Minnesota hockey and its fans are reeling after a less than stellar hockey season from both of the major teams in the state. The Minnesota Gophers after years of players bolting for the NHL have had a couple solid classes and some stability but yet no results. They had home ice advantage for round 1 in the WCHA Final 5 and dropped the opening game to Alaska Anchorage 4-3. The Minnesota Wild in year 10 of the franchise and year 2 of the new leadership group appeared to be on the brink of putting things together and then...back to back 4-0 losses with 12 games to play and on the outside looking in.
In a state that demands instant sports satisfaction, has been waiting a long time for a Stanley Cup and expects NCAA Championships this has been a disheartening year. Minnesota also has a penchant for calling for the heads of its head coaches regardless of who they are and what they have accomplished. They at times have called for the firings of Bud Grant, & Tom Kelly. Now there have been rumblings of disenchantment with Don Lucia and Todd Richards.
All Don Lucia has done is win 2 national championships while here at Minnesota something not accomplished since the days of hockey legend Herb Brooks. This doesn't include his other accomplishments here and at Colorado College. RELAX people!! Lucia is a great hockey mind and hopefully will be going nowhere anytime soon. The problem with the Gophers is not with Lucia but with a system that allows the exodus of underclassmen espescially with no guarantee of NHL call ups or even an NHL career at any point. Remaining in college can only help their deveolopment and this situation should be addressed, not just for the benefit of the Gophers and other top programs but for the players and their future.
As far as Wild head coach Todd Richards while he is inexperienced, this is first stint as a head coach at the NHL level, he has made huge strides with this program. Richards and GM Chuck Fletcher totally revamped the system and the evaluation of players. They have begun restocking the minor league teams and results are beginning to show. They took over a team and system with nothing in the cupboard as former GM Doug Risebrough while hitting the jackpot with some players was very inconsistent in the draft and gave up many blue chip players in trades that did not provide tangible results. The 2009-2010 season, their first was a bust and a huge dissapointment. However at the beginning of 2010-2011 season things started to click. The team after several changes began to buy into the new sytem after 8 years under Jacques Lemaire. Richards had to earn their trust and respect which took time. They are becoming cohesive and team chemistry is high.
So while both teams may be dissapointments for this season, look to the future it appears to be very bright. Dont be short sighted and start over yet again or as is often the case in Minnesota we will be caught in the loop of starting over and always wanting. Look to the Minnesota Twins for reference and motivation. While people called for the head of Tom Kelly, former GM Terry Ryan stuck with him because he knew and believed in the man, he believed in the system being implemented. That system is still in place. While TK chose to retire after overhauling a team and its philosophy from the ground up, he left Gardy with a winner, talent piled high and a philosophy built for long term success. Give our hockey gurus time, I believe the results will come.
Stay the course in the state of hockey! The ship is not sinking.
VOYAGEUR COUNTRY-ALONG THE BOARDS:Fans perspective and analysis from the state of hockey covering the Minnesota Wild, Gophers and the state high school hockey tournaments. Also other favorites such as the Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning, and San Jose Sharks. Occasional opinions of rivals old and new like the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, and Dallas Stars.
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