Janne Kivihalme Out at Lakeville South

[east hockey]

Should I change the topic name to "Lakeville South Recruiting"?

Lee

[bardown27]

Hunting, I do not have a kid who plays for South. The parents who called the program out for recruiting are not spineless in my view, they had the guts to do the right thing. MSHSL rules do not allow for recruiting, and sounds like a lot of people at South knew it was happening. Better than looking the other way like most people do in this state. You must be one of the LS move ins who think your son is the next Wayne Gretzky and now you have to start all over with a new coach.

Don’t have a horse in the race but I have moved from one association to another to better my kids (not recruited) and it resulted in two players that played D1 hockey. I know Janne and he did not recruit.

Why were half of his players open enrolled, and arguably no better or worse than the local talent he already had? And why were those players all allegedly paying the coach for extra training, while other players weren’t? Recruiting by at least one parent was allegedly going on for years and Janne should not have allowed it. It is against MSHSL bylaws. Kudos to the parents who finally stood up for what is right.

Of the 9 open enrolled players (who are better than the local talent, FYI) came from:

Farmington (4): who have had *checks notes* 4 head coaches in 6 years; I’d leave too.
Burnsville (1): where Janne came from.
Lakeville North (2): one who was at Gentry, one who came over from North the same time his older brother did.
Northfield (1): came as a freshman like MSHSL bylaws allow.
St. Louis (1): family moved, which MSHSL bylaws allow.

[WestMetro]

Nice summary Bardown .

[minnscout]

There is a west metro public school that makes Lakeville South look like peanuts. Hint, starts with M and ends with Tonka. They have been recruiting harder then most D1 schools for 10+ years. Recruit to have the player come into program as 8th or 9th grader, sometimes younger, thus flies under the hs radar. It is what it is. Wrong? I don't know, I guess people have different opinions.

[goldy313]

Meh, it was eventually going to catch up with South as it did with North. I do not blame the coach at all, parents do the recruiting.....AD’s follow the MSHSL vague rules , coaches are in a no win situation most of the time.

Employing a coach who benefits financially from off season programs leads to much of this, I do not know the right answer to resolve this.

[Hockeyxyz]

There is a west metro public school that makes Lakeville South look like peanuts. Hint, starts with M and ends with Tonka. They have been recruiting harder then most D1 schools for 10+ years. Recruit to have the player come into program as 8th or 9th grader, sometimes younger, thus flies under the hs radar. It is what it is. Wrong? I don't know, I guess people have different opinions.

I heard there was at least one parent doing the same at South starting in association hockey. Most parents are tired of all the b.s.

[minnscout]

There is a west metro public school that makes Lakeville South look like peanuts. Hint, starts with M and ends with Tonka. They have been recruiting harder then most D1 schools for 10+ years. Recruit to have the player come into program as 8th or 9th grader, sometimes younger, thus flies under the hs radar. It is what it is. Wrong? I don't know, I guess people have different opinions.

I heard there was at least one parent doing the same at South starting in association hockey. Most parents are tired of all the b.s.

Parents are one thing, coaches are another.

[jg2112]

Meh, it was eventually going to catch up with South as it did with North. I do not blame the coach at all, parents do the recruiting.....AD’s follow the MSHSL vague rules , coaches are in a no win situation most of the time.

Employing a coach who benefits financially from off season programs leads to much of this, I do not know the right answer to resolve this.

Doesn't every coach running a HS STP benefit financially from an off season program? How do we get away from that?

[InThePipes]

Meh, it was eventually going to catch up with South as it did with North. I do not blame the coach at all, parents do the recruiting.....AD’s follow the MSHSL vague rules , coaches are in a no win situation most of the time.

Employing a coach who benefits financially from off season programs leads to much of this, I do not know the right answer to resolve this.

Doesn't every coach running a HS STP benefit financially from an off season program? How do we get away from that?

Yes, I think so. In my opinion, they need to be compensated for their time as they likely don't get paid for their work during the season at an acceptable rate. If they are running a STP program during the MSHSL summer training window, I have no problem if they make some cash, especially if they are charging a reasonable fee for what is being provided.

[farmtown55]

Twitter is full of idiots. There was absolutely no recruiting by Coach Janne or his staff and any accusation to the fact is a lie. This is 100% because of disgruntled parents who were able to bully a coward AD into forcing an outstanding honorable man to give up a position with a program and kids he loved!

Come on be honest with yourself.

I am 100% honest and positive Janne did not recruit. Do you have proof he did? If you do it’s a made up lie. I know the families from Farmington and not one of them ever talked to the coaching staff prior to deciding to open enroll at South. Many of those kids played AAA with South kids for years and decided to make the move on their own.

[farmtown55]

There is a west metro public school that makes Lakeville South look like peanuts. Hint, starts with M and ends with Tonka. They have been recruiting harder then most D1 schools for 10+ years. Recruit to have the player come into program as 8th or 9th grader, sometimes younger, thus flies under the hs radar. It is what it is. Wrong? I don't know, I guess people have different opinions.

So because you “heard” it it’s true? Come on. You’re no better than a 3rd grader spreading rumors. What do you know for fact? Zero is my guess.
I heard there was at least one parent doing the same at South starting in association hockey. Most parents are tired of all the b.s.

[farmtown55]

Yes Twitter does have idiots but you must be one also farmtown55.
Everyone I know in Lakeville/AV/Rosemount/Eastview/Burnsville/Eagan knows of recruiting in the whole area and one big story about two Burnsville kids that played for Lakeville South.

You must not know many people because I can promise you none of the Farmington kids were recruited. I know this for fact, I’m not just guessing or repeating rumors like you are!

[minnscout]

There is a west metro public school that makes Lakeville South look like peanuts. Hint, starts with M and ends with Tonka. They have been recruiting harder then most D1 schools for 10+ years. Recruit to have the player come into program as 8th or 9th grader, sometimes younger, thus flies under the hs radar. It is what it is. Wrong? I don't know, I guess people have different opinions.

So because you “heard” it it’s true? Come on. You’re no better than a 3rd grader spreading rumors. What do you know for fact? Zero is my guess.
I heard there was at least one parent doing the same at South starting in association hockey. Most parents are tired of all the b.s.

Never said I "heard" , I know for 100% fact!

[farmtown55]

Minnscout- I was responding to Hockeyxyz comment not yours. I apologize for the confusion on that.

[Slap Shot]

There is a west metro public school that makes Lakeville South look like peanuts. Hint, starts with M and ends with Tonka. They have been recruiting harder then most D1 schools for 10+ years. Recruit to have the player come into program as 8th or 9th grader, sometimes younger, thus flies under the hs radar. It is what it is. Wrong? I don't know, I guess people have different opinions.

[WestMetro]

I don’t know enough of the facts to agree or disagree with my good friend MinnScout comments

but I just find it a little ironic considering the choice this season of a certain top ninth grader to move from M ending in Onka association to a very familiar private school varsity , where he averaged a PPG and btw did very well this weekend at PIC also

In any event , it’s about time as we get towards the end of the school year to start a new thread regarding 2021-22 Season Transfers . Rumors already flying

[InThePipes]

There is a west metro public school that makes Lakeville South look like peanuts. Hint, starts with M and ends with Tonka. They have been recruiting harder then most D1 schools for 10+ years. Recruit to have the player come into program as 8th or 9th grader, sometimes younger, thus flies under the hs radar. It is what it is. Wrong? I don't know, I guess people have different opinions.

I hear you, but for whatever reason this bothers me a little bit less than having the "move-in" arrive for their senior year which I think is a particularly bad look. If you want to move around and look for a better opportunity with more visibility as a player, go for it, there are dozens or hundreds of junior teams available around the country where you can do exactly that.

Just my perspective and I understand that life isn't fair anywhere, MN HS hockey is no different in that regard.

[MNHockeyFan]

I hear you, but for whatever reason this bothers me a little bit less than having the "move-in" arrive for their senior year which I think is a particularly bad look. If you want to move around and look for a better opportunity with more visibility as a player, go for it, there are dozens or hundreds of junior teams available around the country where you can do exactly that.

Just my perspective and I understand that life isn't fair anywhere, MN HS hockey is no different in that regard.

Getting almost to the point where MN HS hockey should have a formal Portal like we have in D1.

[karl(east)]

Split this thread off the coaching openings thread since it took on a life of its own.

[Schotzy]

Split this thread off the coaching openings thread since it took on a life of its own.

It was the right move. Hero commendation kinda stuff there.

[WestMetro]

https://twitter.com/lshsboyshockey/stat ... 65792?s=21

[keepyourheadup]

One bone to pick here. Both Lakeville schools have NOT been dirty for ten years. Fact is Lakeville South was decimated by St. Thomas ten years ago and nobody transferred in to play for coach Weber. You could make a real good argument south would have contended for the state title in 2010-2011, would have had 8 D1 guys. The class of 2011 at STA was dominated by south kids. at north the recruiting started when coach Schmitz was run out in 2012 and this forum is already aware of who people claim was behind it.

[lakershockeycoach]

I agree keepyourheadup. South has never been dirty until 2 years ago when 9 kids open enrolled-2 making Varsity as freshman that year the rest on Bantam AA and 7 last year as sophmores. More than half the Varsity roster never growing up playing in Lakeville. I'm sure when Janne was hired by South 3 years he wasn't told by the AD "Don't take many Lakeville kids, we want every kid from around the area to open enroll here because we don't care about the Lakeville Youth Players dreams to play on their high school team, the parents commitment to the program for years and the importance of community based hockey and BTW you can give private lessons to players year round to make some extra cash". Come on people what did you think the school and the South parents were going to do, sit by idly and allow this to happen. Posts on here saying it was a few parents raising the red flags, I heard it was many from the Lakeville community (North and South) as well as neighboring communities complaining. Clearly the "South Hockey Underground" got too comfortable with their antics and went way too far and somehow got the coach to buy in. A coach with that much experience should have seen the handwriting on the wall and should have put a stop to it. Let the kids play, stop thinking HS hockey will be your kids road to D1. If they ARE that good they will be found no matter what school or program they are at.

[arcticpurple]

Maybe you should put as much effort into closing open enrollment in the Lakeville School District. As long as it remains an legal and viable option, your “community hockey” program is and will always be a very large community. Don’t like it, elect new school board members and close open enrollment or play Junior Gold.

[goldy313]

Lakeville is dirty because of parents and the school board. They ran out two coaches for no reason other than they disliked them. Multiple AD’s resigned over those actions, much of which is public record.

As for South.....back when Kloos was there they did pick up a kid or two. Not recruiting related, just kids looking for greener pastures. Lakeville lost a ton of kids to St. Thomas, no question.....parent driven do to a bias against the public school coaches.

It still amazes me STA decided on a coach who recruited unabashedly.