darkhorse wrote:Except they bring in kids from Canada to fill roster spots over MN kids. I hope the Blades finish the tourney strong and I would love to see them bring home some hardware, but IMO they should be doing it with all MN kids.
Toronto's leading scorer last year was from Florida. Pretty sure they won the tournament.
Do you see it as different that a team used a player from an area that does not field a Brick entrant, or is that the same to you as a team from Minnesota taking a leftover from Canada that didn't make his provincial team?
I'm not sure what the Brick ethics are. Once the rule is there to allow recruitment from outside your area it pretty much opens a can of worms.
Each team is allowed, and encouraged, to take up to three players from outside its territory. For example, the leading scorer so far this year is a player from Wisconsin who is an import on the Chicago team.
If the Blades want a player from an area that already has a team, that team must waive the player out.
BTW-we held open tryouts for the Brick team this year and sent direct invitations to about ten of the most competitive Minnesota AAA organizations, including the Machine. Almost all of the teams permitted their players to try out. The Machine did not allow kids to participate.
[quote="terrymoore1717"]The Brick Rule on "imports" is this:
Each team is allowed, and encouraged, to take up to three players from outside its territory. For example, the leading scorer so far this year is a player from Wisconsin who is an import on the Chicago team.
If the Blades want a player from an area that already has a team, that team must waive the player out.
BTW-we held open tryouts for the Brick team this year and sent direct invitations to about ten of the most competitive Minnesota AAA organizations, including the Machine. Almost all of the teams permitted their players to try out. The Machine did not allow kids to participate.[/quote]
I think the Machine parents decided not to do it. Thats fine we are doing good without them.
Sorry, but this is the post that has been runs every year after the Brick.
Blades have their program and the Machine has theirs. It is not a Minnesota program. If it was the jersey would just say "Team Minnesota", but they say Minnesota Blades.
You can not blame the Machine staff for being protective of what is a very successful program. If the Machine players helped the Blades, the Blades would use it as a recruiting tool over the Machine. Just as the Machine would do if they were in the Blades shoes.
Let's move on.
Are there any Blades players that are showing well in the tournament?
Terry, thank you very much for sharing the rule with us. It makes perfect sense. If a player is from Manitoba, the Winnipeg area team has the right of first refusal. For a player from Phoenix or Dallas, they can play anywhere that will have them.
These guys with the Brick have thought of everything.
Thank you so much. You are just the greatest.If there is ever anything that I can do for you please call on me. Those brick guys they are all so smart. With the Blades and the Brick tournament youth hockey will be safe from the evils in the world. Gag! Sorry just had to throw that in.
I like what Scrap said let's move on. How are the boys doing? who do they play today? Looks like the Jutting kid is doing well.
Unless the playoffs have been expanded along with the pools, the Blades were eliminated from reaching the playoffs yesterday. If they don't beat Connecticut this morning, they will finish no better than tied for last in their 7-team pool.
Looking forward, what typically happens with the Blades Brick team next year (2002)? Do players leave other organizations to join the Blades specifically because of the Brick or do the top players that are committed to other programs stay the course? In order for the 02 Blades to compete next year they will need some fine tuning and I was wondering where that typically comes from.
terrymoore1717 wrote:The Brick Rule on "imports" is this:
Each team is allowed, and encouraged, to take up to three players from outside its territory. For example, the leading scorer so far this year is a player from Wisconsin who is an import on the Chicago team.
If the Blades want a player from an area that already has a team, that team must waive the player out.
BTW-we held open tryouts for the Brick team this year and sent direct invitations to about ten of the most competitive Minnesota AAA organizations, including the Machine. Almost all of the teams permitted their players to try out. The Machine did not allow kids to participate.
Just FYI, the #5 leading scorer in the tourney thus far is also from Wisconsin and also playing for the Chicago team. Good to see a couple of WI kids representing well in the tourney.
Blades finished 1-4-1, giving up 28 goals in the process. Hard to compete consistently with the Brick teams if you're giving up 4+ goals a game.[/quote]
Looking at the game stats it appears there was a large disparity in shots on goals for most of their games. I had heard (seconded hand so don't know if it's true) that Blades Defense was weak point as far as players went. Hard to compete at that level if your D is not super strong!
Blades finished 1-4-1, giving up 28 goals in the process. Hard to compete consistently with the Brick teams if you're giving up 4+ goals a game.[/quote]
Looking at the game stats it appears there was a large disparity in shots on goals for most of their games. I had heard (seconded hand so don't know if it's true) that Blades Defense was weak point as far as players went. Hard to compete at that level if your D is not super strong![/quote]
My mistake....they were actually very close on shots except for the game against the Blackhawks.
terrymoore1717 wrote:The Brick Rule on "imports" is this:
Each team is allowed, and encouraged, to take up to three players from outside its territory. For example, the leading scorer so far this year is a player from Wisconsin who is an import on the Chicago team.
If the Blades want a player from an area that already has a team, that team must waive the player out.
Terry -
Will the Blades waive a player to another team if requested?
Why would the the blades waive a player who doesn't try out for their team? That would make no sense! If the player tried out and didn't make it then I am sure they would waive him and give him a chance to try out for another team. I am sure that is what the brick folks would expect.
I talked to my buddy from Chicago. He said they are really playing well. He also said all the teams are actually quite close every game seems to be a one goal game in the third. The comments on the MN team were that they played well in the first four and easily could have been 3-0-1 but had some issues giving up late goals. Going for it against the winnipeg team (pulling the goalie in a tie game and giving up and empty netter so getting a loss instead of a tie or win) probably hurt their morale... After basically being eliminated they seemed to have trouble keeping it going against Connecticut adn Chicago teams. Both games were very close in the first 2/3rds of the game but early goals in the 3rd sealed their fate.
Chicago has the leading scorer (a very small very shifty wisconsin kid with sick skills) and one very good line with a Turcotte kid (yes another NHLer's kid).
Finally, His commets were that "this tournament is unbelievable and the greatest experience, anyone who could come should give it a try". The kids get to spend time with the likes of Niedermeyer, Bertuzzi, Weight, Savard, Primeau, Craig Johnson (of Hill Murray) etc...They get treated like NHLers and the games are absolutely flat out the best 10 year old hockey period. Too bad all the Minnesota kids who would like to come aren't willing to put the other stuff aside and play together.
Trout wrote:Why would the the blades waive a player who doesn't try out for their team? That would make no sense! If the player tried out and didn't make it then I am sure they would waive him and give him a chance to try out for another team. I am sure that is what the brick folks would expect.
Lots of reasons. Maybe the Blades have their team picked already and one more would upset the apple cart.
Last edited by HockeyDad41 on Fri Jul 08, 2011 5:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Trout wrote:Why would the the blades waive a player who doesn't try out for their team? That would make no sense! If the player tried out and didn't make it then I am sure they would waive him and give him a chance to try out for another team. I am sure that is what the brick folks would expect.
I talked to my buddy from Chicago. He said they are really playing well. He also said all the teams are actually quite close every game seems to be a one goal game in the third. The comments on the MN team were that they played well in the first four and easily could have been 3-0-1 but had some issues giving up late goals. Going for it against the winnipeg team (pulling the goalie in a tie game and giving up and empty netter so getting a loss instead of a tie or win) probably hurt their morale... After basically being eliminated they seemed to have trouble keeping it going against Connecticut adn Chicago teams. Both games were very close in the first 2/3rds of the game but early goals in the 3rd sealed their fate.
Chicago has the leading scorer (a very small very shifty wisconsin kid with sick skills) and one very good line with a Turcotte kid (yes another NHLer's kid).
Finally, His commets were that "this tournament is unbelievable and the greatest experience, anyone who could come should give it a try". The kids get to spend time with the likes of Niedermeyer, Bertuzzi, Weight, Savard, Primeau, Craig Johnson (of Hill Murray) etc...They get treated like NHLers and the games are absolutely flat out the best 10 year old hockey period. Too bad all the Minnesota kids who would like to come aren't willing to put the other stuff aside and play together.
You mention the Turcotte kid being the son of a former player. The "shifty" WI kid who is leading the tourney is pts is the son of a former D3 first team allamerican who also spent time in the ECHL and other level of prohockey, never quite made the big show but played at a very high level is my point. The third player on that line is also from WI and is a very good player as well.
Lots of reasons. Maybe the Blades have their team picked already and one more would upset the apple cart.[/quote]
If that kid tried out but if he didn't try out for the team and wanted to go to another team because of the politics going on I am sure they would not want to release them. It seems to me that the brick would have problems with that as well. I am sure they don't want this to become some free agent deal. It seems what makes this cool is it isn't like the other AAA tournaments for older kids where they just throw teams together from all over to compete.
I'm still not sure why the Blades need to "pick" a Brick team. If their main in-state "rival" can roster a team, coach them and then compete against and beat the best teams that compete at the Brick, why can't they do the same. Just don't understand why so many people think you have to pull a handful of players from several teams to be successful north of the border.
I tend to agree with you Deep. Its not the team with the most talent that always wins, its the team that plays the most as a team that usually wins. Thats why I am wondering if our 02 Blades team needs to be blown up to make us succesful next year or if we can continue to work with what is currently there and fine tune it. I believe some changes need to be made. From what I have seen, the Brick teams arent much better than the top teams we see playing in the spring, example Bauer Selects. What does everyone think will be the bench mark teams to equate to for next year will be? I really wonder how much stronger a Brick team is over some of the teams that were in the Winnipeg tournament this past June. I guess I am really wondering how much better the 02 Blades have to get to compete next year in the Brick.
Until the first year of bantam it's been common for a top MN summer AAA team to change at least 3-4 players per year. In 4 years half of a 2002 team will have turned over. With good management and coaching a team can evolve from middle of the AAA pack to top 2-3 during those 4 years.
I don't really understand rosters with more than 20 players either. 15 skaters and a goalie or two is ideal. Traveling to Chicago or Winnipeg with 20 skaters is nuts. I don't like it as a parent and the players don't like it either.
I do understand the financial piece of carrying 2-3 practice players but otherwise it seems like a money grab. I also know they like 15 at practices so they carry a few extras during the summer or you can end up with 6-8 players at a practice. But to travel with a fat roster is nuts.
The Bauer Selects is a unique team with kids from all over the US so really shouldn't be compared to anyone. Not what I would consider a normal AAA team as they might not even practice together. To me a summer AAA team, during Squirt and PeeWee years, practices 20-30 times together and plays in 3-4-5 tourneys together.
Observer: then for the Blades '02 team to find some cohesion, they better do a better of job than the 00s have done in terms of stability with leadership. 3 different coaches in 3 years makes it tough because every coach has his "favorites" and his own "style". Very difficult to build consistency if the leadership changes every spring/summer. As far as a 20-player roster, there is no way the 00 Machine wins the Winnipeg event this year without 4 lines. The final 5 games the team played up there this year were about as tough and as physical as you will see at that level, including 4 straight games against Brick teams and a final against the Manitoba Lightning. Running just 2 lines and sprinkling in a 3rd occasionally would have been a recipe for a quick trip south. In terms of player turnover, the 00 Orange must be unique, then, because after the first year, when every summer team has turnover, there has been very, very little the last two years. But, maybe that's what makes that team successful, being able to keep the same kids and the same coaches on the ice year after year. Hard to argue with the results.
Deep Breath wrote:Observer: then for the Blades '02 team to find some cohesion, they better do a better of job than the 00s have done in terms of stability with leadership. 3 different coaches in 3 years makes it tough because every coach has his "favorites" and his own "style". Very difficult to build consistency if the leadership changes every spring/summer. As far as a 20-player roster, there is no way the 00 Machine wins the Winnipeg event this year without 4 lines. The final 5 games the team played up there this year were about as tough and as physical as you will see at that level, including 4 straight games against Brick teams and a final against the Manitoba Lightning. Running just 2 lines and sprinkling in a 3rd occasionally would have been a recipe for a quick trip south. In terms of player turnover, the 00 Orange must be unique, then, because after the first year, when every summer team has turnover, there has been very, very little the last two years. But, maybe that's what makes that team successful, being able to keep the same kids and the same coaches on the ice year after year. Hard to argue with the results.
I'm sure having 20 skaters is great unless your one of the 7 that go an entire game without ever seeing more than one shift. Not sure how that benefits them.
I'd also argue it's a little early to start looking at results. Those kids are 11. Results could change a lot by the time it starts to matter. They've got four years before advanced 15. That's when we'll start to see which path is the best.