Wockey Weekend Number One is in the books and what a weekend it was!  I haven’t felt that much excitement since the last time I went ferret legging.  With two top seeds going down in the first round, two overtime games and six games decided by one goal, it was an awesome weekend of Wockey!  It was particularly thrilling if you were a Notre Dame fan. Not only did the Irish survive a crazy final minute in overtime in the first round, but they scored with 27 seconds left in their regional final to advance to the Frozen Four!  In addition the Notre Dame win, the Big Ten staked its claim as the best hockey conference in the country. Before this season, they struggled to keep up with Hockey East and the NCHC...heck they were barely at Atlantic Hockey level.  But with three of the Frozen Four squads coming from the Big Ten, there’s no denying they’re finally among the best.

 

As for my squad, originally I had envisioned spending time in this post airing my thoughts on my beloved St. Cloud State Huskies’ crushing defeat at the hands of bottom seed Air Force.  And as I’m writing this, news is leaking out about the Gophers hiring St. Cloud coach Bob Motzko to be their new leader. It’s a bitter day in Walker’s Wockey World, but frankly, you don’t want to read that, we’ve got some exciting scenarios to break down, and we’ve got a Puckhead to crown.  And besides, I don’t think I could sum it up any better than in the video I posted to the Wockey Facebook group right after the game ended.  C’est la vie. There’s always next year. And apparently next coach.

 

So on to Wockey!  A few interesting numbers to note about this year’s tournament:

 

-We had 376 brackets entered -- our second-highest total ever.

-Of those brackets, the most popular pick to win the title was St. Cloud State (112) while the only team not picked to win it all was Princeton.

-Only 23 brackets had Air Force upsetting St. Cloud, the least of any first round upset pick.

-Among the Frozen Four entrants, 73 picked Notre Dame to win it all, 21 took UMD, 12 predicted Michigan, and 11 have Ohio State taking home the title.

-The most brackets entered this year were 10 apiece by Jason Kuss and Ron Goodman.  Thomas Nikula submitted 9. Chris Walker had 8 and Erik Pederson went with 7.

-Five Wockeyites correctly predicted the Frozen Four.  Well done Lauren Floistad, Thomas Nikula, Jeremy Thomas Meyer, Brooke Zilka and former Puckhead Chris Goodman!

-Not one, but TWO Walkers were tied for second-to-last.  Chris -- who the last two years has won a tiebreaker to keep from being the Puckhead -- was joined mere millimeters above the bottom by brother, Nick.

 

Now let’s visit the top of the standings.  Currently we have two Wockeyites tied for first in Thomas Nikula and Chris Goodman.  Nikula had a chance to win it all last year and is hoping the Wockey Gods finally see fit to bestow the crown of Wockey Champion upon him.  As for Chris -- I have given him a lot of crap over being Puckhead two years ago, especially after his father, Ron, became Wockey Champion last year.  So with my mouth full of crow, I must give much kudos to Chris and his bracket aptly named “Former Puckhead Wins!!” for the position he’s in.  

 

Interestingly enough, as we break down the bracket possibilities, we’ll see that not one, not two, but THREE Goodmans have a chance to be named Wockey Champion.  The Goodmans are basically the Bizarro Walkers. We have Chris who I’ve already talked about. His father, Ron, has a chance to be just the second back-to-back champion in Wockey history.  And finally, Chris’s son, John also may end up on top, which is personally the outcome I’m rooting for. Think about it...we may have our first-ever celebrity-name-a-like winner! If John Goodman wins, just imagine the references I’ll be able to play with.  For example...should his picks from Sunday’s games count even though they were contested on the Shomar Shabbos? I’m not sure. But if he does win, I hope he buys a rug that really ties the room together with his winnings. Of course, if NONE of the Goodmans win, I imagine the scene of that news will look something like this...

 

So what are the scenarios?  I’m glad you asked. Also, you wear that smock extremely well.

 

If Ohio State beats Michigan:  Not only does this great football rivalry transplant itself to the ice, but we have one of two scenarios where the title of Wockey Champion comes down to a tie.  Tom Loff and former Champion/Puckhead Jason Kuss would end up on top with 54 points. Craig Shermoen would finish third. Perennial money winner Lauren Floistad would end up in fourth.  Original 16 Wockeyite Matt Kilby would finish fifth. Ron Goodman and Montana Popehn would go to a tiebreaker for sixth as would Chris Goodman and Thomas Nikula to determine eighth place.

 

If Ohio State beats Notre Dame:  Ron Goodman and Montana Popehn will have each scored 54 points and will go to a tiebreaker to determine Wockey Champion.  Nikula finishes third. Jon Tousignant and Mike Asperhiem go to a tiebreaker to determine fourth. Shermoen finishes sixth while Glenn Perez and Jeremy Thomas Meyer use the tiebreak to determine seventh and eighth place.

 

If UMD beats Michigan:  Not only would it be an identical outcome of the last time the Frozen Four was held in St. Paul (in 2011), it would mean the ultimate comeback for Chris Goodman whose 62 points represent a tie for the highest possible finish for any outcome left in Wockey.  Andy Tillman would finish in second. Kuss would end up in third. Nick Sapienza finishes in fourth while Brooke Zilka ends up fifth. Nikula would finish sixth and a tiebreak between Maddison Zikmund, Dave Haugen, Wockey Mom Polly Walker, and someone simply known as “Jacques” would be needed to determine seventh and eighth places.

 

If UMD beats Notre Dame:  In this scenario Nick Sapienza is your Wockey Champion.  Zilka would finish second. Chris Goodman and Thomas Nikula would end up tied for third.  Zikmund and “Jacques” would need a tiebreaker to determine fifth and sixth. A tiebreak would also be needed to determine seventh and eighth between Andy Tillman, Peter Eugene Simon, and Peter Markham.

 

If Michigan beats Ohio State:  Lauren Floistad...always the Wockey bridesmaid, never the Wockey bride, would become Wockey Champion and rub it further into boyfriend Ryan Graupmann’s face that she knows college hockey better than him.  A tiebreak would separate second and third place for Jason File and Sarah Davis. Ben Cahill would finish fourth. Chris Goodman, Nikula, Bruce Wallace, and Alex Feighan would finish in a tie where the tiebreaker would separate them into the last four spots.

 

If Michigan beats UMD:  Ben Cahill becomes your Wockey Champion.  Floistad, Chris Goodman, and Bruce Wallace would use a tiebreaker for second.  File, Davis, and Tillman would also go to the tiebreak to determine fifth through seventh.  Alex Feighan would finish alone in eighth.

 

If Notre Dame beats Ohio State:  This scenario not only finishes the same way the Big Ten title game did, but also sees us with a 62-point winner -- this time with Thomas Nikula finishing first.  Jeremy Thomas Meyer ends up second while Emily Force finishes third. John Goodman gets fourth place.  Thomas Jones and Beau Bauer would finish tied for fifth.  A four-way tie would determine which two of Brad Kennett, Scott Schulte, Doan Worley, and Patrick Kelly would finish in the money.

 

If Notre Dame beats UMD:  Our last scenario is the one in which 12-year-old John Goodman takes the title of Wockey Champion, which would obviously set off quite the celebration.  Nikula and Kennett would go to a tiebreaker to determine second.  Meyer and Nicholas Wenck would do the same for fourth. Nick Sapienza would end up 6th while Brooke Zilka and Darin Thureen would use a tiebreak to determine the final two spots.

 

Good luck to all those who still have a chance to finish in the money!  And to the rest of you, maybe you should listen to your mothers and think about what you have done.

 

One person who is guaranteed to have more regrets than anyone about entering this year’s pool is none other than your 2018 Wockey Puckhead, Jody Norstedt!!!  It was the trifecta of bad news for Jody this week. First his beloved St. Cloud State Huskies did...you know...what the Huskies do.  Then St. Cloud State coach Bob Motzko -- who has brought the Huskies from a middling program to a pre-eminent powerhouse -- leaves to coach the Gophers, St. Cloud’s self-appointed chief rival.  But worst...far worst of all...is being named Puckhead.

                                                            Jody's shock upon learning of his being named Puckhead while playing

                                                            Prince Eric in a Fargo Players' Company staging of "The Little Mermaid". 

 

Jody became Puckhead by somehow managing to pick just ONE game correctly during the first round of play -- that being UMD beating Mankato (which they did, in overtime no less).  Jody’s bracket is appropriately titled “Are You Flipping Kidding Me?”, which is apparently in reference to the fact that he used a coin flip to determine his picks. In a tournament known for upsets, perhaps a coin flip would be best, except that the only two higher seeds Jody’s coin picked lost.  And one of them, which I’m guessing had less to do with the flip of a coin than the tug of Jody’s heart was St. Cloud whom the “coin” somehow had winning the whole tournament.

 

To make things worse, Jody is a sportscaster for the Midco Sports Network in North Dakota.  He gets paid to know things about sports.  Granted, it’s not the first time this has happened.  Wockey’s first Puckhead, Joe Dufek, was a sportscaster as was last year’s Puckhead Kuss.  But seriously Jody. Not even your smallest fan will be able to take your sportscasts seriously after this.  To honor his ignominy, Jody will be receiving a 18” x 24” comic book cover with his likeness on it that will commemorate his ineptitude in a fun-loving childlike manner that will only serve to accentuate the stupidity of his picks.  Once I receive a proof of the cover, do be sure I plan to share it on our Facebook and Twitter pages.  So from the rest of us to you Jody... FOR SHAME!

 

As always, we are now in the gray, dead area between the end of the first weekend of Wockey and the beginning of the second, also known as “That Weekend That NCAA Hockey Avoids Competing For Viewership With Basketball’s Final Fours”.  I’m not sure what to tell you to do with yourself between now and then, though I have a few ideas.

 

But fear not!  When the Frozen Four arrives it will be sure to be entertaining!  For one thing, it’s in St. Paul this year, which means many Wockeyites will be able to attend.  And for those who don’t recall my romp into my forties in Chicago last year, I can tell you that the Frozen Four is quite an experience and you should go there!  It only comes around so often.

 

In addition, there are NO eastern teams in it!  Columbus, Ohio is the furthest east teams get. And if you’re a Gophers fan, you can root for the local boys done good -- UMD -- as they take on three of your Big Ten rivals in the tournament!  

 

To top it off, you can come see me!  I won’t be imbibing my way through the tourney like I did last year, but I’ll be working it for the very first time!  Know that if you’re not able to make it to the X, some of the more average if not slightly underwhelming camera shots will be coming from your commissioner!  And if you are there, come say hi! I’m sure the viewers will appreciate the welcome break from the mediocre camera work as you distract me with tales of your Wockey experience.

 

It’s been a great tournament so far...well, almost great.  We’ll see you next week in St. Paul!!!

 

Your Desolate, Despondent, Disconsolate Husky Fan of a Commish,

 

Alex

 

P.S.  On the bright side, Chris’s son John Goodman turned 12 on Sunday.  Happy birthday John! To commemorate, we’re sharing a video of John’s (and presumably his twin brother’s) birth.  Mazel Tov!!