I wish Mike all the health & good luck in the path he has chosen. I was also hoping he would stack the pads one more year at Memorial...
I have always felt that as a senior, it is a better experience to play and surround yourself w/ childhood friends & family. Senior year is a great coming of age experience, but that comes from my own experiences growing up. Each person is different, each generation is different... You just want the best for these kids...
I don't know if the USHL is a better training ground than Roseau High School, yet this past winter many bloggers on this forum ravaged the Roseau hockey schedule, and though I defended it for where they are geographically located, and it being what it is, the USHL just may be provide Mike w/ better day to day competition...
Good Luck to Mike Lee, and may he succeed at every level ahead of him... except for the UofM / SCSU games, may the Rodents score many
I wish Mike all the health & good luck in the path he has chosen. I was also hoping he would stack the pads one more year at Memorial...
I have always felt that as a senior, it is a better experience to play and surround yourself w/ childhood friends & family. Senior year is a great coming of age experience, but that comes from my own experiences growing up. Each person is different, each generation is different... You just want the best for these kids...
I don't know if the USHL is a better training ground than Roseau High School, yet this past winter many bloggers on this forum ravaged the Roseau hockey schedule, and though I defended it for where they are geographically located, and it being what it is, the USHL just may be provide Mike w/ better day to day competition...
Good Luck to Mike Lee, and may he succeed at every level ahead of him... except for the UofM / SCSU games, may the Rodents score many
The point is he's a goalie and even though he has a D1 deal, he needs to play against better shooters to improve his skill...and it turned out that of top four 90 birth year goalies, Lee was the only one who played HS hockey last year (the other 3 played in the USHL...Hjelle (CR), Crandell (GB) and Howe (Waterloo)...so with Ness leaving early...Lee moving on to the USHL... was inevitable.
No goalie is going to improve very much playing either 6 shots per game, or 6 meaningful game per year. This will be an opportunity for Lee to make the next step. One that wouldn't be afforded him playing his senior year with Roseaus schedule.
I wish him the best, and hope the Roseau faithful wish the best for him.
5th Line Center wrote:I am stunned and sad. It can't be true. Tell me it isn't.
I'm stunned because Mike will skip playing baseball and football--he loved playing both--and, he will be giving up on a great senior-year experience. For what? I am not convinced that he will develop better at Fargo. (Blaise is a great coach, though...) You are only in high school for a short time. Don't be in a hurry to move on; enjoy the ride.
I am sad, because I will miss seeing him in Green and White and making another run for the prize.
I am thinking that his teammates feel that he's let them down.
I'm there with you. I can't understand how jumping to the USHL or College over a senior year in high school is worth it. Most of us know, these kids are this age only once in their life. I sure hope they are able to look back and not regret these sort of decisions. As a father of a son who can't wait to be older than he is, I know the feeling. Kids need to enjoy being kids.
Neut,
PPG used to show the kind of "class" you respect from Sparlimb and Hillfan, that is until Ankles Pierre, Jr. called him out for trying to be too modest.
Sparlimb and the rest are showing promise now, too.
As far as Roseau taking a hit, you are all wrong... Roseau showed they CANNOT take a hit... nor a raz... nor anything less than a complete tourney lovefest from Lou Nanne... not to mention getting swept by the Catholic teams.
Let not the sheep be of heavy heart... for years to come, we shall see the State Champions wearing green and white (and black, and gold, of course).
I don't know that it's such a bad move.. the team will struggle in the beginning due to a lot of new players but they are getting some good prospect in birkholz and schmidt. Also solid tending with hemmingway and lee. in the ushl things can change fast.
gopherfan13 wrote:I don't know that it's such a bad move.. the team will struggle in the beginning due to a lot of new players but they are getting some good prospect in birkholz and schmidt. Also solid tending with hemmingway and lee. in the ushl things can change fast.
Good point. How solid do you guys think Blais's promise of 45 games is? Competition and better shots only happen on the ice. Dean is famous for blaming his goalie first, when things go wrong. How many games was Hemmingway promised? (45 + ? probably equals more 60)
it seems like there are a few people disappointed with Lee's choice. this is a good deal for him. if he didn't allow the force to tenure him he would have been drafted in the ushl draft this year, and probably not by the force. Which means the next closest team to roseau (in the USHL) is Green Bay. I've also seen a good number of the players that will be playing for the force and they shouldn't be any slouch of a team. their first three picks are predicted to go in the first two rounds of the NHL draft this year. Blais and his staff have done a great job at recruiting. a lot of people talk about how valuable your senior year is. I'm really not convinced. how could you critize something you've never tried. What i mean is if you finished your high school career in your home town, you can't say that you've experience your senior year playing juniors. my guess is it would be more fun playing juniors with a new group of guys, making new friends. Sure you'd miss your old buddies back home, but that would make the time that you do get to see them that much more valuable. i left home to play after my sophmore year and looking back at it now, i wouldnt have done it any other way.
Don't know that, but Hemingway played for a team that cannot score and gave them a chance to win. Lee was surrounded by good players that can score. Hemingway is better. He would have beaten Hill Murray. But nobody likes them anyway.
stitches wrote:Don't know that, but Hemingway played for a team that cannot score and gave them a chance to win. Lee was surrounded by good players that can score. Hemingway is better. He would have beaten Hill Murray. But nobody likes them anyway.
I watched Hemmingway this weekend at the Advanced 17's fianl 54 and he did not stand out omongst the 6 goalies. Saw him get lit up for 4 goals in a half against the Blue team and I know he gave up a couple in each of his other halves and he had good players around him, Berglund, Lapic, Budish, Gaarder amongst others. Lee is better or he wouldn't be committed
If Lee is choosing to go to Fargo, then good for him. After the week I just spent in Chicago listening to USHL scouts and coaches, they offer a heck of an opportunity. They also don't force a kid into anything. If they have a player's rights, they convene with both staff, player and family and discuss what would be better for the player. All have a say in what they think is best. In this case, all involved obviously felt it was in Lee's best interest to move to a higher level to further his personal development. It's not about abandoning his team, friends or community. It's about doing what's right for himself. I used to be firmly set against leaving school early, but having an open mind this past week, I saw the upside as well. Not saying it's for every kid, but I certainly can see more clearly as to why a player would make that jump. Good luck to Mike Lee. May you never shut out another Grand Rapids team
I think it makes a lot of sense for this young man to do what he is doing if he wants to continue to develop and excel at the next level. You could ask any of the three goalies (Hjelle, Howe & Crandall) about their decision to leave early as far as the impact on their development as a goaltender and I would guess that all three would say it was a good decision - difficult yes, because all of us would like to see these kids finish out their high school careers and then move on. But that is no longer the case and the USHL offers a development path that is now no way comparable to anything HS has to offer. And probably even moreso for a goalie like Lee who has intangibles going against him that he cannot control, particularly strength of schedule. I think he has shown by his play in the tournament and in the Elite League, that against stronger competition, he has things to work on. He is a talented player and to have the opportunity to play on a USHL team that is closest to his hometown versus being drafted by another USHL team, is even better. Best of luck to him and I'm sure the Rams will have another talented goalie waiting in the wings!
mn4hockey wrote:it seems like there are a few people disappointed with Lee's choice. this is a good deal for him. if he didn't allow the force to tenure him he would have been drafted in the ushl draft this year, and probably not by the force. Which means the next closest team to roseau (in the USHL) is Green Bay. I've also seen a good number of the players that will be playing for the force and they shouldn't be any slouch of a team. their first three picks are predicted to go in the first two rounds of the NHL draft this year. Blais and his staff have done a great job at recruiting. a lot of people talk about how valuable your senior year is. I'm really not convinced. how could you critize something you've never tried. What i mean is if you finished your high school career in your home town, you can't say that you've experience your senior year playing juniors. my guess is it would be more fun playing juniors with a new group of guys, making new friends. Sure you'd miss your old buddies back home, but that would make the time that you do get to see them that much more valuable. i left home to play after my sophmore year and looking back at it now, i wouldnt have done it any other way.
It is great that you took time out during your busy NHL schedule to tell us how great leaving early worked for you.
stitches wrote:Don't know that, but Hemingway played for a team that cannot score and gave them a chance to win. Lee was surrounded by good players that can score. Hemingway is better. He would have beaten Hill Murray. But nobody likes them anyway.
I watched Hemmingway this weekend at the Advanced 17's fianl 54 and he did not stand out omongst the 6 goalies. Saw him get lit up for 4 goals in a half against the Blue team and I know he gave up a couple in each of his other halves and he had good players around him, Berglund, Lapic, Budish, Gaarder amongst others. Lee is better or he wouldn't be committed
I watched Hemmingway a few times this past season and he was out played every time by the other teams goalie, but then again the team when I watched him play scored on everybody LOTS
A whole lot can change between now and next fall. Some Juniors are still developing, teams may change their rosters, maturity may come into play. Hard to argue moving on when you have this kind of opportunity. I would imagine that there were some guarantees puts in place, and having Ness graduate early probably played into the decision.
Not an ideal situation for high school hockey, but in this day and age, players have to do what is right for them. Not too many others are looking out for their interests.
Hello, I had to get on and make a comment about this one, Here is my opinion on the situation. Why does a family no matter who's family feel it neccesarry to send there kid out of the house before he or she's time. In one years time a lot can change in a kids life, speaking of maturity, both physicaly and mentaly. This can make a huge difference in the sucsess of what one is trying to accomplish. What if Mike gets down to Fargo and hates it, now keep in mind he, no matter what you say is still just a kid, because when he gets down there and Blais says your not cutting the mustard, we are going with the other guy. From what I understand he is going to St. Cloud right. My only question, is this move coming from them. And if is going to St. Cloud what is the point of going to Fargo his ticket is written. So if he stays in Roseau he is guaranteed all the games there I would think right. Or is there a goalie that is going to challenge him, and from what I have seen the last couple of years at the state tournament, he is playing with some of the best high school players in the state. So I can imagine that there is no real differnce from playing on one of the lower teams in the ushl or going to the state tourny and playing with and against the best players in the state of Minnesota, And if Ness would of stayed, the best player in the state, Sorry Roseau but this kid is good but just imagine if his body was one more year mature going into the gophers, then he would defently dominated, now I hope the smalll kid doesn't going to the tuff wcha and get hurt. My true wish would be is that none of these USHL teams could not even talk to these kids until half way through their Senior year. Look at all the kids entering Division 1, one or two years after high school, They just seam so much more ready that a kid right out of high school. I just don't see what the big rush is getting to the next level, if you are goint to get there you will get there. and from what I have heard, this Lee is in the drivers seat. There is plenty off time to get to the next level and I think everyone should play through high school, go to the next level more mature mentaly and physicaly.
