Wild – Page 86 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Yeo Coaches to Win Stanley Cup

Posted on July 13, 2012July 13, 2012 by David Shama

Second-year Wild coach Mike Yeo didn’t have his team in the playoffs last season but that’s certainly the future expectation now with the early July free agent signings of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to 13-year, $98 million contracts. Yeo will need to show he’s a high level coach, matching the promise of a roster led by talented veterans like Parise, Suter, Mikko Koivu and Niklas Backstrom, plus the much anticipated development of young prospects including Mikael Granlund.

Yeo characterizes the addition of Parise and Suter, the 27-year-olds who will revitalize the team’s scoring and defense, as exciting and not adding to his stress. “I put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure I am working and doing everything I need to do to prepare the team,” Yeo said. “This is not about pressure. This is about opportunity, and now we have opportunity here.

“For me, I don’t coach to try to keep my job. I coach to try to win a Stanley Cup. You add a couple players like this and all it does is enhance those chances. So to me this is not about pressure. This is about excitement. This is about opportunity.”

By the size of the investment in money and contract years made by the Wild to Parise and Suter, will Yeo have to coach them differently than other players? He answers that coaches relate to players individually, implying it will be no different with his two new arrivals. It’s up to coaches to understand what makes players “tick.”

Making Yeo’s job easier is that Parise and Suter are quality people on and off the ice. Tom Reid, the former North Stars player and radio analyst on Wild games, told Sports Headliners the two are “great mentoring” players.

Yeo, who has the reputation of being a players coach, is of course hoping there will be no NHL labor strike and training camp starts on time in September. “…We have to be real focused on our training camp, making sure we get off to a great start in the season,” he said. “Just build off this kind of excitement and build the positive things we’ve got going on right now. …”

Koivu was the team’s leader in assists last season with 32. Parise scored 31 goals for New Jersey. Will the two be on the same line?

“I don’t want to say it’s a given, but when you show up for day one of training camp, that’s who you are going to see,” Yeo said. “We won’t beat our heads against the wall but we will expect them to complement each other very well and I am fully expecting those two to click right off the bat.”

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Worth Noting

Posted on July 13, 2012July 13, 2012 by David Shama

Zach Parise was eight years old when the North Stars moved to Dallas in 1993 but he has memories of the NHL franchise that includes his dad, J.P. Parise, among its alums. “We always loved going to the games,” Zach said.

He described meeting North Stars legends Neal Broten and Mike Modano as the “highlight of a lifetime.”

Ryan Suter said he doesn’t set personal goals but the objective before each season is to have his team win the Stanley Cup. “I think that the better your team does, the more success you have personally. My goals, I think, are just trying to be the best leader I can be. Helping young players – obviously contributing on and off the ice as much as I can. …”

Suter, age 27 and with a 13-year contract, talking about playing at 40: “I hope so. I hope I am still healthy. I would love to be able to play. “

If the Minnesota hot weather continues into August when the Gophers begin preparations for their August 30 game in Las Vegas it will be a plus for conditioning. Summer temperatures in Las Vegas can exceed 110 during the day, although the Gophers-UNLV game will be played at night.

Memorials and donations can be made to a donor’s choice of several organizations in memory of former Gophers football player John Williams. For information about those organizations visit his CaringBridge website, https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/johnbjwilliams

Discussions between the Gophers and basketball coach Tubby Smith regarding a contract extension have been ongoing since at least spring of last year. At this point it will be no surprise if a deal is reached, or if Smith continues with his present contract that has two years remaining.

The basketball staff’s recruiting prowess will be tested during the next two years because of coveted state prep prospects Tyus Jones, Reid Travis, Rashad Vaughn and Kyle Washington.

NBA referee and Minnesota native Ken Mauer Jr. will be the speaker on Thursday, September 13 at the C.O.R.E.S. luncheon in Bloomington. Anyone interested in more information can email Jim Dotseth at dotsethj@comcast.net. C.O.R.E.S. is an acronym for coaches, officials, reporters, educators and sports fans.

The Timberwolves have a minicamp roster of players competing this week to be on the team that plays a five-game schedule starting next Monday in Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League. Players trying out include Luke Sikma, son of Wolves assistant coach Jack Sikma, and Coby Karl, son of Nuggets head coach George Karl.

Five-time All-Star Camilo Pascual, who pitched for both the old Washington Senators and the Twins, will be inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame tomorrow night during a pre-game infield ceremony at Target Field prior to Minnesota’s game against Oakland. Pascual might have had the best curve ball ever thrown by a Twins pitcher.

The Kansas City Star reported online Sunday that the biggest economic impact for the city of Kansas City in hosting this week’s MLB All-Star game is media exposure worth $75 million (33 million viewers in 217 countries). Minneapolis may host the 2014 game.

Sports Headliners is told Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church on Prior Avenue in St. Paul will be the site of the Joe Mauer–Maddie Bisanz wedding on Saturday, December 1, and security will be tight.

Internet speculation includes talk various clubs want to acquire former Twins starter Matt Garza, now with the Cubs.

The Vikings, like other NFL teams, have to be concerned about fans who prefer watching games via high-definition television. With a new stadium to fill in 2016 and beyond, look for the Vikings to factor this into marketing decisions including ticket pricing and the game day experience downtown.

Mike Freeman, writing on July 10 for cbssports.com, said 39 Vikings have been arrested by law enforcement officials since 2000, the most in the NFL. The latest was Adrian Peterson’s arrest in Houston several days ago. Freeman also wrote the Vikings have “10 arrests since the start of 2011.”

The St. Thomas football team is ranked No. 4 nationally in the Lindy’s Sports Magazine Division III preseason poll. The Tommies are ranked No. 7 in the USA Today top 10 poll. Last year St. Thomas became the first team in MIAC history to complete back-to-back 10-0 regular seasons and lost to eventual national champion UW-Whitewater in the NCAA Division III semifinals. Saint John’s and Bethel join UST in the Lindy’s Top 25 Poll at No. 14 and No. 15.

Suzy Bogguss, a recent guest on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion radio program, will perform at the third annual Camden’s Concert on Wednesday, July 25 at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Camden’s Concert is named after Dave and Linda Mona’s 4½-year-old grandson Camden Mona, and the event raises money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

A silent auction on July 25 will include footballs signed by Jerry Kill, Percy Harvin and John Carlson, plus an Adrian Peterson autographed jersey. Tickets are available by calling the Hopkins Center for the Arts, 952-979-1111, or via the organization’s website. www.hopkinsartscenter.com/

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Worth Noting

Posted on July 11, 2012July 11, 2012 by David Shama

Gophers football coach Jerry Kill will take quarterback MarQueis Gray, offensive lineman Ed Olson and linebacker Keanon Cooper to Chicago later this month for the Big Ten Football Media Days.

Congratulations to former Gophers wide receiver Sam Richter who is the author of Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling. Richter won the Sales Book of the Year Award from the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals.

Former Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi told Sports Headliners he favors a new basketball practice facility as a separate project from a new or renovated Williams Arena. Maturi’s position is the Gophers will need a modern practice facility when 84-year-old Williams Arena is torn down or renovated while playing home games at another building such as Target Center.

“I’ve said for five years Williams Arena has to be addressed,” Maturi said.

That assignment now will be for new University of Minnesota athletic director Norwood Teague. Maturi hopes to see an elevated floor be part of a new or renovated arena.

The University is spending $90,000 to ensure that the Williams Arena roof will bear the weight of the new scoreboard that will be in place for next season.

The funeral for former Gophers All-American offensive tackle John Williams will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday at Speak the Word International Church in Golden Valley. A wake will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday at Estes Funeral Chapel in north Minneapolis. John passed away on Sunday in Minneapolis.

Al Nuness just finished his Gophers basketball playing career in the spring of 1969 when coach Bill Fitch asked him to help recruit Corky Taylor, a high school prospect in Detroit. Nuness and others paid tribute to Corky last week at the Plymouth Covenant Church in Plymouth. Corky, 60, died in late June from lung cancer.

Nuness, who described the 6-9 Taylor as a “big teddy bear with a great smile,” told Sports Headliners how he learned more about his friend at the funeral. “He was very private to begin with. He was deeply religious,” Nuness said. “It showed in the way his funeral was handled. It was very moving.”

Former Gophers teammates from Corky’s 1972 Big Ten championship team attending the funeral included Ron Behagen, Jim Brewer and also Clyde Turner who gave a eulogy. Gophers from other eras included Walter Bond, Willie Burton, Nate Tubbs and Trent Tucker.

Nuness acknowledged that Taylor’s name will long be associated with the 1972 Gophers- Ohio State brawl. Taylor was a major participant in the fight between the two teams. “That was totally out of character for Corky what happened,” Nuness said.

The Gophers will host the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four next March 22 and 24 at Ridder Arena. The Gophers are defending national champions. There have been 12 NCAA women’s champions over the years and all the titles have been won by three schools – UMD (five), Wisconsin (four) and Minnesota (three).

The Minnesota Wild Development Camp that started earlier this week at Xcel Energy Center includes free scrimmages open to the public tomorrow night starting at 7 p.m. and on Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. Among the prospects participating are Makael Granlund, the talented 20-year-old center from Finland who is likely to make the Wild roster next season. Trying out also is Will Merchant, a senior forward at Eagan High School last season. Record development camp crowds of 5,000 are possible.

Wild owner Craig Leipold said on Monday the organization’s “great” prospects was a factor in the willingness of free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to sign with his franchise. He also said the Wild has sold “almost” 2,000 new season tickets since the signings of Parise and Suter was announced last week.

Leipold indicated a winning Wild team can have a domino effect on the franchise for the building of a new practice facility across from Xcel Energy Center and for helping secure the NHL Winter Classic for the Twin Cities.

How often does a grandfather catch his grandson in an official baseball game? Tink Larson isn’t sure of the answer but he was the catcher for grandson Clint Larson in a town baseball game last month. Playing for the Waseca Braves, 20-year-old Clint was throwing to 70-year-old Tink.

“It just so happened this particular night that we were ahead so it was a good time to have him pitch and me catch since no one feels that there has ever been a grandfather that has caught his grandson,” Tink wrote in an email. “…Most people that age have long been retired and most couldn’t still catch. He (Clint) had two strikeouts and a comebacker to the mound so it was a pretty easy inning.

“When I was 60 I caught my son Mike, who was close to 40, in an amateur state tournament game at Miesville. That was in 2002. I also caught an inning in the state amateur tournament in 2003 at Northfield. …”

Eight MIAC football players have been selected as preseason Division III All-Americans by Beyond Sports Network. St. Thomas offensive lineman Curtis James and Saint John’s defensive back Bobby Fischer are first team picks.

Tommies defensive lineman Riley Dombeck and defensive back Chinni Oji are on the second team while St. Thomas linebacker Harry Pitera and punter Garrett Maloney are third teamers. Also on the third team is Bethel offensive lineman Josh Wolfe and Concordia offensive lineman Tom Knowlton.

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