Brim006

Is this about right for BHB numbers for last year and/or this year (plus high schools)? Mini + Termites — 250 (boys and girls) Mites — 190 (boys and girls) Squirts — 140 (10 teams) Peewees — 120 (6 teams) Bantams — 110 (5 teams) High School — 100 (3 teams + 3 JV)

So Bismarck Bantam AA and 15U pools being gutted is what was meant by that, not the entire BHB, gotcha thanks. I'll be curious how many move up to play JV. And the two (?) kids that are leaving for pilot mound were both 2nd year bantam AAs last year correct? So the high school teams lost them for this year, not BHB correct?

Bismarck Hockey Boosters is getting gutted? Looks like the exact same staff as last year from what I can tell. What did you mean by that? And I keep hearing how eager everyone is to avoid NDHSH, leaving early, and now even to the point where Bantam AA kids are skipping high school all together to go play in Pilot Mound and wherever else....but now you are saying the opposite. Kids are now eager to leave youth clubs to go play high school early instead, even if it means playing JV? That doesn't make any sense to me. Unless maybe we are talking like 1 or 2 kids which isnt a trend, but more so just a blip. As far as I can tell, Bismarck still has very strong youth numbers, in fact another record breaking year for however many years in a row now, and absolutely will have Bantam AA again. Rumor mill seems to be going off the rails a bit.

The education part of these hockey academies is what I always try to point out. They call it “remote schooling,” but it’s basically a Zoom teacher beamed into what might as well be a boys locker room. I know how me and my buddies were at that age we would’ve learned absolutely nothing. Zero. Maybe negative even outside of epic new dirty jokes. And some of these kids are like 15. They’re pulled from normal school, pulled from parents, and dropped into a lifestyle only with other teammates who all live together even after school and practice and traveling games. So no strong mentors outside of coaches who are obviously focused on the hockey aspect first. It’s not education it's year round hockey camp. So when a USHL offer doesnt pan out and these kids get thrown back into normal life, I'd image they set themselves back a few years vs their peers whether they want to admit it or not.

Picture Munich, ND but with a hockey rink instead of a tin shop, fewer trees, drier and worse roads. So bizarre…

Oh maybe all 3 of the most recent are GFC? But didn’t RR lose at least one early as well or all their top guys were SRs?

GFC losing 2 top players early and RR 1 isn’t going to move the needle. In fact most years minot, century, and legacy lose 4-5+…and even GPR and DL lose 1-2 top players early most years. I know gf often does as well, so my point is this seems like a pretty normal year again. The GF teams will still be in their own league this season and will maybe just drop a couple reg season EDC games when they normally wouldn’t have with those guys staying. I’m more worried about the impact to gf non-con games now. Do either play any big ones again this season?

My season prediction - LIU = W 33-10 Offense shows some flashes while working out new bugs and timing but you can see the power is there. St T = W 44-21 Offense shows more consistency and blows up St T early allowing 2nd stringers many 2nd half reps. 2nd string D gives up some late points Portland = W 52-7 Offense is rolling with only a few self made mistakes slowing them down from scoring every possession. 2nd stringers get a few and D has things tightened up. Team is rolling going into the big week. Neb = L 27-20 Offense makes some red zone mistakes otherwise UND couldve been up by 3 scores, and Neb scores late to pull ahead and win in a well fought game. Ind State = W 34-21 Offense and defense play off game but UND is still too good of a team to lose even during their worst against Ind State. Murray = W 48-17 Offense finds their stride again and scores at will. Danny has Jerry squared away on red zone decision making and forcing throws. D racking up sacks and TFL at record pace UNI = W 38-10 Offense is hit and miss and has a bit of an off game yet still find the end zone 5 times to keep things rolling. SDSU = L 27-24 tight last minute loss to a good team that UND proved to be better than but couldnt pull it off. Eye opener first FCS loss to a top 2 opponent after being 6-1 and ranked high. Pollers drop UND 15 spots despite only losing 1 FCS game and it being a top 2 team. Motivates the hell out of UND USD = W 42-7 Payback game. Leaving no doubt UND is a top 3 team. YSU = W 30-21 score looks closer than it was with late YSU score. UND controlled the game but had a tough time putting up points but finally snuck away a W in a close one. Ill St = W 52-24 high scoring shoot out but UND's offense couldnt be stopped S Ill = W 35-7 healthy D line digs their heels in and proving they're ready for the playoffs with a season finale blowout of a ranked opponent. UND ends up 10-2 with only 1 FCS loss and gets seeded for playoffs only behind MSU and SDSU. Griz surprisingly suck and end the season 6-6 missing the playoffs.

NDSU is in trouble. Even if they finally push for a turnaround, trying to match the new facilities, expansions, and upgrades UND has already completed, it would cost at least twice as much today as it did when UND built most of theirs. That’s a brutal hole to climb out of, and it may already be too late as the gap is likely to keep snowballing from here. UND now offers a far more attractive campus and overall educational experience, which will pull more students from the same pool. That means continued decline in enrollments for NDSU and tighter revenue…even before considering that they’d need double the investment just to catch up to UND’s current facilities.

The numbers don’t lie. Strong trends both directions.

Does that mean he’s going right away and will play there this season?

Sounds like bott is getting a new rink complex and closing down the lumber dome? Grafton is just adding a rink onto the current and redoing the lobby correct? any other new rink projects out there? I think DL is still updating the old bill Jerome with private funding, one project at a time.

Still a negative impact but thankfully not as bad as it was looking originally.

Yeah that would be a brutal blow. Kids leaving after bantam AAs would become the norm.

I think they’ll be similar to this season, so right on the bubble again. Maybe slightly better if they can stay healthy and don’t lose anyone early.