Hockey Days are Here Again

UND forward Shane Gersich shoots one off of the iron against Denver. (Photo Credit: Russell Hons UNDSports.com)

There are 17 days until the University of North Dakota kicks off the 2017-18 season against the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves. Things are going hot and heavy now.

This week, we get our first peek at the new hockey jerseys.  The color is the same, but font has changed a bit. Of course, the Fighting Hawks logo is now on the shoulders. In my humble opinion, these jerseys don’t look that bad. Here’s the deal, UND needs to start selling some uniforms and memorabilia in the Sioux Shop. They need to start making some money off of the new logo. So far the reception on twitter and social media has been tepid. We knew it was coming and it’s here.

I know people are wondering so here is the front crest with player number for this year.@SchlossmanGF @UNDmhockey pic.twitter.com/9Js4g0fuEY

— Patrick Swanson (@NDHockeyOps) September 13, 2017

Chris VandeVelde is getting a chance with the Ottawa Senators, he’s signed a PTO. I am sure the haters at Broad Street Hockey will be happy that they no longer have Vandy to kick around.

While we’re on the subject of VandeVelde, Brad Schlossman was interviewed by the Broad Street Hockey Radio, this is the question that came up. Of course, true to form, Schloss handled the question well.

Broad Street Hockey: Last season, Hakstol came under fire from fans and some members of the media for his perceived inability to optimize his lineup, often times choosing “safer” and “grittier” players like Chris VandeVelde and P-E Bellemare over higher-upside skilled players. Was this the case at UND?

Brad Schlossman: You have to be a reliable player to play for Hakstol. He does take potential into the equation, but he also places importance on performance as well. During the 2010-11 season, Hakstol dressed an undrafted, unheralded kid named Carter Rowney instead of a drafted, highly touted kid named Mike Cichy several times. There was some talk among fans at that time about playing Rowney over Cichy, but as we watched Rowney win the Stanley Cup this summer, we now know Hakstol was making the right call.

Keep in mind, for the most part, these guys at Broad Street Hockey aren’t big fans of Dave Hakstol and they just can’t get over the fact that Hakstol dared sit defenseman Shane Gostisbehere. I am sorry, but Hakstol knows more about hockey than the bloggers at Broad Street Hockey. It’s easy to Monday morning quarterback a coach. If Hakstol leads the Flyers to the Stanley Cup, they’ll be running to get on board the Hakstol bandwagon.

Chris VandeVelde (2006-10 | 166 GP | 52-65–117) has landed with the Ottawa Senators after spending the last four years with Philadelphia. https://t.co/0WRTBbdlX3

— North Dakota MHockey (@UNDmhockey) September 11, 2017

Former Fighting Sioux forward T.J. Oshie comes in at number 12 in Elliotte Friedman‏’s 31 Thoughts.

12. T.J. Oshie’s quotes about wanting to stay in Washington are very similar to the ones last spring from James van Riemsdyk about Toronto. Chatting with Oshie last week, I wondered if his eight-year, $46 million extension becomes a template for what the Maple Leafs try to make this work. Van Riemsdyk is two years younger, and I’m not convinced they are eager to trade him.