The Hermantown Thread

The Latest 400 or so Topics

Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)

O-townClown
Posts: 4357
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2007 12:22 pm
Location: Typical homeboy from the O-Town

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by O-townClown » Mon Apr 13, 2020 2:34 pm

Stang, short version is that no other Class A program looks like Hermantown. I was raised on Sesame Street. One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just isn't right. Used to be two, then St. Thomas opted up.

An amazing shell game sifting through a hunnit plus other schools to distract the discussion away from Hermantown not playing Duluth East. To start firing off other points like Mahtomedi is in Eden Prairie's backyard or Mahtomedi is as strong annually as Hermantown is warped.

For someone that follows Class A like you do this is a godsend. The villain every year has been cast. Bankable like Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt, or Charles Bronson and Paul Newman in days past.

My prediction is that at some point the folks in Hermantown have a change of heart and capitulate. The trigger will probably be a year when the rest of Class A lacks a Greenway making a run, loaded Cathedral, or Mahtomedi riding an inspired performance from a superhero. Since the Metro privates are pretty much AA now (B-SM, Blake, St. Thomas & Totino-Grace were Class A) it wouldn't shock me. I know Hermantown's youth program is flying high. At some point a run through Litchfield-Dassel/Cokato, Gentry Academy, and Warroad in a down year might leave the faithful unsatisfied.
Be kind. Rewind.

Jeffy95
Posts: 891
Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2015 8:45 am

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by Jeffy95 » Mon Apr 13, 2020 2:54 pm

Stang5280 wrote:
Mon Apr 13, 2020 1:39 pm
BP wrote:
Mon Apr 13, 2020 1:02 pm
Stang5280 wrote:
Mon Apr 13, 2020 12:53 pm
[It seems odd to me that some of those same west suburban teams are now willing to play the Duluth-area team that shall not be named.

Stang - the reason is those Western teams were losing players to Breck. It's a no win situation if Wayzata (for example) played Breck and lost to them. Then - Breck makes a bigger case to get some of those players. Playing H'town doesn't affect a chance of losing players to them.

Just a thought to consider.
Yeah, I realize that is mainly the reason why those matchups didn’t happen, but I didn’t really spell it out clearly in my ramblings. (Heck, section mate Mound-Westonka still refuses to play Breck.) However, couldn’t the same be said for Hermantown playing local AA competition? They do have a propensity to attract outside players to the program.

In some respects, these games are are often a no-win situation for the AA schools. If they win, well, of course they should defeat the smaller school; if they lose, it reflects poorly on them.
Yes Sir, couldn't say it much better than that. Buy that man a $5 cigar!

I love the East Hermantown Debate, it comes every Spring just like the Easter Bunny! It's one of the topics that keeps me coming back to the board every year and I don't even have to bring it up. This year we even pulled in a few more Metro guys so it's getting better every year. The Mahtomedi hook worked exactly like it was supposed to! Stang even pulled out, came back in, and then ended up being smarter than all of us!

If you fight for these games to happen, then that is your prerogative. But I'm telling you that this is bigger and more fun than if they actually played. Once they drop that puck, the Value of this whole thing disappears!

Hunters1993
Posts: 415
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2020 9:22 am

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by Hunters1993 » Mon Apr 13, 2020 4:09 pm

And on the other side it’s a win win for class A team. Don’t forget that. Hermantown can brag that they are the best in all HS hockey when they beat the class AA best( Hill Murray, Minnetonka, Grand Rapids) and draw more transfers and interest in getting your kid to Hermantown, and when they lose they can use the look we don’t belong in class AA. Same as when they lose in class A tourney. They can tell from mountain top that they belong in class A. It’s great they can sit on the class A hilltop and scream we are the best in HS hockey with a win win situation.
#KEEPTHEKIDSINTHECLASSROOM

Stang5280
Posts: 1955
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2017 1:12 pm

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by Stang5280 » Mon Apr 13, 2020 5:11 pm

O-townClown wrote:
Mon Apr 13, 2020 2:34 pm
Stang, short version is that no other Class A program looks like Hermantown. I was raised on Sesame Street. One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just isn't right. Used to be two, then St. Thomas opted up.
Maybe so, but Hermantown has proven to be fallible over the past three tournaments, and needed three OT escapes to win in 2017. While many of us consider them to be an AA program in all but name, the Hawks simply haven’t collected the type of hardware they should with that talent and infrastructure. Until Hermantown strings together a few championship runs, it’s wishful thinking to envision them opting up. Oh, and I’m hurt that you didn’t include my alma mater in that list of programs that didn’t belong (until things fell apart lately) :wink:
O-townClown wrote:
Mon Apr 13, 2020 2:34 pm
An amazing shell game sifting through a hunnit plus other schools to distract the discussion away from Hermantown not playing Duluth East. To start firing off other points like Mahtomedi is in Eden Prairie's backyard or Mahtomedi is as strong annually as Hermantown is warped.
I didn’t claim that Mahtomedi is as strong annually as Hermantown, just that they are one of the strongest Class A programs who can routinely compete with AA opponents. My point was that if we are going to pile on East for not playing Hermantown, then we should hold other AA programs to a similar standard (like WBL not scheduling Mahtomedi).
O-townClown wrote:
Mon Apr 13, 2020 2:34 pm
For someone that follows Class A like you do this is a godsend. The villain every year has been cast. Bankable like Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt, or Charles Bronson and Paul Newman in days past.
Sure, I guess. At this point in my life I am hoping more for good storylines than anything. The tournaments have delivered the past several years, and Hermantown has been at the center of that.

O-townClown
Posts: 4357
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2007 12:22 pm
Location: Typical homeboy from the O-Town

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by O-townClown » Mon Apr 13, 2020 5:18 pm

Stang5280 wrote:
Mon Apr 13, 2020 5:11 pm
(like WBL not scheduling Mahtomedi).
From a hockey standpoint, they should play. Not sure why they don't.
Be kind. Rewind.

O-townClown
Posts: 4357
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2007 12:22 pm
Location: Typical homeboy from the O-Town

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by O-townClown » Mon Apr 13, 2020 5:28 pm

Jeffy95 wrote:
Mon Apr 13, 2020 2:54 pm
But I'm telling you that this is bigger and more fun than if they actually played. Once they drop that puck, the Value of this whole thing disappears!
This mindset is why the NCAA steps in when it can for college basketball to ensure games like Wichita St. beating Kansas in 2015. From a newspaper that week:

The Kansas-Wichita State basketball series spans 14 games and 107 years. Neither are figures worthy of the term “rivalry.”
Still, the possibility of the teams meeting on Sunday in an NCAA Tournament third-round game at Omaha excites a state and more specifically its largest city. Wichita is home to die-hard Shockers and true-blue Jayhawks, and the thought of the teams getting together on an NCAA court – when the teams aren’t meeting on their own – will have the city buzzing for days.

All sorts of excuses were thrown out in the Bluegrass state from both sides up until 1983. Now this is the 2nd best rivalry in all of college basketball behind UNC-Duke. Perhaps Duluth East-Hermantown would grow to warrant its own Wikipedia page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky– ... le_rivalry

Closer to home, it was a 43 year gap before these teams played again. I think this is the rivalry where the state legislature got involved to make the teams play each other, but maybe that USF-UCF. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa–Iowa ... ll_rivalry

I get it. You think talking about a game that won't be played is more interesting than actually watching the game. To me that's like preferring a film over the actual company of a member of the opposite sex.

To each their own.
Be kind. Rewind.

Jeffy95
Posts: 891
Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2015 8:45 am

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by Jeffy95 » Mon Apr 13, 2020 6:03 pm

O-townClown wrote:
Mon Apr 13, 2020 5:28 pm
Jeffy95 wrote:
Mon Apr 13, 2020 2:54 pm
But I'm telling you that this is bigger and more fun than if they actually played. Once they drop that puck, the Value of this whole thing disappears!
This mindset is why the NCAA steps in when it can for college basketball to ensure games like Wichita St. beating Kansas in 2015. From a newspaper that week:

The Kansas-Wichita State basketball series spans 14 games and 107 years. Neither are figures worthy of the term “rivalry.”
Still, the possibility of the teams meeting on Sunday in an NCAA Tournament third-round game at Omaha excites a state and more specifically its largest city. Wichita is home to die-hard Shockers and true-blue Jayhawks, and the thought of the teams getting together on an NCAA court – when the teams aren’t meeting on their own – will have the city buzzing for days.

All sorts of excuses were thrown out in the Bluegrass state from both sides up until 1983. Now this is the 2nd best rivalry in all of college basketball behind UNC-Duke. Perhaps Duluth East-Hermantown would grow to warrant its own Wikipedia page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky– ... le_rivalry

Closer to home, it was a 43 year gap before these teams played again. I think this is the rivalry where the state legislature got involved to make the teams play each other, but maybe that USF-UCF. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa–Iowa ... ll_rivalry

I get it. You think talking about a game that won't be played is more interesting than actually watching the game. To me that's like preferring a film over the actual company of a member of the opposite sex.

To each their own.
No. If they forced a D1 Basketball team to play a D2, then you might be on to something for comparison.

HHawks4Ever
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2018 11:34 pm

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by HHawks4Ever » Wed May 06, 2020 11:53 pm

rainier2 wrote:
Wed Mar 25, 2020 10:35 am
defense wrote:
Wed Mar 25, 2020 10:25 am
rainier2 wrote:
Wed Mar 25, 2020 10:06 am


Yes, infinitely better. Everyone accepts that player movement is a way of life in AA.

You say you are not a fan of players transferring, yet you are a fan of the success Hermantown has had, but this success is based on players transferring. Can you not see the flawed logic in your thought process?
Yea I am, do you have children sir?

Cant have teo sides of opinion?? I hate transferring as an idea, but I'd an Ely kid is super special, is he going to get same recognition at Ely as at Hermantown??? And who cares what class they play in when talking Ely and Hermantown??
Kid was already a stud at Ely, and didn't need anymore recognition. Everybody knew he was awesome.
Sure, we'll never know for sure but there's probably a good chance he would've still received D1 offers playing for Ely putting up a ton of points against an extremely weak schedule but how would that help him develop his game? He showed that he was above the level of play that Ely is able to schedule as an 8th grader so what would you like him to do at that point? I'm guessing that Coach Sandelin is very happy with his decision to transfer and play a much tougher schedule.

He might've had recognition at Ely but his recognition has grown two-fold since moving to Hermantown and that is inarguable.

HHawks4Ever
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2018 11:34 pm

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by HHawks4Ever » Wed May 06, 2020 11:55 pm

Wise Old Man wrote:
Fri Apr 10, 2020 11:43 pm
kniven wrote:
Thu Apr 09, 2020 4:17 pm
Wise Old Man wrote:
Thu Apr 09, 2020 12:44 am
Kniven, I'm sorry to burst your bubble but, I can assure you that not only do most of the high school coaches in the state (A & AA) have an opinion regarding Hermantown, they are definitely concerned with what their continued placement in Class "A" is doing to the state tournament on a macro level and, more importantly, what its doing to Section 7A on a micro level. Most of them actually have very strong opinions. And you can guess what those opinions likely are. :roll:

Agree to disagree.
Kniven, it's obviously a free country so your welcome to disagree but, trust me, I've been around the game in a very close manner for 28 years and I can honestly say that I'm on a first name basis with probably 1/2 to 2/3 of the high school coaches in our state. So, when I tell you they all have very strong opinions about how Hermantown is operating and how much damage they are doing to Class "A" hockey, I assure you my information is accurate.
Please Wise Old Man, do expand on how all (or the 2/3 that you are on a first name basis with) of the coaches in this state feel about Hermantown's operations causing irreparable harm to high school hockey; I'd love to hear it. I'd especially love to hear the opinions from the AA coaches who for the large majority seem perfectly fine putting them on their schedule year in and year out.

HHawks4Ever
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2018 11:34 pm

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by HHawks4Ever » Thu May 07, 2020 12:01 am

@Jeffy95 - what is your Hermantown insider saying for Pierce returning to play next year? A year ago you stated that Biondi was likely gone and that it was going to be "...just a brief stop for Pierce" which you unfortunately went 0 for 2 on.

So whatever your insider tells you for Pierce, I know I can trust that the opposite will happen.

HHawks4Ever
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2018 11:34 pm

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by HHawks4Ever » Thu May 07, 2020 12:05 am

Back to the important stuff, it was a very big week for Zam Plante who was drafted in the 1st round of the 2020 USHL Phase I draft by the Chicago Steel and was also named the YHH Bantam Player of 2020 earlier today!

Huge congrats to Zam and I'm looking forward to watching him play for the Hawks in the coming years.

rainier2
Posts: 720
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2017 4:24 pm

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by rainier2 » Fri May 08, 2020 9:19 am

HHawks4Ever wrote:
Wed May 06, 2020 11:53 pm
rainier2 wrote:
Wed Mar 25, 2020 10:35 am
defense wrote:
Wed Mar 25, 2020 10:25 am

Yea I am, do you have children sir?

Cant have teo sides of opinion?? I hate transferring as an idea, but I'd an Ely kid is super special, is he going to get same recognition at Ely as at Hermantown??? And who cares what class they play in when talking Ely and Hermantown??
Kid was already a stud at Ely, and didn't need anymore recognition. Everybody knew he was awesome.
Sure, we'll never know for sure but there's probably a good chance he would've still received D1 offers playing for Ely putting up a ton of points against an extremely weak schedule but how would that help him develop his game? He showed that he was above the level of play that Ely is able to schedule as an 8th grader so what would you like him to do at that point? I'm guessing that Coach Sandelin is very happy with his decision to transfer and play a much tougher schedule.

He might've had recognition at Ely but his recognition has grown two-fold since moving to Hermantown and that is inarguable.
You seem very practiced at extolling the virtues of Hermantown Hockey and how it can turn a small town kid into a superstar. You must be the person who writes those "informational" letters that get sent to talented players at other 7A schools, you know, the ones that let them know that Hermantown Hockey would "welcome" a player like them. Nice job.

So, he got increased "recognition" and a tougher schedule at Hermantown? Well then, his parents, or his "advisor", or whomever was making the call really let this kid down. If recognition and a tougher schedule were the goal, why not go to East? It's just a few minutes further than Hermantown, they get to play a harder schedule (10th hardest, per PageStat, Hermantown has the #41 SOS), they have a real coach, and more games vs top AA schools would mean even more recognition.

Or how about GR? That's almost as far away from Ely as Hermantown is, GR had the #19 schedule, and he could have been partnered with Peart, one of the few defenseman in MN even better than Pierce. Just imagine the "recognition" he'd get as Peart's D partner. Why did someone let this kid down so badly and send him to a Class A second place trophy factory, when he could have had it all in AA?

Or, if somebody really loved this kid, they would have just skipped HS altogether and went straight to NAHL or USHL. Talk about playing a tougher schedule! And the recognition? Fuggetaboutit! There would have been scouts and D1 coaches all over the place at his juniors games. If he'd had done this, we'd be talking about him as a top NHL draft pick instead of this "college" hockey crap.

The point is, be careful what you wish for. If you want to peddle the notion that kids from Ely, Hibbing, Proctor, Hayward, Denfeld, etc. all have to leave their "crappy" hometown programs in order to "get noticed" and develop properly, that's fine, but you better pray that another larger, even greedier shark doesn't come along and start targeting your players. Because, when they do, they can point to Neal Pionk, by far the most successful Hermantown Hockey alum, and argue that he only became an NHL stud because he left Hermantown early for the USHL. In fact, you've already done the hard work for the USHL scout because you wrote his pitch for him in your post. He only has to change five words! Check it out:

"Sure, we'll never know for sure but there's probably a good chance he would've still received D1 offers playing for Hermantown putting up a ton of points against an extremely weak schedule but how would that help him develop his game? He showed that he was above the level of play that Hermantown is able to schedule as an 11th grader so what would you like him to do at that point? I'm guessing that Coach Sandelin is very happy with his decision to transfer and play a much tougher schedule.

He might've had recognition at Hermantown but his recognition has grown two-fold since moving to Sioux City and that is inarguable."

How does that sound? Keep it up. Let's push every good player in MN to go to the place with the hardest schedule and most recognition. People can argue which place that is, but I can tell you one thing: it isn't Hermantown.

StanleyCup55
Posts: 226
Joined: Wed Nov 13, 2013 11:36 am

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by StanleyCup55 » Mon May 11, 2020 9:35 pm

It’s truly amazing the level of self-absorption that exist in Hermantown, MN. Just sickening to read that post by HHawks4ever... wow

O-townClown
Posts: 4357
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2007 12:22 pm
Location: Typical homeboy from the O-Town

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by O-townClown » Tue May 12, 2020 1:51 pm

rainier2 wrote:
Fri May 08, 2020 9:19 am
Why did someone let this kid down so badly and send him to a Class A second place trophy factory,
The 'Rona scare has not sapped your wit =D>
Be kind. Rewind.

greenwayraider
Posts: 747
Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2016 6:54 am
Location: Bovey

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by greenwayraider » Thu May 14, 2020 8:29 am

I don’t understand why any Hermantown fan would ever attempt a post defending the Hawks. They get immediately destroyed by either Jeffy or ranier or both. It does make for entertaining reading though.

rainier2
Posts: 720
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2017 4:24 pm

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by rainier2 » Thu May 14, 2020 10:16 am

O-townClown wrote:
Tue May 12, 2020 1:51 pm
rainier2 wrote:
Fri May 08, 2020 9:19 am
Why did someone let this kid down so badly and send him to a Class A second place trophy factory,
The 'Rona scare has not sapped your wit =D>
Thank you, but what Hermantown is doing is so over-the-top egregious that the jokes pretty much write themselves. In fact, making Hermantown supporters look ridiculous is the comedic equivalent of collecting talent from all over a metro area and beyond, playing the best in AA during the season, then stepping down to play rural schools come playoff time. It's sooooo easy it's really not something to be proud of. But, it is a hell of a lot of fun and quite addicting, so I can see why they love sandbagging so much. :D

rainier2
Posts: 720
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2017 4:24 pm

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by rainier2 » Thu May 14, 2020 11:49 am

greenwayraider wrote:
Thu May 14, 2020 8:29 am
I don’t understand why any Hermantown fan would ever attempt a post defending the Hawks. They get immediately destroyed by either Jeffy or ranier or both. It does make for entertaining reading though.
We all could use a smile during these crazy times, so let's thank HHawk4Never for dangling some seriously low-hanging fruit for us to take advantage of. His delusion is the grist for the mill of hilarity. :D

I actually should lay off of Hawk fans' posts, because we'd probably get more of them and they truly are fascinating to read. It's quite a trip to be given a glimpse into the otherworldy echo chamber that is Hawk Nation. I'll go through a few of my favorite themes we've seen emerge from the swamp behind the mall, and I'll rate each one on its level of looniness, using a scale of 1 Transfer-5 Transfers, with 5 Transfers being the craziest.

"If we can't beat everyone in AA all the time, we don't belong in AA."-While this claim isn't made as often anymore, it still packs a punch. When criticism of sandbagging in A rained down, Hawk fans would point to a one-goal loss to EP or a tie with Cloquet where they outshot the Jacks 45-10 as a reason they were "where we belong". And although their varsity squad would be beating the AA champ annually, they would point to their #20 ranked bantam AA team that couldn't beat Edina and Tonka as a reason why they should stay in A, ignoring the fact that the Pee Wee AA team behind those bantams was top three in AA. Surely a nutty claim, but mild by Hawk standards. (Rating: 3 Transfers)

"It's not that our program is so good, it's that yours is so crappy."-When it was pointed out that Hermantown hadn't lost to a 7A team in several years and was outscoring these teams 78-7 in the last few 7A playoffs, the refrain from Hawksters was that their team was just as good as they'd always been, and the real reason for the widening gulf was because all the other 7A teams had deteriorated into heaps of zebra dung. They maintained this position despite many 7A teams putting out their best teams in years, like Greenway and Hibbing having top three teams in Class A, DM having a top 5 team, Denfeld having multiple top ten teams, Virginia having some rated teams, Eveleth having its first ranked teams in decades, and even North Shore threatening to break into the top 5 seeds in 7A. Thankfully Greenway finally broke through to show the rest of the state that there was serious 7A hockey talent outside of the Duluth metro area, and Hawk bobos gnashed their teeth, wondering how they possibly could have lost to such a crappy program. This one scores high on both level of delusion and how insulting it is to other 7A programs. (Rating: 4 Transfers)

"Our program is so good it spins our handful of small town kids into gold"-This belief was most recently highlighted by the post that claimed Pierce leaving Ely for Hermantown is the reason the kid is now a superstar. The true believers feel Hermantown Hockey is taking lumps of clay on skates and sculpting them into D1 studs using their special hockey magic. Yet, we know (thanks to Jeffy's inside knowledge) that many Duluth area mites/squirts open enroll to Hermantown once they've shown promise, and the amount of players Pee Wee and older transferring continues to accelerate. Off the top of my head, looking at the list of Hermantown stars that open enrolled/transferred is truly astounding (Skrbich, Aamodt, Samberg, Watkins, Gotz, Gotz, Judnick, Lund, Kilen, Pierce, etc.) These are top line, top D pair, top pk and pp unit horses, all gathered from beyond the bounds of the Hermantown school district. Hawk HS teams are filled with players who were known to be good before they ever put on a Hawk jersey, yet Hawk fans believe Hawk Hockey is the reason they get to hoist the Bruce Plante Memorial Trophy (i.e., second place trophy) every year, so there is no reason any other small town can't do the same. This grandest of all delusions receives my highest award. (Rating: 5 Transfers)

:mrgreen:

blueblood
Posts: 2620
Joined: Fri May 26, 2006 8:36 am

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by blueblood » Thu May 14, 2020 12:01 pm

BP Memorial Trophy. WOW :-k
Play Like a Champion Today

kniven
Posts: 2978
Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2011 3:40 pm
Location: Duluth area

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by kniven » Thu May 14, 2020 12:33 pm

rainier2 wrote:
Thu May 14, 2020 11:49 am
greenwayraider wrote:
Thu May 14, 2020 8:29 am
I don’t understand why any Hermantown fan would ever attempt a post defending the Hawks. They get immediately destroyed by either Jeffy or ranier or both. It does make for entertaining reading though.
We all could use a smile during these crazy times, so let's thank HHawk4Never for dangling some seriously low-hanging fruit for us to take advantage of. His delusion is the grist for the mill of hilarity. :D

I actually should lay off of Hawk fans' posts, because we'd probably get more of them and they truly are fascinating to read. It's quite a trip to be given a glimpse into the otherworldy echo chamber that is Hawk Nation. I'll go through a few of my favorite themes we've seen emerge from the swamp behind the mall, and I'll rate each one on its level of looniness, using a scale of 1 Transfer-5 Transfers, with 5 Transfers being the craziest.

"If we can't beat everyone in AA all the time, we don't belong in AA."-While this claim isn't made as often anymore, it still packs a punch. When criticism of sandbagging in A rained down, Hawk fans would point to a one-goal loss to EP or a tie with Cloquet where they outshot the Jacks 45-10 as a reason they were "where we belong". And although their varsity squad would be beating the AA champ annually, they would point to their #20 ranked bantam AA team that couldn't beat Edina and Tonka as a reason why they should stay in A, ignoring the fact that the Pee Wee AA team behind those bantams was top three in AA. Surely a nutty claim, but mild by Hawk standards. (Rating: 3 Transfers)

"It's not that our program is so good, it's that yours is so crappy."-When it was pointed out that Hermantown hadn't lost to a 7A team in several years and was outscoring these teams 78-7 in the last few 7A playoffs, the refrain from Hawksters was that their team was just as good as they'd always been, and the real reason for the widening gulf was because all the other 7A teams had deteriorated into heaps of zebra dung. They maintained this position despite many 7A teams putting out their best teams in years, like Greenway and Hibbing having top three teams in Class A, DM having a top 5 team, Denfeld having multiple top ten teams, Virginia having some rated teams, Eveleth having its first ranked teams in decades, and even North Shore threatening to break into the top 5 seeds in 7A. Thankfully Greenway finally broke through to show the rest of the state that there was serious 7A hockey talent outside of the Duluth metro area, and Hawk bobos gnashed their teeth, wondering how they possibly could have lost to such a crappy program. This one scores high on both level of delusion and how insulting it is to other 7A programs. (Rating: 4 Transfers)

"Our program is so good it spins our handful of small town kids into gold"-This belief was most recently highlighted by the post that claimed Pierce leaving Ely for Hermantown is the reason the kid is now a superstar. The true believers feel Hermantown Hockey is taking lumps of clay on skates and sculpting them into D1 studs using their special hockey magic. Yet, we know (thanks to Jeffy's inside knowledge) that many Duluth area mites/squirts open enroll to Hermantown once they've shown promise, and the amount of players Pee Wee and older transferring continues to accelerate. Off the top of my head, looking at the list of Hermantown stars that open enrolled/transferred is truly astounding (Skrbich, Aamodt, Samberg, Watkins, Gotz, Gotz, Judnick, Lund, Kilen, Pierce, etc.) These are top line, top D pair, top pk and pp unit horses, all gathered from beyond the bounds of the Hermantown school district. Hawk HS teams are filled with players who were known to be good before they ever put on a Hawk jersey, yet Hawk fans believe Hawk Hockey is the reason they get to hoist the Bruce Plante Memorial Trophy (i.e., second place trophy) every year, so there is no reason any other small town can't do the same. This grandest of all delusions receives my highest award. (Rating: 5 Transfers)

:mrgreen:
Epic post!!!!!!!!!!! #loveit
“218 hockey” Boys of the NOrth ❤️

rainier2
Posts: 720
Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2017 4:24 pm

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by rainier2 » Thu May 14, 2020 12:35 pm

blueblood wrote:
Thu May 14, 2020 12:01 pm
BP Memorial Trophy. WOW :-k
I should clarify, my apologies. I did not mean the man himself was deceased, but rather his notion that Hermantown was a "small town team made up of small town kids" who couldn't compete against metro teams who get "kids from all over the place" was deceased.

O-townClown
Posts: 4357
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2007 12:22 pm
Location: Typical homeboy from the O-Town

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by O-townClown » Sun May 17, 2020 11:15 am

That was awesome, Rainier
Be kind. Rewind.

Yoopskater
Posts: 59
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2017 11:10 am

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by Yoopskater » Tue May 19, 2020 9:50 pm

Heck, Hermantown is just trying to compete. Greenway recruited to make their run, SCC, they recruit their whole roster, Mahtomedi, not sure but probably a couple recruits...it’s either all wrong or all right. But hey, villains make it more interesting so I’m fine with them staying in A. The only reason I would want them to move up would be to satisfy my curiosity on who the next ‘A’ villain is.

Hunters1993
Posts: 415
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2020 9:22 am

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by Hunters1993 » Mon Aug 03, 2020 8:33 am

What is this about Hermantown baggers becoming the favorite. They have and will be the favorite for next ten years with transfers and getting what they need from other associations. Nothing has or will change in 7A.
Class A hockey is dead! Thanks Hermantownbaggers.

Let me guess the Elite team experience with Hermantown kids had nothing to do with the transfer decisions? Is the Cloquet goalie heading to Hermantown after his summer experience with the Hermantown parents and the coach recruiting him!
#KEEPTHEKIDSINTHECLASSROOM

nu2hockey
Posts: 642
Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2013 8:19 pm

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by nu2hockey » Mon Aug 03, 2020 1:19 pm

Hunters1993 wrote:
Mon Aug 03, 2020 8:33 am
What is this about Hermantown baggers becoming the favorite. They have and will be the favorite for next ten years with transfers and getting what they need from other associations. Nothing has or will change in 7A.
Class A hockey is dead! Thanks Hermantownbaggers.

Let me guess the Elite team experience with Hermantown kids had nothing to do with the transfer decisions? Is the Cloquet goalie heading to Hermantown after his summer experience with the Hermantown parents and the coach recruiting him!
Oh my, someone could sure use a jar of udder cream for their chapped rear-end......

Hunters1993
Posts: 415
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2020 9:22 am

Re: The Hermantown Thread

Post by Hunters1993 » Mon Aug 03, 2020 2:02 pm

Yep. From Hermanbaggers banging the 7A teams out of their players. All of 7A could use some. After a while it gets real sore!
#KEEPTHEKIDSINTHECLASSROOM

Post Reply