2015-16 a BOOMING Season for the Wisconsin Badgers Women's Hockey Team

Winning the WCHA best season at home award

These girls had an AMAZING season, I personally feel like that is an understatement. They where undefeated at home. They had a pretty good winning record on the road (10-3-1). Also during our home series against the Minnesota Gophers this season we swept them unlike the last past few years where they swept us. When we went to play at Minnesota we stopped them from having a sweep as well. Both the Badgers and Gophers won a game that series. For men who said girls cannot play hockey, well these girls, I mean women proved you wrong. If you can shoot, can pass, and score: you can play.

 Who knew prepping for a game could be so much fun!

I went to one home game in the spring and was just taken away about how good the team was playing and working together. They knew where each other where on the ice. They had this unspoken language between them, even the coaches. It was all unbelievable to watch and how put together they all where. Another thing I really loved witnessing was something that made it onto ESPN Sports Centers Top Ten list. Sarah Nurse did this most incredible deke that also came a goal. It happened so fast, I was to amazed with how the deke went to even see the goal. If you want to watch it, this link leads you to the teams tweet.

Another awesome thing that happened this season was that John Harrington became head coach of University of Minnesota - Minnesota State (Mavericks) for the women's team. So Mark Johnson got to get a chance to coach against one of his Miracle on Ice teammates. It was a new change for Harrington because he always coached men's hockey. But women's hockey warmed up to him. It is nice to see that more guys from the Miracle on Ice team are getting into to coaching women's hockey. More ways to popularize the sport. I personally don't want the guys from the 1980 Olympic team to steal all the girls thunder. I think that the UW-Madison and the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities are doing a great job with promoting women's hockey. Here in the Midwest, it is also a hockey hotbed, just like the East Coast is. The majority of the women who have played on the USA Olympic hockey team are from around the Midwest. With how well the Badgers and USA women's hockey are preforming, we pretty good to go on the girls being the spokes people. But with it being Harrington's first season, he did pretty well. He got his team to the playoffs.

Video that was made about the upcoming rivalry in 

WCHA hockey between both Miracle on Ice players and 

now coaches. 

The playoffs went well for the Lady Badgers who did pretty well up until the Final Four game against the Minnesota Gophers. It was the same story as last year with us playing against them and losing. But this time there was a difference to these two stories. This year we fought all we could, tieing the game and going into overtime. I was not there and I was sadly not able to watch the game in person. But from tweets I have seen on Twitter. It looked like a stressful game to watch on our side, and also hopefully on the Gophers side as well. We got to give them something to freakout about after what they did to us in the 2014-15 season final four playoff. The girls where training their asses off all summer for this. But in overtime the Gophers ended up winning the game and advancing to the NCAA Final. From someone who told me who was there at the game it was heartbreaking. I can only imagine. My heart broke for the girls when I read the tweet.

With the way that both the 2014-15 and the 2015-16 season has ended, it was heartbreaking and also motivational. If the Lady Badgers put in hard work and work their asses off again during off season and during the season. They can do great things. This is what we saw this season. 2015-16 was good to them, but I believe that 2016-17 will be AMAZING to them. Girls win that NCAA Championship! I am there with you, I know how much you want it because I want it for you guys as much as you want it. Go out their girls and WIN!

Bring it on Minnesota.

Wisocnsin Men's Badger Hockey 2015-16 Season Overiew: Oh, Child Things Will get Brighter

Yes, I went there!

The season was not their best. There seemed to be something going on, not sure if it was how the team was working together with the coaches, or just a lot of bad luck sadly coming towards their way. Things where not coming together, one could see that with their 8-19-8-0 record overall in the 2015-16 season. This lead to the seats in the Kohl Center getting emptier and emptier. The men still drew a crowd to cheer them on, this is where they found out who their true fans are.

There where enjoyable players out there who I enjoyed watching during the season. There where a great group of incoming freshmen who wowed us all. Luke Kunin lead the team and the freshmen in scoring. Took off with a amazing start, and also has a amazing Badger career that is a head of him. Grant Besse was also a joy to watch, he is always is. Besse has a great future ahead of him in the NHL. I also enjoyed watching Corbin McGuire bouncing back and fourth between defense and offense. It is always good to have a player who is established in both of these departments, and who can be a well rounded player and can play where you need him too.

The season ended horribly, and embarrassingly looking back at it for the team.  The Badgers found themselves in the B1G tournament and ended up getting booted out of the tournament in the first round. It was a disappointing loss to Penn. State. The score was 5-2. Things needed to change for the program.

During one of the Broader Battle games against the 

Minnesota Gophers

This lead to head coach Mike Eaves getting fired. There was already speculations going on through out the season about him getting fired. People in the stands where yelling at him that he should get fired. Very disrespectful at that time in my opinion. I do not go up to you and yell you should get fired while you are doing your job. Do not yell at him about something that may or may not be on his radar. It does not help him out with his confidence in being a leader for his team. Also it is disrespectful to the team as well, to have them hear that their leader is not doing his job up to you, the audience standards. Does not help that bridge of respect for players of their coaches.

There where also some questionable in reasons why Barry Alvarez fried Eaves to make the men's hockey program a better program. That made some red flags fly up to some of us, one of them being me. With the Wisconsin Journal quoting Alvarez on why he wanted the program to do well: "People interpret that I give all my attention to football and that is simply not true... However, football does demand a lot of attention. It’s the (financial) engine that drives the entire (athletic) program. But I care about hockey. I very much believe that we are a better athletic department when our men’s hockey program is thriving." I agree with him about the thriving part and having crowds come in and pay money for tickets to see their team win games instead of getting crushed, and people feeling they wasted their money to see a team loss over and over again. But one thing that really ruffled my feathers was that Alvarez saying that he cares about hockey, that's debatable in my opinion. I feel like Alvarez's loyalties still lay mostly still in the football program.

From left to right: Don Granato (assistant coach), Tony Granato 

(head coach), and Mark Osiecki (assistant coach)

Within two weeks later the athletic department found new replacements head coach and two assistant coaches. The Wisconsin Badgers hired Tony Granato as head coach with his brother Don Granato as an assistant coach with Mark Osiecki as the second head coach. It was a package deal: "My initial reaction was, absolutely, but only on the condition that I could bring these two guys with me as my associate coaches... These two guys are the final piece on why I’m here," states T. Granato when talking to the Wisconsin Journal. Within this off season during the summer, the program has done some major recruiting that gives the program a positive outlook on the future. Also one thing we learned early in the off season was that Tony Granato still needs to finish his degree and graduate college. Most of the people who are athletes in school, have opportunities to have professional careers. They go do that, and then UW-Madison athletic department has an open door policy for them to go back and get their degree. T. Granato is doing that, he needs the degree to coach at the college. Now is the time to take that advantage and maybe end up in a class with some of his players? Probably unlikely, but it would be an interesting experience to have though for both parties if that does happen.

With this new change in coaches, and new incoming players, and old players looking to kick off their season and do well and show what actually the Wisconsin Men's Hockey team can do. They have been held back way to long and looking forward to becoming a dominant Mid-West team again. Also to put more excitement in the Badger/Gopher rivalry which has been lacking on the Badger side. Oh, child things are getting brighter, and I have a feeling your 2016-17 season will be a brighter one.

2015-16 Wisconsin Badgers Men's Basketball Season: Up & Downs

The season started off, on a pretty good start during the whole pre-season kick off start. But once the regular season kicked off. The Badgers where struggling. Trying to go off of that momentum that they had during the NCAA March Madness. There was something a bit off about the starting of the season. It was not the team, who was finding the grove with each other on the court with major holes in the roster: Sam Dekker, Traevon Jackson, and Frank Kaminsky. But there was something a bit off that was in the air. The players had nothing to do with that.

On December 15th, 2015 Bo Ryan step down from the head coaching job. His reason was, it was the prefect time to step down because with the team finding themselves on a losing streak. Luckily the Badgers won their game that day against Texas A&M - Corpus Christi, that is when Ryan thought it was the right time to step down. That all I remember finding out after work when I was having dinner. Someone told Justin or Jake, my friends and coworkers, to turn on the TV because Bo Ryan just retired. I remember everyone shocked faces perfectly. News broke like wildfire (link 1 and 2). Shortly after assistant coach Greg Gard stepped up and took the new role of the head coach.

But another rumor surfaced around late winter and early spring. The first time I heard it was in my Feature Writing class in school. We where talking about what would make a good investigative story would be Watergate, Benghazi e-mails & etc. where all good examples, but our professor took it down to a more local level, something that had to do with the city of Madison or Madison College that would be easier on us on our final projects (we smartly stuck to Madison College for projects). So we all where talking about local news event, and that is when I heard rumors where going around about how Bo Ryan had an affair and that was why he was "forced" to retire, also apparently the woman was from Waunakee too, all the stuff in the rumor mill about it. I was sitting there in shock because I was not sure what to make of it all. I personally do not know and nor care it's true. Its like reading something on the internet you think is fishy, you take it with a grain of salt. That is what I exactly did. Here is an article form the Wisconsin State Journal from March, and another one just recently this summer in June. What do you think? Fact or fiction? It's all up to you.

After Bo Ryan's mysteriously stepping down and with the new head coach stepping in. The team found themselves doing pretty well. Coach Gard slowly, and surely is gaining everyone trusts that he is a good regular season coach. But once around tournament time. Oh, boy. That was not pretty. Especially the B1G tournament, the Badgers got eliminated the first round. But luckily we got ourselves back dancing into the NCAA March Madness tournament.

Hopes where high, and we all wanted our second chance to win our first ever NCAA tournament. Well, looks on that we have to wait. Why such a cynic? I am not. I am looking at this from an realist and idealist approach.  We where lucky to get in first off, every year that we have been in the tournament. We where lucky last year to get a number ONE seed!  That is a very difficult thing to achieve. Then finding our selves in back to back Final Fours, again, very difficult! Also advancing into the finals last year, THAT WAS AMAZING! It's very rare for us, as a basketball program to do that. So that why it was so, so, so, SO magically, and something that we should not take for granted. Let's not make Elmo's mistake and wishing for Christmas everyday of the year, because what makes that holiday and time of the year so special will wear off and it will feel like nothing. Another thing I would like to point out about the magical-ness of this going to the Final Four two years in a row is the fact that something about Bo Ryan and the team clicked. They had that magical chemistry that made them do very amazing things in the last two NCAA tournaments.

With that whole there has to be some kind of connect between the coach and team being said, I felt the connection between both players and coaching staff. But looks like other factors in the NCAA tournament had other plans for this Wisconsin Badgers squad. It was nice to see Bronson Koenig save the team's asses with the last second three pointer that made the team continue dancing on to the Sweet 16! But during our Sweet 16 game is where our trip ended this year for our NCAA March Madness adventure.

Branson Koenig saves the day! Sorry Bill Murry...

I hope the 2016-17 will be a less a of a dramatic season for you guys. I don't think you need rumors surround your ex-head coach swimming around. But I am glad that you guys as a team, coaches and players, let none of that stuff get to your head. I have hopes for you doing well next year, and hopefully winning that first overall NCAA championship, we all want you to win. Boys, you are still Wisconsin's Basketball team. (Don't tell the Milwaukee Bucks, I said that...)

2016 NHL Off Season: Draft, Trades, and Contract Renewals

This year was not as crazy as last year was. Most of the big stuff happened before the July 1st trade deadline, it all happened during the draft. Way to show these new kids who are just getting drafted into the NHL that you can be easily traded without question. These trades that where made in the draft where trading current players for spots in the 2016 draft and also future drafts: 2017 and 2018 drafts.

NHL Draft

From left to right: Austin Matthews,  Patrik Laine, Jesse Puliujärvi, and

Luke Kunin

Austin Matthews: First overall pick in the draft, is from San Ramon, California. Was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was playing in the Swiss National League in 2015 because he was too young to be drafted in the 2015 NHL Draft, by two days (aww, poor kid). Matthews will be playing with the Maple Leafs next year, like in the years pasts, I cannot wait to see what this number one pick can do next season!
Patrik Laine: Second overall pick, Patrik Laine is from Tampere, Finland. Was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets. Before the draft he was playing in the Liiga league in Finland for the Tappara. He was also on the IIHF Junior 2016 Champion team for Finland who won at Worlds this year.
Jesse Puljujärvi: Fourth overall pick, he is from Älvkarleby, Sweden; but he plays for the National Finnish team during the IIHF Juniors. He also was apart of the IIHF Junior 2016 Champion team for Finland in January 2016. Puljujärvi got drafted to the Edmonton Oilers. Before coming to the NHL draft he had played on the Liiga's Oulun Kärpät team and was also apart of the 2014-15 season Liiga championship team.
Luke Kunin: Fifteenth overall pick, Luke Kunin is from Chesterfield, Missouri. He was drafted to the Minnesota Wild. He has not signed his contract yet, and hopefully will be joining the team after his playing career is up for the Wisconsin Badgers, this will probably be the 2019-20 season will be his rookie season with the Wild and also in the NHL. Kunin was also apart of the IIHF Junior 2015 Champion team for the United States of America.

Trades

Shea Weber in a Canadians jersey (left) and PK Subban in a 

Predators jersey (right).

PK Subban // Shea Weber
 PK Subban got traded to the Nashville Predators for Shea Weber who is now a Montreal Canadian. This was a shocking and controversial trade. According to Sports Net (Canada's version of ESPN) it was the worst trade in the history of the NHL. I happen to agree with them. Why would you trade a defenseman who is just getting started in their career, and who possibly reaching their peak in their career for an older defenseman? If I would have traded him for someone, I would have gone for Erik Karlsson, who is one of the top defensemen in the league right now. If I did not want a defesemen, I could go for a forward, and Steven Stamkos was one of the top free agents during the off season until he signed his renewal contract in July. Not the brightest move by the Canadians. Not only because it was all about "egos", "stealing the limelight", or "he did not fit into your team" reasons. It has to do with more ability, who can play well with talent, and it is about winning the Stanley Cup.

Says it all, basically.

Taylor Hall // Adam Larsson
 Unlike the Subban/Weber trade, this one cannot be understood. It's a mystery to all of us. Why would you trade someone good for that little? Asked Hockey News in one of their writers blog post. I could not agree more about this one. Why would you want to get a forward (obviously the Devils needed help offensively) and trade one of your defensemen? You just left a giant gap in your defense. How are you going to figure out how to fill that gap now? I don't think a team works very well with five defensemen instead of six. Pucks are going to get through, and you are going to be losing games. You might have one extra forward play both offense and defense. I got no answers for you New Jersey Devils you got to figure out that one on your own. Even if I did, I still would not offer them to you. You dug yourself your own hole, now you need to dig yourself out of it.

Contract Renewals
Sometimes contract renewals are like trades. Players get offered better money, and sometimes their career is on it's last season and they want to play at home or where they started. Also other different reasons too, a lot of it can be personal and/or professional reasons.

Darcy Kuemper and Matt Dumba on top for the Wild both renewed 

contracts with the Wild. On the bottom is Steven Stamoks who resigned 

with the Tampa Bay Lightening.

Steven Stamkos: Resigns with the Tampa Bay Lightening with an eight year contract.
Thomas Vanek: Signs with the Detroit Red Wings for a year contract, due to free agency. 
Michael Latta & Tom Gilbert: Both sign to the LA Kings. Latta signs a one year contract due to the fact the Capitols had no interest in him anymore. Gilbert also has a one year contract with the Kings too. Last year with the Montreal Canadians, he had a knee injury that kept him out of the end of the season.
Matt Dumba & Darcy Kumper: Both have renewed contracts with the Minnesota Wild. Kumper signed a one year contract with the Wild. While Dumba signs a two year contract extension with the Wild.
Eric Staal & Chris Stewart: Both have signed with the Minnesota Wild as their new team. Staal has signed a three year contract with the Minnesota Wild. I would like to say welcome back to Stewart and the Stewart Sprints! Stewart signed a two year contract with the Wild.

WATCH OUT ZACH PARISE! It looks like you will be dodging

these for another two years! Welcome back, Stewart Sprints!

Even though this year wasn't constant renewals or trades, it was very mysterious and controversial ones. Lot of head scratchers and what where they thinking moves this year during the off season. Like always during the off season, the NHL always finds a way to turn itself upside down and move around players and put them on different rosters. The 2017 off season post will be also more exciting because in June, the NHL announced that they are adding a 31st team. The team is located in Las Vegas. Next year, one player from each current of the 30 teams will be given to the unnamed Las Vegas team. So much more interesting drama of trades, contracts signing drama to come with that. I will be around to cover that, until next year.