Delbarton Academy, NJ at St. Thomas Academy 1-15-11 7:30

[longislandhockey24]

@keepyurhead up sorry i made two much a of a generalized comment towards you gys. I along with many eastern fans have the utmost respect for hockey in minny and there is no doubt that it is the state of hockey...i just felt that the respect was not mutual for the east from this board and made a few harsh remarks

[keepyourheadup]

No problem longisland, I am familiar with the attitude you referenced. I think you'll find that most Minnesotans who really follow the game feel much the same way I do. The East coast will continue to produce outstanding players with a system that is likely better suited to pushing high end talent to its full potential.

[karl(east)]

Shifting this topic over to the "newer topics" forum, as we appear to still be discussing it.

[old goalie85]

Would be cool to see more contests between the east and Mn highs.

[O-townClown]

Long, as good as Prep School hockey is...

Very few drafted players this year. Is it a down year? Or is Junior hockey truly the path so the top players leave the boarding schools by age 17?

These boarding schools would not steamroll the Top 5 Minnesota HS teams. At least not if they had to drop their PGs and reclassified seniors. I'm amazed kids repeat a grade as much as they do.

[old goalie85]

I've heard of it in football as well.

[MNHockeyFan]

I'm amazed kids repeat a grade as much as they do.

Some of these kids (or their parents) will do just about anything to get into a prestigious college, which in general is a bigger deal out East than it is here. If it takes another year of prep school to get the grades and/or test scores up, spending another $40,000-$50,000 for one more year is no big deal to many of them.

[O-townClown]

Some of these kids (or their parents) will do just about anything to get into a prestigious college, which in general is a bigger deal out East than it is here. If it takes another year of prep school to get the grades and/or test scores up, spending another $40,000-$50,000 for one more year is no big deal to many of them.

MN, I get it for the PG year. What puzzles me is the kids that are recruited out of Florida to play hockey and are told they need to repeat 9th, 10th, or 11th. One in particular had not academic reason to do so...he excelled in a very rigorous program here.

[flatontheice]

Some of these kids (or their parents) will do just about anything to get into a prestigious college, which in general is a bigger deal out East than it is here. If it takes another year of prep school to get the grades and/or test scores up, spending another $40,000-$50,000 for one more year is no big deal to many of them.

MN, I get it for the PG year. What puzzles me is the kids that are recruited out of Florida to play hockey and are told they need to repeat 9th, 10th, or 11th. One in particular had not academic reason to do so...he excelled in a very rigorous program here.

Come on thats not unique to the east coast. Mario Lucia and Mike Reilly and multiple others are no different...just held back at a younger age.

[BodyShots]

Some of these kids (or their parents) will do just about anything to get into a prestigious college, which in general is a bigger deal out East than it is here. If it takes another year of prep school to get the grades and/or test scores up, spending another $40,000-$50,000 for one more year is no big deal to many of them.

MN, I get it for the PG year. What puzzles me is the kids that are recruited out of Florida to play hockey and are told they need to repeat 9th, 10th, or 11th. One in particular had not academic reason to do so...he excelled in a very rigorous program here.

Come on thats not unique to the east coast. Mario Lucia and Mike Reilly and multiple others are no different...just held back at a younger age.

Agreed. We had one on last years team and a few more this year. I like to refer to them as "5th year seniors".

[O-townClown]

Come on thats not unique to the east coast. Mario Lucia and Mike Reilly and multiple others are no different...just held back at a younger age.

I don't know their particulars. Did Lucia and Reilly repeat grades in HS?

A kid in Florida has four years from the time they first complete 8th grade to use their 4 years of Varsity eligibility. Meaning they cannot get an extra year of HS eligibility by repeating 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade. Yet when they bug up to Proctor, Tilton, Northfield-Mount Hermon, or whatever else they are able to extend their HS/Prep careers.

I didn't realize it was that way in Minnesota. I knew you had a lot of boys born July-Aug that start Kindergarten late, but that's a whole lot different.

[old goalie85]

I highly doubt Mario repeated a grade. MAYBE started late.

[keepmeoutofit]

repeat a grade or start late end result is the same.

[O-townClown]

repeat a grade or start late end result is the same.

End result is the same, but they are entirely different scenarios. As such, the rules that govern them for HS sports in my state treat them differently. I assumed in Minnesota you can repeat a grade in HS, but cannot extend your eligibility.

Transfer to a New England Prep School? No problem!

[flatontheice]

I highly doubt Mario repeated a grade. MAYBE started late.

I hear ya but to think that Mario and Mike Reilly started later for any other reason is naive.