USHL Hockey Talk

Johnson leaving Fargo, other Johnson replacing?

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 05:00:35 +0000

Coach Johnson wants to leave Lincoln to go back to Fargo as head coach... supposedly his brother is leaving for some college job. Will McGroarty get his old job back?

Grand opening at Mystique Ice Center delayed by malfunction!

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:54:23 +0000

Grand opening at Mystique Ice Center delayed by malfunction!

TH 9/5/10

The operating group of the Mystique Community Ice Arena has moved the grand opening of the Arena from September 11th to September 18th due to an unexpected issue with the ice refrigeration system.
Over the weekend a compressor on the brand new refrigeration system failed, causing the system to shutdown on Saturday night. The issue was discovered Sunday morning by an arena worker.
�We are obviously disappointed to have this delay in construction, especially when we are so close to opening,� Bob Woodward, President of Dubuque Community Ice and Recreation, said. �We have had very good luck up to this point with the entire construction process and everyone has been working very hard to get ready for the big day. This delay, while unfortunate, should not in any way diminish the effect this great new facility will have for Dubuque.�

Storm have first fall camp practice

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:56:15 +0000

�The biggest thing that we tell them is we�re looking at how hard they compete. We�ll sacrifice talent because by the time Game 42 rolls around and the game might not matter as much to some of the guys � we�d rather still have the high-character kid willing to block a shot at the end of the game as opposed to a skill guy who might not work as hard,� Fink said.

After grueling off-ice workouts, Lumberjacks are ready to hit the ice

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 13:51:29 +0000

�Some of them weren�t sure what it took to be a Lumberjack,� Noel-Bernier said. �We want to be the best conditioned team in the league. It�s a process and the guys are buying into it.�

Key upcoming dates for the Muskegon Lumberjacks

What I'd Like To See From Coach Waibel

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:03:14 +0000

As I was pontificating on what a teams/coaches/owners' goals are, who knows what will be asked of Waibel.

I think Jon has the knowledge to be a solid coach. I think he has the people skills to sell his club to fans. I think he's young enough to connect with most players and think he's got a real nice personality. Coach Waibel IMO has a lot of tools to make a solid coach/GM, am real happy he got the job and think ownership made a wise choice on many levels.

I'd love to see the Steel use some technology to interact with fans, and think Waibel would be good doing so. Something as simple as a weekly coaches show that can be linked up on their site. Fans could email some questions and coach could answer them and give fans an update on the club and the last week's goings on. Personalize the team, franchise and players. Something the fans of the Steel have been denied.

What I'm hoping for from Jon is a bit grittier of a team than we've seen under Poapst. If you guys remember after the purge last year of the top talent this was a gritty team that came to play and hit people, and I'll be damned they made a nice run.

Guys like Angeli, Thauwald, DiPauli, Chelios and Simonson got plenty of ice time and hit people and played with energy. Poapst even moved Thauwald to the top line as a power forward for a couple games and he was destroying people. The team went from a rat hockey, Euro, perimeter style soft club to one that would play all 3 zones and hit people. A damn fun club to watch and a tough opponent, win or lose.

Hopefully the franchise takes this opportunity to grow, improve and reach more Steel fans. A playoff appearance wouldn't be bad either!!

A man playing amoung boys.

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:22:25 +0000

"He doesn't look like a typical 16-year-old kid. Not when he stands 6-feet, 1-inches tall and weighs 204 pounds -- and that's before Justin Wade puts on his skates and shoulder pads."

Justin is a good kid and comes from a very nice family, he will do great for Fargo. Good job Justin!

Steel head coach Steve Poapst leaves for AHL

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:47:36 +0000

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/09/ex-blackhawk-poapst-named-assistant-at-rockford.html

Quote

Former Blackhawks defenseman Steve Poapst has been hired as an assistant coach with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League.

Poapst played 307 career NHL games -- including 220 with the Hawks beginning during the 2000-01 season -- and will join the staff of head coach Bill Peters for the organization's top minor-league affiliate.

Wow.

Saints to unveil new uniforms

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:41:32 +0000

Saints to unveil new uniforms
BY JIM LEITNER TH SPORTS EDITOR
Advertisement

The Dubuque Fighting Saints will hold a fashion show of sorts this afternoon.
But instead of strutting on a catwalk, they will be unveiling their home and away jerseys near Dubuque's scenic River Walk. The unveiling ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. at the American Trust Pavilion, located adjacent to the River Walk at the Port of Dubuque.
The event will include several players, who began reporting to Dubuque two weeks ago. Only a few players have yet to hit town, but all are expected for the first official day of practice at the new Mystique Community Ice Center on Tuesday.
The Saints have chosen a classic, old-school look for their primary jerseys. They will be predominantly red and white.
Dubuque opens preseason action on Sept. 11, the same day as the grand opening for the new rink. The Saints will face the Sioux City Musketeers at 7 p.m. that day.

Force return just 9 players

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:09:15 +0000

Nine returning players is proof the Fargo Force are going to have a young team � something forward Colten St. Clair has only known.

Can't wait to see this team opening night in Chicago.......

Lancers Add Michael Zucker to Coaching Staff

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:04:43 +0000

OMAHA, NE - The Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) are pleased to announce that Michael Zucker will join the Lancers as an Assistant Coach for the upcoming 25th Anniversary season. Zucker spent each of the last two seasons as an Assistant Coach at the University of Denver and prior to joining the Pioneers, he was an Assistant Coach with the Western Hockey League's (WHL) Everett Silvertips.

Wow, this looks to be a hell of an addition.......

Storm hockey back on the airwaves

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:01:36 +0000

Skip Berry, the voice of the Storm, will provide the play-by-play coverage for games on both radio stations. Berry has 11 years of experience in radio broadcasting.

If you haven't done so, give Skip Berry a listen. An objective informed call.

Des Moines Buccaneers Add Quarters as Assistant Coach

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:02:35 +0000

Quarters, a native of Southfield, Michigan, brings with him seventeen years of coaching and recruiting experience. His resume includes teams from youth AAA, Tier III Junior B, Tier II NAHL, Division I college hockey and three years of previous assistant coaching experience in the USHL with the Sioux City Musketeers. In Sioux City, Marty drafted and coached teams that qualified for the playoffs each season, including the runner-up in the 2005 Clark Cup finals.

Fargo hires another ass. Coach

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:56:30 +0000

The Fargo Force hired Terry Schercliff as as assistant coach last week. He coached with Terry Cullen in Moorhed for High School Hockey and had a winning record every season he was around, and a trip to the Minnesota State Tourney just about every season. He also helped coach a couple of NHL players Matt Cullen and Jason Blake when they played in Moorhead. It will be nice to see a familiar face behind the bench. I grew up playing hockey in Moorhead and got to see him coach for many years. He will be an awesome addition for the Force.Before this offer he was helping the youth hockey programs and developing young strong hockey players in Moorhead. If you dont know, Moorhead MN is just across the Red River from Fargo ND.

Former Black Hawk Traded to Windsor

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:25:09 +0000

The Windsor Spitfires have acquired the rights to defenceman Nick Ebert from the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors in return for second round picks in 2015 and 2016. Ebert played for Waterloo in the USHL last season. Nick was the 17th overall pick in the 2010 OHL Draft. The Majors will receive a compensatory pick, 18th overall, from the OHL during the 2011 OHL Draft in return for trading Ebert.

Ebert was one of the few 15 year olds in the USHL last season. This definitely solidifies the fact that Ebert won't be back with Waterloo this season.

USHL 2010 Preseason Schedule Set

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:38:21 +0000

In addition to the 24 games scheduled for the 2010 USHL Fall Classic, a total of 23 preseason games will be played by USHL teams in September in preparation for the 2010-11 season.

Quote

On Saturday, September 11th, the Dubuque Fighting Saints will make their preseason debut in the USHL when they host the Sioux City Musketeers. That same evening, the Youngstown Phantoms will host the Chicago Steel at the Ice Zone in Boardman, Ohio, which will be one of eight USHL preseason games played in non-USHL arenas.

I like that they play games at non-USHL venues. It gives the league a chance to show off its product, introduces fans to junior hockey and gauge what interest is out there for possible expansion.

With an eye towards expansion does anyone have any good ideas where the league could/should schedule exhibition games?

I'd submit Joliet, IL and Aurora, IL. Neither city has a suitable arena but are heavily populated, Aurora is the second largest city in Illinois, and are great candidates for either new arenas or expansion of existing ones.