Hello From Europe!

 

 

We are officially  in Italy after a long, but fun day in Paris!  Brad from Eurosport Tours picked us up and all of our bags had arrived so all was well.  We had a wonderful first dinner and the breakfast this morning was superb as well.  We will be heading over to Como this morning where we will spend out next week.  Here's a recap of our first day!

We departed from Minneapolis last night at 8 pm and landed in Paris at 11 AM (4 AM our time) and hit the ground running.  We had an eight hour layover so we figured instead of hanging out in the airport we would visit a few of Paris’s wonderful sights.  We were picked up by Jacques (our bus driver) and Ann (our tour guide) and they did a great job showing us the must-see sights in a short 4 hour span.  We had a quick lunch and a bus tour of the historical side of Paris.  Ann let us stop at the Eiffel Tower so we could take pictures and buy a couple souvenirs (I bought 10 Eiffel Tower Keychains because they were 5 for a euro…I’m having a bit of buyer’s remorse wondering what I’m going to do with all of them).  We ended the tour by stopping at Notre Dame Cathedral which was absolutely stunning on the outside and in.  I’ve heard so many things about it, but you really can’t find words to describe how magnificent it is.

Jacques got us back to the airport with plenty of time to spare.  We were happy about this because having 41 English speaking tourists trying to figure out how to print off our boarding passes proved to be a bit more difficult than we were expecting. We did find a very helpful English-speaking employee that got us situated so all was well.

 If the first day is any foreshadowing, this is going to be a great group to tour with.  Everybody warned me about how hard this first day would be.  Between a night flight, jet lag, culture shock and having 41 different personalities, I was warned to prepare for the worst.  However, today was a pleasant surprise.  Everyone seemed to adjust to any stress or any curve balls we were thrown and we just soaked up Paris and made the most of it.  Can’t wait to see what Italy has in store for us!



A Mother's Day Weekend Reflection

It was a pretty hectic weekend here in Fargo since my parents and some of my former hockey and tennis players were in town.  It was great to see them all, but what was more moving was the reflection I had afterwards.

Friday after work I went over to take in some tennis.  The girls had played the day before in Jamestown, had two matches on Friday, and would be competing in a tournament on Saturday.  I went over to watch them and it didn't surprise me to see a number of parents there to watch their kids play.  It's a six hour drive from Williston and they were taking vacation time to be there.  Not to mention it was Mother's Day weekend.  The funny thing about it is I didn't think anything of it.  My parents made that exact same trip for five years straight when I was playing high school tennis and didn't think twice about it.  My mom's special day revolved around me (or my brothers when they were in sports) just like so many of these mothers that were here.

After the tennis match I went to have dinner with four of my former hockey players and one of their mothers whose turn it was to take them.  Not only did she devote her time and money to these players during season, but now she was devoting her time and money in the off-season to help them improve.  She inevitably spent her Mother's Day watching hockey and traveling six hours with four chatty Junior High girls.  Once again, I thought back to the days that we would be up in Canada where I was playing in some off-season tournament on my mom's special day.  Not once did my mother complain about this.  In fact, she was actually pretty good at acting like it was her idea of a Mother's Day vacation.

Since I'm retired from hockey and tennis now (playing anyways), this Mother's Day weekend was spent with sleeping in, pedicures, and brunch.  However, something struck me again on the way to brunch.  As I was driving past the softball fields I saw all of the fields occupied with what looked like 100 little leaguers and, you guessed it, 100 cheering mothers.  These women weren't getting breakfast in bed or spa days.  They were out in their lawn chairs cheering their kids on when winning and consoling when they didn't.

Sports always have a way of illustrating the big picture in life and this weekend was no different.  It showed me the incredible selflessness of a mother.  They have one day set aside for them and many of them refuse to take that one day off from being a mother, a coach, a fan, a chauffeur.  What's probably the most intriguing is that it's exactly how they want to spend it.  This is the unconditional love of a mother and something we should never take for granted.  Thank you to my own mother for all the sacrifices she made for my brothers and me growing up.  The rest of you, I hope your kids all come to the realization and appreciation of what you have done and continue to do for them.  Here's a special shout-out to you!

Why Ryan Suter Will Win the Norris

The Norris candidates have officially been announced.  Ryan Suter, PK Subban, and Kris Letang make up the hattrick of finalists.  As a Wild fan, I'm obviously biased and want Suter to win it.  Let's take a look at why that's a very real possibility.

 

In my opinion, Letang is going to be the number 3 man in this race.  He does have impressive offensive numbers (averaging a point per game) and led the NHL in assists by a defenseman despite missing 13 games.  It's not fair, but Letang is going to be handicapped by his shortened season.  People didn't get to see him quite as often as the other two.  He also benefits from an offensive team that strengthens his numbers a little bit.

 

Next up is PK Subban.  Is Subban deserving of a Norris this season?  Maybe.  Will he win it?  Doubtful.  Subban is a fantastic player, but he is also a disliked player.  From showing up late to camp becuase he was holding out for a better contract to his on-ice antics, Subban isn't the most liked or respected guy in the game.  While the Norris isn't a sportsmanship award (we've got the Lady Byng for that), the few voters that despise Subban may be what cost him the trophy in a tight race.

 

So has Suter's season justified a Norris trophy?  You have to look at the whole picture.  Production-wise, he is 2nd in assists and 3rd in points for defensemen.  What sets Suter apart is the circumstances and his impact, though.  He adjusted to a new defensive system, a new D-partner, and he did this without the benefit of a full training camp and full season.  He took nineteen year old Jonas Brodin under his wing to fill out the top pairing and he's played in all situations for the Wild.  He's been the anchor on a young and inexperienced blue line while averaging  over 27 minutes per game (most in the NHL).  The voters are going to have to look really hard to find a player that has done more for his team's success than Suter this season.  

It's a Great Day for Hockey

Well, they took the absolute hardest route possible, but for the first time in five years the Minnesota Wild will be playing playoff hockey tonight.  To celebrate the "bonus hockey" I thought I'd post a couple videos.  Enjoy!

This one is still too new to be on youtube, but check out the link.  You won't regret it!

Happy Birthday Katie!

 

 

 

 

I just wanted to do a very special shout-out today to my best friend and amazing editor on her birthday.  Happy quarter century to Beyond the Pond's Grammar God!



What Does the Gwozdecky Firing Mean for the Pioneers?

Last week we saw one of the best coaches in college hockey, George Gwozdecky, relieved of his coaching duties.  Some people like this guy, some don’t.  Some get sick of his antics and some, like me, love the comic relief he often brings to a game (storming across the ice, doing the dasher dance).  Personal feelings about Gwozdecky aside, not many will attempt to make the argument that he was ineffective as the head coach of the Denver Pioneers.  That’s why many were stunned by the firing, forced resignation (or whatever spin the Denver administration wants to put on it).  Heading into a new conference next season, finding a replacement head coach of Gwoz’s ability over the summer is not a task most schools would like to attempt.  So let’s take a look at what has happened since the announcement.

·         Scott Mayfield (Sophomore Defenseman) signed a contract with the New York Islanders

·         Juho Olkinuora (Sophomore Goalie) signed a contract with the Winnipeg Jets

·         Highly anticipated recruit Gage Ausmus (NTDP) withdrew his commitment

Mayfield hurts.  He is a fantastic stay-at-home defenseman that compliments Joey Laleggia’s offensive mentality perfectly.  I’m going to go out on a limb (or maybe not so much) and say Laleggia may not be far behind.  I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if he decided to sign over the offseason as well.  The Olkinuora signing is unexpected and could be crippling to the program.  Not only was he a 2-time All-WCHA selection, but this leaves Denver with one goalie for next season.  Zach Hope is graduating and Denver doesn’t have a goalie committed for next season.  They better hope they can find someone fast and/or Sam Brittain can play a full season in the challenging NCHC league.  To make matters worse, who is going to go find a new goalie when they currently don’t have a Head Coach?!

Unfortunately for Denver, I don’t think these three will be the last to leave.  Like I said before, I could see Laleggia panicking with the Olkinuora and Mayfield signings and the uncertainty of a new coach.  If he decides to sign, the defensive corp could really be hurting come October.  I could also see Nick Shore signing.  If he does, I don’t think his little brother Quentin will be far behind.  There were rumors of Quentin bolting for the WHL this year. If his older brother and coach are gone, I don’t see him sticking around.

No one on the outside really knows what happened, or why Coach Gwozdecky was let go.  All we really know is it seems to have caused a little bit of panic among the current and future Pioneer players.  Time will tell how it will all play out, but this could end up being one of the biggest mistakes the Denver administration has ever made.

My Evaluation of the Wild trade



Well, I had to take a break from writing after UND lost out of the tournament to Yale. I just didn’t have the heart to think or write about hockey.  However, things changed fast when the Wild completed a blockbuster trade right at the deadline bringing Buffalo Sabres captain Jason Pominville to the State of Hockey in exchange for two quality prospects and draft picks.  Here’s the article.

What I like about the trade:

Above all, I like that Fletcher is putting his confidence in this team and trading to make them a contender right now.  Being a Minnesota sports fan, I’m so used to seeing the reverse role…watching a prospect develop into a stud just to see him traded for more prospects (Twins).  Fletcher made a bold move trading some quality prospects to bring in a guy that is in his prime right now to help the Wild win right now.  Besides what it symbolizes, Pominville brings a lot to the table.  He can play point on the power play, he can score, he can grind it out, he can kill penalties, and he’s a leader in the locker room.  He’s also a right handed shot which makes me think he’ll fit in very nicely with Z-Par and Koivu on that top line.  Also, we all have to wonder whether his buddy and linemate, Thomas Vanek (former Gopher), will consider returning to Minnesota to join him when he becomes a free agent next season.

What I don’t like about the trade:

If the Wild were going to give up some quality prospects to add a stud veteran player, I was hoping it would be a defenseman.  Their offensive line-up is starting to look pretty lethal, but can the Wild D-Corp take them deep in the playoffs?  Suter and Brodin are fantastic and Spurgeon and Gilbert have been playing fine, but it really drops off after that.  Hopefully the addition of Brett Clarke will prove to solidify the blue line.  As far as what they gave up, Larsson is the only one that I struggle with.  Kuemper has looked better in net than Hackett and with the Wild making a playoff push they aren’t going to have a very high first round pick anyway this year.  Larsson is a great two-way player with natural leadership and insane competitiveness.  If it weren’t for Coyle, Zucker, and Granlund I would have questioned this move, but it was starting to look like Larsson’s ceiling with the wild was as a third line center anyway.  He will be a big player for the Sabres and I wish him the best of luck.

What’s next for the Wild?

With the addition of Pominville and the way Coyle and Zucker are developing, it’s safe to say a few players that are in the Wild line-up won’t be next season.  I was hoping they would trade Pierre-Marc Bouchard for something (picks) because the odds of them resigning him are not much above 0%.  They didn’t get that done so he will walk away for nothing, but he’s one that I assume won’t be here next season.  I will also be surprised if Heatley is still here next year.  With the addition of Pominville and the play of Zucker and Coyle with the big club, I don’t see Heatley being a top 2 line player again.  If he’s not on a top line, I have to think they will deal him. Finally, they have to trade for or sign a free agent defenseman to solidify that group.  I look for Fletcher to do this in the off-season.