February 8, 2008
The Trotter Mystery
by Adam Wodon/Managing Editor
So here we have another case where a college hockey player has been plucked away from his team in mid-season by an NHL club.
Or was he?
That's how it may look on the surface if you haven't been following the situation, complete with empty platitudes coming from Denver upon his departure. But Brock Trotter's mysterious disappearance from the Denver lineup, followed by him leaving school to sign an NHL contract, seems clearly to be a disciplinary case gone awry.
It seems Trotter did something to warrant him being bounced from the team. The fact that he wasn't at practice this week points to something egregious he did, and, given the latest news, we can speculate that perhaps it was made clear to him he wouldn't be welcomed back. His signing with Montreal — as opposed to the Okposo case — was therefore an opportune moment to save face.
Again, this is all speculation, but reading between the lines of all the pieces, it seems apparent. Denver coach George Gwozdecky has been largely mum, making comments of hollow praise upon Trotter's departure.
We've never known Gwozdecky to have a bunker mentality. He's not loose-lipped, and he's not careless with his comments, but he is as forthright as he can be in these circumstances. Though he never said, for example, what exactly Lukas Dora did to get himself suspended from the 2004 national championship game, Gwozdecky was open about discussing the issue in general.
So his tight-lipped stance on this one only adds to the mystery, and leads us to believe something major happened.
"It has been challenging without him, but I think him being able to accomplish one of his childhood dream of playing professional hockey provides [closure] for us," Gwozdecky told the Denver Post, while remaining vague. "Every single guy in our locker room is excited and proud for him, and I say that with all sincerity."
Gwozdecky further hinted that the situation has been going on three weeks. Again, reading between the lines, you have to suspect something has been festering, the school determined he couldn't play hockey anymore, and the team kept it as close to the vest as possible until Trotter could find a good hockey situation, so as to avoid embarrassing him as much as possible.
Unfortunately, it's become a season of the Bad Boys of College Hockey. It's quite unfortunate to be reminded of that again when we have a tremendous Miami-Michigan weekend to look forward to, and the postseason just around the corner.
There have been arrests and other disciplinary actions, more so than we can remember in any one season. The exact nature of any of these seemingly egregious offense has never come to light, which is just the way all the parties want it, except for the public, and our collective appetite for salacious celebrity gossip.
But we also want to know, because we want to know whether all of this is getting out of hand.
First we had Brett Motherwell and Brian O'Hanley getting suspended for doing something really, really bad at Boston College. Next thing we knew, Motherwell was off the pros. O'Hanley is lingering around ... somewhere.
Four Boston University players were reprimanded, with one being stripped of his captaincy, later to be reinstated.
Freshman defenseman Kevin Quick at Michigan was recently dismissed from the team, with coach Red Berenson indicating simply that it was a really, really bad thing.
Former Gopher Nate Hagemo was arrested on charges of possessing drugs and drug paraphernalia.
CC players were suspended for a blackface incident. Later, more CC players — Cody Lampl and Derek Patrosso — were suspended for lengthy periods of time for ... something, again, really, really bad that's "undisclosed."
Vermont's Jonathan Higgins was suspended for six games after court charges were brought against him for stealing a bicycle. Patrick Cullity, a sophomore defenseman, was also suspended one game for an unspecified violation of the school's code of conduct for student-athletes.
Maine's Tanner House was charged with unlawfully "touching" a female in a bar ... those charges were later dropped.
T.J. Oshie of North Dakota and Mike Radja of New Hampshire were both suspended after arrests made at Oshie's apartment. Oshie had already been in trouble with the law before.
Players from each of the four major leagues have been suspended for on-ice incidents.
We've had two major foul-ups by WCHA referees, leading to a suspension.
We've had a coach get suspended for flipping off a referee. Of course, this was another PR move. North Dakota officials said that their coaches should be held to a standard where vulgarity is not acceptable. My gosh — you'd have to suspend just about every coach in every sport in the NCAA. Hakstol just got caught on camera. Then again, if you read lips, these guys are caught on camera yelling obscenities all the time. But whatever.
We've had brawls at the end of games.
Of course, the Okposo situation reeked on a completely different level.
Quote: "Players from each of the four major leagues have been suspended for on-ice incidents."
Where's the ECAC mentioned? If you're going to broad-brush, at least find the right sized paint brush.
Feb 8 2008, 12:08 pm by Joe, Silver Spring, MD
Not sure what you're referring to, but an ECAC player was recently suspended. Burgdoerfer from RPI.
Feb 8 2008, 12:10 pm by CHN Editor
Adam, good article.
Feb 8 2008, 12:18 pm by Goon, GF ND
haha. dont question AW on ECAC
Feb 8 2008, 1:28 pm by steve, boston
Great article, and I agree. Leagues and teams need to be tough on the players who step out of line...no letting them slide or sweeping it under the rug while chuckling "aw, boys will be boys!" Being a top-level athlete takes discipline; so does being a productive member of society.
Feb 8 2008, 2:00 pm by Chris Haake, Grand Forks ND
T.J. Oshie has been proven guilty of nothing this year. I'd urinate on the floor or in a cup if I was drinking and was unable to reach a restroom for an hour and a half too.
Feb 8 2008, 3:31 pm by Sioux yea yea (Belcourt ,ND)
Do any and/or all of these incidents put other students in harm's way? If any did then the incident needs to be published.
Feb 8 2008, 4:07 pm by Joe, Portland
My bet is the elevator wasn't the only thing "going down" that night in Grand Forks.
Feb 8 2008, 6:33 pm by Donald Dunlop, Anchorage
Oops! Looks like the CHN editor was right. I guess that paintbrush was the right size after all eh? Gotta love the "holier than thou" mentality from ECAC fans.
Feb 9 2008, 12:45 pm by Greg, A2
OSHIE FOR HOBEY
Feb 11 2008, 11:00 am by SARGE, MN
I heard it was actually 3 hours that it took the police to arrive the scene of the stuck elevator and Oshie peed in a cup, not the floor. In addition to that, alcohol is a diaretic (makes you pee) and in America, your innocent until proven guilty, so Oshie is being villanized for no reason and its BS. What if this happened to you Chris Haake, would you just pee your pants since your so high and fuc.kin mighty and never drank in college?
Feb 11 2008, 4:29 pm by yea Sioux Sioux, (THA RES, ND)
OK, if he did pee in cup, that is fine. From what I have heard on the news, I am not saying where, is that Oshie threatened to beat the crap out of the Police officer that arrested him. To me that is not a joke and hopefully he gets what is coming to him.
Feb 12 2008, 7:08 am by
Jeez, does everything have to be about the Sioux all the time?
Feb 12 2008, 11:23 am by
To me it seams that the Sioux are the only ones getting into trouble.
Feb 12 2008, 5:10 pm by
Seems like you're really in the know about what goes on in stuck elevators DD. You get stuck in a lot of elevators? I'm betting the elevator isn't the only thing getting stuck in Alaska.
Feb 12 2008, 10:40 pm by Jeff, Fargo
well the sioux are the only ones getting in trouble besides everyone else mentioned in this article retard
Feb 13 2008, 10:12 am by
I thought this article was about Brock Trotter and last time I checked he didn't play for the Sioux so why do their fans have to make it about themselves all the time? Always the victim? Give me a break. You guys have one of the best teams each year so get over yourselves.
Feb 14 2008, 11:52 pm by
You know that there is nothing to do in Grand Forks besides pee in elevators!
Feb 15 2008, 6:50 am by
Adam, Great article. Although I do not condone fighting, as a long time gopher fan, I wish someone on this team would stand up for their teammates the way UND does. What a classy organization and a great example of teamwork.
Feb 19 2008, 9:28 pm by Ken, Minneapolis MN
TJ Oshie is BA.
Feb 20 2008, 11:11 am by Bob, Moorhead,MN
I LOVE COLLEGE HOCKEY, AND ESPECIALLY READING BLOGS AND ARTICLES ON COLLEGE HOCKEY!!!! I JUST WISH THESE FANS ACTUALLY PLAYED THE COLLEGE GAME..... AND WERE AROUND STAR PLAYERS AND SEE THAT THEY TOO ARE HUMAN AND SHOULDNT BE PUT UP TO HIGHER EXPECTATIONS.. ITS COLLEGE! YOU EVER BEEN? EVERY COLLEGE HOCKEY PLAYER HAS A BEER. EVERY PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY PLAYER HAS A CASE A BEER, EVEN WHEN THEY ARE UNDERAGE! I LIKE TO THINK THAT COLLEGES ARE PREPARING PLAYERS FOR THE NEXT LEVEL, AND ALL THAT ENTAILS.
PS I ROOMED ACROSS #11 AND #2 IN 2002 AT UND, AND THOSE GUYS ARE STAND UP GUYS AND WE STILL TALK TO THIS DAY AND IF YOU EVER TALKED TO THEM TODAY THEY WOULD TELL YOU ABOUT HOW GREAT COLLEGE WAS FOR THEM.
Feb 20 2008, 12:52 pm by Alum stuck in STL wishin I was back home
