Author: David Shama

The NHL’s Winter Classic, previously held in three other American cities, will be played in Pittsburgh on Saturday and the annual New Year’s Day outdoor game could be headed to Minnesota in 2012.

“We’ve let the NHL know that this would be the ideal host area,” said Minnesota Wild executive Bill Robertson.  “We would like to host as soon as possible.”

The Wild have pitched the NHL on hosting the classic in past years and it seems likely this hockey-crazed state will one day win approval and perhaps soon.  Buffalo, Chicago and Boston are American cities who have already hosted games in outdoor stadiums while large TV audiences watched the telecasts.

The NHL office is responsible for not only deciding the host city for the game, but also covers expenses and retains profits.  Robertson said the Wild are ready to host in “2012, 2013 or beyond.”

He wouldn’t disclose a preferred game site but acknowledged Wild officials have talked with decision makers at TCF Bank Stadium and Target Field.  As the host area, he said the Wild would expand activities beyond what other American NHL cities have done.

The Wild’s vision is to include games involving boys and girls teams and college teams during the days leading up to the Winter Classic.  “This would be a great way to showcase all the history and programs, a celebration of the sport,” Robertson said.

Robertson said the public is welcome to contact the NHL office to show support for bringing the Winter Classic to Minnesota.  League officials are expected to announce the January 1, 2012 city this spring.

The Winter Classic could come here just six months after the NHL Entry Draft that will be at Xcel Energy Center June 24 and 25.

The Wild have holiday home games tonight, Friday and Sunday against the Sharks, Predators and Coyotes.  All three are likely sellouts although some tickets remained as of Monday.

The Gophers need to upgrade their nonconference basketball schedule.  The list of teams isn’t a good enough value for season ticket holders and not a single 2010 nonconference game sold out at Williams Arena, while most, or all, Big Ten games will.  Not only that, but the Gopher players often appeared disinterested with a group of opponents that included Eastern Kentucky, Akron and South Dakota State.

The Gophers played one team with a marquee name at home, Virginia.  The nonconference home schedule should include at least three opponents who create anticipation and excitement.  Coach Tubby Smith is a natural for games against Kentucky, the school where he coached championship teams before coming here, and also versus Louisville and coach Rick Pitino who was his mentor at Kentucky.  And how about an annual rivalry game against Iowa State where former Timberwolves guard Fred Hoiberg is in his first season as Cyclones head coach?

The Wolves’ Kevin Love has 20 games (out of 32) this season where he’s had 15+ points and 15+ rebounds, more than anyone else in the NBA.  He leads the league in rebounding at 15.5 rebounds per game.

Teammate Darko Milicic is averaging NBA career highs in points, 9.1, and blocks, 2.4.

The Wolves are at home both tonight against the Nuggets and on Saturday versus the Nets, then play their one and only game in Boston on Monday night against Kevin Garnett and the Celtics.

Lynx fans have reason to be interested in the Connecticut women’s basketball team beyond the Huskies’ record games winning streak.  Two-time college player of the year Maya Moore is likely to be the No. 1 pick in the next WNBA draft and the Lynx own that draft choice.

Yesterday was the last day for fan voting in the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year balloting.  Voting took place in four college football divisions including Division II where one of the five finalists is University of Minnesota Duluth national championship coach Bob Nielson.  St. Thomas’ Glenn Caruso and Bethel’s Steve Johnson are two of the five finalists in Division III.

The winner in each division receives a Liberty Mutual Coach-of-the-Year trophy, plus $50,000 to donate to the charity of his choice and $20,000 to donate to his school’s alumni association. A selection committee of national media and members of the College Football Hall of Fame determines winners along with fan balloting.  Winners will be announced on the Internet January 10. www.coachoftheyear.com.

It irks Gophers fans to look at Wisconsin’s lineup and see three Minnesotans starting but that’s reality when the two teams open the Big Ten season in Madison tomorrow night.  The Gophers are expected to start three or four players who played high school basketball in Minnesota.

The “Minnesota East” versus “Minnesota West” matchup just adds drama to a game that really doesn’t need more emotion.  The 11-1 Gophers, a top 25 team, hope for a fast start in the Big Ten Conference race but so, too, does 10-2 Wisconsin, a team that’s close to earning a national ranking and like Minnesota regarded as an NCAA tournament club come March.

And, of course, no matter when Minnesota and Wisconsin play in basketball, football or hockey, emotions soar in the Border Battle.  But having all those Minnesota natives on the floor makes tomorrow night’s game more intriguing than usual.

The Badgers are expected to start Jon Leuer (Orono), Jordan Taylor (Bloomington) and Mike Bruesewitz (St. Paul).  Leuer, a mobile sharp shooting 6-9 forward, is a future NBA draft choice and could end his senior season as the Big Ten’s MVP.  The muscular 6-1 Taylor is among the conference’s best point guards at both ends of the floor.  Bruesewitz, 6-6, is a blue collar forward whose scrappiness stands out on a team that knows only one way to write the word hustle, in capital letters.

Minnesota Mr. Basketball chair Ken Lien saw all three Badgers when they were high school players.  “I would sure like to see them in the maroon and gold,” he said.  “They went there for a reason because Wisconsin showed high interest in them because they fit into the system that (coach) Bo (Ryan) runs over there. …If the coaching situation had been different at the University some of those kids might have stayed home.”

When Leuer was in high school the Gophers coach was Dan Monson.  He was fired during Leuer’s senior season.  His father, Mike, told Sports Headliners that Jon certainly had interest in Minnesota.

“I think if you go back four years ago it was a little bit tumultuous at Minnesota and there was a lot of uncertainty,” his dad said.  “I think Jon wanted to go to a place where he felt it was stable, a good environment and winning tradition.   He had a lot of good choices.  …Minnesota was high on the radar on the list but when it was all said and done Wisconsin was his best fit and that’s what he decided on.”

Taylor, a junior at Wisconsin, had committed to the Badgers before Gophers coach Tubby Smith arrived here.  Bruesewitz, a sophomore, was a high school senior at Henry Sibley the same year Royce White played at Hopkins and Rodney Williams was at Cooper.  Three similar forwards and the Gophers preferred White and Williams.