The UND men's hockey team knows very little about the Russian Red Stars, but didn't spend the week trying to learn about them.
Instead, the goal for UND will be to learn some things about itself during tonight's unique exhibition game at 7:07 in Ralph Engelstad Arena.
UND will play without defenseman Derek Forbort (World Juniors) and forwards Corban Knight (injury) and Rocco Grimaldi (injury) -- absences that the team may have to deal with when it resumes regular-season play Dec. 30-31 against Harvard.
So, UND plans to experiment with new forward lines and defensive pairings during the exhibition game, hoping to find combinations that will work for the critical nonconference games.
"We're going to put a couple people, one or two players up front, in different positions," UND coach Dave Hakstol said. "We're going to try a couple of new things to see what it looks like and if there's potential there to help out our team in the second half of the year.
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"Back on the blue line, this will be the group we have available in the near future with Derek Forbort going to the World Juniors. We're going to try and build some chemistry on a couple of D-pairings back there."
Hakstol said UND may not dress a full roster of 20 players tonight, holding out anyone who is "dinged up." One of those players who will not dress is captain Mario Lamoureux, who has battled a multitude of injuries since the preseason.
UND will consider playing more than one goalie in the game, too. Hakstol said he'd like to get Brad Eidsness quite a bit of work, but he also wants third-string goalie Tate Maris to see some ice time.
UND will face a Red Stars team that is made up of all-stars from the Russian junior league that serves as a primary feeder system to the KHL -- a league that currently features former UND players Brandon Bochenski and Rastislav Spirko. The players are ages 19 to 21.
Last season, the Red Stars beat Army 11-4 and lost to Yale 5-3 during their trip to the United States. This winter, they are playing eight games, including six against Division I teams. The other two are against the Bismarck Bobcats and the Alexandria Blizzard of the North American Hockey League.
UND will be Russia's first opponent on the trip. Other college opponents are Vermont, Yale, Northern Michigan, Notre Dame and UMass-Lowell.
"Last year, we had a very good experience and we decided to expand the program," said Dmitri Efimov, the commissioner of the junior league and the coordinator of the trip. "We are going to play some great schools in some very nice facilities.
"We know that it's great for our boys. And I'm sure it's good for the college teams, so we look forward to that. I really hope that we will learn something from the U.S. college teams and they learn something from us."
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Hakstol said Paul Kelly and College Hockey Inc. played a key role in lining up the game.
"We've heard a lot of good things about them," Hakstol said. "I think they'll be a great flavor and a change for our fans."
Reach Schlossman at (701) 780-1129; (800) 477-6572, ext. 129; or send e-mail to bschlossman@gfherald.com .
Russian Red Stars
at UND (exhibition)
When: 7:07 tonight.
Where: Ralph Engelstad Arena.
TV/radio: FSSN, MidcoSN3 (GF. Ch. 323); The Fox (96.1 FM).
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Records: UND 9-8-1 (7-7 WCHA).
Of note: The Red Stars, an all-star team of Russians from ages 19-21, are playing an eight-game schedule in the United States, going against six Division I colleges and two North American Hockey League teams.
