7AA for 2017-2018

O-townClown · Post by **O-townClown** » Mon Feb 19, 2018 11:39 pm

Any relation to THE Bischoff family?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Bisc ... f_2010.jpg

TheHockeyDJ · Post by **TheHockeyDJ** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 8:30 am

I know the schedule is a little bit different this year for the semi-finals at Amsoil, but it sounds like it will return to all 4 games on Saturday next year if possible. I had a thought about increasing attendance, and I don't know why this hasn't been thought of before. Anyways, what if you have the youth teams of the Section play in Duluth on Semifinal Saturday. You could have teams like Grand Rapids, Elk River, Duluth East, Cloquet, Hibbing, Greenway, etc, all schedule games at the DECC and Heritage that Saturday. Even at Amsoil Arena in the morning at 8:30 am you could have Duluth East vs Grand Rapids in Bantam AA. That way all these youth teams could watch their HS team in the semifinals and play a game within the same travel.

Duluthguy · Post by **Duluthguy** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 8:50 am

TheHockeyDJ wrote:I know the schedule is a little bit different this year for the semi-finals at Amsoil, but it sounds like it will return to all 4 games on Saturday next year if possible. I had a thought about increasing attendance, and I don't know why this hasn't been thought of before. Anyways, what if you have the youth teams of the Section play in Duluth on Semifinal Saturday. You could have teams like Grand Rapids, Elk River, Duluth East, Cloquet, Hibbing, Greenway, etc, all schedule games at the DECC and Heritage that Saturday. Even at Amsoil Arena in the morning at 8:30 am you could have Duluth East vs Grand Rapids in Bantam AA. That way all these youth teams could watch their HS team in the semifinals and play a game within the same travel.

The challenge is the youth teams are in playoffs right now. For example, Bantam A and B and peewee A and B district tournaments are going on this week. Some teams have been eliminated, others are still trying to earn spots in the regionals. The regionals are next weekend--the weekend of March 2-4. (There aren't enough AA teams at the peewee and bantam levels around here, so they don't have to play in districts and advance directly to the regional). So you'd have to work around teams that don't want to play each other right before they'd potentially play each other in the regional, and also A and B teams that have already been eliminated at the district level. But it could make a big day of hockey around here even bigger and better.

TheHockeyDJ · Post by **TheHockeyDJ** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 9:05 am

Duluthguy wrote:
TheHockeyDJ wrote:I know the schedule is a little bit different this year for the semi-finals at Amsoil, but it sounds like it will return to all 4 games on Saturday next year if possible. I had a thought about increasing attendance, and I don't know why this hasn't been thought of before. Anyways, what if you have the youth teams of the Section play in Duluth on Semifinal Saturday. You could have teams like Grand Rapids, Elk River, Duluth East, Cloquet, Hibbing, Greenway, etc, all schedule games at the DECC and Heritage that Saturday. Even at Amsoil Arena in the morning at 8:30 am you could have Duluth East vs Grand Rapids in Bantam AA. That way all these youth teams could watch their HS team in the semifinals and play a game within the same travel.
The challenge is the youth teams are in playoffs right now. For example, Bantam A and B and peewee A and B district tournaments are going on this week. Some teams have been eliminated, others are still trying to earn spots in the regionals. The regionals are next weekend--the weekend of March 2-4. (There aren't enough AA teams at the peewee and bantam levels around here, so they don't have to play in districts and advance directly to the regional). So you'd have to work around teams that don't want to play each other right before they'd potentially play each other in the regional, and also A and B teams that have already been eliminated at the district level. But it could make a big day of hockey around here even bigger and better.

Then schedule the tournaments at the DECC and Heritage? And this same idea could work for Section 8AA with St. Cloud and Bemidji perhaps alternating hosting the semi-finals and ditch the terrible idea of having the high seed host the semifinals.

Usthockey13 · Post by **Usthockey13** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 9:26 am

TheHockeyDJ wrote:
Duluthguy wrote:
TheHockeyDJ wrote:I know the schedule is a little bit different this year for the semi-finals at Amsoil, but it sounds like it will return to all 4 games on Saturday next year if possible. I had a thought about increasing attendance, and I don't know why this hasn't been thought of before. Anyways, what if you have the youth teams of the Section play in Duluth on Semifinal Saturday. You could have teams like Grand Rapids, Elk River, Duluth East, Cloquet, Hibbing, Greenway, etc, all schedule games at the DECC and Heritage that Saturday. Even at Amsoil Arena in the morning at 8:30 am you could have Duluth East vs Grand Rapids in Bantam AA. That way all these youth teams could watch their HS team in the semifinals and play a game within the same travel.
The challenge is the youth teams are in playoffs right now. For example, Bantam A and B and peewee A and B district tournaments are going on this week. Some teams have been eliminated, others are still trying to earn spots in the regionals. The regionals are next weekend--the weekend of March 2-4. (There aren't enough AA teams at the peewee and bantam levels around here, so they don't have to play in districts and advance directly to the regional). So you'd have to work around teams that don't want to play each other right before they'd potentially play each other in the regional, and also A and B teams that have already been eliminated at the district level. But it could make a big day of hockey around here even bigger and better.
Then schedule the tournaments at the DECC and Heritage? And this same idea could work for Section 8AA with St. Cloud and Bemidji perhaps alternating hosting the semi-finals and ditch the terrible idea of having the high seed host the semifinals.

Wont work DECC ice is out for year by now.

TheHockeyDJ · Post by **TheHockeyDJ** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 9:40 am

[quote="Usthockey13"

Wont work DECC ice is out for year by now.[/quote]

Heritage and Mars Lakeview.

TheHockeyDJ · Post by **TheHockeyDJ** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 10:09 am

Lots of HS hockey talk on the Bruce Ciskie show 10:30-11:00 including Hermantown head coach and East's Mike Randolph: http://player.listenlive.co/28881

northwoods oldtimer · Tue Feb 20, 2018 10:39 am

TheHockeyDJ wrote:Lots of HS hockey talk on the Bruce Ciskie show 10:30-11:00 including Hermantown head coach and East's Mike Randolph: http://player.listenlive.co/28881

Thanks DJ

Schotzy · Post by **Schotzy** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 12:24 pm

TheHockeyDJ wrote:Heritage and Mars Lakeview.

Not to keep shooting this down, but local rinks make bids to host district, region, and state tourneys. It is extra money in their coffers. To try something like this, you take away those hosting opportunities, and thus a way for a rink to make some extra money to pay forward to their participants.

I know this is theoretical, but it just would not happen.

alcloseshaver · Post by **alcloseshaver** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 10:20 pm

Knivvsy... Report?

kniven · Post by **kniven** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 10:40 pm

alcloseshaver wrote:Knivvsy... Report?

Well. Duluth Marshall scored 6 goals on 15 shots. It was 3-0 really early. And 6-2 when CEC pulled their goalie with 9 minutes left in the game when face offs were in the Marshall end of the ice. CEC had it down to 4-2 at one point, but Marshall kept answering. Frustrating for sure for me for sure. Congrats to the Hilltoppers. I’ll enjoy the rest of the section playoffs and the state tournament.

Official game sheet
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JoRWD ... 8_NtbR9sKy

alcloseshaver · Post by **alcloseshaver** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 11:00 pm

Karl can fact check this but this should be Elk River's 11th appearance in the 7AA semi's in the last 12 seasons.

TheHockeyDJ · Post by **TheHockeyDJ** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 11:17 pm

I wasn’t too far off on my quarterfinal predictions, just thought ER/FL would be closer.

Post by **karl(east)** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 11:22 pm

alcloseshaver wrote:Karl can fact check this but this should be Elk River's 11th appearance in the 7AA semi's in the last 12 seasons.

That would be correct. 2008 is the only time they haven't won a quarterfinal since they were re-added to 7AA in 05-06. Not much drama on the southern side of the bracket tonight, and East did exactly what they needed to do to take any drama out of the Rapids game early.

The interesting result here was Marshall over Cloquet, which is an upset in the seeding but not in the rankings (mine, anyway). Cloquet was just all over the place this season, and it was hard to trust them in this setting. Sure enough, they came out poorly. While the shots read 30-19 Jacks according to the Hub, they were apparently 17-12 Toppers over the first two periods, then 18-2 in the 3rd when CEC was pushing to tie the game (and, apparently, pulling its goalie at times). Hard to win when you only show up for one period.

It sets up a pretty good semifinal Saturday at Amsoil, though it'll be unusual to have neither Cloquet nor Grand Rapids there. Marshall can certainly give East a run if they can hold up against a team that will outshoot them, and the Andover-Elk River game should be a good one, too.

TheHockeyDJ · Post by **TheHockeyDJ** » Tue Feb 20, 2018 11:50 pm

I wasn’t too far off on my quarterfinal predictions, just thought ER/FL would be closer.

northwoods oldtimer · Post by **northwoods oldtimer** » Wed Feb 21, 2018 7:31 am

TheHockeyDJ wrote:I know the schedule is a little bit different this year for the semi-finals at Amsoil, but it sounds like it will return to all 4 games on Saturday next year if possible. I had a thought about increasing attendance, and I don't know why this hasn't been thought of before. Anyways, what if you have the youth teams of the Section play in Duluth on Semifinal Saturday. You could have teams like Grand Rapids, Elk River, Duluth East, Cloquet, Hibbing, Greenway, etc, all schedule games at the DECC and Heritage that Saturday. Even at Amsoil Arena in the morning at 8:30 am you could have Duluth East vs Grand Rapids in Bantam AA. That way all these youth teams could watch their HS team in the semifinals and play a game within the same travel.

Return 7A semi to Hibbing and Rapids and the 7a final to Hibbing. Enough with the Amsoil. Its a crappy environment for 7A hockey when nobody shows up to watch.
Is Sandbagtown moving up to AA next year?

kniven · Post by **kniven** » Wed Feb 21, 2018 7:35 am

northwoods oldtimer wrote:
TheHockeyDJ wrote:I know the schedule is a little bit different this year for the semi-finals at Amsoil, but it sounds like it will return to all 4 games on Saturday next year if possible. I had a thought about increasing attendance, and I don't know why this hasn't been thought of before. Anyways, what if you have the youth teams of the Section play in Duluth on Semifinal Saturday. You could have teams like Grand Rapids, Elk River, Duluth East, Cloquet, Hibbing, Greenway, etc, all schedule games at the DECC and Heritage that Saturday. Even at Amsoil Arena in the morning at 8:30 am you could have Duluth East vs Grand Rapids in Bantam AA. That way all these youth teams could watch their HS team in the semifinals and play a game within the same travel.
Return 7A semi to Hibing and Rapids and the 7a final to Hibbing. Enough with the Amsoil. Its a crappy environment for 7A hockey when nobody shows up to watch.

Totally agreed

Jeffy95 · Post by **Jeffy95** » Wed Feb 21, 2018 8:26 am

northwoods oldtimer wrote:
TheHockeyDJ wrote:I know the schedule is a little bit different this year for the semi-finals at Amsoil, but it sounds like it will return to all 4 games on Saturday next year if possible. I had a thought about increasing attendance, and I don't know why this hasn't been thought of before. Anyways, what if you have the youth teams of the Section play in Duluth on Semifinal Saturday. You could have teams like Grand Rapids, Elk River, Duluth East, Cloquet, Hibbing, Greenway, etc, all schedule games at the DECC and Heritage that Saturday. Even at Amsoil Arena in the morning at 8:30 am you could have Duluth East vs Grand Rapids in Bantam AA. That way all these youth teams could watch their HS team in the semifinals and play a game within the same travel.
Return 7A semi to Hibbing and Rapids and the 7a final to Hibbing. Enough with the Amsoil. Its a crappy environment for 7A hockey when nobody shows up to watch.
Is Sandbagtown moving up to AA next year?

They don't have the option to move up until the following season. Very unlikely that it will ever happen though. Scott Pionk says only 30% of the HAHA membership are for it. They like things just the way they are.

TheHockeyDJ · Post by **TheHockeyDJ** » Wed Feb 21, 2018 8:51 am

kniven wrote:
northwoods oldtimer wrote:
TheHockeyDJ wrote:I know the schedule is a little bit different this year for the semi-finals at Amsoil, but it sounds like it will return to all 4 games on Saturday next year if possible. I had a thought about increasing attendance, and I don't know why this hasn't been thought of before. Anyways, what if you have the youth teams of the Section play in Duluth on Semifinal Saturday. You could have teams like Grand Rapids, Elk River, Duluth East, Cloquet, Hibbing, Greenway, etc, all schedule games at the DECC and Heritage that Saturday. Even at Amsoil Arena in the morning at 8:30 am you could have Duluth East vs Grand Rapids in Bantam AA. That way all these youth teams could watch their HS team in the semifinals and play a game within the same travel.
Return 7A semi to Hibing and Rapids and the 7a final to Hibbing. Enough with the Amsoil. Its a crappy environment for 7A hockey when nobody shows up to watch.
Totally agreed

Wrong, this is the "old-timer" and "old-fashioned" showing up. Comments like that make me think you are the type that listens to KOZY for the music. First of all Hibbing doesn't have the seating capacity anymore. Hibbing was a great venue in it's time, but it's 2018 now, move on to better things. Besides the difference in arenas, who would ever WANT to spend leisure time in Hibbing? Barf. The only change that needs to happen is to hopefully have all 4 games back on Saturday next season. There aren't many experiences in sports that rank up there with Duluth. As an example I'll give you going to a Wild game in Anaheim. Sure it is warm out and it's a very nice arena, but there is NOTHING to do in walking distance of that building. Amsoil Arena has better sight lines, better sound system, has a video board, etc, etc, etc.

kniven · Post by **kniven** » Wed Feb 21, 2018 9:01 am

TheHockeyDJ wrote:
kniven wrote:
northwoods oldtimer wrote: Return 7A semi to Hibing and Rapids and the 7a final to Hibbing. Enough with the Amsoil. Its a crappy environment for 7A hockey when nobody shows up to watch.
Totally agreed
Wrong, this is the "old-timer" and "old-fashioned" showing up. Comments like that make me think you are the type that listens to KOZY for the music. First of all Hibbing doesn't have the seating capacity anymore. Hibbing was a great venue in it's time, but it's 2018 now, move on to better things. Besides the difference in arenas, who would ever WANT to spend leisure time in Hibbing? Barf. The only change that needs to happen is to hopefully have all 4 games back on Saturday next season. There aren't many experiences in sports that rank up there with Duluth. As an example I'll give you going to a Wild game in Anaheim. Sure it is warm out and it's a very nice arena, but there is NOTHING to do in walking distance of that building. Amsoil Arena has better sight lines, better sound system, has a video board, etc, etc, etc.

excellent points

TheHockeyDJ · Post by **TheHockeyDJ** » Wed Feb 21, 2018 9:10 am

Going even further, here is the review from stadium journey.com: https://stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/amsoil-arena-s1513

green4 · Post by **green4** » Wed Feb 21, 2018 9:44 am

Every year during section time you can count on DJ to defend poor Amsoil arena.

kniven · Post by **kniven** » Wed Feb 21, 2018 10:08 am

green4 wrote:Every year during section time you can count on DJ to defend poor Amsoil arena.

For me, I would much rather watch big high school hockey games at Hibbing Memorial and the IRA versus Amsoil any day.

blueline_6 · Post by **blueline_6** » Wed Feb 21, 2018 10:11 am

kniven wrote:
green4 wrote:Every year during section time you can count on DJ to defend poor Amsoil arena.
For me, I would much rather watch big high school hockey games at Hibbing Memorial and the IRA versus Amsoil any day.

Play all the game in Cloquet's old Barn. Except you couldn't do any live streams because the cameras would all freeze...

TheHockeyDJ · Post by **TheHockeyDJ** » Wed Feb 21, 2018 10:15 am

kniven wrote:
green4 wrote:Every year during section time you can count on DJ to defend poor Amsoil arena.
For me, I would much rather watch big high school hockey games at Hibbing Memorial and the IRA versus Amsoil any day.

With Hibbing you have that awesome seating design of a walkway between the glass and the first row of seating. Who doesn't love having people constantly walking in front of you while watching a game?

Now don't get me wrong. IRA and Hibbing in their own right have been and are overall great venues for HS hockey. But they are not good enough for section playoffs. IRA probably has the best sight lines of any building. But again their just aren't enough seats. Amsoil Arena is the perfect venue to have all 4 games on the same day. And they should be in the same venue. I love the element of having multiple students sections bantering back and forth during the two-games-per-session like you do in St. Paul at state.