HighSchoolHockeyForums.com

Forest Lake, at a meeting Sunday night, voted to leave D2 and go to D10.

This has to go through the rest of the approval process, but if it passes, this is a big problem for competition for girls in D2. The Wisconsin teams hammer all the B-level girls because they normally play B.

Further, if Forest Lake leaves there will only be 6 U12A teams this season in the District.

Bad news.

What was the driver for this decision?

Mavs wrote:What was the driver for this decision?

My understanding is: better competition for the boys, and closer teams in D10 than D2 (uh, yep).

If FL wants to use travel as their reason for voting to go D10, so be it. However, it's not because of competition for the boys( their teams were far down in their respective standings) , nor the younger girls of Wi beating their teams.

nu2hockey wrote:If FL wants to use travel as their reason for voting to go D10, so be it. However, it's not because of competition for the boys( their teams were far down in their respective standings) , nor the younger girls of Wi beating their teams.

My friend at the meeting indicated this is a boys' driven decision for competition at the AA level.

And yes, the girls' issue was irrelevant as it was not considered at all. As usual for most youth hockey associations not named Edina, Minnetonka or Andover.

jg2112 wrote:

nu2hockey wrote:If FL wants to use travel as their reason for voting to go D10, so be it. However, it's not because of competition for the boys( their teams were far down in their respective standings) , nor the younger girls of Wi beating their teams.

My friend at the meeting indicated this is a boys' driven decision for competition at the AA level.

And yes, the girls' issue was irrelevant as it was not considered at all. As usual for most youth hockey associations not named Edina, Minnetonka or Andover.

They want weaker competition? Or do they think Andover, Anoka, Blaine, ElK River are better competition than White Bear Lake, Stillwater, Roseville, Mahtomedi, St. Paul, Mounds View?

Not quite following the logic. Do they just toss the girls side out the window?

I have never driven from Forest Lake to Elk River, Andover, Anoka, etc Is it a better commute than heading south to the D2 teams? I feel like they would hit more traffic but maybe I need to look at a map and am wrong.

FL bantam AA and peewee AA played in dist 10 this past season

Both last place (4-11 and 0-17) the rest of the boys‘ teams played dist 2 with nearly every team being in bottom half of standings.

Not sure what better competition FL is looking for....but good luck next year in dist 10

I am hearing this won't be approved by Minnesota Hockey

Stop- You don't know what you are talking about.

1. Mites in D10 are rated A/B/C/D. D2 is a free for all.

2. Squirts in D10 have playoffs/B2 teams. [We will have 6 squirt teams next year.]

3. Sandbagging coops like MV/Iondale/Johnson/Como NSP.

4. Teams like Highland/Maht/Tarten that play single A but go to state every year.

5.We would rather drive to Pine city than River Falls/Highland duing rush hour/winter.

Many Many more brought up !! girls parents were at the meeting.

Vote was 61-9.
6. Look at a map D10 makes sense.

7. AA teams already play in D10.

Only 70 voting?

It's fine that FL wants to move and whatever their reasons ,BUT, don't use the competition excuse.
The youth side is and has been struggling. Instead of looking for external reasons, look internally.

Girls were discussed at length during then meeting Things such as declining participation at U12A in D2. The fact that D2 has barred us from coops at all girls levels with neighboring communities like Chisago, North Branch and Centennial. This will be a particular problem next year at U14 & U12.

Further FL had the fourth largest growth rate in MNH. In the future we should be looking to field teams at both AA & A. At peewees two even B teams last season fared well. At A would have had to contend with sandbagging programs from AA HS (Roseville, Moundsview/Irondale, Tartan, Highland (CDH, STA, etc.)). Our teams had to travel to Baldwin, WI etc. to play their top teams and they are not required to reciprocate and come to FL.

Check your facts, D2 funnels more kids to C hockey than about any district. If we want to improve our competitiveness, should we field more C teams or push more to the A level. As has been noted it hasn't been too successful in the past. An internal look is exactly what has brought this about. This is about the future not dwelling in the past. Any competitive discussion was aimed at the future probability of fielding second team A teams not our AA teams. In D10 there are more who field both, those with top single A teams are mostly from single A HS communities.

Besides D2 has historically been poor to FL, unfairly punitive and stolen money. Why would we want to stay? It is a district rife with programs of declining hockey favorable demographics. We have tried to initiate change however it falls on deaf ears with excuses and empty promises. Thus a change is in order.

jg your friend needs to listen better.

I appreciate hearing the FL side of things.

Thank you

How can forest lake just vote to change districts?

If the association membership had voted against the move then it would have ended for this year. With the affirmative vote Forest Lake can go to both District 2 and to the Mn Hoc board to either approve or deny. The same process that was used over 25 years when they moved from District 10 to District 2.

Please correct if wrong, I was told by FLHA oldtimers the move of FL from D10 to D2 came about when St. Cloud was added to D10 and MNH required them to move an association to D2. D10 voted FL to be moved. Since then, St. Cloud became part of D5 however FL was never moved back to their place in D10.

Also, there are 18 associations in Dist 10 now.
11 in Dist 5
9 in Dist 2
10 in Dist 3

Mn hky may need to look at redistricting..

There are 16 associations in D2:

Forest Lake
Moundsview
Irondale (Moved from D10 to D2 to coop with Mndsvw)
Mahtomedi
White Bear
Roseville
NSP/Johnson/Como
Stillwater
Tartan
St Paul (formerly Highland)
St Marys Point
Hudson
Somerset
Riverfalls
New Richmond
Baldwin

The 4 western wi associations are invited participants..They are not members nor do they play in district/reg/state tourneys.

Irondale/mv coop would be just one combined assoc with only one vote

St M P is not a full member either

They are listed as D2 associations on web, have reps at the meetings and are on the schedule. Walks like a duck.....

Go to mn hky website..have been to said meetings and sat on local board ...big diference being member and invited participants

Mavs wrote:I am hearing this won't be approved by Minnesota Hockey

I hope all at Minnesota hockey hasn't made their minds up before we get a chance to explain how this is what is best for ALL our current and future hockey players. A lot of time and research went into this as well to see if it would be the right move for our association as a whole. There was a mixture of both boys and girls parents in attendance at our meeting where we voted. From my understanding d10 is very receptive to us being a part of d10

St Cloud was in D10 long before Forest Lake moved to District 2.
As for redistricting maybe it is time to go to 8 Districts

any update here?

Did some checking with a friend who was a long time D10 board member and he thinks St Cloud joined District 10 for the 79-80 season, Forest Lake was already in D10 and they moved to District 2 I think for the 87-88 season. Funny he was mentioning other associations that were in D10, Columbia Heights, Fridley and St Anthony.