Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Off-Season Thread 2018

[The Rube]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Off-Season Thread 2018

Mpls will always get more grads than other cites—a lot of friends and family there and a familiar culture overall. I think the second tier of Denver/LA is changing. Places like Charlotte, Atlanta, and Houston are attracting more midwesterners all the time. Denver still has the oil and gas connection, which affects a lot of Nodaks.

I see a LOT of Mich Tech IDs also (bumper stickers, license plate frames).

[gopher wes]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Off-Season Thread 2018

UND is what, 12K? UM is 10K? Add those up, AND add the "hey let's make this a vacation!" You'd sell out.

You're right.

Why do I even bother?

[St. Clown]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Off-Season Thread 2018

With Mariucci attendance down last season, it's hard to imagine hoards of Gopher fans making that trip.

In other news Will goal scoring increase for the Gophers in 2017-18 and which players will need to step up and do it? Sheehy had a down year in scoring last season.

Gopher ranked 36th out of 60 teams in goal scoring in 2017-18 (2016-17/7th, 2015-16/15th).

Top Ten Goal Scoring Teams in 2017-18 (GP, G, G/GP)

Minnesota State: 40, 153, 3.83
St. Cloud State: 40, 144, 3.60
Penn State: 38, 138. 3.63
Michigan: 40, 136, 3.40
Northeastern: 38, 136, 3.58
Denver: 41, 135, 3.29
Michigan Tech: 44, 134, 3.05
Minnesota-Duluth:: 44, 132, 3.00
Ohio State: 41, 131, 3.20
Princeton: 36, 131, 3.64

The kicker for what Motzko did at SCSU is that they were able to get pucks in the net while the top point getters for SCSU were ranked in the mid-30s. He figured out how to get his goal scorers to truly buy into the system, which had been an issue for Lucia, IMO.

[D2D]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Off-Season Thread 2018

Great article on Blake McLaughlin in this morning's Strib.

NHL draft prospect Blake McLaughlin demonstrates the power of families sticking together
http://www.startribune.com/nhl-draft...her/485983991/

[SteveO]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Off-Season Thread 2018

Great article on Blake McLaughlin in this morning's Strib.

NHL draft prospect Blake McLaughlin demonstrates the power of families sticking together
http://www.startribune.com/nhl-draft...her/485983991/

And hopefully some FR goal scoring potential coming in with him, Walker, Wait, and maybe Burke (NAHL) too.

[Bonin21]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Off-Season Thread 2018

Romanko put up more goals per game in the NA than Burke and had two goals his first two college seasons. I wouldn't expect much from him this year.

[Slap Shot]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Off-Season Thread 2018

Thanks, Debbie.

[SteveO]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Off-Season Thread 2018

Romanko put up more goals per game in the NA than Burke and had two goals his first two college seasons. I wouldn't expect much from him this year.

Well, therefore the "maybe" in my post. They both had 32 goals in their final NAHL season (Burke played 6 more RS games). It's a mistake to throw all NAHL players in one basket based upon one player's past performance in D1. Everyone's game is different. Having originally been a SCSU recruit, Nathan Burke may be a better fit for Motzko's playbook. We'll see how he adapts along with the rest of the FR recruits. I hope he excels.

[gopher wes]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Off-Season Thread 2018

Thanks, Debbie.

Do you expect anything different at this point?

[Tipsy McStagger]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Off-Season Thread 2018

Maybe some of the SCSU fans can correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like Motzko's offensive coaching style centers on aggressively storming the net. That's something we desperately need.

Depends on your definition of storming the net. I wouldn't describe the majority of goals by SCSU as "greasy" goals.

[5mn_Major]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Off-Season Thread 2018

Depends on your definition of storming the net. I wouldn't describe the majority of goals by SCSU as "greasy" goals.

Sold.

[SteveO]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Off-Season Thread 2018

Following in their brother's footsteps. And they can do pullups.

Make it two more Mittelstadt brothers who plan to play for the Gophers men’s hockey team.

Eden Prairie’s John Mittelstadt, who’ll be a high school junior this fall, and Luke Mittelstadt, who’ll be a sophomore, both announced via Twitter on Sunday that they have committed to play for the Gophers. They follow in the footsteps of their brother, Casey, who spent the 2017-18 season with the Gophers before signing with the Buffalo Sabres, who made him a first-round draft pick in 2017.

John, 16, is a forward who had seven goals and nine assists in 26 games for the Eagles last season. Luke, 15, is a defenseman who played bantam hockey last season. He was named to the all-tournament team of the World Selects Invitational Under-15 World Championships after scoring two goals and assisting on four in six games for the Minnesota Blades. - Star Tribune

Since Bob Motzko was hired as coach, three players have done a "switcharoo" on their verbal commitments and joined the Gophers. Holy Family forward Garrett Pinoniemi, who will be a junior next season, switched from SCSU to the Gophers in May. Pinoniemi joins Blaine forward Bryce Brodzinski, who’ll be a senior next season, and forward Ben Meyers, a former Delano standout who played for the USHL champion Fargo Force last season. Meyers originally gave a verbal commitment to Nebraska Omaha.

Bryce, the youngest of the Brodzinski brothers decided to follow in the footsteps of his one brother rather than his father, uncle, and other brothers. He had previously committed to SCSU, where his oldest brother, Los Angeles Kings forward Jonny Brodzinski, played his college hockey, where another brother, Easton Brodzinski, still plays, and where father Mike Brodzinski and uncle Steve Brodzinski played in the 80’s.

However, Bryce decided to changed course and commit to the Gophers where his brother Michael, now of the San Jose Sharks played D. Both Jonny and Michael were fifth round picks of their current NHL organizations. Already there is talk about NHL potential, so it'll be interesting to see how Bryce develops. He and Jonny have similar high school stats and nearly identical sizes and playing styles.

Of course this means that there are some very disappointed SCSU fans on Twitter:

tommyboy@huskyhockeyguy May 21
Replying to @CenterIceClub @bbrodzyy

Motzko is proving to be a fraud. I guess the gentleman’s agreement only matters when you are at small SCSU. Motzko had me fooled..

Chris Becker@TheRabidOne3 May 21
Replying to @CenterIceClub @bbrodzyy

Loyalty to Bob. Not to the school. Whatever. Move on and let Larson work. I just hate how Motzko now has ZERO problems poaching players. Sickening.

Kurt@remick712 May 22

Isn't he poaching his own recruits?

Lidy@mnhockeynut85 May 22
Replying to @CenterIceClub @bbrodzyy

What you expect when the coach who recruited him went over to the darkside.

Chris Becker@TheRabidOne3 May 22

Are they his or are they SCSU's? That's the question. Do kids commit to a school just because of the coach? No. Also...Meyers wasn't "his" recruit. It's more that he has said publically he doesn't keep recruiting once kids have committed...now he's at MN and that's out the window

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Off-Season Thread 2018

Dude just edit your post. Stop reposting it every 20 minutes.

[SteveO]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Off-Season Thread 2018

It is an edit.

EDIT:

Take a deep breath...

[dxmnkd316]

Re: Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Off-Season Thread 2018

Edits don’t reset the post time or reset notifications. It’s annoying.