AAUHockey news release-Mite & Squirt National Championsh

[stonehands]

AAU National Hockey Chair, Keith Noll and Trevor Hartwig, AAU National Staff hosted the inaugural AAU Ice Hockey meetings for mites(7u-8u) and squirts(9u-10u) at the RiverCentre in St. Paul, MN on March 7-8. The AAU meetings coincided with the, Let’s Play Hockey Expo and the Minnesota Boy’s State High School Ice Hockey Tournament.

The Let’s Play Hockey Expo had 150+ exhibitors and was attended by over 40,000 hockey players and fans during the two days of the Expo. The State Hockey Tournament had nearly 120,000 fans, with the games played at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, which is home to the Minnesota Wild. The tournament and Expo venues are directly connected to each other.

At the AAU meetings, there were representatives from 18 states to discuss opportunities for the AAU Mite and Squirt programs on a National basis. The committee agreed to a National format for these programs.

Also, as a result of the meeting, the AAU Ice Hockey Program is happy to announce that the Inaugural, “AAU National Ice Hockey Championships” for Mites and Squirts will be conducted March 6 – 9, 2014 in Edina, Minnesota with the host facility being the Minnesota Made Ice Center. The AAU Hockey Committee will be expecting in excess of 1,500 youth hockey players at the AAU championships. There will be open times during the championships that the teams will have an opportunity to attend the Let’s Play Hockey Expo and the High School Tournament. The World’s largest consumer hockey Expo and the State Tournament will be provide extra excitement for the athletes, coaches, and parents.

Further information on the youth ice hockey program will be released soon.

www.aausports.org

Hockey National Chair – Keith Noll: 715-231-4000, slapshot@wwt.net

[sourgrapes]

AAU National Ice Hockey Championships” for Mites and Squirts

Well that's interesting.....will Minnesota mites and squirts be allowed to participate by MN hockey?

[edgeless2]

AAU National Ice Hockey Championships” for Mites and Squirts

Well that's interesting.....will Minnesota mites and squirts be allowed to participate by MN hockey?

Welcome to the national version of the choice league. While I enjoy the current setup, I believe this is long overdue. If you are not happy with USA hockey, you have another choice. AAU will most likely feature the game as some of us old timers played at mites and squirts(ie body contact taught and encouraged). At the very least it is an option for those not on board with the dictatorship of the modern game by USA hockey and it's affiliates.

[O-townClown]

AAU National Ice Hockey Championships” for Mites and Squirts

Well that's interesting.....will Minnesota mites and squirts be allowed to participate by MN hockey?

Minnesota Hockey has no say in what kids do when they aren't on the ice with their USA Hockey registered teams. That was 'proven' in the D6 - Minnesota Made court case.

Have at it.

[no5hole]

Great, Now it's going to be even harder to get x tickets and parking. When is light rail done?

[JSR]

If this thing actually gets off the ground, and I think it will, I would anticipate a Pee Wee level introduced next year that allows full checking and has a national championship...... it appears to me that the actions of USA Hockey over the last 24 months have proved to be the tipping point of them either over stepping their bounds or not listening to their consitituents. If USA Hockey wants to "squash" this movement, IMHO they'd be well advised to #1) allow more flexibility for full ice mites on a national basis while conintuing to ENCOURAGE the ADM model, #2) make the pee wee age level a full check game again, and #3) allow for a national championship at the pee wee level again. I know not everyone supports these ideas but clearly enough people do that this is happening. Michigan also provides quality evidence of the masses being willing to leave when they reach the point having had enough of being dictated to.... should be interesting for sure.

[MNM JMH]

If this thing actually gets off the ground, and I think it will, I would anticipate a Pee Wee level introduced next year that allows full checking and has a national championship...... it appears to me that the actions of USA Hockey over the last 24 months have proved to be the tipping point of them either over stepping their bounds or not listening to their consitituents. If USA Hockey wants to "squash" this movement, IMHO they'd be well advised to #1) allow more flexibility for full ice mites on a national basis while conintuing to ENCOURAGE the ADM model, #2) make the pee wee age level a full check game again, and #3) allow for a national championship at the pee wee level again. I know not everyone supports these ideas but clearly enough people do that this is happening. Michigan also provides quality evidence of the masses being willing to leave when they reach the point having had enough of being dictated to.... should be interesting for sure.

My guess ,,,,,,, this will get off the ground if MNMade is behind it. It is all about money, if parents are willing to pay, places like MNMade are willing to get in and grab whatever they can. Not trying to bash , I too think AAU will bring more to our state in regards to more physical hockey and more competitive hockey. Only good will come of this. Sure there are and always will be homers that want parents to stand behind association hockey and that is to bad unless you live in te big 3.... :+)

[redhawk21]

I am not seeing the connection between hosting a Mite/Squirt National Tournament to starting an AAU Pee Wee league with full contact. Also, would it be a good idea for families of higher end players to participate in a Pee Wee AAU league separate from USA hockey? Would these players not be later black balled for selections to USA hockey select teams? Considering the announcement of the Reebok High Performance 14/15's for second year pee wee aged players.

[MrBoDangles]

I am not seeing the connection between hosting a Mite/Squirt National Tournament to starting an AAU Pee Wee league with full contact. Also, would it be a good idea for families of higher end players to participate in a Pee Wee AAU league separate from USA hockey? Would these players not be later black balled for selections to USA hockey select teams? Considering the announcement of the Reebok High Performance 14/15's for second year pee wee aged players.

Maybe the the 13/14's were the counter-attack?

Smart!

[JSR]

I am not seeing the connection between hosting a Mite/Squirt National Tournament to starting an AAU Pee Wee league with full contact. Also, would it be a good idea for families of higher end players to participate in a Pee Wee AAU league separate from USA hockey? Would these players not be later black balled for selections to USA hockey select teams? Considering the announcement of the Reebok High Performance 14/15's for second year pee wee aged players.

So you do not see the connection between AAU already having full ice winter leagues at the Mite level currently, to announcing squirt and mite national championship tournaments, to taking the next step of forming leagues at older age levels and using alternative "rules" as a reason/draw to gain traction and players...... ok?????

[MrBoDangles]

Bad vision, fat thumbs.

[warmskin]

Will this be the beginning of winter club hockey in MN?

[JSR]

Will this be the beginning of winter club hockey in MN?

I think the Made's Choice League was the beginning, I think this is the next step....