April 9, 2005

Press Conference Attendees: Head Coach George Gwozdecky, Matt Carle, Paul Stastny and Peter Mannino

MODERATOR: First we'd like to start with an opening comment from Coach Gwozdecky. George?

COACH GWOZDECKY: I think, first of all, I want to say what a -- what a great job University of North Dakota did, and their hockey team. They gave us everything plus. The pressure they put on us, how hard they played, how physical they were. It was a -- I respect what -- not only how they played this game, but how Dave Hakstol and his staff, such a terrific job at getting them directed and fighting through some -- some real difficult challenges in the middle part of the season to get them to this point. Terrific hockey game. They brought out the best in us. And hopefully we did in them. Probably -- as you can imagine, it's a great feeling right now. A great feeling of satisfaction, of relief, of joy. A little bit different than it did this time last year, but the same, very special, and I'm so proud and pleased for our seniors who have done such a great job of directing this team, especially burdened with the accomplishment of last year's team they had to carry around with them all year-round and just -- I can't tell you how proud and pleased I am for them going out in virtually a blaze of glory.

MODERATOR: Okay. Questions for the players? Don't all the hands go up at once here.

REPORTER: Matt and -- and any of the other players, if you want to add in on this, given the fact that you'd beaten North Dakota the three games, did you guys feel going in that it was your championship to win and you felt, you know, very, very strong favorite or were you kind of taking the mentality, well, you know, it's tough to beat anybody?

MANNINO: Absolutely not. North Dakota's been playing great hockey all the way into the finals here. They're a different team from earlier in the year and they're just playing real strong, their goaltending's been real strong, so coming into the game, we knew we were in for a battle.

MODERATOR: Guys, anything else to add?

GREENE: Yeah, I look at North Dakota and, you know, we went in there and their building earlier in the year and swept them at home and I kind of compared it to our team last year and how they kind of got hot at the right time, and I remember our team last year, they came in -- North Dakota came in our building and swept us pretty bad, so it was easy to make those comparisons and, you know, going into this game, they're carrying a lot of momentum and it was going to be a tough game no matter what.

STASTNY: Yeah, like Matty said, that was our fourth time playing them. The first two times, we played pretty well, and I think those games were a little easier than the Final Five. That's when they started heating up. They gave us a good one in overtime. I think they have one of the hottest goaltenders and D core coming into this tournament. People say defense wins games, you know, so -- I mean, they had a lot of confidence. Knowing we beat them three times, it would be hard to win them a fourth time, but with our good leadership we had with our seniors all the way down, just came through with the win.

MODERATOR: Okay. Front?

REPORTER: A question for Paul. First just a couple biographical things, you were born in Quebec, right?

STASTNY: Right.

REPORTER: And grew up in St. Louis?

STASTNY: Yeah.

REPORTER: Do you still use a wooden stick and what do you plan to do with tonight's stick? Are you going to give it to your dad?

STASTNY: Yeah, I've been -- for, like, the last six years, I've been using the wood stick, same type my dad used, and tonight's stick, I'll just throw it down in the basement with all the sticks my dad's got and my brother's got for winning championships and keep it in the -- you know, collector's edition.

MODERATOR: All right. Todd?

REPORTER: Also for Paul, at the start of the season, points weren't coming easy for you. It started to pick up there in the mid season, it seemed like. Can you talk about ending the season like this with two goals tonight and comparing it to the way your season started.

STASTNY: I don't know, I think the beginning of the season, our team was just struggling a little bit and had, like, no confidence and then the team started rolling and the confidence picked up. I played with Fulgy and Dingle and our powerplay's been real steady all year, and I think when our powerplay's been solid and our line's been solid, we've picked up points and our team's been winning. I think it's a lot easier to play when your team's winning, you've got a lot of confidence.

MODERATOR: Okay. Back here.

REPORTER: This is for the two freshman. Can you talk about any nerves or thoughts coming into this game, your first college season -- you've played a lot of games certainly, but any freshman nerves tonight at all?

MANNINO: We don't really think of it as nerves, it's more exciting or excitement. To be in this situation, in the Frozen Four, it's just a thrill for all the freshmen, and we just wanted to take it in stride and give as much impact to the team as we could, and I think we enjoyed the whole season, playing with them, they've led us the whole way and we just wanted to kind of help them out here in their final game and send them off in a good way.

STASTNY: Well, like Manno said, I think, after a first couple shifts you get nervous a little bit, but then once you get into the groove of things, we got that first goal, a big goal by Ully. I think our seniors stepped up. Once you get that goal, I think everyone just settles down. It just followed from our seniors and down, it's just easier to play. They're not nervous out there, they're just having fun, and I think the key is to have fun. That's what we're doing.

MODERATOR: Okay. John?

REPORTER: For Paul, that turned out to be the winning goal, or second goal, it was your first one, to make it 2-1, you're in the slot and take us through that, what did you see, what happened, where did the puck go?

STASTNY: I don't know, that one was just -- I don't know, I gave it to Gauthier and Gauthier gave it to Laatsch, and he just went to the net. Laatsch just gave Ully a onetimer. I was just tied up in front with one of their D and I didn't even know it hit me. Ully's shot just went right off me and in. It really doesn't matter who scored that goal. It was just a big goal, you know, to take the lead and just roll from there. Hit me in my -- my butt.

MODERATOR: All right.

REPORTER: For Peter, back-to-back career save nights. Could you just talk about your play this weekend and what you see in the puck, just what was working so well for you.

MANNINO: I'd have to say my team. They allowed me to see the puck and when there were rebounds they cleared them right away. We worked well together, things just clicked. Not much more to say about that, they played great in front of me, just wanted to give us a chance, keep them off the board as much as possible, and things worked out well.

MODERATOR: Okay.

REPORTER: Another question for Paul, your second goal was a little cleaner, but the assist that set it up was really something. Could you take us through that and are you gonna expect that all the time?

STASTNY: Yeah, that was like -- that was the second time in the game where Matty danced through like three guys and he -- you know, Parise challenged him and he was getting hooked, so I just yelled across and he didn't even look, he knew where I was, he threw it across, right on my tape, and Parise was trying to get across and screening the goal, too, and it just went right in.

MODERATOR: Right here, then we'll come over here.

REPORTER: Peter, you seemed to be getting a little frustrated, maybe some of the -- what was going on down there with the physical play?

MANNINO: Those guys were driving the net a little bit after the play, just didn't want anything happening, don't want my team retaliating or anything like that, so I just wanted to clear the front and make sure the ref knew they were getting a little close. Simple as that. Just wanted things to be clean.

MODERATOR: Okay. Paula?

REPORTER: This question's for Peter. What was the pressure like for you coming into this weekend as a goaltender for a team that was defending a National Championship?

MANNINO: Like I said before, it's just -- it's not real pressure. I don't want to put that in that type of a term. Use it more for energy or an exciting feeling or something, because you dream about this your whole life and you just want to play in big games like this, and to be here is just a dream come true and I wanted to play as well as I could for the team and we just fed off each other.

MODERATOR: Okay, guys, we'll take one more, Todd, and then we'll let the guys go.

REPORTER: Peter, I just have to ask you about the -- the play that was reviewed in the first period, when you got your glove on -- on the puck. What are you thinking as the play's being reviewed, what's going through your head? Do you know it's in, do you know it's not, what's going through your head.

MANNINO: Me personally, I didn't think it went in. I did think it was very close and I thought it should have been reviewed, it was just a quick reaction, they shot it high, and I went up and grabbed it. I don't know. They made the decision and I'm glad they made that decision, too, so like I said, though, it should have been reviewed and I'm just glad of the outcome.

MODERATOR: Okay, guys, congratulations. And we will continue on with your questions for Coach -- Coach Gwozdecky. Bob, right here in front.

REPORTER: George, can you summarize the differences in the emotion from last year to this year.

COACH GWOZDECKY: Summarize the differences. Different emotions. The expectations, I think, this year that we put on ourselves because we knew we had a good team, and especially sensing that as the season went on, the great series we had with Colorado College to wind up the regular season, to give us that first trophy, if you will, and then two weeks later to win the playoff trophy, and I remember in the locker room -- and I believe it was after we beat North Dakota in the semifinal of the WCHA Final Five -- and Matt Laatsch, our captain, coming up in the locker room, and amidst the celebration and congratulating me on my 400th win. And I really didn't want to sound ungrateful or arrogant, but I told Matt, and I told the team, you know, thank you very much, but it sure would be a lot sweeter to celebrate after 405, and -- meaning tonight -- and Matt reminded me of that on the ice about 20 minutes ago, and -- so it's -- it's special. I don't think as emotional, but I can't tell you how happy I am and pleased, as I said before, for this senior class. Matt Laatsch has gone through so much as a young man to -- as a walk-on and to get into the position to -- just to play and then going through the -- the horrible infection that his body grew as a result of duodenal ulcer surgery a couple years ago and for him to recover from that -- the doctors said, you'll never play again, forget about playing, hopefully you'll be able to lead a regular life, for him to respond and be able to come back and play and help us win a National Championship last year and then to captain this team and to shoulder the burden of what last year's team accomplished, I'm telling you, it's -- it has to be a dream come true for those guys and I couldn't have wished a better ending for those guys, those young men. They've done a terrific job.

MODERATOR: Okay. Further for George, Dave? -- of course, Denver's only the fourth team to win back-to-back championships. Only one team has won three in a row. It was Michigan back in '51, '2 and '3.

REPORTER: I was going to ask about that. There were 30 years that went by without teams winning back-to-back and then Minnesota did it a couple years ago and now you've done it. Has something changed in college hockey that's made it a little more likely or is it just as much of a long shot but it's happened a couple times now?

COACH GWOZDECKY: I think it's as much of a long shot. You have to keep in mind that three of the four teams -- or two of the four teams that were at the Frozen Four here this year lost pretty darn good players who were underclassmen. You know, Thomas Vanek, Zach Parise, who could have been part of their teams this year if they hadn't decided to turn professional. I think that's a big factor. The WCHA, we're very proud of our conference and we believe our conference leads the country in so many areas. You know, led by Commissioner McLeod, and whether it's the -- every two years that we take the European trip and take the juniors- and seniors-to-be or whether it's attendance that watches all the games in our conference, the TV contracts, things like that, it's a very competitive, challenging, but proud to say we're a member of a great college hockey conference. Playing in this 28-game schedule that we have within the WCHA, if you can survive it, you're really ready for the playoffs, no matter who you're playing. And unfortunately -- I should say, you know, you try to avoid matching up, if you can, with your conference opponents because you've beaten up on each other so much during the regular season, but I think we really just make ourselves better. All ten teams compete so hard, recruit so hard, work so hard, and when it comes time to faceoff on a Friday or Saturday night, we just make each other better. I think, you know, the great rivalry that we've always had with -- with Colorado College as an example was heightened to points that no one ever thought would happen this year, based upon the success of both programs, and how -- how -- you know, what great players Colorado College had. I think, you know, again, just an example of two universities, two hockey programs at those universities raising the bar so high because of how hard they were competing against each other. I guess that's -- that's what college athletics is all about.

MODERATOR: Okay. Over here.

REPORTER: What specifically, certain points, your game plan tonight, Coach, and did your powerplay come up?

COACH GWOZDECKY: Did our powerplay what?

REPORTER: Did it come up? Knowing their style of game that, you know, you figured you'd have chances and was that discussed before the game?

COACH GWOZDECKY: Well, I don't think our -- well, I shouldn't say I don't think. Our plan tonight really wasn't much different than it was over the course of the last few months. We did tweak our penalty killing a little bit. We also knew that we were gonna have to prepare for a very physical game. And I thought the Sioux really came at us and I don't know if you noticed this, but our very first shift, Brett Skinner went back into our zone to get a puck and was really rammed hard, separated his shoulder, came off the ice. Our doctors took a look at him, thought he could play. He decided he was going to play. He probably had the best game he's had, maybe as a Pioneer. He played the whole game with a separated shoulder. I don't think -- you can't -- Xs and Os aren't involved in that. It's heart, it's pride, it's passion to play, it's the -- the trust and understanding that these young guys have as they've worked and practiced so hard since -- really, since -- since last spring to develop and come together as a team. We wanted to pursue and compete as hard as we can. We knew how good North Dakota was and how good their goaltending was. There really was no specific plan to play against North Dakota other than realizing we were gonna have to be at our best in order to be able to give ourselves a chance. I thought tonight we were very opportunistic offensively. We had great goaltending from Peter Mannino, and I thought once we got the lead, we played pretty darn well with it and finished really well down the stretch.

MODERATOR: Okay. Back here?

REPORTER: Coach, you've seen your freshmen play all year. Do you marvel at what they did tonight or was this in some way expected knowing what you know about them?

COACH GWOZDECKY: Well, knowing the kind of player I was, I marvel at most players. But all kidding aside, this freshmen class that Steve Miller and Seth Appert, our assistant coaches put together a few years ago, in my mind, the best freshmen class and the -- the best freshman class to contribute as a freshman class ever in -- in our 11 years at Denver and perhaps maybe the most effective freshmen class that I've ever had the opportunity to -- to coach as a head coach, perhaps as an assistant coach. They have strength, they have grit, they've got talent, courage. You know, we had -- look at our starting lineup and we had Dingle and Stastny and Thomas and Mannino out there. Four of the six guys to start the game. That should tell you how highly we as a coaching staff think of our freshmen and what -- what we're willing to put them in positions for in order to be able to show people what they can do.

MODERATOR: Okay.

REPORTER: George, can you talk about how you got the coaching bug and what you like so much about it.

COACH GWOZDECKY: Bob Johnson was my coach at the University of Wisconsin, and it was probably by the time I was a junior, he indicated by the way he played me that my playing years were going to be very limited. My playing time was going to be limited and that I should probably start thinking about what I might want to do once my eligibility was done, and he helped me get my very first coaching position. I was a fifth year player and he allowed me to -- asked me to work with the junior varsity program at University of Wisconsin, so I assisted in coaching the junior varsity team, but it really was more of a -- it wasn't a very serious coaching activity for me. It was kind of like just going out there and playing with the guys, scrimmaging with them. But he must have saw something in what I was doing because he came up to me in the spring of my graduating year and said, there's an opportunity for a graduate assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, would you be interested? And I said absolutely. And the rest is history.

REPORTER: What do you like the most about it, can you pick a few things?

COACH GWOZDECKY: What do I like about coaching? One of my favorite times in coaching is early June every year we have graduation and I attend -- I've attended every graduation ceremony that -- that we've had in our 11 years at Denver and to me, that's one of the highlights. I love -- I get such a kick out watching these guys go across the stage, and shaking Chancellor Ritchie's hand and realizing, wow, it was about more than just playing hockey. I've got my diploma, these doors are open now more for me. It's really rewarding. Obviously I love the competition. I love being hopefully a positive -- having a positive impact on these young guys' lives. Teaching them and working with them to understand how to battle through adverse city and challenges. Dealing with issues in the classroom and on the ice, as an extended part of our family. And making relationships develop after they have finished playing. You know, I'm not a real good friend to our players. I've never wanted to be their friend. And I know that there are times where, thank God we've got such outstanding assistant coaches, Seth Appert and Steve Miller, who do just an outstanding job of working with these guys through their troubles because there are times I have to be a little bit more aloof and I want to be a little bit more aloof, but when they graduate, they step into a new role with me and they become -- we become friends. We become -- at least most of the guys, we become great friends. And I -- you know, at the regionals, in Amherst two weeks ago, I wish I would have had a camera, because we had our captains from previous years fly in to see that tournament and see the team and -- and, you know, Ryan Caldwell, Judd Stauss, Shawn Kurulak, Aaron MacKenzie, guys who had graduated years before came in to see their team and to see us and, to me, that's -- that's -- it's -- it's more special than winning championships. That's why I love coaching at this level.

MODERATOR: Okay, John?

REPORTER: George, the burden of expectations from winning last year was obviously a load for everybody this year and you've dealt with it well, and the poise was always there, but because now you've won it again and you celebrate this as long as you can, but will it not be a burden next year. You're past that now. You've got the two, so the third may not be a burden.

COACH GWOZDECKY: Oh, you think next year's going to be easy? You know, as we all know, every year's different in college hockey. We graduate a great senior class, I've already talked about that. We've got a whole new freshmen class coming in, a whole new set of challenges, and every year's that way. Who knows what's going to happen with the National Hockey League, who knows if we're going to have all of our returning players actually returning to us. I'm really upset that Matt Carle and Peter Mannino had such great games because we want them around next year. So, you know, we will enjoy the moments and when it comes time to plan for next year, we'll plan for next year and put our plan in place and with these young people we have with us, we'll hopefully establish a whole new identity and take pride in what previous teams have been able to accomplish and high pressure fully have the torch passed on from Matt Laatsch to whoever our new captain is and the experiences and lessons they've learned, both on the ice and off the ice as well.

MODERATOR: Coach, we'll take one more in back and then we'll let you go celebrate.

REPORTER: Coach, can you kind of take us back and tell us how the program was when you first got there.

COACH GWOZDECKY: Denver? You know, we were really fortunate and I'll be very honest. I know I said this before, but we were really fortunate to be able to come into a situation that the cupboard was not bare. We had some terrific players. Paul Koch was our captain that first year. Erik Andersson, Jimmy Mullin who was goaltender who is now living in Columbus and doing very well, I might add, Antti Laaksonen, who's playing with the Colorado Avalanche if they were having a season. Sinuhe Wallinheimo who is the most whacked out goaltender I've ever seen. And most of you remember Sinuhe. We had a lot of talent on that team. Frank Serratore, who was my predecessor, who was doing a great job at the Air Force Academy, left Denver and -- but left us with some outstanding players, and -- Angelo Ricci, Brent Cary, Jason Elders, I mean, these guys were good players. We were very fortunate -- they had been -- they had, you know, -- for whatever reason, because of the injuries the previous season, they had really struggled and we stayed healthy that first year. I'll never forget that the couple of things they wanted to accomplish. They wanted to be able to win a game at Northern Michigan University and we were able to go up there that first year and sweep. And I'll tell you, the tears were coming out of their eyes they were so excited. I remember sitting in the -- the team sitting in the players' lounge -- I wasn't there -- my mom was sick, so I was up in Thunder Bay, but watching the selection show on TV and knowing we were on the bubble and when Denver's name came up on TV, the team exploded through the roof, they were so excited. Frank left us a heck of a team and we were able to take them to their first tournament in quite a while and it was a great experience I'll never forget, but it's -- it's great feelings like that that you remember at -- you know, throughout the years that -- when kids work so hard and they give everything they have, people see them rewarded in little ways like that, to be part of that is really special.

MODERATOR: All right. Coach, good work, congratulations.

COACH GWOZDECKY: Thanks, Fish.

MODERATOR: Thank you all for being here. We look forward to seeing you next year in Milwaukee. Denver is the 58th annual NCAA Champion.