Moving to Minnesota - Part 2

defense · Post by **defense** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 6:35 pm

The disgruntled posts do have merrit. No doubt that this could go bad, but I think there is just as good a chance at it being a wonderful experience. He has taken the right steps in asking which of your TC area teams be the airport need goalies, this tells me he probably gets the typical political BS in youth hockey.
I am not from the metro area at all, so I cannot help but there must be some good hearted soul on here that will point him in the right direction, it sounds like he just wants the kid to have a decent rest of his hockey career....
The guy that's moving: you might contact an association directly, you should get an idea pretty quick with some good questions....

defhockeymom · Post by **defhockeymom** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 7:16 pm

Only being in this sport a short time, it seems that politics are the worst in hockey...in any state. thanks for all your advice and any that will continue because i know it will be needed.

O-townClown · Post by **O-townClown** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 9:43 pm

Mom, you are moving to Buffalo or Hibbing. Either will be happy to have you. A lot different than showing up in a large association with an expectation to make the "A" team as a first-year player.

You'll love Minnesota.

defhockeymom · Post by **defhockeymom** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 3:45 pm

thanks for the welcome. my husband was born and raised in bloomington. He graduated in 86. Went to school with some top hockey players back in the day and played pond hockey with them. We love MN and can not wait to come home. We just never expected our youngest, 8, to have the hockey blood in him like he does(he is on the ice every day and some times twice); as his older brothers 12 and 10 do not have that skate blood (we made the 10 yr old learn how to but he rather be naked, in the sun and on the beach but would be good at speed skating). Must have to do with the Sabres and living in the area of buffalo. does that make sense?

So "A" is top in MN? "A" is tier 3 in wny, AA is tier 2 and AAA is tier 1 (the best of the best --not always the case....hehe...shhhh i didnt say that as there are way to many AAA teams. It is all about family and friends & how you get on the team--sad but i know its true everywhere). That is why he knows that he has too work even harder to be noticed where ever we go....

thanks hibbing, grand rapids, buffalo is the general area.....

O-townClown · Post by **O-townClown** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 9:32 pm

I graduated a town over in 1986, so your husband and I are the same age. Yes, A is the highest. And teams are formed by two-year windows and not the single "birth year" convention you see in Boston and Detroit. Plus, I'm sure you are aware, that Minnesota uses a July 1st cut rather than January, so kids are 6 months older.

AAA from a "Major" birth year is approximately A hockey in Minnesota at a very large association.

AAA from a "Minor" and AA from a "Major" is probably equivalent to B1 at a large association or A in an average sized association.

A hockey in the rest of the country is like B2 or C hockey in Minnesota. (Of course, each "A" team in many areas has one or two players that are clearly above the level they play. Take them out.)

There are kids in Minnesota that never make an "A" team that would be "AAA" players where I live in Florida. I watched Pee Wee B2 from a mega-association (Minnesota has about 6 of those) and the top players were excellent hockey players.

defhockeymom · Post by **defhockeymom** » Sat May 05, 2012 2:20 pm

looks like 90% that it will be hibbing, MN. hope it is competitive like he has in WNY.....HA!

O-townClown · Post by **O-townClown** » Sat May 05, 2012 8:54 pm

Congratulations on the move. Best of luck in Minnesota.

One thing to consider is that your family could live in another town like Virginia, Coleraine, or even Grand Rapids and still make an easy commute to Hibbing for work. Just like if you were in New York, the goal is to have your son play on a team with kids of similar age and ability.

What you'll like is that everybody is very knowledgeable about hockey. If a kid has talent it will definitely be fostered playing youth on the Iron Range. If they are a standout he will definitely be noticed at more important ages.

Outoftowner · Post by **Outoftowner** » Sun May 06, 2012 10:05 am

The Enlightened One wrote:I think you need to go easy on this move. I do not have a dog in the fight so don't really care one way or the other but I also do not want to see you walk into a buzz saw either.

First off make sure that you understand what association hockey is all about. When you make the move and buy a house you are locking your kid into an association for better or worse. I assume that you are moving into the state from some place out east where they (you) have club hockey teams. With those teams you have some mobility. You can pick and choose who you want to tryout for and who you want to skate for. Here in MN we have association hockey which means that when you buy a house in town you will fall into an association and they own your kid for hockey. You can buy a house on the north side of Cross Street and be in an association and have another association on the south side of Cross Street and you can't skate for them. No matter how much better your situation might be from the stand point of playing for a team, travel times, coaching, or etc you are locked into Team 1, no matter what. You have to understand that you will have NO mobility or choice in the matter.

Now, for the second part. Since these kids are all in the same association from day one they are groomed for different teams. If your kid is deemed to be good and placed onto an A team in squirts he will stay there throughout Bantams. The only exceptions are those bubble kids who go back and forth from first to second year. Your new Bantam team has been grooming a kid for that goalie spot since he was a squirt. His parents have been "doing stuff" to ensure that he has that spot. If you go to a team with two goalies your kid is going to be the #3 goalie automatically, no matter how much better he is than the other two. He will NOT beat them out. Yes, they will tell you they have tryouts and that they are open and fair and that they want to pick the best kids for the teams. They do, as long as those kids are the "right" kids. Your kid is not the right kid, he is the new kid. The local goalie parents will make sure of it. Your only option to make a Bantam A team with a second year move in goalie is to find a team with only one Bantam A goalie and hope that they are not planning on moving a PeeWee up to get him ready.

People who have kids who play hockey in MN look at people like Blaggoovich (that IL governor) who got caught trying to sell Obama's senate seat and laugh. They recognize rank amateurs when they see them and laugh at them. Blaggo would be dead meat in MN if he had a kid playing hockey.

Your best bet if you seriously are thinking about moving a second year goalie into MN to play hockey and you want him to make a team higher than a B2 team is to think again. Stay where you are and play club hockey, you are way too late to even think about getting into the association hockey world in MN.

As somebody else said earlier in this thread, I don't envy your situation. If you make this move you are in for a lot of heart ache and are going to wind up hating hockey.

You have depicted MN hockey's socialist/union style/ lack of freedom and all about control philosophy in a very clear and accurate way. Bravo!

DMom · Post by **DMom** » Wed May 09, 2012 6:37 am

old goalie85 wrote:Like I said. F.L. Conf. champs 2 yrs ago. Sect. semi this year. hurting for G's this level. Nice lake, Great schools, off the busline!! Look up our last five goalies. One was up for the hobey, another is @ Airforce, The naxt is # UMD. We would love to have you !!!!!

I keep looking for the 'like' button here

I second the motion!!

defhockeymom · Post by **defhockeymom** » Wed May 09, 2012 7:43 am

Thanks for all the information. It is nice that we have town options as the housing situation up there is extremely limited with new mining companies & with the building of a steel mill (rumor-i think). we can't be more than 20-25 minutes away because of his work(he is a doc-hospital call). So grand rapids & virginia is out of the picture but looking into other surrounding areas & even that is limited. We have met a lot of people in the short trips we separably made there & even a hockey scout & principle of the elementary school== is willing to watch him skate this summer for his options and placement ;0) YEAH o.k. or maybe laugh us out of the rink (i don't think so though)~~ So as my husband and my oldest who will be in H>S> (7th) will be going ahead of us, the year of 2013, the other 2 and i will move up & be so much easier on everyone on finding housing etc etc this up and coming year...did that make sense, can you see i am excited to go back.....

I third the motion on forest lake!!!!! we lived in harris, north of north branch & about 45 min from forest lake....loved loved that area to but at the time we could not afford to live in the area.

MrBoDangles · Post by **MrBoDangles** » Wed May 09, 2012 4:41 pm

defhockeymom wrote:Thanks for all the information. It is nice that we have town options as the housing situation up there is extremely limited with new mining companies & with the building of a steel mill (rumor-i think). we can't be more than 20-25 minutes away because of his work(he is a doc-hospital call). So grand rapids & virginia is out of the picture but looking into other surrounding areas & even that is limited. We have met a lot of people in the short trips we separably made there & even a hockey scout & principle of the elementary school== is willing to watch him skate this summer for his options and placement ;0) YEAH o.k. or maybe laugh us out of the rink (i don't think so though)~~ So as my husband and my oldest who will be in H>S> (7th) will be going ahead of us, the year of 2013, the other 2 and i will move up & be so much easier on everyone on finding housing etc etc this up and coming year...did that make sense, can you see i am excited to go back.....

I third the motion on forest lake!!!!! we lived in harris, north of north branch & about 45 min from forest lake....loved loved that area to but at the time we could not afford to live in the area.

I remember reading North Branch newspaper articles (USA Squirt age teams?) about your son when he was very young. I'm sure he'll be fine..

defhockeymom · Post by **defhockeymom** » Thu May 10, 2012 12:42 pm

mr. bo--my son is 8 right now and will be squirts this year. so i am hoping your 'foreseeing' calvin's future.....thanks a ton.

ripping1 · Post by **ripping1** » Thu May 10, 2012 4:00 pm

Hopkins lots of playing time and good chance for starter at HS
St Louis park and mound also good options

wishiwasfishingguy · Post by **wishiwasfishingguy** » Thu May 10, 2012 5:52 pm

puckstopper,

heck, why not just move to Warroad and live at the Warroad Estates? Marina right there for Lake of the Woods fishing, golf course and airport across the highway...if he's good I'd bet Marvin's would fly you for free to Minneapolis to catch your connection...free ice time, and your son would fit in just like the rest of the team that moved to Warroad in the last couple years.