MSHSL Game Limit

[GoldenBear69]

Is there any circumstance where a MN HS team could play more the 25 games in the regular season?

[RRubberbeeskit]

Is there any circumstance where a MN HS team could play more the 25 games in the regular season?

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Goldenbear69: I did read on a thread a couple weeks back that 2 teams were allowed to play 26 games to help fill out a couple schedules. Otherwise I am unaware of this happening before.

[GoldenBear69]

Thanks. Just curious, as I was looking at regular season records, I came across a couple of teams with 26 games. Appreciate the info.

[GopherPuck15]

It needs to go up. Period.

[HShockeywatcher]

If a team is having trouble scheduling a full 25 games (new, bad, etc), they can get an exception so anyone else that schedules them can go over 25.
You will occasionally see teams with 26 because of this.

There is an 8A team this year that did this.

[north_bear]

It needs to go up. Period.

Yes it does. I think 30-35 a season would be ideal. Bantams play a much more rigorous schedule so it's not like players aren't capable or conditioned for more games.

[Marty]

Bantam season is at least 30 - 40 days longer.

Boys HS league is 17 weeks. First practice to state final game. Actually it is a couple days under 17 weeks if you are really counting.

Academics is for real at the HS level (it counts and colleges are looking). The vast majority of HS players will not play college hockey. A HS game is an all evening affair. Leave afterschool, JV and Varsity games, often long bus rides and not home until 10 or so.


There is a fine line between tip-top conditioned and worn down. True for any team entering the play offs in the NHL, College Hockey, and the HS hockey levels.

[nu2hockey]

It would be very easy to increase games...
The league will not increase the 17 weeks,period.

1. Allow double-header games on non-school days(no Sun)..with mandated time between games

2. Only 1 game per week allowed on school days,
creating 4 days of practice/week on typical school week

You now have more games and more practices

[thestickler07]

It would be easier for all involved to just increase period lengths to 20 minutes.

[HShockeywatcher]

The cry for more games has always puzzled me. You have the school factor for the student athletes as well as what many families/parents are already doing to make it work for their children. Beyond that, though, practice is an integral part of sports. Not sure how you have games 1/3 of the season and do everything you need to at practice; it could compromise the integrity of games and/or the validity of their results.

One thing that makes MN very unique, something many here take for granted, is the distinction of 3 unique seasons. Unless you make it far in state, you can play 3 sports and not miss time in any. In many other places, mainly ones with no snow, when the fall sport ends, the spring one begins, and if a winter sport is your main sport, you many not be able to play another sport because of the overlap.

It would be easier for all involved to just increase period lengths to 20 minutes.

Not a terrible idea. It would increase games and "the season" by over 15% without doing much.

[Nuts&Bolts]

Winter, mosquito season, and what's the 3rd season again?

[thestickler07]

Winter, mosquito season, and what's the 3rd season again?

Road construction.

[green4]

Something totally out of their control, but if school ever became year round in the US(I think it will one day) than spring sports woudnt have to be squeezed in such a short period and all the sport seasons could be lengthened.

[MNHockeyFan]

Something totally out of their control, but if school ever became year round...

The powerful teachers' unions would never go along with this. Instead, I think they should raise the maximum number of regular season games to 30 and play 20 minute periods.

[green4]

Something totally out of their control, but if school ever became year round...

The powerful teachers' unions would never go along with this. Instead, I think they should raise the maximum number of regular season games to 30 and play 20 minute periods.

Many teachers are in favor of year round schooling and it would not really be the teachers Unions final decision. Regardless, it seems unlikely they add games to the hockey season unless they extend the seasons length. But they most likely won't extend the seasons length without extending the other sport's seasons too. The best you could hope for I believe is 20 minute periods.

[HShockeywatcher]

Something totally out of their control, but if school ever became year round...

The powerful teachers' unions would never go along with this. Instead, I think they should raise the maximum number of regular season games to 30 and play 20 minute periods.

Many teachers are in favor of year round schooling and it would not really be the teachers Unions final decision. Regardless, it seems unlikely they add games to the hockey season unless they extend the seasons length. But they most likely won't extend the seasons length without extending the other sport's seasons too. The best you could hope for I believe is 20 minute periods.

This^
Many nations around the world have about 30 more contact days than the US while about 60% of the contact hours. Change is something many teachers are behind.

I honestly think change is possible if hockey people get out of the mindset that hockey's different and work within the framework that we'd need to make it work for all of the sports.
As is, half of teams are eliminated from playoffs after the first week and some teams sit around for a while before the next season starts. You could easily add a week on the front and back of most seasons. You could further change playoffs to something you have to qualify for and add more. Teams in state may miss the beginning of some seasons. Etc, etc.

Ultimately, the biggest issue I see is being "fair" to spring. A couple of the last 5 springs have seen basically month long seasons. Out of our control but a very real consideration.

[northwoods oldtimer]

Need to play 35-40 game HS season. 25 games is a total joke. HS season can easily manage 35 game season. GET IT DONE!

[silentbutdeadly3139]

Something totally out of their control, but if school ever became year round...

The powerful teachers' unions would never go along with this. Instead, I think they should raise the maximum number of regular season games to 30 and play 20 minute periods.

Many teachers are in favor of year round schooling and it would not really be the teachers Unions final decision. Regardless, it seems unlikely they add games to the hockey season unless they extend the seasons length. But they most likely won't extend the seasons length without extending the other sport's seasons too. The best you could hope for I believe is 20 minute periods.

Yeah, I see teachers picketing all the time trying to work summers, they hate having summer off If you don't think the teachers union is powerful, you need to think again. I think most parents would prefer year round school just as they pushed for full time kindergarten because it is very difficult to find summer daycare.

[HShockeywatcher]

Need to play 35-40 game HS season. 25 games is a total joke. HS season can easily manage 35 game season. GET IT DONE!

Without lengthening the season, what is the advantage of adding 10-15 games at the moment? That's more travel, higher expenses for schools/parents, doing something not in line with other MSHSL sports, and what advantage does it give?

Yeah, I see teachers picketing all the time trying to work summers, they hate having summer off If you don't think the teachers union is powerful, you need to think again. I think most parents would prefer year round school just as they pushed for full time kindergarten because it is very difficult to find summer daycare.

You must not know many teachers...

The teacher's unions are quite powerful, no one would dispute that and there are plenty of examples of it, but if they had the control you'd like us to think they do, education around the country would look a lot different than it does in many ways.

[GopherPuck15]

The powerful teachers' unions would never go along with this. Instead, I think they should raise the maximum number of regular season games to 30 and play 20 minute periods.

Many teachers are in favor of year round schooling and it would not really be the teachers Unions final decision. Regardless, it seems unlikely they add games to the hockey season unless they extend the seasons length. But they most likely won't extend the seasons length without extending the other sport's seasons too. The best you could hope for I believe is 20 minute periods.

This^
Many nations around the world have about 30 more contact days than the US while about 60% of the contact hours. Change is something many teachers are behind.

I honestly think change is possible if hockey people get out of the mindset that hockey's different and work within the framework that we'd need to make it work for all of the sports.
As is, half of teams are eliminated from playoffs after the first week and some teams sit around for a while before the next season starts. You could easily add a week on the front and back of most seasons. You could further change playoffs to something you have to qualify for and add more. Teams in state may miss the beginning of some seasons. Etc, etc.

Ultimately, the biggest issue I see is being "fair" to spring. A couple of the last 5 springs have seen basically month long seasons. Out of our control but a very real consideration.

I think the mindset needs to BE that hockey is different. What other sport is losing their top/elite athletes to perceived better alternatives like hockey? There's no junior football or basketball.

[northwoods oldtimer]

Need to play 35-40 game HS season. 25 games is a total joke. HS season can easily manage 35 game season. GET IT DONE!

Without lengthening the season, what is the advantage of adding 10-15 games at the moment? That's more travel, higher expenses for schools/parents, doing something not in line with other MSHSL sports, and what advantage does it give?

Yeah, I see teachers picketing all the time trying to work summers, they hate having summer off If you don't think the teachers union is powerful, you need to think again. I think most parents would prefer year round school just as they pushed for full time kindergarten because it is very difficult to find summer daycare.

You must not know many teachers...

The teacher's unions are quite powerful, no one would dispute that and there are plenty of examples of it, but if they had the control you'd like us to think they do, education around the country would look a lot different than it does in many ways.

Better yet return hockey to the associations that way players don't have to put up with mediocre liberal bias of equal opportunity. Parents don't gripe about 50 games at bantams. Better coaching/development around the state at youth/Bantam level. That would carry into HS if changed. CHANGE
IT!

[sticksave]

I was at Schwans Arena this weekend and looming all over the complex were 4'x6' signs for AAA hockey. Their big selling point is more games. In Minnesota we're very lucky to still have high school hockey. Most states don't. The talk out there is to be competitive with AAA hockey the MSHSL is going to have to bend or we will start having large scale defections to AAA hockey. Most so called experts outside of this state don't understand how we are still getting away with it. Of course look at the high number of D-1 players we put out and it shuts them up.... for now. More and more of our local skaters have parents who are not hockey traditionalists. If the MSHSl doesn't progress with demand we can expect our current system to change.

[HShockeywatcher]

I was at Schwans Arena this weekend and looming all over the complex were 4'x6' signs for AAA hockey. Their big selling point is more games. In Minnesota we're very lucky to still have high school hockey. Most states don't. The talk out there is to be competitive with AAA hockey the MSHSL is going to have to bend or we will start having large scale defections to AAA hockey. Most so called experts outside of this state don't understand how we are still getting away with it. Of course look at the high number of D-1 players we put out and it shuts them up.... for now. More and more of our local skaters have parents who are not hockey traditionalists. If the MSHSl doesn't progress with demand we can expect our current system to change.

To this comment and the others similar; what does more games accomplish without a longer season?

I have no inside knowledge of anything, but from the way things have been handled in recent years with the MSHSL, the student in student athlete comes first and they aren't going to do things for one sport they aren't doing for others.

If you want these changes and aren't going to address the legitimate issues at play, the changes won't happen.

[The Exiled One]

A lot of opinions here... might as well add mine!

Ask any D1 or higher hockey player from Minnesota if high school aged kids should play hockey year-round. I'd be surprised if you can find a single yes. In accordance with that, I think particular care should be taken to allow kids to play separate fall, winter, and spring sports. That could make it difficult to extend the calendar length of the season.

As for games, I think it's only a good idea if we're adding actual hours of ice time. If we're just swapping out games for practice or conditioning time, I don't see the benefit. Also, academic eligibility should NEVER be sacrificed, even though additional hours of ice time will certainly put a strain on homework.

So, in conclusion, I'm all for more ice time (games, practice, length of season, etc.) as long as kids can still play multiple sports and manage their academics.

[bubblehockey27]

I'd be in favor of teams adding in games. A 30 game schedule seems to make sense, and for those teams that have budget/travel issues, they can play 25. It would probably only add another week to the season, as I'm sure most teams could factor in an additional 5 as is.

I've always been in favor of adding games.