Okposo Leaves Gophers

[jkahn]

Kyle Okposo is leaving Minnesota and will join the Islanders after the World Juniors.
http://www.uscho.com/news/college-hockey/id,14874/OkposoOptsOutSignsWithIsles.html

[evilnaturedrobot]

I understand that you have to do what you have to do in order to further your career, but half way through a season?  That just seems wrong.  If you sign on for another year you should stay through march.

[marty]

[quote evilnaturedrobot]I understand that you have to do what you have to do in order to further your career, but half way through a season?  That just seems wrong.  If you sign on for another year you should stay through march.[/quote]

Even if you are a Goofer and the season doesn't start 10-1?  If you are a prince in the Goofer family and your kingdom falls apart you do what any other royal does, you show your true colors.  And on that topic their school colors suck!

[Rita]

I do not know if I missed it in the article or not, but did it mention if he was leaving while in "good academic standing"?

There was this quote from Minnesota coach Don Lucia: "It is unfortunate that the Islanders put him in a very difficult position. I think our team has made strides the last few weeks and I'm looking forward to the second half of the season."

I think this is the first instance I heard of a pro team "pressuring" a prospect in the middle of the college season. Have there been other cases? (This is a "off the top of your head" type question, I don't have time to do the research and I don't expect someone else to it for me).

[RichH]

I'm linking a most interesting article from the Star-Tribune on this subject that sheds a little more light on the subject (first came to my attention via hockey-L).  Basically, it's Isles GM (and former Maine star) Garth Snow ripping on Don Lucia's coaching.  It looks like the relationship between pro clubs and college programs is getting more and more strained.  I fear that this sort of thing will begin to be more commonplace.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/12692637.html

"Quite frankly, we weren't happy with the program there," Snow said in a telephone interview. "They have a responsibility to coach, to make Kyle a better player, and they were not doing that."

Asked for specifics, Snow said, "[Okposo] just wasn't getting better -- bottom line. And to me, that's the frustrating part. We entrusted the coach there to turn him into a better hockey player, and it wasn't happening. We feel more comfortable in him developing right under our watch."

[ugarte]

[quote 2008 Wisconsin recruiting manual]Be a Badger!
[quote Islander's GM Garth Snow]"[Okposo] just wasn't getting better -- bottom line. And to me, that's the frustrating part. We entrusted the coach [at Minnesota] to turn him into a better hockey player, and it wasn't happening. We feel more comfortable in him developing right under our watch."[/quote][/quote]

[oceanst41]

He's not the only player who's development leaves something to be desired. Kessel has been benched at points this year for neglecting two way play for the Bruins. He's still the first player in the box for a bench minor, so let's be honest he'd be the last one off the bench to kill a penalty.

Then again is anyone really surprised by this? ;-)

[adamw]

I hope y'all don't mind me pointing to some interesting follow up articles on this topic we've had at College Hockey News

[myopinion]Snow's comments were inexplicable.[\\myopinion]

[cbuckser]

[quote oceanst41]He's not the only player who's development leaves something to be desired. Kessel has been benched at points this year for neglecting two way play for the Bruins. He's still the first player in the box for a bench minor, so let's be honest he'd be the last one off the bench to kill a penalty.

Then again is anyone really surprised by this? ;-)[/quote]

I was under the impression that Phil Kessel chose Minnesota over Wisconsin in part so he could play in a more wide-open system in which he would have fewer defensive responsibilities.

[oceanst41]

Which is what I was getting at. He may have chosen Minnesota for those reasons, but Minnesota certainly built that reputation up.

[evilnaturedrobot]

Still, where does Garth Snow get the stones to criticize Don Lucia?  Lucia's been a respected figure in the hockey world for years, Garth Snow has been a GM for a year and most of the big decisions seem to be made by Wang anyway.  Don Lucia was developing players while Garth Snow was cheating shooters with illegal shoulder pads.  Snow should have kept his mouth shut.

[sah67]

Anyone notice the subtle editing of Snow's wikipedia entry?

"Garth E. Snow (born on July 28, 1969 in Wrentham, Massachusetts) is a retired professional sieve and is currently the general manager for the New York Islanders of the NHL."

[Josh '99]

[quote sah67]Anyone notice the subtle editing of Snow's wikipedia entry?

"Garth E. Snow (born on July 28, 1969 in Wrentham, Massachusetts) is a retired professional sieve and is currently the general manager for the New York Islanders of the NHL."[/quote]From later in the same entry:

In the 2007-08 hockey season, Snow signed Kyle Okposo out of the University of Minnesota program. Despite Minnesota coach Don Lucia's superiority to Snow in every aspect of both hockey and life, save perhaps being a sieve, Snow irrationally blasted Lucia for a supposed inability to develop Kyle Okposo. Many feel the University of Minnesota's victory over Snow's alma mater, Maine, in the 2002 NCAA Championship, and general domination over the last 10 years has caused Snow to have a personal vendetta against Lucia and the U of M. [4]

[jtwcornell91]

Yeah, there's a mildy amusing edit war going on there.  I predict the article will be "protected" soon, if it's not already.

[amerks127]

Lindsay Kramer, who covers the Syracuse Crunch for the Post-Standard, and once covered Cornell hockey, wrote an update about Okposo's transition to the pros today on the NHL website.

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=350644