Chuck Norris Bantam A Rankings

Chuck Norris Fan · Post by **Chuck Norris Fan** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 10:59 am

With the season in full swing and some games watched and all things considered.. here is what I got. (No mathematical formula that counts empty net goals, or backup goalies in meaningless games, Just who is the best on any given night)

Tier One:
1 Wayzata - Deep Talent and Top end Goalie
2 EP -Good Goal-tending and ability to play with anyone
3 Edina - lost loads of talent but credit a top notch organization... they can still get it done

Tier 2:
4 WBL- Rough and tough, stay out of box can be good
5 Prior Lake - Playing solid and will be tested in D6
6 Burnsville - Small quick team - Goaltending might be issue
7 Minnetonka - Awesome size and early success... did HS take a toll on this team?
8 OMG- No big wins, beating teams they should
9 Sibley - a Mirage? Some early success lets see how it plays out

Tier 3:
10 Rosemount - not quite Percy, Sainty, Walters and Brown.. really just untested lets see how it shakes out
11 Woodbury - Two wins over Burnsville Highlight season so far
12 Elk River - slow start and loss of key players have hurt, but still quality team
13 Andover- Lost to Elk River in first real test of the year
14 Duluth East - Goaltending is not great, and team lacks real scoring threat
15 Centennial - Goaltending is bad most nights, but when it plays well they play well
16 Stillwater - Jekyll and Hyde.. beat some big teams, lost to weak teams

Tier 4:
17 Farmington - untested but playing well, with young talent
18 Roseville - Improving but no top end tests to judge them on
19 Eastview - Solid goaltending only weapon in the bag
20 Hopkins - early win over PL is only highlight on easy schedule

So in summary a couple of top end teams and then a lot of parity this year. And the top end teams are not safe. It should be a real interesting year at the Bantam A level.

hockey4ever · Post by **hockey4ever** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 12:29 pm

Based on what I have seen I would include WBL in top tier. Very good team that is well coached.

funmom · Post by **funmom** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 12:38 pm

Don't know how you still have EP in the top three. They aren't playing like a top three team. I think in their own tournament they placed 7th or 8th last week-end

Chuck Norris Fan · Post by **Chuck Norris Fan** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 12:56 pm

funmom wrote:Don't know how you still have EP in the top three. They aren't playing like a top three team. I think in their own tournament they placed 7th or 8th last week-end

As i said unlike years past.. the top end teams are all susceptible to playing poorly and loosing to teams beneath them.

This is not the era of the Kyle Rau lep EP teams or the Lucia, Besse / Miller, Wheeler Wayzata teams, or the Lovick, Pitick / Gorowsky, Flynn, Anderson Centennial teams or the Budish, Everson edina teams that just won night in and night out. They dominated from Sept to March and it took another Juggernaut team to beat them or they didn't loose.

observer · Post by **observer** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 1:58 pm

So which is it? You placed historically big and solid associations near the top based on history which you also say means nothing. I know you have to start somewhere, and I've enjoyed your rankings the past few years, but let everyone fight for the top with equal footing. No free pass near the top for history. Things change. Associations that were on top 5 years ago aren't necessarily on top today. Associations on top today won't necessarily be on top 5 years from now.

20custom · Post by **20custom** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 2:09 pm

observer wrote:So which is it? You placed historically big and solid associations near the top based on history which you also say means nothing. I know you have to start somewhere, and I've enjoyed your rankings the past few years, but let everyone fight for the top with equal footing. No free pass near the top for history. Things change. Associations that were on top 5 years ago aren't necessarily on top today. Associations on top today won't necessarily be on top 5 years from now.

Have to agree with observer on this..WBL has played EP three times(Twice in EP)..won 2 and tied once..and lost only one game in the EP tournament to Wayzata.........but thanks for doing this..i also have enjoyed reading your stuff over the years..

Chuck Norris Fan · Post by **Chuck Norris Fan** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 2:11 pm

observer wrote:So which is it? You placed historically big and solid associations near the top based on history which you also say means nothing. I know you have to start somewhere, and I've enjoyed your rankings the past few years, but let everyone fight for the top with equal footing. No free pass near the top for history. Things change. Associations that were on top 5 years ago aren't necessarily on top today. Associations on top today won't necessarily be on top 5 years from now.

No their rankings are not based on History. But on what they have done to this point this year. ( I think you will find with most people ranking this group of players that these teams would be on top)

Ep won the Duluth tourney earlier this year by beating Wayzata twice in one weekend.

Wayzata has been solid all year and deserves the #1 spot

Edina just showed last weekend how good they still are by winning the EP tourney.

WBL has played with and beaten top teams this year

Non traditional powerhouse teams like, Rosemount, Prior lake and Sibley are all in the top 10 ranked above teams that if judged on tradition alone (east, Elk River, Centennial) would be above them.

Obviously no ranking system is perfect and in all cases they are opinions and debatable... but I think that is why we like them so much.

observer · Post by **observer** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 2:16 pm

Thanks. I appreciate you taking the time.

But, please throw some traditionally strong teams to the bottom, until they work themselves up, just so we can hear their dads cry. The PWA stuff is hilarious. Only one year removed from the nuttiest parents out there, Squirts.

Chuck Norris Fan · Post by **Chuck Norris Fan** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 2:19 pm

20custom wrote:
observer wrote:So which is it? You placed historically big and solid associations near the top based on history which you also say means nothing. I know you have to start somewhere, and I've enjoyed your rankings the past few years, but let everyone fight for the top with equal footing. No free pass near the top for history. Things change. Associations that were on top 5 years ago aren't necessarily on top today. Associations on top today won't necessarily be on top 5 years from now.
Have to agree with observer on this..WBL has played EP three times(Twice in EP)..won 2 and tied once..and lost only one game in the EP tournament to Wayzata.........but thanks for doing this..i also have enjoyed reading your stuff over the years..

Agreed however IMHO EP is the only team really to challenge Wayzata (my number 1 team) constantly. You know how it is some teams just have the others numbers. WBL beats EP but EP beat Wayzata but Wayzata does not struggle with WBL. who knows maybe Edina beats them all (as much as that pains me to say)

20custom · Post by **20custom** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 2:22 pm

point taken.

JoltDelivered · Post by **JoltDelivered** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 2:31 pm

WBL beats EP but EP beat Wayzata but Wayzata does not struggle with WBL.

I agree everybody is beating everybody this year. It's fun to go to the rink to see what is going to happen each night.

One thing that gets overlooked a bit is WBL gave Wayzata everything they could handle in the EP tourney last weekend losing 3-1 (open netter at the end). WBL was knocking on the door several times that game only to run into stellar Trojan goaltending. It will be fun to see how that matchup matures throughout the season. And don't forget WBL did lose a big strong returning defensman this year to Hill Murray but it looks like they filled that hole nicely.

Chuck Norris Fan · Post by **Chuck Norris Fan** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 2:42 pm

JoltDelivered wrote:
WBL beats EP but EP beat Wayzata but Wayzata does not struggle with WBL.
I agree everybody is beating everybody this year. It's fun to go to the rink to see what is going to happen each night.

One thing that gets overlooked a bit is WBL gave Wayzata everything they could handle in the EP tourney last weekend losing 3-1 (open netter at the end). WBL was knocking on the door several times that game only to run into stellar Trojan goaltending. It will be fun to see how that matchup matures throughout the season. And don't forget WBL did lose a big strong returning defensman this year to Hill Murray but it looks like they filled that hole nicely.

For sure, but a loss is a loss (just ask East and Centennial combined 9-23-4 with 4 of those wins vs each other) and WBL did loose to wayzata 7-2 earlier in the year.

Lets not get into who lost who... Everyone of these top teams is down players, (I know EP, WBL, Wayzata, Edina, Centennial, East, and Elk River all lost Key players to past success) it is too bad it would have been nice to see everyone with their full compliment of players. That is the one nice thing about PWs you get everything they got!

TTpuckster · Post by **TTpuckster** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 3:45 pm

They have not played enough games yet, but I suspect that soon, you will need to get EGF into the top 10 - 15 group.

Maybe after the Roseau tournament

observer · Post by **observer** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 4:07 pm

East and Centennial combined 9-23-4 with 4 of those wins vs each other

So, please drop them out of your rankings for now, both weak, and find some fresh blood.

hockey4everrr · Post by **hockey4everrr** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 4:20 pm

edina should be #1 after winning in ep

hockey4ever · Post by **hockey4ever** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 4:25 pm

I think the rankings are pretty accurate and I agree there isn't any one team you could say will clearly dominate. I think in any game, on any given day, any of the top teams could win or lose to each other, at least through the top 10. I saw Edina play LN in the EP tournament and based on that game I figured they'd be a pretty average team. They then beat MG, ER and Wayzata to win the tournament. EP, coming off their tournament win in Duluth, looked pretty good against Eagan and Rogers but then played a terrible game against Stillwater.

To the comment about missing players there are a number of teams that have lost players to high school or injury, so I don't think that is much of an argument for any one team to make.

luvuvgame · Post by **luvuvgame** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 4:26 pm

observer wrote:
East and Centennial combined 9-23-4 with 4 of those wins vs each other
So, please drop them out of your rankings for now, both weak, and find some fresh blood.

I think that despite their records, those two teams are still top 15 teams. I believe they are roughly in the same spots on myhockeyrankings.com which has no bias as to past performance.

old goalie85 · Post by **old goalie85** » Thu Dec 01, 2011 4:32 pm

The time may be coming when they drop Cent., And East out of the Maroon And Gold League. [Replace w/ Rosemount, Farmington] Nice job as always Chuck!!

Chuck Norris Fan · Post by **Chuck Norris Fan** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 8:06 am

old goalie85 wrote:The time may be coming when they drop Cent., And East out of the Maroon And Gold League. [Replace w/ Rosemount, Farmington] Nice job as always Chuck!!

As co-founders of the league I doubt that will happen, but you never know.

East and Centennial's schedule are about as difficult as they come, hence their record. They play the top teams out of the gate and the only easy games they ever get are ones in their districts. Both of these teams have traditionally started slow and picked up steam in the past. I think it would be really hard to put them out of the top 20 and replace them with teams like the Lakevilles, or Moorhead, Rogers, Hermantown etc.... No matter their current record they are better than that.

We will see Rogers and Centennial Play tonight and East plays Hermantown Sunday.

royalhockey999 · Post by **royalhockey999** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:33 am

chuck........updates???????

Thanks!

scorekeeper · Post by **scorekeeper** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:57 am

Latest Rankings ...

1 Wayzata Trojans 19-4-1 16.47
2 Edina Hornets 8-3-3 15.81
3 Osseo Maple Grove 13-7-2 15.40
4 Eden Prairie Eagles 13-6-2 15.00
5 East Grand Forks 4-0-0 14.81
6 White Bear Lake Bears 14-5-3 14.74
7 Burnsville Blaze 13-2-5 14.65
8 Prior Lake Lakers 12-6-4 14.49
9 Sibley Generals 13-8-0 14.41
10 Andover Huskies 12-4-0 14.11

http://myhockeyrankings.com/rank.php?y=2011&a=b&v=166

Chuck Norris Fan · Post by **Chuck Norris Fan** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 2:23 pm

royalhockey999 wrote:chuck........updates???????

Thanks!

Gathering Info, look for rankings tomorrow!

SChockey · Post by **SChockey** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 6:50 pm

Good to see White Bear is a having a strong season so far. Being a former player under Hambly's discretion, I can assure they are a hardworking team. Scott and his coaching staff almost always have their teams ready come playoffs, regardless of talent level/depth. It will be fun to see how they progress throughout the season.

Oh the fun of Bantam hockey....

Nice rankings Chuck.

Chuck Norris Fan · Post by **Chuck Norris Fan** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:37 am

Not a ton of games this week to judge or make changes on however we could give it a try. Look for more stats after this weekends spirit of Duluth tourney

Tier One:
1 Wayzata - Still Number one until someone else shows more dominance and consistency
2 Edina - maybe not as deep as before but has some solid goaltending and can score goals
3 EP - Still top end team despite recent struggles
4 WBL- Beat stillwater and tied up and comer Lakeville North

Tier 2:
5 OMG- beat up on some very average teams, still waiting for that big statement game
6 Burnsville - Still strong Tied Skippers
7 Minnetonka - Above average team
8 Woodbury - on a roll right now playing some very good hockey
9 Sibley - another team looking for a statement game

Tier 3:
10 Prior Lake - drop in play = drop in rankings and beating up Grafton doesn't count
11 Elk River - after beating Andover drops game to Blaine
12 Andover- Needs a big win to get higher on Charts
13 Duluth East - Dropped one to EP but took care of Hermantown as predicted
14 Rosemount - not too excited about play lately. too many tight games with weak teams.. needs some big games or will drop more in rankings
15 Centennial - Started District play with 3 wins, but dropped one to Edina
16 Stillwater - the ride continues. compute this: in one week they tied Rogers, Beat EP and lost to Wayzata, ER, and WBL

Tier 4:
17 Eastview - Showing that low scoring can win games
18 Farmington - Drops game to Eastview
19 Roseville - Just better than everything else
20 Lakeville North or Blaine couldn't decide they both and shown improvement and maybe some more scores will help sort it out

ok give me your best shot and I will do what I can to defend, as always opinions are like ........ and they all stink! even mine!

royalhockey999 · Post by **royalhockey999** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 10:23 am

Great as always chucker!!!!

What is your take on Rogers...