Select 17s

[northwoods oldtimer]

Sioux Fan just reading through your posts I can tell you are one helluva coach. DO NOT ever give up coaching youth sports. The kids need guys like you around. The criticism is a bit too unfair based on such a very short evaluation period for Advanced programs. I have seen some of the Advanced 15 kids who come through Grand Rapids and it is like you say very tough to evaluate 50 plus kids in 3 to 4 hours of ice. Judging from what I have witnessed the evaluators have done their best to pick a group of players. Does a kid or two get passed up, yes it is very possible and most likely can and will occur in such a short window of time. I totally agree with your comments on working to get better. I do think that the kids that take it upon themselves to commit to a training schedule are the kids who excel. Whether by being cut or playing and realize there are a ton of good players here in Minnesota. The Advanced program is beneficial to all Minnesota kids if they (and the parents) view it as such. Keep up the tireless great work you are an asset to high school youth hockey in Minnesota and believe me when I say the sport needs guys like you around.

[gopher1]

I realize you have a difficult job to do and very little time to do it, but for the price of admission at least tell everyone upfront that 2/3 of them will be evaluated for less than 3 hours and then be cut. Like with any tryout there are bound to be disappointed kids, I'm just concerned that the whole thing looks to be nothing more than a fundraiser. Your familiarity with most of the players selected further complicates things. As for advising those that didn't make the cut to work harder, good idea but isn't this there last chance? The team appears to be a strong one and I hope they do well, but was it really necessary to bring in 45 kids to fill 4 spots? Seems you could narrow the number of applicants if most of the team had already been chosen. 60 kids times $70 is a bunch of money for about 3 hours of ice.

Good post, Keepyourheadup.

It's not to difficult to pick a team when 2/3 came from his Elite2 team from the fall. Easy to prove when you take the roster from the Elite2 league and compare it to the roster that Sioux Fan posted on the thread. Then you add in 5-6 other players then your roster is full. It's not to hard to pick out those 5-6 players to fill out the roster. Knowing what your looking for.

I do agree with you about 2/3 of the player only getting 3 hours of ice, when the invitation stated that you would receive 4 hours of evaluation. I did read in the invitation that "if you are not committed in attending all 3 sessions, please let the G/M know, so they could invite other players". I know that there were players missing from both sessions that made the roster.

Good luck this weekend Sioux Fan with your team, you already have a head start having previously worked with most of your roster.

[Sioux Fan]

Gopher1 I am sorry about the great turnout. But which of the kids in your mind are not deserving of the roster spot. I just coach and help evaluate there were three other coaches on the staff and my view was not the only one. Each of the players were discussed as I said earlier.

Obviously some Elite II guys did not make it and some did not even tryout..

We had 25 guys and the majority could have been here at least 3 more that all played Advanced 15's with us in District 4.

We will continue to try to get the best kids and be fair that is all we can do.

I do not see being involved with the kids and knowing them is bad thing.

Probably an advantage for us. I like to have advantages usually we do not get that many down here. Truth is it is always the same the last 5 or 6 are very difficult and there are another 5 or 6 real good deserving kids that do not get the opportunity. It is always the same dilemma. It is always the worst part of doing this. Now the fun begins Tonight Thursday Friday Saturday and Sunday.

[Sioux Fan]

We will see next year as there will be a new Elite II coaching staff and we will see. I hope they will do as well or better than what we have done. I hope that the kids from our area continue to get a chance to play at the next level that is what I have been doing this for.

[keepyourheadup]

Sioux fan we all appreciate your volunteer work, my concern about fundraising is directed at USA hockey not you or your staff. You are right about it not being that important but there are no select 18's for the sophs who tried out. Like I said you had a tough job to do, there is no sense in comparing some that made it against others that did not, we all have our own opinions. I think you must at least acknowledge the amount of revenue being generated for USA hockey could lead one to questioning their motivation. From what I understand there were at least a dozen kids that had absolutely no shot at all. Good Luck this weekend.

[PuckTime]

advanced 16's and 17's are a joke Matt Ray did not even make the team. last i checked he qualified for the national camp for the past two years. ...dont even say that it is based on the actual tryout beacuse i know it cant be.

Agreed. Several kids from the 16 7a/aa team last year did not make it this year. How does this work especially kids who advanced again or should have. Theres no point to selects besides getting ice time and having fun, but they ruin it for kids. These select coaches think there hockey gurus and there probably in it for there kids or something, i feel bad for the ones who are in it because they love the game not sure but im assuming the majority of the time thats not the case. And in a try-out arent the best players supposed to fill the spot or is it the name that counts????????????????

Just because they make it one year, should not be a guarantee they will make it the next. Maybe some of the kids that made it have improved and had a great tryout. I have heard from a few people who were at this tryout and Section 7 will have a pretty strong team. If it's all about the name, who made it that shouldn't have and vice versa? We haven't even seen a roster yet!

[davey]

Sioux fan we all appreciate your volunteer work, my concern about fundraising is directed at USA hockey not you or your staff. You are right about it not being that important but there are no select 18's for the sophs who tried out. Like I said you had a tough job to do, there is no sense in comparing some that made it against others that did not, we all have our own opinions. I think you must at least acknowledge the amount of revenue being generated for USA hockey could lead one to questioning their motivation. From what I understand there were at least a dozen kids that had absolutely no shot at all. Good Luck this weekend.

From what I know about the process, the players high school coach nominates them for the tryout process. If there are 20 teams in Section 1A/AA say each coach nominates his 2-3 best players you end up with 40-60- kids trying out. Now should each coach do this, that is the question. In my mind, the players high school coach should be honest with each of his players on whether they really have a chance to make the team. I have seen kids that had trouble skating at these tryouts. Now, if a kid just wants to go and see how he stacks up against his peers, then that is their option. I just think that the HS coaches need to do a little better job in the nomination process. Is this a revenue stream for USA Hockey...absolutely even though they tell you it is not. How else do they pay for the kids at the National festivals. The $125 they charge for that week does not cover the kids room and board.

[youngblood08]

Based on what I have seen from the Section 1 Elite II teams someone is doing something right. They have been more compeitive then you would think. I believe they won the playoffs 2 yrs ago and were in the or near the finals last year.

With things like this there are too many kids that turn the invite down or don't even get invited that others have no idea about. You just look at the list and don't see a kids name and think he got screwed or looked over in favor of someone else. Why would a coach take a kid that comes in and says he is playing baseball and can only skate on Sundays? if even then? Some kids don't even get nominated by thier coaches due to the fact the kid is a cancer on the team and the coach doesn't think he deserves the opportunity or the coach just doesn't care about the offseason stuff that much.

Sue Fan, you are picking the right kids. If you are leaving Elite II the whole league is at a loss. Your teams came to play.

[backcheck101]

Sioux Fan where were the Red Wing boys? Do they have any 17 that tryed out?

[PuckTime]

More for section 7a/aa:

Peratalo - Hibbing
Christianson - I Falls
Lutzka - East
Schendel - East
McFarlane - Cloquet
Judnick - Virginia
Garrett ? - Cambridge
Two from Andover
One from Elk River

I'm sure there's a couple I'm missing...

[Sioux Fan]

No Red Wing kids tried out Why was that?

[CasseauCougar]

No Red Wing kids tried out Why was that?

Heard Mensing for one (was there for 15s and 16s) just decided at this stage of the game to spend the money elsewhere. And BTW, this was the kid making the call. No disrespect for 17s, but good for him. Very mature decision.

[crankshaft]

Sioux fan who was responsible for making the decission on who made the team?

[shooter57]

More for section 7a/aa:

Peratalo - Hibbing
Christianson - I Falls
Lutzka - East
Schendel - East
McFarlane - Cloquet
Judnick - Virginia
Garrett ? - Cambridge
Two from Andover
One from Elk River

I'm sure there's a couple I'm missing...

more Than a couple. Like rest of the team.

[PuckTime]

The majority of the team had already been listed in an earlier post. That's why it says "more for section 7...."

[hockeyfever44]

For those curious of who on the Select 17 festival who made it to Select 16 Nationals:

Those having made Select 16 Nationals
Section Name: Points: "Rank
(points only):"
5A-5AA (Gold) Nick Bjugstad 6 23
1A-1AA (Orange) Connor Faupel 5 35
7A-7AA (Teal) Derek Forbort 4 46
7A-7AA (Teal) Garrett Hendrickson 4 50
8A-8AA (Purple) Adam Knochenmus 4 67
4A-4AA (Col. Blue) Noah Gavin 4 69
5A-5AA (Gold) Brett Stern 3 86
7A-7AA (Teal) Cal Decowski 3 88
1A-1AA (Orange) Jason Clark 3 104
7A-7AA (Teal) Matt Youso 2 118
5A-5AA (Gold) Andrew Pitts 2 123
6A-6AA (Gray) Max Gardiner 2 129
5A-5AA (Gold) Sam Windle 2 140
6A-6AA (Gray) Justin Holl 1 151
4A-4AA (Col. Blue) Adam Wilcox 0 N/A
7A-7AA (Teal) Jack McFarlane 0 202
[/img]

[moostard2]

Tyler Grubb this past season 16 goals and 23 assists for 39 points.
Jared Docken this past season 2 goals and 6 assists for 8 points.
Play similar schedule and are in same conference.

[TTpuckster]

here is the roster for 8a/aaAdvanced 17 Team

Zane Gothberg - Adam Knochenmus

Alexander Lyon- Joncarlo Westerlund

Taylor Hedlund- Brett Hebel

Mark Bittner- Nick Stoskopf

Kevin Larson- Shane Omdahl

Joey Olson- Quinn Buckellew

Matthew Audette- James Hazelton

Buzz Tryggeseth- Lucas Phillips

Ben Doda- Josh Archibald

Jobe Peterson- Morgan Terpstra

I am surprised that Jake Useldinger is not on this list.
Did he not want to play in this?

[schwartz]

Tyler Grubb this past season 16 goals and 23 assists for 39 points.
Jared Docken this past season 2 goals and 6 assists for 8 points.
Play similar schedule and are in same conference.

What is your point?

[CasseauCougar]

Just saw the rosters for 5 A/AA and saw a kid that played no varsity as a sophomore and VERY limited shifts this year ONLY when the team had the game well in hand. This is one of the best D in the two 5 sections? Then I saw that dad was coaching again. Doesn't Blaine get tired of this? It's not the kid's fault and no doubt he's a smart player. He's just way out sized/strengthed. And then you have another small kid from Irondale that DOES have an impact as a forward that doesn't make it. I feel bad coach dad puts him in this spot because you know the kid and his friends know.

[flatontheice]

Just saw the rosters for 5 A/AA and saw a kid that played no varsity as a sophomore and VERY limited shifts this year ONLY when the team had the game well in hand. This is one of the best D in the two 5 sections? Then I saw that dad was coaching again. Doesn't Blaine get tired of this? It's not the kid's fault and no doubt he's a smart player. He's just way out sized/strengthed. And then you have another small kid from Irondale that DOES have an impact as a forward that doesn't make it. I feel bad coach dad puts him in this spot because you know the kid and his friends know.

Same thing happened in 2A/2AA at the 16's. Coaches kid put on the team ahead of many more well deserving kids. Same story different year.

[moostard2]

My point is one made it and the other didn't...my other point is look at the point difference...

[itsjusthockey]

I'm surprised that some people try to defend the Section 1 Advanced 17 tryouts, the coaches hate Rochester kids, that's why all the Mayo, JM and all but 1 non-Lourdes kids got cut, most only had two days to show what they could do, the coaching staff was Lourdes dominated / biased. I'm shocked Matt Roth got cut (was the only Lourdes player to get cut) and Conner played for Sioux Fan last year so he was a lock as the only Rochester public school kid to make the team. This entire process is a joke with the people they have making decisions. I'm glad to see people are starting to figure it out and changed the elite II coaching staff, it can only help improve the chances for a fair evaluation of all kids that the former coaches would cut. Hockey in Section 1 continues to be controlled by people with their own agenda, another example is the Great 8 and no Century kids, I'm surprised the 1 AA champs didn't have any good seniors, I'm also shocked that the Mayo kids made it which they diserved so we know the Advanced 17 staff didn't pick the team or it would have been every Lourdes kids

[Doglover]

Flatonice - checked the Adv 16 roster for 2A/2AA and either I missed something, or the coaches don't have a kid on the team??? Not saying there aren't politics in this whole deal - everyone knows there is - but I missed this one. Couple kids missing from this roster that I expected, but didn't see any coaches' kids - sorry should have put this on Adv 16 thread I guess though.

[mnhockey36299]

Flatonice - checked the Adv 16 roster for 2A/2AA and either I missed something, or the coaches don't have a kid on the team??? Not saying there aren't politics in this whole deal - everyone knows there is - but I missed this one. Couple kids missing from this roster that I expected, but didn't see any coaches' kids - sorry should have put this on Adv 16 thread I guess though.

I think we was referring to the same kid and that he made 16's last year.