Well, I'll point out that my waxing columns are mostly about the emotions of the tourney that you see in kids and fans, no matter who wins or loses. Those things don't change, no matter the participants or the attendance or the number of future D-I or NHL players. Last year was really the exception to the norm with the lack of obvious upsets or great games...there were all the upsets in 09 and 12, some great OT affairs in 10 and 11...keep going back and it will be more of the same.northwoods oldtimer wrote:No kidding!! All the reason I dumped my State Playoff tickets 5 years ago. Gone are the days of the Cinderella Story teams. Predictable and BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't much fall for Karl East waxing all philosophic about the dreams of State tournament glory when hockey has become such a limited version of have and have not success. Quite honestly "building the big pyramid" that Herb Brooks envisioned is non existent in the state of regulatory hockey. Cost, cost and more cost have reduced quality programs and the attrition rate will continue due to economics and lack of player numbers and an overzealous regulatory body that has no clue how to build numbers.BodyShots wrote:Can you say "Ground Hog Day".gitter wrote:Some random thoughts before the first ticket to State is punched today:
Edina has made the tournament 6 consecutive years now, looking for 7.
Hill Murray has made it 7 out of the last 8. Hill played Stillwater in the 2009 section final. It took them double overtime to win.
East has made it 5 consecutive years.
Moorhead and Roseau have represented Section 8 every year since 1990, with the exception of 1996, when Alexandria made it. And it will be one of them again this year.
First time since 2009 that Lakeville North and South are not playing for the 1AA Championship.
Since 2008 (major realignment/renumbering of metro sections), some combination of Blaine, Maple Grove, and Centennial have played for the Section 5AA Championship...except 2013 when Champlin Park upset Blaine in the semifinals.
Section 3AA (since 2008 realignment/renumbering) has been won by a new team each year, except when Eagan repeated in 2011-2012. Woodbury in '08, Cretin '09, Apple Valley '10, Eagan '11-12, Eastview '13. Maybe STA this year?
We all know there has not been a repeat winner in 6AA (since realignment in 2008) and will not be again this year, but the representative from 6AA has never lost the opening game of the AA State Tournament (Finishing 3rd '08, 1st '09, 2nd '10, 1st '11, 1st '12, 4th '13)
*Info found at Minnhock and H-M Hockey History
I'd also point out that there were historical periods when things were just as lopsided. Grand Rapids went 8 times in a row in the 70s and 80s, Roseau had a run of 10 straight around then, Edina has been Edina since the late 60s, Hill has always been Hill, teams like St. Paul Johnson and South St. Paul owned their respective sections for a while...there was probably a bit more variation in, say, the 80s, when there were 20 teams in each section, but otherwise, this isn't all that different from the old days. Cinderellas are by definition rare, though they do come along...especially in A, but also in AA. (Eastview last year? Lakeville South the year before? Apple Valley two years before that? Cloquet two years before that?)
The money/base of the pyramid concerns are certainly valid, but if that's your concern, isn't giving up on the State Tourney only going to accelerate the rush to something that'll do in the small programs? That's a bigger debate for a different time, maybe, but it's worth mentioning.
At any rate, when I go to the Tourney, I find it very easy to forget about all the bigger stuff and just have four days of fun. I will again this year, even if Elk River wins tonight.
