yzerman19

I don't like Jess' logic there...it presupposes the objective is purely to get to State as opposed to playing commensurate competition to go to State. Roseau's pride is enormous (rightfully so) in hockey, so its a very bitter pill to swallow playing class A.

There becomes a pure numbers game...if 10% of your boys are really good athletes, and 30% of them are hockey first, you have 3% of the boys that can play the game (just at high school level, numbers get smaller if you are saying truly excellent athletes). In a high school with 1000 boys in it, you then have 30 kids...boom, you've got a solid team with a handful of tough cuts and a pipeline for next year. If your high school has 200 boys in it, now you have 6. The depth issue kills the small schools. How do they field a team then? Well, boys who aren't true athletes or a culture where significantly more are hockey first. Occasionally, you get a super athlete that can tip the scales to favor you enough to overcome the numbers game (think Langenbrunner at Cloquet in 93). But that is the harsh reality of the numbers game. Moorhead High School has 2000 kids grade 9-12, Roseau 527 grade 7-12, Warroad 567 grade 6-12, EGF 588 grades 9-12... Was interesting to me to see that the combined enrollment of GFRR and GFC is just barely bigger than Moorhead HS

i dont believe they are going to create 3 or 4 classes in Minnesota.

You do understand that teams that lost in sections from the power conferences in the cities would mop the floor with teams in class A right? Games would not be competitive if you made 1 division. EGF taking the title overall? No way. The sad reality is the sheer numbers plus the resources in metro area hockey centric communities make it so its very difficult for a smaller school to compete. The large metro high schools have more students than many towns have total population. The current format of the MN state tourney has been so since the late 90's after the tier experiment, and is working. I wouldn't change a thing.

funny how? I'm like a clown to you? I amuse you?

Chris Chelios on line two

On the topic of Team ND vs SF Power, at the bantam major level tickets punched to Nationals so far are: little Caesars, Blue Ox, Dallas Stars Elite, Pittsburgh Pens Elite, California Goldrush, and Florida Alliance.

I don't think it's for the State tourney alone that people cross the river, but more on the perception of strength of coaching and competition. If EGF were Moorhead and playing AA with a 3 time Stanley Cup champ on the bench, I think you'd see a TON of movement. The tax delta isn't that significant. For most people less than $1000/year. if you are good enough, they will find you, but coaching and competition are huge parts of becoming good enough.

congrats to section 8!!!

remember, you don't want guys that are dominating because they are big or old...you want to see 2009s that can skate and think it...you don't want stationary shooters...you don't want guys who go to soft spots...not yet...you gotta see guys that translate to the next level...D1 is two levels up...can they skate and do they have IQ. If not, 35 goals translates to 2. If so 12 translates to 20.

Schneider is a chippah

but no chippahs anywhere to be seen in this tourney

Elite Prospects shows place of birth as Moorhead

I think the most likely NTDP candidate for this year from the area is Thoreson from Moorhead BAA

I see a path to 16 and the potential last at large bid...it requires us to play and defeat ASU in the playoffs, and requires Lowell to lose enough and us win enough to flip that RPI (possible)

I hate private schools more than Edina...I especially hate private schools that don't have the balls to play AA

well, first of all, Red Wing isn't a suburb. Then you throw in a Private school...I am with you...the snobbery knows no bounds. Remember Edina's favorite cheer when they play Minnetonka? "you've got the lake, but we've got the boats"...and it isn't like Tonka is low rent lol

Mack Celebrini is 3 weeks older than John Hirschfeld....

Take it a step further...what if your kid is a legitimate NHL prospect...top 10 player in birth year at 15..a chippah...where would you send them until they are ready for junior? Keep them home? The top guys in this tourney are not chippahs....they are good, but the highest ranked prospect is like a potential 4th rounder...

I'm active right now, but not a Forks person, I think it is a legitimate question that I hope people don't make knee jerk responses to

sure...but gotta think if you are his family, the hockey dev is going to be better with Cullen and that crew than at home. 1.5 hour drive is nothing...it would be standard across most of the AAA world around the country

Sidenote- if you are suburban Twin Cities and in class A....who the hell are you?

I love section 7 and 8!!! The private schools kill me...like all the Edina kids on STA...Edina wasn't cake enough you had to attend private school even though you live in Edina???!

I knew Buttsy came from Alex. That is kinda out of area, but not like a crazy import.

Its hard to compare bantam teams with rest of country and Canada, because 2009 players would not be bantam eligible anywhere but Minny and NoDak, but Moorhead is really good. I am really curious to see how that Blue Ox team(2010s from Moorhead and Warroad's bantam teams) does at nationals. They beat SSM in OT to earn the autobid out of Minnesota. The rankings have them 5th behind Little Caesars, SSM, Mount St Charles, and Minuteman Flames (Boston). They could do some damage. Little Caesars is an absolute wagon and won the national tournament last year in the age group and is like 70-2 this year playing top US and Canadian teams.