In the spirit of the Hermantown thread, I'd like to start one for EGF. I had heard rumblings of significant incoming talent to EGF, and their ability to compete with the very best in AA at youth has me thinking these rumblings are true. And there are those who say there is nothing to see here, which may very well be true.
If there is nothing to see here, then this thread will fall about 87 pages short of the Hermantown one. But if there is something to this, I suspect we will hear about it.
I think it's important to know how these "small towns" are able to build such incredible programs, as it it could help all hockey programs in MN. And I think it's equally important that no one be allowed to perpetuate a falsehood that they are doing it with such a small enrollment when that really isn't the case, and to use this false premise to disparage other programs for not doing the same.
EGF Thread
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
Re: EGF Thread
EAST GRAND FORKS PIONEERS NEW SQUIRT MODEL
Minnesota is a state filled with hockey hotbeds, yet for some reason, East Grand Forks isn’t always the first community that comes to mind when it comes to on-ice success. But it should be.
Few other communities can match what East Grand Forks has accomplished over the past decade. Competing in one of the toughest Class A sections, they’ve earned five trips to the MSHSL Boys’ Hockey State Tournament and won back-to-back state titles in 2014 and 2015.
The girls’ program has also produced consistently strong high school teams and finished second at the MSHSL Girls’ Hockey State Tournament in 2014.
In addition, many of the players have gone on to have individual success. Six players from East Grand Forks are currently playing NCAA Division I hockey, and Tucker Poolman recently became the town’s first player to reach the NHL.
All of this success from a town of roughly 9,000 people. It’s an impressive run to say the least.
Yet, a completely revamped squirt program has leaders in East Grand Forks, as well as USA Hockey ADM Regional Manager Guy Gosselin, confident and excited that the future is even brighter.
“They’re implementing some cutting-edge stuff in terms of squirts and half-ice hockey,” said Gosselin. “They wanted to put the kids first and really give them what they need to excel in the game and have a better experience.”
The New Model
“Our plan, which we’ve already started, is to take our group of squirts, roughly 35 skaters and four goalies, and we’re always going to practice together,” said Judd Stauss, youth development coordinator for East Grand Forks. “Within our program here, we are going to play in-house half-ice games, concentrating on small areas.”
“We’re going to play five-on-five, and the kids are going to go, go, go, go.”
The in-house games, which will feature four balanced teams, will be the players’ only game action up until January 1st.
“From that point, we will name a Squirt A team and two Squirt B teams, but we will still practice together,” said Stauss. “We’re not going to end practicing together, but we will name some teams.”
A World Leading View
“Obviously, this is a change, and it’s a pretty big one to a lot of people,” said Stauss. “You don’t just, all of a sudden, wake up one day and say okay, we’re going to change our Squirt program. It has a lot to do with the research that we did, obviously with USA Hockey, but also looking into what I would consider are two of the top countries in development in Sweden and Finland.”
Gosselin, who first met with Stauss and East Grand Forks’ program director, Mark Dragich, last spring, has been impressed with their passion for doing the right thing for kids and making their program better.
“They listened intently and asked a lot of questions about this,” said Gosselin. "They want all of their kids to get a better experience. They want to retain more players, and they know at that age group repetition of technical skills is very, very important. They’re spot on. Our European friends have been doing that for years.”
“I asked one of our Swedish development friends who we were on a tour with a couple of weeks ago. I said, ‘Tell me about your 10U cross ice hockey.’ He looked at me with a smile and said, ‘Is there another way?’ They just kind of take it for granted over there. They understand it’s the best thing for kids at 10U. They’ve been doing it a long time, and the Swedes and the Finns are probably the best development people right now in the world.”
Boys high school coach Tyler Palmiscno has also played a key role in developing and supporting the change from the start. Together, they designed an innovative program that implements many of the development principles from their research, combined with their own unique twists to fit their community.
“Player development is what we need to focus on, not winning and losing at a Squirt level,” said Stauss. “Nobody becomes Patrick Kane at a nine or ten-year-old level. It’s a process. These kids need to go through a lot of growing before they get to that stage. The squirt/10U level might be the most important time for these kids to develop.”
Skills, Repetitions and Hockey Sense
While the adjustment to half-ice games may be what grabs most people’s attention, East Grand Forks’ new approach to practice is equally ground breaking.
Many associations require shared practices, but it’s common for teams to split the ice in two and stay on their own half of the ice for the duration of practice. While that format is certainly a more efficient use of ice time than a single team practice, it also has limitations from a development perspective.
“We cannot let one kid slip through the cracks,” said Stauss. “By doing what we’re doing, we know every single kid at our Squirt level is getting the exact same coaching. They’re getting it for the whole year.”
“We know every time they step on the ice they’re going to get a very good practice plan. It’s going to be organized. The coaches are going to be prepared. Kids are going to get their work in. They’re going to have fun, but they’re going to be moving.”
As the practices hone in on developing players skills through repetitions in station-based practices, the half-ice games will provide players more opportunities to apply those skills and concepts in game situations.
“We’re going to implement different types of games within those [half-ice] games,” said Stauss. “Create an offsides line. Create a line where players have to get across the center line before they can score, every player has to get across, forcing the kids to get up ice. There’s so many different things you can do to create game-like situations and also teach these kids different points about the game within a half-ice game.”
“Most importantly, it tightens up the area. The kids have to make plays. The kids have to be able to think and know the game in a lot higher speed than what they would if it was a full ice sheet.”
Early Results and Feedback
The new format was announced last April in an effort to communicate with parents early on and provide an opportunity for questions in advance of the season.
“The biggest push back we did receive was from our second-year squirts,” said Stauss. “They were accustomed to a Squirt A team on November 1st last year or whatever that date was. Now, all of a sudden that has changed. I understand it. It’s our job now, not necessarily to sell it to them, but prove it to them. They’re going to see it. Parents have seen it already.”
From the perspective of Eric Useldinger, whose son is a second-year squirt, there’s definitely a wait and see attitude among many of the parents, but what they’ve seen so far has been encouraging.
“For my son, I think it’s going to benefit him,” said Useldinger. “He’s not one of the top kids in the program. He’s up there, he’s a good player, but a lot of times full-ice at this age, there’s one or two or three kids that control the puck the whole time.”
“They get more opportunities to shoot the puck, to touch the puck [on half-ice]. I think it keeps them engaged a little more. It’s a big sheet of ice for nine-year-olds. If one kid is carrying the puck the whole time, the other kids are kind of just skating up and down the ice.”
He’s also noticed many of the same positives with the new practice format.
“He enjoys the practices,” said Useldinger. “He shoots the puck a lot more. He’s moving a lot more. There’s not as much standing around, where five kids run a drill while five kids sit there for a minute or two minutes. From what I’ve seen, they only sit for 30 seconds at the most, and they’re starting their drill or station.”
“The amount of reps, the amount of battles and the amount of skating they’re doing in a one-hour practice compared to what they did last year is night and day,” said Stauss.
And they know their focus on skills and repetitions are going to reap major benefits for the players and the program in the long run.
Minnesota is a state filled with hockey hotbeds, yet for some reason, East Grand Forks isn’t always the first community that comes to mind when it comes to on-ice success. But it should be.
Few other communities can match what East Grand Forks has accomplished over the past decade. Competing in one of the toughest Class A sections, they’ve earned five trips to the MSHSL Boys’ Hockey State Tournament and won back-to-back state titles in 2014 and 2015.
The girls’ program has also produced consistently strong high school teams and finished second at the MSHSL Girls’ Hockey State Tournament in 2014.
In addition, many of the players have gone on to have individual success. Six players from East Grand Forks are currently playing NCAA Division I hockey, and Tucker Poolman recently became the town’s first player to reach the NHL.
All of this success from a town of roughly 9,000 people. It’s an impressive run to say the least.
Yet, a completely revamped squirt program has leaders in East Grand Forks, as well as USA Hockey ADM Regional Manager Guy Gosselin, confident and excited that the future is even brighter.
“They’re implementing some cutting-edge stuff in terms of squirts and half-ice hockey,” said Gosselin. “They wanted to put the kids first and really give them what they need to excel in the game and have a better experience.”
The New Model
“Our plan, which we’ve already started, is to take our group of squirts, roughly 35 skaters and four goalies, and we’re always going to practice together,” said Judd Stauss, youth development coordinator for East Grand Forks. “Within our program here, we are going to play in-house half-ice games, concentrating on small areas.”
“We’re going to play five-on-five, and the kids are going to go, go, go, go.”
The in-house games, which will feature four balanced teams, will be the players’ only game action up until January 1st.
“From that point, we will name a Squirt A team and two Squirt B teams, but we will still practice together,” said Stauss. “We’re not going to end practicing together, but we will name some teams.”
A World Leading View
“Obviously, this is a change, and it’s a pretty big one to a lot of people,” said Stauss. “You don’t just, all of a sudden, wake up one day and say okay, we’re going to change our Squirt program. It has a lot to do with the research that we did, obviously with USA Hockey, but also looking into what I would consider are two of the top countries in development in Sweden and Finland.”
Gosselin, who first met with Stauss and East Grand Forks’ program director, Mark Dragich, last spring, has been impressed with their passion for doing the right thing for kids and making their program better.
“They listened intently and asked a lot of questions about this,” said Gosselin. "They want all of their kids to get a better experience. They want to retain more players, and they know at that age group repetition of technical skills is very, very important. They’re spot on. Our European friends have been doing that for years.”
“I asked one of our Swedish development friends who we were on a tour with a couple of weeks ago. I said, ‘Tell me about your 10U cross ice hockey.’ He looked at me with a smile and said, ‘Is there another way?’ They just kind of take it for granted over there. They understand it’s the best thing for kids at 10U. They’ve been doing it a long time, and the Swedes and the Finns are probably the best development people right now in the world.”
Boys high school coach Tyler Palmiscno has also played a key role in developing and supporting the change from the start. Together, they designed an innovative program that implements many of the development principles from their research, combined with their own unique twists to fit their community.
“Player development is what we need to focus on, not winning and losing at a Squirt level,” said Stauss. “Nobody becomes Patrick Kane at a nine or ten-year-old level. It’s a process. These kids need to go through a lot of growing before they get to that stage. The squirt/10U level might be the most important time for these kids to develop.”
Skills, Repetitions and Hockey Sense
While the adjustment to half-ice games may be what grabs most people’s attention, East Grand Forks’ new approach to practice is equally ground breaking.
Many associations require shared practices, but it’s common for teams to split the ice in two and stay on their own half of the ice for the duration of practice. While that format is certainly a more efficient use of ice time than a single team practice, it also has limitations from a development perspective.
“We cannot let one kid slip through the cracks,” said Stauss. “By doing what we’re doing, we know every single kid at our Squirt level is getting the exact same coaching. They’re getting it for the whole year.”
“We know every time they step on the ice they’re going to get a very good practice plan. It’s going to be organized. The coaches are going to be prepared. Kids are going to get their work in. They’re going to have fun, but they’re going to be moving.”
As the practices hone in on developing players skills through repetitions in station-based practices, the half-ice games will provide players more opportunities to apply those skills and concepts in game situations.
“We’re going to implement different types of games within those [half-ice] games,” said Stauss. “Create an offsides line. Create a line where players have to get across the center line before they can score, every player has to get across, forcing the kids to get up ice. There’s so many different things you can do to create game-like situations and also teach these kids different points about the game within a half-ice game.”
“Most importantly, it tightens up the area. The kids have to make plays. The kids have to be able to think and know the game in a lot higher speed than what they would if it was a full ice sheet.”
Early Results and Feedback
The new format was announced last April in an effort to communicate with parents early on and provide an opportunity for questions in advance of the season.
“The biggest push back we did receive was from our second-year squirts,” said Stauss. “They were accustomed to a Squirt A team on November 1st last year or whatever that date was. Now, all of a sudden that has changed. I understand it. It’s our job now, not necessarily to sell it to them, but prove it to them. They’re going to see it. Parents have seen it already.”
From the perspective of Eric Useldinger, whose son is a second-year squirt, there’s definitely a wait and see attitude among many of the parents, but what they’ve seen so far has been encouraging.
“For my son, I think it’s going to benefit him,” said Useldinger. “He’s not one of the top kids in the program. He’s up there, he’s a good player, but a lot of times full-ice at this age, there’s one or two or three kids that control the puck the whole time.”
“They get more opportunities to shoot the puck, to touch the puck [on half-ice]. I think it keeps them engaged a little more. It’s a big sheet of ice for nine-year-olds. If one kid is carrying the puck the whole time, the other kids are kind of just skating up and down the ice.”
He’s also noticed many of the same positives with the new practice format.
“He enjoys the practices,” said Useldinger. “He shoots the puck a lot more. He’s moving a lot more. There’s not as much standing around, where five kids run a drill while five kids sit there for a minute or two minutes. From what I’ve seen, they only sit for 30 seconds at the most, and they’re starting their drill or station.”
“The amount of reps, the amount of battles and the amount of skating they’re doing in a one-hour practice compared to what they did last year is night and day,” said Stauss.
And they know their focus on skills and repetitions are going to reap major benefits for the players and the program in the long run.
Re: EGF Thread
That's great to see. Hopefully that is the reason for their fantastic success, and not from having talent open enroll or transfer there, and other programs can implement the same.
Re: EGF Thread
elliott this is GOLD!!elliott70 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 1:40 pm EAST GRAND FORKS PIONEERS NEW SQUIRT MODEL
Minnesota is a state filled with hockey hotbeds, yet for some reason, East Grand Forks isn’t always the first community that comes to mind when it comes to on-ice success. But it should be.
Few other communities can match what East Grand Forks has accomplished over the past decade. Competing in one of the toughest Class A sections, they’ve earned five trips to the MSHSL Boys’ Hockey State Tournament and won back-to-back state titles in 2014 and 2015.
The girls’ program has also produced consistently strong high school teams and finished second at the MSHSL Girls’ Hockey State Tournament in 2014.
In addition, many of the players have gone on to have individual success. Six players from East Grand Forks are currently playing NCAA Division I hockey, and Tucker Poolman recently became the town’s first player to reach the NHL.
All of this success from a town of roughly 9,000 people. It’s an impressive run to say the least.
Yet, a completely revamped squirt program has leaders in East Grand Forks, as well as USA Hockey ADM Regional Manager Guy Gosselin, confident and excited that the future is even brighter.
“They’re implementing some cutting-edge stuff in terms of squirts and half-ice hockey,” said Gosselin. “They wanted to put the kids first and really give them what they need to excel in the game and have a better experience.”
The New Model
“Our plan, which we’ve already started, is to take our group of squirts, roughly 35 skaters and four goalies, and we’re always going to practice together,” said Judd Stauss, youth development coordinator for East Grand Forks. “Within our program here, we are going to play in-house half-ice games, concentrating on small areas.”
“We’re going to play five-on-five, and the kids are going to go, go, go, go.”
The in-house games, which will feature four balanced teams, will be the players’ only game action up until January 1st.
“From that point, we will name a Squirt A team and two Squirt B teams, but we will still practice together,” said Stauss. “We’re not going to end practicing together, but we will name some teams.”
A World Leading View
“Obviously, this is a change, and it’s a pretty big one to a lot of people,” said Stauss. “You don’t just, all of a sudden, wake up one day and say okay, we’re going to change our Squirt program. It has a lot to do with the research that we did, obviously with USA Hockey, but also looking into what I would consider are two of the top countries in development in Sweden and Finland.”
Gosselin, who first met with Stauss and East Grand Forks’ program director, Mark Dragich, last spring, has been impressed with their passion for doing the right thing for kids and making their program better.
“They listened intently and asked a lot of questions about this,” said Gosselin. "They want all of their kids to get a better experience. They want to retain more players, and they know at that age group repetition of technical skills is very, very important. They’re spot on. Our European friends have been doing that for years.”
“I asked one of our Swedish development friends who we were on a tour with a couple of weeks ago. I said, ‘Tell me about your 10U cross ice hockey.’ He looked at me with a smile and said, ‘Is there another way?’ They just kind of take it for granted over there. They understand it’s the best thing for kids at 10U. They’ve been doing it a long time, and the Swedes and the Finns are probably the best development people right now in the world.”
Boys high school coach Tyler Palmiscno has also played a key role in developing and supporting the change from the start. Together, they designed an innovative program that implements many of the development principles from their research, combined with their own unique twists to fit their community.
“Player development is what we need to focus on, not winning and losing at a Squirt level,” said Stauss. “Nobody becomes Patrick Kane at a nine or ten-year-old level. It’s a process. These kids need to go through a lot of growing before they get to that stage. The squirt/10U level might be the most important time for these kids to develop.”
Skills, Repetitions and Hockey Sense
While the adjustment to half-ice games may be what grabs most people’s attention, East Grand Forks’ new approach to practice is equally ground breaking.
Many associations require shared practices, but it’s common for teams to split the ice in two and stay on their own half of the ice for the duration of practice. While that format is certainly a more efficient use of ice time than a single team practice, it also has limitations from a development perspective.
“We cannot let one kid slip through the cracks,” said Stauss. “By doing what we’re doing, we know every single kid at our Squirt level is getting the exact same coaching. They’re getting it for the whole year.”
“We know every time they step on the ice they’re going to get a very good practice plan. It’s going to be organized. The coaches are going to be prepared. Kids are going to get their work in. They’re going to have fun, but they’re going to be moving.”
As the practices hone in on developing players skills through repetitions in station-based practices, the half-ice games will provide players more opportunities to apply those skills and concepts in game situations.
“We’re going to implement different types of games within those [half-ice] games,” said Stauss. “Create an offsides line. Create a line where players have to get across the center line before they can score, every player has to get across, forcing the kids to get up ice. There’s so many different things you can do to create game-like situations and also teach these kids different points about the game within a half-ice game.”
“Most importantly, it tightens up the area. The kids have to make plays. The kids have to be able to think and know the game in a lot higher speed than what they would if it was a full ice sheet.”
Early Results and Feedback
The new format was announced last April in an effort to communicate with parents early on and provide an opportunity for questions in advance of the season.
“The biggest push back we did receive was from our second-year squirts,” said Stauss. “They were accustomed to a Squirt A team on November 1st last year or whatever that date was. Now, all of a sudden that has changed. I understand it. It’s our job now, not necessarily to sell it to them, but prove it to them. They’re going to see it. Parents have seen it already.”
From the perspective of Eric Useldinger, whose son is a second-year squirt, there’s definitely a wait and see attitude among many of the parents, but what they’ve seen so far has been encouraging.
“For my son, I think it’s going to benefit him,” said Useldinger. “He’s not one of the top kids in the program. He’s up there, he’s a good player, but a lot of times full-ice at this age, there’s one or two or three kids that control the puck the whole time.”
“They get more opportunities to shoot the puck, to touch the puck [on half-ice]. I think it keeps them engaged a little more. It’s a big sheet of ice for nine-year-olds. If one kid is carrying the puck the whole time, the other kids are kind of just skating up and down the ice.”
He’s also noticed many of the same positives with the new practice format.
“He enjoys the practices,” said Useldinger. “He shoots the puck a lot more. He’s moving a lot more. There’s not as much standing around, where five kids run a drill while five kids sit there for a minute or two minutes. From what I’ve seen, they only sit for 30 seconds at the most, and they’re starting their drill or station.”
“The amount of reps, the amount of battles and the amount of skating they’re doing in a one-hour practice compared to what they did last year is night and day,” said Stauss.
And they know their focus on skills and repetitions are going to reap major benefits for the players and the program in the long run.
Just curious what year is this article from? Are the kids who did this ADM model in squirts the ones now doing big things at AA PW & AA Bantam Level? I know this concept is been preached by USA hockey a ton for around nearly a decade now but many are reluctant to do it cause its not the way we have always done it. Awesome EGF went with it and are reaping the benefits!
Thanks for sharing this!!
Re: EGF Thread
2019 I believe
October 2019
October 2019
Re: EGF Thread
What I was thinking and it would line up with the wave of great teams they have now coming into the HS teams here as they will be a Powerhouse for the next decade plus looking at the youth!
Hope this story gets more pub when they start winning titles at the High School level. Its different and not what we are used too but this model appears to be working magic in EGF and could be big for other associations willing to try things a different way!
Thanks again for the share!
Re: EGF Thread
Well, what do you know, I found another one. There's a kid on the PWAA team that was an over point-per-game player this season, and it appears he played for his hometown team in Manitoba as recently as a year ago.
But I'm sure there aren't any others, right?
But I'm sure there aren't any others, right?
-
GoldenBear
- Posts: 735
- Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:38 am
Re: EGF Thread
Geez Louis! People are allowed to move. I’m not going to play Sherlock Holmes here but I’m pretty darn sure every metro school has at least 2-5 move ins where parents have kids that play a sport..hockey/basketball/synchronized swimming etc. I feel really bad for the Manitoba Elks team that now are lacking a 11 year-old phenom. GB
Re: EGF Thread
The claim was an emphatic "None!" to the question of any transfer and open enrollees. Just pointing out it didn't take much sleuthing to prove that claim false.GoldenBear wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 5:21 pm Geez Louis! People are allowed to move. I’m not going to play Sherlock Holmes here but I’m pretty darn sure every metro school has at least 2-5 move ins where parents have kids that play a sport..hockey/basketball/synchronized swimming etc. I feel really bad for the Manitoba Elks team that now are lacking a 11 year-old phenom. GB
And this kid never went through the revolutionary EGF Squirt program that will change youth hockey forever, so I'm not sure how he got so good.
Re: EGF Thread
FYI, none of this is really new.
- Capture.PNG (21.4 KiB) Viewed 1031 times
Re: EGF Thread
I think this post from 5 years ago deserves context.
First off, no dog in the fight in this argument and I have no clue what is going on currently in EGF other than they have a great youth program right now.
I like you rainier had been told EGF was getting kids from other areas up there but this was 5 to 7 years ago and this was what was fact back then:
2017- they got their leading scorer to come in as Senior transfer from GF to help lead EGF to State
2018- they got Senior Goalie from Moorhead to transfer in and they ended up being upset in 8A Final by TRF
2019- they got Junior goalie to from GF who transferred in but was ruled not to be eligible but team was still good enough for 4th place at State.
2020- The Senior Goalie was now eligible and they got the Panzer Family who moved in across the border team finished Runner up to Warroad in 8A.
At that point I was thinking wow they are starting to get kids from places and attract hockey talent liek the Hawks but for context each situation was explained
2017 kid left to play for Bismarck in NAHL and enrolled in school in Bismarck. That didnt pan out and was ineligible to play his Sr year in ND due to their transfer rules. His dad was from EGF and played out his Sr year there. Definitely was not recruited.
2018 kid knew he was never going to play in Moorhead and moved to EGF his Jr year. He was ineligible for 1 year and missed several games in the beginning of his Sr season. He did not help EGF very much but did end up winning the starting position. Was told he was not recruited.
2019 kid played his Sophomore year in Sioux Falls AAA. Didnt like the experience and moved back to GF. He was told he would be ineligible his Jr year due to ND rules. Family moved to EGF so he could play there. Ended up being ineligible due to ND paperwork not transferring over showing eligible to play in another state. Was eligible his Sr year and was a big upgrade to goaltender position but was not recruited again kid looking to play instead of sitting out in North Dakota.
2020 Was told the Panzer family moving from GF to EGF was due to wanting to play MN hockey instead of ND. Dont know much else on that.
I have not heard of any other transfers in the last 4 years since then. I am not sure if this strengths or weakens whatever is going on in this thread. Again just bringing context to the post from 5 years ago and what was brought out about the situation back then.
Again, I was hoping elliott's point about doing ADM was big piece of the success because timeline wise it would line up with the groups they have now. Could be wrong though and I have no idea of kids moving in currently but I wanted to provide context on the ones I did know about from 5 to 7 years ago.
One thing is for sure EGF is Loaded next year and will be the #1 team in Class A and I wish them luck and am hoping that they and Hibbing both have big years and make the Sectionals in 7A and 8A fun ones to watch!
Re: EGF Thread
Thanks for the context Class A guy. You called EGF the Hermantown of the west back then and didn't get torched like I did. I must not be liked as much.ClassAGuy wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 8:08 pmI think this post from 5 years ago deserves context.
First off, no dog in the fight in this argument and I have no clue what is going on currently in EGF other than they have a great youth program right now.
I like you rainier had been told EGF was getting kids from other areas up there but this was 5 to 7 years ago and this was what was fact back then:
2017- they got their leading scorer to come in as Senior transfer from GF to help lead EGF to State
2018- they got Senior Goalie from Moorhead to transfer in and they ended up being upset in 8A Final by TRF
2019- they got Junior goalie to from GF who transferred in but was ruled not to be eligible but team was still good enough for 4th place at State.
2020- The Senior Goalie was now eligible and they got the Panzer Family who moved in across the border team finished Runner up to Warroad in 8A.
At that point I was thinking wow they are starting to get kids from places and attract hockey talent liek the Hawks but for context each situation was explained
2017 kid left to play for Bismarck in NAHL and enrolled in school in Bismarck. That didnt pan out and was ineligible to play his Sr year in ND due to their transfer rules. His dad was from EGF and played out his Sr year there. Definitely was not recruited.
2018 kid knew he was never going to play in Moorhead and moved to EGF his Jr year. He was ineligible for 1 year and missed several games in the beginning of his Sr season. He did not help EGF very much but did end up winning the starting position. Was told he was not recruited.
2019 kid played his Sophomore year in Sioux Falls AAA. Didnt like the experience and moved back to GF. He was told he would be ineligible his Jr year due to ND rules. Family moved to EGF so he could play there. Ended up being ineligible due to ND paperwork not transferring over showing eligible to play in another state. Was eligible his Sr year and was a big upgrade to goaltender position but was not recruited again kid looking to play instead of sitting out in North Dakota.
2020 Was told the Panzer family moving from GF to EGF was due to wanting to play MN hockey instead of ND. Dont know much else on that.
I have not heard of any other transfers in the last 4 years since then. I am not sure if this strengths or weakens whatever is going on in this thread. Again just bringing context to the post from 5 years ago and what was brought out about the situation back then.
Again, I was hoping elliott's point about doing ADM was big piece of the success because timeline wise it would line up with the groups they have now. Could be wrong though and I have no idea of kids moving in currently but I wanted to provide context on the ones I did know about from 5 to 7 years ago.
One thing is for sure EGF is Loaded next year and will be the #1 team in Class A and I wish them luck and am hoping that they and Hibbing both have big years and make the Sectionals in 7A and 8A fun ones to watch!
I really do hope that it was "Magical Swedish Squirt Practice" that turned EGF's 468-kid enrollment into top AA-level program, because if true, every program in 7A could adopt it and we'd see UMD teams filled with players from I-Falls, Hibbing, Greenway, Proctor, etc., along with the usual Hermantown contingency. And that I would absolutely love. After seeing what it has done for EGF, it would be criminal for any association to not follow suit.
Re: EGF Thread
I was on your track of thinking back then and just wanted to make sure the context was shared as to what I found out back then. Again no clue what is going on up there now other than they have great hockey teams in the Youth. I am sure its more than just using ADM but man that would be awesome if it was just that and that was true. Still have to have numbers and being so close to a D1 hockey school cant hurt as Alumni (Former players) settle down up there after the career is done might help.rainier2 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 8:54 pmThanks for the context Class A guy. You called EGF the Hermantown of the west back then and didn't get torched like I did. I must not be liked as much.ClassAGuy wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 8:08 pmI think this post from 5 years ago deserves context.
First off, no dog in the fight in this argument and I have no clue what is going on currently in EGF other than they have a great youth program right now.
I like you rainier had been told EGF was getting kids from other areas up there but this was 5 to 7 years ago and this was what was fact back then:
2017- they got their leading scorer to come in as Senior transfer from GF to help lead EGF to State
2018- they got Senior Goalie from Moorhead to transfer in and they ended up being upset in 8A Final by TRF
2019- they got Junior goalie to from GF who transferred in but was ruled not to be eligible but team was still good enough for 4th place at State.
2020- The Senior Goalie was now eligible and they got the Panzer Family who moved in across the border team finished Runner up to Warroad in 8A.
At that point I was thinking wow they are starting to get kids from places and attract hockey talent liek the Hawks but for context each situation was explained
2017 kid left to play for Bismarck in NAHL and enrolled in school in Bismarck. That didnt pan out and was ineligible to play his Sr year in ND due to their transfer rules. His dad was from EGF and played out his Sr year there. Definitely was not recruited.
2018 kid knew he was never going to play in Moorhead and moved to EGF his Jr year. He was ineligible for 1 year and missed several games in the beginning of his Sr season. He did not help EGF very much but did end up winning the starting position. Was told he was not recruited.
2019 kid played his Sophomore year in Sioux Falls AAA. Didnt like the experience and moved back to GF. He was told he would be ineligible his Jr year due to ND rules. Family moved to EGF so he could play there. Ended up being ineligible due to ND paperwork not transferring over showing eligible to play in another state. Was eligible his Sr year and was a big upgrade to goaltender position but was not recruited again kid looking to play instead of sitting out in North Dakota.
2020 Was told the Panzer family moving from GF to EGF was due to wanting to play MN hockey instead of ND. Dont know much else on that.
I have not heard of any other transfers in the last 4 years since then. I am not sure if this strengths or weakens whatever is going on in this thread. Again just bringing context to the post from 5 years ago and what was brought out about the situation back then.
Again, I was hoping elliott's point about doing ADM was big piece of the success because timeline wise it would line up with the groups they have now. Could be wrong though and I have no idea of kids moving in currently but I wanted to provide context on the ones I did know about from 5 to 7 years ago.
One thing is for sure EGF is Loaded next year and will be the #1 team in Class A and I wish them luck and am hoping that they and Hibbing both have big years and make the Sectionals in 7A and 8A fun ones to watch!
I really do hope that it was "Magical Swedish Squirt Practice" that turned EGF's 468-kid enrollment into top AA-level program, because if true, every program in 7A could adopt it and we'd see UMD teams filled with players from I-Falls, Hibbing, Greenway, Proctor, etc., along with the usual Hermantown contingency. And that I would absolutely love. After seeing what it has done for EGF, it would be criminal for any association to not follow suit.
Just wanted to share what I found out back then and I haven't really seen much noise about transfers since the Panzer family moved over in 2019 which was at the peak of moves happening from 2017-20. Looking at the AA Bantams moving up this year many last names will look familiar as they have older brothers on the team or who are recent alumni. Be very curious to see how this all looks in 5-7 years because rainier is spot on EGF seems poised for what could be a serious run but both Warroad & TRF have good things cooking in the youth as well and those rivals have always been able to balance each other out over time so maybe it wont be 14 of 15 section title champ run like in 7A. Only time will tell but EGF is gonna be very deep and talented next year when looking at who is back and who comes up.
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Re: EGF Thread
Locking this one until Karl and I decide how to handle this situation. Seems to be one person starting crap because...well, reasons.
Lee
Lee
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Egomaniac since 2006
Egomaniac since 2006