College Hockey:
Additional suspensions announced for North Dakota players

USCHO Staff Report • Sept. 21, 2012

North Dakota on Friday announced additional suspensions for violations of team rules stemming from a Sept. 15 hockey team party.

Previous suspensions for the four team captains were announced on Sept. 18.

Friday’s suspensions were determined based on additional information gathered during the athletic department’s investigative process, according to a school-issued news release.

Sophomores Connor Gaarder, Andrew Panzarella and Stephane Pattyn have been suspended for UND’s Oct. 20 game at Alaska-Fairbanks.

The school had previously announced one-game suspensions for senior captains Andrew MacWilliam, Corban Knight, Danny Kristo and Carter Rowney to be served during UND’s Oct. 19 season opener against Alaska-Anchorage.

North Dakota also announced that Kristo and sophomore forward Brendan O’Donnell have each received a one-game suspension for a violation of UND athletics department policy unrelated to the team party. O’Donnell will serve his suspension on Oct. 19, while Kristo will serve his suspension Oct. 20.

“Measures taken by the athletics department do not preclude possible additional measures by the department or actions by the university or local and state authorities,” North Dakota athletics director Brian Faison said in a statement.

The following is a self-policing forum for discussing views on this story. Comments that are derogatory, make personal attacks, are abusive, or contain profanity or racism will be removed at our discretion. USCHO.com is not responsible for comments posted by users. Please report any inappropriate or offensive comments by clicking the “Flag” link next to that comment in order to alert the moderator.

Please also keep “woofing,” taunting, and otherwise unsportsmanlike behavior to a minimum. Your posts will more than likely be deleted, and worse yet, you reflect badly on yourself, your favorite team and your conference.

WCHA Goes Buh-Bye
So the Sue will be dressing three defensemen, five forwards and an assistant trainer for the first game. Sounds good.
Siouxicide
Can the Sue lovers please go one scandal without saying “but other college kids drink?” Being given a scholarship and getting the chance to play college hockey should lead you to have some sort of expectations of leadership and class not apologizing for them. Why don’t the Sue fans, for once, just once, come down and say this is not okay? They won’t. They will just overlook this, attack the critics and deny what’s going on.
- icelund
  This is not okay, it reflects poorly on our program and school and was dealt with accordingly.
  The fact remains however that all of the schools in which Division I hockey players have developed such celebrity status have encountered this problem. UND, UofM, BU, pretending it’s strictly an issue with North Dakota players is just as ridiculous as your hated “Sue lovers” writing it off.
  But with a name like “Siouxicide” you must be completely unbiased right? The perfect man for the job? Take a look at Brad Schlossman’s blog. He’s been following UND for the local paper for years, and of the 45 comments on the suspension story quite a few of them are calling for Kristo’s dismissal.
  Drop the victimized, condescending look and try, just this once, to take a semi-objective stance on something.
  - Guest
    Couldn’t have said it better! Thank you
  - Joseph Crowley
    Exactly the way many BU alum like me feel about our program’s issues. Better that both schools are taking things seriously that twenty years ago would have been swept under any school’s rug. I hope both schools get their stuff together.
    - NotForTheNCHC
      Your talking ND Fighting Sioux. They will continue to be a media burden on college hockey because they think they are better then everyone else. Maybe if get rid of the ADs ego that they are an elite team. I mean come on who wants to play NC games in Grand Forks. Its like asking teams to play in Montana.
      The NCHC league was only formed to make a few people who thought they were better then the WCHA/CCHA teams. The top league in the country will always be the WCHA. When the ND team that cant display its emblem and a team that has bad leadership that likes to get into trouble is going to be a sad transition as they form this new league the NCHC.
      College hockey will be ruined when the NCHC forms as smaller schools will take a financial hit and teams will eventually fold because of this make believe league which was not thought as they formed. A league that claimed to like minded as the original six teams are the same. St Cloud which was hesitant to join and WMU are both bubble teams as i dont consider these teams like minded.
      There is no more room for expansion in college hockey because of the formation of the NCHC.
      The NCHC will stay at eight. No expansion teams will be accepted. The Big 10 doesnt have any expansion teams to join. The nWCHA is at nine and no room for expansion. Hockey East is at 12 with no room for expansion. The .
      NCHC has left college at a stand still. Teams are left to fold because of the financial hit that they left over schools will take from teams bolting to form this so called National. TV viewership will be minimum for the NCHC as they will not attract the Eastern viewers. Nobody cares about Western hockey for TV.
      Thanks ND and the NCHC for putting black eyes on college. Thanks Faison and George G.
      for ruining college hockey by putting together this league without solid plans in forming.
      The ECHL sounds like a good place for these captains to play not the WCHA.
      - Hates Haters
        everyone wants to play in grand forks, the best hockey facility in the world!! Wayne Gretzky said its the best facility in North America. Your words are plain and ignorant.
      - NotForTheNCHC
        I agree everybody want to play in Grand Forks but they cant wait to the He$$ out of grand forks.
        I am sorry but the flooding would scare me the heck out of town.
        How come a few players that commited to ND had decommited this year and went to the WHL instead.
        Its like a merry go round, no stabality in the program and no National Championships of late by the Head Coach. The NCHC was formed by ND and no NC hardware to show by coach Haskol.
        Did Ralph pay Gretzky to say that.
      - Kid Icarus
        Actually the REAL reason is that in Canada they get to play twice as much, and get paid for it. It is happening all over the college world; I can see your envy and lust for North Dakota hockey through the veil of your goading, trying to single out NoDak.
      - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1663800324 Justin Kringstad
        to bad they have a horrible coach
      - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=531960170 Brad Schaack
        Herb Brooks said it best, “if you want to go
        into business, go to Harvard; if you want to be a hockey player, go to North
        Dakota…”
      - NotForTheNCHC
        Herb didnt say if dont want to graduate you go to North Dakota. A great academic insitiution. North Dakota is a good place if your going to play one or two seasons not four seasons.
        Just because a rich alum donates to build a rink doesnt mean the ND program have substance.
      - Kid Icarus
        St Clown hesitant to join? More like they were whining they weren’t invited at first. The NCHC was hesitant to invite them! Get it through your skull you homer!
      - NotForTheNCHC
        Important words you said are they werent invited at first. That was after Notre Dame, Boston College and Boston University all said no.
        So St Cloud became second fiddle to join the NCHC. St Cloud and WMU turned out to be guaranted wins as BU, BC and Notre Dame gave the National the middle finger.
  - College Hockey Fan
    I agree that all schools have issues with college players making dumb mistakes, just like other non student-athletes.
    But being a studen-athlete you have to accept the added responsibility that you have to the University, and other students don’t.
    My only problem with what happened at UND is the University AD has had to handout all the punishment and the Head Hockey coach has done nothing! I know alot of UND fans will disagree, but it was the AD who handed out the first suspensions and now the second round of suspensions.
    As talented as Danny Kristo is, he is also a distraction to the rest of the team. The best thing for UND to do is let him go from the team. There is enough talent at UND to cover his absence. But we all know Mr. Hakstol won’t do it. He is to much of a slacker, and this is one of the reasons with the talent he has had, he still hasn’t won a National Championship.
    He lets the inmates run the asylum.
NotForTheNCHC
I am glad the North Dokata Sioux are leaving the WCHA. They are a disgrace for college hockey. ND can have their dreams in the NCHC.
Form your own league so you can watch players sign and leave out of your hockey pond.
Elite program. I smell another Penn State Football team but only with the good boys club of the NCHC.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=531960170 Brad Schaack
  Anchorage fan eh.
  - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1663800324 Justin Kringstad
    sounds like a Boston College Fan
- CG
  Just by your comments I would guess a Gophers fan. More than likely. UND is handling the issue the correct way and added more suspensions to palyers. What is Hakstol supposed to do? Beat them with a stick, believe me if it was allowed he probably would. As far as UND going into the NCHC, what else were they supposed to do, play Bemidji St, St. Cloud or Makato and Duluth another weekend to fill the void by U of M and U of W going to the Big Ten? Save up on some cash and get some help. I am sure there is someone out there who can help you.
  - NotForTheNCHC
    Penn State Football = North Dakota Hockey
    History, Traditon, Great Coaches, National Championships and ………………….
    You know the rest of the story.
http://www.facebook.com/george.robinson.35 George Robinson
does this really surprise anyone? This not the first time and it will not be the last.
Patrick Bugliosi
Lets not forget that Hakstol dismissed his best player Frattin a couple of yrs ago because of off the ice issues. Dave does what is right and necessary. Other teams (NDSU, UofM) sweep it under the rug and try to move on. UND handles it like it should be done. UofM Reilly injures leg at party and is out for the yr and no one is getting punished for that at all? ?
- suenomore
  why would a player get punished for hurting his leg…
  - hates idiots
    it happened at a party you jackasss!!! helloo drinking, being stupid, putting yourself before the team…you are all idiots!!!!!
Hates Haters
once again more haters…do you losers have anything better to do than hate on the best college hockey program in the country? I guess not.
- lakes19
  Best college hockey program in the country? I want the Kool aid your drinking… When was the last time you won a National Championship?
  I thought the best programs won National Championships on a ongoing basis? UND hasn’t won a National Championship in 12 years!!!
  All you do is make UND fans look even more dumb and bias. The best college hockey program in the country is Boston College and they have the Championships ( recently ) to back it up!
  - UofMGoldenChokers
    When was the last time you had 7 championships?
    - Guest
      Backing up your border brothers now in Wisconsin there 5TimEr? You must really hate UND… I would too if I got beat down by them the last ten years!
      I would really like to see what would happen if the NC$$ would initiate a best of five series in the playoffs.
      - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1663800324 Justin Kringstad
        Wisconsin sucks a$$. who’s rated last in the recent Poll? WIS! Fail Badgers Fail! as far as who’s the best? who’s tied for 1st? BC and UofM, Go Gophers!
  - UofMGoldenChokers
    Oh yeah, Wisconsin has more championships than you, too……
Curious
Interesting to see if this is a college culture issue or something that is a hidden problem in hockey. In 2007, there were a bunch of issues involving NHL players and DWI, including the Rob Ramage incident. Last summer was about as ugly as it got with the deaths of Derek Boogard and others. Would be interesting to know if this is a bigger issue. Lots of hockey players in the NHL and other leagues don’t go through NCAA and end up with alcohol issues. Seems that alcohol is the drug of choice in hockey, not marijuana, cocaine or others
Hate To Be Hated
When are they going to shut down the North Dakota hockey program?
These parties are getting out of hand people passing out. When is this going to end?
Why doesnt the NCAA close doors and let Moorhead State play in Grand Forks instead of the Fighting Sioux.
ndhockey
Sounds like hazing to me to be so drunk at 8pm that you have to go to the er in a ambulance for alchol poisoning
GoHomeSue
When are they going to suspend the whole season for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux?

Possibly related: