Shari writes:
>Now, on to Maine! This will be a VERY tough series. Maine has an
>incredible home record, and the Gophers have always had problems
>up there. One question... is Walsh really a whiner/egomaniac/jerk?
>Or is it just rumor? :-) :-). Some Gopher players were joking about
>making sure their sticks were legal down to the mm, and locking them
>in there hotel rooms before the games, to prevent tampering!!
 
    Doug, you knew this was coming, didn't you.
 
    From the archives, here's something I said last year:
 
+        From:  mike_m
+        Date:  Tuesday, February 20, 1990   8:15:43 pm (EST)
+     Subject:  Hockey East scores, standings 2/20/90
+          To:  college_hockey:
+
+    ...
+
+ A writer told me that the illegal-stick maneuver, which Maine used at the end
+ of the BC game to get an extra man advantage by calling Steve Heinze, has
+ been a favorite of Walsh's. In fact, apparently Maine would have someone sneak
+ into the visitors' locker room while both teams were warming up and measure
+ the opponents' blades - and write down which ones were illegal.  Certain
+ coaches caught wind of this crookery, however, and had their players leave
+ ridiculously illegal banana blades in the room while they were on the ice
+ and toss them in the barrel afterwards.  I can't vouch for the truth of
+ this story, but it's worth a laugh nonetheless.
 
    And Sarah @ Maine sent the following response:
 
@        From:  [log in to unmask] (S.S. MICHAUD)
@          To:  [log in to unmask]
@        Date:  Monday, March 5, 1990   9:11:10 am (EST)
@
@    ...
@
@In talking with Shawn Walsh last week he referenced mail I sent him that
@I had received over the network. The mail mentioned an illegal stick
@maneuver that Maine used to get an extra man advantage by calling
@Steve Heinze in the BC game on Feb. 17. The writer had heard
@that Maine would have someone sneak into the opponents' locker room
@while both teams were warming up and measure the opponents sticks -
@and write down which ones were illegal. Get Serious!
@I thought that it was ridiculous when I read it and Shawn
@added to those feelings when he said that ""No respectable
@coach would do anything like that. It's ridiculous."" He also
@explained that Steve Heinze was down on the ice and his stick was
@near him when Shawn noticed that there was quite a curve to the blade
@as it laid on the ice so he asked for a measurement. As you know the
@rest is history.
 
    There you have it.  Minnesota players can choose to make their own
    decisions about this information, possibly at their own risk. :-)
 
 
    - mike