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So unless I heard/read wrong. Mn hockey has a rule that says unless you live in that area [school district] player can not play on top team.

old goalie85 wrote:So unless I heard/read wrong. Mn hockey has a rule that says unless you live in that area [school district] player can not play on top team.

you are correct

Mavs wrote:

hockeywild7 wrote:Yes you are right, that was the policy for Stillwater the past couple of seasons. Trying to be inline with all the other schools in the SEC that have allowed 8th and some 7th on JV. Only ones who didn't allow 8th graders on JV was Stillwater and Cretin. All others have allowed them to play JV. Not saying they will be adding any, I have no idea, just saying all conference schools will have same policy.

Interesting.

Where did you hear this? You are saying its official or they are talking about it? Is this a Stillwater new rule or is there some kind of a "conference" rule being put into place?

How about other conferences?

???

all conference schools will have same policy

I think this just means that all the schools in the conference will now have the same policy. Not mandated by the conference, just similar policy at each conference school.

InigoMontoya wrote:

all conference schools will have same policy

I think this just means that all the schools in the conference will now have the same policy. Not mandated by the conference, just similar policy at each conference school.

Unless this poster has some inside knowledge (which is very possible) I ran into some people last night that are very plugged in and they have not heard this news.

Mavs wrote:

InigoMontoya wrote:

all conference schools will have same policy

I think this just means that all the schools in the conference will now have the same policy. Not mandated by the conference, just similar policy at each conference school.

Unless this poster has some inside knowledge (which is very possible) I ran into some people last night that are very plugged in and they have not heard this news.

So what is the conference policy regarding 7th and 8th graders?

Are we confusing Youth (MN Hockey) and HS (MSHSL) policies here? (different entities). That sounds like a youth hockey rule.

jg2112 wrote:

Mavs wrote:

InigoMontoya wrote: I think this just means that all the schools in the conference will now have the same policy. Not mandated by the conference, just similar policy at each conference school.

Unless this poster has some inside knowledge (which is very possible) I ran into some people last night that are very plugged in and they have not heard this news.

So what is the conference policy regarding 7th and 8th graders?

I'm not sure why a conference would even have a policy on such a thing. MSHSL allows 7th graders to play high school sports. I'm not entirely sure a coach can even tell a kid she can't try out for the high school team - of course he can make a recommendation, which is indirectly backed by his authority to cut her after tryouts.

Heard Stillwater is allowing some 8th graders to try out this season

Not allowing. They have a selfish need.
Parents and players, don't do it. Play youth hockey in 8th and 9th grade.

observer wrote:Not allowing. They have a selfish need.
Parents and players, don't do it. Play youth hockey in 8th and 9th grade.

In many places, if parents told their daughters to all play youth hockey in 8th and 9th grades there would be no JV teams and many varsity teams would be short.

My daughter practices at West Side. They have signs up asking any 7-9 grade female hockey player to try out for the St. Paul Blades varsity co-op, a co-op with 6 high schools.

The local association (which is a co-op/merger), doesn't have enough skaters right now for one U15B team, because the high schools associated with the co-op have taken most if not all of the 9th graders. The one remaining U15A player in 8th grade has waivered out for the year.

Numbers are a very big problem in my area (not just my home association, but the surrounding ones as well) in the U11-U15 age range right now. That is going to lead to more 8th-9th graders playing high school because the high school coaches need warm bodies just to practice or have a JV team.

In many places, if parents told their daughters to all play youth hockey in 8th and 9th grades there would be no JV teams and many varsity teams would be short.

Fine. That's their problem not your youth hockey players problem.
I understand every situation is different and I'm sorry to hear about weak numbers. All starts with consistent youth program recruiting.

Has anyone heard if this U15 rule has made any high school coaches approach things differently as tryouts approach? Some might think Sophomores have a place to land and thus not feel as bad cutting them if they don't see a varsity future and keep more 9th graders?

I'm with ya on playing youth hockey in 8th grade (unless you can skate a regular shift of varsity but even then, not sure) but 9th grade most schools have kids playing major minutes in 9th grade.

The cost difference is a big factor, as is practice time right after school and easier for home work

Some schools don't have the depth and need even 7th graders for high school just to fill it out, while others have the luxury of taking it slow.

My personal opinion is this will change in the next 2 years, as the juniors and seniors graduate. The last 2-3 seasons have seen 8th, 9th, 10th graders on every top team, often on the top lines. I've said it before but I think hockey in MN really changed with the 96/97 class - going from a season to a year round sport. A certain group of kids (which has increased in number every year) all of sudden were skating year round against some really impressive outstate talent. Add in all the skills work, dryland, etc at home and "checkbook." Then all of a sudden (this years juniors and seniors - 97/98/99) were coming in as much better players. The older varsity girls lost playing time and if not for seniority may have been actually jv players.

This is not of course universal, but as the 7 8 9th graders come up in the next few years, they are playing with and against girls who have trained like they have and age and experience will tip the scale. I think our varsity teams will return to first and second lines of 11 and 12th graders and 8 9 10 will return to be the exception instead of the rule.

If our association teams can hold out, I think the future is bright. But that is a big "if." IMHO of course.

observer wrote:

In many places, if parents told their daughters to all play youth hockey in 8th and 9th grades there would be no JV teams and many varsity teams would be short.

Fine. That's their problem not your youth hockey players problem.
I understand every situation is different and I'm sorry to hear about weak numbers. All starts with consistent youth program recruiting.

Our high school program would have come to an end, if my daughter and numerous other 7th, 8th and 9th grade girls hadn't moved up.. And we're in a co-op.

Tell us what association you're in and we'll let ya know how easy you have it..

MrBoDangles wrote:

observer wrote:

In many places, if parents told their daughters to all play youth hockey in 8th and 9th grades there would be no JV teams and many varsity teams would be short.

Fine. That's their problem not your youth hockey players problem.
I understand every situation is different and I'm sorry to hear about weak numbers. All starts with consistent youth program recruiting.

Our high school program would have come to an end, if my daughter and numerous other 7th, 8th and 9th grade girls hadn't moved up.. And we're in a co-op.

Tell us what association you're in and we'll let ya know how easy you have it..

Would be pretty tough to recruit 5 and 6 year old girls to play hockey in an area that has no high school team.

tourneytickssince59 wrote:Heard Stillwater is allowing some 8th graders to try out this season

Guessing they have had 8th graders tryout every year since forever...taking them is another thing and they have the no JV rule (for 7th and 8th) like a lot of other high school teams.

MrBoDangles wrote:

observer wrote:

In many places, if parents told their daughters to all play youth hockey in 8th and 9th grades there would be no JV teams and many varsity teams would be short.

Fine. That's their problem not your youth hockey players problem.
I understand every situation is different and I'm sorry to hear about weak numbers. All starts with consistent youth program recruiting.

Our high school program would have come to an end, if my daughter and numerous other 7th, 8th and 9th grade girls hadn't moved up.. And we're in a co-op.

Tell us what association you're in and we'll let ya know how easy you have it..

Our HS team is not having a JV program this year as none of our 8th graders opted to play HS.

Snap Happy wrote:

MrBoDangles wrote:

observer wrote: Fine. That's their problem not your youth hockey players problem.
I understand every situation is different and I'm sorry to hear about weak numbers. All starts with consistent youth program recruiting.

Our high school program would have come to an end, if my daughter and numerous other 7th, 8th and 9th grade girls hadn't moved up.. And we're in a co-op.

Tell us what association you're in and we'll let ya know how easy you have it..

Our HS team is not having a JV program this year as none of our 8th graders opted to play HS.

Will be interesting to see how that works out over the next 4 or 5 years. High school coach has no JV to send the 3rd and 4th lines, backup goalies, etc. to gain additional experience. May also have a little trouble filling the varsity schedule, if other teams want games for their JVs. But I guess those are the high school's problems.

I would be surprised if this pilot program is renewed next year. I don't think this program was fully vetted. It was communicated that the HS coaches were behind this, and it sounds like this was not the case. It is a complete mess in several associations in outstate minnesota. I think MN Hockey will go back to U14 next year. Disappointed that this was not floated by the district boards before it went before MN Hockey for a vote.

What they should have done was create a small u16 league for the city folk who lobbied for this.

zooomx wrote:I would be surprised if this pilot program is renewed next year. I don't think this program was fully vetted. It was communicated that the HS coaches were behind this, and it sounds like this was not the case. It is a complete mess in several associations in outstate minnesota. I think MN Hockey will go back to U14 next year. Disappointed that this was not floated by the district boards before it went before MN Hockey for a vote.

What they should have done was create a small u16 league for the city folk who lobbied for this.

99.9% of changes are solely for the benefit of the few mega associations. Very little thought process is ever put in and the rest of us suffer.

Hockey in the small towns are on life support because of it..

Hearing NE Metro might be the team on the east to compete with the Edina, Minnetonka, Wayzata on the west. Apparently several older kids stayed back vs playing high school. Their goalie is apparently really good and a Sophomore. Tartan and North St. Paul combined at high school which eliminated a lot of high school spots plus NE Metro gets Hill Murray kids. Will be one of the few teams not 8th grade based and have plenty of 9th and 10th.

North- Roseau, Brainerd and Duluth?

Mavs wrote:Hearing NE Metro might be the team on the east to compete with the Edina, Minnetonka, Wayzata on the west. Apparently several older kids stayed back vs playing high school. Their goalie is apparently really good and a Sophomore. Tartan and North St. Paul combined at high school which eliminated a lot of high school spots plus NE Metro gets Hill Murray kids. Will be one of the few teams not 8th grade based and have plenty of 9th and 10th.

North- Roseau, Brainerd and Duluth?

I don't think there is any association close enough to co-op with Roseau. That's what, 5 hours farther north than Duluth?

Mavs wrote:Hearing NE Metro might be the team on the east to compete with the Edina, Minnetonka, Wayzata on the west. Apparently several older kids stayed back vs playing high school. Their goalie is apparently really good and a Sophomore. Tartan and North St. Paul combined at high school which eliminated a lot of high school spots plus NE Metro gets Hill Murray kids. Will be one of the few teams not 8th grade based and have plenty of 9th and 10th.

North- Roseau, Brainerd and Duluth?

I will check back around mid-Jan to see if this team holds up to their fast early start.

Nevertoomuchhockey wrote:

Mavs wrote:Hearing NE Metro might be the team on the east to compete with the Edina, Minnetonka, Wayzata on the west. Apparently several older kids stayed back vs playing high school. Their goalie is apparently really good and a Sophomore. Tartan and North St. Paul combined at high school which eliminated a lot of high school spots plus NE Metro gets Hill Murray kids. Will be one of the few teams not 8th grade based and have plenty of 9th and 10th.

North- Roseau, Brainerd and Duluth?

I don't think there is any association close enough to co-op with Roseau. That's what, 5 hours farther north than Duluth?

What? Who said anything about Roseau co-oping with anyone?