Is Rochester Red the 12th team in the D9 Peewee A playoffs?

Concerned Hockey Coach · Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:03 am

frederick61 wrote:We have a person, who has an active role in D9 board activities, whose opinion is that their players need to compete with their skaters who can skate with them.

You disagree? Also who is "their"?

frederick61 wrote: As a result of D9 policy decisions, it has resulted in a team, Rochester Red, consciously rejecting regular D9 play, playing an independent schedule, then coming back in the D9 playoffs for the sole reason to compete for the state title, and finally being seeded #1. The play of the other 11 teams over the regular course of the season was rendered invalid in that single decision.

Where else could Rochester have gone to compete in the playoffs and the state title? Why do you presume with your high and mighty attitude that district regular season play is ALL that matters when it comes to seeding? What is wrong with D9 deciding that it will use ALL factors when it comes to seeding for purposes of avoiding making the second to last seeded team play a game against the "wink wink" "last seeded" team OR, worse, forcing the top seeded team to play against the "wink wink" last seeded team in round 1? What a reward for being tops after district play!

Frederick61 wrote: And in the opinion of the D9 board member, that is fair because big organizations with more numbers need better competition to develop 12-14 year old kids.

Is this incorrect? Is it responsible for an association to NOT seek to develop its kids through competition?

Frederick61 wrote: But through all this, the adults ignore the fact that within the Rochester association with its large numbers, they are developing just 17 kids.

This is just ignorant and/or arrogance on Freddie's part. What about the 30+ more kids on Rochester black and gold who got to play PeeWee A this year and get good competition rather than stomping on D9's B1 teams? Or what about the B2 kids who got to play B1 and get good competition this year as opposed to only getting such competition playing within Rochester?

Frederick61 wrote: And D9 justifies their actions by saying all of the other 11 D9 peewee A teams knew of and agreed to the process because it was best for D9.

And YOU, Frederick61, Dictator of PeeWee A hockey, are supreme and holy enough to pronounce disdain and allege impropriety and rule breaking by ALL of D9 because you have been around since a hockey time whose values have long been disregarded in favor of playing all kids at the level of play that challenges them while allowing them the opportunity to thrive and be successful.

InigoMontoya · Post by **InigoMontoya** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:07 am

I think the issue here is greater than whether it was OK for a team to play an independent schedule. I think two better questions regarding the redistricting are "Why did this team have to play an independent schedule in The State of Hockey?" and "Have we completely destroyed hockey in SW Minnesota?"

Post by **karl(east)** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:08 am

This thread has value. But please refrain from personal attacks, or I will lock it.

Carry on.

royalhockey999 · Post by **royalhockey999** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:40 am

Concerned Hockey Coach,

While I am not sure where I stand on this issue, I do believe that the Rochester Gold and Black kids didn't develop like they could have in a B1 type game. I saw both teams play and neither team scored goals on our A team and didn't have much zone time. I just don't see how that can be any good for these kids on those two teams.

There is no puck control, passes or plays being made when these teams stepped outside of their district. I believe it is beneficial to Rochester and the other teams that can't compete at A level to stay B1. Kids need puck time, slapping the puck around doesn't count, give these kids an opportunity to make a play and gain some confidence. While I feel some organizations may be able to field two competitive A teams I feel like Rochester is not one of them.

Kind of a side issue but thought I would share my thoughts!

Quasar · Post by **Quasar** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:50 am

I think that everyone here should take a deep breath... Fred has stated he has been around Minnesota hockey since the 50's. So have I. One of the things about people our age is that we have reached the age of plain talk.

The situation in Dist 9 is what it is for many reasons.. But on the base level it stinks... Too bad most people today can't distinguish a strong opinion based on years of observation from a personal attack.

If most of the posters to this thread put in as much time and passion as Fred (Whom I don't know from Adam),does hockey as whole would be a lot better.

To the concerned hockey coach...You better grow up...........

muckandgrind · Post by **muckandgrind** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 12:07 pm

I think Rochester is caught between a rock and a hard place in this situation. If their main goal of the A "Red" team is to develop their players, then smoking the D9 competition during League play doesn't accomplish that. They HAVE to play an independent regular season in order to play against the level of competition to force their players to play at a level above their comfort zone.

With all that, the team still has every right to have an opportunity to play for a Regional and State birth, and the only way for them to do that is through the D9 districts.

It's not an ideal situation, but short of Rochester moving to another district, I'd like to hear a better solution to the current issue instead of all the complaining and bitterness.

little9BigRed · Post by **little9BigRed** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 12:18 pm

They should at least have to play each team once, otherwise whats the use of keeping track of league points, fairplay points etc. They are not heads and tails above all the teams.

InigoMontoya · Post by **InigoMontoya** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 12:25 pm

Is this peewee team an anomaly? I don't see any indication that the same issue exists in bantams or squirts or girls, so I wouldn't think moving the entire Rochester association to another district would be warranted.

MrBoDangles · Post by **MrBoDangles** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 1:27 pm

Have one's cake and eat it too

Wiktionary

Quasar · Post by **Quasar** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 1:39 pm

They better enjoy that cake while they can. In a couple of weeks either Woodbury or Rosemount is going to finish it..

PanthersIn2011 · Post by **PanthersIn2011** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 1:41 pm

Quasar wrote:They better enjoy that cake while they can. In a couple of weeks either Woodbury or Rosemount is going to finish it..

You seem to be overlooking Farmington

hocmom · Post by **hocmom** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:43 pm

Stuff like this makes me wonder about the whole "league" idea.

Thousand of kids love AAA. Who is the champion?

Quasar · Post by **Quasar** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:44 pm

I'm assuming Red will be the 1 seed from dist 9. That means they will never see Farmington. If by chance they are the 3 seed, then Farmington can beat them by 6 or 8 goals and settle this once and for all.

Quasar · Post by **Quasar** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:54 pm

hocmom wrote:
Stuff like this makes me wonder about the whole "league" idea.

Thousand of kids love AAA. Who is the champion?

Summer AAA is pure hockey in a lot of ways. I don't know who the Champion is, But if my Grandson is any indication, The kids are having a good time, and they all know were they fit, and don't care. By the way.. He also loves his winter team and his first ever trip to the district playoffs.

frederick61 · Post by **frederick61** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 3:25 pm

Albert Lea is the first team to be impacted by the D9 decision to let the Red in the tourney. The Tigers were scheduled to play Mason City Iowa and Austin on the weekend, then travel to Mankato to open quarter final play on Thursday night. They instead, had to cancel those games and play a play-in game against Rochester Black last Saturday.

The Tigers lost 2-1 in OT.

Instead of being in Mankato this week, Albert Lea will practice the next two weeks at home and play Red Wing in a season ending game. The 17 or so kids on the Albert Lea team deserved better.

But this is fair (as D9 board implies). Because the Albert Lea team is really a B1 team and everybody knows they would have lost at Mankato anyway.

BadgerBob82 · Post by **BadgerBob82** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 3:41 pm

Fredick:
There were always going to be play in games.

Albert Lea would have met the same fate playing either Rochester team in a play down game. Your website originally showed you hosting Rochester Gold. The Black beat you in OT. You tied Gold earlier. Black and Gold tied 2 times.

Albert Lea was looking for an easy way in to Districts.

hocmom · Post by **hocmom** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 3:42 pm

The Albert Lea PWA Coach is also the District Rep for the Albert Lea assn and attends the d9 meetings.

It looks to me like Albert Lea would have had a play in game regardless of Red in or not...no? Top 2 seeds from East and West got the buy. AL is 5th seed. Maybe I don't understand.

Expressor16 · Post by **Expressor16** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 3:53 pm

The things one learns.

Is Fred the Fred we all think? I'm not so sure. Hey Fred, why don't you provide us all with your last name?

Expressor16 · Post by **Expressor16** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 3:57 pm

Looks to me like Albert Lea was impacted by Rochester Black not Rochester Red.

hocmom · Post by **hocmom** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 4:12 pm

Wait for it......

little9BigRed · Post by **little9BigRed** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 4:36 pm

Pretty sure Frederick61 is not the Fred from Albert Lea.

hocmom · Post by **hocmom** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 4:42 pm

I understand wanting to give everyone a shot, but I wonder about doing away with the play in game. Just give the top 4 from East and West the slots.

This past week has been hectic scheduling play in games at the last moment, traveling to mid week distant games...etc. If it were just the top 4 seeds it would be easier to plan and frankly end up with the same results in the end.

Many teams would know early on that they were not in and could schedule other stuff that weekend.

BadgerBob82 · Post by **BadgerBob82** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 5:15 pm

Fred may or may not be the coach in Albert Lea, but he is for certain a Grandpa of an Albert Lea Pee-Wee. He doesn't care the exact same thing happened at the Bantam level. Not one word said by Fred.

EVERY level had play-in games. Fred thought Albert Lea was locked in with LuVerne leaving them to be gifted the #4 seed.

The team that got a gift was Red Wing. They finished last place in the East with a winning record due to their on-ice behavior. They were pushed to the West and moved to #4, which knocked Fred's team to #5.

Fred's blog will be on Pee-Wee B1's next year.

Mnhockeys · Post by **Mnhockeys** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 5:56 pm

Anyone can start to blog the Peewee A games next year, see anyone else will read it.

Frederick earned his respects through his good writings. It is very clear he is very passionate about this Roch Red issues this time, which deserves to be respected. Even in the heated arguments, he never name-calling, unlike others.

It is fine for the rest of us that Red and/or D9 does whatever it feels it's its best interest

Good luck in the rest of the season, and the next years to come!

royalhockey999 · Post by **royalhockey999** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 6:04 pm

[quote="BadgerBob82"]Fred may or may not be the coach in Albert Lea, but he is for certain a Grandpa of an Albert Lea Pee-Wee. He doesn't care the exact same thing happened at the Bantam level. Not one word said by Fred.

EVERY level had play-in games. Fred thought Albert Lea was locked in with LuVerne leaving them to be gifted the #4 seed.

The team that got a gift was Red Wing. They finished last place in the East with a winning record due to their on-ice behavior. They were pushed to the West and moved to #4, which knocked Fred's team to #5.

Fred's blog will be on Pee-Wee B1's next year.[/quote]

I have been reading Fred's blogs for three years and love every bit of it. You say fred has a kid or grandkid in this mess and that is the only reason he does his blogs. You are so so so so wrong he has done these blogs for many years before this and I would say probably many years after this. Here's a man or women, who knows, don't even know if his name is fred, that loves peewee hockey and does a hell of a job reporting on it.
Fred does his blog cause he loves peewee hockey, why do people think that he has a dog in this fight? Maybe he does maybe he doesn't all I know is there is a flaw in D9 and the way they went about this, whether or not what they did was right or wrong.

Thanks Fred for all you do for Peewee hockey in Minnesota!!

Can't we all get along????