Eliminate AA-A-B etc and go with 1A-5A

[Jackpinesavage2014]

The AA -A thing has been silly from the start. It has caused more problems and solved none. If MN hockey was really interested is a system that brought more kids to a state tournament and really interested in leveling the playing field between associations they would have opened the state tourneys to all teams.

MN Hockey should have eliminated the AA-A- B1 and gone with an 1A through 5A system similar to what HS football does

Require all associations to participate based on size with the top team designation based on the number of skaters in the association. If an association has enough for 5 or more teams they should compete at the highest level the second highest level and so on. If an association can only field 4 teams or less they should start at the second highest and work down.

All associations should have a team in each level
All levels should have a state tournament
No associations should be able to deviate
If more teams than levels then associations should double up in levels but not be able to skip one
If Smaller associations wish to play up it should be permitted with next team dropping to appropriate level for smaller second team associations

[wannagototherink]

I'm sure most won't like this idea but here goes. Why not consider going to the USA Hockey ages? Every year we are seeing more and more of our top high school players leaving to play hockey elsewhere. The MSHSL won't consider expanding the season, not even making period lengths as 20 minutes. I think we could keep our top players home in Minnesota playing with each other if they were playing Shattuck like competition and schedule without the tuition. This also exposes more of our players to players from around the country and North America. The ability to field Tier 1 teams for those kids that really want to focus on a specific path. Obviously the level of high school hockey would drop a bit but probably not as much as every one would think. I think it would probably hurt the private schools the most (or at least make all those people who choose private over public because of the academics put their money where their mouth is...haha, sorry had to take at least one private school shot!) In fact, it might make it so its not 6 of the same 10 teams every year at the state tournament. Finally it might finally get rid of JV Hockey. JV is the biggest waste of time and it ruins more kids than it helps develope. Those kids could be playing U16's, developing more of those kids. Those kids need to be playing and practicing more not what JV hockey has to offer. Not to mention what do you play for as a JV player or team? Minnesota Hockey is at a crossroads in my opinion and coming off a season where their big improvement is being perceived by most as a tremendous flop they may actually want to think more out of the box.

[observer]

Why not consider going to the USA Hockey ages?

Because Minnesota doesn't use birth year for school admission and we like our players to play with their school classmates. Canada actually does use birth year for school registration.

[Raiders99]

Why not consider going to the USA Hockey ages?

Because Minnesota doesn't use birth year for school admission and we like our players to play with their school classmates. Canada actually does use birth year for school registration.

Well not all players are able to play with their school classmates due to the July 1 cutoff date. My son is able to play with his classmates in baseball (May 1 cutoff), but not hockey.... he has to play with players 1-2 grades ahead of him... if the goal is to have players play with their classmates, then it is time to tweak the system and adjust the cutoff dates accordingly....

[DrGaf]

Why not consider going to the USA Hockey ages?

Because Minnesota doesn't use birth year for school admission and we like our players to play with their school classmates. Canada actually does use birth year for school registration.

Well not all players are able to play with their school classmates due to the July 1 cutoff date. My son is able to play with his classmates in baseball (May 1 cutoff), but not hockey.... he has to play with players 1-2 grades ahead of him... if the goal is to have players play with their classmates, then it is time to tweak the system and adjust the cutoff dates accordingly....

exception, not the rule. 100% accuracy is impossible.

most if not all associations allow grade eligable move as well.

[SCBlueLiner]

So when the kids get to high school varsity freshman don't have to play with seniors? There's an all frosh team, all soph team, all Jr, & all Sr.? Or are Frosh through Senior on the same team competing with/against each other?

Or is it that 1st yr PeeWees and 2nd yr PeeWees are in the same grade? (They are not). You can say the same thing for Squirts and Bantams. So the AA/A team is composed entirely of 2nd yr kids and the 1st year kids play B1. Have to keep the age groups together, ya know.

You getting my point? Kids from different grade levels play together all the time. This whole "keeping the kids together by grade" is hogwash. It's Minnesota Hockey wanting to be different.

Oh, by the way, it only hurts Minnesota kids as now kids who play USAH age bands actually get to start checking earlier (6 months earlier) than Mn kids. So for all you proponents of PeeWee checking, well you have kids playing PeeWees who should be Bantams and able to check under USAH rules.

[drop the puck]

In reality

AA = A
A = B1
B1 = B2
B2 = ?


Everyone wants to be A whether high school or youth sports.

Youth baseball in Minnesota went from A, B, C to AAA, AA, A a few years back. Hockey is just following.

The change makes moving down more tolerable. Associations are not moving their A team to B, they are just not moving up to AA.

[drop the puck]

So when the kids get to high school varsity freshman don't have to play with seniors? There's an all frosh team, all soph team, all Jr, & all Sr.? Or are Frosh through Senior on the same team competing with/against each other?

.

Hockey is one of a handful of HS team sports with just two levels. Soccer, football, baseball, etc... all have 3 or 4 levels. A freshman can make Varsity, but many if not most continue to play with their grade.

[HatTrick123]

Lets just make sure everyone gets a trophy. Even the losers. Everyone is a winner and everyone feels warm and fuzzy inside.

[Cobber]

The B level has lots of teams that do not play AA or A and many of these teams are the ones advancing to regions. I thought A was supposed to be for the smaller towns to compete like at high school. I do not think the high school league would allow these teams to play a JV schedule.

[preferhockey]

It appears the AA and A has created more opportunities for Twin City Districts, yipee

[observer]

I thought A was supposed to be for the smaller towns to compete like at high school.

No. It was for metro big association dads that didn't like telling friends that their son was on the B team. B1 was awesome hockey but this is a mess.

[the_juiceman]

The B level has lots of teams that do not play AA or A and many of these teams are the ones advancing to regions. I thought A was supposed to be for the smaller towns to compete like at high school. I do not think the high school league would allow these teams to play a JV schedule.

can you name a few of these associations?

[Cobber]

I know not all games are complete yet but the west regional peewee b should have north metro, north branch, and princeton and the north should be two harbors, silver bay, and moose lake, ely and hallaock not sure on the other regionals.

[loveitorleaveit]

Bo: Or the statement MN Hockey will get it wrong and set hockey back 10 years. This is not about AA-A, it's about common sense and logic.

Yes, I agree with you that it "set MN Hockey back 10 years".

I know quite a few kids in D10 that played in the new AA/A format and the parents said their "kids have lost all interest in playing Hockey".

Years, or youth playing careers?

I spoke with 2 of my sons friends still in D10 hockey - they are done playing hockey after this year. They would both be entering Bantams next year and they play on a PWA team this year. This A/AA thing has really created some ill feelings in the players. OR - the players are finding out that playing at the A level isn't everything they thought its cracked up to be.

[BluehawkHockey]

I think if you checked with the smaller associations in D10 that only had an A team (no AA), you would find they thought it was great. The kids got to play against fairly evenly matched teams. They have a shot a making it to regions, maybe even state. Sure, they probably got beat up by the AA teams, but against evenly matched teams, they did OK. If it wasn't for AA/A, only 1 or 2 of these smaller associations would have even had a shot at making districts and wouldn't have any chance to go to regions or state. To me, that makes it a success.

Most of the teams that really struggled in D10, were the teams with a AA team as well, Centennial being the exception. Next year, those large associations will probably only field a AA team. Then what do you do with only 4 A teams in D10?

[loveitorleaveit]

I think if you checked with the smaller associations in D10 that only had an A team (no AA), you would find they thought it was great. The kids got to play against fairly evenly matched teams. They have a shot a making it to regions, maybe even state. Sure, they probably got beat up by the AA teams, but against evenly matched teams, they did OK. If it wasn't for AA/A, only 1 or 2 of these smaller associations would have even had a shot at making districts and wouldn't have any chance to go to regions or state. To me, that makes it a success.

Most of the teams that really struggled in D10, were the teams with a AA team as well, Centennial being the exception. Next year, those large associations will probably only field a AA team. Then what do you do with only 4 A teams in D10?

Agreed, it was good for most of the teams, and the larger assc will have to evaluate what took place this year.

Then what do you do with only 4 A teams in D10?

The same thing they did 25 years leading up to the A/AA.

B level hockey has had this problem for years. You'll see the larger assc go back to one team and they will dominate the B level.

[the_juiceman]

Bo: Or the statement MN Hockey will get it wrong and set hockey back 10 years. This is not about AA-A, it's about common sense and logic.

Yes, I agree with you that it "set MN Hockey back 10 years".

I know quite a few kids in D10 that played in the new AA/A format and the parents said their "kids have lost all interest in playing Hockey".

Years, or youth playing careers?

I spoke with 2 of my sons friends still in D10 hockey - they are done playing hockey after this year. They would both be entering Bantams next year and they play on a PWA team this year. This A/AA thing has really created some ill feelings in the players. OR - the players are finding out that playing at the A level isn't everything they thought its cracked up to be.

so they got their wish to play "A" hockey, and because they did'nt win enough they no longer want to play? Is it the parents or the players? or would they have quit regardless? PW to Bantams is when alot of players drop out.

[loveitorleaveit]

Yes, I agree with you that it "set MN Hockey back 10 years".

I know quite a few kids in D10 that played in the new AA/A format and the parents said their "kids have lost all interest in playing Hockey".

Years, or youth playing careers?

I spoke with 2 of my sons friends still in D10 hockey - they are done playing hockey after this year. They would both be entering Bantams next year and they play on a PWA team this year. This A/AA thing has really created some ill feelings in the players. OR - the players are finding out that playing at the A level isn't everything they thought its cracked up to be.

so they got their wish to play "A" hockey, and because they did'nt win enough they no longer want to play? Is it the parents or the players? or would they have quit regardless? PW to Bantams is when alot of players drop out.

Good question, I'll have to ask them.

[ogelthorpe]

Bo: Or the statement MN Hockey will get it wrong and set hockey back 10 years. This is not about AA-A, it's about common sense and logic.

Yes, I agree with you that it "set MN Hockey back 10 years".

I know quite a few kids in D10 that played in the new AA/A format and the parents said their "kids have lost all interest in playing Hockey".

Years, or youth playing careers?

I spoke with 2 of my sons friends still in D10 hockey - they are done playing hockey after this year. They would both be entering Bantams next year and they play on a PWA team this year. This A/AA thing has really created some ill feelings in the players. OR - the players are finding out that playing at the A level isn't everything they thought its cracked up to be.

I have said it before, this wasn't designed as a new level. The purpose was a small association tournament AFTER the regular season. MH made the mistake of allowing associations to have both a AA and A team. Hopefully that will be corrected next year.

[MrBoDangles]

Yes, I agree with you that it "set MN Hockey back 10 years".

I know quite a few kids in D10 that played in the new AA/A format and the parents said their "kids have lost all interest in playing Hockey".

Years, or youth playing careers?

I spoke with 2 of my sons friends still in D10 hockey - they are done playing hockey after this year. They would both be entering Bantams next year and they play on a PWA team this year. This A/AA thing has really created some ill feelings in the players. OR - the players are finding out that playing at the A level isn't everything they thought its cracked up to be.

so they got their wish to play "A" hockey, and because they did'nt win enough they no longer want to play? Is it the parents or the players? or would they have quit regardless? PW to Bantams is when alot of players drop out.

Being led in over your head by adults and losing many games 10+ to nill will suck the fun out of it for any kid(or adult). It has to be demoralizing.

Refer back to the District 10 stats in the other thread.

[the_juiceman]

I spoke with 2 of my sons friends still in D10 hockey - they are done playing hockey after this year. They would both be entering Bantams next year and they play on a PWA team this year. This A/AA thing has really created some ill feelings in the players. OR - the players are finding out that playing at the A level isn't everything they thought its cracked up to be.

so they got their wish to play "A" hockey, and because they did'nt win enough they no longer want to play? Is it the parents or the players? or would they have quit regardless? PW to Bantams is when alot of players drop out.

Being led in over your head by adults and losing many games 10+ to nill will suck the fun out of it for any kid(or adult). It has to be demoralizing.

Refer back to the District 10 stats in the other thread.

Oh I know--my kid has been on the bad end of alot of those games. But he's still playing because he loves the game. If they are only playing because they are winning and now quitting because they are taking a beaten, they probably were going to quit anyways once they got to bantams and go snowboarding

[helightsthelamp]

I think if you checked with the smaller associations in D10 that only had an A team (no AA), you would find they thought it was great. The kids got to play against fairly evenly matched teams. They have a shot a making it to regions, maybe even state. Sure, they probably got beat up by the AA teams, but against evenly matched teams, they did OK. If it wasn't for AA/A, only 1 or 2 of these smaller associations would have even had a shot at making districts and wouldn't have any chance to go to regions or state. To me, that makes it a success.

Most of the teams that really struggled in D10, were the teams with a AA team as well, Centennial being the exception. Next year, those large associations will probably only field a AA team. Then what do you do with only 4 A teams in D10?

The only games that were competitive between AA and A were a few games in which the top couple of A teams played the bottom AA teams... A and AA being FORCED to play each other is where the disparity is..

[MrBoDangles]

so they got their wish to play "A" hockey, and because they did'nt win enough they no longer want to play? Is it the parents or the players? or would they have quit regardless? PW to Bantams is when alot of players drop out.

Being led in over your head by adults and losing many games 10+ to nill will suck the fun out of it for any kid(or adult). It has to be demoralizing.

Refer back to the District 10 stats in the other thread.

Oh I know--my kid has been on the bad end of alot of those games. But he's still playing because he loves the game. If they are only playing because they are winning and now quitting because they are taking a beaten, they probably were going to quit anyways once they got to bantams and go snowboarding

Would probably be much worse if your kid played A in an association that also had an AA team.

That's good he's still having fun.