Something to ponder while you are bored at work today:
Of the 20 guys who dressed for the Game 5 loss to Bismarck in the Central Division Championship series, 6 guys where 6'0" or taller. Of the 11 guys the Express drafted in the NAHL Entry Draft, 7 guys where 6'0" or taller.
My take: The 2008/09 Express struggled all season against the Bismarck Bobcats, and one of the glaring differences between the two teams was the Bobcats height advantage. It looks like Coach Cullen might be trying to level that playing field.
More later.
--BK
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7 comments:
BK,
Give us your take on:
1) Who from Express is returning / likely to return
2) What tenders have been given
3) Issues regarding viability of Express Team/location given the money issues we've all been hearing
4) Is Janesville in Central or North next year?
Thanks for reading, and four really good questions. I'll answer them in separate comments, so my reply doesn't get so long.
My take on #4 - I have seen nothing official, but I would say there's a 98.2% probability that the expansion franchise in Janesville, Wisconsin will be in the North Division.
The north lost two teams when the USNTDP and Mahoning Valley jumped to the USHL, and it makes sense geographically.
The Bismarck newspaper reported today that the Central Division is remaining the same as last year, so that's another sign they will be in the north.
I would love to see the Express play a home and home series with them, and hopefully the schedule makers can make that happen.
--BK
My take on #2 -
The only tendered player that has been made public was Jordan Tredinnick, the Onalaska, Wisconsin forward.
Coach Cullen is very protective in regards to his tendered guys, and chances are we won't know who they are until the season starts. Or at least until the main tryout camp in July.
That being said, I know of two more tendered guys besides the Tredinnick kid, but I won't give out names until I see them lacing up their skates in Owatonna.
--BK
My take on #3 -
A Stephen King-sized novel could written on this subject. Here's what I know for sure: #1 - The Express will be taking the ice this fall as a member of the NAHL. #2 - There are long-term financial viability issues with the organization, as there are with every other junior hockey team in North America.
While the long-term future of junior hockey in its current configuration is an unknown, there are many reasons to be very optimistic about junior hockey in Owatonna. The Express have had a full year to market the club. The marketing department didn't have much time to put together sponsors last season, nor did they have time to get out and plan game-night events and such. That should change this fall. Attendance grew steadily last season, and should only grow higher as the organization's stature continues to grow in the community. I believe in year 3, the team can partner up with a local watering hole to sell pull-tabs as a fundraiser. From what I hear, that can be a very profitable venture.
The biggest reason I am optimistic about the future of junior hockey in Owatonna, is the sheer determination I see from the supporters of the Express. We have taken bodyblows and uppercuts and roundhouses for 4 years, and we're still standing.
We are in the "State of Hockey", with outstanding recruits all around us. We have a great group of guys coming back from last season. We had a phenomenal draft yesterday, and we have one of the best coaching tandems in all of junior hockey. The future is very bright for this team on the ice, but the city of Owatonna and the surrounding areas need to start coming to games to ensure that our favorite junior hockey team is around for many years to come.
One last point on this subject - The biggest thing that needs to happen to help the organization is being able to play home games in Owatonna in March and April. This would help the bottom line immensely.
--BK
My take on #1 -
At this point in the off-season, it's all speculation. I have heard 1001 rumors, and will hear 1001 more in the coming months. As Benjamin Franklin said "Believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see."
Bottom line is we won't know for sure until September rolls around, and the guys report for training camp.
We should at least get a feel for who'll be back once we get through our tryout camps, and the open USHL tryout camps.
Let me put it this way: I haven't heard or seen a single rumor about any of last year's guys not returning. Everything I have heard is positive (guys coming back).
--BK
BK
Great answers to the questions. As far as Question 1. I believe that many of the players will return for 2 reasons. (1) They are anxious to build off of last years success. At the beginning of the year not many observers were picking them to go as far as they did. (2) They were a tight bunch. The players had good relationships with each other and jelled as a team. This was not true of other teams. It's a long season. It helps if there are no underlying problems.
In my opinion, the team must build off of the excitement from the end of the year from the fans. This will go a long way in securing the future of the franchise.
Anxious for the season to begin!!!
Thanks Pappy. Both of your bullet points were right on the money.
--BK
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