Blades Fall In Chicago Running time...What happen?

[hockeydad11]

What happen to the Blades?

97 Blades = Lose 3 and can't get out of pool play.

00 Blades = "the Brick team" lose big in Final 11 - 3

01 Blades = lose 9 - 1 in final

The younger teams had no competition in pool play and came up short in Finals. Running Time.

[HockeyDad41]

What happen to the Blades?

97 Blades = Lose 3 and can't get out of pool play.

00 Blades = "the Brick team" lose big in Final 11 - 3

01 Blades = lose 9 - 1 in final

The younger teams had no competition in pool play and came up short in Finals. Running Time.

Ripping on 9-14 year olds. You must feel very proud of yourself.

[scrapiron]

Hockeydad41

I think that it is interesting that most of your post have been deleted. In reading these post I think that the supporters of the Blades have put them selves in a position where there are people who have been waiting for the chance to cut them down.

So the question is what happen to the Blades in Chicago.

Did they run into really good teams. Did they have a bad game? It is a fair question, the tone is what cuts.

[stickwacks]

What happened to the Blades should not be such a secret, just what you get when you build teams around the coach's friends, their buddies, the kids buddies, the buddies dad's buddy and the zamboni drivers recommendations and politics instead of building the team on the merits of the kid on the ice.

Machine does it right early / Blades do it right later, the sooner these two clubs figure out that they have the same faults and work to fix these faults, the better off the elite players in Minnesota will be.

[JSR]

What happen to the Blades?

97 Blades = Lose 3 and can't get out of pool play.

00 Blades = "the Brick team" lose big in Final 11 - 3

01 Blades = lose 9 - 1 in final

The younger teams had no competition in pool play and came up short in Finals. Running Time.

Umm, didn't the 01's have the same Madison Capitols team that won the Invite Meltdown tourney. And wasn't Little Ceasars also in the Cougar Classic. There was alot of competition at the 01 level, that happens sometimes. Sufficed to say the team that won it deserved it, they were the best team there as I understand it with the best player in the tourney. The way I heard was this kid fom "Cougars Platinum" scored 6 of the 9 goals against the Blades and 5 of the 6 agaisnt the Caps in the quarterfinals and had some ungodly number of goals in the tourney. Don;t know who he was but supposedly he was from Toronto. I was not there, did not witness it but I am friends with many parents o the Capitols team.

[RockyMtnIce]

To answer scrapiron:

Saw the '97 Blades, Iceman, and other teams in action over the weekend. While good, many of the teams in Chicago like the Arizona Bobcats, Cougar Selects, and West Coast Selects are not just Tier I AAA teams, but Tier I AAA All Star teams.

Including Detroit Little Caesars in the above group, these teams were bigger, a little bit faster, and little bit more skilled than the Blades from top to bottom and a lot more than the Iceman. The Iceman actually lost by scores of 12 or 13-1 versus the Cougar Selects and West Coast Selects, although reported scores were only 7-1 due to the maximum of a six goal differential.

Are these traditionally the stronger Spring All-Star teams from MN or are there others?

[hotsauce]

What happen to the Blades?

97 Blades = Lose 3 and can't get out of pool play.

00 Blades = "the Brick team" lose big in Final 11 - 3

01 Blades = lose 9 - 1 in final

The younger teams had no competition in pool play and came up short in Finals. Running Time.

Ripping on 9-14 year olds. You must feel very proud of yourself.

HD41, this is a machine coach you are disagreeing with! I'm impressed!
mr jungl...I mean hd11, at least get your facts straight. the score was 8 to 3. Didn't your team lose in the final in Chicago earlier this spring?? Did you consider that to be a brutal showing? I'm far from a blades fan, but get real! you seem to be a bit scared, and based upon the other topics you started today, it's clear you have good reason to worry.

[council member retired]

[quote="RockyMtnIce"]To answer scrapiron:

Saw the '97 Blades, Iceman, and other teams in action over the weekend. While good, many of the teams in Chicago like the Arizona Bobcats, Cougar Selects, and West Coast Selects are not just Tier I AAA teams, but Tier I AAA All Star teams.

Including Detroit Little Caesars in the above group, these teams were bigger, a little bit faster, and little bit more skilled than the Blades from top to bottom and a lot more than the Iceman. The Iceman actually lost by scores of 12 or 13-1 versus the Cougar Selects and West Coast Selects, although reported scores were only 7-1 due to the maximum of a six goal differential.

Are these traditionally the stronger Spring All-Star teams from MN or are there others?[/quote]

Many of these teams have deep checkbooks, frequently one owner or sponsor that will put big bucks up front. The team then recruits all winter from all over to field a team or teams for tournaments. When all said and done a few of these teams do rise to the top and have very good teams for the weekend.

[HockeyDad41]

What happen to the Blades?

97 Blades = Lose 3 and can't get out of pool play.

00 Blades = "the Brick team" lose big in Final 11 - 3

01 Blades = lose 9 - 1 in final

The younger teams had no competition in pool play and came up short in Finals. Running Time.

Ripping on 9-14 year olds. You must feel very proud of yourself.

HD41, this is a machine coach you are disagreeing with! I'm impressed!
mr jungl...I mean hd11, at least get your facts straight. the score was 8 to 3. Didn't your team lose in the final in Chicago earlier this spring?? Did you consider that to be a brutal showing? I'm far from a blades fan, but get real! you seem to be a bit scared, and based upon the other topics you started today, it's clear you have good reason to worry.

Just because I refused to take ETS's and others claims about BM as gospel a few threads back doesn't mean I am a Machine supporter.

I support good hockey no matter what the label or name on the front of the jersey.

[hockeyfan893]

The 95 Blades are / were the best age group the Blades ran a team for. It seems that after that group, the ability for Blades teams to compete falls short compared to the 95 and older groups. This may be due to the fact that with the creation of the Breakaway (and subsequently the destruction of the 95 Machine), Minnesota Made no longer had the political / influential scope to create teams that could compete with the Blades. With Minnesota Made out of the picture, the Blades became a stronger team at that age group, allowing for higher level competition at tournaments around the country / in Canada. At the younger age groups, maybe there is just too much pull from Minnesota Made programs? I'm no expert, just some thoughts I'm throwing out into the pool for discussion. Not saying one program is better than the other, but it could be a possible reason. Let me know what you guys think.

[InigoMontoya]

Summer hockey in Minnesota is experiencing some growing pains - good. It's not just a couple dominant programs, as it was when the 95s were tikes. Parents of the 00s and 01s have a ton of options available; some of them not so good, but many of them are fantastic. The passion of the parents and the opportunities available in this state will support 10 - 12 very good hockey programs - competing with each other for talent, which will drive the quality of development. In the meantime, a couple teams may scratch a little to hold onto the 'good old days', and a head may get stepped on now and then. I think 5 years from now, someone will rise up to unite the clans, and the environment will be ripe for picking a kid or two from each program and heading to Chicago or Canada to compete.

[muckandgrind]

The 95 Blades are / were the best age group the Blades ran a team for. It seems that after that group, the ability for Blades teams to compete falls short compared to the 95 and older groups. This may be due to the fact that with the creation of the Breakaway (and subsequently the destruction of the 95 Machine), Minnesota Made no longer had the political / influential scope to create teams that could compete with the Blades. With Minnesota Made out of the picture, the Blades became a stronger team at that age group, allowing for higher level competition at tournaments around the country / in Canada. At the younger age groups, maybe there is just too much pull from Minnesota Made programs? I'm no expert, just some thoughts I'm throwing out into the pool for discussion. Not saying one program is better than the other, but it could be a possible reason. Let me know what you guys think.

They also had some pretty good teams in between 1998-1995.

Don't worry about the Blades, they'll be fine.

[dogeatdog1]

The 95 Blades are / were the best age group the Blades ran a team for. It seems that after that group, the ability for Blades teams to compete falls short compared to the 95 and older groups. This may be due to the fact that with the creation of the Breakaway (and subsequently the destruction of the 95 Machine), Minnesota Made no longer had the political / influential scope to create teams that could compete with the Blades. With Minnesota Made out of the picture, the Blades became a stronger team at that age group, allowing for higher level competition at tournaments around the country / in Canada. At the younger age groups, maybe there is just too much pull from Minnesota Made programs? I'm no expert, just some thoughts I'm throwing out into the pool for discussion. Not saying one program is better than the other, but it could be a possible reason. Let me know what you guys think.

Isn't that why the top teams go to a tourney like this? To play good competition. You don't always have to win the tourney to say you had a successful one. I think if you ask the Blades parents they all would say that the tourney was a good experience, taught the kids what they need to do to compete at the top level and that every game isn't a gimme.. Complacency in 8-12 year old kids? after having some success in previous tourneys? who knows?


Don't worry about the Blades, they'll be fine.

[hockeyfan893]

I agree Muck. They'll be fine.

[chew them up]

I think you mean "you hope they will be fine".

[muckandgrind]

I think you mean "you hope they will be fine".

I've never had a kid play in the Blades program....but I've been around for quite a while and know quite a few people who have been part of it, and I can say that, historically, the Blades have a very good reputation for off-season development. As far as them sending only certain players to certain tournaments, they do a pretty good job up front letting parents know what they can expect before they ever take the check.

Another thing to consider, unlike MM, the Blades are non-profit....All the money they get goes right into the purchase of ice, coaching/instructor fees, and tournament entrance fees. They are not a "business" like certain other AAA programs.

[InigoMontoya]

From the perspective of the payor of the fees, whether it is a business or not depends on whom is collecting the fees.

[muckandgrind]

From the perspective of the payor of the fees, whether it is a business or not depends on whom is collecting the fees.

That's true......

I think, what's more important, that is the the "payor" know exactly what they are getting for their money....and in that regard, I haven't heard of too many complaints with regards to the Blades.

[Bruins]

What happen to the Blades?

97 Blades = Lose 3 and can't get out of pool play.

00 Blades = "the Brick team" lose big in Final 11 - 3

01 Blades = lose 9 - 1 in final

The younger teams had no competition in pool play and came up short in Finals. Running Time.

Two Blades teams make it to the finals in Chicago (00,01), 97s were champs in this tournament last year and won the Detroit tournament 2 weeks prior vs Belle Tire. Sounds like the Blades are doing just fine.

[polyman22]

A little more bag news for the Blades. I read the 99 team got beat today by Boston Jr. Bruins 7 to 2 in Toronto

[muckandgrind]

A little more bag news for the Blades. I read the 99 team got beat today by Boston Jr. Bruins 7 to 2 in Toronto

A hockey team loses a game, and now it's "bad news" for the entire organization??? Really???

[polyman22]

No, but it is bad news. The thread talks about the struggles that the Blades teams are having this summer. Losing at the prospects tournament would not be considered good news.

A 7 to 2 loss is a fairly one sided game. The periods in that tournament or "halfs" are short so if it were three 20 minute stops the score may have been more one sided.

[Bruins]

No, but it is bad news. The thread talks about the struggles that the Blades teams are having this summer. Losing at the prospects tournament would not be considered good news.

A 7 to 2 loss is a fairly one sided game. The periods in that tournament or "halfs" are short so if it were three 20 minute stops the score may have been more one sided.

The Blades are the benchmark for AAA hockey in Minnesota. Most of the association folk on the island of Minnesota have not played against tier 1 AAA teams. For the Blades to play as well as they do against these teams is impressive. Every age group with the Blades will have many more wins than loses at the end of the summer. If the Blades were not thought of as the top AAA team in MN this thread would not exist.

[muckandgrind]

No, but it is bad news. The thread talks about the struggles that the Blades teams are having this summer. Losing at the prospects tournament would not be considered good news.

A 7 to 2 loss is a fairly one sided game. The periods in that tournament or "halfs" are short so if it were three 20 minute stops the score may have been more one sided.

No, it's not "bad news"....Minnesota teams (even the Blades) are not, and never have been invincible. Believe it or not, the Blades have lost at the Prospect tournament before. And......(gasp!), many of the top Blades teams (historically) have even lost at home before. It may be suprising to you, but it HAS happened.

None of this takes away from the fact that the Blades have been, are, and wil be a pretty well run organization. Like I said before, don't worry about the Blades, they are a strong program and will bounce back just fine.

[HockeyDad41]

No, but it is bad news. The thread talks about the struggles that the Blades teams are having this summer. Losing at the prospects tournament would not be considered good news.

A 7 to 2 loss is a fairly one sided game. The periods in that tournament or "halfs" are short so if it were three 20 minute stops the score may have been more one sided.

The Blades are the benchmark for AAA hockey in Minnesota. Most of the association folk on the island of Minnesota have not played against tier 1 AAA teams. For the Blades to play as well as they do against these teams is impressive. Every age group with the Blades will have many more wins than loses at the end of the summer. If the Blades were not thought of as the top AAA team in MN this thread would not exist.

Maybe a few years ago this statement would be accurate. Not sure about now. Great program but the benchmark? I guess I would like to see the Blades and the Machine play each other a couple of times before the title of benchmark is awarded.