What is happening at Duluth Marshall??

[rainier]

Does anyone have any insight as to what is going on at Duluth Marshall??

Two of their top players have left for other Duluth teams, which is strange considering the Toppers would have been loaded this season. I would have picked them over Hermantown to win 7A.

Hermantown moving to 7A certainly impacts Marshall's ability to attract local talent, but Dow went to East and McClure went to Denfeld, so neither of them left to find an "easier" path to the tourney, IMO.

Anyone know what's going on around there?

On a side note, it is interesting that a few kids at Marshall who left their previous teams are now the ones watching their own talented teammates abandon them. Karma?

[kniven]

Does anyone have any insight as to what is going on at Duluth Marshall??

Two of their top players have left for other Duluth teams, which is strange considering the Toppers would have been loaded this season. I would have picked them over Hermantown to win 7A.

Hermantown moving to 7A certainly impacts Marshall's ability to attract local talent, but Dow went to East and McClure went to Denfeld, so neither of them left to find an "easier" path to the tourney, IMO.

Anyone know what's going on around there?

On a side note, it is interesting that a few kids at Marshall who left their previous teams are now the ones watching their own talented teammates abandon them. Karma?

Yea...I just think that playing AA hockey is more appealing overall all. and with Hermantown moving to 7A they figure why not. and if anybodys been to the Duluth marshall school itself.... when I have been there, I don't feel like I'm in a school, but more like some kind of home school building out in the back 40. Denfeld is A hockey yes, but their kids go to an actual high school not a large home school. If the kids can get hockey and an actual high school experience....why not. plus, Duluth Marshall hasn't done anything special in hockey for years? why sacrifice an actual high school experience for singe A hockey where they've accomplished nothing really in the last 20 years. and now Hermantown to deal with, if they couldn't do it with the Hawks in 5A, they certainly won't do it now. I think parents are finally asking their kids what they want instead of dictating to them they must go to marshall. if this is in fact what is happening, kids will choose to play hockey and go to an actual high school 9 out of 10 times.

Just an opinion. Now don't get me wrong, I have total respect for Duluth Marshall Hockey.

[rainier]

I see what you're saying for the long-term, Kniven, but the signs at Marshall point to an acute problem. Two top players (so far) leaving a team that was going to be very, very good in order to go places where the chances of going to state are less (Denfeld), or about the same (East).

I can't imagine playing time would be an issue for either of these talented kids. And as far as possibly not being able to pay tuition goes, if kids as good as these two need financial help to attend the school, the money will be found, guaranteed. The two are a junior and a senior, so it's not as if they are transferring at an early age to find a place to develop better.

Of course there are a million reasons why kids transfer, but given the circumstances, it seems something is amiss up on the hill.

[TheHockeyDJ]

Playing in an AA section final or A State are about the same thing. Why not move to class AA? 18,000 fans > 8,000 fans. I know I'd rather play in a FULL Xcel than a half empty building.

[Froggy Richards]

Playing in an AA section final or A State are about the same thing. Why not move to class AA? 18,000 fans > 8,000 fans. I know I'd rather play in a FULL Xcel than a half empty building.

I talked to a Hermantown player at a baseball game this summer and he told me that he thought Denfeld was going to have a good team. This was before they got the Marshall kid back and before Michaud was on the radar. Any Denfeld fans on here?????? How is the team looking, can they challenge Hermantown????

[pekyman]

Marshall had a slim chance of beating Hermantown this year and slim just walked out the door.
It's as simple as that.
No way would they be the favorites in 7A with or without those players.

[kniven]

Playing in an AA section final or A State are about the same thing. Why not move to class AA? 18,000 fans > 8,000 fans. I know I'd rather play in a FULL Xcel than a half empty building.

I talked to a Hermantown player at a baseball game this summer and he told me that he thought Denfeld was going to have a good team. This was before they got the Marshall kid back and before Michaud was on the radar. Any Denfeld fans on here?????? How is the team looking, can they challenge Hermantown????

The Hunters look good. Michaud and Thompson anchoring the defense and McClure in the zone...Denfeld has got their own version of the big 3.

[kniven]

Playing in an AA section final or A State are about the same thing. Why not move to class AA? 18,000 fans > 8,000 fans. I know I'd rather play in a FULL Xcel than a half empty building.

I talked to a Hermantown player at a baseball game this summer and he told me that he thought Denfeld was going to have a good team. This was before they got the Marshall kid back and before Michaud was on the radar. Any Denfeld fans on here?????? How is the team looking, can they challenge Hermantown????

The Hunters look good. Michaud and Thompson anchoring the defense and McClure in the zone...Denfeld has got their own version of the big 3.

I saw Denfeld in action at Cloquet's 6 team scrimmage last weekend. The Hunters looked good for sure. My Jacks played Duluth Marshall during the week at Mars in a scrimmage as well.

[NLHockey]

Here's my hypothesis:
I think DM had high hopes with this group last year. Players were staying and moving over from Duluth programs, picked up a couple from Silver Bay in D and G....things were looking great.... Probably stirred up agitation within the ranks when success was not delivered. Then the rest is probably history when parental agitation gets rolling.....

[karl(east)]

Here's my hypothesis:
I think DM had high hopes with this group last year. Players were staying and moving over from Duluth programs, picked up a couple from Silver Bay in D and G....things were looking great.... Probably stirred up agitation within the ranks when success was not delivered. Then the rest is probably history when parental agitation gets rolling.....

Yes, these things do tend to snowball like that. I'd also add that, last season, Marshall never seemed terribly organized. It seemed like there was a different line combination every time I watched them, with players mixed and matched and rolled through, apparently with the hope that sheer depth would allow them to bury the opposition. It wasn't an awful idea since they were pretty deep, but not so deep that they could just toss lines out there without establishing roles. In what I saw of Marshall last season, there wasn't much of that.

[puckbreath]

Here's my hypothesis:
I think DM had high hopes with this group last year. Players were staying and moving over from Duluth programs, picked up a couple from Silver Bay in D and G....things were looking great.... Probably stirred up agitation within the ranks when success was not delivered. Then the rest is probably history when parental agitation gets rolling.....

Sounds like they may have found out, grass isn't always (rarely, actually) greener, etc.

[east hockey]

First, I think there are at least a few of us who can speak volumes on the "parent agitation" angle.

Second, and I'm rather surprised this hasn't been touched on, is the financial aspect. In this case, the savings involved with transferring from a private to a public school.

Lee

[puckbreath]

First, I think there are at least a few of us who can speak volumes on the "parent agitation" angle.

Second, and I'm rather surprised this hasn't been touched on, is the financial aspect. In this case, the savings involved with transferring from a private to a public school.

Lee

I don't know; it's not like the cost is a closely guarded secret.

I'd think those involved, wouldn't have a financial problem. Private school cost seems to me, one of those, if ya have to ask, ya can't afford it, type of deals.

In other words, only those where money isn't an object would even consider it in the first place.

Having said that, I only know a little about DM in particular, so maybe I'm wrong.

[Froggy Richards]

First, I think there are at least a few of us who can speak volumes on the "parent agitation" angle.

Second, and I'm rather surprised this hasn't been touched on, is the financial aspect. In this case, the savings involved with transferring from a private to a public school.

Lee

I touched on it a little bit. I'm guessing the Parents were more likely to cough up the $14,000 when a trip to State was almost assured. Now that that isn't the case anymore, it might be a little tougher writing that check. Kind of crazy how everyone claims the Education angle when they go to Private School but now they have players that jump back to Public School when they don't have much chance of going to State. Makes you think those kids were there for pretty much Hockey alone.

That being said, I believe the rules are such that if they want to be eligible this year they have to "prove" a Financial Hardship. I'm guessing it's not hard to do but technically they will have to do that. I imagine it consists of more than just saying, "We can't afford it anymore." I'm thinking some financials will have to be analyzed. Or maybe it's just one of those deals that never comes up unless someone complains. Maybe the AD has the power to call it good initially.

[puckbreath]

First, I think there are at least a few of us who can speak volumes on the "parent agitation" angle.

Second, and I'm rather surprised this hasn't been touched on, is the financial aspect. In this case, the savings involved with transferring from a private to a public school.

Lee

I touched on it a little bit. I'm guessing the Parents were more likely to cough up the $14,000 when a trip to State was almost assured. Now that that isn't the case anymore, it might be a little tougher writing that check. Kind of crazy how everyone claims the Education angle when they go to Private School but now they have players that jump back to Public School when they don't have much chance of going to State. Makes you think those kids were there for pretty much Hockey alone.

That being said, I believe the rules are such that if they want to be eligible this year they have to "prove" a Financial Hardship. I'm guessing it's not hard to do but technically they will have to do that. I imagine it consists of more than just saying, "We can't afford it anymore." I'm thinking some financials will have to be analyzed. Or maybe it's just one of those deals that never comes up unless someone complains. Maybe the AD has the power to call it good initially.

Yep.

[Wet Paint]

Marshall had a slim chance of beating Hermantown this year and slim just walked out the door.
It's as simple as that.
No way would they be the favorites in 7A with or without those players.

I think you are right. This weekend will give us a better look at what they have and do not have. Right now given the usual state of goaltending at Hermantwon, I would have to think that Denfeld should be the bet for this year. Plante made it sound like this year's goalies are weaker than last year's and we all saw what happened there (again) which should open the door for Denfeld. Unless Hermantown finds away to recruit a goalie they are going to be the same old Hermantown, good against the weak teams and lose to the teams that can get behind their D and put shots on goal.

[Nevertoomuchhockey]

First, I think there are at least a few of us who can speak volumes on the "parent agitation" angle.

Second, and I'm rather surprised this hasn't been touched on, is the financial aspect. In this case, the savings involved with transferring from a private to a public school.

Lee

I touched on it a little bit. I'm guessing the Parents were more likely to cough up the $14,000 when a trip to State was almost assured. Now that that isn't the case anymore, it might be a little tougher writing that check. Kind of crazy how everyone claims the Education angle when they go to Private School but now they have players that jump back to Public School when they don't have much chance of going to State. Makes you think those kids were there for pretty much Hockey alone.

That being said, I believe the rules are such that if they want to be eligible this year they have to "prove" a Financial Hardship. I'm guessing it's not hard to do but technically they will have to do that. I imagine it consists of more than just saying, "We can't afford it anymore." I'm thinking some financials will have to be analyzed. Or maybe it's just one of those deals that never comes up unless someone complains. Maybe the AD has the power to call it good initially.

Yep.

I just posted about this on the girls side. "The Achiever Academy Effect." MSHL calling on coaches and ADs to resolve eligibility issues before they blow up in the press. Don't want to restate all here but to use the Duluth player as your example (assuming not entering 9th grade) he and his family either has to physically move, he and a single parent move as result of divorce or pending divorce, or they have to get a waiver to not have to sit out for the season (at jv.) I can't speak to the history of legit moves and waivers state wide, but speaking about my own sons little private school, the two players who tried to get a waiver because their parents claimed inability to pay private school tuition anymore were turned down and turned down on appeal. One left anyway and was jv last year, the other stayed. It will be interesting to see if the AA legacy will influence this kind of thing very much or if it becomes a footnote...