Best bantam A teams this year

[DingleDangle17]

.fddd

[rbkhockeyman2070]

yeah i think it will be a great race for the goalies. Beaton also played in the championship against Lakeville south in peeweeA which they were ranked 2s in state

[DingleDangle17]

Agreed

[MedleyWR]

ahhh pretty much most of wbl b1 team was second years. I will just tell you Ep will do great. Shattuck will be great but not the best. Wayzata is a amazing team they are top ranked. Ep and Wayzata are going to be the best this year. Both Ep and Wayzata has only got better from 2 years ago. Ep also has 5 returners from the A team which won it last year.

9 of the 17 players from WBL's Orange Bantam B state champions are returning. In addition WBL Bantam B Black had a very strong team last year and many of these players are vying for a spot on the A team. Finally, the Bears are returning 4 very good players from last year's A team that went to state. There is a lot of talent and WBL should have a very competitive Bantam A team this year. But it's way to early to be predicting who will go to state.

[Charliedog]

Hey DingleDangle,

Fill us in on the "new bantam elite league". It sounds exciting.

[DingleDangle17]

As I will be moving up to High School this year, I dont know much.

Here's what I know:

Some of the top teams over the past couple years such as Centennial, Wayzata, White Bear Lake, Eden Prairie, Edina, and others will compete in a number of games in the regular season that will not count towards Districts or anything like that. At the later end of the season, the teams will be ranked on win/loss records and will play in a sort of "VFW type tournament." VFW will still be held as well, in addtion to the Bantam Elite League. The Bantam Elite League gives the higher competitive teams a chance to play other top teams around the state. In additon, Shattuck Bantam Tier 1 team will also be participating in this league. Should be fun to see how it plays out this year.

[tomASS]

As I will be moving up to High School this year, I dont know much.

Here's what I know:

Some of the top teams over the past couple years such as Centennial, Wayzata, White Bear Lake, Eden Prairie, Edina, and others will compete in a number of games in the regular season that will not count towards Districts or anything like that. At the later end of the season, the teams will be ranked on win/loss records and will play in a sort of "VFW type tournament." VFW will still be held as well, in addtion to the Bantam Elite League. The Bantam Elite League gives the higher competitive teams a chance to play other top teams around the state. In additon, Shattuck Bantam Tier 1 team will also be participating in this league. Should be fun to see how it plays out this year.

Playing each other throughout the season has always been possible, correct? But now they don't want it to be counted as a regular season game. They want it to counted towards a special league won/lose record instead? What would the "winner" of this special battle gain if they didn't win the real state tourney? Bragging rights ?

[DingleDangle17]

Ask yourself this tomASS...

What does the team who wins the VFM Tourney get? Bragging rights?

Sorry that Chaska wasn't SELECTED to play in this league....

[espnmobile8]

jefferson...7 returners from last year including goalie

eden prairie will always be strong as usual, in fact all of D6 should be

[gerryodrowski]

#1: Tie: EP (depth, experience, top dogs since Squirts) / Wayzata (skilled, size, something to prove).
#3: Duluth East (well coached, always show up for the big games).
#4: Edina (more grit can get them over the hump, will need their best defenseman to stick around).
#5: Roseau (this one's for my buddy watchdog ).

[my2cents]

Insert St Cloud as #2 or #3. They fielded two PW A teams with this class and both won games in the regional tourney. Now they are combined to a single BA team and all the top guns are signed up.

[watchdog]

so lets see if i have this straight they put in restrictions for minnesota youth hockey on how many games we can play focusing on player development. Now we have certain "elite" teams that will by pass that rule while playing in a whole seprate league from everyone else meaning the teams that really arent that good. Wow that has to be the best one ive seen to date. i sure hope minnesota hockey doesnt plan on cracking down to hard on the not so good associations for playing 37 games instead of 35 because that dont fly in my book if this crap is going on.

[Neutron 14]

so lets see if i have this straight they put in restrictions for minnesota youth hockey on how many games we can play focusing on player development.

That is their position.

Now we have certain "elite" teams that will by pass that rule while playing in a whole seprate league from everyone else meaning the teams that really arent that good.

The VFW league has been doing this for years. Why does it mean "the teams that really arent that good"?

Wow that has to be the best one ive seen to date. i sure hope minnesota hockey doesnt plan on cracking down to hard on the not so good associations for playing 37 games instead of 35 because that dont fly in my book if this crap is going on.

"Minnesota Hockey" only controls "Minnesota Hockey games".

I would think the Elite League would be done instead of VFW to cut back on some of the games. Playing in both Minnesota Hockey and VFW is way too many games in my opinion.

[DumpandChase1]

MN Hockey does not limit Bantams to 35 games, they can play as many as they want.

[greybeard58]

The game cap by Mn Hockey is at the Squirt/Girls 10U only. There are some Districts that have a lower number for the Mites/Girls 8U. If you have a team registered with USA/Mn hockey you follow all of their rules, any game,scrimmage, tournament games and practice is a Mn Hockey event. Elliott 70 please correct me if I am wrong.
Maybe we should start using the word elite where it actually belongs with the colleges and pros. They are the elite.

[my2cents]

The organization of an "elite" bantam "league" should not result in more than the usual amount of games for any given team. It means that the scrimmages and non-conference games are now organized so that the top teams play against mostly other top teams. Top teams scrimmaging against mostly other top teams is nothing new.

Some problems that may arrise from this are obvious.

1) Scrimmages that before were meant for teams to try out new line combos or players changing positions or coaches trying new techniques are now proned to become "play to win" and not "scrimmage to develop".

2) Good teams not included in this "league" will have a tough time arranging scrimmages against teams in the "league".

3) There may be a few "top" teams that don't turn out to be so "top". A couple teams could end up losing all but a few games. These same teams may be better off with more games against teams of equal calibur.

4) It may dilute some of the fun traditional rivalries within Districts since more focus is placed on playing teams from outside.

5) The strong teams getting stronger while the others get passed by usually means more good players not coming from the top associations eventually end up playing somewhere else. We are losing our MN hockey traditions.

There may also be some benifits

1) Top players may be encouraged to stay at the BA level in their association for their last year since their games will be mostly top calibur.

2) Can't think of one

3) Can't think of one

[JHSHockeyfan123456789]

Forest Lake should be good with a new coach in place.

Tunavichy from como said they have CClavin as a coach. He knows just about everything.

[thinkb4engaging]

My 2 cents:

You obviously want to keep "the MN Hockey tradition" going foward as it was in the old days. Times have changed and MN Hockey has not changed fast enough. Good for these Bantam teams who want more for their players and teams! Maybe it does not work out as well as they expect or maybe it works
out better-at least they were not caught in the "paralysis by analysis" syndrome.

[tomASS]

Ask yourself this tomASS...

What does the team who wins the VFM Tourney get? Bragging rights?

Sorry that Chaska wasn't SELECTED to play in this league....

I never saw the VFW tourney being anything but a nice tourney to end the season with. I never viewed anyone winning having any bragging rights to anything more than winning a post state tourney tourney.

I have no horse in the race so could care less if Chaska was selected or not.

[pucker15]

1 wayzata - 8 returners
2. E.P
3. Edina

[my2cents]

I am not dead set against losing some of our MN hockey traditions. Of course times are changing. The young players only know what they experience, and we as parents lead them on their way.

If you play for Grand Rapids or Roseau (for example) and your dad played for G.R./Roseau, then tradition probably means more to that young player than us here in the suburbs.

The lesson I don't like that we are teaching is that if things aren't good enough for you, then bail. That may work for a few exceptional young hockey players, but it may not be a good "life" lesson to teach.

It would be easy enough for me to transfer my son to a private school or another HS when the time comes, but I prefer for him to play where he grew up playing, with the kids that he grew up playing with - even if it means that he's not good enough to make the HS team, or that he is one of the better players on a bad HS team. If he truely is of high enough calibur to make it beyond HS, then he will prove that on his own. It is not something that I can orchestrate for him.

I guess I'm a little old school.

[gerryodrowski]

Don't overract to DingleDangle's refrence to the bantam "elite" league. That's his name for it. It's nothing more than an arrangment between coaches of mutually competitive teams to play each other throughout the season. my2cents observation that "top teams scrimmaging against other top teams is nothing new" is correct and hopefully obvious to all. I'm old school too but I don't see how this has anything to do with breaking any MN hockey traditions and it certainly has nothing to do with HS hockey. Relax, there is no "crap going on" that anyone needs to worry about.

[wannagototherink]

Don't overract to DingleDangle's refrence to the bantam "elite" league. That's his name for it. It's nothing more than an arrangment between coaches of mutually competitive teams to play each other throughout the season. my2cents observation that "top teams scrimmaging against other top teams is nothing new" is correct and hopefully obvious to all. I'm old school too but I don't see how this has anything to do with breaking any MN hockey traditions and it certainly has nothing to do with HS hockey. Relax, there is no "crap going on" that anyone needs to worry about.

Well stated Gerry...The actually name to the experiment is: The Minnesota Challenge Cup. Basically what is happenening is, these teams are scheduling home and home games with each other (like they have always done) and at the end of the year the team with the best record will take home the "cup" for that season.

One thing to keep in mind all the coaches on these teams are pretty good friends...The bantam a coaching fraternity is a pretty tight knit group (just ask stillwater) So if they want to get together and play for something, it is most likely more for the fun of it, and with the purpose of getting their kids better. I really think those of you with concerns are over thinking this thing. If you look at the teams involved, I would say you should think long and hard about the intententions of these coaches putting this together. Most of these guys have been coaching these teams for close to 10 years, and year in and year out they are the teams that are at the big tournament at the end of the year....So to say that anything other than the developement of these kids is their priority I really think you need to look at the WHOLE picture. Besides, these teams are already scheduling each other anyway. As far as adding more games, like I said they are playing each other already, and I know in some cases the teams are counting games in which they are bracketed together in tournaments as their Minnesota Challenge games.

Teams involved:

Centennial
White Bear Lake
Blaine
Duluth East
Eden Priare
Edina
Wayzata
Shattuck St. Mary's


Personally, I think any issues of pertaining to being against this league stems from being jelous that your team wasn't invited. If you look at these teams. They are all coached by guys who have had pretty lengthy tenures at the bantam a level and they must be doing something right because the kids on these teams seem to keep showing up at the Mn high school state tourney, Jr. team and college rosters. They all do a nice job, and they are only trying to improve minnesota hockey not tear it down. I think it is refreshing that there are actually people that are out there being proactive and not just sitting back and waiting for the "magic of minnesota hockey" to take over.

I applaud you guys! Good Luck!

[elliott70]

I think this is a good idea.
Ideas that make things MORE FUN for the kids is always a good idea when the negatives or sacrifices are not more significant.

Other cross-district teams should do similar things where it is practical.

In this case Shattuck to Duluth seems like a long drive, but combined with a TC weekend Duluth should be able to do it without a problem.

[jackstraw]

It should be nice to use Shattuck as a measuring stick to see how the Mn teams would fare against tier 1 teams from throughout the country. Those might be some great games to catch if someone was looking for good hockey.