wow is outdoor high school hockey a total disaster..pleaszzz

[stpaul]

I think Hockey Day and the outdoor high school games are great. My daughter was in Moorhead and had a great time. She said the atmosephere was fun and very festive. Fox Sports did a great job with the broadcasts, the feature stories and the remote stops at rinks in backyards and ponds.

However setting up an outdoor game without refrigeration is just too risky. I looked back 10 years at Moorhead for February 12th. It has been above 32 degrees two other times. It was 34 in 2002 and 41 in 2005. That makes 3 times in 11 years with a thaw. It got to 44 there yesterday (Sunday). The took a risk on the weather and lost. The game did turn into a survival battle. Players could not go into one end behind the goal line, the goal creases or cross the blue line without risking tripping in slush and getting hurt. To their credit both teams cut back on the hitting especially in the slop. As a HM fan I was waiting for them to change sides in the middle of 3rd period so HM would have a better chance to score the winner going on offense toward the end with good ice. Sure enough Bahe scored by being able to skate in full speed on Bitzer.

I think they have to play the game in mid-January up north or must have artificial ice like they do at Phalen Park in St. Paul. I hope they have learned their lesson by having bad ice two years in a row.

[observer]

I call it old man hockey. The whole idea was cooked up by a bunch of old men (dads) who yearn for the way it was. Most kids think it's a dumb idea. I think it's really cool. The kids don't.

[MrBoDangles]

I thought the conditions did take away from the game, but you are not seeing my point. It is about Minnesota Hockey Day. And the fact of playing in a different venu, I do like!

OK, thanks. Next question: What is so special about a hockey game being played outside? See if you can answer that question without all the poetic narratives about "when we were kids."

Like I said in a previous post, I'm old enough to have played a large number of youth hockey games outside....and freakin' HATED IT!!! It was a real treat for us (and our parents who were watching) to be able to play indoors on good ice.

Now that FSN doesn't televise HS games anymore, I would rather have watched these teams display their skill indoors on good ice. I guess with me it's more about the game and the players, then it is about seeing them play outdoors on a subpar ice surface.

You must be a big fan of indoor football and baseball then?

Fan of domes and themometers?

[MrBoDangles]

I call it old man hockey. The whole idea was cooked up by a bunch of old men (dads) who yearn for the way it was. Most kids think it's a dumb idea. I think it's really cool. The kids don't.

They pack 100,000 seat stadiums in Michigan for outdoor hockey. I think the kids are with ya in thinking it's really cool.

It's a festive day and a very festive feel for Hockey Day Minnesota. The weather extremes will only add to the stories that will be told and retold.

[Nobodyonya]

So by reading these comments I'm confused. Isn't this special weekend set up to showcase High School Hockey played outdoors as it was in the past and to give a lifetime experience to those lucky few teams chosen to participate? Am I wrong, but those nice big cozy arena's: Hibbing, DECC, Amsoil, and those in the Metro made for SECTIONS and STATE?

I played hockey OUTDOORS until I was 13. We had no indoor ice to practice on unless it was at a hockey camp, most games were played outdoors until PeeWeeA and nearly all of my practices were outdoors until H.S. Oh, and there weren't any Zamboni's doing the oudoor rinks then either. They had a sweeper come out to clean shavings and maybe a tank/trailer with a cloth pulled behind for a little "hot-flood". And I didn't play in the 60s or 70s. I graduated in the early 90s.

These games were meant to be played outdoors, deal with the conditions. i.e.- adapt-the truely great players (rink rats with outdoor ice experience do) Those who can't are just plain SOFT and SPOILED and clearly need a reality check. Enjoy the opportunity and move on with life.

The weekend should be moved to late Jan., even then in Hermantown it was in the 30s and a mix of every precip. possible (cloud cover kept the ice "safe"-the lines, etc. were all bleeding and chipped up then too) Feb ice is unpredictable-sun higher in sky, etc. Players need to realize the hazards on the ice and play the game around them. That said, I was a little turned off by the "indoor ice sheet" Moorhead put up for an outdoor game. Leave it to the attendence setting games in the NCAA and NHL, keep the outdoor games tradition - wood boards with fencing. Maybe they need to not color in the creases and just do outlines for the blue/red line, after all I've been inside for H.S. games that they've had so much ice laid down you couldn't even make out the circles, lines, or dots.

Great post! If these boys haven't ever played on ice like this they will never amount to much. Back in high school we would play on less than perfect ice all the time. Kids would be on the rink when it was slush. Over a three year period seven kids went D-1, they were also the kids that were on that crappy ice the most.
I also remember my friends little brother and a group of his friends ALWAYS being up at the rink at 9-10 years old. The little brother and two of his friends were playing in the NHL last year and another is still chasing the dream.. One of them scored their first goal as a 28 year old.

Are we really getting this sugar coated?

That is absolutely true. I remember playing at the Elk River barn in the days. We were playing games on near slush. Had to stay away from the corners though, otherwise you would be part of the boards

[muckandgrind]

I thought the conditions did take away from the game, but you are not seeing my point. It is about Minnesota Hockey Day. And the fact of playing in a different venu, I do like!

OK, thanks. Next question: What is so special about a hockey game being played outside? See if you can answer that question without all the poetic narratives about "when we were kids."

Like I said in a previous post, I'm old enough to have played a large number of youth hockey games outside....and freakin' HATED IT!!! It was a real treat for us (and our parents who were watching) to be able to play indoors on good ice.

Now that FSN doesn't televise HS games anymore, I would rather have watched these teams display their skill indoors on good ice. I guess with me it's more about the game and the players, then it is about seeing them play outdoors on a subpar ice surface.

You must be a big fan of indoor football and baseball then?

Fan of domes and themometers?

Nope.....I like my football and baseball outdoors and I like my hockey indoors. Outside is fine for playing shinny, but "real" games should be played inside.

Just my opinion.

[2nd string]

OK, thanks. Next question: What is so special about a hockey game being played outside? See if you can answer that question without all the poetic narratives about "when we were kids."

Like I said in a previous post, I'm old enough to have played a large number of youth hockey games outside....and freakin' HATED IT!!! It was a real treat for us (and our parents who were watching) to be able to play indoors on good ice.

Now that FSN doesn't televise HS games anymore, I would rather have watched these teams display their skill indoors on good ice. I guess with me it's more about the game and the players, then it is about seeing them play outdoors on a subpar ice surface.

You must be a big fan of indoor football and baseball then?

Fan of domes and themometers?

Nope.....I like my football and baseball outdoors and I like my hockey indoors. Outside is fine for playing shinny, but "real" games should be played inside.

Just my opinion.

well we can all agree to disagree, but as far as the kids not liking it. I talked with alot of the Roseau kids after the game, they all thought it was great! The kids that don't think it is great are probly the kids that grew up with a golden spoon in their mouths and an xbox 360 or playstation and mommy and daddy thought it was cool for their kids sitting on the couch playing video games. As for the Roseau kids they were on their so called north rink playing shinny, or out ice fishing or even out snowmobiling. Poor kids had to be outside for a couple of hours. the outdoor game was great IN MY OPINION! Shotty ice yes, but they all had to play on it. So what! It was a great day for Minnesota Hockey!

[muckandgrind]

You must be a big fan of indoor football and baseball then?

Fan of domes and themometers?

Nope.....I like my football and baseball outdoors and I like my hockey indoors. Outside is fine for playing shinny, but "real" games should be played inside.

Just my opinion.

well we can all agree to disagree, but as far as the kids not liking it. I talked with alot of the Roseau kids after the game, they all thought it was great! The kids that don't think it is great are probly the kids that grew up with a golden spoon in their mouths and an xbox 360 or playstation and mommy and daddy thought it was cool for their kids sitting on the couch playing video games. As for the Roseau kids they were on their so called north rink playing shinny, or out ice fishing or even out snowmobiling. Poor kids had to be outside for a couple of hours. the outdoor game was great IN MY OPINION! Shotty ice yes, but they all had to play on it. So what! It was a great day for Minnesota Hockey!

A lot of sweeping assumptions and generalizations, huh?

IMO, the fact the kids that thought it was "great" were probably more stoked about the attention and television coverage they were getting then about playing outdoors. I think they would've been just as excited about FSN televising them in their barn playing Wayzata as the one of the day's showcase games.

[MrBoDangles]

OK, thanks. Next question: What is so special about a hockey game being played outside? See if you can answer that question without all the poetic narratives about "when we were kids."

Like I said in a previous post, I'm old enough to have played a large number of youth hockey games outside....and freakin' HATED IT!!! It was a real treat for us (and our parents who were watching) to be able to play indoors on good ice.

Now that FSN doesn't televise HS games anymore, I would rather have watched these teams display their skill indoors on good ice. I guess with me it's more about the game and the players, then it is about seeing them play outdoors on a subpar ice surface.

You must be a big fan of indoor football and baseball then?

Fan of domes and themometers?

Nope.....I like my football and baseball outdoors and I like my hockey indoors. Outside is fine for playing shinny, but "real" games should be played inside.

Just my opinion.

A perfect Hockey day Minnesota for me would be a town location like they're currently doing for for the High School games....... Then they would come back to TCF Stadium for a Gophers- Huskies,Wild- Stars doubleheader. I would also include those fireworks like they had at the big house

I would pay big to be there.

[muckandgrind]

You must be a big fan of indoor football and baseball then?

Fan of domes and themometers?

Nope.....I like my football and baseball outdoors and I like my hockey indoors. Outside is fine for playing shinny, but "real" games should be played inside.

Just my opinion.

A perfect Hockey day Minnesota for me would be a town location like they're currently doing for for the High School games....... Then they would come back to TCF Stadium for a Gophers-Wild doubleheader. I would also include those fireworks like they had at the big house

I would pay big to be there.

That would be a better scenario considering chillers would be used under the ice surface at TCF Bank Stadium. Better ice, better viewing, better game.

[gottago]

No doubt it's a uniquely Minnesota event that should be continued in some fashion. Moving back makes sense...don't have the high sun and rare are temps in the 30's in January. I don't see any value in bringing in teams for a couple games in the college rinks, though. FSN can already (and has) televise good rivalry games in their own rinks and they wouldn't have to leave the Twin Cities to do it...Amsoil or BREC are nice if you're at the game but don't offer anything special if you're a tv viewer. I say stay outside, deal with the elements, and if desparate times demand desparate measures & you have a situation like Moorhead there were two indoor sheets in the youth arena next door where the games could have been played. It would be tough for FSN but they've got roaming cameras and could make it work.

[Govie]

Honestly, did you think the Hill-Murray/Moorhead game was good hockey?? Answer truthfully.

I thought the conditions did take away from the game, but you are not seeing my point. It is about Minnesota Hockey Day. And the fact of playing in a different venu, I do like!

OK, thanks. Next question: What is so special about a hockey game being played outside? See if you can answer that question without all the poetic narratives about "when we were kids."

Like I said in a previous post, I'm old enough to have played a large number of youth hockey games outside....and freakin' HATED IT!!! It was a real treat for us (and our parents who were watching) to be able to play indoors on good ice.

Now that FSN doesn't televise HS games anymore, I would rather have watched these teams display their skill indoors on good ice. I guess with me it's more about the game and the players, then it is about seeing them play outdoors on a subpar ice surface.

Oh dear, where are you from, Arizona or San Jose? Grow some thick skin, seriously.

Honestly, I like the fact that hockey is and was played outside in brutal conditions, because it only shows even more how tough hockey players are.

I always get a kick out of southerners (or even Californians) bundled up when it's mid-40s; funny stuff for sure. If only they visted MN in mid-January to see people walking around in shorts how crazy they'd think we are.

The game stays OUTSIDE, bottom line. With all the success the NHL and even college leagues are having with their outdoor classics this would be the most assinine thing anyone in MN could ever think of. Seriously, we're the COLDEST STATE IN THE LOWER 48! If we can't have outdoor hockey here of all places in the MIDDLE OF WINTER, the game doesn't belong in America! 2cents

[SPUDNUT]

Maybe next year we oughta have it in the Bahamas on roller skates - that way, the only thing all these wusses could b _ _ _ _ about is that their sunscreen didn't work !

[muckandgrind]

You guys don't get it. It has nothing to do with the temps, it's about the ice conditions. This past w-end in Moorhead was just plain 'ol BAD HOCKEY. And as a fan of the sport, I don't like to watch bad hockey played on bad ice. I just don't get awash in the same feelings of nostalgia that it seems some of you get watching outdoor hockey. I'll never understand it, I guess.

It has nothing to do with the "thickness of my skin" or where I was born (Fridley, MN). My bet is that I've played more outdoor hockey than 90% of the fans clamoring for this "celebration". Ask most of us who played outdoor most of our youth to answer honestly, and they'll tell you that they much preferred indoor practices and games to outdoor ones.

[TheHockeyDJ]

There should be a plan B incase of bad weather. If it's in Grand Rapids next year and the outdoor rink is slush, simply move the games into the IRA, or just reschedule the outdoor games to the following week and have cameras setup to cover a couple big AA matchups in the Twin Cities as a back up plan because FSNorth is already gonna be there, like they were in Burnsville this year and other locations in the Metro.

[muckandgrind]

There should be a plan B incase of bad weather. If it's in Grand Rapids next year and the outdoor rink is slush, simply move the games into the IRA, or just reschedule the outdoor games to the following week and have cameras setup to cover a couple big AA matchups in the Twin Cities as a back up plan because FSNorth is already gonna be there, like they were in Burnsville this year and other locations in the Metro.

Or better yet (as MrBo suggested) move the game down to TCF Bank Stadium. Start the day with a HS game, followed by the Gophers around 3 pm and the Wild in the evening.

They would be playing on good ice in a good venue to showcase the game.

[loomisfshn1]

I don't think anybody has mentioned this or if they have done this...but how about playing the games after the sun goes down under some lights??? This might eleviate the whole bad ice problem that everybody is so upset about.

[PuckU126]

I don't think anybody has mentioned this or if they have done this...but how about playing the games after the sun goes down under some lights??? This might eleviate the whole bad ice problem that everybody is so upset about.

I like the light idea and it would work; however...

Adding lights would increase the budget.

Plus FSNorth wouldn't be able to show the Gopher and Wild games. HS games start in the morning to the afternoon then its the Gophers and Wild after; that's how the scheduling has always been.

I doubt the scheduled times for the games would be shuffled. Again, good idea though.

[mn man]

Hermantown was awesome last year, even though the weather did not cooperate. A great experience in a place where people love and live hockey.

If they televised more games throughout the year, maybe people would not get so worked up about the ice conditions. People could just accept these games for what they are: a pretty cool novelty for hockey in Minnesota. They are not important section or conference games, and while it would be great if the ice was perfect for them, it is not critical that the ice be perfect in order for these games to be great experiences for players and fans alike. Player safety should definitely be a top concern with attention paid to the boards and the ice surface, but I hope they keep having them.

[gophs1616]

I don't know about you guys but I don't want to see private schools in games like this. I want to see old time hockey. Teams like Edina and Roseau going at it. It's not the weather, it's the teams that compete in it.

[PuckU126]

I don't know about you guys but I don't want to see private schools in games like this. I want to see old time hockey. Teams like Edina and Roseau going at it. It's not the weather, it's the teams that compete in it.

Are you saying HM isn't old enough?

Check their history... http://www.hmpioneers.net/hockey/history.htm

[stpaul]

I don't know about you guys but I don't want to see private schools in games like this. I want to see old time hockey. Teams like Edina and Roseau going at it. It's not the weather, it's the teams that compete in it.

I don't know about you guys but I don't want to see public schools in games like this. I want to see old time hockey. Teams like Hill and Cretin going at it. It's not the weather, it's the teams that compete in it.

[PuckU126]

I don't know about you guys but I don't want to see private schools in games like this. I want to see old time hockey. Teams like Edina and Roseau going at it. It's not the weather, it's the teams that compete in it.

I don't know about you guys but I don't want to see public schools in games like this. I want to see old time hockey. Teams like Hill and Cretin going at it. It's not the weather, it's the teams that compete in it.

[govies]

wimps...in the day as they say all of our jv game were played outside mostly on the Phelan "a " rink...several theories have been put forth over the quality of Mn hockey youth not as good as it once was..attributed to games being all indoor now...kids just as not as tough..hardly see any rink rats anymore these days..after watching (a real treat) most or all of Hibbings 2008 games I have to agree Mn plyrs as a whole. are not what they used to be

[govies]

lol..edina is and always will be a great hockey area..bny your really off base calling the old timey