JakeLove

Here is where I get off the bus. In years past, MayPort actively worked to get northwood area players to jump to MayPort youth hockey, and justified it by saying basically”we are going to play HS and you are not”. The bigger point is losing northwood as its own hs aged hockey playing community by folding them into another team is not growth. langdon has never been enthusiastic about NDHSAA, partly because the neighboring NDHSAA communities have actively tried to get langdon players to leave Langdon to commute or move to an NDHSAA community. This has not been common for the boys but has from time to time been acute for girls. Plus, funding would probably be an issue. if WC tips to the NDHSAA, 2 classes should be inevitable.

The new Watford City AD will most likely be supportive of WC moving to NDHSAA and out of NDAHA Junior Gold. He got a raise to go to WC so money does not seem to be a problem. Maybe the league requirement is 1 conference game as a minimum, then do a seeding conference for the conference tournament. This is not geographically advantageous for WDA. Junior gold will be dead, which is sad. more teams is more better but the competitive disparity is not going to get better.

It’s beyond time for 2 classes

Yep, and then the whole thing keeps circling down the drain.

For context regarding GFC or GFRR playing MayPort - their JV teams beat MayPort varsity last year. this year the GFC JV without any body who plays varsity time quite handily beat the MayPort “JV” roster that is basically the MayPort “varsity” roster except for the top end MayPort players only playing 1 or 2 periods.

If MayPort is allowed into the EDC , why not allow the traditional EDC powers to opt-out and then allow them to cherry-pick a schedule (just like MayPort has been doing). especially GFC and GFRR who basically have 3 competitive league games this year (against each other). If Jamestown doesn’t want to play Hazen Beulah twice, why should GFC, GFRR, etc play MayPort at all? Or why should GFC, GFRR play Jamestown twice should the BlueJays return to the EDC. Dont take this as a dig in Jamestown, our hockey is better when they get better (plus many a friend grew up there) these are merely hypotheticals to make discussion points similar to the earlier stated distaste of Jamestown playing H-B 2x a year. you could go on and on with these “what ifs”. none of the above “what if” scenarios are good for the entirety of ND Hockey as all of them in all likelihood disadvantage anyone west of the Sheyenne River watershed and all have an element of doing what’s best for ones’ self not what’s best as a whole. lastly, 4 WDA and 4 EDC teams at state is the right way. Besides, If a team wanted to increase their odds of making it, stay in the WDA (ha-ha). I say this - find a way to make everyone better!

Lawson and Kalamazoo is fun but the Ralph and Grand Forks are better.

When playing was for personal joy not for advancement to a “higher level”

Central Park with my cousin ca. 1977

They get enough ODR time to understand that cold toes and cold fingers don’t matter if you enjoy playing to compete. a lot of fine people grew up well by learning the etiquette of the ODR. ND on the whole can’t compete with the MN top 20 but place the large ND schools against MN AA and they play at least 0.500 hockey. Place the small town against MN A and they play at least 0.500, or better if you can cherry pick your schedule against crappy teams (looking at you, MayPort).

One of the two GF schools just did that exact thing, and won - no strings, no gimmicks, just won. grand forks has it set up correctly - 2 schools each with 36-40 boys participants, fed by a youth club and community focused on hockey improvement of the 800 or so kids all who hail from within the GF public school boundary. let’s not mess with what has been successful for 50+ years

Wockenfuss, there is a little brother on JV; collectively they are the Wockenfi (pluralized like octopus/octopi)

Did he? or did he quit because actually coaching a team that needs improvement was too much work?? I don’t understand why he is canonized.

Boisvert and McLaughlin are not missed around these parts. Soft players can go be soft elsewhere.

GFC already up 1-0 at Davies, scored first shift first rush up the ice