I’ve been gone for two weeks, on a working vacation. Mostly I was on my knees or back, dealing with  plumbing issues — you don’t want details — at my home and at my daughter and son-in-law’s house. Realize now, being a plumber would have been a bad career choice. Unless I got paid by the hour, not the job.

But back to college hockey. There’s a little news, here and there:

* At Wisconsin, junior defenseman Ryan McDonagh said he is coming back for a third year. He is a Badgers co-captain.

He was a first round draft pick of Montreal coming out of high school at Cretin-Derham Hall but his NHL rights got traded to the N.Y. Rangers this summer. Rangers told him they were happy with him being happy developing at UW.

* Construction in Madison on a new $27.7-million hockey facility for the women’s team will start in a year. The arena will seat 4,000 to 5,000 and also be used by the men’s team for practice. … Seems the Badgers are catching and passing the U on women’s hockey facilities.

COACHING SALARIES 

In Denver, the Post had a recent chart on coaching salaries in the WCHA. Its list:

Alaska Anchorage — Dave Shyiak, $110,000 in 2009-10, contract through 2011-12
Colorado College – Scott Owens, financial terms unavailable, contract through 2012-13
Denver – George Gwozdecky, base and length unavailable
Minnesota – Don Lucia, $222,789 in 2007-08, contract through 2011-12
Minnesota Duluth – Scott Sandelin, $150,000 in 2009-10, contract through 2011-12
Minnesota State- Mankato – Troy Jutting, $138,000 in 2008-09,  contracted extended to 2012-13
Michigan Tech – Jamie Russell, $116,759 in 2008-09, contract through 2011-12
North Dakota – Dave Hakstol, $210,000 in 2007-08, contract through 2011-12
St. Cloud State – Bob Motzko, $167,000 in 2008-09, contract through 2014-15
Wisconsin – Mike Eaves, $229,511 in 2008-09, contract through 2013-14

Three WCHA coaches have had their contracts extended since the 2008-09 season ended. Bob Motzko got another six years, Jutting four and Sandelin two.

DU and CC are private schools, so they do not have to release figures. But Pioneers coach George Gwozdecky said he is the fifth highest paid coach in the league.

Based on that statement,  here is how the coaching salaries in the WCHA fall, from top to bottom:

1. Mike Eaves, Wisconsin, $229,511

2. Don Lucia, Minnesota, $222,789

3. Dave Hakstol, North Dakota, $210,000 

4. Scott Owens, Colorado College

5. George Gwozdecky, Denver

6. Bob Motzko, St. Cloud State, $167,000

7. Scott Sandelin, UMD, $150,000

8. Troy Jutting, MSU Mankato, $138,000

9. Jamie Russell, Michigan Tech, $117,759

10. Dave Shyiak, Alaska Anchorage, $110,000

GAMES NOT EQUAL IN VALUE

Single-game hockey tickets for North Dakota games go on sale Sept. 12. Those ducats left for the Gophers series in mid-October are expected to be snapped up quickly.

They cost $45 apiece, more than for any other series. Tickets for WCHA games against Minnesota State Mankato and Michigan Tech an be bought for $25.

BROTHER FOLLOWING HIM

Center Nick Shore, 16, of Denver has committed to DU. He will play for the national development program in Ann Arbor, Mich., this season.

If his name sounds familar, it should. Nick’s older brother, Drew, will be a freshman at DU this season. He was selected in the second round of the NHL draft in June by Florida.

* Sophomore defenseman Peter Wiercioch of DU has decided to return to DU rather than turn pro. That has Denver Post  sports writer Mike Chambers giddy. He said PW completes a perfect storm season for DU and predicts 30 wins for coach Gwozdecky’s juggernaut.

TIDBITS

Sophomore forwards Monique and Jocelyne Lamoureux have been skating at the Ralph with the players on the men’s team at North Dakota this summer. Then returning to skate with the women’s team later.

The Lamoureuxs are preparing for the women’s Olympic team tryout camp coming up later this month.

* Ex-Sioux forward Michael Forney recently signed with the Atlanta Thrashers. He was a third round pick of Atlanta’s in the 2006 draft.

Forney played two years for the Sioux before decided to leave for Green Bay of the USHL. He had 26 goals, 34 assists and 59 points last year. He is a 6-2, 185-pound left wing from Thief River Falls.

* Bad boy Matt Frattin of the Sioux was recently punished by a judge for disorderly conduct. Remember he was throwing a teammate’s stuff into the street in the middle of the night?

The penalty? Fines totaling $225 and a 10-day jail sentence suspended for a year. Presumably he will not be incarcerated if he doesn’t litter again.

* I’m old in real years but not so much as a WCHA beat writer. This will be my third season on that assignment. That’s nothing.

Andy Baggott of the Wisconsin State Journal will be covering the Badgers for a 24th season. He started in 1986-87. … Shane Frederick of Minnesota State Mankato will be on the Mavericks beat for a 10th year. Happy anniversary Shane.

Not sure I will approach either of those numbers.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 3rd, 2009 at 8:01 pm and is filed under All. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.