2024-25 ND High School Hockey

[Ndamukong_sioux]

5 minutes ago, ILOVEHOCKEY15 said:

What does Warroad do differently developmentally compared to Roseau, seems like numbers are the same, but Warroad seems light years ahead right now. I know there will be a wave coming for Roseau.

I think it just the rink rat mentality and hockey people being involved. Warroad had a very similar dip in competitiveness last decade. There is a solid group of next generation players coming up in Roseau at the squirt and mites levels too to potentially turns things around.

[gfhockey]

11 minutes ago, ILOVEHOCKEY15 said:

What does Warroad do differently developmentally compared to Roseau, seems like numbers are the same, but Warroad seems light years ahead right now. I know there will be a wave coming for Roseau.

Polaris has been scaling back and Marvin expanding

[yzerman19]

20 minutes ago, Brim006 said:

We can agree to disagree. And I will admit that it's wrong of me to consolidate all cases/scenarios into 1 single opinion on the topic, so I'll do better at that. If someone is moving due to a career move, or other family reasons, that's completely different. Or if the home team and town isn't all warm and fuzzies with lifelong best friends, that's also completely different. I was only referring to the families that move solely for getting their kid onto a better team or league, which is the most common scenario. And unfortunately, more often than not, the kid has no business moving to JRs or moving to a better team since he/she hasn't even mastered their own league let alone team yet. Even then, I would never advocate for bullying them to stay or when they arrive somewhere new. I just think it's a gross culture, and I know it's a parent culture not a kid culture, because it's typically the parent's ego making the decision, not the kid's.

In the certain instances where the family moves solely to get onto a better team or better league, we have all seen that the majority of the time it does little to nothing to benefit the kid's experience or development. Forcing them to quit on their lifelong friends to play with a new group sends a bad example on and off the ice character wise IMO. Why not stay, push yourself to be a leader, gut it out and get better, rather than bail and join a gravy train playing 3rd line. Moorhead's Mason Kraft made a point to speak on the importance of this exact topic during his championship speech. If the parents are delusional enough to truly think altering their entire life by moving away while their kid is in his prime high school fun years just to be on a better team of strangers, and that's really going to get them D1 offers they normally wouldn't have gotten, or will be their ticket to the NHL, so be it I guess. I must just be more of a realist I guess, so it all seems so bizarre to me. You couldn't have paid me to leave my friends even when I knew we would be mediocre. I would have looked back at that as a failure and it would have bugged me forever. Now if a kid leaves for a USHL offer, NTDP offer, or obviously has nothing left to gain from high school hockey, then again those are a different story. 

If I was a recruiter, I'd pick the kid who stuck it out and got better and made his teammates and friends better, over the kid who quit when the going got tough and took the easy route of just joining a better team. The NBA superstar teams and the transfer portal are extremely unpopular, and the same culture ramping up in high school sports is concerning to me. That's why I'm surprised I get so much flack on this board for this opinion. 

We have seen what all these moves do to high school hockey overall. Some of the smaller towns and smaller teams can't recover from losing 2-3 of their best players. Some of the bigger teams backfill with slight downgrades no problem, which isnt as big of a deal. But overall it has hurt the parity everywhere, but especially in ND. GPR, DL, BOTT, Bismarck etc etc. They have all lost dozens of players to transfers or early departures over the recent years and havent been competitive because of it. Some years they are just 1-2 players short of having 2 solid lines and d pairs to be a competitive program. And then it snowballs. 

I'd never support a kid moving in order to play on a team more likely to win.  I would support getting on a "better" team if that means better development in terms of coaching and practices, etc. 

[The Sicatoka]

... and Cichy and Shanley just happened to have all those players back in the day ... might have even "invited" me to attend Shanley at one time for one activity or another.

 

Tale old as time. 

[Ndamukong_sioux]

1 hour ago, ILOVEHOCKEY15 said:

What about the Slukynsky boys?

Their dad has been flooding that famous ODR in their backyard since Hammer was in diapers.

[sioux rube]

2 hours ago, ILOVEHOCKEY15 said:

What does Warroad do differently developmentally compared to Roseau, seems like numbers are the same, but Warroad seems light years ahead right now. I know there will be a wave coming for Roseau.

Isn't hockey free in Warroad or is that a myth?

[ILOVEHOCKEY15]

2 minutes ago, sioux rube said:

Isn't hockey free in Warroad or is that a myth?

The rink is always open. But no hockey is not free.

[sioux rube]

25 minutes ago, ILOVEHOCKEY15 said:

The rink is always open. But no hockey is not free.

Thanks 

[The Sicatoka]

1 hour ago, sioux rube said:

Isn't hockey free ...

... but dinner extra. 

 

(See who gets that reference.)

[yzerman19]

59 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

... but dinner extra. 

 

(See who gets that reference.)

Bro...taking me to childhood right there...I still eat there if I'm in town (either Fargo or GF)

[Johnny Five]

21 hours ago, Brim006 said:

We can agree to disagree. And I will admit that it's wrong of me to consolidate all cases/scenarios into 1 single opinion on the topic, so I'll do better at that. If someone is moving due to a career move, or other family reasons, that's completely different. Or if the home team and town isn't all warm and fuzzies with lifelong best friends, that's also completely different. I was only referring to the families that move solely for getting their kid onto a better team or league, which is the most common scenario. And unfortunately, more often than not, the kid has no business moving to JRs or moving to a better team since he/she hasn't even mastered their own league let alone team yet. Even then, I would never advocate for bullying them to stay or when they arrive somewhere new. I just think it's a gross culture, and I know it's a parent culture not a kid culture, because it's typically the parent's ego making the decision, not the kid's.

In the certain instances where the family moves solely to get onto a better team or better league, we have all seen that the majority of the time it does little to nothing to benefit the kid's experience or development. Forcing them to quit on their lifelong friends to play with a new group sends a bad example on and off the ice character wise IMO. Why not stay, push yourself to be a leader, gut it out and get better, rather than bail and join a gravy train playing 3rd line. Moorhead's Mason Kraft made a point to speak on the importance of this exact topic during his championship speech. If the parents are delusional enough to truly think altering their entire life by moving away while their kid is in his prime high school fun years just to be on a better team of strangers, and that's really going to get them D1 offers they normally wouldn't have gotten, or will be their ticket to the NHL, so be it I guess. I must just be more of a realist I guess, so it all seems so bizarre to me. You couldn't have paid me to leave my friends even when I knew we would be mediocre. I would have looked back at that as a failure and it would have bugged me forever. Now if a kid leaves for a USHL offer, NTDP offer, or obviously has nothing left to gain from high school hockey, then again those are a different story. 

If I was a recruiter, I'd pick the kid who stuck it out and got better and made his teammates and friends better, over the kid who quit when the going got tough and took the easy route of just joining a better team. The NBA superstar teams and the transfer portal are extremely unpopular, and the same culture ramping up in high school sports is concerning to me. That's why I'm surprised I get so much flack on this board for this opinion. 

We have seen what all these moves do to high school hockey overall. Some of the smaller towns and smaller teams can't recover from losing 2-3 of their best players. Some of the bigger teams backfill with slight downgrades no problem, which isnt as big of a deal. But overall it has hurt the parity everywhere, but especially in ND. GPR, DL, BOTT, Bismarck etc etc. They have all lost dozens of players to transfers or early departures over the recent years and havent been competitive because of it. Some years they are just 1-2 players short of having 2 solid lines and d pairs to be a competitive program. And then it snowballs. 

Yeah I also agree with all of your points.  I'm a veteran sports parent, I've come to learn and accept that youth and HS sports are cut throat and selfish.  That's all I mean when I say I'm fine with it.  Wanna move to Warroad for hockey?  So be it.  Not going to lie, I'd love for my kids to experience that hockey culture.  I've had multiple friends do it on the girls side and they love it, I don't have the gonads to do it.

  Wanna uproot your family to move to Moorhead or the Cities?  Get your wallet out for Northstar, Shattuck or SF Power?  Go for it.  Your choice .

Doesn't mean that something I would do, and all your points are valid as well.  I've just learned to tuck my chin and mind my own bobber.

[Johnny Five]

16 hours ago, yzerman19 said:

Bro...taking me to childhood right there...I still eat there if I'm in town (either Fargo or GF)

That place is still kicking in Bismarck and it blows my mind.

[Oxbow6]

16 hours ago, yzerman19 said:

Bro...taking me to childhood right there...I still eat there if I'm in town (either Fargo or GF)

Scratch Fargo off that list

No mas

[JakeLove]

I read an article in The Minneapolis Star-Tribune that presented the fact that the MSHSL has lost about 1 boys varsity HS team every year for the last 15 years, with similar decline in girls (I forget the statistic); and that participation in each has dropped by about 10-15% over the reporting period. 
 

the article theorizes about cause (essentially complexity of participation and demographic trends) and without going into the merits of the theories, let this fact sink in: Bloomington, a city of 100,000+ will have ONE HS boys varsity team as the venerable Kennedy HS can no longer field a team. 

the overall skill has never been better (in ND and MN imho) but falling participation is a doom loop for HS hockey. 

for those truly interested in the future of the sport these are alarming facts. The governance of the sport needs to focus on participation and development of all participants not just the A/AA kids. 
 

ND HS so far is avoiding the downward trend and actually looks to be adding at least one more team in the near future (Minot North).

Edited Friday at 04:00 PM by JakeLove
Fix a mistake

[Wilbur]

1 hour ago, JakeLove said:

I read an article in The Minneapolis Star-Tribune that presented the fact that the MSHSL has lost about 1 boys varsity HS team every year for the last 15 years, with similar decline in girls (I forget the statistic); and that participation in each has dropped by about 10-15% over the reporting period. 
 

the article theorizes about cause (essentially complexity of participation and demographic trends) and without going into the merits of the theories, let this fact sink in: Bloomington, a city of 100,000+ will have ONE HS boys varsity team as the venerable Kennedy HS can no longer field a team. 

the overall skill has never been better (in ND and MN imho) but falling participation is a doom loop for HS hockey. 

for those truly interested in the future of the sport these are alarming facts. The governance of the sport needs to focus on participation and development of all participants not just the A/AA kids. 
 

ND HS so far is avoiding the downward trend and actually looks to be adding at least one more team in the near future (Minot North).

Likely a Horace team as well.  

[Walsh Hall]

2 hours ago, JakeLove said:

I read an article in The Minneapolis Star-Tribune that presented the fact that the MSHSL has lost about 1 boys varsity HS team every year for the last 15 years, with similar decline in girls (I forget the statistic); and that participation in each has dropped by about 10-15% over the reporting period. 
 

the article theorizes about cause (essentially complexity of participation and demographic trends) and without going into the merits of the theories, let this fact sink in: Bloomington, a city of 100,000+ will have ONE HS boys varsity team as the venerable Kennedy HS can no longer field a team. 

the overall skill has never been better (in ND and MN imho) but falling participation is a doom loop for HS hockey. 

for those truly interested in the future of the sport these are alarming facts. The governance of the sport needs to focus on participation and development of all participants not just the A/AA kids. 
 

ND HS so far is avoiding the downward trend and actually looks to be adding at least one more team in the near future (Minot North).

Really not surprising for any parent who has navigated youth athletics.  If you aren't doing travel sports/camps by at least 8 or 10 years old (obviously it starts much younger now) you are likely going to be left behind and not in the "in crowd."  Many talented kids get lost in the wash if their parents don't have the time/funds to be traveling 10+ weekends for each sport.  Way less multi-sport athletes cut down the numbers as well.

I know in my kids age groups there were several hockey players who would have been VERY good, but didn't stick with it due to lack of time and other events/opportunities, coupled with the cost.  (We've not from a hockey first community....)

[Frozen4sioux]

Northern Plains Playoff Updates

14U:   

Friday-1 PM,             SFP 3 TND 2 FINAL

Saturday 2:15 PM,

150:
Friday-3:15PM,

Saturday 5:00 PM,                                                                 Sunday 10:15 AM (If Necessary)

16U:
Friday-5:30PM,

Saturday 7:15 PM,                                                                    Sunday 12:30 PM (If Necessary)

[sioux rube]

2 hours ago, Wilbur said:

Likely a Horace team as well.  

And Watford City 

[Brim006]

1 minute ago, sioux rube said:

And Watford City 

Would be nice to get WahpBreck back too actually. That'd be 24 teams, when ND has been as low as 18 teams just 5-10 years ago. 

[JakeLove]

WahpBreck is most likely not coming back (at least in the status quo) but Watford does indeed seem intent on joining NDHSAA (at least on the boys side). 

[Frozen4sioux]

Northern Plains Playoff Updates

14U:   

Friday-1 PM,             SFP 3 TND 2 FINAL

Saturday 2:15 PM,

150:
Friday-5:30PM,        

Saturday 5:00 PM,                                                                Sunday 10:15 AM (If Necessary)

16U:
Friday-3:15 PM,        SFP 7 TND 2 FINAL

Saturday 7:15 PM,                                                                    Sunday 12:30 PM (If Necessary)

[LuvHockey]

Youth politics was very active when we moved. Came to Fargo with my son a sophomore. He “made” the South hockey roster- but as a newby was placed on 4th line. He was no superstar but clearly better than most above him.  So he changed to Junior Gold hockey. Played top line- and we all had a blast of a season- parents as well as kids. South Coach later told our Jr Gold coach he made a mistake not playing him. 
So we moved on and south lost to GF again in playoffs. And deserved it. 

[Frozen4sioux]

Northern Plains Playoff Update (After 1st Day)

14U:   

Friday-1 PM,             SFP 3 TND 2 FINAL

Saturday 2:15 PM,

150:
Friday-5:30PM,        SFP 3  TND  6   FINAL

Saturday 5:00 PM,                                                                Sunday 10:15 AM (If Necessary)

16U:
Friday-3:15 PM,        SFP 7 TND 2 FINAL

Saturday 7:15 PM,                                                                    Sunday 12:30 PM (If Necessary)

[Ndamukong_sioux]

27 minutes ago, Frozen4sioux said:

Northern Plains Playoff Update (After 1st Day)

14U:   

Friday-1 PM,             SFP 3 TND 2 FINAL

Saturday 2:15 PM,

150:
Friday-5:30PM,        SFP 3  TND  6   FINAL

Saturday 5:00 PM,                                                                Sunday 10:15 AM (If Necessary)

16U:
Friday-3:15 PM,        SFP/TND 7 TND 2 FINAL

Saturday 7:15 PM,                                                                    Sunday 12:30 PM (If Necessary)

I edited the 16u score for you.

[gfhockey]

3 hours ago, Frozen4sioux said:

Northern Plains Playoff Updates

14U:   

Friday-1 PM,             SFP 3 TND 2 FINAL

Saturday 2:15 PM,

150:
Friday-5:30PM,        

Saturday 5:00 PM,                                                                Sunday 10:15 AM (If Necessary)

16U:
Friday-3:15 PM,        SFP 7 TND 2 FINAL

Saturday 7:15 PM,                                                                    Sunday 12:30 PM (If Necessary)

Are sf playas all from sd