Early section by section look at AA

[O-townClown]

https://youtu.be/NvKz7VvULKE

[kniven]

[quote=O-townClown post_id=723972 time=1541649263 user_id=9577]
https://youtu.be/NvKz7VvULKE
[/quote

Interesting.

[Slap Shot]

So everyone but goon and Tonka parents still aren't aware that Brink is gone.

[O-townClown]

So everyone but goon and Tonka parents still aren't aware that Brink is gone.

It appears he's going to remain in the USHL. If he plans to play HS hockey he'll probably be at Minnetonka High on Monday.

This preview speculates he's likely gone by showing Chaska could have the top F in the game (Pitlick shown while Brink's name disappears) if they meet in Sections. A previous WP video showed Coach Norman Dale's "not who we are not" speech from Hoosiers as the scene from Minnetonka High.

The Sean Goldsworthy podcast made no mention of him. You could take it to mean the coach is tired of the question or that they've already moved on and are focused on the season ahead.

Minnetonka would be a better team with him, but they'll still be in the mix to repeat as state champs.

[Slap Shot]

That was snark. I have no illusions that he's coming back it's just weird that they don't make something that seems so cut and dried public.

[elliott70]

Wild a** guess at AA

1 Minnetonka
2 Duluth East
3 Andover
4 Edina
5 STA
6 Maple Grove
7 Chaska
8 Moorhead
9 Holy Family
10 Brainerd

[WestMetro]

Copying over my yesterday post on a different thread

Ive got my own top 8 ranked, and then a group of the next 8 where IMHO its pretty hard to distinguish among them right now. HF is in my second group.

My top 8 are:

Edina
Deast
Tonka (no Brink)
Andover
STA
CDH
Chaska
EP

My second 8, in alpha order, are:

Blake
Blaine
CEC
HM
HF
LVN
MG
WBL

[O-townClown]

Wild a** guess at AA

4 Edina
10 Brainerd

Edina at 4 seems low. You must be ignoring returning players and Elite League performance.

I hope Brainerd is that strong.

[elliott70]

Wild a** guess at AA

4 Edina
10 Brainerd

Edina at 4 seems low. You must be ignoring returning players and Elite League performance.

I hope Brainerd is that strong.

Benefit of the doubt to the northern teams.

[hockey59]

Copying over my yesterday post on a different thread

Ive got my own top 8 ranked, and then a group of the next 8 where IMHO its pretty hard to distinguish among them right now. HF is in my second group.

My top 8 are:

Edina
Deast
Tonka (no Brink)
Andover
STA
CDH
Chaska
EP

My second 8, in alpha order, are:

Blake
Blaine
CEC
HM
HF
LVN
MG
WBL

These 16 teams all should be good, MG AA Bantams just won State, but without Kelley, Faber & Haider, I simply think they’re too young to be a top 10 team. Assuming BB returns to Blaine, I see them as the slight favorite in 5AA. Cougars are down graduating 4 good senior forwards, especially LM & with Francis playing USHL, they’re clearly no higher than 3rd in 5AA. I still see the defending Champs as #1 at this point, even without the incomparable BB. Motzko is a good addition, So is Streetar, won’t completely make up for BB leaving, nothing can, but they still also return the best D pairing (together) in the State & a veteran goalie who won a State title. On paper Edina has 3 excellent forwards in MN, LM , JJ...but last year they were way more capable of blowing an opponent off the ice IMO. They also need to find a top notch goalie or have one emerge. And the Huskies & Hounds are both REALLY good, folks better arrive at Andover CC early on Sat, Dec 8th to avoid being left outside by the fire marshal

[goldy313]

Chaska underperforms annually, this is their year?

[muckandgrinder65]

Huskies have superior goal tending and solid D
They return a top goal/point scorer in Schoen but graduated their set up man (McManera).
I don’t think they will have the fire-power or size to keep up with Edina, Tonka, East, STA, etc.
Probably should stay at 7 where they finished last year.

[hockey59]

Huskies have superior goal tending and solid D
They return a top goal/point scorer in Schoen but graduated their set up man (McManera).
I don’t think they will have the fire-power or size to keep up with Edina, Tonka, East, STA, etc.
Probably should stay at 7 where they finished last year.

Your forgetting Nick Dainty, who along with Schoen &
McManera made up their 3 highest scoring forwards & Dainty is back too. And they have another line of Juniors (this year) that are really good & a UMD committed D on the blue line among several good returning D. We will all learn a lot more after Dec 8th, but as of now I stand by my assertion that they’re top 4 along with DE, Edina & Tonka...and ahead of CDH, STA, EP & Chaska...

[goldy313]

Rochester Century should get some look, cripes, they beat this so called super power in Chaska last year fairly easily. The sophomore class chose to not show up in the playoffs last year, I think they learned from that and the coaching staff did as well.

[ThatMNHockeyGuy62]

Rochester Century should get some look, cripes, they beat this so called super power in Chaska last year fairly easily. The sophomore class chose to not show up in the playoffs last year, I think they learned from that and the coaching staff did as well.

Are you thinking of another team? Rochester Century and Chaska didn’t play each other last year. The underperforms comment from above seems strange as well given Chaska was a lower end single A team like 3 or 4 years ago. Are you thinking of White Bear Lake, who Century did beat last year (though if I remember correctly it would hardly be considered “fairly easily)?