The Gophers awards banquet is April 24. Haven't got my invitation yet. Must be in the mail. (Last year I was told media couldn't go. It was private.)
* As a WCHA coach, Don Lucia has taken 13 of his 17 teams to the NCAA tournament. The only years the season for his teams ended earlier was in 1993-94, his first year at CC, 1999-2000, his first year at Minnesota and the last two years.
* Coach Doug Woog was gone after his missed two NCAA trips in a row. Before that, the last Gophers coach two miss the NCAA in back-to-back seasons ws Herb Brooks in 1977 and '78.
* I only met Boston College coach Jerry York twice. Both times were brief encounters. He brought his BC Eagles to play in the Gophers' holiday tournament during the 2007-08 season and when it ended, Minnesota played in the Northeast Regional at Worcester, Mass. BC beat the Gophers 5-2 enrouted to the 2008 national title.
He must be quite the coach. His four senior were 25-2 in postseason play and had 101 career wins.
* One coach who has to be muttering to himself as the offseason begins is George Gwozdecky of Denver. His team won the MacNaughton Cup, then seemed to quit on him. The Pioneers struggled to beat Michigan Tech in the first round of the WCHA playoffs, went 0-2 in the Final Five and 0-1 in the NCAAs. This was a team that had not lost two in a row during the regular season.
