Mike Cichy, a forward on the NTDP U17 team, who many expected to go to the QMJHL next season has surpisingly committed to North Dakota for the 2008 season.
This is a great pick-up for North Dakota if Cichy does indeed stay away from the QMJHL.
Update
A lot of the surprise with Cichy comes from last August, when he told the Halifax Mooseheads(incidentally, if you think that nickname is bad, it's way better than their rivals, the Victoriaville Moosebottoms) that he would report to them next season. Halifax has some money to throw at their prospects, and by committing to a college, Cichy gains back a lot of the leverage he gave up by saying he would report to Halifax. Also, if Cichy doesn't get a deal that he likes, he still has the scholarship to North Dakota.
Cichy was considered a longshot to ever go to a college before today. That changed a little bit today, but I think still think it's a longshot for him to actually show up on campus. It should be a long summer of anxious waiting for North Dakota fans to see if Cichy returns to the NTDP next year, or signs with Halifax.
UPDATE II
Brad Schlossman of the GF Herald as more on Cichy's commitment. He's a bit more optimistic on Cichy sticking with his commitment to UND, and there were some quotes from Cichy indicating that he would stick with it. Of course, that could all change this summer if Halifax offers him a lot of money.
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19 comments:
i am thinking that he wouldnt commit if he was not going to come to und...there arent a whole lot of players that do that...i would say that they normally would play around with the idea of ncaa, but not commit unless i was going for sure....thats me though:)
Moosehead is a great beer that you should try some time. Cichy is a hockey player who will soon be donning the Kelly Green
i am thinking that he wouldnt commit if he was not going to come to und.......
It's all about bargaining power and money.
The first poster obviously needs a lesson in negotiation leverage. A commitment to UND simply gives him an alternative to use on Halifax. I am sure there is a smart advisor behind the scenes for Cichy that realized they needed more leverage for future negotiations. I am with Chris. I doubt he'll ever show up for college hockey.
This last anonymous guy hit it right on the head. There's almost 2 years of seperation where Cichy will don the Sioux jersey. He could simply use it as leverage to get some of that money Halifax has, or, if it is simply a case of "I don't want to play for this team because I don't like the location" he could press Halifax to trade his rights. There's a TON of things that could happen.
If he DOES don a Sioux jersey, this will be the second major Major Junior Coup in recent history for the Fighting Sioux (Jonathon Toews being the most notable). Just to set the record straight in this regard, UND does have minor victory over MJ in Anthony Grieco spurning St. Mike's (OHL team) to go to UND but nowhere is he the impact player Toews or Cichy are.
Cichy and Kristo have become best friends and the two of them are already wearing clothing with the Sioux emblem on it. So I guess it must just be big time leveraging on his part LOL.
Let's see Toews and Johnson turned down a few dollars they were offered to go to the NHL. Do you honestly believe this kid is leveraging for more pocket change from Halifax. The only commit who is a big time risk to jump to a CHL team any time soon is Turris, because it would be an opportunity to play on a big stage (Memorial Cup) in front of friends and family (Vancouver)
im the first anonymous poster and i still stick with what i said, especially after reading the new info. im not stupid, i realize that the ncaa is used sometimes. i also realize that given that he is teammates with kristo that makes it a little different though. i am simply more optomistic that he will wear a sioux uniform. after all, he can use und as a bargaining tool with the NHL. i think that if he committed to minny that nobody would be questioning it, except opposing fans.
The problem is too many people take everything they read in the paper as being gospel. They have the foolish attitude that if a player says it, then it must be true. How naive.
It is no different than when college players say they aren't even thinking of turning pro and then three weeks later we see them sign with an NHL club.
Some people out there never learn.
Chris, would your position have been the same if Cichy had selected UMTC instead. I honestly doubt it.
Really? What would I have said if he committed to Minnesota?
nobody is taking it as gospel...being from und, i saw zajac and parise say to the papers that they were for sure coming back...we know they went pro. the people that are saying that cichy is for sure coming are naive, but nobody is saying that. i read optomistic...thats completely different. i think its also naive to immediately say that cichy is going to the Q. you guys need to not take things out of context. dont be such idiots.
Chris, some people think you are a Gopher fan. Maybe it was the nice Lucia comments you had? I've noticed that on a few other areas of comments.
Apparently you haven't had the Gopher hatred turned up high enough lately. I move you write something Tyler Hirsch feeding babies to hungry mutated puppies, and then remind everybody about how Holy Cross stabbed Minnesota in their BLACK HEART.
Venture Brothers references aside, it's most likely just a bargaining tool.
you all owe me a blowjob if cichy plays at und! btw...im a minnesota fan.
For anyone who thinks that Chris is a Gopher fan, you haven't been reading this blog since the beginning. Do a search for Phil Kessel just for a quick taste. :p
Most of us know the real truth. If a player wants to use their NCAA commitment as leverage for the CHL they commit to Michigan. LOL
Yep and TL is doing just fine!
You can also use Michigan as a fast-track to the Kings, apparently. Scotty Parse is gonna hear about that when he come to Ann Arbor...
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