Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 1:36 pm
Here's some info on Mass hockey.
There are about 100 high school teams in Eastern Mass that compete for four championships: Divisions 1A, 1, 2 and 3.
At the end of the year, the 8 best teams (picked by a committee) in DI compete for the DIA championship, known as the Super 8. This concept was designed 15 years ago because the same teams (BC High, Catholic Memorial, etc) were winning every year. Mostly public schools complained, since the winners were usually always the Catholic schools. Last year, Weymouth (public) actually defeated Catholic Memorial (catholic) in a preliminary Super 8 game. That is usually unheard of. In the end it didn't matter, as BC High beat CM for the 1A crown.
Thus, the Super 8 is usually the best Catholics in Mass going at it. The Division 1 playoffs is a mix of DI publics and catholics. DII and DIII is mostly public schools.
Eastern Mass (greater Boston) towns are STOCKED with hockey players, but it is interesting to note how it all plays out. Lets take a typical city, like Hingham (10 miles South of Boston). Its public school team is a DI power (often chosen for the Super
, and would be a solid AA in Minnesota.
But in Mass we also have boarding schools/day schools that make up the world of Prep School hockey, entirely separate from high schools in the area (far superior to high school hockey, they would beat AA Minn schools with regularity. This is New England DI prep school hockey). Hingham probably has 30 kids going to these schools throughout New England who SHOULD be at Hingham High School.
Combine that number with 10 kids who are at the Catholics and 10 other kids playing for local Junior teams. There is another 20 kids who SHOULD be at Hingham high school.
15 years ago, high school hockey in Mass was what every kid strived for. Now, Prep schools and junior programs have watered it down...many say for the worse.
Does Minnesota have this issue?
There are about 100 high school teams in Eastern Mass that compete for four championships: Divisions 1A, 1, 2 and 3.
At the end of the year, the 8 best teams (picked by a committee) in DI compete for the DIA championship, known as the Super 8. This concept was designed 15 years ago because the same teams (BC High, Catholic Memorial, etc) were winning every year. Mostly public schools complained, since the winners were usually always the Catholic schools. Last year, Weymouth (public) actually defeated Catholic Memorial (catholic) in a preliminary Super 8 game. That is usually unheard of. In the end it didn't matter, as BC High beat CM for the 1A crown.
Thus, the Super 8 is usually the best Catholics in Mass going at it. The Division 1 playoffs is a mix of DI publics and catholics. DII and DIII is mostly public schools.
Eastern Mass (greater Boston) towns are STOCKED with hockey players, but it is interesting to note how it all plays out. Lets take a typical city, like Hingham (10 miles South of Boston). Its public school team is a DI power (often chosen for the Super
, and would be a solid AA in Minnesota. But in Mass we also have boarding schools/day schools that make up the world of Prep School hockey, entirely separate from high schools in the area (far superior to high school hockey, they would beat AA Minn schools with regularity. This is New England DI prep school hockey). Hingham probably has 30 kids going to these schools throughout New England who SHOULD be at Hingham High School.
Combine that number with 10 kids who are at the Catholics and 10 other kids playing for local Junior teams. There is another 20 kids who SHOULD be at Hingham high school.
15 years ago, high school hockey in Mass was what every kid strived for. Now, Prep schools and junior programs have watered it down...many say for the worse.
Does Minnesota have this issue?