Janne Kivihalme Out at Lakeville South

[MNHockeyFan]

Lakeville South now open

Wow, that's a surprise.

[InThePipes]

Lakeville South now open

Wow, that's a surprise.

The reason?

[bardown27]

Lakeville South now open

Wow, that's a surprise.

The reason?

Junior parents

[Puckguy19]

Wow, that's a surprise.

The reason?

Junior parents

That’s a real shame. Coach was a class act from the beginning.

[InThePipes]

Twitter seems to indicate it was over "recruiting". If that's now a fireable offense, then several coaches are gonna be out of a job soon.

[farmtown55]

Twitter is full of idiots. There was absolutely no recruiting by Coach Janne or his staff and any accusation to the fact is a lie. This is 100% because of disgruntled parents who were able to bully a coward AD into forcing an outstanding honorable man to give up a position with a program and kids he loved!

[ndirishfighting]

Yes Twitter does have idiots but you must be one also farmtown55.
Everyone I know in Lakeville/AV/Rosemount/Eastview/Burnsville/Eagan knows of recruiting in the whole area and one big story about two Burnsville kids that played for Lakeville South.

[Hockeyxyz]

Half of the South varsity was open enrolled, I believe. There was arguably enough Lakeville talent to not move open enrolled bantam players over true Lakeville seniors, juniors & sophomores who had funded Lakeville programs for 10+ years. There is, allegedly, a parent who did some of the recruiting for years. Anyone who played there knows the name and it was done in attempt to get his own kids to the state tournament and D1. Apparently all schools recruit so why does MSHSL have a bylaw forbidding it? They don’t enforce it. Just take the bylaw off the books and call it what it is: pay to play. Everyone else puts up with it, I guess the Lakeville parents had enough and had the guts to speak up.

[bardown27]

Yes Twitter does have idiots but you must be one also farmtown55.
Everyone I know in Lakeville/AV/Rosemount/Eastview/Burnsville/Eagan knows of recruiting in the whole area and one big story about two Burnsville kids that played for Lakeville South.

Would love to see that story, because it definitely doesn't apply to the current coaching staff at all, since there was only one Burnsville kid on the varsity roster.

Half of the South varsity was open enrolled, I believe. There was arguably enough Lakeville talent to not move open enrolled bantam players over true Lakeville seniors, juniors & sophomores who had funded Lakeville programs for 10+ years. There is, allegedly, a parent who did some of the recruiting for years. Anyone who played there knows the name and it was done in attempt to get his own kids to the state tournament and D1. Apparently all schools recruit so why does MSHSL have a bylaw forbidding it? They don’t enforce it. Just take the bylaw off the books and call it what it is: pay to play. Everyone else puts up with it, I guess the Lakeville parents had enough and had the guts to speak up.

No open enrolled bantam players moved up this year? Not a single freshman on the roster. If you're referencing last year, three freshman moved up (only one of the three tried out for bantams), and only ONE of the three played a prominent role on last years team (who is a Lakeville kid) the other two were 4th liners who hardly saw the ice the last half of the year. And the recruiting to get his own kids to the state tournament and D1? If you're talking about who I think you are, the kids were already committed D1 before any of the open enrolees came, and the kids played in bantam state tournaments before any of the open enrolees came.

[Hockeyxyz]

Half the current team is reportedly from North, Farmington, Northfield, St Louis, etc. all of them allegedly paying the coach for extra training. Follow the money. The parent I’m talking about has apparently been orchestrating for years since his kids were in association. It didn’t just start this year. Just going by what many have alleged. It’s an open secret there. The fact you know who I’m talking about speaks volumes.

[thefatcat]

Half the current team is reportedly from North, Farmington, Northfield, St Louis, etc. all of them allegedly paying the coach for extra training. Follow the money. The parent I’m talking about has apparently been orchestrating for years since his kids were in association. It didn’t just start this year. Just going by what many have alleged. It’s an open secret there. The fact you know who I’m talking about speaks volumes.

4 kids from Farmington
1 kid from Northfield
1 kid from Burnsville

Lakeville South actually had more open enrolled kids than Eden Prairie this season...I found that to be funny since EP gets raked about recruiting all of the time (rightfully so).

And I also know who you're talking about and I'm from the west metro

[Hockeyxyz]

The count I heard was 11 open enrolled, but I’m not positive on that, and I heard they were all paying him for extra training? A couple are from North, one from St Louis, maybe a Rosemount. If a coach allows the recruitment culture, it will happen and then it’s just not an authentic HS team. Yes it happens everywhere but MSHSL needs to either just outright allow it or enforce the rule, and the rule is, it doesn’t have to be just the actual coach who’s doing the recruiting.

[thefatcat]

The count I heard was 11 open enrolled, but I’m not positive on that, and I heard they were all paying him for extra training? A couple are from North, one from St Louis, maybe a Rosemount. If a coach allows the recruitment culture, it will happen and then it’s just not an authentic HS team. Yes it happens everywhere but MSHSL needs to either just outright allow it or enforce the rule, and the rule is, it doesn’t have to be just the actual coach who’s doing the recruiting.

You could very well be correct...I just know for a fact the 6 I listed based on who I recognize and based on convos with a Farmington hockey dad I know.

[hunting247]

The count I heard was 11 open enrolled, but I’m not positive on that, and I heard they were all paying him for extra training? A couple are from North, one from St Louis, maybe a Rosemount. If a coach allows the recruitment culture, it will happen and then it’s just not an authentic HS team. Yes it happens everywhere but MSHSL needs to either just outright allow it or enforce the rule, and the rule is, it doesn’t have to be just the actual coach who’s doing the recruiting.

So Let me get this straight. If a kid ever lived in a different city or played in another association before coming to LS they were recruited??

Or maybe was it because their city / association was a dumpster fire and they wanted to better themselves by playing for a better program and possibly have better opportunities to play at a higher level?

In every program the door is always open, athletes just need to walk through it.

And as far as paying him for extra training, most every coach does this...

[Hockeyxyz]

Hunting247, pretending that recruiting doesn’t happen is your choice. Doesn’t make your view accurate. Everyone knows it’s happening and if coaches and MSHSL all look the other way, why not just do away with the rule? It’s stupid, and those who follow the rules are at a disadvantage. Solution is to just run it like AAA or pay to play juniors. Kids can just be recruited and transfer all over the place, won’t matter if you’re a private school or not, just call it what it is and open the flood gates. If a parent is recruiting and the coach knows about it, he/she is complicit. Ask anyone at South who was doing the recruiting and who knew about it. Notice on Twitter that most of the people who are defending the coach are open enrollees and their parents, or people who didn’t even actually play for the guy and don’t know what they’re talking about.

[hunting247]

Hunting247, pretending that recruiting doesn’t happen is your choice. Doesn’t make your view accurate. Everyone knows it’s happening and if coaches and MSHSL all look the other way, why not just do away with the rule? It’s stupid, and those who follow the rules are at a disadvantage. Solution is to just run it like AAA or pay to play juniors. Kids can just be recruited and transfer all over the place, won’t matter if you’re a private school or not, just call it what it is and open the flood gates. If a parent is recruiting and the coach knows about it, he/she is complicit. Ask anyone at South who was doing the recruiting and who knew about it. Notice on Twitter that most of the people who are defending the coach are open enrollees and their parents, or people who didn’t even actually play for the guy and don’t know what they’re talking about.

I did not say recruiting doesn’t happen. All I read is your accusations and zero proof. A lot of kids move with no recruiting. Sounds like your one of the bitter parents that cried to the LS AD.

[hunting247]

Hunting247, pretending that recruiting doesn’t happen is your choice. Doesn’t make your view accurate. Everyone knows it’s happening and if coaches and MSHSL all look the other way, why not just do away with the rule? It’s stupid, and those who follow the rules are at a disadvantage. Solution is to just run it like AAA or pay to play juniors. Kids can just be recruited and transfer all over the place, won’t matter if you’re a private school or not, just call it what it is and open the flood gates. If a parent is recruiting and the coach knows about it, he/she is complicit. Ask anyone at South who was doing the recruiting and who knew about it. Notice on Twitter that most of the people who are defending the coach are open enrollees and their parents, or people who didn’t even actually play for the guy and don’t know what they’re talking about.

I did not say recruiting doesn’t happen. All I read is your accusations and zero proof. A lot of kids move with no recruiting. Sounds like your one of the spineless bitter parents that cried to the LS AD.

[Hockeyxyz]

Hunting, I do not have a kid who plays for South. The parents who called the program out for recruiting are not spineless in my view, they had the guts to do the right thing. MSHSL rules do not allow for recruiting, and sounds like a lot of people at South knew it was happening. Better than looking the other way like most people do in this state. You must be one of the LS move ins who think your son is the next Wayne Gretzky and now you have to start all over with a new coach.

[goldy313]

Meh....both Lakeville schools have been “dirty” by the letter of the MSHSL law for over a decade. AD’s have been fired for trying to enforce MSHSL rules in that school district.

Lakeville is not the only school in this predicament.

[goldy313]

The South coach is a good coach, Lakeville is dirty as heck. Has been for over a decade going back to Tim Poehling et.al. running the school board at North.

[Zamman]

So let me get this straight. LS is a public school? I thought it was just those nasty private schools that recruit? Sorry folks been happening forever all over the place. No team is dirtier then the other. Just your school doesn't do it and the one down the street does.

[O-townClown]

What’s the violation alleged at Lakeville South. If a handful of kids play youth hockey against each other in winter and together in summer it only makes sense they’ll sometimes attend high school together. Sad to see the coach out. He’s always been considered one of the good ones.

[hunting247]

Hunting, I do not have a kid who plays for South. The parents who called the program out for recruiting are not spineless in my view, they had the guts to do the right thing. MSHSL rules do not allow for recruiting, and sounds like a lot of people at South knew it was happening. Better than looking the other way like most people do in this state. You must be one of the LS move ins who think your son is the next Wayne Gretzky and now you have to start all over with a new coach.

Don’t have a horse in the race but I have moved from one association to another to better my kids (not recruited) and it resulted in two players that played D1 hockey. I know Janne and he did not recruit.

[minnscout]

Twitter is full of idiots. There was absolutely no recruiting by Coach Janne or his staff and any accusation to the fact is a lie. This is 100% because of disgruntled parents who were able to bully a coward AD into forcing an outstanding honorable man to give up a position with a program and kids he loved!

Come on be honest with yourself.

[Hockeyxyz]

Hunting, I do not have a kid who plays for South. The parents who called the program out for recruiting are not spineless in my view, they had the guts to do the right thing. MSHSL rules do not allow for recruiting, and sounds like a lot of people at South knew it was happening. Better than looking the other way like most people do in this state. You must be one of the LS move ins who think your son is the next Wayne Gretzky and now you have to start all over with a new coach.

Don’t have a horse in the race but I have moved from one association to another to better my kids (not recruited) and it resulted in two players that played D1 hockey. I know Janne and he did not recruit.

Why were half of his players open enrolled, and arguably no better or worse than the local talent he already had? And why were those players all allegedly paying the coach for extra training, while other players weren’t? Recruiting by at least one parent was allegedly going on for years and Janne should not have allowed it. It is against MSHSL bylaws. Kudos to the parents who finally stood up for what is right.