Mark Rycroft: Scooters On Broadway [S.O.B.]

(above) Pioneer alum Mark Rycroft and his father Al show off the Schwinns at Scooters on Broadway located near DU

Scooters On Broadway Website

What goes 55 miles per hour and gets 80 miles to the gallon? A brand new Schwinn scooter from Scooters on Broadway. Located less than three miles from the University of Denver campus, former Pioneer legend Mark Rycroft is managing the eco-friendly Schwinn scooter dealership.  The store also stocks  scooter related merchandise, parts, helmets and some very cool Scooters On Broadway [S.O.B.] t-shirts by Sportiqe Apparel.

Rycroft bleeds Crimson and Gold. After a storied career at the University of Denver and in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche, he married DU alum Dominique Cook, the sister of former DU hockey player Steven Cook and Senior Jon Cook.  Rycroft also keeps busy providing color commentary on the Pioneer radio broadcasts with Jay Stickney and Colorado Avalance games on Altitude.

With gas prices hovering around four bucks a gallon and no relief in sight, scooters pay for themselves within a few hundred miles.  Rycroft was drawn to Schwinns because of their reliability, low price points and unheard of four year warranties.

Stop by the dealership located at 2881 S. Broadway between Dartmouth and Yale to check out the products.  There's plenty of DU hockey paraphernalia on the walls from Rycroft's playing days.

Photos From DU's Senior Night

(above) DU seniors Jesse Martin, Anthony Maiani, Chris Nutini, Dustin Jackson, Joey Brehm, Jon Cook, Josh Rosenholtz and Captain Kyle Ostrow were honored during the first intermission

DU Facing Labor Shortage Against UAA

(above) UND's Kyle Radke & J.P. Testwuide (11) mix it up in the second period Saturday night

Photo Credit: John Stennes

(left) Denver's Brandon Vossberg, bloodied in a fight between the second and third period is escorted off the ice by an official Saturday

Photo Credit John Stennes

From: Rocky Mountain News
by Pat Rooney

YouTube Video Of Vossberg-Radke fight

Already struggling to produce shots without two of its top offensive performers, the University of Denver will have to overcome additional issues when it attempts to snap out of its annual late-season funk at home against Alaska Anchorage on Friday and Saturday.

Tempers flared throughout the Pioneers' 4-1 loss at North Dakota on Saturday - it was DU's sixth loss in nine games - and forward Brandon Vossberg was assessed a game disqualification penalty for fighting North Dakota's Kyle Radke, who also dropped gloves with DU's J.P. Testwuide earlier in the match.

Vossberg suffered a cut above his left eye and will serve an automatic one-game suspension in Friday's opener against the Seawolves. It is possible the Western Collegiate Hockey Association will assess more sanctions after the teams combined for 121 penalty minutes.

With former leading scorer Brock Trotter recently signing with the Montreal Canadiens and third-leading scorer Tyler Ruegsegger out of the lineup because of an abdominal injury, the Pioneers managed only 35 shots in the two losses against the Fighting Sioux.

"We're trying to move on and we can't keep looking back at it," freshman forward Dustin Jackson said.

"We have to go on without (Trotter) and keep going. Every weekend is going to be our biggest games of the year."

DU has dropped to sixth in the PairWise rankings and third in the WCHA, six points behind co- leaders North Dakota and Colorado College.

Notes
Denver native Jon Cook made his DU debut Saturday, replacing Julian Marcuzzi in the lineup. Marcuzzi suffered a concussion in Friday's game.

Ruegsegger Tags Along To Support Teammates

From: Denver Post
by Mike Chambers

(left) Tyler Ruegsegger will be a supporting cast member in the Pioneer Travel Party that invades Grand Forks this weekend

College hockey teams are restricted to a 22-player travel party for regular-season games, but the University of Denver found an extra warm body at frigid North Dakota on Thursday.

In a show of team solidarity, and on the heels of last week's departure of leading scorer Brock Trotter, injured sophomore center Tyler Ruegsegger paid his way to Grand Forks. The Lakewood native, who has no chance of facing the Fighting Sioux tonight or Saturday at Ralph Engelstad Arena, is out with an abdominal injury.

DU's third-leading scorer also missed last weekend's series against Minnesota.

"He took care of his flight, and he'll pay for his hotel and all his meals. Everything," Pioneers coach George Gwozdecky said. "That tells you a little bit about his commitment to the team, which is awesome."

Gwozdecky was speaking by phone from somewhere between Fargo and Grand Forks, where the temperature was minus-16 with an expected low to fall to minus-33 early this morning. That's no place for a player with an inflamed stomach muscle.

"When you're injured, you don't make the travel party, but I love being around the team and support them in whatever way I can," Ruegsegger said. "We have such a close brotherhood, I was more than happy to pay my own way and come up here."

Ruegsegger said he brought his skates, just in case he finally gets clearance to step on the ice for the first time since Feb. 2, when he suffered the injury at Minnesota State.

"Hoping to get on the ice up here a little, no equipment or anything, and just skate and see how it feels," he said. "I'm hoping I'll be able to play next weekend."

The Pioneers also won't have freshman defenseman Chris Nutini (flu) this weekend, and will play their fifth and sixth games without Trotter, who signed with the Montreal Canadiens last week.

DU's last remaining extra players are freshmen defensemen Joey Brehm and Jon Cook, neither of whom has played this season. Both are on the trip.

North Dakota will be without head coach Dave Hakstol, who will serve a school-imposed two-game suspension for making an obscene gesture at a WCHA referee Feb. 2 in a game at Minnesota.

The Sioux, who are on a nine-game unbeaten streak (8-0-1), were idle last weekend. DU is coming off a 1-1 tie and 4-1 win against Minnesota.

"If we can get the kind of effort and execution like we did last week, we give ourselves a chance," Gwozdecky said. "That's all you can ask."

DU Hockey In Midst Of A Makeover
Huge Recruiting Class Will Rebuild DU Hockey

From: Denver Post
by Nick Groke

University of Denver hockey coach George Gwozdecky today announced the signing of forward Anthony Maiani of Michigan to a national letter of intent, the newest in a series of signings that will give the Pioneers a new look next season.

The team also said seven other players will join the team as freshman in the fall.

That brings to 12 the number of new recruits to the Pioneers roster — an unusually high number after four players in the offseason left the team early to join the professional ranks.

It will be DU's largest recruiting class in Gwozdecky's 13 years with the team.

"With the early departure of several players to the pro ranks, we will once again rely heavily on our freshmen to produce," Gwozdecky said.

Maiani, a 5-foot-8, 165-pound forward, had 48 points with 16 goals and 32 assists in 59 games for Sioux City of the United States Hockey League last season. He led the team with a +20 plus-minus rating.

DU also added seven other freshman: defensemen Joey Brehm of Edina, Minn., Jon Cook of Denver, Chris Nutini of Centennial, and John Ryder of Colorado Springs; forwards Stephen Cunningham of Boulder, Dustin Jackson of Omaha; and goaltender Eddie Guinn of South Burlington, Vermont.

Maiani joins four other players who signed letters of intent: goaltender Marc Cheverie of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia; forwards Tyler Bozak of Regina, Saskatchewan, and Jesse Martin of Edmonton and Kyle Ostrow of Calgary.

Waterloo Drops USHL Championship Game

(Left) DU recruit John Lee played for his High School in Moorhead, Minnesota this winter and then moved to Waterloo, Iowa to complete the Black Hawks USHL season


The 2006-07 USHL season is now in the books and the Sioux Falls Stampede have skated away with the 2007 Clark Cup title, and the Tier I national championship over the Waterloo Black Hawks. Waterloo featuring DU Defenseman to be John Lee, had a terrific season but fell short 3-0 in the Championship game.

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The Colorado Avalanche had four representatives at the game and several other NHL teams sent scouts as well. John Lee is expected to be drafted in the upcoming NHL draft in June as he is ranked as one of the top 60 North American prospects.

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With the conclusion of the USHL season and the Royal Bank Cup up in Canada, all of DU's recruits are through playing hockey for their Junior teams. They will enroll at DU next Fall, many of whom have gained valuable postseason experience this Spring.

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DU's 2007 Recruiting Class

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Jon Cook - D Camrose (AJHL) 6'1 185 (Won AJHL Championship)

Chris Nutini - D Wichita Falls (NAHL) 6' 185 (Recruited Walk On Defenseman)

Steve Cunningham - LW Burnaby (BCHL) 6'1 195 (BCHL Semi-Finalist)

Dusty Jackson - LW So. Minnesota (NAHL) 6'3 195 (Team MVP)

Jason Gregoire - LW Lincoln (USHL) 5'11 175 (May attend DU in 2008)

Tyler Bozak - RC Victoria (BCHL) 6' 175 (Won BCHL Scoring Title)

John Lee - RD Waterloo (USHL) 6'2 170 (Lost USHL Championship Game)

Marc Cheverie - G Nanaimo (BCHL) 6'2 195 (Won BCHL Championship)

Jesse Martin - RC Tri-City (USHL) 5'10 170 (2nd leading scorer on team)

Kyle Ostrow - LC Nanaimo (BCHL) 5'9 160 (Won BCHL Championship)

(Above) John Lee (#3) will play against Sioux Falls for the USHL Championship on Sunday night

DU Recruit To Play For USHL Championship

DU Recruit John Lee's Waterloo Black Hawks advanced to the USHL Chamionship Game by defeating Des Moines on Saturday night 1-0 in overtime. Josh Turnbull scored on a power play just 1:29 into overtime in the win over Des Moines, the defending Clark Cup champions.

Des Moines and Waterloo engaged in an extremely tight defensive battle. The teams arguably had no more than a combined handful of quality scoring chances in regulation time, and every time the team had a chance the goaltenders (Matt Dalton of Des Moines and Ryan Rondeau of Waterloo) were up to the task.

The 2007 USHL Clark Cup championship game will get underway Sunday night at 7:05 p.m. The game can be watched live through B2 Networks or followed with online live audio at http://www.ushl.com/.

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Meanwhile Up In Canada...

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Jon Cook's Camrose Kodiaks lost a heartbreaker in the fifth overtime to be eliminated from the Candian Junior A National Championships. It was the longest game ever played in Royal Bank Cup history and the opposing goaltender made 91 saves.

Playoffs Wind Down But DU Still Has Connections

DU Alum Scott McConnell (far left), won a National Championship with DU in 2004, will attempt to win a USHL Championship this weekend as an Assistant Head Coach


As the playoffs wrap up in all the leagues, DU still has a few connections that can win championships.

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This weekend the USHL will wrap up its season with its final four teams battling for the Clark Cup Trophy. DU recruit John Lee will try to bring home the hardware with his Waterloo Black Hawks hosting the tournament.

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Meanwhile on the other side of the USHL bracket, DU Alum Scott McConnell is the assistant head coach of the Indiana Ice.

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Up in Canada, DU recruit Jon Cook is battling for the Royal Bank Tournament which is the Junior A national championship. Cook scored his first goal of the round robin phase of the tournament on a power play, but his Camrose Kodiaks lost the game 7-4. The Semi Finals begin tonight and Camrose is the #2 seed.

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Over in Russia, the USA lost a heartbreaker to Finland 5-4 in a game that went to the Shootout. DU Alum Paul Stastny did not score in the game and the US was eliminated in the Quarter Finals.

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In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, San Jose blew game 4 against Detroit with just a few seconds left and the Red Wings won the series in 6 games. Matt Carle did not score in the the second half of the series.

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Finally, Minnesota State alum David Backes kept a Diary at the World Championships in Russia. Its a pretty good read about life in Moscow, the food and the daily schedule of team USA.

DU Recruit Helps Team Win The Doyle Cup

April 27th, 2007 - DU defensive recruit Jon Cook of the AJHL Champion Camrose Kodiaks captured the 2007 Doyle Cup on Friday night as they defeated the Nanaimo Clippers of the BCHL. The Kodiaks have claimed the Doyle Cup four times in the team's ten year existence.

DU also had two recruits playing for the Clippers. The season is now over for Marc Cheverie and Kyle Ostrow. They will enroll at DU next fall.

Camrose trailed 2-1 after the second period, but battled back to record a 3-2 victory at the Max McLean Arena on Friday night. The best of seven series featured the AJHL Champion and the Fred Page Cup Champion of the BCHL. The Kodiaks led the series back to Alberta 2-1 after beginning the battle with three games in Nanaimo, BC.

The Camrose Kodiaks won their fourth Alberta Junior Hockey League Championship by defeating the Fort Saskatchewan Traders in the AJHL League Final on April 15th, 2007. This was the third consecutive League Final appearance for the Kodiaks. The Kodiaks have advanced to the League Final five times and won four AJHL Championships (2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007).

2007 DOYLE CUP RESULTS

Game 1 Fri Apr 20 Camrose at Clippers 1-0
Game 2 Sat Apr 21 Camrose at Clippers 4-3
Game 3 Sun Apr 22 Camrose at Clippers 2-1
Game 4 Wed Apr 25 Clippers at Camrose 2-0
Game 5 Fri Apr 27 Clippers at Camrose 3-2

Camrose will now represent the Pacific Region at the 2007 RBC Royal Bank Cup National Junior 'A' Championship on May 5th -13th in Prince George, BC.

The Kodiaks will face the host Prince George Spruce Kings of the BCHL in their opening game on Sunday, May 6th.

Battle Of DU Recruits In Doyle Cup

(left) DU recruit Marc Cheverie watches Joe Colborne's game winner in double overtime


The Camrose Kodiacs feature DU recruit Jon Cook while the Nanaimo Clippers counter with Kyle Ostrow and Marc Cheverie.

After the first three games of the Doyle Cup series Cook's team holds a two games to one advantage. The last four games of the best of seven series will be held in Camrose.

In game #2 Kyle Ostrow scored a goal and Marc Cheverie finally saw some action in goal, but it wasn't enough as Camrose won 4-3 in double overtime. Cheverie relieved Vail's Micha Garman after 31 minutes and played the last 41 minutes of the game. He turned aside 14 of 16 shots. It was Cheverie's first action in goal in quite some time.

Camrose scored a goal in the third period of game #3 to hold off Nanaimo 2-1. No stats are available as of yet.

Topsy Turvy Night For Past & Future Pioneers

In the NHL Matt Carle's San Jose Sharks finished off the Nashville Predators 3-2 to win their playoff series 4 games to 1. Carle was on the ice when the game winning goal was scored.

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In the Doyle Cup, Kyle Ostrow had an assist on the only goal of the game as Nanaimo won Game One, 1-0 over the Camrose Kodiacs. Other DU recruits Jon Cook had a couple of penalties for Camrose, while Marc Cheverie did not play in goal for Nanaimo.

In the NAHL, Dusty Jackson's Southern Minnesota Express won Game One of their playoff series against Fargo-Moorhead 5-1.

USHL Playoff Roundup

In the USHL, things didn't go so well for DU recruit Jason Gregoire who was -4 in the game as his Lincoln Stars lost to Sioux Falls 5-1. Lincoln trails in the best of seven series 2 games to 0.

John Lee had an assist and was +1 for the game as Waterloo upended the Chicago Steel for the second straight game 2-0.

Jesse Martin's Tri-City Storm were shut out by Sioux City 4-0.

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Nate Dewhurst did not dress in Des Moines 3-2 victory over Omaha.

DU Recruit Wins USHL Playoff Opener

DU Recruit John Lee (left) had an assist in Waterloo's 2-0 victory over the Chicago Steel last night. Waterloo leads the series 1 game to 0.

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Nate Dewhurst, Jason Gregoire & Jesse Martin will have playoff games with their respective USHL teams tonight.

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Meanwhile up in Canada tonight, DU recruits Kyle Ostrow, Marc Cheverie & Jon Cook will face off in the Doyle Cup as Nanaimo plays Camrose.

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In the NHL playoffs, Matt Carle & the San Jose Sharks look to close out the Nashville Predators.

Denver Post Profiles DU's Three Newest Recruits

From: Denver Post
by Mike Chambers

Defenseman Jon Cook of Denver and two other Colorado natives have agreed to join the University of Denver hockey team as recruited freshman walk-ons next season.

Cook, brother of outgoing Pioneers senior forward Steven Cook, is a rookie in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, playing for the Camrose Kodiaks. The league champions are ranked No. 2 in the Canadian junior-A system, and Cook has played in 75 of the club's 77 regular-season and playoff games heading into the national tournament, which begins Friday.

Cook's sister, Dominique, is scheduled to marry former DU star Mark Rycroft, who just finished his first season with the Avalanche, in June. Dominique also attended DU.

"For me to be able to come back home and play is an absolute dream," Cook said from his Canadian billet home. "I'm so happy to have the opportunity, and whatever the team asks me to do that's what I'm doing."

Cook, who graduated from Colorado Academy, will become a DU classmate with defenseman Chris Nutini of Aurora and forward Steve Cunningham of Boulder.

Nutini, who attended Regis High School, plays for Wichita Falls of the North American Hockey League. Cunningham, from Fairview High School, plays for Burnaby of the British Columbia Hockey League.

Cook, 21, said he doesn't know Nutini and Cunningham, but given that Cook is older and didn't play hockey from the ages of 12 to 17, that's not surprising. Cook quit the game after pee-wees, then picked it up again as a high school junior after seeing his older brother develop at DU.

Steven Cook, who played four years of Colorado prep hockey at Kent Denver, overcame injuries and became a valuable fourth-line checking winger as a junior and senior at DU.

"I'd watch him and say, 'Man, that's a good time out there,"' Jon said of his 23-year-old brother. "That definitely had something to do with me coming back.

"I always think, 'Man, why did I ever quit. I would be so much further along.' But I really respect the game now. It's like a new-found love."

Ostrow Leads Nanaimo To BCHL Championship

For the second time in two days, DU recruits won another championship up in Canada.

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Last night Kyle Ostrow & Marc Cheverie won the British Columbia Hockey League's Championship with the Nanaimo Clippers.
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Ostrow was described as "a slick playmaker who made everyone around him better throughout the series."

Nanaimo scored with 36 seconds left to win 3-2 and won the best of seven series 4 games to 2 over the Vernon Vipers.

Nanaimo will now face DU recruit Jon Cook and the Camrose Kodiaks from Alberta for the right to represent the Pacific Region in the Canadian Junior A Championships.

DU's Recruiting Class Will Feature Four 21 year olds

DU's incoming recruiting class is going to feature four players that will be 21 years old before the start of next season. Last season Brandon Vossberg was the only 21 year old freshman on the roster.

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Incoming freshmen Jon Cook, Steve Cunningham, Dusty Jackson & Tyler Bozak will be 21 next season. Kyle Ostrow, Marc Cheverie and Chris Nutini will be 20 years old by opening day.

The older freshmen are expected to bring size, strength and instant maturity to DU's lineup. All of the 21 year-olds are over 6 feet tall and will weigh at least 180 lbs.

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2007 Recruiting Class

Jon Cook - D Camrose (AJHL) 6'1 195 4-8-86
Chris Nutini - D Wichita Falls (NAHL) 6'1 205 9-12-87
Steve Cunningham - LW Burnaby (BCHL) 6'1 195 3-28-86
Dusty Jackson - LW So. Minnesota (NAHL) 6'3 195 6-20-86
Tyler Bozak - RC Victoria (BCHL) 6' 175 3-19-86
John Lee - RD Waterloo (USHL) 6'2 170 1-16-89
Marc Cheverie - G Nanaimo (BCHL) 6'2 195 2-22-87
Jesse Martin - RC Tri-City (USHL) 5'10 170 9-7-88
Kyle Ostrow - LC Nanaimo (BCHL) 5'9 160 9-5-87

Latest Recruit Wins Championship In Alberta

DU recruit Jon Cook played last night in the Camrose Kodiaks 5-1 victory over the Fort Saskatchewan Traders. Camrose won the series 4 games to 2 to lock up the Alberta Junior Hockey League's championship.

Camrose will now play the winner of the BCHL for the Doyle Cup which is a best-of-7 series, conducted by the Canadian Junior A Hockey League. The series is played between the champions of the British Columbia Hockey League and the champions of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. The winner of the Doyle Cup moves on to compete for the Royal Bank Cup, the Junior "A" National Championship.

If the Nanaimo Clippers can close out their best of seven championship series this week, DU recruits Kyle Ostrow and Marc Cheverie of Nanaimo will face Cook's team.

Updated: Denver's 2007 Recruiting Class

• Jon Cook-D (4/14/07) Camrose (AJHL) 6'1" 195
• Chris Nutini-D (4/1/07) Wichita Falls (NAHL) 6'0" 185
• Steve Cunningham-LW (3/19/07) Burnaby (BCHL) 6'1 195
• Dusty Jackson-LW (3/19/07) So. Minn. (NAHL) 6'3 195
• Tyler Bozak-RC (11/2/06) Victoria (BCHL) 6' 175
• Marc Cheverie-G (11/8/05) Nanaimo (BCHL) 6'2 195
• Jesse Martin-RC (10/28/05) Tri-City (USHL) 5'10 170
• Kyle Ostrow-LC (8/17/05) Nanaimo (BCHL) 5'9 160
• Jason Gregoire-LW (2/1/07) Lincoln (USHL) 5'11 175
• John Lee-RD (10/3/06) Moorhead (USHL) 6'1 170
  

Stephen Cook's Brother Commits To DU
Denver Native Jon Cook To Join Pioneers Next Season

The Camrose Kodiaks (Alberta Junior Hockey League) announced on their website that 20-year-old defenseman Jon Cook (6'1" 195 lbs). has committed to attend the University of Denver (Western Collegiate Hockey Association) for the 2007-08 season. Jon is currently in his first season with the Kodiaks.

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Jon's older brother Stephen, just completed his hockey career at the University of Denver and was one of the grittiest players to ever put on the Pioneer uniform.

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Jon Cook is described as a "steady, stay at home defenseman" who played in 58 regular season games where he accumulated 2 goals and 4 assists and a +5 rating. Both his goals came via the power play.

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During the regular season Camrose had the best record in the Southern Division on the AJHL. They are currently playing Fort Saskatchewan for the AJHL Championship in a best of seven series. Camrose leads the series 3 games to 2.

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In the playoffs this season, Cook has no points in 16 games with 12 penalty minutes.