Goon, It is truly not xenophobia about players from elsewhere. That’s way off base regarding how I and my hockey-loving friends feel about the Gophers and non-Minnesotans.
We all recognize that the bulk of the top hockey players in the NCAA and in the NHL are from Canada.
When the Gophers do field a great lineup of predominantly Minnesota players and have success with that lineup, the community (Minnesotans into hockey) find it to be very special and very satisfying.
Part of this feeling is because we (and or kids now, for me) go to school with some of the players on the Gophers. As a result, we have a connection with the players that we do not have with other players. We know some of them a bit. We know their schools and the various high schools’ hockey traditions. It makes it feel a tiny bit like a big extended family.
Our perception is that we have a very special hockey tradition here from the youth associations on up. It has nothing to do with the Wild’s ‘State of Hockey’ over-the-top marketing b.s. and everything to do with a broad base of knowledgeable players and fans that have been involved with the game at many levels.
We truly have something special here. You may disagree with that (I doubt it), but barring several disastrous seasons in a row, I think the fans closest to the U’s program will continue to think it is very cool and fun to have Gopher teams made up of 90% Minnesotans.

I am also not a fan of bringing on so many kids right from Minnesota high schools; not in the age of the 23 year old senior. A year represents a big chunk of an 18 year old’s life and they can and do develop a lot in a given year.

Along those lines, Ness and Schroeder are (obviously) very good players for their age, but why bring them in so young (They were the age of high school seniors last year)? I read that a 2010-11 Gopher recruit is (a la Ness) finishing h.s. during his 11th grade year to rush to the Gophers. Even in the best of times I think that is a mistake for nearly anybody.