DU Hockey Banquet Tonight

(above) Jesse Martin speaking last year at the DU Hockey Banquet

The University of Denver will host the 56^th Annual Pioneer Hockey Awards Evening Presented by Mac and Maria Slingerlend on Friday, April 20 at The Cable Center on the DU Campus. Fans are invited to attend as the Pioneers celebrate the senior class of 2012 and the 2011-12 hockey season. 

 

A reception with heavy hors d'oeuvres and silent auction begins at 6 PM and the awards program with dessert begins at 7 PM. The Pioneers will celebrate their 11th consecutive season with 21 or more wins and their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

The cost of the program is $50 for adults and $40 for children 12 and under. Please contact Katie Robertson at katie.robertson@du.edu or (303) 871-3397 for registration information.

Jack Jablonski Continues To Rehab Spinal Injury

(above) Jack and his mom celebrate no halo, no neck brace & no collar

Jabby13 Website

Jack Jablonski was involved in a hockey accident on December 30th, 2011 in a JV high school hockey game in Minnesota, in which he suffered a paralyzing Spinal Cord Injury. Jack's injury was similar and yet even more debilitating than Jesse Martin's spinal fracture suffered against North Dakota over a year ago.

Check out the Jack Jablonski Website to read his story or make a donation.  Let's also join together to make ice hockey a safer sport.  Less checking around the boards, tougher penalties for dangerous play, stricter enforcement of the rules and if necessary new rules to protect players at all levels.

Our thoughts are with Jesse & Jack at all times.

Tyler Bozak & Jesse Martin Have Breakfast

Sign Banner For Injured High School Hockey Player

(above) Fans will be able to sign this banner on Saturday night

DU fans attending Saturday night's hockey game against Alabama-Huntsville at Magness Arena will have an opportunity to send best wishes and thoughts to Minnesota high school hockey player Jack Jablonski.  Known as "Jabby" to his friends, the 16-year-old honors student, hockey forward and varsity tennis player at Benilde-St. Margaret's High School suffered a paralysing injury last week.  Two players rammed Jablonski from behind, smashing him into the boards, and he collapsed motionless to the ice.

According to reports his spinal column was severed at the C 5 level.  Jack had surgery on Wednesday to fuse his vertebrae was it was deemed a success by the doctors, but it also confirmed that his injury was horrific. Jack has limited mobility and no movement in his lower body. At this time it is believed that he will not be able to walk or skate. 

Last year University of Denver forward Jesse Martin suffered three fractures to his C2 neck vertebra, an injury that can often cause death or paralysis.  Jesse was able to undergo a remarkable recovery, although he still suffers from lingering physical issues including headaches and pain in his left arm.

The University of Denver community knows all too well about the trials and tribulations of these vertebrae injuries and it is hoped that signing the banner will share our support for the young man and his family in Minnesota.  The DU hockey team and staff will sign the banner first and then it will be available to the public before the game and between periods.

University of Denver Alum Miller Baird (DU '72) and his wife Debbie worked tirelessly to gather thousands of signatures on Jesse Martin's Banner last year and are spearheading Jack's banner signing this weekend.

High School Player Suffers "Jesse Martin Injury"

(above) Former DU player Jesse Martin is attempting to reach out to the Jablonski family

(above) Minnesota high school hockey player Jack Jablonski fractured two bones in his lower neck

Star-Tribune Video & Press Conference

Well-wishers crowded into Jack Jablonski's hospital room and lit up his Facebook and CaringBridge pages all weekend as the high school sophomore and his family awaited a prognosis on a paralyzing injury he suffered during a hockey game on Friday.

"It's a parent's worst nightmare," his father, Mike Jablonski of Minneapolis, said on Sunday in the pediatric intensive care unit at Hennepin County Medical Center. "He dropped and didn't move. Right then and there I knew that my son, that there was something seriously wrong."

Known as "Jabby" to his friends, the 16-year-old honors student, hockey forward and varsity tennis player at Benilde-St. Margaret's scored the first goal of what would be a victory for the junior varsity Red Knights against Wayzata during the Holiday Hockey Classic tournament at the St. Louis Park Recreation Center.

Jack's team was up by one goal 5 minutes and 48 seconds into the second period when he made a dash for the puck near the end boards with two Wayzata players in hot pursuit, said Chris McGowan, the Red Knights' JV coach.

McGowan said two players rammed Jablonski from behind, smashing him into the boards, and he collapsed motionless to the ice.

Jack is in critical condition with two fractured bones in his lower neck. He's unable to move his legs and has only slight movement in his hands and fingers, McGowan said.

Doctors suspect that Jack suffered a bruised spinal cord and won't speculate about his recovery until the swelling reduces, his parents said. Once that happens, surgeons expect to fuse the two broken vertebrae, they added.

Jack was in the offensive zone and was coming around the net when the two Wayzata players slammed into him, his father said. "It was just a very hard hit."

Leslie Jablonski said she feels awful for the other boys, at least one of whom knew Jack from youth leagues.

Although the Jablonskis say they have no hard feelings for the Wayzata team or its coaches, they worry that hockey coaches in general are "sending the wrong messages."

"Players are running at the other players even when they're totally defenseless," Mike Jablonski said.

Leslie Jablonski, who writes a blog called MyHockeyMama, agreed. "The checking seems to be a hot issue. This can be avoided," she said. "In two seconds, our lives just changed. All of our lives changed -- even theirs," she added, gesturing toward a group of visiting teens.

"We just want to make sure this doesn't happen again. And if they keep playing the game the way it is, there's going to be more attacks in situations like this."

Part III: Jesse Martin Returns To The Ice

Denver Post reporters Terry Frei and Mike Chambers third and final installment chronicling the current status of college hockey standout Jesse Martin following a life-threatening injury [read article].

Part II: Denver Post Profiles Jesse Martin's Recovery

"Denver Post reporters Terry Frei and Mike Chambers second installment chronicling the recovery of college hockey standout Jesse Martin following a life-threatening injury" [read entire article].

Denver Post Profiles Jesse Martin On Front Page

(above) Jesse Martin's story is chronicled in the first of a three part story on the front page of Sunday's Denver Post

"Denver Post reporters Terry Frei and Mike Chambers spent the past year chronicling the recovery of college hockey standout Jesse Martin following a life-threatening injury. During that time, they stayed in contact with Martin and his family and talked to teammates, coaches, doctors and friends while reporting for this project." [read entire article].

Lax Magazine Features Full-Page Boone Photo

(above) Boone appears in a full-page photograph in the July issue of Lacrosse Magazine

Lacrosse Magazine's DU Photos

The July, 2011 issue of Lacrosse Magazine [Page 67] features a full-page photo of DU's unofficial mascot Boone and DU Sophomore Sam White. The photo was taken during DU's thrilling 13-10 victory over Villanova in the NCAA Tournament. Lacrosse Magazine is the official monthly publication of U.S. Lacrosse and has a circulation of over 300,000 players, coaches, parents and fans.

It was a pretty incredible year for DU's unofficial mascot Boone.  He flew to Minnesota twice in hockey related activities.  Boone met hundreds of alumni and their children at the NCAA Lacrosse Final Four in Baltimore.  He followed the DU swimming and diving team to the Sunbelt Championships in Denton, Texas.  He also appeared at DU's introduction to the WAC at Magness Arena.  And performed a skit with the Pioneer Dance Team during halftime of a DU basketball game

Boone was featured on two ESPN telecasts of DU lacrosse playoff games as well as an ESPN lacrosse music video promo.  DU's mascot was interviewed during a timeout on the Jumbotron of the Baltimore Ravens Stadium during the Lax Championships.  He also appeared on Coors Field with other Colorado mascots before a Rockies baseball game.

Most important, the student who ran the Boone Program flew to Minneapolis to deliver a giant Get-Well Card to injured hockey player Jesse Martin, signed by thousands of DU hockey fans, students and players. Martin had suffered a catastrophic neck injury that required surgery.  Miraculously Martin recovered from the injury.

Chambers Blog: More Stories From Hockey Banquet

(above) Click to enlarge Banquet Sponsors

Mike Chambers Blog goes into more detail about DU's 55th Hockey Banquet held last Friday night.  He has some additional information about Jesse Martin and some memorable quotes from the evening.

He even gives a shout out to LetsGoDU, so check out the article.

DU Hockey Banquet News & Notes

(above) Jesse Martin credited his teammates, friends and family on Friday night

The Denver Post has an article about Jesse Martin's speech at the DU Hockey Banquet held on Friday night at the Cable Center.  Jesse is no longer wearing a neck brace, has put on some weight since his injury and looked great on Friday night.

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DenverPioneers.com has a recap of all the award winners, graduating seniors and DU's 16 All-WCHA Academic recipients.

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Well over 200 people attended the event that was first class all the way.  Coach Gwozdecky was especially proud that many of former DU players showed up including Marc Cheverie, Tyler Bozak, Matt Donovan, Gerry Powers, Bruce Hill, Rod Summers, Mark Rycroft, Steven Cook, Charlie Host, Aaron MacKenzie and many others.

He singled out Rod Summers and the DU Hockey Alumni Association for soliciting over 40 former players to contribute to sponsoring the event.  You can tell Summers leadership is paying big dividends already for the program.

The Senior speeches gave an interesting look at the program and one couldn't help but notice the sacrifices these players made to the university and their teammates.  From the guys who barely saw ice time to Anthony Maiani's video that was taped in West Virginia while his ECHL team is in the playoffs.

Jesse Martin's speech was interesting because he refused to dwell on his injury and instead made a point about talking about his teammates and his experiences at DU.  He spoke about enjoying life and making sure that everyone have fun playing hockey, because you never know when it might end.

Chris Nutini mentioned that he'll miss spending time with the guys in the showers.  That brought nervous laughter from his teammates.  Needless to say, he'll have a hard time living that one down.

Kyle Ostrow gave a terrific speech about leading the guys and playing two seasons with his brother Shawn at DU.  Kyle and Shawn both had 4.0 GPA's this season.  Amazing.

All in all a great evening and well worth the price of admission.  The speeches ran a little long, but that was due to the large Senior class [8 players] and not the content of the messengers.

Jesse Martin Set To Graduate In Seven Weeks

From: DU Clarion
by Steve Coulter

The DU Clarion has a great article on Jesse Martin and his impending graduation from the University of Denver.  Despite the injury, the rehab and the distractions of of Division I ice hockey, Jesse will graduate on time with his classmates.  Check it out.

Westword Names DU Hockey "Best College Sports Team"

Westword has been good to us this month.  First they wrote about Metro State wanting to change their name to Denver State and now they've named the University of Denver hockey team the "Best College Sports Team" in the area.  Check out the article, they give props to Jesse Martin.

News & Notes From Around PioNation

(above) Security video from the lobby of the Aloft Green Bay Hotel appears to show a pasty faced red head tampering with the fire alarm at 7 AM on Sunday morning

DU started four Coloradans against the Fighting Sioux on Sunday.  Drew Shore, Luke Salazar, Chris Nutini and John Ryder.  Certainly a great indicator on the strides youth hockey has made in the state.

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Mike Chambers Blog has a story about the fire alarms going off in the team hotel on Sunday morning.

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DU's inability to score on several good power play chances early in the second period, cost them some momentum according to the Denver Post.

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Good luck to DU's graduating Seniors: Joey Brehm, Jon Cook, Dustin Jackson, Anthony Maiani, Kyle Ostrow, Chris Nutini, Josh Rosenholtz, Jesse Martin & John Ryder.  Martin, Jackson & Ryder have eligibility left and may choose to play for DU next season or in the future.  The Seniors who depart, leave with over 100 career victories and four NCAA Tournament invites.  Both school records.

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Congrats to Patrick Wiercioch on recording his first NHL point with the Ottawa Senators. Chris Neil’s goal was originally credited to Nick Foligno, with assists to Neil and Jesse Winchester, but was later changed to Neil from Winchester and Wiercioch.

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Yesterday was the busiest day in LetsGoDU history with 2,407 visits.  This month almost 40,000 visits will be recorded.  Sometime over the summer we will receive our millionth visitor.  Thanks as always to our loyal readers, fans, alumni and students who have made this all possible.

Denver Post: Martin Feels Snubbed By North Dakota

(above) This article appeared on the front page of the Denver Post sports section today

Mike Chambers has a fiery article in the Denver Post today calling out the North Dakota hockey program and their response throughout the Jesse Martin injury.

Denver Post: Doctors Give Martin Thumbs Up

(above) Jesse Martin introduced at Magness Arena earlier this season

From: Denver Post
by Mike Chambers

Senior center Jesse Martin, who graces the cover of the University of Denver's postseason media guide, maintains hopes of playing hockey again after meeting with one of the neurosurgeons that repaired three fractures to his C2 vertebra in November.

"He said if I took the same hit today, my neck would have never broken," Martin said. "It's 10 times as strong as it was because of the screw and how well the bones healed around the screw [read entire article]."

"Before, he could not squeeze your hand, basically. Now, I tell him, 'Go easy on my hands, I make a living with these.' "

- Dr. Alejandro Mendez

Martin & Malone Cross Paths In Team Hotel

(above) The lobby of the five-star Saint Paul Hotel has plenty of comfy sofas for gumshoe reporters like Mike Chambers to lounge in while waiting for stories to develop

Denver Post Captures Martin & Malone Meeting

Like the Brown Palace in Denver, the Saint Paul Hotel is a swanky five-star hotel that has hosted presidents and heads of state. It also has served as the temporary home of the top two seeds of the WCHA Final 5 in recent seasons.

Yesterday injured University of Denver hockey player Jesse Martin ran into University of North Dakota hockey player Brad Malone.  Reporter Mike Chambers captured the moment in an article in today's Denver Post.

Brad Malone Speaks About Jesse Martin Hit

Mike Chambers is in St. Paul this week for the WCHA Final 5.  He was able to set up an exclusive interview with Brad Malone of University of North Dakota to speak about his hit on Jesse Martin. It is in 3 parts in his Denver Post Blog.

Link To Malone Interview

For the first time since inadvertently delivering a near-deadly check on DU senior center Jesse Martin, North Dakota’s Brad Malone agreed to publicly comment about the incident that gave Martin a concussion, three fractures of the C2 vertebra and required spinal surgery. The complete story about that meeting from Martin’s perspective is in Friday’s Denver Post.

News & Notes From Around PioNation

The Denver Post has two blurbs today about DU hockey.  One talks about the "Shore Line" and the other mentions Jason Zucker returning to his new adopted hometown of St. Paul.  Zucker has become quite a fan favorite of the Minnesota Wild supporters.

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Mike Chambers Blog mentions Terry Martin's article about hockey safety and the horrific injuries sustained by players traveling faster and faster.  Of note in Chambers piece is that Jesse Martin is meeting with doctors about returning to the ice at DU in 2011 or 2012.  Check it out.

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The Denver Boone Facebook Page has 2,934 friends.  Sign up today to push him over 3,000.  Lots of cool photos on the site, updates on his upcoming appearances and a great way to stay in touch with DU.

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DU's club baseball team defeated "The School that wants to be Denver State" twice over the weekend 4-1 & 8-7.  Metro will be punished on the athletic fields if they continue with this nonsense.

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Jesse Martin's Father Writes Injury Article

(above) Montreal Canadiens player Max Pacioretty suffered a horrific injury last week in an NHL game

(left) Terry Martin wrote an article in the Edmonton Journal today about a subject he is all too familiar with, vertebae injuries in ice hockey

From: Edmonton Journal

by Terry Martin

My son Jesse played hockey against Max Pacioretty in the United States Hockey League (USHL) a few years ago - we thought he was a terrific hockey player then, and a better one since turning pro.

I nearly collapsed watching him get hit by Zdeno Chara. I'm praying for his recovery.

It was late October when Jesse received a hit to the head while playing hockey for the University of Denver. The result was vertebra fractures and a spinal-cord injury. Doctors said he came within two millimetres of dying. We have since learned that only two per cent of those suffering such injuries survive, and if they do, the outcome is usually paralysis of the entire body below the neck, or death within a couple of years due to respiratory challenges.

The game of hockey is not slowing down, nor should it.

But as horrific as it sounds, and despite those who tritely suggest "our game is a dangerous one, always has been, and always will be," we are on our way to witnessing someone getting killed.

It is wrong to suggest that the integrity of the sport, or its entertainment value, will be compromised by creating reasonable and sensible rules, implemented with consistency, commitment and genuine concern for protecting players, our sons, brothers and nephews -not stats -from having their lives irrevocably changed from playing a game they love.

According to Associated Press sports writer Chris Jenkins, the death of Dale Earnhardt of NASCAR "was the wake-up call that caused a safety revolution . it was a major change for a sport that had been at the back of the pack when it came to driver safety."

And, just like NASCAR, those who decide what happens in hockey have the means to improve safety and reduce injuries significantly -today.

Unfortunately those same decisionmakers lack the desire, and the will, to act responsibly. And therein lies the tragedy -we not only have the means, but also the opportunity.

Who then among us should be surprised to learn of an all-too sudden death, over time, in hockey. Could Gary Bettman live with that tragedy?

It seems he could.