Faceoff

Stuart on the trading block in Boston

FELDY: So maybe this is part of the reason why Mark Stuart has been a healthy scratch in the Boston Bruins' past three games.

Several Boston media outlets are reporting today that Stuart, a 6-foot-2, 213-pound defenseman, is being pursued by multiple teams in a possible trade. The Rochester native has a $1.675 million cap hit this season, meaning, if traded, it would clear up a good amount of cap space for the Bruins. He will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Stuart, who recently returned from a hand injury, hasn't played since a loss to Buffalo on Jan. 20. A few possible destinations for Stuart in a trade, that I've seen thrown out on different Internet reports: Carolina, Detroit and Colorado.

The trade deadline is Feb. 28.

H.S. Hockey tonight | Jan. 29, 2011

Three of the four Rochester teams play tonight, all involved in fairly important games, for different reasons.

Century plays host to Farmington and the Panthers need a 'W' tonight not only because Farmington is a section opponent, but also because Century needs to rebound from a tough overtime loss at Owatonna on Thursday. A win against Owatonna would've given Century sole possession of first place in the Big Nine. Instead, the Panthers sit in a four-way tie with Mankato West, JM and Albert Lea. West and Albert Lea both play two-point conference games tonight and could pull ahead of the two Rochester schools (JM is off tonight).

Speaking of Albert Lea, it plays host to Rochester Mayo, which is just two points behind the four first-place teams. So, a Mayo victory could possibly lead to a five-way tie for first after tonight's games (of course, it's unlikely West loses to Austin). Still, Mayo has won four consecutive games and has been playing very good hockey for more than a month.

As for Lourdes, it plays at Faribault tonight, a game that is Lourdes' last regular season game against a Section 1A opponent. Lourdes hasn't lost to a section foe this season, so a win tonight should lock up the No. 1 seed in next month's section tournament.

Tonight's games...

FARMINGTON at CENTURY
When: 7:30 p.m. tonight
Where: Rochester Rec Center
Records: Farmington 9-9-0; Century 8-8-0
Last game: Farmington beat Bloomington Kennedy, 3-2, on Tuesday; Century lost to Owatonna, 2-1 in OT, on Thursday.
Spotlight players: Farmington senior F Tyler Grubb is one of the top scorers in the section (23-16--39), but he has just three points in the past four games. Grubb has been outstanding against Section 1AA opponents this season, though, with 9-3--12 in five games. ... Century has scored just nine goals in its past six games, so it will need a big game from senior G Cam Sellnow tonight. Sellnow has surrendered just 10 goals on 136 shots over his past five games, so is he is playing well, but he needs some goal support tonight in a matchup that will have a big impact on section tournament seeding.

MAYO at ALBERT LEA
When: 8 p.m. tonight
Where: Albert Lea City Arena
Records: Mayo 8-10-0; Albert Lea 13-6-0
Last game: Mayo beat Austin, 11-0, on Thursday; Albert Lea beat Faribault, 5-2, on Thursday.
Spotlight players: Mayo senior D Bill Norman hasn't received enough credit in this space for what he's done for the Spartans this season. Norman leads the team in scoring (11-21--32) and rarely leaves the ice. He's a tremendous two-way player, can carry the puck up the ice and skate it into the offensive zone, and he runs the point on the power play. Norman makes the players around him better. ... Albert Lea junior G Griffin Wangen hasn't put up eye-popping numbers (9-4-0, 3.22, .888), but he's been solid in his past three starts. He's allowed an average of 2 goals per game in that span, while stopping 76 of 83 shots.

LOURDES at FARIBAULT
When: 7:30 p.m. tonight
Where: Faribault Ice Arena
Records: No. 10-ranked Lourdes 16-2-0; Faribault 6-11-1.
Last game: Lourdes beat New Ulm, 5-1, on Thursday; Faribault lost to Albert Lea, 5-2, on Thursday.
Spotlight players: Let's try this again. Lourdes senior F Andy Benner had two points in the Eagles' season opener, but then missed a majority of the regular season with a wrist injury. Since coming back, Benner has a point in three consecutive games, including an assist at New Ulm on Thursday. Benner has clearly added some scoring depth and more senior leadership to the lineup. ... Faribault senior F Jack Helgeson (brother of Gophers d-man Seth Helgeson) has nearly matched his points total from a year ago. Through 18 games this season, Jack Helgeson has 26 points, just two off his total of his junior season. He has five points (three goals) in his past four games.

Audio interview with Hawks coach Nick Fatis

PHERSY: OK, so I haven't decided if this is me being lazy or doing more work ... but instead of writing up a weekend report for the Ice Hawks, I hunted down Ice Hawks coach Nick Fatis this morning for an audio  interview. We touch on a little bit of everything here, so it's a long interview (about 17 minutes).

We'll give this a try and let me know what you think. If you haven't been with us for a live blog, you haven't experienced the audio interviews yet. But hopefully you enjoy this form of a weekend Ice Hawks preview.

ICE HAWKS COACH NICK FATIS (CLICK LINK BELOW)

 

FatisWeekendGlance

 

H.S. Hockey tonight | Jan. 27, 2011

FELDY: Lots to get to today, with Lourdes and all three Rochester Big Nine teams back in action, so let's get right to it.

TONIGHT'S GAMES

LOURDES at NEW ULM
When: 7:30 p.m. tonight
Where: New Ulm Civic Center
Records: No. 11-ranked Lourdes, 15-2-0; New Ulm, 12-3-2
Last game: Lourdes topped Section 1A rival New Prague, 3-1, on Tuesday; New Ulm lost to Chaska, 7-6, on Tuesday.
Featured players: For Lourdes, senior F Andy Benner is on a mini-roll (mmmmm ... mini rolls. Sorry, I'll stop channeling my inner-Homer Simpson). He opened the season with two assists in the Eagles' first game. He didn't have a point in the next 14 games, because, well, he was out with an injury for seven weeks. But Benner has scored a goal in back-to-back games since returning. He's clearly a big boost to an already strong lineup. (My apologies to Andy for failing to note yesterday that he had missed seven weeks. Bad oversight on my part, especially since I one he'd been out of the lineup.) ... New Ulm senior G Blake Burgau stole the spotlight at last month's Kiwanis Festival in Rochester, stopping 60 shots over three games as the Eagles knocked off previously-unbeaten Eau Claire (Wis.) Memorial in the tournament title game. Burgau hadn't cooled down until two days ago, when he allowed seven goals on 36 shots in a loss to Chaska. Prior to that, it had been 11 games since Burgau had allowed more than two goals in a game.
Notes: This is likely a battle of teams that will be the top seed in their respective section tournaments -- Lourdes in 1A, New Ulm in 3A. ... New Ulm has two 30-point scorers -- 6-foot-4 senior F Kaleb Juntenen (10-20--30) and 5-8 junior F Brody Peterson (13-17--30).

CENTURY at OWATONNA
When: 7:30 p.m. tonight
Where: Four Seasons Centre, Owatonna
Records: Century 8-7-0; Owatonna 5-12-0
Last game: Century beat Rochester John Marshall, 3-2, on Saturday at Hockey Day Rochester; Owatonna lost at Albert Lea, 8-2, on Jan. 20
Featured players: Century junior F Isaac St. Marie is playing well, with three points in the past five games. He has seven points this season (3-4--7) and has quietly become the Panthers' sixth-leading scorer. He is the team's third-leading scorer among forwards. ... Owatonna has struggled on both ends of the ice this season. The Huskies have used three different goalies and have just three players with 10 or more points. Their second-leading scorer is senior F Jesse Ebeling, who has four points in the past five games.
Notes: This is a 2-point game in the Big Nine Conference standings. ... Century won the previous meeting between these teams this season, 4-0, at the Rochester Rec Center on Dec. 14.

WINONA at JM
When: 7:30 p.m. tonight
Where: Rochester Recreation Center
Records: Winona 4-11-1; JM 9-8-0
Last game: Winona lost to Albert Lea, 6-2, on Tuesday; JM lost to Rochester Century, 3-2, on Saturday, during Hockey Day Rochester.
Featured players: Winona senior D Frank Wychgram is the team's top scoring defenseman, with 15 points. He has five points in the past eight games, but just one in the past four. Wychgram is a big part of the Winhawks offense; he is the team's second-leading scorer. ... JM junior D Matt Broman (6-feet-2, 185) is tied with senior AJ Johnson for the team lead in defenseman points, with nine. Broman has four assists in the past five games.
Notes: After tonight's game, four of JM's remaining seven games are against non-conference opponents. ... This is a 2-point game in the conference standings. These teams meet again on Feb. 17 at Winona.

AUSTIN at MAYO
When: 7:30 p.m. tonight
Where: Graham Arena I
Records: Austin 3-14-0; Mayo 7-10-0
Last game: Austin lost to Waseca, 4-3, on Saturday; Mayo defeated Rochester Century, 3-0, on Jan. 20
Featured players: A big question for Austin at the start of the season was, where would the Packers find some scoring? Their offense hasn't been as anemic as many message-board posters predicted, though it hasn't been lighting up the scoreboard, either. The Packers have scored 40 goals in 17 games and are led by sophomore F Ethan Larson (7-6--13). He has six points in the past nine games. ... Mayo sophomore F Ryan Martin has become a key part of the Spartans power play and its top scoring line. Martin (5-5--10; four points in the past two games), fellow soph. Adam Alcott and senior Derek McMasters rarely leave the ice. They anchor the team's first power-play unit (along with d-men Bill Norman and Steve Serratore) and their teamwork is big reason why Mayo has become the most improved team in the BIg Nine since the start of the season.
Notes: This is a 4-point game in the Big Nine standings; the only meeting between these teams this season.

Ice Hawks may need goalie help

PHERSY: Rochester Ice Hawks goalie Austin Willenborg has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules.

Coach Nick Fatis did not specify what happened with Willenborg, but he wasn't happy ... I can say that.

"I am utterly disgusted that Austin acted in the manner he has. We will investigate further into the incident before we proceed. All we can hope is this is a speed bump on the great path ahead of him," Fatis said.

Ice Hawks goalie Lawrence Dvorak is currently suspended for a violation of team rules, but Fatis said Dvorak could be eligible to return this weekend. If that's the case, the team would likely avoid bringing in a goalie for a tryout.

Andrew Bromberg also is available, and Cory Simons remains the team's No. 1 goalie.

Fatis said the team will simply play it by ear for now, and if another goalie is needed, they will start that process.

Man, it would be great to see Dvorak out there again after everything he's been through.

Like coach said, hopefully the latest suspension is just another bump in the road for this team and everyone can move forward from here.

The Ice Hawks have a non-league at 7:05 p.m. Friday at home against Dakota College of North Dakota. They are home again at 5:35 p.m. Sunday against the Owls.

Get to the Rec Center this weekend people!

H.S. Hockey / Tuesday night playback (the all-Lourdes edition)

FELDY: First off, I apologize in advance for any spelling errors. I'm writing this post on a new phone (Android Incredible, love it, highly recommend it). I haven't turned off the auto-correct and spellcheck so "Lourdes" could show up as "Lord" here, for example. Bear with me & my stubby fingers. Plus, you never know when Toddler Feldy will want to spell her name (kid's 4 1/2 and already knows how to type a text message better than I can ...*sigh*).

Now, onto the important stuff.

Rochester's three Big Nine Conference teams were off Tuesday, leaving Lourdes as the only city team in action.

Tuesday night was a big night for the Rochester Lourdes boys hockey team. On the surface, the Eagles' 3-1 victory at New Prague was just another in a tremendous 15-2 start to this season.

Look deeper, though, and this win very likely gave Lourdes something it hasn't had in nearly two seasons: the top seed in the Section 1A playoffs.

Lourdes is now 6-0-0 against section opponents with just one game remaining against a section opponent, Saturday at Faribault. That game will hold some emotion for the Eagles, too. Remember who the top seed in last year's Section 1A tourney was? Yeah, it was Faribault, despite the fact that Lourdes beat it soundly in the regular season.

Without fully rehashing the shenanigans that occurred in the seeding process (let's just say Faribault coach Brad Ryan won't get the benefit of the doubt from some section coaches anytime soon), Lourdes deserved the top seed a year ago, as it does again this season.

We've seen, though, that the top seed is no guarantee that you'll win the section.

But the way this Lourdes team is beginning to play after a 10-day layoff, it might not matter what seed it takes into the postseason. The Eagles' last two games -- a 5-1 win at Delano on Saturday and Tuesday's win at New Prague -- have been their best of the season, coach Josh Spaniol told me.

If the Eagles continue to get scoring & solid two-way play from three lines and four d-men, they'll be a tough team to beat on their home ice in the playoffs.

And, remember, goalie Nick Heimer has been among the top goalies in the state this season in victories, goals-against average and save percentage. He has played in two section championship games and two state tournaments. He knows how to play under pressure. That alone can carry a team a long way.

At some point, Lourdes will likely need Heimer to "steal" a win for it. He seems more capable of doing that now than at any other point during his two-plus seasons on the Eagles varsity.

H.S. Hockey tonight | Jan. 25, 2011

FELDY: A big week for Rochester Lourdes begins tonight. The 12th-ranked Eagles play three key road games, beginning tonight at Section 1A rival New Prague. Thursday, Lourdes goes to New Ulm -- which won the Kiwanis Festival in Rochester last month -- and Saturday, the Eagles play at Faribault.

By Saturday night, the Eagles could have the top seed in the section playoffs wrapped up, or the battle for the top seed in the section could be a little more foggy. After Saturday's game at Faribault, Lourdes has no regular season games remaining against section opponents.

Mayo, Century and JM are all off tonight, so the Lourdes-N.P. game is in the spotlight. These teams have a history of playing close games in key situations, having met in the Section 1A semifinals for three consecutive seasons. Lourdes has won all of those meetings, one in OT. Last year, Lourdes won 4-1, but led just 2-1 with two minutes remaining.

LOURDES at NEW PRAGUE
When: 7:30 p.m. tonight
Where: New Prague Community Center
Records: No. 12 Lourdes, 14-2-0; New Prague 8-7-1.
Last game: Lourdes rolled to a 5-1 win at No. 14-ranked Delano on Saturday; New Prague lost to Holy Angels (No. 16, Class AA), 4-3, on Saturday.
Spotlight players: New Prague averages 3.44 goals per game, but the Trojans are balanced. Their leading scorer has just 10 goals and no other player has more than five. So, with the lack of scoring depth, junior goalie Joe Morris has to be sharp. His numbers are good (2.98 GAA, .901 save pct.) and he had allowed just seven goals in a five-game winning streak prior to a 4-3 loss to Holy Angels (ranked No. 16 in Class AA) on Saturday. ... Lourdes senior F Connor Nellans has two goals and four assists this season, but, when at his best, his contributions go far beyond the stat sheet. In Lourdes' win at Delano on Saturday, coach Josh Spaniol said Nellans and fellow senior F Brian Wasz -- both of whom missed the first two weeks of the hockey season while helping Lourdes win a state football title -- looked like they are back in complete hockey mode. Their play in the defensive zone was outstanding and they did a good job moving the puck out of the defensive zone. If Lourdes has three lines playing at their best, it will be a tough team to stop over the next two months.

Ice Hawks: Time to bounce back

PHERSY: OK Hawks fans, so it wasn't the best weekend.

The Ice Hawks earned a couple of one-goal wins on Friday and Saturday and then suffered a one-goal loss to the Northern Lights on Sunday.

So, what's going on?

I attended Friday's game, and the biggest thing I noticed was the play of the blue line. While the mistakes didn't always lead to goals, defensemen made a lot of mistakes and were out of position far more often than they were at the beginning of the season.

That said, it wasn't all bad. The Ice Hawks are still getting myriad scoring chances. They're just not converting.

I talked to coach Fatis today because I didn't get to see Saturday's shootout win or Sunday's loss, and he actually was pretty positive about the way the team is playing.

While the defensive mistakes have been a bit disturbing, Fatis said he's been very happy about the way the offense has stepped forward. Right now, it's just a matter of finishing chances.

"We played well on Sunday," Fatis said. "Yes, there were more defensive breakdowns, and we made mistakes. But offensively, that was our best game of the weekend. Opportunity wise, we had twice as many chances on Sunday than we did on Saturday. It's just one of those things. When the faucet turns on, you have to leave it on and you have to leave it on full. You can't keep switching between hot and cold. Well, for a while there, we completely shut it off. There was no water running at all. We've got it turned back on now, which was tough to do. Now we're just waiting for the water to get hot.

"That game Sunday is the type of game where in the beginning of the season, it's a 10-5 win and we're yelling at the guys afterward for giving up five goals and for not finishing every chance. They didn't understand that. Now I think they are getting it."

So what's going on with the defense? That honestly was the only big hole I noticed during Friday's win. It's an extremely talented unit, and I didn't see them making those mistakes earlier in the year.

"It's stuff we need to work on," Fatis said. "I think that things came pretty easily for these guys at the beginning of the year. We were putting them in the right spots, and that's something that didn't come as easily or as early for last year's team. ... Now fast forward and some of the teams in the league, most of them actually, have picked up a lot of skill. There's just a ton of skill in the league right now. Teams have made moves to improve and they're adjusting. I don't think the defense is a major problem right now. The fact is we need to be sharper all the way around, and that comes back to focus. When everyone is going hard, things click. You start backing off, and guys are not where they're supposed to be. It's nothing major. If anything, I feel like things are coming back to us now. I feel better about the way we're playing right now than I did a few weeks ago when we were winning. We're back swinging up in the right direction."

The real problem: Finishing those chances. Coach said there were too many missed chances to count on Sunday. Everyone is gripping the stick a little too tight right now.

"We had one shift in the second period, where Shaun Walters missed a wide open net, and then the puck cycled around and Michael Ohlsson missed a wide open net. Those are two of the league's most prestigious goal-scorers. Walters is the best we've seen in the league for a long time. You don't see those two guys miss in the same game, much less the same shift. But everyone missed chances. We hit a few posts. At the end of the day, we should have won that game. We know it, we had the opportunity to do it, guys were in the right spots, we just didn't bury the chances," Fatis said.

The Ice Hawks have given up more goals lately, but Fatis insisted it has nothing to do with goaltending.

"No, not at all. There were a couple of goals this weekend that we were thrilled about, but I'm not putting anything on the goalies," Fatis said. "It comes back to trust. Early in the year, Simons knew he just had to square up and everything would be right there in front of him. All the sudden, we're making mistakes, and he's leaning a little bit. It's a trust issue. But this is a total team effort. There is stuff we need to work on defensively, and we're doing that."

So that's about it. Fatis said there are several minor injuries right now, but nothing major. Three forwards sat out of practice this morning, but nobody is out on a long-term basis. Sickness is all around and small injuries, but Fatis is hoping the team can finally get healthy in the next few weeks.

On Friday night, the Ice Hawks host Dakota College from North Dakota. He said they are a very good team, and they're playing over at Shattuck the next night. The Hawks are off Saturday and then host the Owls at 5:35 p.m. Sunday.

I'll check back in with coach later in the week to see if there are any other updates, and I'll drop in a post about the parity we're seeing in the MnJHL this season.

Packers-Bears breakdown (or things I'd rather be doing than watching the NFC Championship game)

So, the NFL season is still going on? Something called the playoffs (PLAYOFFS?! YOU TALKIN' 'BOUT PLAYOFFS?!?! YOU KIDDING ME?) are apparently happening, with some big games coming up this weekend.

In the AFC, I guess I'll go with the Steelers over the Jets because, well, Rex Ryan is the epitome of the guy you love when he's with your team, but detest when he's not. Plus, we have the whole Mike Tomlin angle with the Steelers. And (sarcasm alert) I can't tell you how much I love it when former Vikings coaches move on and win Super Bowls with other teams.

In the NFC, maybe Soldier Field will implode, or the Packers bus driver won't have enough change to get through the toll roads in Illinois. I guess I have to make a pick because I have friends who are Bears fans lobbying me to root for their team (C'mon! You HATE the Packers!) and friends who are Packers fans lobbying me to root for their team (C'mon! You watched the Bears spoil your first outdoor NFL game in 30 years! And you HATE the Bears!).

Truth be told, the only thing that would interest me less is if somehow the Bears and Packers met in the Super Bowl. Or if Doc Emmett Brown and his flux capacitor brought together this year's Bears and Packers teams, along with the 98 Falcons and last year's Saints, and had some sort of in-your-face-Vikings-fans tournament for the championship of the world.

So, will my TV be on Fox at 2 p.m. Saturday? Well, only if I decide against doing the following:

* Sun tanning in my backyard. No need to put ice in my drink.
* A Ben Affleck movie marathon. Maybe it's time to give Gigli a chance.
* An emergency trip to the dentist. There's nothing wrong with my teeth, but a root canal might be more enjoyable.
* A shopping spree with Mrs. Feldy. Sunday afternoon might be a good time to finally embrace Bed, Bath and Beyond.

OK, if I have to make a pick, let's actually break this thing down. As much as my tummy can tolerate breaking this thing down.

All week, when someone's asked me who I'd pick, I've been leaning toward the Bears because they're built to win games at a place like Soldier Field (or Lambeau, for that matter). Strange as it may sound, the Packers are a team built to steamroll teams in a controlled setting. Their quick-strike passing game is ideal for a place like the Georgia Dome, or fields with artificial turf.

Plus, it's extremely difficult to win three games on the road in the playoffs (and, let's not forget, the Packers are the No. 6 seed and had to come down to their last regular season game just to make it into the postseason). The Packers are playing better than any team remaining, though.

Here's my problem with picking the Bears, though: Jay Cutler. He can implode at any second (if the Seattle defender actually intercepted that pass near the Seahawks goal line early in last week's game, that game might have swung Seattle's way). I don't trust him to not make the bad throw.

So it comes down to Jay Cutler's ability to self-destruct vs. Green Bay's built-for-turf team.

I'll go with the Bears, 24-20, and trust that Cutler will save his self-destructing ways for the Super Bowl.

Coming Saturday: Hockey Day Hoth

FELDY: If you're not a Star Wars fan, then completely ignore the headline of this post (thanks to @UNDSID for the idea of the Hoth reference). Instead, pretend it says something like "Coming Saturday: Hockey Day Rochester."

If you are a Star Wars fan, then park your car for the weekend and ride your tauntaun to the Olmsted County Fairgrounds for Saturday's second annual Hockey Day Rochester. It won't be as cold as it is out right now (dry ice has a surface temperature of -109 degrees; I think we're about 10 degrees away from that), but the temperature is supposed to be in the single digits for Saturday's games, which begin at 10:30 a.m. Of course, after today's -20 temp, 8 degrees above zero will feel downright tropical.

But, the REALLY GOOD NEWS for anyone who is headed to Graham Park for Hockey Day: NO RAIN IN THE FORECAST! Last year, John Marshall's 4-2 victory against Mayo was dampened (literally) by a steady rain during the second and third periods. Everyone there last year (including me) said, "we can handle wind or snow or cold, but not rain!" We'll get our wish tomorrow.

Now, as for the games, the varsity boys game between Century and JM gets going at 10:30 a.m., followed by the JV boys game at approximately 12:30. The girls varsity game (JM/Lourdes vs. Mayo) is scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. start. Five youth games will be played on an adjacent rink, beginning at 10 a.m. and starting every 75 minutes thereafter, with the last youth game beginning at 3 p.m.

Here's a link that includes the complete schedule of games.

We have a couple of stories in today's P-B print edition. Ben Pherson profiles four JM/Lourdes seniors who have been with the team since its inception and have increased their win total -- slowly -- each season. The Rockets have 12 wins entering Saturday's game; a victory at Hockey Day would guarantee them their first winning regular season.

I'll have a story on the boys game. I talked to players from both teams about their memories of playing outdoors growing up. For JM's eight seniors, this is their third outdoor game as varsity players. They played in Hockey Day Minnesota two years ago, falling to St. Paul Johnson at historic Phalen Park (where Herb Brooks grew up playing). Last year, JM won the inaugural Hockey Day Hoth game, 4-2, against Mayo.

Also, if you pick up today's print edition, I have a short story on the front page of the paper, in which Century coach Bruce Frutiger talks about playing outdoors while growing up in Rochester. Find out why he once said he had "elephant ears" and how playing outside cost him his brand new pair of hockey gloves.

Here are some comments from JM and Century players and coaches that didn't make today's articles:

CENTURY JUNIOR D BRANDON KAUTZ
Do you watch the NHL Winter Classic? What do you think of it?
"Yeah, watch it every year, a bunch of us get together. The atmosphere is the biggest difference, when you have 80,000 (fans) instead of 18,000. They're NHL players, playing outside and acting like kids again. I'm sure it brings back a lot of memories for them."

Are the Century players excited to be a part of Hockey Day for the first time?
"We are. And we're excited to play against JM, a cross-town rival. We're friends with 90 percent of their team. We grew up playing with and against all of those guys."

CENTURY COACH BRUCE FRUTIGER
How does playing outdoors help kids develop?
"A lot of outdoor rinks are smaller, so you have to learn how to play in tight spaces. And it wasn't 5-on-5 all the time. Sometimes it was 8-on-8 because you had 16 guys. Now coaches try to insert a lot of those unstructured things into indoor practices."

JM SENIOR F RYAN YETZER
How different is it playing outside than playing on smooth, hard ice indoors?
"It's not a whole lot like playing inside at all. It goes back to the days of when you learned the game. That's where I learned to play and learned to skate (at Allendale Park in Rochester, playing against his older brother and his friends).
"You really have to concentrate more when you're passing and shooting because the ice is so bad. You have to make sure that what you intend to do is what you actually do."

On playing in Hockey Day Minnesota two years ago, with the game broadcast around the state on FSN...
"Looking back on it, I would love to do it again. It was a once in a lifetime thing and I'm honored that we got to play in it."

JM SENIOR F REED MILLER
How different is it playing outside than playing on smooth, hard ice indoors?
"It's bumpier, you have to have soft hands because you'll get more (unnatural) bounces. You have to focus a lot more on what you're doing with your stick."

JM CO-HEAD COACH JARED SKOVBROTEN
How does playing outside help a player develop?
"The biggest thing it does is (teach) creativity, the stuff you can't teach in practice. It's good to get out and play that style of hockey."