Well, captain’s practices have started on campus. I’ve heard they’re going well and there are a lot of positives being said about the freshmen so far. There are also rumors that the team had a special conditioning instructor this past weekend. A former Marine who put them through their own boot camp. Looks like Toot is planning on following through with his Navy Seal environment this season.
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The Springfield Republican is reporting what was first broken here on Fear The Triangle last week, that Coach Cahoon’s contract has been extended through 2013.
Dick Baker also has a short piece on Casey Wellman’s performance at the NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, MI. Wellman had a goal and an assist in the first game.
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Speaking of hockey in Michigan, John Parker and his Muskegon Lumberjacks got a chance to play a game on the ice of Joe Louis Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings.
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Inside College Hockey is reporting that Penn State will officially announce their intention to join the college hockey ranks on Friday. I’ve already gone on record as loving this. Penn State has the size, the athletic tradition, and most importantly I guess the deep alumni pockets to do hockey well.
Of course the big question is what does it mean for the college hockey landscape, asks USCHO. Sign me up as being pro Big 10/11/12 hockey.
USCHO has an interesting article on teams looking to win their first national championship that could do it this year, with looks at Hockey East’s Vermont and of course the University of New Hampshire.
Fear The Triangle - UMass Hockey Blog 
Adam
/ September 14, 2010Is Wellman considered a better prospect overall than Marcou by NHL scouts? I know Casey is in a far worse off system then the sharks but from every game I saw Wellman and Marcou play, they were both obviously really talented, but Marcou is the type of player that could make things happen on this level. Wellman, as skilled as he is, seemed to have an eye for the net, but if i recall, they came in bunches and usually against sub par teams. I love them both, I;m on the fense about getting a wellman wild jersey. but im suprised there is so little hype about a player who was in the hobey baker equation for a long time, and his ability to distribute lost him prime consideration. Im waiting on him. On a team where Marcou isn’t overused and with a team relying on him for so much, i expect a second line winger in the NHL for a long time.
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rocks22
/ September 14, 2010Three words: five foot six.
NHL always puts a lot of value in size. And some of that is warranted. Nathan Gerbe, an actual Hobey winner, has played in only 20 NHL games.
That’s one of the reasons why I really thought James shouldve stayed for his senior year. His NHL prospects are unknown. His senior year couldve been legendary.
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Leeroy
/ September 14, 2010first time reader..great blog. just a quick comment though gerbe finished 2nd in the hobey voting the winner was kevin porter of michigan.
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rocks22
/ September 14, 2010Right. Duh.
Thanks for reading.
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jall
/ September 14, 2010rocks, that is a great point. i think if james was honest with himself (or maybe able to be honest with himself) he would realize his NHL options are limited at best. 20 years from now he will think “if i stayed in school i would have been immortailzed at UMass as the all-time leading scorer, Hobey Baker winner, etc”
but then again, maybe he did see the future and realize that the moeny in front of him might not come again. he could have taken it realizing it might be his only pro-hockey payday
wish him the best. good kid, great family, glad they will be around to watch michael
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anonoymous
/ September 15, 2010it was definitely the time for marcou to leave, that money wasnt coming again. he wouldnt have had the leverage of telling teams he didnt have to sign and could return for his senior year. if he had stayed, teams would have given him a few take it or leave it offers, and he would have signed for much less.
that said, i would feel a hell of alot better this year if a few more playmakers were coming back.
Irwin is the one who screwed himself, he signed for peanuts, relatively speaking.
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