State "A" Tournaments

[wannagototherink]

O-town,

So were people turned away at the gates for that state 'ship game? Think about it. Is that not the perfect playing environment.....a full house? The one thing about Lebran Jimmy. Everyone in the country had heard of this kid because of his Hummer he received (automobile). Name one bantam or peewee with that following? ESPN doesn't even put college hockey on any of its stations (ESPNU for regions?). What makes anyone think that Minnesota youth hockey will find its way to ESPN?

Good point Fred....the other thing that Basketball has to offer a 18 year old phenom is, the next year you can watch him play in either the NBA or at a major college thats conference has a major TV contract. There are not going to be anyone playing in this tournament that would see major market TV for at least six years after playing in this game. So much like Fred was asking...What is the draw for a TV station.

Be interesting to see what kind of response the bantam state tournament had being broadcast on the internet? I would also be curious to find out how much of the Excel Center would be open for seating. If you open up the whole venue than you must staff the whole venue. That means added cost for security and others to make sure there is no shannagans go on in the upper levels. With those added costs I'd find it hard to believe that it would just be donated. I would be willing to bet that they are only making certain sections available in the arena for these games, to "control" the crowd. So does that mean that 3 or 4 sections are open? Great atmosphere that creates.

[whockeyguy]

this whole tv issue is just nonsense,,, i didnt see ESPN set thier cameras up to cover the latest star in the NHL {Crosby when he was at Shattuck}, so why would anybody even think that they would draw anybody for a bunch of Jr High kids and lower age than that...... Not to take anything from the girls but how many other thean parents will bethere to watch the 12U game ,KEEP the pressure on dont let it fade and put the month on June on the calendar to make the drive to the Mn Hockey Meeting, i believe they are in St Cloud, the more people showing up at their doorstep the more they will listen,,


I sure Elliot can give us the date and time for this , hope so

[greybeard58]

According to the Mn Hockey hand book the dates are June 27-June 29. The times of the committee meetings and the agenda for the Sunday meeting which has started at 8am should be on the Mn Hockey web site shortly.

Keep the e-mails and letters going to the Mn Hockey board do not let this issue quiet down.

[elliott70]

Motions to 1- deny the one-site becuase the adoption at the April meeting was out of order per MH & Roberts Rules.
2- a motion to re-visit the motin is in place in case 1 above fails.
3- motion to retain the cyle of state tournaments as was in place if 1 does not work and 2 gets passed.

These have been given to the secretary to be on the agenda in June.
If a lot of people are there on Sunday morning that would be great.

[wannagototherink]

Motions to 1- deny the one-site becuase the adoption at the April meeting was out of order per MH & Roberts Rules.
2- a motion to re-visit the motin is in place in case 1 above fails.
3- motion to retain the cyle of state tournaments as was in place if 1 does not work and 2 gets passed.

These have been given to the secretary to be on the agenda in June.
If a lot of people are there on Sunday morning that would be great.

was the motion approved out of order? If so, what is the problem then, lets get things taken care of.

[elliott70]

Motions to 1- deny the one-site becuase the adoption at the April meeting was out of order per MH & Roberts Rules.
2- a motion to re-visit the motin is in place in case 1 above fails.
3- motion to retain the cyle of state tournaments as was in place if 1 does not work and 2 gets passed.

These have been given to the secretary to be on the agenda in June.
If a lot of people are there on Sunday morning that would be great.

was the motion approved out of order? If so, what is the problem then, lets get things taken care of.

Yes, we believe it was out of order.
Some are arguing that although out of order, it needed to be addressed at the time. MN Hockey Board has always taken things done out of order and brought them back to the floor.
We will see what happens in this case.

[greybeard58]

Lets keep sending the e-mails folks!!

[elliott70]

If you oppose the idea of one-site; now would be a good time to start writing letters to the editor of your local, regional and state newspapers.



If you support the idea, then go...
sorry, forgot this is a family network.

[GR3343]

Not sure if this was mentioned in the previous 4 pages, but if Minnesota Hockey is so dead set on a single site, why couldn't you rotate to a single northern site and the x? Say the DECC & Heritage Center. There'd be no lodging or meal complaints, it's a "big" enough city to host a prestigious event. Just a thought.

[watchdog]

i think trf could hold this event right now and probley have more at the gate than the x.

[GR3343]

i think trf could hold this event right now and probley have more at the gate than the x.

Another good site, but what about lodging? Do they have what it takes to host a prestigious event?

[Slapshotdude]

I had 3 kids play hockey and each went to state 2 times. To be honest, the "up north" hosts were the kindest and put on the best state tournaments. The drawback was the extra expense which at times was hard to deal with. The really crappy thing about playing state "Outstate" was when 2 of the kids played on the same weekend in different towns. The wife took one and I took the other. Imagine the look on your kids face when you say "I wish I could be there". We would have enjoyed staying in the Metro and playing at the X. So would the kids.

[elliott70]

I had 3 kids play hockey and each went to state 2 times. To be honest, the "up north" hosts were the kindest and put on the best state tournaments. The drawback was the extra expense which at times was hard to deal with. The really crappy thing about playing state "Outstate" was when 2 of the kids played on the same weekend in different towns. The wife took one and I took the other. Imagine the look on your kids face when you say "I wish I could be there". We would have enjoyed staying in the Metro and playing at the X. So would the kids.

At least inthe first round one kid will be in Blaine playing at 2 and one kid will be in Minnetonka playing at 2. If they ar both to play inthe X, then the second round will be the same scenario. Choose which kid you will watch.
And if one makes it past teh second round and one does not you will be at the X and the kid that lost will be alone out in Minnetonka.

And the real crappy thing for the outstate teams with two kids playing is that they will have to be inthe metro area, driving further to get there, driving more once they get there and paying metro prices for motel and meals.

Oh and the fact that both kids are there will mean they will be at a banquet with 7 other teams at their level and 32 teams at some other level. How special will that be? Their coaches will not get up and introduce the players tothe audience. There wil not be a host gfamily assigned to the team, helping with their needs and again making them feel special. They won't have center stage in the community, people asking where they are from, what position they play and wishing them luck.

Playing in the X? I have seen mite kids playing in the X. I have seen below average junior gold B teams playing in in the X. Sure playing there is fun, but playing in front of people that are new friends and cheering for you while you play for the state champinship shoulf be fun no matter where the game is played.

Minnesota Hockey needs to be operated by the assoications that make up Minnesota Hockey; not by a regenereated group of good old boys that are closer to the nursing home then they are to a hockey rink.

[Slapshotdude]

Elliot - We have met during the U14 tournament. Have not heard you talk like this before. Maybe it's time to move on. Rules and venues change and so does the leadership. I would expect more from an old vet.

[elliott70]

Elliot - We have met during the U14 tournament. Have not heard you talk like this before. Maybe it's time to move on. Rules and venues change and so does the leadership. I would expect more from an old vet.

Maybe you should PM me or email me rather than using a mesage board and annonymous 'name'.

I am not alone in my thinking by board members and district directors.
Moving on my part would not accomplish a thing but rather let the regeneration of those removed from the real hockey operations continue.

We need change and where better than change from within.

[elliott70]

Elliot - We have met during the U14 tournament. Have not heard you talk like this before. Maybe it's time to move on. Rules and venues change and so does the leadership. I would expect more from an old vet.

And you are an advocate for change or at least have said do on this site.

Some on the MN Hockey board do not wnat change, they want more and more of the same and that is do what we say, so niot think for yourself.

There has not been a change in leadership for years. They have ahd a decade of control with failure to accomplish what 'fair play points, blue pucks'...

A change to a metroone site does what for kids, nothing excpet make it more difficult for many associations to recruit and garner local support.
Many are wearing blinders that cannot see what this one-site fiasco will do (is doing) to 'Minnesota Hockey'.

Youth Hockey of Minnesota, Inc is on the horizon. If the leadership does not see it, they need to step aside and let the guys that do see it step forward and try and solve the problems. All they have done is create more for the board members that have to do the work.

I am sorry to ramble, but when someone only sees a tree, while the forest is burning int he background, than it takes more than one or two lines to answer.

[whockeyguy]

hey slapshootdude, everything you say earlier , now put yourself in the outstate shoes, you want a metro tourney well have the d--- thing,, the rest of us wont show up, and will go somewhere where we are wanted, and this does not seem likes its going to be with MN Hockey, Elliot keep up the good fight , its getting closer to June and I hope the next meeting a bunch of people will be there to voice thier concern to mn hockey,,, people dont let this fall all in Elliots shoes , we need numbers at the meeting and a loud voice,,,,, Elliot please keep us allinformed as to when and where of this next meeting, and THANK YOU for the fight so far

[elliott70]

At the Kelly Inn in st Cloud the last weekend of June.
Friday Saturday & Sunday June 27, 28 & 29.

The actual 'meeting' is Sunday morning at 8 am.

[Slapshotdude]

Be careful. Metro teams flock up north and bring a ton of revenue during the season. Many northern associations would have to change if Metro teams boycotted going up north. You need us just like we need you. A little history lesson is at hand. As a southern boy growing up, I always looked forward to going up north. All my friends nowadays that grew up in northern MN say they always looked forward to coming down to the cities. The MHSL has had the state tournament in the Metro forever with no complaints. Given these simple facts I do not see a problem in trying it out for a year or 2. Just my two cents.

[elliott70]

Be careful. Metro teams flock up north and bring a ton of revenue during the season. Many northern associations would have to change if Metro teams boycotted going up north. You need us just like we need you. A little history lesson is at hand. As a southern boy growing up, I always looked forward to going up north. All my friends nowadays that grew up in northern MN say they always looked forward to coming down to the cities. The MHSL has had the state tournament in the Metro forever with no complaints. Given these simple facts I do not see a problem in trying it out for a year or 2. Just my two cents.

The state youth tourneys cannto be compared to the HS tournament.

At one time there was to be movement, but the MSHSL agreed that there was a disadvantage in the way the event was structured.

Thus all teams are put up in a hotel and fed etc....
Thus all teams are visitors (hosted by the MSHSl).

The MSHSL is trying to showcase the event - all championship games are at the X (originally all were to be at the premier site - the compromise was Mariucci).

Thee things just did not happen, they were fought for. Larry Ross led a lot of this and most of the HS coaches agreed.

The youth hockey event serves a different purpose. And a lot of bantma A coaches support the rotating site and are opposed to the on-site deal.

Think about it.
Who makes youth hockey work...
the players... no, they are the game, but they will play outdoors with broken sticks

the refs, nope, the coaches (to a degree)

But the local volunteers, moms and dads....
and who do they go to for support, the community (the local businesses and other organizations).
What is the name of your kids team, VFW, the Lions or Rotary, Holiday Inn or Pizza Hut or Perkins, Tom's Convenience Store & Garage...etc...

The local volunteers deserve the opportunity to showcase their community whether its Hastings or Hallock. They get to thank their sponsors by providing a little extra busines.

But you know what they get to do that the MN Hockey board cannot due in a one isze fits all sterile environment...

they get to showcase the kids...
the kids are treated like royalty for a weekend just because they play a game pretty well...
you can always play in any barn you want...
but not very often to be the state champ where everyone's eyes are on you and your team... not your team and the bantams and jr gold and girls....

AA and A is not as good as just one class (good reasons to do 2 classes, I AM SURE). but what gets the attention? AA

Who will get the attention? not the girls, not the jr gold teams, not the pee-wee teams.

Put them in separate venues and who gets the attention?
You got it,
Its their tournament, not the bantams and the pewwees and the....

'Hey, what team do you play for?'
'I am going to come down to the rink and cheer for you (insert name).'
That particular group is special for a couple of days.

[whockeyguy]

slapshotdude , your finally getting it,, we ALL need each other , so to put all the finals in the metro area does not serve us ALL,, it is Minnesota Hockey, not the inner loop of the 494, 694 corridors{metro}

[Slapshotdude]

It is a hockey tournament and that's all it is. Don't get caught blowing everything out of proportion. Elliott, I'm sorry but I do not agree with your reasoning or your comparisons. Adults should teach children, not live in childrens shoes.

[elliott70]

It is a hockey tournament and that's all it is. Don't get caught blowing everything out of proportion. Elliott, I'm sorry but I do not agree with your reasoning or your comparisons.

That's fine,
its your opinion.

We disagree.

[southernhockey1]

Where were the State Tournaments scheduled to be hosted in 2009?

[elliott70]

Where were the State Tournaments scheduled to be hosted in 2009?

Bantam A's in Thief River Falls.
Pee Wee A district 3
14A in D11
12A in D12
JR Gold A in D1

BB & PB in D10
14B & 12B in D15
JrGB in D8
16U in D6