07-08 Gopher Freshmen

Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)

boblee
Posts: 9146
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 6:57 pm
Location: Fargo, ND
Contact:

07-08 Gopher Freshmen

Post by boblee »

Here is the list...

#2 Kevin Wehrs D Plymouth, MN
#4 Stu Bickel D Chanhassen, MN
#7 Patrick White F Grand Rapids, MN
#11 Mike Hoeffel F North Oaks, MN
#18 Nick Larson F Stillwater, MN
#25 Drew Fisher F International Falls, MN
#28 Cade Fairchild D Duluth, MN
#33 Alex Kangas G Rochester, MN

I dont think it gets much better than that. The question here is, how good can these 8 guys be?
breakout
Posts: 2485
Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 8:00 pm

Post by breakout »

OK Boblee, please tell me why Bickel is on that list. I know the gophs do a great job of recruiting. Please explain that one. Will he play much?

Did that guy light it up in JRs?
Gopher Blog
Posts: 1548
Joined: Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:14 am
Contact:

Post by Gopher Blog »

breakout wrote:OK Boblee, please tell me why Bickel is on that list. I know the gophs do a great job of recruiting. Please explain that one. Will he play much?

Did that guy light it up in JRs?
Size, mobility, and toughness. He was one of the toughest guys in the USHL and the Gophers needed to add some of that to their skill players on the blue line. He'll definitely keep the other team on their toes if they should try some cheap stuff.
boblee
Posts: 9146
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 6:57 pm
Location: Fargo, ND
Contact:

post 8237

Post by boblee »

Stu Bickel is an outstanding physical presence. He is tougher than nails, and he can shoot the puck a little bit as well.
breakout
Posts: 2485
Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 8:00 pm

Post by breakout »

Gopher Blog wrote:
breakout wrote:OK Boblee, please tell me why Bickel is on that list. I know the gophs do a great job of recruiting. Please explain that one. Will he play much?

Did that guy light it up in JRs?
Size, mobility, and toughness. He was one of the toughest guys in the USHL and the Gophers needed to add some of that to their skill players on the blue line. He'll definitely keep the other team on their toes if they should try some cheap stuff.

OK, who would YOU pair him with this year?
boblee
Posts: 9146
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 6:57 pm
Location: Fargo, ND
Contact:

post 8246

Post by boblee »

Bickel and Fairchild would compliment each other nicely...but I do understand they will both be freshmen this year. Maybe R.J. Anderson.
breakout
Posts: 2485
Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 8:00 pm

Post by breakout »

Gopher Blog wrote:
breakout wrote:OK Boblee, please tell me why Bickel is on that list. I know the gophs do a great job of recruiting. Please explain that one. Will he play much?

Did that guy light it up in JRs?
Size, mobility, and toughness. He was one of the toughest guys in the USHL and the Gophers needed to add some of that to their skill players on the blue line. He'll definitely keep the other team on their toes if they should try some cheap stuff.

I saw him play a couple of times in high school. Back then, I questioned his skating and decision making with the puck. No doubt he is a big presence. Must have improved greatly in JRs.
breakout
Posts: 2485
Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 8:00 pm

Re: post 8246

Post by breakout »

boblee wrote:Bickel and Fairchild would compliment each other nicely...but I do understand they will both be freshmen this year. Maybe R.J. Anderson.

Putting him with an offensive type makes sense. Playing with a freshman may be a stretch.
LetsPlayHockey22
Posts: 419
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 11:47 am

Post by LetsPlayHockey22 »

I like Patrick White, he is a team player and has great offensive talent. Anybody have any info on fisher?
SEC Scotty
Posts: 1039
Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2006 8:58 am
Location: East Metro

Post by SEC Scotty »

Fisher played for Moorhead and was a transfer from International Falls I believe. Had a very good year for Sioux Falls.
boblee
Posts: 9146
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2004 6:57 pm
Location: Fargo, ND
Contact:

post 8248

Post by boblee »

SEC Scotty wrote:Fisher played for Moorhead and was a transfer from International Falls I believe. Had a very good year for Sioux Falls.
Fischer just played his senior year at Moorhead, correct, before that was I'Falls. Good job on that. Very good hockey player. He will fit in nicely.
Gopher Blog
Posts: 1548
Joined: Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:14 am
Contact:

Post by Gopher Blog »

breakout wrote:I saw him play a couple of times in high school.
So what did you think of Bickel on defense back then? :wink:
sachishi4
Posts: 1179
Joined: Thu Dec 28, 2006 7:15 pm
Location: SLP

Post by sachishi4 »

i thought larson was going to juniors this year and coming next year
State ‘83, ‘91, ‘08, ‘20
Gopher Blog
Posts: 1548
Joined: Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:14 am
Contact:

Post by Gopher Blog »

sachishi4 wrote:i thought larson was going to juniors this year and coming next year
Things changed late in the summer. He is going to attend school at the U this year and take a redshirt season.
sachishi4
Posts: 1179
Joined: Thu Dec 28, 2006 7:15 pm
Location: SLP

Post by sachishi4 »

ahh, good stuff
State ‘83, ‘91, ‘08, ‘20
Hockeyguy_27
Posts: 745
Joined: Sat Feb 24, 2007 10:19 pm

Post by Hockeyguy_27 »

sachishi4 wrote:ahh, good stuff
Bickel is like Ogie Ogelthorpe only bigger and meaner :lol: I wouldn't want to play against him.

Rumor has it Hagemo is coming back too. His injury must finally be healed.
breakout
Posts: 2485
Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 8:00 pm

Post by breakout »

Gopher Blog wrote:
breakout wrote:I saw him play a couple of times in high school.
So what did you think of Bickel on defense back then? :wink:

XXL orange cone

Like I indicated, he must have improved greatly since high school. Obviously he did otherwise the Gophs wouldn't have selected him.

What other schools did he visit?
Little Falls Fan
Posts: 90
Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:36 am

Post by Little Falls Fan »

Looking forward to watching these freshman players. With these new guys and the other returning gophers this should make for one great team.
Gopher Blog
Posts: 1548
Joined: Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:14 am
Contact:

Post by Gopher Blog »

breakout wrote:
Gopher Blog wrote:
breakout wrote:I saw him play a couple of times in high school.
So what did you think of Bickel on defense back then? :wink:

XXL orange cone
Interesting you would say he looked that way on defense back then. Because he didn't even play there full time until well into his junior hockey career. You must have quite some foresight to be able to tell how a guy played the position before it happened. Either that or you didn't really see him play and mistook him for somebody else. :lol:

As for some of the other teams that were after him, SCSU, CC, OSU, and SLU.
RLStars
Posts: 1417
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2005 4:14 pm
Location: State of Hockey

Post by RLStars »

Gopher Blog wrote:
breakout wrote:
Gopher Blog wrote: So what did you think of Bickel on defense back then? :wink:

XXL orange cone
Interesting you would say he looked that way on defense back then. Because he didn't even play there full time until well into his junior hockey career. You must have quite some foresight to be able to tell how a guy played the position before it happened. Either that or you didn't really see him play and mistook him for somebody else. :lol:

As for some of the other teams that were after him, SCSU, CC, OSU, and SLU.
If he never played "full time", how in the heck did he even make it to Juniors? By "full time" I assume he was never a top two lines player. So did his SIZE get him playing time in juniors since fighting is allowed there and not in HS?

I don't know the guy and have never seen him play, so I have no real opinion on him.
Gopher Blog
Posts: 1548
Joined: Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:14 am
Contact:

Post by Gopher Blog »

RLStars wrote:If he never played "full time", how in the heck did he even make it to Juniors? By "full time" I assume he was never a top two lines player. So did his SIZE get him playing time in juniors since fighting is allowed there and not in HS?
What I meant, is he played forward back then. He didn't play defense full time until midway through his junior hockey career.
RLStars
Posts: 1417
Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2005 4:14 pm
Location: State of Hockey

Post by RLStars »

Gopher Blog wrote:
RLStars wrote:If he never played "full time", how in the heck did he even make it to Juniors? By "full time" I assume he was never a top two lines player. So did his SIZE get him playing time in juniors since fighting is allowed there and not in HS?
What I meant, is he played forward back then. He didn't play defense full time until midway through his junior hockey career.
Oh, I see. Thanks for the repy, makes sense now.
breakout
Posts: 2485
Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 8:00 pm

Post by breakout »

Gopher Blog wrote:
breakout wrote:
Gopher Blog wrote: So what did you think of Bickel on defense back then? :wink:

XXL orange cone
Interesting you would say he looked that way on defense back then. Because he didn't even play there full time until well into his junior hockey career. You must have quite some foresight to be able to tell how a guy played the position before it happened. Either that or you didn't really see him play and mistook him for somebody else. :lol:

As for some of the other teams that were after him, SCSU, CC, OSU, and SLU.
As it turns out, you are correct. Apparently I was wrong and did mistake him for someone else. My apology to Stu.

It's interesting seeing how often you rip others and others opinions. You are quite the PR guy for the U of M. Maybe you will offend one of Don's recruits or a recruits parent someday. Odds are, you probably already have.
LetsPlayHockey22
Posts: 419
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 11:47 am

Post by LetsPlayHockey22 »

The Gophers need more players like Bickel who are just grinders but also have some talent, good 4-year players like UND gets.
breakout
Posts: 2485
Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 8:00 pm

Post by breakout »

Good teams seem to have a mixture of different types of players.

The good news, Stu Bickel will be a freshmen that is old enough to buy beer. Back in my day that was considered a good thing. :D
Post Reply