Author: David Shama

Former Minnesota North Stars fans will watch with nostalgia when Mike Modano plays in the NHL All-Star game on Sunday in Montreal.  Modano, 38, was the first overall pick in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft when the North Stars chose the Michigan native to play for them.  He moved with the franchise to Dallas in 1993 and has been with the Stars since then.  He is tied for second on the team in goals with 13.

Goalie Niklas Backstrom will be the Wild’s only representative in the all-star game.  Last year Marian Gaborik was the one player from the Wild.

Mike Gartner, whose NHL career included playing for the North Stars, holds the fastest skating time of 13.386 seconds for making a lap around the rink in the 1993 all-star weekend skills competition, according to www.nhl.com.

Twins catcher Joe Mauer, who spends part of the off season in Southwest Florida, flew back to Minneapolis from Fort Myers on Saturday night.  He’s scheduled to be at TwinsFest this weekend at the Metrodome.

Mauer is featured in Twins’ ads for spring training tickets appearing in the News-Press newspaper serving Southwest Florida.  The Twins, who open their spring training home schedule in Fort Myers on February 25 against Boston, started selling exhibition game tickets on January 10.  At 4 a.m. gates were opened at the Lee County Sports Complex to accommodate fans who wanted to be among the first to buy tickets starting at 9 a.m., according to the News-Press.

By 2012 the Twins could be sharing the Fort Myers area with two major league teams, the News-Press reported recently.  The Baltimore Orioles, whose president is former Twins executive Andy McPhail, are interested in moving from Fort Lauderdale.  The Red Sox are already in the Fort Myers area and plans are developing for a new ballpark replicating a smaller version of famed Fenway Park.

There’s a website devoted to Bert Blyleven and his deserving to be voted into baseball’s hall of fame, www.bertbelongs.com.  Blyleven didn’t receive enough votes earlier this month to be voted in but is deserving of being in the hall of fame with a career that included 287 wins and clutch pitching, often performing with mediocre support.

Coach Steve Fritz and his St. Thomas men’s basketball team is undefeated at 15-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country by www.d3hoops.com.

Former Wayzata High School tennis player Karl Gregor is an assistant volunteer coach for the men’s team at Harvard.  He is a graduate of the Air Force Academy.

If Jim Dutcher is correct, the Gophers are headed to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2005.  Dutcher, the former Gopher coach and one of the smartest basketball authorities in this area, left the following voice mail message for Sports Headliners earlier this week:

“The Gophers go 11-7 in the Big Ten, 12-0 nonconference (and) 23 and 7 (overall).  They’re in (the tournament).  Can’t miss.”

Coach Tubby Smith’s team opened the Big Ten schedule last week by splitting two home games, losing to Michigan State and defeating Ohio State.  In the Michigan State game the Gophers were dominated by a team that’s ranked No. 8 in the country by Associated Press and deserves to be the conference title favorite.  But Minnesota, ranked 19^th  in the ESPN/USA Today poll and 22^nd by A.P., looked like an NCAA tournament team in beating Ohio State, showing a determined defense and interchangeable personnel in the 68-59 win.

Smith said his team improved after the first two league games and added this: “…There was a big learning curve after we lost to Michigan State.  We got a rude awakening and lesson in just how hard they have to play.”

The Gophers, with a 13-1 overall record, play their only game this season against Iowa tomorrow night in Iowa City.  Dutcher figures the Gophers will win against the Hawkeyes (1-1 in conference, 11-4 overall) and here’s how he projects Minnesota’s record versus other Big Ten teams:

The Gophers will be 2-0 against Indiana, Northwestern and Ohio State.  They will be 1-1 versus Illinois, Michigan, Penn State and Wisconsin.  Minnesota will be 0-2 against Michigan State and 0-1 versus Purdue, presumably the conference’s other best team.

As usual, every segment of the conference schedule will be challenging including the next four games with three of them on the road, at Iowa, Wisconsin (January 15) and Northwestern (January 18).  The next two home games are Penn State on January 11 and Purdue on January 22.

If the Gophers have only one or two losses by January 22, Williams Arena could be jumpin’ for the Purdue game more than at any time in the Smith era which began last season.

Tim Brewster told Sports Headliners on Monday that he was contacted by other schools last year about their football vacancies but declined to speak with their representatives because of his commitment to the Gophers.

The Gophers’ head coach is expected to receive a contract extension soon from athletic director Joel Maturi but Brewster declined to give details about the timing of an announcement and number of years to be added.  Noting that Maturi has “reached out” regarding the extension, Brewster said specifics are being reviewed.

Brewster, who coached Minnesota to a 7-5 regular season record in 2008 after being 1-11 the year before, agreed to a five year contract for about $1 million in compensation after succeeding Glen Mason as coach in January of 2007.  The Gophers were national news last fall after their surprising 7-1 start, but injuries and better opposition led to a 7-6 finish including an Insight Bowl loss to Kansas.

His usual enthusiasm and positive approach was evident on Monday.  He said it’s “imperative” that the Gophers make as much improvement in 2009 as they did last year.  Part of that process includes effective work by his assistants and Brewster is now evaluating the staff.

Yesterday came separate announcements that offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar and defensive coordinator Ted Roof have resigned.  News releases from the athletic department said Dunbar will “pursue other professional interests” while Roof will become defensive coordinator at Auburn.  By the time spring practice begins the Gophers figure to have their third different defensive coordinator and second offensive coordinator of the Brewster era.  No doubt everyone involved with the program will want more longevity from coordinators in the future.

Brewster spoke from Phoenix on Monday where he was waiting to attend the Fiesta Bowl, an opportunity to watch his son Nolan Brewster play for Texas against Ohio State.  The younger Brewster, a freshman, played on special teams and is a reserve strong safety.

After leaving Phoenix, Brewster was planning to spend the rest of the week recruiting in Los Angeles, Houston and Denver. “We gotta get us some guys,” he said.

Brewster plans to sign between 22 and 25 high school and junior college players.  The Gophers will have three or four scholarships to offer if the players who have already verbally committed for national signing day next month keep their pledges.

Those players are expected to do just that including all the in-state players who made verbal commitments.  Brewster is excited about sweeping the state recruiting except for one player (believed to be wide receiver Bryce McNeal of Breck).  The 2009 recruiting class will be “equal (to) if not better” than the nationally ranked top 20 class of last season, he said.  “We’re going to have an outstanding class every single year,” he added.

For next season Brewster will have a more experienced and talented team.  There were only three senior starters on the 2008 team (plus senior punter Justin Kucek and place kicker Joel Monroe) and the staff has been upgrading the talent pool since 2007.  A Website even has the Gophers (No. 18) ranked among the nation’s top 20 teams for next season (www.nationalchamps.net).

Brewster valued the 15 practices allowed for the bowl game and mentioned how helpful they were to the improvement of junior defensive end Cedric McKinley.  He played with a high motor in the bowl game producing four tackles and a team high two sacks.

In other news, Brewster said cornerback Marcus Sherels recently had successful surgery on the right shoulder he injured last fall.  He expects Sherels to participate in spring practice but not have contact.