When Eric Burton wrote "The Trophy will be missed but players joking
about breaking other players hands is not good. Savage should be
suspended for even making the suggestion. This is not good sportmanship.
These tactics are instincts they are learned from coaches.'
 
I believe he was referring to the following story:
http://www.startribune.com:80/cgi-bin/stOnLine/article?stories=25&pgraphs=0&orderBy=PUB_DATE&folderView=Display%20selected%20stories&nextStoryNum=45574698&nextFolder=512&FOLDER_ID=512&prevFolder=512&firstStoryNum=45588188&checkedStory=45587625&checkedStor
 
First of all I have NO REASON WHATSOEVER to believe something just
because Doug Woog said it happened, particularly given the incidents
surrounding the McAlpine scholarship. But secondly, so what if a bunch
of guys were laughing and joking about the previous night's game. Woog's
sense of morality is something I would never suggest others to adopt. In
the weekend's box scores, Savage's name appears only for scoring or for
assists, whereas Hankinson's name appears only for roughing penalties.
 
What team is a reflection of its coach? The above article reports (1)
"With 15:14 remaining in the third period ..., Hankinson got into a
scuffle with Savage. Woog encouraged him from the bench, shouting 'Go
ahead, Casey, go ahead'" and (2) "Woog ... was critical of goaltender
Erik Day, ["He didn't make any saves"], said Tech coach Tim Watters was
guilty of shouting a few unsportsmanlike comments from the bench, and
generally thought the Huskies got away with too much all weekend."
 
What instincts do the Gophers learn from their coach and adopt from his
game strategy? Consider this: Trebil gets a holding penalty and Kohn a
roughing 14 seconds into Friday's game. Later in the first period
Abrahamson gets 10 minutes misconduct for cross checking and Trebil gets
a roughing double minor. At 13:17 of the first, Senden gets two for
slashing the goaltender and Leimbeck gets two for roughing. In the
second period, 3 of 4 high sticking penalties are on the Gophers. On
Saturday, Trebil gets a 5 minute major for checking from behind and a
game misconduct in the second. In the third period Hankinson gets a
rough at 4:46 and another rough at 13:45 (leadership in action). And to
finish the game, Abrahamson gets a 10 minute misconduct at 17:02, Berg a
cross-checking penalty at 18:49 and Lyons a cross-checking penalty at
19:24 (was there a sale on lumber during the Winter Carnival?).
 
Why Gopher fans (or those claiming to not be a Minnesota Fan) support a
coach with Woog's lack of class is beyond my comprehenson.
 
Nathan Eric Hampton
 
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