Sunday, Oct. 4 • 6:07 pm CT • Ralph Engelstad Arena • Grand Forks, N.D.
RADIO: 96.1 The Fox (KQHT-FM) • TV: Fighting Sioux Sports Network, FCS Atlantic
Webcast: FightingSioux.com • LIVE STATS: FightingSioux.com

THIS WEEK: The Fighting Sioux drop the puck on the 2009-10 season on Sunday when they host the University of Manitoba in exhibition action at Ralph Engelstad Arena. The game gets underway at 6:07 p.m.

UND's official team practices begin on Saturday, Oct. 3.

MEDIA INFORMATION: All Fighting Sioux men's hockey games, home and away, can be heard on 96.1 FM (The Fox) and on stations across the Fighting Sioux Hockey Network. Veteran broadcaster Tim Hennessy returns for his 30th season as the voice of the Fighting Sioux. Steve Olson provides color analysis.

Sunday's game will also be televised live on the Fighting Sioux Sports Network and on Fox College Sports Atlantic. Pat Sweeney calls the action and former UND assistant coach Jim Scanlan serves as color analyst. The game will be rebroadcast on FCS Atlantic at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday.

A video webcast of Sunday's game, and all Sioux home games, can be purchased at www.fightingsioux.com, where FREE live stats and FREE audio are also available.

TICKET INFORMATION: As of late Thursday afternoon, approximately 1,000 tickets remained available for Sunday's game against Manitoba. Tickets can be purchased at the UND Box Office at the Ralph Engelstad Arena, online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.

GAME PROMOTIONS: Sunday's game marks the 2009 ‘Scouting Outing.' UND athletics will host more than 300 Girls and Boys Scouts from throughout the region.

DENNY'S FAREWELL: UND will honor longtime Zamboni driver Denny Gunderson (right) during Sunday's game for his 45 years of service to the University and the hockey program. Sunday's game will be the final one behind the wheel for Gunderson, who will then begin a well deserved retirement.

ABOUT MANITOBA: The Bisons opened the 2009-10 season with five straight exhibition wins over Regina (once), Carleton (twice, both in overtime) and Brock (twice) ... Manitoba begins the Canada West schedule on Friday and Saturday when it hosts Saskatchewan ... The Bisons went 13-9-1-5 last season and finished third in Canada West ... Fifth-year F Rick Wood is led the team in scoring last year, collecting 12 goals and 11 assists in 28 games to finish 14th in the league scoring race ... Head coach Mike Sirant returns to the Bisons after a three-year hiatus during which he was the sports director and head coach of the Danish national men's team. Prior to that, Sirant had spent 13 seasons as Manitoba's head coach.

SERIES HISTORY: The Sioux and Bisons have squared off in exhibition play to open each of the last five seasons, with UND taking all five of those games by an average score of 7-2. Last season, the Sioux downed Manitoba 6-2 behind a pair of goals from senior F Ryan Duncan.

Current UND student-assistant coach Pierre-Paul Lamoureux played for Manitoba in that game and collected an assist.

BEHIND THE SIOUX BENCH: Dave Hakstol, the 2008-09 WCHA Coach of the Year, returns for his sixth season as UND head coach. Hakstol led the Sioux to the NCAA Frozen Four in each of his first four seasons and a WCHA championship last year, his fifth season.

KEEPERS OF THE CUP: The Sioux will open the 2008-09 season as the defending MacNaughton Cup champions after claiming their league-leading 14th WCHA regular season title last year.

THE CAPTAINS: Senior D Chay Genoway (Morden, Manitoba) has been named captain of the Fighting Sioux, while senior Fs Chris VandeVelde (Moorhead, Minn.) and Darcy Zajac (Winnipeg, Manitoba) will serve as assistant captains. That trio makes up UND's entire 2009-10 senior class.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: UND welcomes back 15 letterwinners from last year's team that captured the MacNaughton Cup and advanced to the NCAA tournament.

Highlighting the returnees are reigning WCHA Defensive Player of the Year and AHCA All-America defenseman Chay Genoway (Morden, Manitoba) and All-WCHA third-team goaltender Brad Eidsness (Chestermere, Alberta).

Senior F Chris VandeVelde (Moorhead, Minn.), who scored a career-high 35 points last season, is the team's top returning scorer and is one of nine returning players who notched at least 10 points in 2009-10.

UND also welcomes to the fold 10 talented freshmen, including 2008-09 USHL Playoff MVP Michael Cichy and 2008-09 AJHL Rookie of the Year Corban Knight.

In all, UND's 25-man roster includes 15 National Hockey League draft picks.

FAB FROSH: The Sioux roster also includes 10 freshmen in 2009-10, UND's largest incoming freshman class since 2005-06, when 13 rookies donned the Kelly Green and White.

That 2005-06 class included the likes of 2007 Hobey Baker Award winner Ryan Duncan and current NHLers Jonathan Toews (Chicago), T.J. Oshie (St. Louis) and Brian Lee (Ottawa).

In fact, 11 members of that 13-player 2005-06 freshman class, eight of whom graduated as seniors last season, are currently playing professional hockey.

• NHL: Brian Lee (Ottawa), T.J. Oshie (St. Louis), Jonathan Toews (Chicago)
• AHL: Taylor Chorney (Springfield/Edmonton), Joe Finley (Hershey/Washington), Andrew Kozek (Chicago/Atlanta), Brad Miller (Austin/Dallas), Matt Watkins (San Antonio/Phoenix)
• ECHL: Zach Jones (South Carolina)
• Europe: Ryan Duncan (Austria), Ryan Martens (Germany)

POLL POSITION: The Sioux were ranked eighth nationally in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine preseason poll (see page 3) released on Sept. 28. Miami, last season's national runner-up, was ranked No. 1.

UND was ranked No. 2 in the 39th annual Grand Forks Herald WCHA preseason coaches poll (page 11), receiving a pair of first-place votes. Denver collected the remaining eight first-place votes and was ranked No. 1.

GENOWAY, CICHY HONORED: A pair of Sioux were recognized earlier this week when InsideCollegeHockey.com announced its 2009-10 preseason All-America and All-Rookie teams.

Senior D Chay Genoway (Morden, Manitoba) was named to the INCH preseason All-America third team. Last season, Genoway was named a second-team All-American and the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year after collecting a career-high 32 points. He was also named an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American and a WCHA Scholar-Athlete.

Said INCH: "Genoway is college hockey's version of Illinois quarterback Juice Williams-it seems like he's been at North Dakota forever. Fighting Sioux fans wouldn't mind a few extra years of his production. The reigning WCHA Defensive Player of the Year is also a dangerous threat on offense; he's scored 80 points in three seasons, including a career-high 32 points last season."

Genoway, this year's team captain, enters the season with 80 career points and is aiming to become just the 11th defenseman in school history to reach the 100-point plateau for his career.

Freshman F Michael Cichy (New Hartford, Conn.) was named to INCH's preseason All-Rookie team. A seventh-round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Cichy led the Indiana Ice to a United States Hockey League championship and was named the league's playoff MVP with 25 points (including a USHL-record 16 assists) in 16 games. He totalled 76 points in 56 regular season games.

FEELING A DRAFT: UND enters the 2009-10 season with a roster that includes 15 players who have been drafted by National Hockey League teams. The group includes goalie Brad Eidsness (Buffalo), defensemen Andrew MacWilliam (Toronto), Derrick LaPoint (Florida), Corey Fienhage (Buffalo), Joe Gleason (Chicago) and Ben Blood (Ottawa) and forwards Danny Kristo (Montreal), Michael Cichy (Montreal), Corban Knight (Florida), Brett Bruneteau (Washington), Jason Gregoire (New York Islanders), David Toews (New York Islanders), Brad Malone (Colorado), Brett Hextall (Phoenix) and Chris VandeVelde (Edmonton).

A total of 24 Sioux have been drafted during the tenure of sixth-year head coach Dave Hakstol, including first-rounders Jonathan Toews (Chicago, 2006), T.J. Oshie (St. Louis, 2005), Brian Lee (Ottawa, 2005) and Joe Finley (Washington, 2005).

SEA TO SHINING SEA: So much for the notion that hockey is a "regional sport." UND junior F Brad Malone (Miramichi, New Brunswick) is the first New Brunswick native to ever play for the Sioux while sophomore F Brett Hextall (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) is the first Californian to suit up for the Sioux.

Freshman Michael Cichy (New Hartford, Conn.) is just the second native of Connecticut to ever play for the Sioux and the first since Frank Morgan way back in 1951-52.

Below is a geographical breakdown of the entire 2009-10 Sioux roster:

• Minnesota (6): Ben Blood (Plymouth), Corey Fienhage (Apple Valley), Joe Gleason
• (Edina), Ryan Hill (Hermantown), Danny Kristo (Eden Prairie), Chris VandeVelde (Moor- head)
• Alberta (5): Aaron Dell (Airdrie), Brad Eidsness (Chestermere), Corban Knight (High River), Andrew MacWilliam (Calgary), Carter Rowney (Sexsmith)
• Manitoba (5): Brent Davidson (Morden), Chay Genoway (Morden), Jason Gregoire (Win- nipeg), David Toews (Winnipeg), Darcy Zajac (Winnipeg)
• North Dakota (2): Mario Lamoureux (Grand Forks), Jake Marto (Grand Forks)
• Alaska (1): Evan Trupp (Anchorage)
• California (1): Brett Hextall (Manhattan Beach)
• Colorado (1): Tate Maris (Denver)
• Connecticut (1): Michael Cichy (New Hartford)
• Nebraska (1): Brett Bruneteau (Omaha)
• New Brunswick (1): Brad Malone (Miramichi)
• Wisconsin (1): Derrick LaPoint (Eau Claire)

HOME SWEET HOME: UND has sold out the 11,634-seat Ralph Engelstad Arena in each of the last 10 home games and in 35 of the last 41 games over the past two seasons.

Last season the Sioux averaged a school-record 11,719 fans per game, breaking the record of 11,709 set the previous year. UND has ranked second in the NCAA in average attendance in each of the last seven years.

UND led the nation in average attendance in 2007-08 and ranked second last year.

ALL IN THE FAMILY: UND's 2009-10 roster features five players who have had family members previously play for the Fighting Sioux: defenseman Chay Genoway (Morden, Manitoba) and forwards Mario Lamoureux (Grand Forks), Brett Hextall (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), David Toews (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and Darcy Zajac (Winnipeg, Manitoba).

Genoway, Toews and Zajac each have older brothers who once played at UND, Lamoureux's father and brother played for the Sioux and Hextall has a great uncle who played for the Sioux.

• Genoway's brother, Colby, was a forward at UND from 2002-05 and scored 81 points in 115 career games. He most recently played for the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.
• Hextall's great uncle, Dennis, was a forward at UND from 1964-66 and scored 101 career points in 63 career games. Hextall's hockey bloodlines extend to his father (Ron), grandfather (Bryan Jr.) and great grandfather (Bryan Sr.), each of whom enjoyed lengthy NHL careers. His father, Ron, is currently the assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Kings.
• Lamoureux's brother, Jean-Pierre, was a goalie at UND from 2004-08 and is the school's all-time co-leader in goals against average (2.14). His father, Pierre, was a goalie for the Sioux from 1979-82 and was a member of UND's 1982 NCAA championship team. Another brother, Pierre-Paul, is in his first year as UND's student-assistant coach while twin sisters Jocelyne and Monique are sophomore forwards on the Fighting Sioux women's hockey team. Both are currently pursuing rosters spots on the U.S. Olympic team.
• Toews' brother, Jonathan, was a forward at UND from 2005-07, scoring 85 points in 76 career games and earning All-America honors in 2007. He is now the captain of the Chicago Blackhawks.
• Zajac's brother, Travis, scored 96 points in 91 games from 2004-06 and currently plays for the New Jersey Devils.

FOREVER SIOUX: Every member of UND's coaching staff and support staff is a graduate of the University of North Dakota.

Head coach Dave Hakstol (1989-92), associate head coach Cary Eades (1978-82), assistant coach Dane Jackson (1988-92) and volunteer assistant Scott Koberinski (1985-89) each played for the Fighting Sioux.

Additionally, hockey operations manager Pat Sawnson (2002), athletic trainer and strength coach Mark Poolman (1992), team physician Dr. Greek Greek and media relations director Jayson Hajdu (2000) are also UND graduates.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW: Seventeen former Fighting Sioux played in the National Hockey League last season, the most of any team in the WCHA.

UND's 17 NHLers in 2008-09, its most since sending 21 in 1993-94, included: Ryan Bayda (Carolina, now with Pittsburgh) Jason Blake (Toronto), Brandon Bochenski (Tampa Bay), Taylor Chorney (Edmonton), Mike Commodore (Columbus), Matt Greene (Los Angeles), David Hale (Phoenix, now with Tampa Bay), Ryan Johnson (Vancouver), Brian Lee (Ottawa), T.J. Oshie (St. Louis), Zach Parise (New Jersey), Chris Porter (St. Louis), Matt Smaby (Tampa Bay), Drew Stafford (Buffalo), Jonathan Toews (Chicago), Landon Wilson (Dallas) and Travis Zajac (New Jersey).

Among UND's NHL highlights in 2008-09:

• Five different Sioux scored at least 20 goals for their NHL teams, the most of any college in the nation: Parise (45), Toews (34), Blake (25), Stafford (20) and Zajac (20).
• Parise's 45 goals tied Troy Murray's record for the most by a former Sioux. Murray scored 45 for Chicago in 1985-86
• Parise ranked third in the NHL in goals (45) and fifth in points (94), joining Murray as the only former Sioux to score 90+ points
• Parise's New Jersey teammate, Travis Zajac, led the Devils and tied for fourth in the NHL with a +33
• Greene (L.A.) and Commodore (Columbus) were named assistant captains of their respective clubs
• Commodore helped lead the Blue Jackets to their first playoff appearance in franchise history
• Blake led the Toronto Maple Leafs in points (63) and goals (25) and became the sixth former Sioux to score 400 career NHL points
• Toews, the third-youngest captain in NHL history, led the Blackhawks in goals (34) and led the team to its first playoff berth since 2002
• Oshie's goal against Vancouver's Roberto Lunogo was voted NHL Goal of the Year by fans on NHL.com
• Oshie, Taylor Chorney and Chris Porter each made their NHL debuts
• Seven Sioux advanced to the NHL playoffs: Bayda, Commodore, Johnson, Oshie, Parise, Toews, Zajac
• Wilson made his return to the NHL after a four-year absence

Additionally, four former Sioux can be found in the NHL coaching ranks, including Phoenix head coach Dave Tippett, Tampa Bay assistant coach Rick Wilson, Buffalo assistant coach James Patrick and Phoenix video coach Steve Peters.

~Go Sioux~