Hermantown Offically Moving Up to AA
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
Hermantown Offically Moving Up to AA
Me and another forum member saw the papers. Contacted board member to confirm. Athletic director caved to public pressure. Will be joining 7AA with East and Rapids.
Hockey universe rejoices!
Hockey universe rejoices!
Re: Hermantown Offically Moving Up to AA
If that is true then hockey up north just got way more interesting. Can't wait for those Hermantown Duluth East battles that are coming down the road.Slammer wrote:Me and another forum member saw the papers. Contacted board member to confirm. Athletic director caved to public pressure. Will be joining 7AA with East and Rapids.
Hockey universe rejoices!
Re: Hermantown Offically Moving Up to AA
.....and Cloquet .Slammer wrote:Me and another forum member saw the papers. Contacted board member to confirm. Athletic director caved to public pressure. Will be joining 7AA with East and Rapids.
Hockey universe rejoices!
I really hope it's true. This would usher in an exciting new era for Northern Hockey. East, Rapids and Cloquet have great groups coming up and Marshall will always get some talent. This is going to make for some Awesome rivalries and a great Section. Hermantown/East just became an instant Classic.
My only fear is that if they don't make it to State over the next two years they will drop back down. Their PeeWee and Squirt groups are both top 5 in the entire State so those are the kids I'm most excited to see in AA someday. If true, I really hope this is permanent.
My only fear is that if they don't make it to State over the next two years they will drop back down. Their PeeWee and Squirt groups are both top 5 in the entire State so those are the kids I'm most excited to see in AA someday. If true, I really hope this is permanent.
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Just a thought but perhaps Hermantown wouldn't have made all those consecutive championship games if people didn't put pressure on every A team to opt up whenever they enjoy a modicum of success at that level.Wet Paint wrote:The next one to go to the finals in state at A level for 10 years in a row for starters.warriors41 wrote:So what team is everyone going to jump on to opt up next? We all better get on the same page. MAML?
How much different would the Class A tournament look if teams stayed put where they are suppose to be? Hernamtown wouldn't have made all those championship game if that was the case. Heck they might not have made it past Grand Rapids to even get to state. A LOT of people on this forum play this game where if a Class A team is good they should opt up and "play with the big boys", "win the real trophy", or "move on from the JV tournament." Insert whatever condescending joke you want here, we've all seen it. And then when a lot of the good programs leave those same people complain about a poorer quality of play without realizing they are to blame. And make no mistake, any perceived lack of quality in Class A is their fault. It's not the Bruce Plante's, STA's, or Breck's.
When MN decided to go to the two class system we had an opportunity to enjoy two tournaments filled with double the amount of high quality hockey teams than we had in the single tournament format. Now that's wasted.
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If anyone on this bored is to blame for schools choosing to opt up, there are much larger issues going on.warriors41 wrote:Just a thought but perhaps Hermantown wouldn't have made all those consecutive championship games if people didn't put pressure on every A team to opt up whenever they enjoy a modicum of success at that level.Wet Paint wrote:The next one to go to the finals in state at A level for 10 years in a row for starters.warriors41 wrote:So what team is everyone going to jump on to opt up next? We all better get on the same page. MAML?
How much different would the Class A tournament look if teams stayed put where they are suppose to be? Hernamtown wouldn't have made all those championship game if that was the case. Heck they might not have made it past Grand Rapids to even get to state. A LOT of people on this forum play this game where if a Class A team is good they should opt up and "play with the big boys", "win the real trophy", or "move on from the JV tournament." Insert whatever condescending joke you want here, we've all seen it. And then when a lot of the good programs leave those same people complain about a poorer quality of play without realizing they are to blame. And make no mistake, any perceived lack of quality in Class A is their fault. It's not the Bruce Plante's, STA's, or Breck's.
When MN decided to go to the two class system we had an opportunity to enjoy two tournaments filled with double the amount of high quality hockey teams than we had in the single tournament format. Now that's wasted.
The U invented swagger.
That isn't why they added an A tournament. If it was, they wouldn't allow opt ups. And STA is the only one who has opted up. The rest opted up from the start.warriors41 wrote:Just a thought but perhaps Hermantown wouldn't have made all those consecutive championship games if people didn't put pressure on every A team to opt up whenever they enjoy a modicum of success at that level.Wet Paint wrote:The next one to go to the finals in state at A level for 10 years in a row for starters.warriors41 wrote:So what team is everyone going to jump on to opt up next? We all better get on the same page. MAML?
How much different would the Class A tournament look if teams stayed put where they are suppose to be? Hernamtown wouldn't have made all those championship game if that was the case. Heck they might not have made it past Grand Rapids to even get to state. A LOT of people on this forum play this game where if a Class A team is good they should opt up and "play with the big boys", "win the real trophy", or "move on from the JV tournament." Insert whatever condescending joke you want here, we've all seen it. And then when a lot of the good programs leave those same people complain about a poorer quality of play without realizing they are to blame. And make no mistake, any perceived lack of quality in Class A is their fault. It's not the Bruce Plante's, STA's, or Breck's.
When MN decided to go to the two class system we had an opportunity to enjoy two tournaments filled with double the amount of high quality hockey teams than we had in the single tournament format. Now that's wasted.
See Benidle St. Margerats, Duluth Marshal, Hibbing, Greenway, Roseau. Just off top of my head.Jeffy95 wrote:That isn't why they added an A tournament. If it was, they wouldn't allow opt ups. And STA is the only one who has opted up. The rest opted up from the start.warriors41 wrote:Just a thought but perhaps Hermantown wouldn't have made all those consecutive championship games if people didn't put pressure on every A team to opt up whenever they enjoy a modicum of success at that level.Wet Paint wrote: The next one to go to the finals in state at A level for 10 years in a row for starters.
How much different would the Class A tournament look if teams stayed put where they are suppose to be? Hernamtown wouldn't have made all those championship game if that was the case. Heck they might not have made it past Grand Rapids to even get to state. A LOT of people on this forum play this game where if a Class A team is good they should opt up and "play with the big boys", "win the real trophy", or "move on from the JV tournament." Insert whatever condescending joke you want here, we've all seen it. And then when a lot of the good programs leave those same people complain about a poorer quality of play without realizing they are to blame. And make no mistake, any perceived lack of quality in Class A is their fault. It's not the Bruce Plante's, STA's, or Breck's.
When MN decided to go to the two class system we had an opportunity to enjoy two tournaments filled with double the amount of high quality hockey teams than we had in the single tournament format. Now that's wasted.
St. Thomas Academy has actually straightened me out a bit on this opt up and class A vs Class AA quality argument. They have nothing left to do at the A level so they move to AA to dominate as well. I don't think I expected them to dominate, but the way people went on about them possibly being the best team in the state etc when they were smoking the A tourney, I expected them to Cary their momentum to a championship game appearance anyway. Not the luck they have had. I wanted them to do good to prove that the a torment is closed to the AA than people believe. I guess they offer me little evidence to that theory which is ok. They are as close to a comparison as we will get, moving when they were on a surge in talent and power. Benidle proved the same I guess. I am not trying to downplay what they have done, two state tourneys and a section final right?? That's awesome for anyone, but they didn't just walk in and impose their will either. So I am a convert. True, some class a programs are of AA quality, true some A programs put out teams who could compete with the AA teams. But the gap in depth of both teams and personal on the teams is big enough that the class A tourney is a lesser tourney. Plain truth. I will still cheer my old team on the class a tournament, but I won't get big dreams of them really competing in the AA unless they truly are a special team.
Uust ranting.
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I know for a fact that Roseau did not compete in AA from the start. And I'm also pretty sure Benilde St. Margaret's won a class A tournament and now they play AA, although maybe their enrollment grew. Bemidji just made the decision to opt up just in the last 5-8 years or so. Those are just teams off the top of my head.Jeffy95 wrote:That isn't why they added an A tournament. If it was, they wouldn't allow opt ups. And STA is the only one who has opted up. The rest opted up from the start.warriors41 wrote:Just a thought but perhaps Hermantown wouldn't have made all those consecutive championship games if people didn't put pressure on every A team to opt up whenever they enjoy a modicum of success at that level.Wet Paint wrote: The next one to go to the finals in state at A level for 10 years in a row for starters.
How much different would the Class A tournament look if teams stayed put where they are suppose to be? Hernamtown wouldn't have made all those championship game if that was the case. Heck they might not have made it past Grand Rapids to even get to state. A LOT of people on this forum play this game where if a Class A team is good they should opt up and "play with the big boys", "win the real trophy", or "move on from the JV tournament." Insert whatever condescending joke you want here, we've all seen it. And then when a lot of the good programs leave those same people complain about a poorer quality of play without realizing they are to blame. And make no mistake, any perceived lack of quality in Class A is their fault. It's not the Bruce Plante's, STA's, or Breck's.
When MN decided to go to the two class system we had an opportunity to enjoy two tournaments filled with double the amount of high quality hockey teams than we had in the single tournament format. Now that's wasted.
As to your other point, the MSHSL also did not intend for the Class A to be a training ground for Class AA. They started the two class system to grow the game. I have no doubt that a town like Luverne wouldn't have grown it's program like it has without the two class system. But surely the didn't want to water down the talent pool in Class A by guilt tripping food programs to opt up. It was a still a compelling David vs Goliath match up between Luverne and H-town on Wednesday.
Forgot about Benilde. I doubt anyone pressured Roseau, Bemidji, Hibbing Cloquet, Rapids or Greenway to move up though. Those are very proud programs that want to compete in AA if at all possible.warriors41 wrote:I know for a fact that Roseau did not compete in AA from the start. And I'm also pretty sure Benilde St. Margaret's won a class A tournament and now they play AA, although maybe their enrollment grew. Bemidji just made the decision to opt up just in the last 5-8 years or so. Those are just teams off the top of my head.Jeffy95 wrote:That isn't why they added an A tournament. If it was, they wouldn't allow opt ups. And STA is the only one who has opted up. The rest opted up from the start.warriors41 wrote: Just a thought but perhaps Hermantown wouldn't have made all those consecutive championship games if people didn't put pressure on every A team to opt up whenever they enjoy a modicum of success at that level.
How much different would the Class A tournament look if teams stayed put where they are suppose to be? Hernamtown wouldn't have made all those championship game if that was the case. Heck they might not have made it past Grand Rapids to even get to state. A LOT of people on this forum play this game where if a Class A team is good they should opt up and "play with the big boys", "win the real trophy", or "move on from the JV tournament." Insert whatever condescending joke you want here, we've all seen it. And then when a lot of the good programs leave those same people complain about a poorer quality of play without realizing they are to blame. And make no mistake, any perceived lack of quality in Class A is their fault. It's not the Bruce Plante's, STA's, or Breck's.
When MN decided to go to the two class system we had an opportunity to enjoy two tournaments filled with double the amount of high quality hockey teams than we had in the single tournament format. Now that's wasted.
As to your other point, the MSHSL also did not intend for the Class A to be a training ground for Class AA. They started the two class system to grow the game. I have no doubt that a town like Luverne wouldn't have grown it's program like it has without the two class system. But surely the didn't want to water down the talent pool in Class A by guilt tripping food programs to opt up. It was a still a compelling David vs Goliath match up between Luverne and H-town on Wednesday.
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I would propose the 5-win Class A title rule as an automatic opt-up to AA. STA won 5 Class A titles...they opted up. Breck has 4. One more title...should be an automatic opt-up. Warroad also has 4. Hermantown is sitting at 2, possibly 3 after tomorrow. I don't agree with them moving up yet. Give kudos to Benilde who won 2 Class A titles, opted up and won a AA title. Nicely done. Just saying...if you win 5 Class A titles, mandatory move up to AA should be a rule.
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Re: Hermantown Offically Moving Up to AA
True or not, gotta love how the northern schools embrace the competition. 7AA would be absolutely stacked with Hermantown, DM, East, Rapids, and ER. Not to mention Cloquet and Andover with their best classes in quite some time coming through in the next few years. Put 2 or 3 top west metro schools in the same section and they cry foul.Wet Paint wrote:If that is true then hockey up north just got way more interesting. Can't wait for those Hermantown Duluth East battles that are coming down the road.Slammer wrote:Me and another forum member saw the papers. Contacted board member to confirm. Athletic director caved to public pressure. Will be joining 7AA with East and Rapids.
Hockey universe rejoices!
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