Gophers Hockey – Page 21 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Vikings’ Cook Already Chasing A.P.

Posted on September 16, 2019September 16, 2019 by David Shama

A Monday notes column with a football focus after a weekend that saw the Vikings lose and Golden Gophers win.

The Vikings’ Dalvin Cook ran for 154 yards and had 37 yards in pass receptions in Sunday’s 21-16 loss to the Packers in Green Bay. With an ineffective passing game (Kirk Cousins 14 of 32), the Vikings were a one-dimensional offense running the football and relying on Cook. He had the Packers defense on edge for the whole game, breaking tackles, eluding defenders and running away from them. His best moment was a 75-yard second quarter touchdown run that gave the Vikings some life after falling behind 21-0.

Cook ran for 111 yards in the season opener a week ago Sunday against the Falcons. Minnesota was one-dimensional in that game, too, but the result was better with a 28-12 win over Atlanta. Cook now has 265 yards rushing in two games, averaging 132.5 yards. Over 16 games that 132.5 multiplies to 2,120 yards.

Adrian Peterson holds the franchise single season rushing record with 2,097 yards. Cook, healthy for the first time in his three-season career with the Vikings, is a long shot to reach the lofty level of 2,000 yards but he will receive a lot of carries in an offense committed to run the football. He is one of the NFL’s elite rushers and if he stays healthy is a lock to be the franchise’s first 1,000 yard rusher since Peterson ran for 1,485 in 2015.

Dalvin Cook (photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings)

Peterson led the team in rushing eight times. His second highest single season total was 1,760 yards, a figure that is also the second best ever for a Viking. At age 24, Cook could chase 1,760 yards this fall and in the seasons ahead.

The Packers started fast in the game, with their offense keeping the Vikings off balance and looking confused. Green Bay’s best receiver, Davante Adams, got away from Minnesota’s best cover man Xavier Rhodes, including for a 39-yard reception on the game’s first play. Adams had seven receptions for 106 yards.

Rhodes had been anticipating the matchup last week. “It’s like a one-on-one rivalry almost,” he told Sports Headliners. “We look forward to playing against each other. He’s a great player, and I am a great player.”

Don Beebe, who played for the Packers and whose son Chad Beebe is the Vikings punt returner and reserve wide receiver, planned to attend Sunday’s game. Would Don cheer for the Packers? “No, not any more,” Chad said with a chuckle.

The 5-foot-9 Beebe, in his second season with the Vikings, is the lightest player on the roster at 183 pounds.

Vikings starting offensive tackle Brian O’Neill, also in his second season with the team, had his 24th birthday Sunday.

Since 2007 the Packers have the second best home record in the NFL, 72-23-2. The Patriots are first at 85-12, while the Vikings are tied for sixth with the Saints at 65-32.

Radio station WTMJ in Milwaukee has been airing Packer games since November of 1929. Viking games have been on KFAN in Minneapolis since 2001.

A lengthy bio about Packers GM Brian Gutekunst on Packers.com includes no reference to his dad John Gutekunst who was the Gophers head coach from 1986-1991.

Despite all their warts in the first three games, the 2019 Gophers are 3-0 after defeating South Dakota State, Fresno State and Georgia Southern by a total of 13 points. Those three programs have solid pedigrees and each won 10 games or more last season.

Concerns, though, are multiple for the Gophers including the offensive line that during the offseason was hyped but struggled to both run and pass block against Southern last Saturday. The run game was diminished, too, playing without four injured running backs, Shannon Brooks, Mohamed Ibrahim, Rodney Smith and Cam Wiley. Smith and Wiley were injured during Saturday’s game and didn’t return.

Minnesota gifted Southern with four scores, including a fumble return and blocked field goal attempt resulting in touchdowns. Gopher coach P.J. Fleck also set up one of two short scoring drives for the Eagles when late in the second quarter his offense was stopped trying for a first down at the Gopher 34-yard line. A poor decision by Fleck, and one that caused Minnesota’s lead to shrink from 21-13 to 21-20 in the closing minute of the first half.

The Gophers rallied in the last four minutes of the game to overcome a 32-28 Southern lead and win, 35-32. It was the third consecutive game Minnesota came from behind in the fourth quarter, and the comebacks make a statement about the program’s culture. The program that preaches “Row the Boat,” also says, “Yes, we can.”

The Gophers have a bye week before playing at Purdue September 28. Fleck said on WCCO Radio Sunday morning Ibrahim, Smith and Wiley will be ready to play, and Brooks, who has missed the first three games, should be available too.

Minnesota wide receiver Tyler Johnson, who had 140 yards in receptions and caught the winning touchdown pass Saturday in the victory over Southern, was announced this morning (Monday) as the Big Ten Co-offensive Player of the Week with Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins.

After three weekends of college football, here are Sports Headliners’ power rankings of Big Ten teams: Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Nebraska, Maryland, Minnesota, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois and Rutgers.

Minnesota native and former state Mr. Basketball Tre Jones told Spun.com recently that he passed on the 2019 NBA Draft and returned for his sophomore season at Duke to win a national championship, and that “there’s a lot of things” he can improve on including his jump shot.

The Twins, short on starting pitching with Michael Pineda suspended, need improvement from veteran Kyle Gibson who in his last six starts since August 8 has a 7.80 ERA, giving up 26 earned runs in 31 innings pitched. From June 25 thru August 3, he was 4-0 with a 3.74 ERA (18 earned runs in 43.1 innings).

Among NCAA schools, the Gopher hockey program has the most alums, 33, attending 2019 NHL training camps. The Minnesota Wild has the most former Gophers with five: Kyle Rau, Tyler Sheehy, Jack Sadek, Nick Seeler and Mat Robson.

Popular former Gophers athletic trainer Roger Schipper, a native of Worthington, Minnesota, was inducted into the Worthington High School Hall of Fame Friday night.

Mike McGee, the Gophers’ offensive line coach in the late 1960s who went on to become athletic director at USC and South Carolina, died last month at age 80. He was a key assistant on Minnesota’s 1967 Big Ten championship team.

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Twins’ Cruz, Berrios on Top 100 List

Posted on March 1, 2019March 1, 2019 by David Shama

Enjoy a Friday notes column with a focus on the Minnesota Twins and Target Field.

Sports Illustrated ranks two Twins players among its top 100 players in Major League Baseball. The February 25 issue of the magazine lists the game’s best, and the publication has newly acquired outfielder and designated hitter Nelson Cruz at No. 65 and starting pitcher Jose Berrios at 95.

The Twins could come out of spring training as a consensus choice among oddsmakers and media to finish second in the American League Central Division behind the Cleveland Indians. Despite some offseason payroll trimming, the Indians may win a fourth consecutive division championship because their talent is still impressive.

Three Indians made the magazine’s top 10—shortstop Francisco Lindor at No. 4, third baseman Jose Ramirez, No. 5, and starting pitcher Corey Kluber, No. 9. The club’s starting staff also includes Trevor Bauer, No. 35, and Mike Clevinger, No. 73.

The Twins can’t match that pitching but if their staff produces some pleasant surprises, Minnesota looks like a run-scoring club. Bleacherreport.com said in an article this week that the Twins averaged a solid 4.6 runs per game last season, and additions like Cruz figure to make the offense even better.

Bleacherreport’s story focused on the playoff chances of all 30 MLB teams. The Indians came in at 70 percent, while the Twins were next among Central Division clubs with a 40 percent chance of qualifying for the postseason.

Sports Illlustrated’s rankings had Los Angeles Angels’ outfielder Mike Trout as the best player in the game. Aaron Hicks, the center fielder Twins GM Terry Ryan traded to the New York Yankees in 2015 for catcher John Ryan Murphy, is the No. 78 player in the game, per S.I.

The Twins have been trying to fill their center field void for years. Murphy has become an obscure player, most recently signing a reported one-year, $900,000 deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Hicks reportedly has a new seven year, $70 million contract with the Yankees.

In a telephone interview yesterday from spring training in Florida, Twins president Dave St. Peter predicted Cruz will become a “fan favorite,” perhaps similar to former Minnesota slugger Jim Thome. “He (Cruz) has been great,” St. Peter said about the six-time MLB All-Star who is known for his hitting and clubhouse leadership.

Berrios, 24, is a potential staff ace for the Twins who St. Peter admires for his talent and work ethic. “He works harder than any player on our team,” St. Peter said.

Regarding the Sports Illustrated article, St. Peter said Marwin Gonzalez “should be on the list.” The Twins signed the multi-positional free agent earlier this week after the switch-hitter hit 16 home runs and drove in 68 runs last season for the Astros while playing 76 games in the outfield, 39 at shortstop, 32 at second base, 24 at first base and three at third.

The Twins’ regular season opener, March 28 at Target Field, is close to a sellout, with a few thousand tickets remaining. The early opener was prompted by the presence of the April 6-8 Final Four in Minneapolis. Extensive field preparation begins in a couple weeks. “I will take 50 (degrees) and sunshine (for opening day),” St. Peter said.

About 28,000 tickets have been sold for the August 31 North Dakota State-Butler football game at Target Field, with capacity at over 38,000. NDSU is the defending Division I FCS national champion.

Target Field hosted a record Division III crowd of 37,355 in 2017 for the St. Thomas-Saint John’s football game. St. Peter said there are discussions about playing the November of 2021 Tommies-Johnnies football game at Target Field. Talks are ongoing, too, with the Minnesota Wild regarding an NHL Winter Classic at the downtown Minneapolis stadium.

Construction on the Minnesota United’s Allianz Field is complete, with a ribbon cutting scheduled for March 18 at the St. Paul stadium. The club reports the project generated more than 650,000 work hours, totaling over $46 million in wages, and that $167 million was awarded to companies located within 150 miles of Allianz Field.

Minnesota’s MLS team opens its regular season on Saturday (5 p.m. Twin Cities time) on the road against the Vancouver Whitecaps. The club has five new starters counting Slovakian Jan Gregus, 2017 MLS Defender of the Year Ike Opara, 2016 MLS Cup Champion Ozzie Alonso, Premier League goalie Vito Mannone and the only player from Madagascar in the league, Romain Metanire.

Coffey photo courtesy of Minnesota Athletic Communications

Amir Coffey is one of the Big Ten’s most versatile and skilled players. He will need to produce like he did last night (31 points, 12 rebounds in a must-win over lowly Northwestern) if the Gophers are to earn an NCAA Tournament invite. Minnesota entered the game as a projected last team entry in the tourney field of ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi.

Men’s regular season MIAC basketball champion St. Thomas is in the Division III NCAA Tournament and so, too, is the conference’s playoff title winner, Saint John’s. The Tommies (22-4) have a tourney opening game tonight in Lincoln, Nebraska versus Wisconsin-La Crosse (17-9). The Johnnies (23-3) are at home tonight against Northwestern-St. Paul (21-6).

Pat McKenzie, only the 15th head men’s basketball coach in 113 years at Saint John’s, speaks to the CORES lunch group Thursday, March 14 at the Bloomington Event Center (formerly the Knights of Columbus building), 1114 American Blvd. For reservations and other information, contact Jim Dotseth by Monday, March 11, dotsethj@comcast.net. CORES is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

Maybe Timberwolves starting point guard Jeff Teague has some Jimmy Butler in him. That was the view expressed yesterday by Mike Max on WCCO Radio who said it appears Teague plays in games when he wants to.

Butler, traded to the 76ers after his infamous start to the season with the Timberwolves, is one of the NBA’s better closers when his team creates isolation situations for him to score. The 76ers are among the NBA’s best clubs, partly because of Butler who will be a free agent after this season. He reportedly has given no assurances he will return to his new club.

New to major college hockey and ranked No. 12 nationally in the latest USCHO poll, Arizona State is in Minneapolis to play the Golden Gophers tonight and tomorrow evening at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The Gophers aren’t ranked in the 20-team poll but three schools from the state of Minnesota occupy top spots—St. Cloud State, No. 1; UMD, No. 3; and Minnesota State, No. 4.

Condolences to family and friends of “Bucky” Zimmerman, the former Gophers tennis player and Minneapolis attorney who died late last month. I knew “Bucky” and enjoyed his intellect, curiosity and easy-going manner. He was married to former WCCO TV anchor Pat Miles.

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NHL Dream Still Thrills 39 Years Later

Posted on February 27, 2019February 27, 2019 by David Shama

Larry Thayer still has the paycheck stub from his remarkable experience with the NHL’s Minnesota North Stars. It will be 40 years next February that Thayer was paid $325 to suit up as the emergency goalie for his hometown team.

Thayer was at home in Edina on Saturday, February 23, 1980 when he received an unexpected telephone call from a woman with the North Stars. She was calling for North Stars coach Glen Sonmor and general manager Lou Nanne.

“They would like to know if you could come over and play for the North Stars,” the front office assistant told a stunned Thayer. The team’s backup goalie had been injured in the Saturday morning practice and team officials were scrambling to find a replacement for that evening’s game at Met Center against the New York Rangers.

Thayer, who hadn’t played in an organized hockey game for five years, thought the call was a prank and almost hung up his telephone.

The woman asked Thayer if a phone conversation with team trainer Richard “Doc” Rose would reassure him. The two men knew each other. When Thayer talked to Rose he inquired about what was going to happen if regular goalie Gilles Meloche got hurt during the game.

“We will stitch him up and put him right back out there,” the trainer told Thayer.

That was a comforting answer, but in reality Thayer didn’t need too much convincing. Yeah, he hadn’t played in a game since being the Golden Gophers starting goalie in 1975. Yes, he was out of shape, and he was a cigarette smoker who enjoyed his beer, but this was an “unbelievable” opportunity to suit up for the team he had been following since growing up in Edina. “My childhood dream (come true),” Thayer told Sports Headliners during an interview yesterday.

Before he could head for the Met Center, the 27-year-old Thayer had to call Braemar Arena in Edina and tell the staff he wasn’t coming to work that Saturday night. “Why not?” somebody asked.

“Because I am going to be with the North Stars,” Thayer answered.

Thayer arrived at the Met with his own ice skates, goalie mask and high anxiety at the thought he might actually have to play in the game. The North Stars gave him jersey No. 30, but unlike other players he didn’t have his name on the back of it. Sonmor and the players, including former Gophers teammates Mike Polich and Tom Younghans, were welcoming.

“The guys were so nice to me,” Thayer recalled. “They said come and lead us out on the ice (for warm-ups prior to the game).”

Thayer’s reaction? “Now I am really nervous.”

Meloche didn’t like to spend a lot of time on the ice during warm-ups so for about 20 minutes it was Thayer who was the target of shots by teammates. It was also prior to the game that he took notice of fans who were bewildered as to who this new goalie was.

“Who the (blank) is that?” Thayer heard from the stands. It was a bizarre time for Thayer whose identity was hidden behind his mask, and yet he was looking up in the seats and recognizing people he knew.

The Rangers’ roster included another Thayer teammate with the Gophers, Warren Miller. On one of Miller’s last shifts he caught a glimpse of Thayer for the first time that night, and Miller was shocked. “He does a double-take that was priceless,” Thayer said.

The North Stars were ahead in the third period when Thayer’s anxiety went to a higher level. Meloche had an equipment problem and it appeared Thayer might have to replace him. North Stars captain Bobby Smith said, “Larry, are you ready to go?”

Thayer remembers his heart pounding at the thought of trying to preserve the win for his new team. He was so nervous he “gurgled” a response to Smith.

To Thayer’s relief, Meloche was able to make a quick enough equipment adjustment to stay in the game and finish out the remaining minutes of a North Stars’ victory. In the locker room Thayer and teammates enjoyed some beers and then headed toward the Met Center exits. On the way kids asked for Thayer’s autograph, not knowing or caring who this one-game goalie was.

If Thayer had seen game action how would he have done? Okay in most situations but breakaways like two skaters streaking in on him would have been difficult, he speculated.

Thayer never got a chance to get an on-the-ice answer to how he would perform because even though the North Stars had signed him to a short contract, they didn’t need him after that one memorable night in 1980 when he had one of the best seats in the Met to watch the action. But Thayer, of course, is grateful for the good fortune he thinks came about because his name and reputation was known in the local hockey community.

Thayer’s resume included working as an instructor at the summer hockey camp of his Minnesota coach, the legendary Herb Brooks. Thayer was also acquainted with Sonmor and other hockey leaders in the state.

Thayer was the starting goalie on the 1969-70 Edina hockey team. He had 12 shutouts and never gave up more than two goals in a game. He played in the classic 1970 state championship game when the Hornets lost 1-0 in overtime to Minneapolis Southwest.

After high school Thayer didn’t immediately play college hockey, but eventually he joined the Gophers as a walk-on goalie for the 1974-75 season. How did that come about? Well, he was driving the Zamboni at Braemar Arena before the fall of 1974 when Minnesota assistant coach and goalie guru Warren Strelow spotted him and asked if he wanted to tryout for the Gophers.

Early in that season Thayer became the Gophers’ regular goalie. He compiled a 19-3-1 record in his only season playing for Minnesota. The Gophers won the WCHA regular season and playoff titles before losing in the Frozen Four to Michigan Tech.

To this day, Thayer is grateful for playing under Brooks who he described as tough but fair. “I learned more about hockey in one year with Herb Brooks than in my whole career,” Thayer said.

Thayer was manager of Braemar Arena for 38 years before retiring in 2010. Next week, on March 6, he will turn 67 years old. That’s a date to look forward to and so, too, is February 23, 2020 when it will be the 40th anniversary of his surreal experience playing in the NHL for his hometown team.

“I’ll do some celebrating,” said Thayer, who still likes beer. “I might even have an Old Fashioned.”

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