News & Notes From Around Pioneer Nation

(above) Kevin Ulanski

DU Alum Kevin Ulanski will be the centerpiece for the CHL Colorado Eagles this season. Ulanski returns to a team that has won two Championships, sold out almost every one of its games in Ft. Collins and split its opening series (OTL & Win) with the defending champion Texas Brahma's this weekend. Ulanski had two assists to open the season.

NHL Report: Matt Carle has 1 goal and 7 assists in just six games for the Philadelphia Flyers. Paul Stastny has 1 goal and 5 assists for the first place Colorado Avalanche & Tyler Bozak has one assist in one game for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are winless this season.

Former DU Captain Andy Thomas will open the season with the ECHL Trenton Devils. Thomas played in his first professional season last year splitting his time between the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL and the Iowa Chops of the AHL. With the Condors Andy played in 24 games and has 14 assists. With the Iowa Chops Andy played in 25 games and had 4 assists on the year. While at DU, Thomas had 6 goals and 20 assists over the course of 159 college career games.

Former DU goaltender Glenn Fisher is no longer in the Edmonton Oilers organization. A few days ago, Fisher signed with the Victoria Salmon Kings of the East Coast Hockey League.

Glenn Fisher's Team Playing In ECHL Playoffs

(above) DU Alum Glenn Fisher in goal for the Las Vegas Wranglers against the Alaska Aces in the ECHLsemi-finals

Former DU player T.J. Fast and the Alaska Aces scored a 3-1 victory over DU Alum Glenn Fisher in Las Vegas on Tuesday night.

The victory gave the Aces a 3-0 lead in the ECHL's best-of-7 National Conference finals. No team in the 21-season history of the ECHL has rebounded from a 3-0 deficit.

News & Notes From Around Pioneer Nation

DU alum Glenn Fisher of the Las Vegas Wranglers was named ECHL Goaltender of the Week. The 25 year old was 2-0-0 with a shutout, a goals-against average of 0.50 and a save percentage of .983. Fisher posted back-to-back wins against Idaho turning aside 25 of 26 shots in a 4-1 win on Friday and then stopping all 36 shots, including 17 in the third period, in a 3-0 win on Saturday.

There is a great article on DU Alum and Colorado Springs native Luke Fulgham who now plays hockey in Manchester, England. Fulgham called his four years at DU, "The most amazing of my career so far and it's pretty hard to top that [two NCAA Championships]. I was fortunate enough to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs out of college. I never made it to the NHL, but played 30 or so games in the AHL and three years in the East Coast Hockey League and it was a great experience."

Mike Chambers of the Denver Post talks about DU's remarkable 6-0-0 record in the Final 5 at the Xcel Center.

Andy Baggot of the Badger Beat Blog examines the possibility that Wisconsin could lose to DU for a fifth time this season. Not to worry, the Badgers lost to Duluth eight times in the 1983-84 season. Ouch.

DU Alum Kurt Overhardt Represents NHL Players

(above) DU Alum Kurt Overhardt is a sports agent for many NHL stars

University of Denver graduate Kurt Overhardt is a Denver-based NHL agent who represents some of the league's top players. His clients include Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco and young forwards Kyle Turris of the Phoenix Coyotes and T.J. Hensick of the Avalanche.

Overhardt advises two Hobey Baker Award winners in former DU defenseman Matt Carle of the Philadelphia Flyers and center Brendan Morrison of the Anaheim Ducks, plus former Pioneers Wade Dubielewicz, Connor James, Ryan Dingle, Adrian Veideman, Glenn Fisher, Geoff Paukovich and J.D. Corbin. [read rest of article]

If Its Zucker's Power Play...Its Got To Be Good

(left) DU volunteer assistant coach Michael Zucker

Coach Gwzodecky should leave the nicknames and naming rights to LetsGoDU as the article below clearly shows. We nominate calling the Power Play unit the "Zucker Punch."

We don't need to remind you that that LetsGoDU came up with "Catholic Rotation" for Fish(er) on Friday, Mannino on Saturday, Luke "The Goal Czar" Salazar, inspired "Lil' Sis Czar" for DU's wildest hockey fan, created the "Fifty-Seven" cheer, invented the "SuperPoll®" and of course founded the "Bring Back Boone Movement" that threatens the authority of the "Sith Lord"- Chancellor Coombe.

From: Rocky Mountain News
by Pat Rooney

DU went 1-for- 19 during power-play opportunities when it faced Colorado College but turned that around during a sweep of Minnesota Duluth during the weekend, scoring two power-play goals in each win. Gwozdecky tinkered with DU's power-play personnel and credited volunteer assistant coach Michael Zucker for the Pioneers' new look.

"He threw out some combinations for both groups last week, and we discussed it and came up with what you saw (against Duluth)," Gwozdecky said. "Obviously, it was important to our success. We call them the Zucker power plays now."

Denver Post Compares Chevy To CC Goaltender

(above) Chevy poses for a "Glamour Shot"

Mike Chambers of the Denver Post has an excellent article today about DU goaltender Marc Cheverie and Colorado College sieve Richard Bachman. The article is very good, but Chambers forgot to mention Bachman & Colorado College being upset in their final three playoff games to lower ranked teams.

DU won a huge recruiting battle over powerhouses Cornell, North Dakota and Michigan State to land Cheverie in 2006. Obviously, DU's success in developing professional goaltenders Wade Dubielewicz, Adam Berkhoel, Glenn Fisher and now Peter Mannino played a role in the decision.

Unbelievably, Chambers even got NHL superstar Sidney Crosby to make some quotes about Chevy, who grew up on the same street together in Cole Harbor, Nova Scotia. (Read the entire article)

"We played a couple seasons in minor hockey, and we grew up playing street hockey together," Crosby said of Cheverie. "Cole Harbour's not a huge place, so a lot of us played hockey together.

"I haven't seen him for a year or two. He was always kind of a quieter guy. He was a pretty technically sound goalie from what I remember. He was a big guy, took up a lot of net. I heard he's doing well."

NHL Free Agent Signing Period Underway

Ryan Caldwell with the Phoenix Coyotes

Kevin Doell with the Atlanta Thrashers

Connor James with the Pittsburgh Penguins

Gabe Gauthier with the LA Kings

The NHL free agent signing period is just underway. Former DUers with 20007-08 NHL experience who are unrestricted free agents are Ryan Caldwell, Connor James and Kevin Doell. Gabe Gauthier is a restricted free agent who was given a qualifying offer by the Kings. Goalie Wade Dubielewicz has already signed with in the Russian Kontinental Hockey League with Ak-Bars Kazan. Adam Berkhoel, Mark Rycroft, Brett Skinner and Glenn Fisher are also free agents but they didn't log any time in the NHL last season. It is believed that Glenn Fisher has agreed to an AHL contract with the Edmonton organization. Below are the links to the TSN site to follow the signings and the official NHL free agent list.

TSN.ca

Official NHL Free Agent List

Glenn Fisher Signs AHL Contract For Next Season

DU alum Glenn Fisher, who played goal in Stockton in the East Coast League last season, has signed an AHL contract for the 2008-09 season. He'll attend the Edmonton Oilers prospect camp this summer.

Fisher was selected in the fifth round (148th overall) of the 2002 NHL Draft by Edmonton. He was named DU's Most Valuable Player as a 2006-07 senior with a career-low 2.32 GAA.

Edmonton Oilers Scout Colborne At RBC Cup

From: Edmonton Sun

The Edmonton Oilers had two scouts sitting high in the stands yesterday trying to determine if Camrose's Joe Colborne deserves to be a first-round pick in this spring's NHL draft.

"That's why we are here," quipped one scout.

The scouts will also watch Camrose today before leaving Cornwall. Another Oilers scout is due to arrive later this week.

Edmonton has the 24th pick in the upcoming NHL draft to be held in June. Former DU players Geoff Paukovich and Glenn Fisher play in the Oilers minor league system and current DU player Matt Glasser was drafted by the Oilers in the 7th round of the 2005 draft.

Mannino & Powers Share Shutout Record

(above) Peter Mannino and Gerry Powers pose between the pipes at Magness Arena on the University of Denver campus. Powers, a real estate broker who lives in Thornton, says he's surprised it took almost 40 years for someone to tie his career record for shutouts

Photo Credit: Ken Papaleo

(below) Photo of Mannino's stick. “I just simply said I’d like to share a piece of history as a Denver Pioneer and thanks for the support,” Mannino said before practice Wednesday. [click on photo to enlarge]

From: Rocky Mountain News
by: Pat Rooney

As anyone involved with sports knows, records are made to be broken.

Gerry Powers is quite accepting of this fact. The only thing that makes him wonder is why it took so long for one of his most enduring marks to come under assault.

Powers, a goaltender who helped the University of Denver to national championships in 1968 and 1969, has watched the success of his alma mater this decade slowly erase his accomplishments from the DU record book.

First, former goaltender Adam Berkhoel pulled into a tie with Powers for the most shutouts in a season (seven) when he led DU to the 2004 national championship, the program's first since Powers' 1969 team.

Now, one of Berkhoel's successors, senior Peter Mannino, is on the brink of eclipsing Powers' career record of 13 shutouts.

"Quite honestly, it has blown me away that the record has lasted as long as it did," Powers said.

"Records are meant to be broken, and I think this (DU) team can go all the way. One of the professors at DU recently told me about how Pete is just so well-respected and such a nice kid. It is nice to see it passed along. Hopefully, his mark will last almost 40 years, too."

Mannino matched Powers' career mark of 13 with a 5-0 win against Sacred Heart on Dec. 28, his fourth shutout of the season. Both goaltenders seem to be unlikely candidates to share such a prestigious record for a perennially successful program such as DU.

Powers played in an era when freshmen were ineligible for varsity play and compiled his 13 shutouts in three seasons. Mannino helped DU to the 2005 national championship as a freshman but pretty much split time with Glenn Fisher during his first three seasons, finally taking over full-time duty this season.

While Mannino has played one more season than Powers, he still has logged 12 fewer games than Powers.

"I've been fortunate to play on some really good teams," said Mannino, who will aim to take over the all-time shutout record when DU hosts league rival Wisconsin on Friday and Saturday.

"You practice to be perfect. You try to be as perfect as you can in the games. That's kind of my mind-set when I get out on the ice. Sometimes you just get in that rhythm in a game, and you've got the guys in front doing everything they need to make the game easier for the goaltender. And I've had some great players in front of me to help me out."

DU's Sophmores Look To Return The Favor

(left) DU's Rhett Rakhshani figures to play a role in the outcome of the series this weekend in Magness Arena

From: Grand Forks Herald
by Brad Schlossman

Last season, a trio of UND sophomore forwards made things miserable for the Denver Pioneers.

T.J. Oshie, Ryan Duncan and Jonathan Toews scored five of six goals and combined for 13 points during the only series between the teams. Their performances prompted Denver coach George Gwozdecky to say that the only way to slow them down would be to throw sand on the ice.

This weekend, the teams meet for the first time since that late-February series. This time, Denver will have the trio of standout sophomore forwards.

Brock Trotter, Tyler Ruegsegger and Rhett Rakhshani all are averaging more than a point per game for Denver, which is ranked third nationally with a 9-3 mark (6-2 Western Collegiate Hockey Association).

As rookies, they were three of the team's top four scorers. This season, they still occupy those spots on the scoresheet and they are actually scoring at a slightly higher rate than Oshie, Duncan and Toews at similar points in their careers.

"I sure hope they turn out like those guys," Gwozdecky said his sophomores. "That would be awesome."

The success of Trotter, Ruegsegger and Rakhshani was one of the few things Gwozdecky could count on this season. The coach brought 13 freshmen onto campus this fall the most in his 14-year tenure at Denver. A lot of question marks came with them.

"Back in August, I had no idea as to what our strengths would be or what our weaknesses would be," Gwozdecky said. "This is the one team I've had here that I really didn't have a handle on at all before the season started.

"One constant we had is Peter Mannino back in goal. We knew that he was going to be one of our keys if we were going to be successful."

Iron men in nets

Mannino, who beat the Sioux for the national championship as a freshman, has indeed been the guy for the Pioneers.

After platooning with Glenn Fisher for three seasons, Mannino has played every minute to this point in the season for his team. The only other goaltender to do that in the league is UND's Jean-Philippe Lamoureux.

The similarities between the two goaltenders don't stop there. They are both seniors and have almost identical stat lines.

Mannino's .935 save percentage is near the top in the country and Lamoureux's .933 is right behind. Lamoureux's 1.61 goals-against average is best among WCHA goalies and Mannino's 1.68 mark is close behind.

"Peter has been very good for us, no question," Gwozdecky said. "I can't think of one game where he hasn't given us a chance. From Day One to now, he's been our most consistent player."

UND's firepower worries Gwozdecky

Toews left UND in the spring for the NHL, breaking up the dynamic top line that gave fits to the Pioneers last season. But Gwozdecky said the Sioux still worry him. . . . and it's not only Oshie and Duncan.

"No other team in the country has the talent that North Dakota has," Gwozdecky said. "They have firepower, talented defensemen and good goaltending. When you look at their lineup, it's pretty darn intimidating. It doesn't matter what line you're looking at or whether its freshmen, sophomores, juniors or seniors.

"They also play a style that's very difficult to play against a very aggressive, physical style that's always been a sign of the Fighting Sioux."

"Knowing those factors, it's a very daunting task to play against them. If you have any kind of success scoring a goal, staying even with them for a period, it's a feather in any opponent's cap. Teams that have had success against them this year have to feel pretty good about it."

DU Hockey Alums In The Pros - 2007

The Official "Mustards Last Stand" Pioneer Professional All-Hot Dog Team

Thanks to our resident Pionologist & LetsGoDU Statistician "Duper" (who can frequently be found working at Mustard's...Don't forget to ask for your LetsGoDU 10% Discount) we have updated statistics on all of the guys that we know of currently playing professional hockey all over the world. There are four alums currently playing in the NHL.

2006 Edition Of Pioneers In The Pros

Goaltenders

Team - League - GP - W - L - OT - GAA - S%

Wade Dubielewicz - NY Islanders - NHL - 3 - 1 - 1 - 5.08 - .836
Dubie was shelled in his first appearance, things have gotten better since.

Adam Berkhoel - Grand Rapids Griffins - AHL - 10 - 3 - 6 - 1 - 3.76 - .879
Berky splits time with 2004 NC game opponent Jimmy Howard

Glenn Fisher - Stockton Thunder - ECHL - 9 - 4 - 3 - 1 - 3.23 - .903
2 shutouts

Sinuhe Wallinheimo - JYP - sm-liiga (Finland) .923 S%
sm-liiga has changed their site, and, not reading Finnish, the only solid stat I can find is S% He is generally a top league goalie, but for a crappy team.


Skaters

Team - League - G - A - P - +/- - PM

Paul Stastny - Colorado Avalanche - NHL - 9 - 14 - 23 - +2 - 10 - 1pp - 2gw
Leads team in points and assists

Matt Carle - San Jose Sharks - NHL - 1 - 5 - 6 - -3 - 4 - 1pp
Carle just got a 4 yr extension

Matt Pettinger - Washington Capitals - NHL - 1 - 2 - 3 - -2 - 17 - 1pp - 1gw

Ryan Caldwell - San Antonio Rampage - AHL - 1 - 3 - 4 - +6 - 23 - 1sh
In 2 games with the NHL Phoenix Coyotes, Caldwell had 2 PM in about 12 minutes on ice.

Kevin Doell - Chicago Wolves - AHL - 1 - 4 - 5 - +4 - 26

Mark Rycroft - Lake Erie Monsters - AHL - 0 - 5 - 5 - E - 9

Gabe Gauthier - Manchester Monarchs - AHL - 7 - 16 - 23 - -1 - 21 - 6pp
Gabe is 3rd in the league in points

Aaron MacKenzie - Peoria Rivermen - AHL - 0 - 2 - 2 - -3 - 8

Brett Skinner - Providence Bruins - AHL - 1 - 7 - 8 - E - 8

Gavin Morgan - Rockford Ice Hogs - AHL - 0 - 2 - 2 - -2 - 7

Connor James - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins - AHL - 4 - 5 - 9 - +3 - 10

Ryan Dingle - Portland Pirates - AHL - 0 - 2 - 2 - -1 - 4 - 7 games
Augusta Lynx - ECHL - 2 - 8 - 10 - -7 - 10 - 1pp - 9 games
Dingle currently plays for Augusta

Adrian Veideman - Augusta Lynx - ECHL - 2 - 7 - 9 - -4 - 20

Kevin Ulanski - Elmira Jackals - ECHL - 4 - 8 - 12 - +2 - 10 - 2pp - 1sh

Luke Fulghum - Elmira Jackals - ECHL - 6 - 5 - 11 - -2 - 0 - 2pp - 1sh - 8 games
Stockton Thunder - ECHL - 1 - 1 - 2 - -1 0 - 1 pp - 5 games
Fulghum currently plays for Elmira

J. D. Corbin - Johnstown Chiefs - ECHL - 1 - 7 - 8 - -9 - 10 - 1pp

Geoff Paukovich - Stockton Thunder - ECHL - 4 - 3 - 7 - +1 - 12 - 1sh

Jon Foster - Wheeling Nailers - ECHL - 0 - 0 - 0 - -7 - 8

Erik Adams - Colorado Eagles - CHL - Has not played this season

James Patterson - Huntsville Havoc - SPHL - 5 - 5 - 10 - -1 - 2 - 4pp - 1gw

Jussi Halme - Tappara - sm-liiga - 0 - 2 - 2 - -5 - 14

Antti Laaksonen - Fribourg-Gotteron (Swi) - 8 - 6 - 14 - 28PM

An interesting note; While Duper can't seem to find him this year, Lukas Dora played in England last season.

Puck Swami's list of DU's most notable athletes all-time

Mike Chamber's Blog Update

The hardest working man on the DU hockey beat, Mike Chambers, has a few entries in his Blog this week.

Paukovich, Dingle & Fisher: How Are The Doing In The ECHL?

Paukovich & Dingle: DU better off with them gone?

Team USA's Under 17 Team Got Into A Fight With The Commies

Time For The Crimson Creatures To "Cowboy Up"

Two seasons ago the University of Denver opened their season with back to back losses to the University of Maine in Orono. One of my most vivid memories of that weekend was hundreds of Maine students huddling under the bleachers of their football stadium practicing their cheers an hour before the game. I knew right then - DU was in trouble.

The Maine Student Section was loud and raucous and played a part in Maine's 5-1 and 4-2 victories over DU.

I wasn't the only one who noticed the Maine Students. In a Rocky Mountain News interview last season, both Peter Mannino and Glenn Fisher both mentioned that, "Maine was one of the toughest places to play in college hockey."

Now its our turn. Lets "Bring It" this weekend. Be loud, be proud and Lets Go DU.

DU's Fab Five Taking Cues from The Rockies

(above) Peter Mannino, Chris Butler, Brock Trotter, Tyler Ruegsegger & Rhett Rakhshani

From: Denver Post
by Mike Chambers

Even George Gwozdecky can't stop talking about the Rockies. And as the University of Denver hockey coach prepares his team for Friday's season opener, he can't help but draw parallels between his young team and the Rockies' postseason push.

"It is as inspiring a story that I have experienced," Gwozdecky said of the Rockies' magical run. "In many ways it reminds me of some of our previous teams, especially the 2004 national championship team."

Gwozdecky, who has the youngest team in his 14 years at DU, uses the Rockies as an example of how he wants his Pioneers to play this season - together.

For Gwozdecky, that means trying to blend five top-end players with a handful of untapped veterans and 12 freshmen.

The Pioneers, who have just three eligible seniors and feature 19 underclassmen, have lost four players early to the professional ranks since January, and six in the past 18 months. The Pioneers went from the proven talent level of the New York Yankees to the unproven talent level of the Rockies.

Which is exactly Gwozdecky's point.

Finding chemistry and playing together may be the Pioneers' only chance of returning to the NCAA Tournament, which concludes at the Pepsi Center for the Frozen Four in April.

"Everybody has talent at the level they play at," Gwozdecky said. "Usually, the intangible things allow that talent to be successful on a consistent basis."

He has a good nucleus to work around. The Pioneers have a solid goaltender in senior Peter Mannino, who is pegged to start every game; one of the top defensemen in the country in junior Chris Butler; and three forwards who were college hockey's most productive threesome last season as freshmen.

Sophomores Brock Trotter, Rhett Rakhshani and Tyler Ruegsegger are coming off a combined 110 points. Trotter led the team last season with 40 points (16 goals). Rakhshani had 36 points (team-high 26 assists) and Ruegsegger chipped in 34 points (15 goals) and led the team with a plus-15 rating.

"We have experience and we have talent at the critical positions, starting in goal," Gwozdecky said. "Peter Mannino is going to carry the mail. ... Potentially, he could be the best goalie in the country."

As a freshman in 2005, Mannino went 18-4-1 and led DU to its second straight NCAA title. The Frozen Four MVP compiled a save percentage of .927 that season, best in DU history.

He wasn't as stingy as a sophomore or junior, going a combined 20-14-3 while sharing duties with Glenn Fisher, and Mannino's career save percentage has dropped to .917, second in team history behind now-New York Islanders backup Wade Dubielewicz (.923).

Mannino was one of four DU freshmen to take the opening faceoff in the 2005 NCAA title game, along with Andrew Thomas, Paul Stastny and Ryan Dingle. Many believed that was the beginning of a dynasty, but the Pioneers haven't made the 16-team national field since, and Stastny and Dingle have moved on to the pros.

Mannino seems poised to go out where he came in.

"I just want to be that confident, last line of defense for the team, and let them know that goaltending is not something they need to worry about," he said. "I put everything in the past, for our class and our program in general, but we haven't been in the tournament the last two years. It's disappointing."

No need to explain that to Butler, Trotter, Rakhshani and Ruegsegger. They came to DU to win national titles, but those expectations could have steered them in a dangerous direction.

DU played itself out of the past two NCAA Tournaments with late-season collapses. The Pioneers finished 1-6-2 last season and 3-5-1 in 2006.

"We're not going to get soft," Butler said. "We're not going to go downhill the last half of the season. I see us continually improving and making the tournament."

As for making the Frozen Four, which returns to Denver for the first time since 1976, Gwozdecky is taking the passive approach.

"Everybody is very aware of what's at the end of the rainbow, so to speak, and to play in your hometown in a championship like that would be just terrific," he said. "But I don't think you're going to see us talking about it or really having it on our radar screen. There are many other goals that have to be accomplished first."

Sounds like the Rockies' approach to the World Series.

Paukovich Talks About Signing With Oilers
ECHL Likely Starting Point For Pro Career

From: Rocky Mountain News & Hockey's Future
by Pat Rooney & Guy Flaming

Geoff Paukovich decided to forgo his senior season by signing a three-year entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers. The 6-foot-4 Paukovich, an Englewood native, was a second- round selection (57th overall) of Edmonton in 2004.
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After pondering his choices throughout the summer and consulting with former Pioneers now in the NHL, particularly Avalanche forward and former DU classmate Paul Stastny, Paukovich decided it was time to sign on the dotted line.
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"I took my time with the decision," Paukovich said. "If I went pro, I wanted to make sure I was comfortable with the decision. It is a completely different lifestyle in the pros."
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The Colorado native just completed his junior season with the Pioneers in which he struggled early before finding his form in the second half. Paukovich's size will enable him to handle the physical play as a pro, but with an already full to capacity minor league system it will be interesting to see where he ends up. Clearly the Oilers felt that Paukovich’s college career was not providing the level of development they feel he will receive even if the center ends up in Stockton (ECHL) with the Thunder.
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“I think anytime you can get into that 82-game pro schedule it’s going to be tough,” admitted Paukovich to HF recently. “I’m looking forward to starting my pro career.”
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Paukovich added that he at times felt frustrated in Denver with being stuck in an defensive-first role. After producing well offensively before his college days, the imposing center felt he could contribute to the Pioneers in that fashion but didn’t receive much opportunity in that regard. The former second-round pick plans to come to camp early if he can convince a former Pioneer to put him up.
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“I’ll talk to ‘Fish’ to see if I can stay with him,” he said referring to fellow Oiler prospect Glenn Fisher.
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Thus far Paukovich has only made one appearance in Edmonton, last year during prospect camp. The student was still taking exams when this year’s edition of the camp was scheduled, a frustrating thing for Paukovich.
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“Yeah it was frustrating because I remember from last year how good it was for me in terms of my offseason training,” he said.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Fish To Contract

From: Edmonton Oilers Press Release

The Edmonton Oilers have signed goaltender Glenn Fisher to a one-year entry level contract.

The 6’1”, 190-pound Edmonton native, joins the Oilers following an impressive four-year career with the University of Denver Pioneers.

Fisher, the Oilers ninth choice (fifth round), 148th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, completed his fourth season with Denver in 2006-07 and was a member of the Pioneers’ back-to-back NCAA national championship teams in 2004 and 2005.

The 24-year-old goaltender went 13-9-2 with a 2.32 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage in 24 games with Denver this past season. He started 23 of the Pioneers’ 40 games and registered three shutouts. Fisher ranked fourth in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association with his .919 save percentage and was fifth with a .583 winning percentage and eighth in goals-against average. On the national stage he ranked among NCAA leaders in save percentage (17th) and goals-against average (20th).

During his sophomore season in 2004-05 Fisher went 14-5-1, establishing a single-season career-high for wins and shared the Murray Armstrong Award as Denver’s most improved player. He twice earned All-WCHA Academic honours while with the Pioneers.

In his four seasons (2003-04 to 2006-07) with Denver, Fisher was 39-22-6 with a 2.71 goals-against average and registered four shutouts in 76 games.

Fisher played two seasons with the Fort Saskatchewan Traders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League prior to his collegiate career, earning AJHL Rookie-of-the-Year honours in 2001-02.

DU Announces Post Season Awards
Fisher Wins MVP, Ruegsegger's GPA Creates Buzz

From: DU Athletics Website

(left) Glenn Fisher capped off a tremendous DU Career by winning the Bill Masterton award as DU's MVP

Senior goaltender Glenn Fisher earned Most Valuable Player honors, while redshirt freshman Brock Trotter, freshman Tyler Ruegsegger and senior alternate captain J.D. Corbin earned two awards each as the University of Denver celebrated its 51st Annual Hockey Awards Evening tonight at The Cable Center on the DU campus.

In addition to honoring Fisher, the Pioneers celebrated their 2006-07 season and said goodbye to seniors Steven Cook, Mike Handza, Ryan Helgason, Danny King, Adrian Veideman, Corbin and Fisher. DU also honored junior Ryan Dingle, who left DU after three seasons when he signed a professional contract with Anaheim on March 27.

Fisher earned the Bill Masterton Memorial Award (MVP) after enjoying his finest season as a Pioneer by leading the team with a 13-9-2 overall record. He established career bests with a 2.32 goals against average and .919 saves percentage. Fisher recorded three shutouts, including back-to-back shutouts against Wisconsin and Michigan Tech, and ended Minnesota's 21-game home unbeaten streak with a 31-save shutout effort on Jan. 19. He stopped a career-high 47 shots in a 4-3 overtime win at St. Cloud State and set a personal best with a shutout minutes streak of 158:03. Fisher was named one of 10 finalists for the inaugural Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for classroom, character and community in addition to performance in the hockey rink during this season.

Trotter earned the Leading Scorer Award and "Star of the Year" Award. He made a successful return to the ice after suffering a season-ending Achilles tendon injury early last season. Trotter became the first DU freshman to lead the team in scoring since Dave Shields in 1986-87 when he netted a team-leading 40 points on 16 goals and 24 assists. He tied for the team lead with 12 multi-point games, including four three-point efforts. Trotter set a career high with three assists in DU's 5-1 win over RPI on Oct. 21. Trotter helped DU to 13 home wins and was named the No. 1 star in three games this season.

Ruegsegger was honored with the Barry Sharp Memorial Award as DU's top freshman and shared the Dr. Art Mason Award as DU's top scholar-athlete with King. Ruegsegger led the Pioneers with a +15 plus/minus rating, while finishing fourth on the team in scoring with 34 points on 15 goals and 19 assists. Ruegsegger netted two points in his collegiate debut against Miami and was named the Red Baron WCHA Rookie of the Week for Jan. 16-22. Ruegsegger tallied a 3.96 GPA in general business this year for the Pioneers, while King earned his second consecutive Dr. Art Mason Award after posting a 3.91 grade-point average in finance and marketing during his senior season.

Corbin earned his second consecutive Dr. Ken Bredesen Award for sportsmanship and first Bob Martin Memorial Award for community service. Corbin committed just two penalties for four minutes and tallied six points on two goals and four assists in 10 games. Corbin missed 30 games this season after suffering a broken leg and ankle injury in practice in October. He made a triumphant return to the lineup when he netted his first career game-winning goal in DU's 4-3 overtime win over Frozen Four participant North Dakota on Feb. 23. Corbin shared the community service award with freshman Brandon Vossberg. Corbin and Vossberg participated in the Skate with the Pioneers event to benefit the Starlight Starbright Foundation and visited local children's hospitals and elementary schools. Corbin and Vossberg volunteered for the D.U. Youth Hockey program, participated in the Qwest Food Drive and made several public appearances on behalf of the Pioneer hockey program.

Sophomore J.P. Testwuide captured the Murray Armstrong Award as DU's most improved player. Testwuide proved to be DU's most versatile player this season. He started the season as a defenseman before combining with Handza and Cook on Denver's top defensive forward line. He contributed three assists and finished third on the team with 63 penalty minutes.

Veideman was honored with the Dr. Ralph Verploeg Award as DU's most inspirational player. Veideman led the Pioneers to their sixth consecutive 21-win season and a fourth-place finish in the WCHA. The Sicamous, British Columbia, native scored 13 points on three goals and 10 assists, while recording three multi-point games. Veideman missed four games after suffering a concussion against Colorado College, but returned in time to lead the Pioneers to their 12th Wells Fargo Denver Cup championship in 15 seasons.

Sophomore Chris Butler earned the Keith Magnuson Memorial Award as DU's top defensive player. Butler earned honorable mention All-USCHO All-America honors after scoring 27 points on 10 goals and 17 assists. He earned Ice Breaker Invitational and Wells Fargo Denver Cup All-Tournament honors, while leading DU with 110 blocked shots. Butler tied for second among WCHA defensemen with 20 points and seven goals in league play. He earned Red Baron WCHA Defensive Player of the Week honors for Oct. 9-15.

DU Faculty Athletics Representative Dr. Nancy Sampson recognized DU's 10 All-WCHA Academic honorees. Zach Blom, Butler, Cook, Corbin, Fisher, Helgason, King, sophomore Patrick Mullen, Testwuide and junior alternate captain Andrew Thomas were all honored for earning a 3.0 GPA or better this season. In addition, Blom, Cook, Corbin, Fisher and King were recognized for winning WCHA Scholar-Athlete Awards for GPA's of 3.5 or better.

Coach Gwozdecky Reviews Past Season

From: DU Clarion Student Newspaper
by Brooks Kirchheimer

It was the second consecutive season that started off with high hopes for the DU hockey team and ended with frustration and disappointment

"It was disappointing," said Head Coach George Gwozdecky. "If I analyzed the season my summary would be somewhat similar to last season,"

As last year's season, the just-ended season featured ups and downs and ended on a down when the Pioneers lost in the first round of the WCHA playoffs to Wisconsin.

"We had a very good first third of the season transitioning our freshmen into primary roles. A good middle third of the season when our freshmen really gained confidence and our goaltenders were outstanding and the final third of the season when we really struggled; the freshmen really started to feel the pressure and our older players were not as effective," said Gwozdecky.
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A first third of the season where the Pioneers went 3-4, a second-third that featured a solid 15-3-2 mark including a 9-1-1 stretch and a final third where DU struggled with a 3-8-2 mark. The team had a hard time getting on the scoreboard and could not put together a complete hockey game.

"I don't know if it was frustrating. We really struggled in almost every game to take a lead. It just seemed that down the stretch we were fighting from behind in almost every game and with the kind of team we had, we were always much better off taking an early lead and building on it," said Gwozdecky about the final third of the season.

The NCAA West tournament was hosted by DU and held at the Pepsi Center and Denver failed to make the NCAA playoffs for a second consecutive season.

"It has probably been a little tougher this year with the regional being here in Denver. You know back in January we looked like we were a lock with just a month to go in the season, and we missed the NCAA tournament by just a mere percentage point, we were agonizingly close," said Gwozdecky about not being in post-season play for a second straight year. The Pioneers were so close to an NCAA berth that Gwozdecky was told by the tournament committee that if the Pioneers had won one more game during the season not only would the Pioneers be in the tourney, but most likely a number two seed.
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The last two seasons have been dominated by the underclassmen. This season red-shirt freshman Brock Trotter led DU with 40 points on 16 goals and 24 assists, just a year after he suffered a season-ending injury. Junior and now Anaheim Might Duck prospect Ryan Dingle finished with a team-leading 22 goals along with 15 points for 37 points. Freshmen Rhett Rakhshani and Tyler Ruegsegger enjoyed a good first year as they finished with 36 and 34 points, respectively, while sophomore Chris Butler quietly accumulated 10 goals and 17 assists.

Senior goaltender Glenn Fisher finished with a career-best 2.32 goals against average in 24 games. Junior Peter Mannino, despite battling an injury, finished with a 2.29 GAA, his best since freshman year.

Next season is particularly important since DU will be hosting the Frozen Four at the Pepsi Center. Post-season work has already started for not only the players but also the coaching staff.

"Last off-season the training was very challenging for our team. It was as tough as maybe we have ever made it. There is no question our off-season will be the same over the next six months," said Gwozdecky.

Training is different for every player on the team, "Every player has different needs, some of our younger players need to get stronger, more flexible, more agile, quicker and I shouldn't just talk about our younger players, whether young or old every player has things that they need to work on," said Coach.

Although the motivation of having the west regional in Denver this season did not work out for DU, the Pioneers and Coach Gwozdecky hope that having the Frozen Four here next season will lead to better results.

"I think it is great motivation, it was motivation for us this year for the regional. Obviously the education and motivation of not getting to this tournament, knowing how darn close we were being a number two seed, one more win, one more win," said Gwozdecky about this season's.

This season might have contained some disappointment, frustration and surprise but it is over and DU is ready to start afresh next season and begin their road to the Frozen Four in Denver.

Paukovich Still At DU
Internet Rumors Unfounded

DU Junior Geoff Paukovich has not signed a professional contract with the Edmonton Oilers and is still attending classes at the University of Denver. It had be speculated that Edmonton was interested in signing Paukovich, and that may or may not be true, but both sides have not come to an agreement as of last night.

Paukovich grew up in Denver and one can assume that he won't be jumping ship, unless the Oilers make a quality offer. Paukovich was drafted under the old Collective Bargaining Agreement and as such, may qualify for a better deal than players drafted in the past two years.

Edmonton also has the NHL rights to DU Senior goaltender Glenn Fisher and DU Freshman Matt Glasser.