Steve Klein writes:
 
> Former Athletic Director Marsh Ryman was quite outspoken on the subject. In
> fact, for many years dating back to the '50s, the Gophers wouldn't even play
> Denver, which was very heavily Canadian. There have always been exceptions,
 
I believe the biggest point of contention (best I can recall without my
"Gopher Hockey by the Hockey Gopher" book by my side) was that the team
was made up of OLDER Canadian players.  I suspect these objections eventually
led to some of the rather convoluted NC$$ hockey eligibility rules about
things like a year of eligibility lost for each year of competition past age
20.
 
> like Murray McLachlan, the fine Canadian goaltender in the mid-'60s, who kept
> "Slapshot" extra Ron Docken on the bench. But even Glen Sonmor stuck with the
 
Trivia tidbit:  This past year Docken haas been the Gophers' volunteer goalie
coach.  I'm sure Bob Mancini can supply his own punch-line about what else
he may have taught the Gophers...
 
> program while he was coach. So it goes back long before Beutow, Brooks and
> Woog.
 
-Pam Sweeney
Go Gophers!!!
Minnesota's Pride on Ice!!!