CC FRESHMAN HAS EXTRA MOTIVATION AGAINST DULUTH

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Nov 10, 2007 | by KATE CRANDALL

Colorado College center Tyler Johnson never wanted to go to Minnesota-Duluth, even though it was only 20 minutes from his hometown of Cloquet, Minn.

"It wasn't an option," the freshman said.

Playing against the Bulldogs for the first time, Johnson showed a little extra panache, laying an open-ice hit on 6-foot-2, 205-pound defenseman Chase Ryan and creating a few turnovers with hard back- checking down the ice.

"I grew up watching them play," Johnson said. "Now playing against them is exciting."

An admirer of Marty Sertich, who starred for the Tigers from 2002 to 2006 and won the Hobey Baker Award in 2005, Johnson committed to CC as a junior.

Like Sertich, Johnson is a smaller player at 5-9, 165 pounds. Johnson was a frontrunner last season for Minnesota's coveted Mr. Hockey award -- which Sertich won as a senior -- but broke his collarbone in February.

On the table

Western Collegiate Hockey Association commissioner Bruce McLeod told The (St. Paul) Pioneer Press that he and other college hockey commissioners met with NHL executives last week to discuss the increase in early signings in the two years since the league's new collective bargaining agreement was reached.

In the offseason, 14 players opted to forgo their remaining college eligibility and sign professional contracts. Because the signing bonuses are lower, NHL teams are able to sign more players at once, which is a reason given for the rise in early departures. No resolutions were reached, but McLeod said he and the other commissioners were invited to the NHL general managers' meeting early next year.

Tickets

As of Friday night, 850 tickets remained for today's game.

CONTACT THE WRITER: 476-4803 or kate.crandall@gazette.com. Check out our Colorado College hockey blog at

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