Is USA Hockey going to threaten HS Hockey as we know it?

[Gopher Blog]

Below is a recent article from US Hockey Report. I suppose I am being bad for posting this but I feel it is important given the affect it could have on HS hockey. The bolded spots in article are done by me.

Won't Get Fooled Again

By the time this weekend's USA Hockey Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida draw to a conclusion the hierarchical structure of youth hockey in the United States could be permanently altered.

Those likely to be hit hardest will be the prep schools of the Northeast, all junior programs with the exception of the USHL, possibly the Minnesota high schools, and, most devastatingly, any current youth organization that does not meet – or does not wish to meet -- the criteria USA Hockey and the NTDP will be setting out for the new 36-team national "super league."
Why is this happening?

It's simple. USA Hockey, for the first time, has been granted player development money by the NHL. It's money USA Hockey has wanted for a long time, and they are getting it. This year's figure is $8 million. The NHL, as investors of sorts, expects the money to be spent on 'elite player development.' And that's what they are going to get. Approximately $2 million will go directly to Ann Arbor, and a hefty chunk of the remaining $6 million will go to an extension of the NTDP called the High Performance and Long Term Athlete Development Initiative. The program, being presented by Jim Johannson, Ken Martel, and Kevin McLaughlin, is designed to offer many of the training benefits of the NTDP to the 36 youth organizations that agree to hew to the player development philosophy they have carefully outlined (it's in the document we have attached to the end of this article).

What we're about to see is a massive consolidation of power in which 36 youth organizations will, in essence, be dubbed AAA+ (or AAAA, if you will). Any organization not "anointed" by USA Hockey and the NTDP will remain as they are presently set up – as AAA organizations. One could, quite accurately, say the "unchosen" will be instantly devalued, for elite players will naturally gravitate to one of the 36 super teams. For purposes of this new program, USA Hockey, which is comprised of twelve districts, will be redistricted into six regions. Within each of these new regions will reside six super teams, at five different age levels. They will only play each other. The best players will move on to the NTDP and the USHL (which will also be getting some of the NHL money, and will be expanding from 12 to 16 teams).

How the districts will be carved up depends on which organizations adhere to USA Hockey's standards. It's possible the organizations will get selected first and then squeezed into gerrymandered geographical areas. USA Hockey is playing this very close to the vest. We do know that a couple of the Chicago organizations have already been approached in a preliminary manner, much to the consternation of other AAA organizations in the area.

What organizations would be chosen? For a rough idea, do this: start with the 20-team lineup of the Tier I Elite League which stretches from the Pacific Southwest to Pittsburgh but has its biggest foothold in the Midwest with five teams in Michigan alone (Compuware, Honeybaked, Little Caesar's, Belle Tire and Victory Honda). Then, once you are through with that, look at other teams outside that loop that have shown consistent success at Nationals, and have also run solid year-round programs. Those are the ones that are also likely to be "anointed."

The irony here is the fact that the organizations most likely to be able to meet the criteria set forth for them by USA Hockey already have deep pockets. In addition, by being anointed, an increasing number of players will want to migrate to those programs, meaning the anointed organizations will be able to hold numerous tryouts (i.e. fundraisers) at numerous age levels, in the process strengthening their relationship with rink owners due to the large number of teams they will be icing.

Each of the 36 clubs chosen will be expected to operate 18-and-Under, 16-and-Under, 15-and-Under, 14-and-Under, and 13-and-Under teams – each in their own superleague. In addition, each of the anointed teams will be expected to run 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U programs that will follow the LTAD model outlined in the attachment.

Let's look at his locally. In New England, we expect there to be at least three teams, maybe a couple in Eastern Mass, and one in Connecticut. These programs would be able to skim the cream of the crop – players will obviously stream to these regional "mini-NTDPs," especially given the fact the programs are subsidized, and the economy is going through a bad patch. Kids given the opportunity to join these elite programs are kids who will not be going to private schools -- at least as hockey players. Look for kids who are in these programs at the youngest age levels to stay in them for as long as they continue to be moved up the ladder. They are on the "path" to Ann Arbor or the USHL. They will be immersed in hockey and will be playing a rugged schedule under the watchful eyes of NTDP "regional directors."

USA Hockey is putting together something that, at least in some respects -- and on paper -- is appealing. Martel, the program's principal author, has put a huge amount of thought into player development, and we respect his work greatly. Read the enclosed attachment, and you'll see that he has brought together a lot of the best thinking on the subject, and presented it clearly. Individual teams could gain much from implementing all or part of his plan -- if they wish. But for USA Hockey to say, basically, "our way or the highway" just won't fly. It might work in Soviet Russia, or East Germany, or smaller nations like Finland. In other words, countries where hockey (and athletics in general) are on the same page, and dominated by strong national governing bodies.

However, the U.S., in hockey (as well as other ways!) is a fractured, factious, crazy-quilt of a country. Here, looking back to the late 19th and early 20th century, we can see that hockey made its entry into this country from many different points and in many different ways. It entered via the boarding schools of New England, and from there filtered down to the high schools. It entered on the backs of the millworkers who streamed down from Quebec, settled in towns like Woonsocket, RI , and created what would in time become powerhouse high school programs like Mount St. Charles. It streamed across the border from Windsor, Ontario into Detroit, and took shape as a club system, similar to that in Canada. In Minnesota, it dropped down across the northern border from Manitoba to towns like Roseau and Warroad, and also moved from the east into the Twin Cities, and formed a foothold in the Minnesota high schools. In recent decades, due to NHL expansion and some strong economic boom years, the game has flourished in non-traditional areas from the Southeast through Texas, Arizona, and Southern California.

In other words, there is no one path to success in this country. There are myriad paths, and many, many people are fiercely protective of their turf, and proud of what they have accomplished in the past, and continue to accomplish. Under USA Hockey's proposal, we think the clubs that get anointed – if everything gets that far – will do well and will indeed put a lot of top players on the ice. Why wouldn't they? They will have all the players. The USHL will watch, the colleges will watch, and the pro scouts will watch. Everyone will say what a great league it is. The NHL will pat itself on the back, and so will USA Hockey, who will point to the success of the players coming out of the program, and take as much credit as they possibly can.

Those who aren't chosen to be part of the super league will limp along as best they can, carrying players who are suddenly second-class hockey playing citizens. Youth organizations will fold. Prep hockey will take a major hit. If, God forbid, a superleague team gains a toehold in Minnesota, Minnesota high school hockey, which features our game in its purest amateur state, will take a major hit.

The $8 million is simply being shoveled in the wrong direction, and here's why. We're in a recession, people have less money to spend, and the average middle class worker is earning less than ever in real wages. But the cost of playing hockey is higher today than ever. Today, hockey is a pure suburban sport. In Greater Boston, the blue-collar players that used to come out of the city's working class communities like Winthrop and Weymouth and Charlestown and South Boston and Dorchester and Quincy are fast becoming extinct.

This fall, in the blue-collar suburbs of Detroit, where the auto industry is in trouble, we are hearing stories of families pulling back from the game.
Youth registration across the country – particularly on the boys' side – is down.

We have an idea. And we don't think it's particularly radical. We believe in it because we've seen it work in Boston. We saw a whole generation of hockey players come out of town-based leagues where, in the wake of the success of the Bobby Orr-led Bruins of the late '60s and early '70s, the state jumped on board and, in a very short period of time, built a huge number of rinks. From those rinks came the likes of Mike Eruzione, Jack O'Callahan and too many others to mention. On the public rinks in Minnesota came Mark Pavelich and Neal Broten and Dave Christian and others. It was a flowering of USA Hockey and continued on with the stars of the'80s and early '90s like Mike Modano, Tony Amonte, Jeremy Roenick, Brian Leetch and many, many others.

We think the LTAD misfires on two fronts. The first is simply that it concentrates on players 13 and over. Don't worry about them. The good players at 13 will find every door open wide to them. They'll even find agents to carry them across the threshold. And coaches who will beg to have them on their teams. It's the way capitalism works, and it's the way a meritocracy works, too. Right now, there are more than enough good programs in place for the players that we currently have. We just need to get more players better prepared by the time they arrive in these programs -- skilled players, not overcoached autonomons. The LTAD even preaches the importance of player development between 11-13, so why are all the bulk of the program's benefits being funneled to those 13 and over? Why is the LTAD aimed at the few rather than the many? Hasn't the very existence of the NTDP shown that elite all-star programs of hothoused players have dubious results?

What do we really need then? We need more rinks and cheaper ice. Hockey is too expensive. We have all seen young kids leave the game because of the cost. About seven years ago, this typist saw a very good 9-year-old city kid drummed out of a youth program because his parents couldn't rub two nickels together. I still see this kid. And he's still an excellent athlete, and he's still a joy to watch. But he plays basketball.

We also know times are hard and public initiatives like what the Mass. District Commission did during the Orr era might not fly. (Though rink building would certainly create jobs!)

Listen, we don't need fancy rinks. In many parts of the country, seasonal outdoor rinks work fine. They provide a starting point. They get kids on the ice at a young age. Kids just need a place where they can play in unstructured situations without grownups, leagues, the ridiculous amounts of travel, and the huge bills. We've seen cheap outdoor rinks all across Canada. There are quite a few in Minnesota, too, in town parks. The communities manage to come up with the money. Volunteers step up with the muscle. They make it happen. It's a source of civic pride.

If we were given the $8 million dollars USA Hockey is getting and were given a mandate to spend it in a way that would help the American hockey player the most over the next 20 years, we'd put together a crack panel of men and women with proven success in public/private partnerships to figure out how to get the most rinks built in this country for the least amount of dollars. We're not talking about eight-sheet super rinks, either. We're talking "little rinks." A lot of them. It's all so simple. Get a lot of kids on skates and you'll get a lot of hockey players.

If you're skeptical, travel down to the Dominican Republic and look at all the baseball diamonds. Most of them are lousy dustpatches that would be considered an embarrassment in our bucolic suburbs. They are strewn with rocks. Bases are hard to come by. But you'd recognize them as baseball fields. They are everywhere, and they are continuously used. And the Dominican Republic produces more baseball players per capita than any other spot on the earth -- and many of the game's stars.
Our message to USA Hockey. Don't try to reinvent the wheel, and kill what we already have. Look to the successes of the past for the key to the future. It's right there under your nose.

And vote NO on the High Performance and Long Term Athlete Development Initiative.

1/17/09 Update: The proposal outlined in this article was ratified by the USA Hockey Board of Directors, and will go forward.

[High Flyer]

Is MN Hockey going to turn down a NHL funded handout?

If so, they are leaving on the table for the rest of the United States 1/2 to 3/4 of a million dollars that should go towards the development of some of our MN elite hockey players. Say it aint so!!!

[SB24]

i think this would hurt player develipment in minnesota...

[Factsmatter1]

Whether we like it or not or agree with it or not this thing is coming. It will skim the cream off the high school and Bantam programs. Not sure they will fold but it certainly is going to change the dynamic particularly in the private schools. Money, $8M in this case, will talk...

[Mite-dad]

So an elite bantam or high school player has to leave his family for who knows where to play elite hockey? Am I understanding this correctly? That kids age 13+ will leave their families to play hockey in some far away place? If true, it should be illegal.

[wiseguy]

Whether we like it or not or agree with it or not this thing is coming. It will skim the cream off the high school and Bantam programs. Not sure they will fold but it certainly is going to change the dynamic particularly in the private schools. Money, $8M in this case, will talk...

Agree!

[elliott70]

Sorry it is NOT coming.

NHL gave money to USAH to help with the NDTC in Michigan and to help with some Jr programs.

The youth regional program that is mentioned is only in concept and is not being brought forward at this time.

What is being brought forward is money to help with coaches edcuation/training; player development off-season programs, parent education, and ref development.

The regional concept is just that, a concept, nothing htat is happening now or the immediate future.

A USAH VP of hockey operations will be speaking to the MH board on Friday night regarding what is happening.

As of right now everything that appears to be happening is that NHL money will free up
$2 million in the USAH budget which is going to go to player, coaches, ref development and parent edcucation and player recruitment.

The basic concepts of how youth players learn the game and develop will still come via what is being done, but now more resources will be coming from USAH.

It should be a good thing, but if somehting negative comes up MH will let everyone know.

[O-townClown]

Open Letter to the AMHL Membership Regarding the USA Hockey

Initiatives & NHL Grant

January 19, 2009

To all players, coaches and parents of our Youth and Junior Divisions;

By now many of you have heard that USA Hockey has received a huge increase of financial support from the NHL in the amount of $8 Millions dollars. While there is no written agreement from the NHL funding, USA Hockey has 5 major initiatives for this $8 million NHL grant. They are;

• A grant for the USHL, Tier I Junior Hockey
  Funding for the USAH Officiating Development Program
  Hockey Growth Department
  NTDP - Total Budget relief - $2.5 Million allocationn
  Performance Club (HPC) and the Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD)

The USA Hockey initiatives called High Performance Club (HPC) and the Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) seems to be sparking the most discussion and concern. I know there are many rumors and there is a great deal of misinformation in the market place. Some are exaggerations and some are just complete fabrications.

First, much of what is proposed in the LTAD aspect of these USAH initiatives has merit and is based in sound scientific principles. The HPC component may look good on paper, however there are far too many unknowns. The only thing that was clearly articulated was that USAH was hiring a significant number of staff to implement these programs.

For the record, Tier I and "AAA" hockey is not disappearing and neither is the Atlantic Youth Hockey League. The League and its members will be meeting with USA Hockey officials later this month to discuss concerns and answer questions.

Some perceptions are that USAH simply comes in, looks at your Club and then anoints it as a HPC. That is not the case. There are rigorous guidelines and significant USAH oversight. None of the dollars are for player tuition's. Players will still have to pay tuition to their respective programs. Most of the dollars are for staff support, and possibly the hosting some showcases.

Much of the guidelines for the HPC are very restrictive. For example, as a player in an HPC program, you will not be allowed to participate in tournaments like Nike Bauer, Bell Cup, Quebec Peewee, etc. There is a dramatic shift in the game to practice ratio and they will hold programs accountable to that ratio. These HPC teams will only play against other HPC teams and up to three showcases against other HPC's. There is much more to discuss however, we will refrain until our League Board meets with USA Hockey.

While there are many issues that effect player development in our sport that should and must be addressed, however our current system has many desirable aspects that are enjoyed by our players and families. After all, this is about fun and enjoyment for the player. To expect the system to make such a dramatic shift overnight may be an unreasonable expectation and could possibly do more harm than good, at least in the short term. The needed changes may need to take a longer period of time to actually see meaningful results.

Over the course of this week, we will post highlights from the HPC and LTAD, as well as the full document itself. Please feel free to send us your questions and comments. Do not jump to any conclusions about the impact of these initiatives. Its a work in progress and many of us suspect that there will be significant changes when all is said and done.

We are in discussions with other Tier I Leagues and Junior programs throughout the country and while there are many unanswered questions, we know we have a tremendous player development system within our current Tier I and Junior systems. It has been highly successful and will continue to be highly successful in the future.

I look forward to hearing any questions, comments or concerns.

Yours in Hockey,

Glenn Hefferan, AMHL President
Gene Palecco, AYHL Commissioner
Dick Foster, AMHL Commissioner

[goldy313]

GopherBlog, where did you get that article? They hit on a lot of points that I agree with and I really want to know who the "we" are and where they're from.

I wouldn't trust USA Hockey to do anything right, player development has fallen off drasitcally since they took over in Minnesota. There are still a few really talented kids but the rank and file player has dissapeared.

[High Flyer]

Is MN Hockey going to turn down a NHL funded handout?

If so, they are leaving on the table for the rest of the United States 1/2 to 3/4 of a million dollars that should go towards the development of some of our MN elite hockey players. Say it aint so!!!

Actually after reading the open letter, it would no be that much, as it appears there is a lot of other fingers all ready in the pie:

A grant for the USHL, Tier I Junior Hockey
Funding for the USAH Officiating Development Program
Hockey Growth Department
NTDP - Total Budget relief - $2.5 Million allocationn
Performance Club (HPC) and the Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD)

[youngblood08]

You are talking 20 kids at each age group from Minnesota. That is a drop in the bucket with the talent we have. Sure some teams would be hurt a little more then others but it would be a bump in the road. Time to progress Minnesota not just sit back and rely on what has worked in the past.

[O-townClown]

Does this mean there will be scholarship money for my little superstar to play Quadruple A Squirt hockey???

[elliott70]

Does this mean there will be scholarship money for my little superstar to play Quadruple A Squirt hockey???

Sorry, no underwriting of players fees.
You will pay through the nose as always.
Unless, of course, you move back to Edina, or get smart and move up north.

We will welcome you with open arms.

[elliott70]

You are talking 20 kids at each age group from Minnesota. That is a drop in the bucket with the talent we have. Sure some teams would be hurt a little more then others but it would be a bump in the road. Time to progress Minnesota not just sit back and rely on what has worked in the past.

Zero kids, the regional concept is ONLY a concept and not to be impemented any time soon, if ever.

USA Hockey is trying to use the MN model for other parts of the country, so soemthing must be done right here.

[elliott70]

At the Minnesota Hockey meeting this coming weekend.

On Friday evening of this weekend, Jan. 23, there is a meeting at 8:00pm for the presentation of the new LTAD program from USAH, which Jim Johannson of USAH will help present and explain.

[observer]

Patrick Kane and Sidney Crosby both left home at 13. Patrick for Canadian Jrs and Sidney for Shattuck and then Canadian Jrs.

[Gopher Blog]

GopherBlog, where did you get that article? They hit on a lot of points that I agree with and I really want to know who the "we" are and where they're from.

I wouldn't trust USA Hockey to do anything right, player development has fallen off drasitcally since they took over in Minnesota. There are still a few really talented kids but the rank and file player has dissapeared.

US Hockey Report. It is a subscription website.

[breakout]

Sorry it is NOT coming.

NHL gave money to USAH to help with the NDTC in Michigan and to help with some Jr programs.

The youth regional program that is mentioned is only in concept and is not being brought forward at this time.

What is being brought forward is money to help with coaches edcuation/training; player development off-season programs, parent education, and ref development.

The regional concept is just that, a concept, nothing htat is happening now or the immediate future.

A USAH VP of hockey operations will be speaking to the MH board on Friday night regarding what is happening.

As of right now everything that appears to be happening is that NHL money will free up
$2 million in the USAH budget which is going to go to player, coaches, ref development and parent edcucation and player recruitment.

The basic concepts of how youth players learn the game and develop will still come via what is being done, but now more resources will be coming from USAH.

It should be a good thing, but if somehting negative comes up MH will let everyone know.

As always, I appreciate your insight.

Herb Brookes would roll in his grave if Minnesota Hockey if we followed the regional concept as laid out.

[komada77]

You are talking 20 kids at each age group from Minnesota. That is a drop in the bucket with the talent we have. Sure some teams would be hurt a little more then others but it would be a bump in the road. Time to progress Minnesota not just sit back and rely on what has worked in the past.

20 kids can be a pretty big deal when you take just the top 20 kids. Just a guess as to who would be gone from this year's seniors is:
Zach Budish
Anders Lee
Marshall Everson
Tyler Pitlick
Joe Schmitz
Isaac Kohls
Nick Oliver
Tyler Landman
Ben Hanowski
Danny Mattson
Tyler Zepeda
Nick Leddy
Max Tardy
Aaron Jamnick
Matt Cooper
Tony Pittman
Connor Gaarder
Dan DeLisle
Nick Widing
Zach May

and those are only seniors this year. Factor in underclassmen and kids like Derek Forbort, Christian Isackson, Caleb Herbert, Mark Alt, Ben Marshall, Max Gardiner, etc. are all gone. The list goes on and on.

[rams1989]

So an elite bantam or high school player has to leave his family for who knows where to play elite hockey? Am I understanding this correctly? That kids age 13+ will leave their families to play hockey in some far away place? If true, it should be illegal.

It's not only true, it's happened for many years. It's called Canada.

The difference, of course, is it is completely and totally accepted in Canada because it is the "National" sport and a way of life.

[Bruins]

So high school hockey is only good if these players are in the game. What about the other players that get to play now ? You guys quit really easy. Every time a threat of AAA/Elite gets brought up its the end of the world. Do you really think these teams will ruin hockey in MN, how ridiculous. I think this will be great for hockey in MN and throughout the US. Times have changed and so will hockey in MN, for the better.

[K Dope]

Patrick Kane and Sidney Crosby both left home at 13. Patrick for Canadian Jrs and Sidney for Shattuck and then Canadian Jrs.

...and 2500 others who did not make it and just lost time with their families and friends.