Good read

[Slapper Al]

[url]=http://www.minnesotahockey.org/news_art ... r_id=80470[/url]

Not sure how to post a hyperlink, so here is the article text as well.

A BU Terrier on What Minnesota Does Right
08/12/2014, 8:00am CDTBy Aaron Paitich, Touchpoint MediaQ & A with Kenny Rausch, General Manager for the US Under-17 team
.If you’re like most local hockey nuts, you scour every draft board, prospect ranking and USA Hockey national team roster to see how many Minnesotans made the cut. “One, two, three, four … oh, there’s another … five, six.” Developing elite talent is something we take pride in.

While we’ve come to expect Minnesotans on almost every list, the release of the 2014 U.S. Under-17 Select Team roster was an eye-opener. Nine Minnesota natives were chosen to represent Team USA in the 2014 Five Nations Tournament, which will be held Aug. 13-17 in Crimmitschau, Germany.

The State of Hockey is definitely doing things the right way, says Ken Rausch, the U.S. Under-17 team general manager.

Minnesota Hockey caught up with Rausch, a Connecticut native and former Boston University assistant coach, just before his flight to Germany to talk about the Minnesota model.

Minnesota Hockey: Nine Minnesotans on the team this year. Not bad.

Ken Rausch: Nine. Nine of them. How about that?

MH: Why do you think Minnesota has been able to consistently produce elite-level talent?

KR: I think the big thing is that, for the most part, Minnesota has maintained the community hockey model. Kids grow up playing in their hometown and they strive to be high school hockey players for their hometown. You don’t have a lot of kids jumping from team to team. It creates that sense of community and bonding within the community.

MH: What other benefits are there with the community-based model?

KR: It also allows for some patience in long-term athlete development. They’re not in a rush as much as people in other parts of the country.

MH: Staying within your community and your hometown association allows you to be more patient?

KR: For sure it does. There’s always a place to play in Minnesota, whether it’s Squirts, Peewees or Bantams. Sometimes there’s an A-team and sometimes two B-teams. Look at a guy like Dustin Byfuglien. He didn’t make the A-team growing up very much, but he kept playing. There was always a place to play for him.

MH: So there’s no rush to the top in the community model. You can develop at your own pace.

KR: Exactly. Derek Stepan is on record saying his dad didn’t let him play travel hockey until he was a Peewee. It’s not what you do at 8, 9 and 10 years old that make you a pro. But what you do at 8, 9 and 10 is going to help foster your passion for the game that may allow you to become a pro.

MH: Does the sense of community and pride stand out to you?

KR: I think so, for sure. They all have that sense of pride and community. For the most part, most Minnesota kids still want to grow up and play for their high school team. They’re not looking to drive an hour-and-a-half to go play on the best AAA team or whatever it may be. I think that passion is there for a lot of those kids and they grow up with it in their blood.

MH: Do you think some people who have grown up in Minnesota might take that for granted?

KR: There’s no doubt people take community hockey for granted there. Some of that might be the grass-is-greener mentality that might be creeping in a little bit. You need to be careful with that. This is what’s working for you and it’s producing.

MH: Do you think coaches recruit Minnesotans because of the systems in place here?

KR: I think they want to recruit Minnesotans because they’re good hockey players. That’s what it comes down to. But it’s kind of the chicken and the egg, because that’s why they become good hockey players.

MH: What about the coaches in Minnesota? What do you know about the quality of coaches in the state and how has that helped consistently develop top talent?

KR: The coaching there is really good. Again, I go back to the sense of community. The high school coaches in a certain town – they know the Bantam, the Peewee and the Squirts coaches. There’s that mentorship, where they give back to their communities probably more than any other place.

MH: What about the future of Minnesota Hockey? Do you see this output of talent and development continuing?

KR: I certainly hope so, for the sake of Minnesota and for the sake of USA Hockey. They’ve consistently produced the most NHL players and college players in the country. We certainly hope that continues.
..

[almostashappy]

=http://www.minnesotahockey.org/news_ar ... r_id=80470

http://www.minnesotahockey.org/news_art ... r_id=80470

Looks like you tried to do it right...copy/paste the link, select the link text, then click on the URL button top right.

As for the article...the guy being interviewed could well be 100% right, but it's hard to take anything that self-serving with more than a grain of salt from minnesotahockey. Same way that I'm skeptical of WHL press releases extolling the virtues of the WHL development model.

I did see them focus on how many kids were native-born, rather than how many of the 9 are still within the system that marries community-based youth hockey with high school hockey teams.

[Shinbone_News]

Bash Minnesota Hockey all you want, but there is no question that:

a) Minnesota produces more high level players than any other state by a factor. It produces more professionals playing at the highest level than any country other than Canada. Sweden has about as many.

b) Hockey parents and players everywhere else in the US look to Minnesota as the gold standard and they envy us and relish every opportunity to play against us to prove their mettle.

c) Minnesota hockey players have a political advantage over kids everywhere else in the country just because they're from Minnesota.

On this last point, the "grass is always greener, bring Tier 1 AAA to Minnesota" crowd don't like to acknowledge this, but unless you are a stud on Little Caesars or Colorado Rampage or whichever Tier 1 AAA team is in the top 10 this year, you are not going to get a second look from anyone that matters.

It's often said that "If you have the skills, they will find you." But ask a poor family playing Tier II in Illinois or Indiana if that's true. Ask a parent of any player on any prep team other than Shattuck. But in Minnesota, all you have to do is be a stud on one of our 150+ high school teams, and there's a pretty good chance any scout who is anybody will see you play at some point during the season.

A good motto might be: "Minnesota hockey. It ain't broke, stop trying to fix it."

[puckbreath]

Bash Minnesota Hockey all you want, but there is no question that:

a) Minnesota produces more high level players than any other state by a factor. It produces more professionals playing at the highest level than any country other than Canada. Sweden has about as many.

b) Hockey parents and players everywhere else in the US look to Minnesota as the gold standard and they envy us and relish every opportunity to play against us to prove their mettle.

c) Minnesota hockey players have a political advantage over kids everywhere else in the country just because they're from Minnesota.

On this last point, the "grass is always greener, bring Tier 1 AAA to Minnesota" crowd don't like to acknowledge this, but unless you are a stud on Little Caesars or Colorado Rampage or whichever Tier 1 AAA team is in the top 10 this year, you are not going to get a second look from anyone that matters.

It's often said that "If you have the skills, they will find you." But ask a poor family playing Tier II in Illinois or Indiana if that's true. Ask a parent of any player on any prep team other than Shattuck. But in Minnesota, all you have to do is be a stud on one of our 150+ high school teams, and there's a pretty good chance any scout who is anybody will see you play at some point during the season.

A good motto might be: "Minnesota hockey. It ain't broke, stop trying to fix it."

The "bring T1 to Minnesota" cry is like so many such cries on various topics.

Basically, others wanting to force their way of doing/thinking about things, on someone else.

You can see it most everyday, with other topics.

More often than not, such actions are rooted in jealousy and insecurity.

[WestMetro]

Agree with premise that community based hockey and big supply of good community youth coaches, for the most part volunteer, have been the reasons for Minnesota success to date.

Question is whether the community based model will be able to hold itself together going forward. Lots of different forces at work now.

So far Exiled Ones early departing list is only about 18, maybe the total will end up somewhere in the vicinity of 25, down substantially from last years peak early departure total of about 40. ( And two of the 18 are at least remaining in state high school system.)

Hopefully this will be a continuing trend.

(What I find most amazing about this years early depart list is that the 5 best goalies in the state are all early departs. I think in the past there have been 1 or maybe 2 at most early departing goalies?)

[SCBlueLiner]

It's often said that "If you have the skills, they will find you." But ask a poor family playing Tier II in Illinois or Indiana if that's true. Ask a parent of any player on any prep team other than Shattuck. But in Minnesota, all you have to do is be a stud on one of our 150+ high school teams, and there's a pretty good chance any scout who is anybody will see you play at some point during the season.

This is so true it is almost scary. If you are a great high school hockey player from Moorhead you will be found. Move across the river and play for West Fargo and you will never be seen. Just a matter of a few miles, as the crow flies.

[Oldcoach63]

I was in Chicago talking to some parents last season who had kids on the LA Jr Kings Tier 1 team. What was enlightening to me was the cost. It was $12k-$14k per season to play. Add to that the travel expenses and typical extras. The shortest distance they traveled for a game was over 100 miles. Lots of travel to places like Chicago, Winnipeg, etc., pretty much every weekend. That seemed to be the story with several other teams that were at this particular tourney. That doesn't include anything like private school tuition if that's the route you choose.

That's the kind of expense that would limit the talent pool and exclude many great athletes from the area that simply couldn't afford to play. We do that to some extent in Minnesota as hockey isn't cheap here but it's still relatively affordable compared to many other parts of the country. We have great coaches, volunteers, facilities, community pride, etc., but obviously participation numbers has a lot to do with success. If a certain percentage of players are elite enough to go far, your going to get more from many thousand to choose from than from a few hundred.

I wonder if the grass is greener people who push for Tier 1 realize the expense and what they are getting into. If you have the resources, then great. It could be a good option. Keep in mind that the best players may not necessarily have those resources so Tier 1 teams around here may sound like a great thing and have a few great players but may not have the best of the best. It all makes me very grateful for our community based hockey.

[NLHockey]

Agree with premise that community based hockey and big supply of good community youth coaches, for the most part volunteer, have been the reasons for Minnesota success to date.

Question is whether the community based model will be able to hold itself together going forward. Lots of different forces at work now.

So far Exiled Ones early departing list is only about 18, maybe the total will end up somewhere in the vicinity of 25, down substantially from last years peak early departure total of about 40. ( And two of the 18 are at least remaining in state high school system.)

Hopefully this will be a continuing trend.

(What I find most amazing about this years early depart list is that the 5 best goalies in the state are all early departs. I think in the past there have been 1 or maybe 2 at most early departing goalies?)

Because 25 games a season is not enough to develop goaltenders. And Chase Perry paved the way by leaving last year and did pretty well by doing so.

[The Exiled One]

I wonder if the grass is greener people who push for Tier 1 realize the expense and what they are getting into.

Well... yeah, they do. The people who push for it are the people who profit from it.

[Froggy Richards]

Agree with premise that community based hockey and big supply of good community youth coaches, for the most part volunteer, have been the reasons for Minnesota success to date.

Question is whether the community based model will be able to hold itself together going forward. Lots of different forces at work now.

So far Exiled Ones early departing list is only about 18, maybe the total will end up somewhere in the vicinity of 25, down substantially from last years peak early departure total of about 40. ( And two of the 18 are at least remaining in state high school system.)

Hopefully this will be a continuing trend.

(What I find most amazing about this years early depart list is that the 5 best goalies in the state are all early departs. I think in the past there have been 1 or maybe 2 at most early departing goalies?)

Because 25 games a season is not enough to develop goaltenders. And Chase Perry paved the way by leaving last year and did pretty well by doing so.

If you have a good goalie coach you can develop more in practice than by playing additional games.

[Froggy Richards]

I was in Chicago talking to some parents last season who had kids on the LA Jr Kings Tier 1 team. What was enlightening to me was the cost. It was $12k-$14k per season to play. Add to that the travel expenses and typical extras. The shortest distance they traveled for a game was over 100 miles. Lots of travel to places like Chicago, Winnipeg, etc., pretty much every weekend. That seemed to be the story with several other teams that were at this particular tourney. That doesn't include anything like private school tuition if that's the route you choose.

That's the kind of expense that would limit the talent pool and exclude many great athletes from the area that simply couldn't afford to play. We do that to some extent in Minnesota as hockey isn't cheap here but it's still relatively affordable compared to many other parts of the country. We have great coaches, volunteers, facilities, community pride, etc., but obviously participation numbers has a lot to do with success. If a certain percentage of players are elite enough to go far, your going to get more from many thousand to choose from than from a few hundred.

I wonder if the grass is greener people who push for Tier 1 realize the expense and what they are getting into. If you have the resources, then great. It could be a good option. Keep in mind that the best players may not necessarily have those resources so Tier 1 teams around here may sound like a great thing and have a few great players but may not have the best of the best. It all makes me very grateful for our community based hockey.

I don't even worry about it anymore. Any knowledgeable person knows that Community Based is by far the best model. There's no comparison. That is why it will always win out in the end. Every other State would have it if they could, they just don't have the setup to make it work. Plain and Simple.

[57special]

I was in Chicago talking to some parents last season who had kids on the LA Jr Kings Tier 1 team. What was enlightening to me was the cost. It was $12k-$14k per season to play. Add to that the travel expenses and typical extras. The shortest distance they traveled for a game was over 100 miles. Lots of travel to places like Chicago, Winnipeg, etc., pretty much every weekend. That seemed to be the story with several other teams that were at this particular tourney. That doesn't include anything like private school tuition if that's the route you choose.

That's the kind of expense that would limit the talent pool and exclude many great athletes from the area that simply couldn't afford to play. We do that to some extent in Minnesota as hockey isn't cheap here but it's still relatively affordable compared to many other parts of the country. We have great coaches, volunteers, facilities, community pride, etc., but obviously participation numbers has a lot to do with success. If a certain percentage of players are elite enough to go far, your going to get more from many thousand to choose from than from a few hundred.

I wonder if the grass is greener people who push for Tier 1 realize the expense and what they are getting into. If you have the resources, then great. It could be a good option. Keep in mind that the best players may not necessarily have those resources so Tier 1 teams around here may sound like a great thing and have a few great players but may not have the best of the best. It all makes me very grateful for our community based hockey.

I know people who play for the Carolina AAA Team ( Jr. Hurricanes) and in Dallas, also. Both say that their cost is about 15K/year. One kid is quite talented, but not amazing. The other is so-so... Probably would be a B1 player in MN. That's a lot of money to play hockey. Having said that, if MN went Tier 1 the costs could be kept down because they would have the ability to put together numerous teams due to the amount of talented players here. Still would be more expensive, but there could be a lot of in state tourneys and games, reducing travel costs reducing conflicts with school days. I think the costs would be more in line with what the Canadian Tier 1 teams pay, rather than what the US teams do.

I prefer the community based model, but I do wish there was more choice when it comes to HS age. It's either play for your team, or pay 15K+( there's that amount again) to get him on a private HS team.

Hockey has really changed from the Blue collar game my father used to play.

[The Exiled One]

I prefer the community based model, but I do wish there was more choice when it comes to HS age. It's either play for your team, or pay 15K+( there's that amount again) to get him on a private HS team.

Hockey has really changed from the Blue collar game my father used to play.

It has changed, but not as much as the popular perception. I know of a bunch of kids who only ever played association hockey, no hockey in the summer, and still managed to make the varsity team, sometime even for top programs like Edina. It's still certainly not as "cheap" as it used to be, but I don't think the costs are that out of line with inflation.

What has always been true, but what has become increasingly apparent, is that the wealthier families keep pushing the bar higher. The disparity between the wealthiest kid in the association/school and the poorest kid in the association/school is growing. One kid will have a $20 wood stick and another will have a $250 carbon fiber twig. One kid will lease used skates for $30 and another kid will have $500 blades. One kid will take the summer off and another kid will play in a $4,000 AAA summer program.

Depending on the association, a non-need-based bantam could spend as little as $1,000 in fees and $250 for used equipment. That's not affordable for everybody, but it's a lot less than the popular perception. A need-based family could take advantage of all sorts of grants and practically play for free. Almost every association has some sort of program available.

I'm not writing this to disagree with your point, only to mitigate the stereotype. I'm on a youth hockey association board and the "expensive sport" stereotype is killing our enrollment numbers. Immigrant and minority populations are increasing in our footprint (really, all over the state), and the "expensive sport" meme isn't helping with recruitment.

Again, the disparity problem as been around a while and is only getting worse, but community hockey in Minnesota is STILL a very affordable, blue-collar sport that every kid should play!

[Lazy Scout]

Two Minnesota kids, Boeser and Novak, are leading the whole Ivan Hlinka tournament in points. I guess Minnesota hockey did not hinder their development.

[The Exiled One]

Two Minnesota kids, Boeser and Novak, are leading the whole Ivan Hlinka tournament in points. I guess Minnesota hockey did not hinder their development.

Well, technically Novak is from Wisconsin but most recently played in the MSHSL, as did Boeser.

Curiously, the MN native is going to WI for college, the WI native is going to MN for college, and both will be playing their senior year in IA.

[puckbreath]

I was in Chicago talking to some parents last season who had kids on the LA Jr Kings Tier 1 team. What was enlightening to me was the cost. It was $12k-$14k per season to play. Add to that the travel expenses and typical extras. The shortest distance they traveled for a game was over 100 miles. Lots of travel to places like Chicago, Winnipeg, etc., pretty much every weekend. That seemed to be the story with several other teams that were at this particular tourney. That doesn't include anything like private school tuition if that's the route you choose.

That's the kind of expense that would limit the talent pool and exclude many great athletes from the area that simply couldn't afford to play. We do that to some extent in Minnesota as hockey isn't cheap here but it's still relatively affordable compared to many other parts of the country. We have great coaches, volunteers, facilities, community pride, etc., but obviously participation numbers has a lot to do with success. If a certain percentage of players are elite enough to go far, your going to get more from many thousand to choose from than from a few hundred.

I wonder if the grass is greener people who push for Tier 1 realize the expense and what they are getting into. If you have the resources, then great. It could be a good option. Keep in mind that the best players may not necessarily have those resources so Tier 1 teams around here may sound like a great thing and have a few great players but may not have the best of the best. It all makes me very grateful for our community based hockey.

I know people who play for the Carolina AAA Team ( Jr. Hurricanes) and in Dallas, also. Both say that their cost is about 15K/year. One kid is quite talented, but not amazing. The other is so-so... Probably would be a B1 player in MN. That's a lot of money to play hockey. Having said that, if MN went Tier 1 the costs could be kept down because they would have the ability to put together numerous teams due to the amount of talented players here. Still would be more expensive, but there could be a lot of in state tourneys and games, reducing travel costs reducing conflicts with school days. I think the costs would be more in line with what the Canadian Tier 1 teams pay, rather than what the US teams do.

I prefer the community based model, but I do wish there was more choice when it comes to HS age. It's either play for your team, or pay 15K+( there's that amount again) to get him on a private HS team.

Hockey has really changed from the Blue collar game my father used to play.

Most definitely so.

It is a sport associated with $ more often than not, and becoming more and more so.

Exiled, agree with many of your posts points, but in my experience, no kid is going to rent cheap skates, use cheap wood sticks, if all the rest of his friends on the teams don't, whether his family can afford it or not.

No way would a kid put up with what they think of as embarrassment.

[The Exiled One]

Exiled, agree with many of your posts points, but in my experience, no kid is going to rent cheap skates, use cheap wood sticks, if all the rest of his friends on the teams don't, whether his family can afford it or not.

No way would a kid put up with what they think of as embarrassment.

I agree with this observation, which is why disparity is hurting the community model, particularly at the older ages. Mites wouldn't know the difference.

[puckbreath]

Exiled, agree with many of your posts points, but in my experience, no kid is going to rent cheap skates, use cheap wood sticks, if all the rest of his friends on the teams don't, whether his family can afford it or not.

No way would a kid put up with what they think of as embarrassment.

I agree with this observation, which is why disparity is hurting the community model, particularly at the older ages. Mites wouldn't know the difference.

That's true.

[almostashappy]

I agree with this observation, which is why disparity is hurting the community model, particularly at the older ages. Mites wouldn't know the difference.

Mite parents would also not necessarily know the difference, since youth associations are bending over backwards to bring kids into the system by heavily subsidizing mite association fees and making used equipment available for cheap rentals.

But those mite parents, if they're smart, will look at the association's web site/newsletter and see how much the fees jump at the older levels. And they'll visit their local equipment store and check out the prices on adult-sized sticks and skates. And (most importantly) they'll talk to the parents of older players and learn just how expensive the sport will become for them as the years go by. And they will be in a position to make an informed choice.

[The Exiled One]

But those mite parents, if they're smart, will look at the association's web site/newsletter and see how much the fees jump at the older levels.

And if those parents are stupid, they'll let that information convince them to not put their kid in mites.

[57special]

I prefer the community based model, but I do wish there was more choice when it comes to HS age. It's either play for your team, or pay 15K+( there's that amount again) to get him on a private HS team.

Hockey has really changed from the Blue collar game my father used to play.

It has changed, but not as much as the popular perception. I know of a bunch of kids who only ever played association hockey, no hockey in the summer, and still managed to make the varsity team, sometime even for top programs like Edina. It's still certainly not as "cheap" as it used to be, but I don't think the costs are that out of line with inflation.

What has always been true, but what has become increasingly apparent, is that the wealthier families keep pushing the bar higher. The disparity between the wealthiest kid in the association/school and the poorest kid in the association/school is growing. One kid will have a $20 wood stick and another will have a $250 carbon fiber twig. One kid will lease used skates for $30 and another kid will have $500 blades. One kid will take the summer off and another kid will play in a $4,000 AAA summer program.

Depending on the association, a non-need-based bantam could spend as little as $1,000 in fees and $250 for used equipment. That's not affordable for everybody, but it's a lot less than the popular perception. A need-based family could take advantage of all sorts of grants and practically play for free. Almost every association has some sort of program available.

I'm not writing this to disagree with your point, only to mitigate the stereotype. I'm on a youth hockey association board and the "expensive sport" stereotype is killing our enrollment numbers. Immigrant and minority populations are increasing in our footprint (really, all over the state), and the "expensive sport" meme isn't helping with recruitment.

Again, the disparity problem as been around a while and is only getting worse, but community hockey in Minnesota is STILL a very affordable, blue-collar sport that every kid should play!

I'm scratching my head to figure out who makes the Edina Varsity not playing any summer hockey. I can't think of one. The vast majority of anyone within sniffing distance of that team does a lot of off season hockey/training. To imply otherwise is misleading.

Agree with most of your other points.

[JSR]

On this last point, the "grass is always greener, bring Tier 1 AAA to Minnesota" crowd don't like to acknowledge this, but unless you are a stud on Little Caesars or Colorado Rampage or whichever Tier 1 AAA team is in the top 10 this year, you are not going to get a second look from anyone that matters.

I disagree with you on this point....

Will Butcher played only for the Madison Capitols until he went to the UNTDP, his Caps team never ranked inside the top 25 even........

According to MANY early ranking charts the second best 2000 born player in the country is a kid that plays for the Phoenix Jr Coyotes, I don't know if he plays up or not on the 99's but even they are only 28th and the 2000's are 64th...

I have several other dozen examples of the same thing here..... The point being if you are good enough and even playing for a lower lvel Tier 1 club they will still find you. Your statement I bolded above was over the top. MN is a great place to play and produces lots of quality players but it's the over the top statements like this that do not help promote it

[puckbreath]

On this last point, the "grass is always greener, bring Tier 1 AAA to Minnesota" crowd don't like to acknowledge this, but unless you are a stud on Little Caesars or Colorado Rampage or whichever Tier 1 AAA team is in the top 10 this year, you are not going to get a second look from anyone that matters.

I disagree with you on this point....

Will Butcher played only for the Madison Capitols until he went to the UNTDP, his Caps team never ranked inside the top 25 even........

According to MANY early ranking charts the second best 2000 born player in the country is a kid that plays for the Phoenix Jr Coyotes, I don't know if he plays up or not on the 99's but even they are only 28th and the 2000's are 64th...

I have several other dozen examples of the same thing here..... The point being if you are good enough and even playing for a lower lvel Tier 1 club they will still find you. Your statement I bolded above was over the top. MN is a great place to play and produces lots of quality players but it's the over the top statements like this that do not help promote it

One thing to keep in mind with examples of kid's from "timbuktu" who get noticed, and the entire "If you're good enough..." line is this:

- many, many kids these days are initiating things by contacting programs/coaches themselves, while still in hs.
Literally with a hockey "resume", many times including video.

I wonder how many kids have done this, that may have not been noticed otherwise ?

No way of knowing for sure of course, but to me, the "If you're good enough......." line, while very true in the past, is not so true anymore these days.

[SCBlueLiner]

How about this JSR? If you are a stud player in Chicago or St. Louis playing Tier 2 AA because your family can't afford to pay the $15,000 or so a year it costs to play AAA then you most likely won't get a first look much less a second. In the community based model in Minnesota there are all kinds of players I can point to that get looked at and recruited because they are very good but still they play for teams that are not AAA, or even AA caliber. More likely A caliber teams.

[JSR]

On this last point, the "grass is always greener, bring Tier 1 AAA to Minnesota" crowd don't like to acknowledge this, but unless you are a stud on Little Caesars or Colorado Rampage or whichever Tier 1 AAA team is in the top 10 this year, you are not going to get a second look from anyone that matters.

I disagree with you on this point....

Will Butcher played only for the Madison Capitols until he went to the UNTDP, his Caps team never ranked inside the top 25 even........

According to MANY early ranking charts the second best 2000 born player in the country is a kid that plays for the Phoenix Jr Coyotes, I don't know if he plays up or not on the 99's but even they are only 28th and the 2000's are 64th...

I have several other dozen examples of the same thing here..... The point being if you are good enough and even playing for a lower lvel Tier 1 club they will still find you. Your statement I bolded above was over the top. MN is a great place to play and produces lots of quality players but it's the over the top statements like this that do not help promote it

One thing to keep in mind with examples of kid's from "timbuktu" who get noticed, and the entire "If you're good enough..." line is this:

- many, many kids these days are initiating things by contacting programs/coaches themselves, while still in hs.
Literally with a hockey "resume", many times including video.

I wonder how many kids have done this, that may have not been noticed otherwise ?

No way of knowing for sure of course, but to me, the "If you're good enough......." line, while very true in the past, is not so true anymore these days.

I still disagree, mainly because the Phoenix Jr Coyotes, or the Madison Caps, or any other lower ranked Tier 1 team is not "timbuktu", the reason ebing is that despite their team not being highly ranked they are still Tier 1 and still playing against top Tier 1 teams and that allows them to be noticed. It's actually been said within the Tier 1 commuity that it's better to be the "stud" on a 40th ranked Tier 1 team than a middle of the road player on a top ten team. It allows you a chance to stand out and be noticed more.... Now for most states outside of Minnesota (or Northern WI and a few other "pockets") if you are not playing Tier 1 then yea the ability to get noticed and advanced is minimal to none. Liek I said the statement was "over the top" that doesn't mean it couldn't have had SOME truth in it, it just went too far