yzerman19

The big programs are going to pitch both...

We won't get Chippaz without significant NIL money. It is the new reality. Our NIL is going to have to be better than many, many programs too.

What/who is HBCU?

they designated 13O a couple years back. USA Hockey considers 13O and 14U bantam hockey. Contact applies to both.

The other aspect of that Minny 13O team is that many of their top dogs played PeeWee this year. Nationally, 13O is bantam, so the speed and physicality of Tier 1 bantam is very different than that in MinnKota PeeWee AA

also, if you are going to be sub 5'10, you better be lightning in a bottle

If he dominated as a first year, that changes some of my thinking...I might have sent him to play 15O on a top tier program then. Not much to prove if you dominated a year up, and now you are playing a year down in terms of competition

Its the tough call there right. One school of thought is dominate your age group- he did as a physically mature older player. The other school of thought is to seek out the best competition and see where you stand. Prove you deserve to be in the conversation. He's an excellent player and I want him to be successful...I actually think they did the right thing. He is a guy that is going to need some runway to prove he's got it. Get that runway kicking butt in GF, win some titles, go to junior when you are damn good and ready.

If the pool seeding goes by ranking, that 14U minny team is going to be in the pool with #4, #5, #12, #13...if they emerge from that unscathed, but battle tested...they will be a very tough out

Yes, that 13O team from Minny has a ton of firepower. They have talent, but they haven't played together all year and their primary competition has

Kids with regional ties expected to go high in the WHL or USHL drafts coming up (according to Elite Prospects) in the top 50 2010's or top 100 2009's Beck Thoreson Moorhead Joey Cullen Moorhead RJ Thompson Little Casesars (Grandparents from GF) Brooks Suter Moorhead Henry Buttweiler Moorhead Henry Meier SSM (Grandpa is Neal Broten) John Gramer Moorhead Drew Kortan Moorhead Roderick Jackson Warroad Easton Dozark Moorhead Owen Kraft Moorhead Evan Wanner Moorhead Cruz Fitzpatrick West Fargo These two are ranked just outside the top 100: Spencer Anderson TRF Nolan Marto GF

Right, at least break it into 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and honorable mention

yeah, I got your main point. Its a good one. I was just commenting on the buddy deal. It all depends on where the kid goes and what they are getting for development and exposure. I'm guessing those that go to Shattuck, BK, Mount, Mission, Little Casears, Honeybaked and the like end up better off, just based on competition and coaching. Going somewhere else, probably doesn't make much difference. If they are 16 or over, and they aren't going to junior hockey, you have to question leaving...

just like people move away from family and friends for college and career, they make new friends and establish new lives. The old ones become memories and pictures. You don't forget them, but they become a distant memory on a long journey.

Here's the interesting thing...in the Tier 1 world...everywhere outside of ND and MN, the "buddies" deal doesn't apply. Kids are mercenary at 8 years old. For those who don't play town hockey, the idea of playing with your "buddies" is incredibly foreign. Your buddies are those on your team...for now...

christopherson or something like that?

Looks like I was right on Fitzy, Freddie and Thoreson for NTDP invites.

It does mean that SD can't brag that they are better at hockey though if they win

no, because Team ND is an "all-star" team. That levels the playing field.

looks like Team ND 14U up 3-0 on SF Power

I'm not on X, who were they?

I'll take the over

Anybody seen the NTDP eval roster? historically it comes out a week before the event, but the event starts next week and I haven't seen anything

Leaving to go to Tier 1 makes sense to me in the following limited circumstances: 1. 13 year old, Late birthday, good sized kid, dominated as a first year PeeWee, national peer group moving to Bantam (full contact), Association will not allow a play up, doesn't want to play musical chairs within the State and play against old team. 2. 15 year old, undersized, high end skill, national peer group playing 15O (birth year specific), High School doesn't play the younger guys much, doesn't want to play musical chairs within the State and play against old team. 3. 14 year old, got offer to play at a prestigious prep school like SSM, BK, MSC In these scenarios, I do not recommend taking the "easy" way and just going to the most convenient Tier 1 program. If you are going to make that move you are doing it for your kid for a purpose; and convenience and cost should not factor into it. Really need to think about coaching, competition, development in practices, etc. If you are making this move, you also better be honest about how good your kid is. I mean truly honest. Not are you the best player in town or the best player in the State even, but where do you stack up nationally. Did you do well at USA national camp? Did you do well at things like the WSI or Kings of Spring or CCM 68? If you don't know what those 3 things are, that answers your question right there. Are the big, reputable agencies reaching out to advise you for free because they see promise in your kid? Did you get drafted high in the CHL or USHL drafts? How good is your skating and your hockey IQ (the 2 primary differentiators as you move up the ladder). What is your genetic ceiling? I know that there are late bloomers and nobody wants to give up on their kids' dreams, but you aren't giving up by having them stay at home when home is the right place for them to be. The grass isn't greener somewhere else, its greener where you water it.

the 2010 kid made an interesting choice...didn't join a top end team, isn't attached to a school...the best barometer IMO is the national tournament and the high end summer stuff...if you put up big numbers or dominate in other ways at those events you are legit, because the competition is solid. The 2010 kid had a rough go it looks like at WSI last year. Bredvik kid is tiny, so he probably is playing 15O instead of high school because of his size issue. He isn't lighting it up in Michigan Tier 1...10th on his team, which is middle of the pack in Michigan.