ELITE LEAGUE TRYOUTS

[happymama]

Let's face it, everyone has suggestions but it's his show. If you don't want to buy it, start a new organization and compete with it. Of course, that's what the Elite II sort of has done, but it is not anything close to John's program and never will be. (I can tell stories about that program, but it's not worth it to me.)

First, it isn't necessarily that no one wanted to buy the Elite league. It could be that no one wanted to pay whatever price was put on buying it which could have been way more than its real value. Many times owners of a product think it is worth way more then its real value.

Second, you are totally wrong to suggest that Elite II is "sort of" competing with Elite league. My understanding is that the original, and continued, purpose of Elite II league was to give a place for the younger players to play some extra games at a higher level. They restrict the number of 12 graders to 4 per team in order to assure that they continue with that mission. This was originally conceived back when Elite league was planned to take primarily 12th graders to give them a better option then leaving high school and going to other teams. In essence, Elite II was complementing Elite league not competing with it.

Since that time, Elite has apparently decided to go a different route and now fills as much as 1/2 of there teams with 10th and 11th graders. They could have put a similar restriction by allowing only a few 10th/11th graders but they chose not to. Nothing wrong with that but it is slightly different then the original intent. I have never heard Elite II claim to be in competition with Elite league but it has ultimately provided a great venue for many 2nd tier players (or players missed by the Elite league) to play some highly competitive games as they prepare for their high school season.

[Blue&Gold]

OK, I agree that EII was not in direct competition. I was really trying to say that it (EII) missed the "professional" side and has it's own "political" issues as well. However, I'm not going to go into that at all as this isn't an Elite II thread. (no more comments from me on that topic... )

If it is too expensive to buy the Elite program, even though it was available a few years ago, then perhaps the business model is pretty good?

OK, my original point is that it's easy to sit back and criticize Russo, but he has developed a pretty good program that has helped several kids get some recognition and has helped them move on to the USHL and college. Because it's successful, (and not without it's faults, just like all of us) people think that it's corrupt or that they can do it better. I say that they should step up and do it right then. That's what Russo did when he started this, and you can too.

I think it's a pretty damned good program, and although things could be changed, unless I'm right in the middle of it I can't say for sure what those things are. I do know how hard this group works to do the right thing for these kids, and I hope that they continue to do it for a long time.



[/list]

[2pipesnin]

Let's face it, everyone has suggestions but it's his show. If you don't want to buy it, start a new organization and compete with it. Of course, that's what the Elite II sort of has done, but it is not anything close to John's program and never will be. (I can tell stories about that program, but it's not worth it to me.)

First, it isn't necessarily that no one wanted to buy the Elite league. It could be that no one wanted to pay whatever price was put on buying it which could have been way more than its real value. Many times owners of a product think it is worth way more then its real value.

Second, you are totally wrong to suggest that Elite II is "sort of" competing with Elite league. My understanding is that the original, and continued, purpose of Elite II league was to give a place for the younger players to play some extra games at a higher level. They restrict the number of 12 graders to 4 per team in order to assure that they continue with that mission. This was originally conceived back when Elite league was planned to take primarily 12th graders to give them a better option then leaving high school and going to other teams. In essence, Elite II was complementing Elite league not competing with it.

Since that time, Elite has apparently decided to go a different route and now fills as much as 1/2 of there teams with 10th and 11th graders. They could have put a similar restriction by allowing only a few 10th/11th graders but they chose not to. Nothing wrong with that but it is slightly different then the original intent. I have never heard Elite II claim to be in competition with Elite league but it has ultimately provided a great venue for many 2nd tier players (or players missed by the Elite league) to play some highly competitive games as they prepare for their high school season.

Well stated happymama!

The Elite I and II leagues are starting to emulate the USHL and NAHL leagues. USHL caters to the younger hopeful stars, trying to pull them up early and the NAHL is for those that were missed or are late bloomers.

[flatontheice]

OK, I agree that EII was not in direct competition. I was really trying to say that it (EII) missed the "professional" side and has it's own "political" issues as well. However, I'm not going to go into that at all as this isn't an Elite II thread. (no more comments from me on that topic... )

If it is too expensive to buy the Elite program, even though it was available a few years ago, then perhaps the business model is pretty good?

OK, my original point is that it's easy to sit back and criticize Russo, but he has developed a pretty good program that has helped several kids get some recognition and has helped them move on to the USHL and college. Because it's successful, (and not without it's faults, just like all of us) people think that it's corrupt or that they can do it better. I say that they should step up and do it right then. That's what Russo did when he started this, and you can too.

I think it's a pretty damned good program, and although things could be changed, unless I'm right in the middle of it I can't say for sure what those things are. I do know how hard this group works to do the right thing for these kids, and I hope that they continue to do it for a long time.



[/list]

Just to make sure your facts are straight, He did not start it. He took it over. I am not saying he has not done alot of great things...what I am saying is that he has lost his way, let his ego take over, and has gotten bad advice from people around him.

[Papa Bergundy]

If you're in the Elite league, you love it.

If you're on the outside looking in, you loathe it.

I'm not here to say who's right, but over the last 20+ posts and last 2+ years of people talking about Elite this is pretty much the consensus.

You can cry foul about politics and unfairness all you want, but in the end that's life. We sit on this board and talk as if MN hockey is the only political thing in the world. Go to New York business, Hollywood or even the Miami club scene, it's all about who you know. I admire the scouting opportunity that the Elite league provides, but if don't make it or even get the chance to tryout, don't get down on yourself or the hockey world. If you're good enough they will find you.

[seek & destroy]

If you're in the Elite league, you love it.

If you're on the outside looking in, you loathe it.

I'm not here to say who's right, but over the last 20+ posts and last 2+ years of people talking about Elite this is pretty much the consensus.

You can cry foul about politics and unfairness all you want, but in the end that's life. We sit on this board and talk as if MN hockey is the only political thing in the world. Go to New York business, Hollywood or even the Miami club scene, it's all about who you know. I admire the scouting opportunity that the Elite league provides, but if don't make it or even get the chance to tryout, don't get down on yourself or the hockey world. If you're good enough they will find you.

Couldn't agree more, Papa!! Kids and parents need to realize that their life isn't over just because they don't make Elite. Work hard and you can still have success or maybe you can just sit back and enjoy hockey for a while. The Elite league is one avenue for people to get recognized and for the most part they get the right players. Life is not always fair and it never hurts for kids to learn it now. Maybe once they have learned it, they can teach their parents to accept it too!

[summer]

Wow...what a joke.

"
The words "Joke and "Elite I" are synonyms. Fair and "Elite I" are oxymorons. Sure they get 70% right but that number is going down. Inside dealing, lack of transparency and back-scratching are the rule rather than the exception. This is why kids leave Minnesota hockey first chance they can. The elite I program is the right concept but an awful implementation of a good concept controlled by far to few people. They could have been smart about it and piggy backed off the Select process but they don't. Instead they ignore the Select process and play "let's make a deal". I sincerely hope USA hockey intervenes in Minnesota High School hockey development quick before these clowns destory our beloved community hockey programs. If USA hockey keeps being pushed out by the MN insiders, my prediction is the community hockey system will implode on itself in 5-10 years. Lots of families are looking for the exit door...

And that system isn't corrupt at all.


Are they getting everyone ....NO. They could go back to sticking with Seniors and limited Juniors then back fill. How is it there are 7-8 from one team yet 0 from others? You can't tell me #8player on team A is better then the #1 guy at team B.

And I get the fact some kids chose to play Football over this league but you also have a lot that play limited games in the Elite league and still play Football. To me it should be one or the other, Why did a kid like Buddish need to play both? How about opening a spot for another kid that isn't playing footbal and doesn't play for one of the "Press" Favorite teams? No knock on Buddish or any others but quit validating your league by saying this kid or that kid played in it open it up to the kids that want to further but don't have the right jersey on during the season. Too many kids getting a lot of credit for being pretty average players just because they play at school XYZ.

I thought one of the good things about the league is being able to play fall high school sports besides hockey.

[hockeyfanatic99]

Does the league have rules about participants playing other fall sports? Just heard rumor that it was hockey or nothing and can't believe that our founding father could be thay myopic! Shame on me for being so quick to believe such piffle, but does anyone really know?

[Blue&Gold]

Does the league have rules about participants playing other fall sports? Just heard rumor that it was hockey or nothing and can't believe that our founding father could be thay myopic! Shame on me for being so quick to believe such piffle, but does anyone really know?

I remember many football / soccer players doing both hockey and their high school games. It is one of the selling points in that a kid can stay and play high-level hockey, play for their high school in football/soccer and hs hockey instead of going off to the juniors and playing only hockey.

[flatontheice]

Does the league have rules about participants playing other fall sports? Just heard rumor that it was hockey or nothing and can't believe that our founding father could be thay myopic! Shame on me for being so quick to believe such piffle, but does anyone really know?

I remember many football / soccer players doing both hockey and their high school games. It is one of the selling points in that a kid can stay and play high-level hockey, play for their high school in football/soccer and hs hockey instead of going off to the juniors and playing only hockey.

Teams are posted. Interesting to say the least.

[seek & destroy]

I was told that they are not giving out any 'automatics' except to past players this year. They wanted to be fair and offer everyone a chance to earn a spot by trying out rather than give away so many automatics.

Whoever told you that is wrong. There are tons of automatics and it keeps getting younger and younger every year.

Flat on the ice - Your sources are way better than mine and you were totally right.

Of the 51 new players in the league this year 36 were picked before tryouts and 'automatically' made the team. That's over 70% that didn't set foot on the ice at Elite leagues own tryouts. Of those 36 pre-selected skaters, 16 were in 9th or 10th grade last season (44%).

Also, the Northeast team does not have a single skater from tryouts (1 goalie) and has 11 players of the 36 automatics.

I'll leave it to others to determine if all of these players had seasons last year that merit 'an automatic' but here are the names of skaters who did not play in the league last year and also did not have to tryout.

Southeast: Sean Madigan - Burnsville, Patrick Daly - Benilde, Drew Brevig - Lakeville S., AJ Reed - St. Thomas, Kevin Becker - Hill Murray, AJ Michaelson - Apple Valley, Michael Zajak - Eagan, Quin Buckellew - Moorhead

Southwest: Dan Molenar - EP, Max Everson Edina, David Jarrett - Edina, Justin Holl - Minnetonka, Zach Knight - Jefferson, Michael Erickson - EP, Michael Sit - Edina, Mitch Rogge - EP, Chad Hennum - Elk River, Thomas Schutt - Minnetonka

Northeast: Jordan Johnson - Hill Murray, Tome DeBace - Roseville, Brandon Wahlin - WBL, Max Birkinbine - WBL, Ryan Wolter - WBL, Jake Erickson - Chaska, Riley Covard - Centennial, Brandon Zurn - Mahtomedi, Joe Rubbelke - NSP, Ben Bahe - Hill Murray, James Hughes - Centennial

Northwest: Ryan Jaremko - Elk River, Christian Horn - Benilde, Tyson Fulton - Breck, Gavin Tufte - Blaine, Eric Scheid - Blaine, Scott Holm - Wayzata, Seth Barnes - Wayzata

Of the 80 players who paid $110 to tryout 72 were skaters and 14 made a team (19%) and of the 8 goalies 3 made a team.

I still think the league is a great avenue for players and, looking at the rosters, they have some very good players on the teams. There is room for debate about whether the tryouts are more of a fundraiser then anything else. Congratulations to all the players who made the teams. It should be fun to watch.

[buzzershot]

When are you thick headed hockey parents and players going to figure out that if you are trying out for elite teams and jr. teams that you are participating in a fund raiser for that organization. The teams are already 99% known. It isn't rocket science guys.

[Wasilla]

Teams are posted. Interesting to say the least.

Do you have the link?

[The Exiled One]

Teams are posted. Interesting to say the least.

Do you have the link?

http://hselite.pucksystems.com/

[bananastick]

I was told that they are not giving out any 'automatics' except to past players this year. They wanted to be fair and offer everyone a chance to earn a spot by trying out rather than give away so many automatics.

Whoever told you that is wrong. There are tons of automatics and it keeps getting younger and younger every year.

Flat on the ice - Your sources are way better than mine and you were totally right.

Of the 51 new players in the league this year 37 were picked before tryouts and 'automatically' made the team. That's over 70% that didn't set foot on the ice at Elite leagues own tryouts. Of those 37 pre-selected skaters, 16 were in 9th or 10th grade last season (43%).

Also, the Northeast team does not have a single skater from tryouts (1 goalie) and has 11 players of the 37 automatics.

I'll leave it to others to determine if all of these players had seasons last year that merit 'an automatic' but here are the names of skaters who did not play in the league last year and also did not have to tryout.

Southeast: Sean Madigan - Burnsville, Patrick Daly - Benilde, Drew Brevig - Lakeville S., AJ Reed - St. Thomas, Kevin Becker - Hill Murray, AJ Michaelson - Apple Valley, Michael Zajak - Eagan, Quin Buckellew - Moorhead

Southwest: Dan Molenar - EP, Max Everson Edina, David Jarrett - Edina, Justin Holl - Minnetonka, Zach Knight - Jefferson, Michael Erickson - EP, Michael Sit - Edina, Mitch Rogge - EP, Chad Hennum - Elk River, Thomas Schutt - Minnetonka

Northeast: Jordan Johnson - Hill Murray, Tome DeBace - Roseville, Brandon Wahlin - WBL, Max Birkinbine - WBL, Ryan Wolter - WBL, Jake Erickson - Chaska, Riley Covard - Centennial, Brandon Zurn - Mahtomedi, Joe Rubbelke - NSP, Ben Bahe - Hill Murray, James Hughes - Centennial

Northwest: Ryan Jaremko - Elk River, DJ Jones - Wayzata, Christian Horn - Benilde, Tyson Fulton - Breck, Gavin Tufte - Blaine, Eric Scheid - Blaine, Scott Holm - Wayzata, Seth Barnes - Wayzata

Of the 80 players who paid $110 to tryout 72 were skaters and 14 made a team (19%) and of the 8 goalies 3 made a team.

I still think the league is a great avenue for players and, looking at the rosters, they have some very good players on the teams. There is room for debate about whether the tryouts are more of a fundraiser then anything else. Congratulations to all the players who made the teams. It should be fun to watch.

DJ Jones who made the NW team was on the list of players scheduled to try-out with the north teams.

[Blue&Gold]

With all the complaints about freshmen and sophomores playing in this league, I only saw what, 3 or 4 on the posted rosters?

I hope the best for all of these players, and also for those who didn't make the cut.

[seek & destroy]

DJ Jones who made the NW team was on the list of players scheduled to try-out with the north teams.

You are right...corrected it.

[CLDafencemen17]

anybody know how cory lushanko did?

[hockey34721]

any kid that participated in the ann arbor tryout gets an automatic.

[Avermann]

for those of you that might not think politics are involved in the tryout process I have come up with the following information. Looking at the north try out list and comparing it to the team that was picked there are three returning players that did not tryout. They are Orhn, Westerland, and Hendrickson. Looking on I find Taffe, Paczynski, Welinski,Kresbak, Paulseth, Krause, Palusky, Nemgar, Koopmeiners, Skrbec, Corrin were not on the tryout list but managed to make the team.I am not quite sure how that works but I feel sorry for the 38 kids who payed good money to tryout not knowing the majority of the team had already been picked.
If my information is correct there were only eight positions open prior to the tryout. If my information is wrong please feel free to clarify. In my opinion it is politics as usuall.

[seek & destroy]

for those of you that might not think politics are involved in the tryout process I have come up with the following information. Looking at the north try out list and comparing it to the team that was picked there are three returning players that did not tryout. They are Orhn, Westerland, and Hendrickson. Looking on I find Taffe, Paczynski, Welinski,Kresbak, Paulseth, Krause, Palusky, Nemgar, Koopmeiners, Skrbec, Corrin were not on the tryout list but managed to make the team.I am not quite sure how that works but I feel sorry for the 38 kids who payed good money to tryout not knowing the majority of the team had already been picked.
If my information is correct there were only eight positions open prior to the tryout. If my information is wrong please feel free to clarify. In my opinion it is politics as usuall.

As stated earlier, Team Northeast had NO open spots other then one goalie.

[Nonamer]

[quote="hockey34721"]any kid that participated in the ann arbor tryout gets an automatic.[/quote]

At least one of the Automatics from the North turned down an offer from NDTP after March 09 tryouts in Ann Arbor.

[Avermann]

Team north and team northeast are two different teams......are the same politics happening throught this joke of a league? My sympathies go out to any and everyone who gave hard earned money for a tryout. Someone made alot of money here. How nice it must feel to pay for everyone elses ice time. Hope all the kids that tried out keep there heads up and live and learn. Stupid once but never twice. This has got to be one of the biggest jokes I have ever seen.

[northwoods oldtimer]

Why don't the teams represent the regions that the kids fall into for high school season? Looks like there is too much manipulation going on which leaves the league open to much speculation. Seniors SHOULD get priority in the league if the true intent is to showcase the talent in Minnesota. Elite 2 would than be the preperatory league for the younger players.

[all4sk8ing]

For everybody that is upset with the tryout process, did you ever think that if all the automatics were required to try out (because they obviously are already on a list and would get the first invites) that this would decrease the number of slots open for players hoping to get an invite.. I was at a tryout and it was very common knowledge among parents and players that there were probably only 4 to 7 slots available. But, at least there was a larger pool of players that had a chance at these slots than if the automatics had to participate (remember, 20 + players/roster) because chances are they are still going to get the green light like they probably deserve.