CakeScout17 wrote:Tonka with the Bantam AA title followed up by WBL this past spring, 2017.
Yes, Fall 2017 Elite league, Team SW, had 6 MTKA players including Glockner in net. One of strongest Elite teams I have ever seen. The Tonka kids fore-checked, back-checked all over the place and its that attitude that seemingly carried over to the Edina D-men especially as they now just appear to be playing a different game in HS play. Combined w/ Loheit, Brink and Co. Sammy, Jett and Co for the Hornets were flying, had more open lanes and passing just as crisp as could be - some of the most entertaining hockey Ive seen at any level (save for a deep NHL playoff run around these parts) so its been awhile. Team SW, ran away with the Elite League.
I've checked twice and although a minor detail DE carried 11, not 12 in the Elite League. Solid kids with talent who play hard, but seems 3-4 too many? Politics? "Who you know"? Filling roster req? - and isn't the Elite League administered, at least in part, by some fine folks off the Great Lake? Not knocking, just wondering.
It's worth remembering that the Elite League Team North roster draws from a much smaller number of teams than the other ones do. It's just easier for a couple of teams to dominate it, especially if it's a somewhat thinner year at any particular position among the handful of teams that tend to rule the roost. Some of this current crop slipped in last year when the pool was particularly thin on D; this year was fairly thin in NE MN among goaltenders. It's long been the case that East, and to a somewhat lesser extent Hermantown and GR, have had a ton of Elite Leaguers. I don't think they would have had 11 if they were in the Metro, but I also don't think it's some grand political plot, either.
And yes, four bantam-eligible Hounds (Worth, Mageau, LaMaster, and Donovan) were busy playing in the HS state championship game three seasons ago. That started a trend of East regularly pulling bantams up to HS that has continued since, so take any bantam results over the past few seasons with a grain of salt.
Back to the present...good matchup between the two remaining undefeated teams. I cracked on the podcast this week that there's no good reason to think East should win this game given recent history; the Hounds certainly have more to prove given results to date this season, especially in back. I'm also curious to see how East's top line does against Tonka, and who wins the depth battle given that both these teams have three viable lines. A Tonka win, and the current rankings basically solidify, with East maybe dropping a spot or two depending on the margin; an East win, and I have no idea what I'm going to do with the top five. Looking forward to it.
Anybody who plays youth hockey in Superior is always claimed by them going forward 