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I've seen these kids play a few times before and thought they were pretty good. But I don't really see anything special. I wondered what it would be like if they played a regular MNHSLLHSNHL schedule. Could they dominate all or would they be an AHA or HM type team? At the top but not the best? <p></p><i></i>

Could there even be a separate game between both A and AA champions against this so-called powerhouse after the tourney? This could show who the best (in MN) really is. <p></p><i></i>

for ssm to deserve to play the champs they would have to earn it. they would have to go through sections and the state tourney before they can walk up and expect a game against the champs and expect to be crowned champs without traveling the same road... <p></p><i></i>

SSM travels a different type of road. <br>MSHSL takes the the Highway, while SSM takes SkyWay.<br>HS teams play about 25 games per year. SSM plays more of a Junior style season playing about 70-80 games per year against some of the best teams throught North America.<br><br>So who really has the more difficult road?<br>Apples & Oranges people <p></p><i></i>

SSM would win 9 out of 10 times. They should, there geographical draw is limitless. Its hard to watch them and make comparisons on how they would do against top Minnesota high school teams <p></p><i></i>

SSM would absolutly dominate every HS team in the state no questions asked. <p></p><i></i>

ssm would dominate high school hockey , D1 coaches say that from this years team 14 will play D1 hockey within 3 years <p></p><i></i>

you have to realize that when you watch ssm and make comparisons..that they are playing excellent teams. although that shuold not take away from their show of skills. AHA beat them last year once didnt they?? they werent even state champs. i do think they could beat 90% of teams..i think that all of the top ten teams cuold play with them..and 2-4 of the times a HS team would come out on top. its tough when you are taking your choice of kids in the country compared to kids in your school district...we are critical of private schools that take advantage of the whole metro area. this isnt a public school so im not being critical of them..but its such a large demographic to chose from . <p></p><i></i>

Not sure what team you guys are seeing from SSM. Last year's Prep Team would have dominated most teams. This year is a different story with guys like Crosby, Smaby, Thelen gone they are no where near as good as they were last year or the year before. There are definitely teams that could compete with them. I think that Moorhead, Centennial, Edina, and Wayzata could all give them a good game maybe even go 3-1 against them. <br><br>SSM is on a different wavelength when it comes to systems though. They are excellent positional players and have a lethal power play this is where things would be decided in a game. <br><br> <p></p><i></i>

You are right about that, they need to earn it, but what team in section ? will challenge them. They play nearly 70 games a year against top National competition and juniors teams. <br><br>I think MN by far has the best HS hockey in the nation so why not give our State champs a shot at the boarding school (not prep), students live on campus.<br><br>Maybe the game could be some sort of publicity stunt? <p></p><i></i>

I'm not trying to take anything away from out east or SSM, there is some high quality hockey out there but right now MN has 210 players at a D-1 level and more to come, from 1 state. And with excellent role players a team can do anything with one or two stars. <p></p><i></i>

Did SSM play AHA? or is it on sat <p></p><i></i>

SSM recruits as best as they can whereas the best MN kids are spread over many different teams so its not fair to expect individual teams to beat SSM consistently.<br><br>But let any good HS coach assemble 20 to 25 of the best MN HS players, allow them a 50-60 game schedule like Shattuck and then have the teams play each other. I'd take the team full of MN kids over those SSM kids any time and I'll bet the majority of games would be won by the MN team. <p></p><i></i>

Shattuck's third best midget team beat New Richmond (#1 in Wisconsin, #19 in USHSHO regional rankings) 4-3 last night in New Richmond.<br><br> New Richmond is not as good as Centennial nor are they even as good as Holy Angels, but neither is SSM Varsity nearly as good as SSM Prep.<br><br> If I had to handicap the upcoming game, I would conservatively make SSM Prep solid 3 goal favorites over AHA.<br><br> Getting back to the topic at hand...that is not to say that Centennial or another top 10 MSHSL team couldn't beat SSM Prep in a one game faceoff, it is just to say that the odds would be against them and they may only win 1 of 10. SSM Prep is that good, they went 9-1-3 against the Elite League teams this fall. <br><br> This should not be interpreted as any slight against Minnesota high school hockey, it is the best in the nation at that level.<br><br> With Shattuck's wide pool of talent that they draw from in North America, their teams could ALMOST be compared to the NTDP's teams. <p></p><i></i>

Finn has it right, here. If you reassembled the '86 Blades under John Arko and took them on a 50 game season, they would be regularly handing SSM its lunch. Shattuck has some great players, to be sure, but I'd take Mike Taylor or Justin Bostrom over all of them (and so would the scouts who picked the US select team and, not to mention, the Gophers). Shattuck did quite well against the Elite League this year, and there's no reason to think that they aren't more talented (and more practiced) than any high school team in the state, but take a look at the Elite League National Tournament. Both Minnesota teams were in the championship game this year, and Team White, the team that beat Shattuck in the semis, lost to Team Red 8-0 in the championship. If two teams made of Minnesota HS players were better than Shattuck, imagine if there were only one team, how they would do in, say, the Tier I nationals.<br><br>All this being said, of course, does not mean that Holy Angels (or even Centennial or EP or Edina) has the depth to beat Shattuck on a nightly basis. As Mitch said, they might win on Saturday, but in a 10 game series, Shattuck wins 9. <p></p><i></i>

I don't think SSM is as dominant as most people think they are.True, they play lots of games and rack up a lot wins, but the talent level there up against is suspect. Even in the MAC tourney, most of the Canadien teams have lost the cream to Juniors and Major Juniors.(just like they lost Crosby). If you look at there schedule there only losses and ties have been to Minnesota kids. If you look at the 2004 D-1 recruit website 8 true Minnesota HS players (3 from Blake alone) and only 1 SSM player have committed. I've watched some of the teams SSM plays and I would rate most of them in the Bottom half of "AA" and in the middle of "A" schools for talent. I would say if they were to play a 25 game HS schedule of the best teams in the state they would loose there fair share of games, and if HS teams played 60 games as in there league they surly would'nt be 43-2-3 like they are today. <p></p><i></i>

There is no doubt that SSM would dominate the high school league. Enough said. <p></p><i></i>

As has been stated, if all things remained the same as they are now, SSM would be dominant. But if you level the playing field in either direction, it would be an entirely different story. I agree with Petey and Finn. <p></p><i></i>

Do people forget that AHA played SSM last year and beat them? That was with Crosby and co. They are definately a great team and would be a top ten team but dominate everybody? Not so sure about that. <p></p><i></i>

No, nobody forgets that, because it didn't happen. SSM 4, AHA 3. By most accounts, it could have been worse, but Frazee was, well, Frazee. <p></p><i></i>

i thought that AHA beat them 6-5 last year? maybe not..but i cuold swear i saw it..SSM lost a lot of kids after last years season..Crosby..projected to be the next gretzky..ok i dont QUITE believe it yet..but hes a stud hockey player...and Smaby who sees lots of time for the Sioux. there surely were others..but wat do you think of SSM for the future? do players see more potential in playing there..or giong to a junior team? SSM clearly is not on the same level as junior teams..but then again..they are only a high school aged team. a team would really have to step it up and have a stellar game..but a mn HS team knocking off SSM is very, very possible.. <p></p><i></i>

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