Taken directly from the Grand Forks Herald.  Written by Virg
Foss on 2-2-95.  This is the Unabridged Story.
 
 
 
                Blais:  Wilson needs to control his temper
 
 
        UND hockey coach Dean Blais says that sophomore Landon Wilson
must play on the cutting edge to be sucessful as a hockey player.
        But on two occasions this season, Wilson has gone over the edge.
Both resulted in game disqualification penalties for fighting.
        His second disqualification in two weeks---this one against
Minnesota-Duluth last Friday---meant that Wolson had to miss the next two
games.  The progressive rule on fighting majors also means that Wilson
would miss three games if he's handed a game disqualification penalty
again.
        Blais said Wednesday that he will take Wilson on the trip to
Wisconsin this weekend, even though Wilson must sit out the Friday's
opener of the two-game series as a result of his second DQ.  Wilson will
return to the Sioux lineup Saturday, Blais said.
        He said the Sioux cannot afford any more major penalties on
Wilson.  "Definitely, I'm concerned," Blais said, "especially when we
only have 12 forwards on a road trip."
        A game disqualification means far more than the loss of one
player for one game---or more, Blais noted.  "You end up switching lines,
and guys get tired," Blais said.  "A lot of times, you're breaking up all
four of your lines when that happens."
        Wilson is UND's most penalized player, with 29 penalties totaling
99 minutes.  Defenseman Kevin Rappana, with 29 penalties for 72 minutes,
is second in penalties.  A year ago, Wilson led UND in penalties with 60
for 147 minutes.
        Wilson's game is accented by his physical play.  Blais said
Wilson's basic style doesn't need to change.
        "He's just got to change his thinking a little bit," Blais said.
"Landon Wilson is effective when he's hitting and he's intense.  But to
get lured into penalties or fights, that's not what we want out of him."
        Blais said that Wilson's problems are compounded by him being a
marked man, in part because of being the pre-season pick of coaches to be
the MVP in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, a pre-season
All-America, a member of the U.S. World Junior Team and a first-round
draft pick in the National Hockey League.  Wilson's physical style
doesn't often sit well with opponents, either.
        Blais also said that Wilson gets called for penalties that other
players do not.  "Doug Woog(Minnesota Coach) talks about how (Gopher
defenseman) Mike Crowley gets worked over a little bit," Blais said.
"Well, Landon has gotten that.  If officials are going to call a penalty,
they should call the first infraction."
        Blais said that just prior to Wilson being tossed from the game
for fighting last Friday, he was speared by a Duluth player.  "Then
Landon got taken down and into the boards, and it went on and on and on.
If officials just called it right away, there's no problem, he doesn't
flip out.  But Landon has got to be under control."
        Blais said he will talk to the referees in Wisconsin prior to
this weekend's series, as league rules permit, about giving Wilson equal
treatment.  "Other teams will go after him, because right now the word on
Landon is that he can't control his emotions."
        Wilson said he will try.  "I can't change the way I play here,"
Wilson said.  "But I've to control it in some sort (of way).  But I can't
stop the way I'm playing."
        Blais said he has talked to Wilson about his need to control his
emotions.  "His teammates feel the same way, too,"  Blais said.  "They
expect Landon to go out there and be a leader."
        And in a lot of ways, Wilson is just that, Blais said.  "Maybe
Landon isn't having a great year, but he does a lot of things off the ice
that people don't realize," Blais said.  "He's a very unique individual
in that he'll go out to watch youth hockey games, and he'll go visit
people in the hospital on his own.
        "Landon has a lot of fine qualities," Blais added.  "But one
thing Landon has to do is control his temper and his emotions."
        A year ago, Wilson shared the team scoring lead with 18 goals, 15
assists in 35 games.  In 18 games this season, Wilson has 3 goals, 13
assists.
        "No one knows what the problem is," Blais said.  "But there is a
problem, for someone with that talent not to use it to the best of his
ability."
        Wilson said he feels the of the pre-season accolades and
spotlight of being last year's Rookie of the Year in the WCHA.
 
 
 
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