.
9:19
Well, I think it ended up around 14 last year, and he thought it was funny, so as long as he thought it was funny, I was all good with it.
9:26
That was just a game.
9:27
I went to a couple of practices, and sure enough, we saw more sticks breaking.
9:30
So he went through at least two dozen sticks last year.
9:34
And you know, most of the team uses...
9:36
Or CCM didn't...
9:38
Yeah, most of the team doesn't use the stick he was wearing, does he?
9:41
Or do they?
9:43
No, because it's kind of a Bauer team, so everybody's got those Bauer sticks, and he was one of the guys who wanted to go a little different, and he had CCMs, and they didn't work quite as well.
9:52
So he went to an Easton at the end of the year.
9:55
I haven't seen what he's playing this year, though.
9:58
Well, we've talked about Pitlick a little bit, but we've got quite a few other freshmen coming in, so let me throw some names out there, and you guys give me your thoughts on each of them, okay?
10:08
Mr.
10:09
Ryan Lindgren, Hammy.
10:13
Well, I mean, I think that he's going to be a good all-around defenseman for the Gophers.
10:17
He brings a lot of speed, and he has that physical edge to him.
10:22
I mean, he's good on both ends of the rank.
10:24
I don't know that he's going to step in and be one of those dynamic scoring types, but I think he'll be successful enough that he'll add some value on both ends of the rank.
10:35
So I'm excited for both him and Zoolsdorf to join the team.
10:40
They add some much needed depth, and they certainly have some good talent on both of them.
10:46
So I think that that's going to be something that I'm looking forward personally this year, is to seeing the additional depth and quality depth for that matter that maybe we were lacking a little bit last year.
10:57
Thoughts on Lindgren there, Veegs?
11:00
I think he just adds a really good skating defenseman to their team, and some leadership.
11:04
He was the captain of that U18 team last year, and I know this team has had kind of a lot of quiet leaders who lead by example, and there's not a lot of voices in the locker room.
11:17
So I think it speaks highly to have a guy who's been captain of a U18 team with a lot of talent.
11:23
Veegs, Hammy just mentioned Ryan Zulsdorf.
11:26
What do you think about Zulsdorf?
11:29
Another offensive defenseman, a guy who skates well and can move the puck.
11:33
He got traded to City at the end of the USHL season last year to get a little playoff experience and he was a valuable part of their team.
11:41
I think they went all the way to the finals with him on the team.
11:44
So definitely a guy who can push everybody.
11:47
They definitely have seven guys who can play 15, 20 minutes a game.
11:53
They don't have to hide any of these guys.
11:56
Hammeh, I look at the rest of these freshmen and I'm not seeing a lot of guys that are going to play.
12:00
I mean, we get, you list Tyler Nanny as a freshman.
12:04
He's not going to play.
12:06
What about Noterman and Maroney?
12:08
Is it Maroney or Maroney?
12:10
Well, I don't think any of those guys are going to be doing a lot.
12:16
They're probably going to be shuffling in and out of the line up, fourth level role, kind of here or there.
12:23
I don't suspect that any of them are really going to be consistent presence this year.
12:29
I mean, unless we have a rash of injuries, I just think that some of the guys that played in the fourth line roles last year, they're going to be kind of returning to that.
12:38
And I think that it's going to be pretty stiff competition amongst that group.
12:44
And I don't think, especially for a kid, you know, I mean, Norman, I think he's ideally would have been in the USHL this year, but it just didn't turn out that way.
12:55
And so, you know, we'll just have to see how it goes.
12:59
But I think that those guys are not going to see a lot of ice time unless we have some rash of injuries.
13:06
And obviously, the guy who could make the most impact along with Pitlick could be a senior, Mike Smatula.
13:15
What do you think about him, Hammeh?
13:17
You've kind of pushed him in the past.
13:19
You said you were looking forward to seeing him.
13:22
What's he going to bring to this team as a, I believe he's going to be a senior or will he be a junior?
13:26
I'm not sure how that's working.
13:28
They might call him a senior just based on because he was in school last year, but he's junior eligibility because he only played two years of college hockey before that.
13:37
So I don't know how they're, I'm assuming that's how they're putting that stuff.
13:42
He's listed as a junior on the roster.
13:45
Right.
13:45
So that's how it should be.
13:48
In any case, he's a very talented guy.
13:51
He's already proven to be a point per game player on the college level.
13:57
I had heard reports last year during practice that he was the best player on the team.
14:02
So that's pretty high praise.
14:06
You know, coming from people that were witnessing him on a consistent basis.
14:10
So I expect him to be a very effective player this year.
14:15
Probably one of the more exciting players on the team.
14:18
Obviously, they've kind of, from what I've seen and heard, that they've got him earmarked on a top line role alongside Clues.
14:25
So I mean, I think that they're expecting big things out of him from a production standpoint and he's very dynamic and he's had success in his past.
14:33
So I think that we should have pretty high expectations for what he can contribute.
14:39
Smith-Dula, what do you think of him, Veegs?
14:44
I think he's going to deliver a lot of offense for them.
14:46
They're going to put him right now with Clues and Cami on that top line role.
14:52
He's going to be a scorer.
14:53
He looks a lot like Liam Bristead out there on the ice and I think he's better with the puck.
14:58
So I think you got a guy like that who can make plays and get pucks in the net.
15:03
They're going to need all three of their top lines to produce this year.
15:06
I think they're leaning towards putting a lineup together that can do that.
15:11
Well, we've talked about the freshman and obviously the addition of Mike Spatula.
15:16
But as we always know, successful teams are usually led by seniors.
15:24
I look at our senior class and really the only one who jumps out or maybe Bischoff and Clues.
15:29
The rest of them have been kind of, you know, eh, for their career.
15:34
Hammey, thoughts about the seniors or anything that jumps out to you?
15:37
I mean, obviously, I think Camerata has been the biggest disappointment of them all.
15:41
Just very inconsistent and whatnot.
15:43
But senior class, what do you think?
15:46
Yeah, I would agree.
15:48
I mean, when I've looked at this season, you know, I feel pretty good about some of the players that we have, you know, coming in.
15:55
I feel pretty good about some of the guys that are returning.
15:59
To me, there's a couple of guys that are X-Factors, and the two that, from a forward perspective that I look at, are Cammie and Vinnie.
16:07
I mean, those guys, you know, Vinnie had a pretty solid year last year, but, you know, I kind of expected him to do a little bit better at this point than what he has.
16:17
But if he keeps progressing, you know, that's a definite positive.
16:21
Cammie's been the guy that has been well documented, I've ragged on in the past.
16:27
We definitely have.
16:29
You know, I mean, it's like he had a very good freshman year and it just kind of plateaued and maybe even to an extent went and took a step, a little bit stepped backwards.
16:41
So I just feel like he's a guy that, you know, I have hopes for and I hope that he will contribute to the level that we always wanted him to as a senior.
16:54
If he doesn't, I really hope that Lucia has a quicker hook on things and makes changes a little bit quicker this year because I do think that they have more offensive depth up front this year.
17:06
So they don't have to just, you know, keep a guy in a spot just because that's the way it's been in the past or whatever.
17:12
So I do think that him and Vinny are X-Factors for me.
17:16
I think that some of the other top nine forwards, I feel pretty confident.
17:19
But Cami in particular, I think, is going to be kind of an X-Factor for the team this year in terms of how far they can go.
17:28
What do you think of the senior class there, Veegs?
17:31
Well, I think one player to think about is Jake Bischoff, who, you know, this year is really going to get his chance to be one of the leaders on the team.
17:39
You know, it seems like his first two years, you know, it took him a long time to get into a role where he was playing a regular basis.
17:46
You know, the team, when he came in, was a very set of defensemen.
17:51
And then last year, it seemed like him and Brudzinski were kind of alternating who would be that offensive defenseman on the team, and it looked like Bischoff kind of won that battle at the end of the year and was, you know, on the first power play unit and playing the most time and playing in the most important situations.
18:07
And so I think he'll make the biggest jump statistically, I think, out of those guys who have kind of struggled through their careers.
18:14
And then coming back to Cammie, I think the hook is shorter this year.
18:18
I think they have, you know, nine guys in their top nine right now who can play.
18:23
But if any of them aren't, you know, they've got Brent Gates Jr., got Ryan Norman, who are skilled guys in their history, who will compete for that spot.
18:35
All right, guys, who is going to jump out as that sophomore?
18:41
Who's the freshman from last year that's going to jump out and make a big difference this year?
18:45
I mean, Novak obviously had a good year.
18:48
But, you know, Sadik, you know, in and out.
18:52
We'll exclude Shearharm because we know he's the guy.
18:54
But who's going to jump out?
18:56
Ami?
18:58
I mean, that's a good question.
18:59
I mean, I don't want to go to the obvious because I think that both Novak and Shehee, you know, certainly have sort of that potential to be that kind of a guy that's just really kind of takes the next step.
19:13
And they're playing top line roles.
19:15
So I would, you know, I would expect those guys to be showing them, you know, even that further step in production that you would expect out of guys like that.
19:23
But, you know, I really think Sadik, I mean, I think he's a guy that I thought played well when he had the opportunity last year.
19:30
And granted, he was a young guy.
19:32
So I mean, you know, maybe that the coaches just weren't confident that he was going to be able to hold up over the long haul.
19:39
I don't know what their reasoning was, but certainly I feel like he has a lot of upside.
19:44
And I have a lot of faith that he could be a really good player.
19:47
So, you know, I think that they're going to need him to step up this year and that he's going to have more opportunities.
19:54
So I won't go with the obvious and say those guys.
19:57
But I really believe that Sadik has got a good opportunity.
20:00
And I think Norman is another kid that, you know, probably has an opportunity to really kind of take that next step forward.
20:07
Any thoughts on these former freshmen jumping up this year in their sophomore year, Figs?
20:14
Yeah, I mean, it's really hard to tell, I think, to pick one of those guys out of the lower or performers last year.
20:20
You know, Gates, Norman, Sadik all were, you know, trying to work their way in the lineup and they got limited opportunities.
20:26
There wasn't really one of those guys who got on a lot of specialty teams or, you know, was playing on a line that was really clicking.
20:33
I do think Novak is primed for a jump from what he was last year.
20:36
I thought he started out pretty well in the first half of the year and I think he kind of, after he got that hit at Wisconsin, I thought his play kind of diminished a little bit from there.
20:47
And he was one of the guys who put on some weight in the off season and that was something that he really needed to do to compete with the better teams because he was a smaller guy who came in compared to a guy like she who came in and he was just a rock solid build already whereas Novak was behind.
21:05
So I think we'll see Novak make the biggest jump out of those guys.
21:10
You know, the other thing I would mention is Gates did have that injury that he was coming off of the prior year and so hopefully, you know, being a little bit healthier to start the year will give him a little bit of an extra step and to feel a little bit more confidence coming into the season that he can contribute versus what we saw last year, which is a guy that I think clearly wasn't necessarily 100% early on and I'm guessing that probably didn't help the confidence level.
21:37
So he's another opportunity, you know, here's another kid who has an opportunity to maybe step it up.
21:42
Okay, I've got to ask, I don't recall this guy being on the roster last year.
21:46
Who was Kurt Simonson?
21:50
A big defenseman from out of Grand Rapids.
21:54
Was he on the team last year?
21:57
Was he on the roster?
21:58
I'm serious, I look at him as a soft one, I go, I don't recall his name even on the roster last year.
22:04
Yeah, he was.
22:05
He just didn't play.
22:08
Don't I feel like an idiot?
22:09
I'm like, look at that is going on.
22:10
Gosh, I don't recognize that at all.
22:13
Well, I mean, he didn't play, so it's not like-
22:17
Kind of like a Mitch Moogie?
22:20
Yeah, I mean, I think that he's a big physical guy in his background.
22:24
And so I'm sure that he just, and I guess it's kind of scary when you think about it because we didn't have the greatest defensive depth last year as it was.
22:34
So the fact that he didn't get in there, I mean, probably isn't going to get a lot of opportunity, but I guess we'll see.
22:41
You never know.
22:42
Well, we'll get back to talking about that defense in a minute.
22:45
But one thing we're going to do here is hear from our sponsor, Vintage Minnesota Hockey.
22:50
They've signed on for another season, so they must like what we're doing.
22:54
So let's hear from them.
23:00
Well, I'd like to hear from them.
23:01
vintagemnhockey.com is a proud sponsor of The GPL Podcast.
23:06
Well, what is Vintage MN Hockey?
23:09
Well, it's kind of the place to get all of your history of Minnesota hockey, from the pros to the minors to the collegiate teams to even the high school teams.
23:19
All information about any of those teams can be found on vintagemnhockey.com.
23:24
They also have great interviews with some historical Minnesota hockey figures like John Mayessich and Lou Nanny, Glenn Sonmore, some of the greats of Minnesota hockey.
23:33
So make sure you check out those interviews.
23:35
It's a really great thing.
23:36
But as I always say, I think my favorite part is the store.
23:40
The store, you can buy a custom historical jersey from the Gophers or the Bulldogs or some of your favorite high school teams.
23:47
And if you do make a purchase, just use the code GPL Podcast, all one word, and you'll get 10% off your order.
23:55
So make sure you visit vintagemnhockey.com and follow them on Twitter at VintageMNHockey.
24:02
Thank you, Vintage, for sponsoring us for another season.
24:06
Now if I just click the buttons right when I'm supposed to, things would work much better around here.
24:12
But it's the first podcast, and I've already screwed up enough as it is tonight, so we'll just keep it going.
24:15
I was going to say, you didn't do very good in your half season workouts, apparently.
24:20
Funny thing is, I tested everything last night and everything was working perfect, and tonight just all went to crap.
24:28
What can you do?
24:30
It's not how you start, it's how you finish.
24:32
Yeah, that's what she said.
24:35
Well, we were talking about the defense there, and Vegs, you learned that Mr.
24:40
Glover is nursing an injury and he's not going to play this weekend.
24:44
So do we have a solid six?
24:46
And who do you think the six are going to be this weekend when we head up to Anchorage?
24:51
Well, it sounds like Glover is cleared for contact.
24:55
So he could have played if they really needed him to, but I think this also gives the coaching staff a good chance to look at Lindgren and Zulsorf this weekend.
25:06
They'll play regular shifts along with Steve Johnson, Sadick, Collins and Bischoff.
25:12
I think those are the guys you're going to see in the lineup this weekend.
25:15
I think the coaches are all confident and also those guys that skate and do the things they want their defensemen to do.
25:22
And they'll get a good test on the road this weekend after a lot of travel.
25:27
Now, taking donations for the Vego Audio Fund.
25:31
I told you.
25:34
I'm not even in the suspect.
25:37
Yeah, we cut most of it, but it did cut out quite a bit there, Veegs.
25:45
Sometimes, it reminds me of the Funky Town, the, you know, won't you take...
25:52
You know, where they have the...
25:54
What do they call those guys in Buck Rod?
25:56
No, it wasn't Buck Rod, it was like Battle Star Galactica, those guys that they call...
26:00
A Cylon.
26:01
Yeah, whatever.
26:02
It sounds like that.
26:05
Yeah.
26:05
I'm glad I put down some things I was going to say.
26:08
And then it doesn't.
26:11
Oh, boy.
26:12
We're just having fun with you, Veegs.
26:13
Just having fun with you.
26:14
Hey, that's what it's for.
26:16
Yeah, I know.
26:17
It's all good.
26:18
I would like to get a real microphone someday as well, instead of my little stupid little headset.
26:22
We'll work on it.
26:23
If this vintage Minnesota hockey thing keeps up, we can probably invest it into it.
26:29
Put so much money into it.
26:31
Well, let's talk about it.
26:32
Ada, Wingerin, Collins, Bischoff.
26:40
Now, I think I forgot someone.
26:42
Now that I'm off my game.
26:43
I tweeted it out earlier.
26:45
You forgot Johnson?
26:47
Johnson, yeah.
26:49
I'll be interested to see if he can continue his trajectory last year.
26:53
I thought he was one of the players that made the biggest jump from their sophomore to junior year, or freshman to sophomore year.
26:59
If he can do the same this year, he'll be quite the player because I think he gained the most confidence over the season.
27:07
He gained the most confidence.
27:12
Okay, let's go to you, Hamme.
27:14
Tim Hapke wants to know, do we expect Shearhorn to play wire to wire again this year, or will he get a couple of aims off?
27:22
Well, I think it would be pretty similar to last year.
27:25
I think that he'll play the vast majority of the games.
27:28
Maybe he'll throw a bow into one of the other guys here or there, just to give him a break.
27:33
But I think we're going to be riding Shearhorn pretty much similar to what we did last year.
27:38
That would be my opinion.
27:40
I'm guessing you feel the same way, Veegs.
27:43
Just keep riding Shearhorn?
27:47
Yeah, I mean, until Shearhorn shows that he needs some time off, he's going to be the guy who plays all the games.
27:54
With goaltenders, I think a lot of times you go on their performance and their track record.
27:59
And he played really well last year, despite a team in front of him that gave a lot of odd man Russians up.
28:07
Zvok wants to know which freshman will have the biggest impact.
28:11
I would say, you know, probably Pitlick, but maybe one of you guys think that one of these new fancy defensemen, what do you think, Veegs, who's going to make the biggest impact?
28:20
I think Pitlick has the only opportunity to make a big statistical impact on this team.
28:26
He's going to get the opportunity to play in the top nine.
28:30
He's going to get an opportunity to jump into power play.
28:33
Lindgren and Zulstorf are the other guys who could make an impact, but I think because the defensemen in front of them have the experience working on the power play, you know, Johnson and Bischoff are going to take most of those minutes.
28:45
So I don't think there's the same opportunity for those guys to make an impact, but I think they will play quite a bit this season.
28:54
Yeah, you know, I think obviously from an offensive perspective, Pitlick would be the obvious and pretty much the only one that I would focus on.
29:02
I actually am looking forward to kind of what the two freshman defensemen are going to bring to the table from a depth perspective.
29:10
I'm excited with Lindgren because I think that he's going to be a good all-around defenseman.
29:14
Vig's already mentioned, you know, some of the leadership qualities, and so I just really believe that he's going to be an impact guy that, you know, when you throw him out there, you're going to feel confident that you're going to get a good performance out of him, and you're not going to feel like nervous because he's a freshman, and, you know, is he going to be able to handle the workload right out of the gate?
29:34
I think that he's got the experience as does Zilsdorf, but I think especially Lindgren.
29:40
I'm really anxious to see how he translate to the college level.
29:45
I think, you know, besides freshmen, obviously the biggest new player is probably going to be Spatula.
29:52
It's going to be him who's going to have the biggest impact.
29:55
You know, people don't know who he is.
29:56
I've never seen him.
29:57
I mean, most likely, they didn't pay attention to Northeastern hockey.
30:00
So I think Spatula, obviously, besides a freshman, is going to make the biggest impact of all new players.
30:06
But we'll just have to see.
30:07
Yeah, it'd be hard not to when you're getting that first-line role with Clues on as your center, so yeah.
30:13
Unless he's a complete flop out of nowhere, I'd be having a hard time expecting him not to be successful.
30:21
Do we have any concerns about Pitlick?
30:23
I mean, we've had leading scorers from the USHL come in and do pretty much nothing for their career.
30:32
Like Mr.
30:33
Hyde.
30:34
I mean, we've seen it before.
30:36
Yeah, obviously, there's no guarantees.
30:38
I think that people sort of blindly make comparisons with Cammie, for instance, because they're both kind of undersized guys in terms of height.
30:50
Pitlick's a lot more solidly built overall, so it's not exactly the same kind of guy.
30:54
But I think they see Pitlick's generally been undersized throughout his playing days, and I think people automatically assume that that's going to mean something similar to Cammie.
31:07
And I really don't see that being the case.
31:09
I think Cammie was a little bit more of a one-way player in juniors, and Pitlick, I think, is a much more of a two-way player, and he still had very good offensive output.
31:21
So I think that he'll be good.
31:23
I think that I'm pretty confident.
31:25
Whatever number you want to throw out there, I'm not saying he's going to be a 40-point guy as a freshman or whatever, but I certainly think that he shouldn't do any worse than what we saw out of both Novak and Sheehy last year.
31:37
So I think that he's going to be roughly in that range.
31:41
Well, if you have questions for us and you're on Twitter, just use the hashtag GPL Podcast if you're listening live and we'll try to answer your questions.
31:49
If you're listening live through Mixler, some people are using the actual app.
31:53
They've sent a few questions, at least this Paul, I think it's Paul Chatterton.
31:57
I'm not sure how you pronounce your name, Paul.
31:59
He wants to know, can you guys please touch on the Lucia contract situation?
32:03
What's preventing him from signing it?
32:04
And, Hammeh, you got any insight on that, on what's going on?
32:07
Why isn't he signed up?
32:10
I have speculation.
32:11
I don't know that I have.
32:12
I mean, I haven't really talked to anybody that I get my normal information from.
32:17
But if I had to speculate, to me, it makes me wonder if the deal is pretty easy for the school to kind of, I don't know, buy out or to make a change or whatever.
32:32
And that's kind of creating a hesitant coach.
32:35
I've heard that, I've heard through The Grapevine that he's sort of been open with people that this might be his last year as coach.
32:48
I'm not saying he's gonna get fired or anything like that, but more just from that kind of a perspective.
32:54
I don't know if that's just a coach speaking in, to a person in the heat of the moment, not in an angry tone, but just maybe just catch a person at a certain day, and that's just they're reflecting on everything.
33:07
I don't know, but I do think it's interesting because we've been talking about this.
33:13
What we heard Royce throw that out, I don't even know how long ago that was, six weeks ago at least.
33:19
I don't know.
33:20
We've seen it bantied about in the paper.
33:23
You see Lucia saying he hopes to have something signed by this time.
33:27
To me, it's weird.
33:28
If you really feel like this is where you want to be, then what's the hold up?
33:35
To me, it says there's something in that deal that he's not really liking.
33:41
I doubt it's a money thing.
33:43
I have a feeling it's some other factor.
33:46
I don't know.
33:47
To me, it's a little strange.
33:49
You hearing anything, Veegs?
33:54
No, I'm not really hearing anything.
33:55
I know the last time when he signed his deal, it was, I think, the day before their opening game of the season.
34:02
So I don't think this has been unusual for Don Luchia and his negotiating strategy.
34:07
But I don't think there's any impact on the recruits or the program by this going on.
34:13
When you've got guys who are recruiting and committing as a freshman in high school, they're not necessarily committing to the coach, they're committing to the program.
34:24
I don't think there's a big impact to it.
34:25
So I imagine this will drag on for at least a little bit longer.
34:29
Yeah, I mean, I think that that's the thing that sometimes people get real focused on, but they are looking at it from the perspective of how it is with college football or college basketball when you're basically, for the most part, getting guys committed one year away from their college entrance.
34:46
Obviously, we know it's a much different thing in college hockey where they're committing three, four years in some instances before they're ever going to be approaching a campus.
34:57
So the Gophers are pretty well-stocked in their pipeline right now.
35:01
So it isn't a short-term issue from a recruiting perspective.
35:07
I think that that gets a little bit overblown by some fans, but it is interesting to me because I think that you would think if it was something that he really wanted, they would just sign on a dotted line.
35:19
I doubt that dollars is the real issue.
35:22
So it kind of makes me wonder if there's something there that makes it easier for the school to make a change and maybe that he's not liking that.
35:29
I don't know though.
35:30
I don't know for sure.
35:32
They've been pretty good about not commenting or negotiating through the media.
35:37
Since that week, I got to Patrick Royer, let's see.
35:41
Everybody's been pretty friendly in their comments about them ongoing negotiations.
35:48
We'll just have to wait and see.
35:50
So hold on, Paul.
35:51
I'm guessing he'll probably sign pretty soon, but the GIA is a little mysterious.
35:58
Hammy, you kind of talked about young guys committing, and I want to say in the last month or two, we've had, what, a couple of ninth graders committing, and jeez, I think that's getting awfully young.
36:11
Yeah, I mean, I know that this was kind of a little bit of a discussion going on at GPL today.
36:18
I don't completely disagree with some of the people that don't like seeing the real young commits.
36:26
I agree that we shouldn't be doing it as often as we are.
36:29
I feel like, sometimes I wonder if they're actually trying to get kids to commit because they're more worried about missing out than they are, whether the kid is really somebody that they think is a sure fire hit.
36:41
You know what I mean?
36:42
It's like, you kind of want to get in.
36:44
It's not official yet either, so they can always kind of dump them later on, can't they?
36:48
Yeah, I mean, you're talking about the coaches?
36:51
Yeah, I mean, they can.
36:52
I mean, I've always said that that's not something you want to really be doing too much of because you don't want to get that reputation because that's going to hurt you at some point.
37:01
If players aren't sure you're going to stay true to your word, obviously, they're going to be a little more reluctant to commit to you.
37:09
So that's not something you want to necessarily use as a strategy over the long haul, is to consistently be pulling things because a kid doesn't pan out.
37:19
But if you do it here or there, I guess you do what you have to do.
37:23
And certainly, if there's going to be a new coach three, four years from now, they're not going to be bound to what the prior coach did.
37:32
So maybe on some cases, they'll keep them, on other cases, they won't.
37:37
So we'll just have to see how it all pans up.
37:40
But yeah, I agree.
37:40
I don't necessarily like relying too heavily on those real early commits.
37:46
I wish they'd do it a little less of it.
37:48
But I understand that there's pressures there.
37:50
You're damned if you do and damned if you don't.
37:54
Well, it was interesting.
37:55
I went to the NCHC Media Day, and their commissioner, Josh Fenton, talked about something that their coaches were interested in, and it's not allowing any contact with players until they turn 16.
38:10
So that's no unofficial visits, no players contacting the coach, no tweeting, anything like that, until they're 16.
38:19
And I know the Ivy League is very interested in that.
38:21
I think there's a trial happening with lacrosse programs in the country with, you know, restricting recruiting at that age.
38:28
And Lucio went to a meeting in Chicago this year to talk about that more, and he said there were ADs there, because this is happening across all sports.
38:37
I think Florida State had an eighth grader commit to them in football this year.
38:43
So it's just getting out of hand, and that's not helping anybody.
38:46
You know, it looks bad for everybody.
38:48
I know the Gophers had somebody, Manascalo, in a school, commit.
38:55
Look, I guarantee you.
38:57
What situation were?
38:59
I guarantee you that unless they come up with some kind of legislation on an NCAA level, that all that talk from the NCHC and all these other places will be bullshit.
39:12
It will fly out the window.
39:14
As soon as they start seeing these other schools that aren't bound by that, you know, landing a few kids that they really, really wanted, and then they're going to say, we're at a competitive disadvantage if we're not going to be able to do it too.
39:28
I guarantee you it won't last.
39:30
If it is legislated by...
39:32
They're trying to do it.
39:35
If it's legislated, NCAA rule, obviously, then it will happen.
39:39
But if it's not, if it's just a league thing or whatever, it won't last.
39:48
It won't.
39:49
Well, I think the Ivy League can get away with it because they're recruiting a totally different individual.
39:55
But I think the rest of the programs are interested in making this NCAA legislation for D1.
40:00
Which is fine.
40:01
Yeah, which is fine by me.
40:02
I would agree with that.
40:03
But I'm just saying that if there's no rule change on that level, all that talk will end up being empty because they'll start to see themselves as being at a competitive disadvantage.
40:18
Well, I would agree.
40:20
I would like to see it happen because when I see these guys who haven't even started their freshman year in high school, hey, I've committed to the University of Minnesota.
40:28
I'm like, really?
40:30
It's just you just don't know how these guys are going to turn out.
40:33
You just don't.
40:34
Well, and honestly, some of the people think like, well, it's being done because of major juniors and whatever.
40:40
And to me, it's like, if you have a kid who's that sort of kind of waffling on whether they should play college or play major junior, then let them go to major junior.
40:54
I mean, it's not like you have to have every kid.
40:56
I'd rather have a kid who's 100% committed to the college route that wants to get his education and play hockey at the same time.
41:06
Because we've shown that NCAA hockey is a perfectly valuable, you know, viable, I should say, route to the NHL.
41:14
And all that talk about whether you have to go major junior or not is kind of baloney these days.
41:20
And so if a kid's not committed to that route, then let them go.
41:25
So don't go with the early commit.
41:26
If that's your only reasoning is, oh, we don't want to lose them to major junior.
41:30
To me, that's bullshit.
41:35
I kind of agree.
41:36
I agree.
41:38
Well, our favorite conference, the Big Ten Conference, guys, I am guessing you're both going to pick Minnesota to win the conference again.
41:46
Am I wrong?
41:49
No, I would definitely think that, I mean, I think that they're the best returning team as far as overall talent in some of the key positions especially.
42:01
Obviously, we know Michigan has its usual exodus of young talent, so they're kind of having that turnover.
42:10
But they'll still be, I think, a talented team and obviously Wisconsin, I think that with their new coaching staff, they'll have a much better season ahead of them, even if they're maybe not necessarily stocked with the kind of talent that they'll eventually have.
42:23
But I think that they'll be obviously better coached, more inspired, and I'm sure that they'll be a much better team this year, which I think is good.
42:30
I think coming into the Big Ten Conference, I think we all thought, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, those are the teams that pretty much on an annual basis, you can count on being amongst the teams that are going to be in the hunt for an NCAA bid, and it has really hurt the Big Ten that Wisconsin has sucked these last few years.
42:51
We might enjoy it from a fan laughing at the opponent perspective, but from a big picture perspective, you need Wisconsin to be a viable team and a healthy program, not only for our rivalry with them, but also from the perspective of the conference.
43:09
Veegs, the coaches actually kind of favored a little bit Ohio State.
43:15
What do you think about the coaches' thoughts on Ohio State kind of being up there this year?
43:21
Well, I think Ohio State was kind of a team last year that was almost good enough to be an NCAA team.
43:28
They lost so many close games and took them a long time to kind of get things going.
43:33
But I think you saw their holiday tournaments.
43:34
They knocked off Boston College and another really highly ranked team.
43:40
They had that potential to steal games.
43:41
They just didn't do it enough last year.
43:44
They didn't lose a whole lot.
43:45
I know they lost Greco, but they returned a pretty deep team and they're fast.
43:52
So I think they're looking to prove themselves this year.
43:54
The rest of the league is down.
43:55
Michigan is going to struggle this year.
43:57
They don't have a lot of high-end talent.
44:00
One of their forwards at their county on Cooper Orodi, he's going to be out for part of the season because of academic issues.
44:07
Wisconsin is going to have some churn.
44:10
I think they're going to be better, but I think they're a one-line team with Bessie and Cunningh.
44:15
And then you just don't see much positives coming from Michigan State.
44:19
I think Penn State lost a lot of talent last year.
44:22
They had a lot of senior leadership that they lost and all have to replace.
44:25
So I think the conference is wide open behind Minnesota, but it looks like Ohio State might be that next team.
44:32
So kind of Ohio State and Michigan just kind of following up behind Minnesota.
44:36
So, I mean, that's fine with me.
44:39
Boy, Wisconsin, like you said, Hammeh, it would really help.
44:43
You know, obviously we do hate Wisconsin, but it would help if they could get going.
44:48
And hopefully their new coach also brings in a much better style of hockey.
44:56
Well, I mean, I think it's just a matter of, you know, we've everybody laments sort of been, you know, having the weak conference and, you know, putting a lot of emphasis on how we play in our non-conference schedule and whatever.
45:12
And, you know, some of that is going to even out when you have a stronger conference.
45:16
And Wisconsin is a piece of that puzzle.
45:19
And like I said earlier, we count on them being amongst those teams that are gonna be in the hunt for at least an NCAA bid.
45:29
And so we need them to be pretty good because, you know, when we do beat them, which we will on a consistent basis, even with the new coaching staff, we want those wins to be more meaningful.
45:43
And we're not gonna get that if Wisconsin sucks.
45:46
So it's good for the league.
45:50
It'll be good for their program.
45:51
So it's, I think it's a positive.
45:53
Even if we have a harder time beating them, it's still gonna be, I think, a positive in the long run.
46:00
Vegoe, do you know who doesn't suck?
46:03
The national champion, North Dakota Fighting Hawks.
46:08
And they are making their return to Mariucci this year in early November.
46:13
Please tell me you're excited for them to make their return and for the Gophers to be playing them again.
46:23
I'm excited to see what kind of crowd that is.
46:26
It's going to be an expensive ticket into that building to see that bad battle.
46:31
But it's fun to see them on the schedule.
46:34
You're rarely taking out, kid.
46:36
He's excited to get the rivalry going again.
46:39
It's going to be a lot of fun to watch.
46:41
Brock Buster is the one that got away.
46:43
And he turned out to be quite the player last year for them.
46:45
And he got a ring out of it.
46:48
But they are a deep team.
46:49
They're going to be fun to watch.
46:51
The Fighting Who coming back.
46:53
What do you think, Hammeh?
46:55
Please tell me you're excited.
46:58
I gotta be honest with you.
46:59
I have probably not...
47:01
I have not given a thought.
47:05
I swear to you.
47:07
I mean, obviously I knew that was...
47:08
I knew they were playing this year.
47:10
But no, I mean, I just honestly, I don't...
47:14
Yes.
47:15
I don't really focus on that.
47:17
Don't get me wrong.
47:18
I'll be excited when the series gets here.
47:20
And, of course, I want us to beat on both games.
47:22
But I just haven't been...
47:25
I don't focus on one series like that.
47:27
And I just...
47:28
I never have.
47:28
It's just more like I want the team to do well this year.
47:32
I'm focused on the big picture.
47:34
And it's great to have a rival back in the schedule.
47:38
Don't get me wrong.
47:39
But to me, it's...
47:41
At the end of the year, it's another series.
47:44
It's just another, you know, how we're going to stack up in a pair wise.
47:48
Does it help us?
47:49
Does it hurt us?
47:50
Does it...
47:50
I mean, that's really what I care about.
47:52
So it's more of the big picture stuff.
47:55
I know that'll be a good series and they're a good team, obviously.
47:57
So it'll be meaningful to whatever, especially if we win two games.
48:02
But I don't know.
48:04
Maybe it's because we haven't played them, you know, at least in regular season play for several years.
48:10
It's just sort of like another non-conference, in a sense, to me, even though I know it has more meaning from a fan perspective.
48:17
For me, overall, it's just like another series.
48:21
Well, we'll get more into North Dakota down the road.
48:23
But first, we do have some games this weekend, running a little short on time here, guys.
48:27
So, thoughts about going up to Anchorage and playing both of them and Fairbanks this weekend, Veegs?
48:36
You know, it's hard to know what to think about the Alaska programs.
48:39
You know, their future is on thin ice up there, not necessarily having funding going forward.
48:46
So, I know that's damaged the recruiting process for them.
48:50
So, it's hard to know what's going to happen with them.
48:54
You know, it's two extra games on the schedule, and it's great for Shearhorn to get back to his hometown and play in front of his friends and family from that area.
49:03
He's kind of been a journeyman goalie.
49:05
I know Nate Wells focused on that in his feature for the Pioneer Press that's going to be out tomorrow.
49:12
And it's going to be a great experience for the team to go up there.
49:14
But it is two games for them that doesn't count to their normal game count for the season, but they do count in the standings.
49:23
So I would expect to see them get two wins.
49:27
What do you think, Cami?
49:28
Heading up to Anchorage.
49:30
Yeah, I mean, it's kind of funny.
49:32
It's kind of like the good old days where we'd be up to a lot of hours, you know.
49:40
Drunk podcasts?
49:41
Yeah, and also seeing those goofy ass commercials that we used to see if we pick up the internet feed for Anchorage.
49:51
You know, it always seemed like we would, for one reason or another, have one pretty good game and then one mediocre game up there.
50:00
I don't know if it was a travel or what, but hopefully because it's the first series of the year, they'll have a lot of energy in them and it won't be any of that kind of lull.
50:10
And I think the good thing is they have, you know, just an exhibition the week after that, so maybe they can put all their eggs and focus on things carefully this weekend and be pretty successful.
50:25
Yeah, as usual, that first game Friday night is going to be a late one, 10 p.m.
50:29
start, but Sunday, they play Fairbanks at 730 p.m.
50:34
You can catch that on, looks like a stream on WCHA TV website.
50:40
I think it costs, obviously, it's going to cost you some money.
50:44
I'm just going to...
50:44
I think it's about nine bucks a game.
50:46
Yeah.
50:47
I'm probably just going to listen to Freef with Wally and Frank and just go with it.
50:53
I don't need to pay for it.
50:54
They'll be there.
50:55
They're leaving them all.
50:57
Yep, they are.
50:59
Let's just get blitzed and we'll have our own play-by-play.
51:02
Should we do live broadcast and drink and I can go through a bottle of gin again?
51:06
Whatever works, man.
51:09
I may have to think about that.
51:11
You go with the gin, I'll go with the fireball or whatever.
51:17
Live broadcast Friday night, huh?
51:21
I'll drink a bunch of craft beer.
51:23
Oh, man, but you gotta drink a lot to get drunk on beer, don't you?
51:28
We'll have 12% beers.
51:33
We'll have Superstar deliver it to us on a tray in her like French-made outfit or something like that.
51:43
Yeah, I'll let you try to tell Superstar that.
51:47
We've got another guy with a quick question here, South Dakota Tourism Board, kind of strange, but Hammy, will we have a 50-point score this year?
51:58
You know, I actually feel like that's, I actually feel pretty good about that.
52:03
I mean, especially with Clues and Zmitula playing on the same line, I think those guys have the opportunity to be very dynamic together.
52:10
Of course, we'll have to see if that chemistry is there.
52:13
I would imagine it is if the coaches are gonna try to, you know, start off with that.
52:19
The only concern you have is a little bit is they don't really have the grind factor upfront like they did with Fashing.
52:27
So, I mean, there's a little bit of that concern if they're gonna have, but you know, speed kills, right?
52:34
So, sometimes, maybe you just have that really fast and forecheck and create turnovers and get that kind of transition game going.
52:43
But I do think that there's a good opportunity for some pretty healthy numbers for a couple of the guys.
52:49
Veegs, remember, it used to be, well, we have a 70 or 80 point score.
52:54
A little different these days with all the goals and structure.
52:59
And the Gophers play a great schedule.
53:00
I mean, that's one of the things at that moment in the Big Ten is, you know, their schedule is tough from start to finish.
53:05
You know, there's not really, you know, maybe the Mariucci Classic could be a cupcake, but you never know what kind of team they're gonna play in the second night.
53:14
But otherwise, all these teams are legit top 20 teams.
53:20
Definitely.
53:22
I'm looking forward to the whole season.
53:24
It's looking promising for me.
53:26
You know, I look at that schedule, you know, we get a home and home in St.
53:28
Cloud.
53:29
We head out East two times this year.
53:32
I don't remember any time we've done that in the last 20 years.
53:35
Obviously, we got North Dakota coming in.
53:39
It's gonna be an exciting season, so I'm looking forward to it.
53:43
Yeah, I think the team has a good chance this year to be pretty good.
53:47
I think they're gonna surprise.
53:48
I think there's a lot of better offensive depth defense.
53:52
I think they're gonna be improved.
53:54
Obviously, I think Shearhorn Nogoli is, of course, always gonna be a huge factor in it.
54:00
And I think that if he takes that next step, he'll be in real good shape.
54:04
So I'm really excited about the year.
54:07
I feel more positive about this season than I did at the start of last season.
54:11
So I'm excited to see what happens.
54:16
Well, that's about it for this week, guys.
54:18
You know, we're gonna take a week off since there's an exhibition next week.
54:22
And we'll see how it goes.
54:25
Well, we're not gonna break down the USA team?
54:27
Come on, man.
54:29
I just don't care.
54:29
I'm sorry.
54:30
I know.
54:31
I'm just kidding.
54:32
Veegs, though, but at the end of this podcast, I'll add a bunch of audio.
54:36
And you sent me a bunch of audio.
54:37
What are we going to be listening to tonight?
54:40
You'll get Super Senior Connor Riley.
54:43
He talks about spending his fifth year at Minnesota.
54:46
They've nicknamed him Teak, as in Antique, around the locker room.
54:52
But he's not squeaking this year, which is good.
54:54
He's had three pretty major injuries that he's had to rehab over his career, and this year he's feeling healthy, finally.
55:01
So he kind of opened up on that, so that'll be interesting.
55:05
You got Bischoff talking about a lot of vanilla stuff from him.
55:09
He's a pretty team guy who plays it pretty straight.
55:13
You'll get a lot about Shearhorn going back to Alaska.
55:16
You'll get Justin Kuhs talking about being a leader.
55:19
All the players will touch on the locker room improvements, and then you'll get to hear Don LeChia talk a little bit about the season ahead, the team he's got, and then I ask him questions about the recruiting and post-season sites for NCAA Tournament, and he talks a little bit about that as well.
55:39
Well, for those listening live, you'll have to go back and listen to the podcast to hear all that audio, because Vegoe sent me a bunch of stuff.
55:47
But like I said, we're going to be taking a week off since it's an exhibition next week, but we'll be back in two weeks to preview St.
55:54
Cloud State and recap the trip to Alaska.
55:59
Sorry for all the prompts tonight, but I think we've got it ironed out now, so we'll see you in a couple weeks.
56:36
Do you have grams or anything this year?
56:39
The only one I have for it was teak, which is like short for antique, but.
56:44
Does it feel like it's been that long?
56:45
I mean, it goes quickly, doesn't it?
56:47
Yeah, it does.
56:47
I mean, I just remember coming in the first year when Bukshead, Holla, Justin Holla, all those guys were here, and all of a sudden you got a lot of young guys here that obviously aren't my age, but it's flown by, but I'm very excited to be back here again.
57:05
Just another round of the title, hopefully.
57:06
Strange being the last rally standing.
57:08
Yeah, it's obviously different.
57:09
I mean, the past 20 years I've played on a team with Ryan or Mike my entire life, so I'm kind of the lone wolf this year, but it's been enjoyable.
57:18
It's been a little different, but I've really enjoyed it.
57:20
I'm killing still.
57:21
Yeah, yeah, so much.
57:24
Well, with this being your fifth year pretty much with the team, what kind of insight do you have for a lot of the freshmen or anybody else on the team, which is for the state where you've been on the team?
57:35
Yeah, so obviously I've been a member for five years now, and I sat here out my first year, so I've been kind of on the outside.
57:43
I've played on every line here at certain points.
57:45
I feel like I got a pretty good amount of experience, and especially the young guys, you can just pull them aside and say, hey, they're going to be ups and downs, they're going to be some bad days, they're going to be some good days, but save the process, show up and work hard every day, it will eventually pay off.
57:58
Did the summer go by quick for you?
58:00
Yeah, yeah, it was a really quick summer.
58:03
It was weird.
58:05
Like, I think it's just because we had so many guys returning in the weight room in the summer, it just seemed so natural, it didn't seem like there was much of a transition, just because you only had five training with us all summer, but summer flew by and all of a sudden, like, I was talking with one of the guys Monday, it doesn't seem like it's game week already, it seems like we're still doing cabin's practice, but we're excited, I think we're definitely ready.
58:27
You guys said the knee injury and the surgeries were all behind you.
58:31
Is it true and was it in the back of your mind last year?
58:35
Yeah, honestly, last year, that was a big challenge mentally, probably one of the hardest years I've had.
58:42
I was just really critical of myself.
58:43
Whenever I leave the rink, I just think about, I'm supposed to be doing this, I'm supposed to be doing that.
58:48
But I can honestly say this is probably the first time in three years that my brain and my body are working together.
58:54
It always seemed like the past couple of years, they're kind of button heads and just not everything was connecting the past few years.
59:02
It was for a little bit before I got hurt, my red shirt sophomore year, but I feel great skating, I got no knee pain.
59:09
All of a sudden, I have a clear head playing, and that's honestly the biggest thing.
59:14
Because my knee feels good, all of a sudden my hands and shot feel good.
59:17
I actually want to puck out my stick, so I'm excited to see what happens.
59:21
I just want to play free and contribute every way I can.
59:24
How different was your off season not having to re-have an injury?
59:28
Yeah, it was really nice, to be honest.
59:31
Honestly, I started skating two weeks after the year, and that was the first time, like the year before that, I had to wait four months before I actually skated.
59:41
So last April, I was on the ice doing some skill stuff, doing some skating stuff, and even then, I could tell that by putting the work on, I'm going to feel normal.
59:50
I'm not going to be worried about my knee.
59:51
I'm not going to have questions or thinking the game.
59:54
I can just go out and play and react to the game like I always have growing up, because obviously, it's been a major struggle with that, and I truly do feel the injuries are behind me.
1:00:04
It's been hella times, actually three times, to be for real, but it's definitely been worth it.
1:00:11
There's been a lot of ups and downs, and a lot of days where sometimes you kind of question, it just doesn't seem like you're having that much fun, but right now, I absolutely love where I'm at.
1:00:22
I've had no second guesses coming back, and I'm very excited to lead and help this team.
1:00:27
Like I said, the biggest thing is you can have a clear mind and not be beating yourself up all the time, because you didn't do what you wanted to do at the rink.
1:00:35
Does it kind of make you feel like you have to, make this year count, but really squeeze the most out of you can out of it?
1:00:42
Yeah, absolutely.
1:00:43
Honestly, it's the most fun I've had playing hockey just this first month and a half.
1:00:47
Since I've been here, like I said, like I was telling the coach, I show up to the rink and I actually look forward to it.
1:00:53
Honestly, the past couple of months of the last season, it was really tough being a captain, showing up and being expected to lead and have a smile on your face, and there were some tough times, even though I was, I don't know, struggling a little bit inside.
1:01:07
This first month and a half has been unbelievable.
1:01:10
Obviously, new locker room halls and new environment, but just the fact the way I feel physically and knowing the hard work is paying off, I'm pretty optimistic about the way things are going to go.
1:01:21
And with that, I really enjoy our group and the coach we have displaced right now.
1:01:25
What do you like about it?
1:01:25
Given that you have mostly your forwards back from last year, what's your early impressions on that group?
1:01:30
Yeah, honestly, I think a lot of guys have gotten better.
1:01:32
We've had a lot of guys that worked hard and trained hard, and I think we're very skilled, very quick, very skilled.
1:01:39
We're going to be tough to play against just because I do believe everyone's a little bit quicker, a little faster.
1:01:44
I think we're going to put a lot of pressure on defense on the forecheck and the back check, so I think we're going to be a hard team to play against that can make some plays.
1:01:50
How can you lead better this year than you were last year?
1:01:54
To start off last year, I know Cluess and Bisch would say the same thing.
1:01:57
We came in and we're used to Kyle Rauh or Nate Condon leading and Seth Ambrose.
1:02:04
We weren't always the most vocal guys and all of a sudden we kind of had to be with the voices in the room, so we're kind of out of our comfort zone.
1:02:10
I think we grew into that, but for me personally, the best thing I do is lead by example as a student, as an athlete, and as a person.
1:02:18
I think if you treat people well, you work hard, you take care of the guy next to you, whether they need a pat on the back or kicking the butt, I think you definitely have to be there for each guy in a different way.
1:02:31
Are you more vocal this year?
1:02:33
Yeah, absolutely, and it's weird talking.
1:02:36
I mean, a lot of these guys are younger, and they don't feel that much younger than me, because I still consider myself like a senior in college.
1:02:45
But when you actually think about the numbers, yeah, it seems really young, some of these guys.
1:02:50
But it's still been a good time.
1:02:53
That was you not that long ago.
1:02:55
I know.
1:02:56
In the new locker room?
1:02:58
What's that?
1:02:58
The new locker room?
1:02:59
Yeah.
1:03:00
So I didn't even take a peek all summer just because I just wanted to have one big surprise.
1:03:05
And it blew away my expectations.
1:03:07
Like the first day I was walking in there, it wasn't real life.
1:03:10
I thought it would take a week or two to hit me.
1:03:12
We literally went from the outhouse to the penthouse.
1:03:16
It's unbelievable.
1:03:17
Just from what we had, a locker room that was nice in 2000, and all of a sudden, I mean, I can't see there being a nice locker room in the nation.
1:03:24
Although I haven't seen them all.
1:03:26
What have you been skating with?
1:03:29
Lately, I've been with Sheehy and Novak.
1:03:31
I've been following those guys.
1:03:33
Tom is a great puck mover and Sheehy is also a very smart player.
1:03:37
I think you can mix and match a lot of guys on our different lines, which just shows the depth we have.
1:03:43
I think it's going to be the biggest strength for our team, and we're going to keep improving and working to get better, and hopefully get the best out of this group.
1:03:50
You guys got to pull them.
1:03:51
I'm going to have Jake Bischoff go up next.
1:03:59
That's easy.
1:04:02
This team is going to be successful this season.
1:04:04
What's that number one thing that has to happen?
1:04:08
I think it comes from a lot of different things.
1:04:10
We need good leadership.
1:04:11
We need to continue getting better every single day.
1:04:15
We need to have solid defense.
1:04:17
I think that's very important emphasis for us this year.
1:04:21
I mean, last year we gave up too many goals each game.
1:04:24
I think we need to really tighten up defensively and continue to try to score goals offensively.
1:04:29
With the defense losing two people, do you feel that there's a bit of continuity just with the remaining guys?
1:04:35
Yeah, you know, I mean, it definitely hurts losing Cedar and Brownsley.
1:04:37
They're a great team guys and very good hockey players, but we also have some good freshmen come in this year.
1:04:43
Hopefully they'll be able to step in and start making an impact early.
1:04:48
With those freshmen, how do you want to lend yourself to be the senior captain, to give them good insight about playing the college game?
1:04:58
Yeah, I mean, definitely I've been here.
1:05:01
It's my fourth year now, so I've certain all the ropes a little bit, certain all the systems that Gensel is trying to teach us.
1:05:07
So I think just being around for a while, I'm able to really answer some of the questions they have and just try to be there to help them in whatever way I can, make them feel comfortable out there.
1:05:19
Alaska is kind of a special place for your coaches.
1:05:21
He's been leaning on you guys a little bit about this trip.
1:05:23
Yeah, no, I mean, for me too, I grew up in northern Minnesota, I loved outdoors, so I've never been to Alaska.
1:05:30
I'm really excited for that as well.
1:05:31
So I know some of the guys, they're a little worried about the long flight, but I'm really excited to go out there and see what it looks like, and I know coaches here has been excited too.
1:05:43
Last year, the special teams had a lot of turn over to going to the start of the year.
1:05:47
This year, you guys have a lot of guys coming back in the same roles.
1:05:50
Do you have a sense that that's going to be the case, and Power Play is going to get a better start this year?
1:05:56
Yeah.
1:05:56
I mean, you definitely hope that's the case, but obviously we still need to go out there and keep getting better and keep working on it.
1:06:02
But I think people will feel a little more comfortable maybe this year than they did at the start of last year.
1:06:07
I know we struggled right away in the season, and I definitely feel like we'll be more comfortable, but at the same time, we're going to keep going out there and working.
1:06:16
Do you get a sense you're going to be playing with the same guys in the Power Play?
1:06:20
I mean, so far in practice, it's been sort of how we finished last year, I think.
1:06:24
But I mean, definitely things will be up for change.
1:06:27
You know, if stuff doesn't work out right away, it's not like we're going to keep beating something until it works.
1:06:33
We're just going to change it up.
1:06:34
So I mean, definitely right now it's sort of the same, but we'll see after the first weekend, I guess.
1:06:40
How have the additions to the coaching staff helped out or kind of changed the atmosphere among the team?
1:06:45
Yeah, I know it's been good.
1:06:46
I think Cory and Ben Gordon have been great out there with us.
1:06:49
You can definitely tell that they've both been around the game a long time and definitely know a lot of stuff.
1:06:54
And just getting some tips and insights that they have has been really good for us, for sure.
1:06:59
Any Northern Minnesota bias with those two playing in for you?
1:07:02
A little bit.
1:07:03
Not too much.
1:07:04
But, yeah, I mean, they haven't really...
1:07:07
Cory Brown has been talking with the Forward's more and Ben Gordon, I don't know exactly if he can communicate with us too much out there.
1:07:13
I'm not exactly sure on the ruling on that, but I'm pretty sure he can.
1:07:16
So, I mean, I've definitely talked a little bit off the ice, so we've talked a little bit, for sure.
1:07:22
Thoughts on the new locker room?
1:07:23
Oh, my gosh, it's incredible.
1:07:24
I mean, it's amazing.
1:07:26
It's definitely something special and definitely cool.
1:07:30
It shows a lot of tradition that we have here.
1:07:32
You definitely, definitely feel lucky to be a part of the program when you walk in there.
1:07:36
What's the best feature for those of us that haven't been in there?
1:07:39
One thing that stands out.
1:07:41
Yeah, I think just having, I mean, everything's unbelievable, but having the lounge there where we can eat our meals after practice and just be able to hang out.
1:07:51
I mean, on Sundays, they have big TVs in there, so we'll all come in and watch the Vikings games and that kind of stuff, you know, just be able to hang out as a team.
1:07:59
And it's a little more collective of all of us involved together, so.
1:08:03
It's the first time you guys have kind of had a team place together, right?
1:08:07
Before it's all been off campus.
1:08:09
Yeah, no, exactly.
1:08:10
We haven't really.
1:08:11
Our team lounge was upstairs before, so I mean, no one really went to it ever, just because it was so far out of the way.
1:08:18
So, I mean, we sort of hung out in the training room last year, I guess.
1:08:22
But yeah, I know this year, it's nice having that to be able to hang out with each other.
1:08:28
That upstairs lounge was lovey-dovey.
1:08:31
Okay, so we'll bring in Justin, who's next.
1:08:33
Hey, guys.
1:08:34
How's it going?
1:08:37
What was your team last year, but it's your team again this year?
1:08:40
Does it feel any different?
1:08:42
Yeah, maybe a little bit.
1:08:43
I feel maybe a little more relaxed from going into the season.
1:08:48
But yeah, like, you know, coming off last year, I think this year we got a lot of, you know, obvious leaders as far as, you know, all the seniors, the captains, Bish, Conor Mee, and then also you have guys like Vinny and Rogie and Shratula and Cammie.
1:09:02
So we got a lot of older guys.
1:09:03
So it's nice to have a lot of experience with the older guys.
1:09:07
Do you believe how fast the time has gone in this?
1:09:09
It's crazy.
1:09:10
It feels like I was a freshman yesterday, you know, but I'm still going to have the same butterflies I think when I jump on Mariucci for the first time this year.
1:09:17
And it's, you know, it's a Friday night.
1:09:19
So I'm really looking forward to it.
1:09:21
And hopefully this final is a good one.
1:09:23
How much more comfortable do you feel in your leadership role now that you're captain last year and you'll be in a similar role this year?
1:09:29
Yeah, just more comfortable with everything as far as, you know, warm ups and knowing my duties as far as making sure communication with the coaches or the media, things that where guys need to be and what they need to do is a lot easier and a little more stress-free this year, this time around.
1:09:46
So hopefully we'll have a little bit better start the last year, too.
1:09:50
What are your impressions on Fondrenelik?
1:09:52
He's been great.
1:09:53
He can really fly out there.
1:09:55
He's got those fresh young legs and can really get around.
1:09:58
I'm really looking forward to what he can do on the ice.
1:10:01
I obviously know he's a very talented player and I think he's going to step up to the heavy playing time minutes and do really well for us this year.
1:10:09
You only have one significant spot to fill in the forward lines.
1:10:14
So what does that mean for the forwards and in terms of what you expect in the production this year?
1:10:19
Obviously an improvement from last year.
1:10:21
I think we were okay as far as scoring.
1:10:22
We had a really slow start.
1:10:23
But as the season went on, we got fairly deep within our scoring from all three lines and a couple of power plays.
1:10:31
But I'm really looking forward to obviously guys having another year of experience, being more consistent.
1:10:37
And then even the guys, I guess, they're slotted below the top three lines right now to really push because, you know, those guys have gotten better too.
1:10:45
And I think they'll be mixed in to the lineup as far as those top three lines.
1:10:49
And they'll be able to produce and help the team out.
1:10:52
No one's asking questions about your goaltender.
1:10:54
Yeah.
1:10:55
Is he a factor?
1:10:56
I don't know.
1:10:56
I mean, I wouldn't play on it.
1:10:58
We're pretty confident in our situation.
1:11:00
And even after Shears, Shears had a good summer.
1:11:03
I think he's gotten better.
1:11:04
And then the Laramo and Coutsey also look good.
1:11:07
And I think a little more healthy than they were last year round.
1:11:10
Done history in Alaska.
1:11:11
Is he leaning on you guys a little harder this weekend?
1:11:13
Yeah.
1:11:14
I mean, I think he's kind of going up there with the high hopes that we are.
1:11:18
I mean, the hopes as we expect to get a sweep.
1:11:20
I think this one's a, you know, a little more pride for him for himself as far as being, you know, coaching both of those programs at different times.
1:11:28
What do you like most about this year's team?
1:11:30
I love our speed.
1:11:32
I love our, as far as chemistry off the ice right now is awesome.
1:11:35
You know, everyone's really getting along and I think it's going to be a team that, you know, plays for one goal.
1:11:40
There's not going to be a lot of outside influence as far as other things going on.
1:11:44
So I think this will be a really focused group because, you know, obviously last year was unacceptable.
1:11:48
So that's, I'm really pumped for the whole thing.
1:11:52
And that's about as positive I can be, I think.
1:11:54
What have you been playing with in practice?
1:11:56
I've been slotted with Cammie and Schmittula for the time being.
1:12:00
So hopefully we get off to a hot start and get produced throughout the year.
1:12:04
How important is that fast start for you guys, especially this weekend, to get off to that, to obviously, you guys want to sweep to getting to that?
1:12:11
Yeah, it's huge.
1:12:13
It's huge.
1:12:14
Obviously from last year you can tell how much non-conference matters.
1:12:17
We were playing pretty well at the end of the year and we lost to a good team and weren't able to make it.
1:12:22
So it's, I think everyone understands the importance of these games.
1:12:25
So I think we're going to come out with our best in these first two games.
1:12:28
You like the locker room?
1:12:30
It's awesome, yeah.
1:12:31
Going to be more excited to play this one year in it, which is kind of BS, but I can deal with it.
1:12:38
No, I was joking around.
1:12:40
I think some of the seniors might want a red shirt just to stick around for another year.
1:12:44
But yeah, it's awesome.
1:12:45
So much tradition when you walk right in the doors.
1:12:47
It should be really good for the years on end.
1:12:51
Does it make your job easier as a captain to have that space with the guys?
1:12:55
Yeah, I mean, I don't think it changes a whole lot.
1:12:58
You get plenty of loan time away from coaches, away from outside factors to just be with the guys.
1:13:04
But definitely having lounge and just improved everything when it comes to sauna, training room.
1:13:13
It's just nice.
1:13:14
Everyone might be in a little more upbeat mood now, but it's good.
1:13:18
We're building chemistry, too.
1:13:20
Building the chemistry.
1:13:21
Gopher shop touched on how you guys watch games on Sunday.
1:13:23
You're able to hang out more.
1:13:24
Yeah, it's fun.
1:13:25
The lounge is great.
1:13:26
It's definitely something that we didn't have last year, and it's a really easy place to hang out and relax on Sunday.
1:13:32
I thought last year, when summer go by fast, how did you spend it?
1:13:36
Yeah, summer went by well, I mean, we've been biting at the bit.
1:13:40
Season ended a little too early last year, so it's been a frustrating way to try to just get back at it and work at your own game.
1:13:47
Then once you get together with the team, you can start focusing on the real goals that matter.
1:13:58
I'll buy a shower, so yeah, it's good.
1:14:04
When was the last time you played a quote-unquote home game up there?
1:14:07
Yeah, last time I was back home was seventh grade.
1:14:10
I think it might have been Bannum, or no, Peewee AAA State Championship, last home game.
1:14:18
Winner or loser?
1:14:19
We won.
1:14:19
It's hard to believe that your travels of taking in, even at that young age, all the ground you've had to cover.
1:14:25
Yeah, I mean, it's kind of crazy.
1:14:27
I've got close buddies who, again, haven't seen me play since seventh grade, so it's cool to be up there to show them how I've progressed since seventh grade.
1:14:37
Ballpark, how big will they entourage?
1:14:39
Not your entourage, the ticket-buying Sheerhorn Fan Club.
1:14:42
Give me a ballpark.
1:14:44
I want to say my mom has gathered around 25, 30 tickets so far, but that's just student tickets that she's had transferred from other parents.
1:14:55
I'm sure there will be more than that.
1:14:58
With Howie knowing that this is the first game of season that he had, it kind of circled both for being returned to home and just how last season ended.
1:15:06
Yeah, I mean, I think I heard Clu say it just in the previous interview, we've been chomping at the bit to get back on the ice and playing games because obviously we didn't like Howie ended last year.
1:15:17
Yeah, I mean, going home adds a little incentive to me, but I mean, I'm not going into it thinking that it's any other game.
1:15:27
I got to play it how I know I can and just like it's any other game, can't let all those distractions get in my way.
1:15:34
What did you work on over the summer?
1:15:37
Part of the things I worked on is testing more upgrade.
1:15:40
Me and JJ felt that I was leaning over a little too much sometimes, falling forward on lateral plays.
1:15:48
So that's something we worked on and just getting quicker, stronger in the weight room.
1:15:52
Big Ten goalie of the year, you're coming back.
1:15:54
What does that honor me around your neck as another?
1:15:59
I mean, I don't read too much into it, honestly, because when you look at it last year, I mean, there's only five teams in the Big Ten, and most of which really didn't have a number one guy.
1:16:08
So I don't put too much weight on it.
1:16:10
And I mean, I know there's room for me to grow, even though I did have that accolade last year.
1:16:16
There's parts of my game, whether it's Goals Against or Sabre Centers, that I know I can improve and that I need to improve for our team to take that next step.
1:16:24
How much have you followed what's going on with the two programs up there despite being their last season?
1:16:28
Yeah, I mean, it's too bad.
1:16:30
I mean, I grew up watching those games.
1:16:32
I mean, I haven't thought about it too much.
1:16:35
I mean, but it's going to suck because people like the hockey up there.
1:16:39
And it's grown the game.
1:16:40
And I know I looked up to those guys when I was younger, and that's part of what pushed me to want to play college hockey.
1:16:45
But, you know, hopefully they can stay, but we'll see what happens.
1:16:48
Have you played at those arenas where they play?
1:16:50
I haven't played at the Sullivan Arena, you know.
1:16:53
You don't really play there in youth hockey, but I have been there 30, 40 times.
1:16:59
So I know pretty well.
1:17:01
Something that you've always wanted to do, play at that arena maybe?
1:17:03
Yeah, I mean, again, I grew up watching the Aces, their ECHL team and the Seawolves growing up.
1:17:10
And, you know, I did always remember when the Gophers came to town, you know, that you kind of circled that on the calendar because it was a big deal because, you know, they're one of the programs.
1:17:18
So, yeah, I've always wanted to play there.
1:17:22
How often do you get back home even though you haven't been there for so long?
1:17:24
You know, not much because, you know, you always want to be down here during the off season, whether it's being able to train with JJ and be in the weight room with Caldides and just being around the team.
1:17:38
I probably got back there for two weeks this summer.
1:17:41
So most of my summers centered around training here.
1:17:45
How do you like the locker room?
1:17:46
It's unbelievable.
1:17:49
I can't even describe it.
1:17:51
Everything's top notch, all you could ever ask for in a locker room, and then some.
1:17:58
It's just the most incredible thing I've ever seen.
1:18:00
Did you go in from time to time?
1:18:01
Like Cotner said, he waited until it was done.
1:18:02
Yeah, I didn't want to see it until it was its finished product.
1:18:06
I just wanted to be blown away when I walked in by the finished product.
1:18:11
Will that rub off when you guys go on the ice?
1:18:17
I think the thing that will help most is team chemistry.
1:18:20
I mean, the last two Sundays since we've been in the locker room, we've been in the lounge, at least 15 of us, from kickoff on Sunday football to seven at night, just hanging around with the guys.
1:18:34
So, I mean, that'll help, but at the end of the day, once you step on the ice, hockey's hockey.
1:18:38
So I don't think the locker room will play too much into that.
1:18:41
What was your experience having your first off-season with Cal Dietz?
1:18:46
Well, it was my second because I think you can count coming in as a freshman.
1:18:51
You're in the locker room a lot, but I mean, it's good.
1:18:53
He knows what to work on.
1:18:55
He's got specified things for me.
1:18:57
As far as I told him, I wanted to get quicker, I wanted to get more flexible, and I think we accomplished that in the off-season.
1:19:04
With that first year under your belt, how comfortable do you feel coming into the number one role this year again?
1:19:10
I feel comfortable.
1:19:11
The coaches have put their confidence in me, and I think I have the confidence in my teammates, and I know what to expect now, and I know what comes with a full schedule of college hockey and playing the minutes.
1:19:24
So I'm confident for this year.
1:19:28
Thanks.
1:19:29
Thanks.
1:19:29
Enjoy the trip as much as you can.
1:19:30
Thank you.
1:19:38
Trying to bring them anybody.
1:19:39
No marathon?
1:19:41
No marathon this weekend.
1:19:42
Just a marathon flight.
1:19:43
That's all.
1:19:44
Ask your guys if you would lead it on a little bit with your history up in Alaska.
1:19:47
Is this more special to you than it is me?
1:19:48
Well, it's a combination.
1:19:50
When you look at, I always enjoyed our trips up there.
1:19:53
I think it's nice to have the two bonus games.
1:19:55
Obviously, once we recruited Eric, that's something I wanted to do is get back to play games for him.
1:20:01
Obviously, selfishly, when you spend 12 years up there coaching me on board programs, the opportunity to go up there and start for your neighborhood with a couple of games, and what a great bonding trip for our players too.
1:20:13
You know, so I just looked at it with, it was kind of a win-win, with regards to so many different reasons.
1:20:18
Worry if this might be it, though?
1:20:20
You know what, I...
1:20:22
I know you can't worry about it, but...
1:20:24
No, I mean, I hope not.
1:20:25
I mean, obviously, when, you know, I was there when the programs began, really, and saw it through when, you know, my second...
1:20:33
My first year up there was a second year in the program, up in Fairbanks, and then I was there when they got in the CCHA and Anchorage took...
1:20:41
got in WCHA, and I think we were an affiliate member in Fairbanks before I left to go to CC and got the job there.
1:20:47
So it was nice to see the growth from Division II, Division I independent, to be in a member conference, which had to happen, and you hope that it can continue, and obviously there's some budget issues with the price of oil as an impact on that state, but I'd still be very surprised if they shut both hockey programs down, and you know, on the flip side of that, something I told our players, I mean, they want to get off to a good start, they know what's at stake, I mean, they're talking about their program, and I know they're working hard to try to put as many people in the building this weekend as a show of support for their programs, and with us playing Anchorage on Friday, and then Anchorage and Fairbanks is a big rival, that's what they hope to do, and hopefully they're successful, because I know a lot of people up there that put a lot of sweat and effort into building those programs, and for the most part, they've been pretty successful over the years, and important, and I think the neat things with those programs, a lot of the players have stayed when they went up there, and they're an Alaskan gal, kinda like I did, and they've stayed and been important parts of the community.
1:21:54
How often do you get back up there?
1:21:56
I was up there a number of times this summer, just went to a wedding in Sitka, went up there for a vacation, but we've been going up every summer right now, and we're trying to get Joyce back home, so she's up there right now, visiting mom and dad, so I'll see her when I get up on Thursday.
1:22:11
How paramount is senior leadership is coming into this season?
1:22:14
Well, I think it's important.
1:22:15
I mean, I really like what I've seen for our seniors right now.
1:22:18
I think that when I look at their roles, they're all going to play very important and key roles in our team, whether it's on specialty teams and leadership.
1:22:29
I think they've all come back in great shape.
1:22:32
I look throughout our lineup and I see guys that have become better players, and that's a good sign.
1:22:37
So I want to point out we didn't get an exhibition game against Canadian team, and we're tired of practice.
1:22:43
We just need to start playing some games now and then be able to evaluate people and evaluate where we're at as a team at this stage.
1:22:50
With the number of returning players, especially in the top nine, does it make it difficult to slot people?
1:22:55
You know, they kind of fell into place a little bit.
1:22:57
You have some ideas of maybe who should play with who, but we've moved them around a little bit.
1:23:01
But the way we have them now, I think there's been kind of 10 guys that have separated themselves.
1:23:09
Obviously, all 10 can't be in the top nine, so we'll have to allow that to play itself out.
1:23:14
But I think based on what we've seen, there's still spots where we'll rotate some guys probably this opening weekend in some different line up areas.
1:23:24
But there's a lot of returning guys.
1:23:27
And the freshman to softwares, they have to make more of an impact this year too.
1:23:33
And getting Smetula back after a red shirt year, he was a point of game guy in hockey for two years, so he's going to come right in in a pretty, I think, seamless transition into our team.
1:23:42
And obviously, Rem deciding to come was big, and you see his skill on the ice right away, and he's going to really elevate the skill of our team.
1:23:50
I think you'll see he'll have a real big year.
1:23:52
What makes him so good?
1:23:55
His vision.
1:23:55
I mean, he passes the pocket dream, they will.
1:23:57
He can shoot it.
1:23:58
I mean, he's physically strong.
1:24:00
I mean, we're reminiscing how, I think, when he decided he was going to commit to Minnesota, he was about 135 pounds, and now he's 200.
1:24:07
And he's really worked at his craft, really worked at his game, and, you know, he's obviously physically ready.
1:24:12
And I think this summer proved it to him with drafted and going to the camp, and then certainly going to the World Junior Camp that, you know, he was ready to play at a higher level.
1:24:22
And it didn't take long in practice to see that he was.
1:24:25
Do you like how you see him from the freshman so far?
1:24:27
Yeah, I mean, we're not going to have to count on him.
1:24:29
I mean, probably in the back end more early.
1:24:31
I mean, Jack Glover is not going to be available this weekend.
1:24:33
He had some offseason surgery, and he's been practicing.
1:24:37
He actually is 100% cleared, but the doctor just wanted to make sure that he had two full weeks of practice under contact before he played.
1:24:45
And so we took his non-contact jersey off Monday, and he'll be cleared to play against the US team next weekend.
1:24:51
So it's a good opportunity for a couple of those, Seals, Dorf, and Menninger, to get in line up right away.
1:24:56
I thought that was important, as you just mentioned.
1:24:58
Is everyone else good at that?
1:24:59
Yeah, we've been healthy.
1:25:00
We don't have any issues.
1:25:01
Jack is the only one.
1:25:03
He had some issues that he wanted to get taken care of.
1:25:05
He played with it throughout the year.
1:25:07
I think it was the right time in his career to get it taken care of.
1:25:12
I think the surgery went well.
1:25:14
Now he's cleared and shouldn't have any issues this year.
1:25:17
Other than Pidlick, do you have any other general impressions, early impressions on the freshmen?
1:25:22
I think the other ones will take some time, because they're going to have to battle over people right now.
1:25:27
One of the things even I told some of the returning guys is that when the year begins, a little bit is based on what happened last year with the returning guys and where they were slotted and where they're finished.
1:25:36
And so some guys are going to have to play their way into a different spot or play their way out of a spot.
1:25:41
But I like what I've seen.
1:25:44
I think we have pretty good speed.
1:25:46
We're not the biggest group of forwards, but I think we have a pretty good skill level and we skate well.
1:25:50
And now we got to drop the puck and play, see where we're at.
1:25:54
How are last year's captains handling the leadership role better this year?
1:25:57
I think it's just easier in year two.
1:26:00
I think the hard part when we talked to them last year was, all of a sudden they're the go-to guys in the team and they're the captains of all us juniors.
1:26:08
And I think that took a while for them to kind of understand that it's their responsibility and their team at this stage.
1:26:15
And I think throughout the summer that it makes that transition that much easier when this year began.
1:26:21
And okay, I'm a senior now.
1:26:24
It's my team and I've got to be the one leading on and off the ice and everything that we do.
1:26:29
And we've got a good group of seniors.
1:26:31
They're great program guys and they want to be here.
1:26:35
I think probably one or two of them kind of left early, but they want to stay for their senior year and we're certainly glad they did.
1:26:41
What effect does the departure of a key player like Hudson Fashing?
1:26:45
Well, it's just we're used to it.
1:26:47
We knew that he wouldn't be back this year.
1:26:49
Obviously, he had a great junior season and score a lot of big goals for us.
1:26:53
We'll probably miss that big body presence that he provided, the physical presence, the power forward.
1:26:59
So we really don't have anybody, at least today in our top nine in place that way.
1:27:03
We'll have to play a little bit different with those groupings.
1:27:07
But just not only was a good player, but just a quality kid.
1:27:11
That's what you miss, just is having a guy like that in the locker room.
1:27:16
We taped some clips and showed some entries and goals scored.
1:27:19
And there's Hudson doing all the little details for us to help us score goals.
1:27:23
He's got a lot of guys coming back in special teams.
1:27:26
What's the biggest challenge for you as a coach?
1:27:28
I think you just got to find who should play with who.
1:27:31
That's what you don't know like any season starts.
1:27:33
I mean, that's always the challenge that we're going to play game one.
1:27:37
How you think maybe the lineup should look, but that doesn't mean game two or game five.
1:27:42
It's going to look the same.
1:27:44
We have to get our guys all on the same page, whether it's young guys or the returning players.
1:27:49
And I think I'm most anxious to see just the returning players and how and can they elevate their game.
1:27:57
Technically, you're entering the season the last year, your contract.
1:27:59
I was shocked you were going to ask me that.
1:28:01
We got him, right?
1:28:03
How does that affect your thought process?
1:28:04
It doesn't affect it at all.
1:28:05
I mean, in what we do, I mean, we're all kind of year to year, aren't we?
1:28:09
How long is your contract?
1:28:10
We don't have contract.
1:28:11
Oh, does that affect your thought process?
1:28:16
No, I mean, the year begins and you're just excited about the year and that's the process.
1:28:21
And, you know, I feel good about the talks we've had and where things are headed.
1:28:26
Is it back burner until the season ends or do you want to get to the season?
1:28:28
I don't think it's going to be in the back burner.
1:28:31
The NCHC and Ivy League have been talking about recruiting starting too early.
1:28:36
Last year, you said you didn't have a magic wand to change it.
1:28:40
Is that still the case that there isn't enough?
1:28:42
Well, actually, I was part of a group of coaches that met in Chicago this summer and about our game and some of the things we want to do.
1:28:50
And that was obviously a topic of conversation.
1:28:53
I think we looked at, I think lacrosse has a model going right now, that you can't have any contact or even an unofficial visit or a phone or an email with anybody until the first day of school or junior year.
1:29:07
And I'm all on board on that.
1:29:10
And I think a lot of people are.
1:29:12
Now, I don't know if it came through, but I think I read something about the Ivy League presidents stepping forward.
1:29:17
I don't know what the status of that is.
1:29:18
I just saw something on the internet about that.
1:29:22
But it'd be great if it happened.
1:29:24
But until it does, we're going to be forced to recruit young kids.
1:29:29
But if we do make that change, I'm all on board.
1:29:33
And I think in the big picture, it's probably the right thing to do.
1:29:36
And hopefully it'll happen, not only for our sport, but all sports.
1:29:39
Because I think that's the concern.
1:29:40
It's trending.
1:29:41
I know because we had ADs at that meeting too.
1:29:43
And it was very interesting to hear the ADs' comments at some of the programs.
1:29:48
About how it's happening in soccer and volleyball and some other sports as well.
1:29:52
You know, they're recruiting for three years down the line.
1:29:55
How's the new AD taking interest in hockey since he's been...
1:29:58
Well, he's just a class guy.
1:30:00
I mean, I think he's gonna do a great job here at the university.
1:30:04
He's all in.
1:30:05
He was here before, so he understands it.
1:30:07
He knows it.
1:30:08
He knows the trials and tribulations of any coach.
1:30:13
He was a former player.
1:30:14
I think that helps.
1:30:16
And he's just a good quality person.
1:30:18
And I think that's where it always starts.
1:30:21
This is the last season that regional sites have locations set for post-season play.
1:30:25
Do you have any off-season meetings about that or discussions?
1:30:28
No, nothing.
1:30:30
I mean, that would probably get talked about more.
1:30:35
I don't know if there's a great consensus on that.
1:30:37
I think that's pretty split within the hockey body.
1:30:40
I mean, some people like to see it on campus.
1:30:42
Some people like to see the regional sites that they are.
1:30:45
I don't see it necessarily changing unless it was mandated from the NCAA like it is in some other sports.
1:30:52
Now, we're going that route in Big Ten.
1:30:54
I think it's good.
1:30:55
I think you get on campus sites.
1:30:56
You're used to playing there all year.
1:30:58
You get that little bit of a hometown crowd.
1:31:00
But the reality is that somebody is earning that right to play at home.
1:31:05
We all play on the road and we have to win on the road all year as it is.
1:31:08
So, I don't know, in a one game shot, I don't know how much it really matters.
1:31:14
Okay, thank you.
1:31:15
I will, other than the five and a half hour flight, We have five hours.
1:31:19
Hopefully, we don't have a headwind.
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