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Can't say I'm in agreement with either of you there. While both of them are top notch players, neither possess much strength or physical play to be a clear winner for the best of their position. I think that they're both on Elite I and will be out done by other players from North Dakota by a good margin. There's no doubt that they're two of the strongest, but not the strongest.

Anyone want to try out doing what ND Pride did last year and give a scouting report of each team, if he doesn't want to do it?

I agree South has the deepest forwards, but I'm not really sure if the defense are young, most older than Wurden it would seem with Graalum(?), Anderson, and Metz. Also, I'm not sure how well Deichert will hold up without the talent last year's team had. With Meland leading the charge Red River is certainly very capable, albeit shallow up front. Their power play ought to be deadly, however. Anyone have any idea who will anchor Meland's line? I'm also in agreement with Grafton and Central, however I think Simonson deserves a mention in there as well.

Apparently Malkin turned up in LA today. http://x.go.com/cgi/x.pl?goto=http://sport...723&srvc=sz Story seems pretty complicated and not too many people other than Malkin himself knows the exact truth.

I don't see it so much as gerrymandering, but trying to develop a program. Yes, Jamestown has beaten good teams, but they're inconsistent and with their location can be moved around to give them a better atmosphere to develop. Where as Devils Lake is young and a strong team now, with the location to allow them to play in the East and develop their program further.

However, the other defense include players having played varsity in the past. Anderson, Metz, and maybe one more have recieved significant playing time and proven themselves able to play. What I would be worried about with be their backchecking forwads playing strong D, not so much the defense themselves. I agree with your other points about a lack of depth for Grafton and Red River, any idea who is playing goalie for each team?

It'd probly be better to just pose this as a question in the current High School thread.

I'm not too sure if the 3rd High School could actually support a hockey team as it stands. From what I know they're building it way out in the boondocks, far from any rinks, and I don't know of any plans to build a new one. Anyone know if they've released any information on how the athletics will be dealt with when the time comes?

Blake is from Moorhead, and there are many from the Fargo area doing very well at the next level (Migura and McLean to name a couple) not including the ones that could've kept going with hockey but chose another sport, like Askew. Phil may even by a Canadian citizen, I'm not entirely sure. He's not bashing Grand Forks, he's just stating Grand Forks isn't the only hockey power anymore. Fargo, Grafton, and in many cases Minot have emerged to be on an equal and often greater level. How I see it that's not a bad thing, but rather other cities have developed to a competetive level, and you should quit bashing them for becoming better.

Im sorry for making a generalization. If there is a good reason that Tyrell McBain and his family are moving to fargo besides hockey then i deeply apologize, and may god have mercy on my soul. I will hold off on making any more "generalizations" about this topic until i have found out the reason for the move. I would also like to apologize to the Fargo South kids who have worked there entire lives to get to that point because i am sure that they have worked a lot harder than all the other teams in the state who are playing with the same group of kids they played with since mites...and no transfers

I suppose his dad recieved a job offer in the fargo area that was just to good to pass up. Im sorry, but i think it is ridiculous for a high school kids family to relocate so he can play a year with a different high school team. I happen to think that a little thing called loyalty is a little bit more important than getting a state championship ring. I dont think that McBain will become a better prospect if he is playing for fargo south. If he is truely the player that he is made out to be, he will be able to make a name for himself wherever he plays. I really hope that Fargo South does not end up winning the state title is this news is true.

Hillman is playing for the Bobcats. Grafton will be hurting as some of their players have ran into some legal trouble. There's also a good chance many of the players listed may not be here after the Elite League season.

I agree that Red River and South will again be the top two, but with recent setbacks and a lack of depth, or any quality defense, makes Grafton a distant third, if not fourth. I also think that Devils Lake will be very strong, creating some high competition for the third and fourth spots in state between Central, Devils Lake, and Grafton. The rest of the East would seem to be down a bit and not too competitive with the current top teams, but a dark horse can suprise anyone. I don't know too much about any departures, but those, too, could weaken any team greatly. As for the west, I don't really know anything other than the Bismarck teams and Minot are typically the stronger west teams.

6-8 hours. And I also believe that statement was in the context of the State Tournament or qualifying for, where Wahp, and until this season, Jamestown hold a much smaller chance of being in that position.

It's not the West has no talent, it's the depth of the teams and overall ability of the team. Individually the West has produced some amazing talent, but with that talent usually comes little to work with becuase of little history and support. Teams from the West are generally weaker than East teams becuase hockey is a team sport, and the East has had the tradition and constant competition level to stay at a higher level as a team. If memory serves, BHS or Century, can't remember which, has easily outnumbered the amount of highly recruited players than anyone but Grand Forks in the East. Individual talent exists, but generally there is a lack of team ability to compete with the East on a regular basis.

Wait for the season.

When you come from the Lamoureax family, you really can't suprise anyone with your abilities.

END QUOTE You are right, and you are terribley wrong. The Grand Forks schools peaked at the right time, but not entirely. Red River just slipped past a North High team that had been struggling all year. Is that how a championship team plays, no way. But championship teams do however, get lucky. Thats what Red River did this year, and many other championship teams. Now do not misinterperut this to think I'm saying championships are always luck, that is NOT the case. In my mind, South was unlucky. When you said they "hit their plateau early and stayed there", you have never been more wrong, it seems you think you can make false statements and they will pass because no one really knows what they are talking about in here. In Fargo South's first 11 games their record was 4 wins and 7 losses. How is that peaking? After those seven losses, they did not lose again in the regular season. The two best teams did not play for the state championship, and the best team did not win.... the two teams who showed up to play on one day in the season were in the championship. <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When you present your bias and openly display how naive and incompentent you are, it pretty much makes your opinion worthless. You should think about that, and maybe you'll find something useful to say.

Its not 57 seconds, 46, its 47. And as for South getting dominated, getting out shot and not scoring on an open net for the 5-6 minutes isn't domination. It was a closely played game, but an off game or a good game for a goalie can change that.

You are right about that, GF loses much of its top talent. Also, the freshman class of South is very weak, the year before that is better, and the younger crowd is very good.

Diechert is nowhere near the level of Mclean, and does not perform well in games. He's been in a few JV games for South this year and had a very low save percentage, and their JV seemed to blow teams out every game. And just to mention one of the less talked about goalies, I'll mention Welk. He's not a bad goalie and can come up big, but has some big shoes to fill after Oakland left. You also can't blame him for doing poorly when there is almost no defense on the north squad.

I predict a GPR and South final, but would love to see South take on Minot. GPR is only strong with one line though, and a goalie that can come up huge or lag up. It should be a good tourny in the upper bracket, and not a poor one in the lower. But I feel South wants this, and they have the highest overall skill and depth of any team in the state.

When South and BHS played it was South's first game and had key players missing, including their starting goalie, and the backup looked lost.

And South has 13 returning players.