NTDP U17s vs Minn Elites, at New Hope This Weekend

[SidneysDogHouse]

Chris Dilks @ChrisDilks · 5h 5 hours ago

A bit of a reality check for MN HS to have their best run out building twice by a below-average USHL team

After a 19-3 combined win over 2 games against the 2 Top teams in the "Supposed Elite League" teams Chris Dilks is right - This year.

After a ton of departures over the last 2/3 years of MN players, what do you expect - A competitive game?

It is flat out embarrassing. I get it that the USA team has "hand picked" players from around the country - Including 4 or 5 studs from our own backyard- But come on. - We got smashed and smashed hard from a group of kids at least 1yr younger than the players in the elite league.

But I do like the fancy jerseys we have.

I agree with minnscout, and I think it's safe to say...no one was really surprised by any of this. In all reality, it went as it should, maybe a few more goals given up than necessary, but once the ball starts to roll down hill, it's hard to stop.

I've said it before, and this is just a glaring example of it, the UMHSEL isn't really helping anyone, nor is it helping keep kids around to maintain, much less raise the level of play around here during the winter. I know that's not their intent, but it should be. No matter how good the talent is, just playing games (really looonnngggg games), does nothing to make anyone better. At some point, someone has to think with all the hockey people (past pros, college players, etc) and $$$ in MN, someone would look at a model like the Harbor Center (http://www.harborcenter.com).

[almostashappy]

I've said it before, and this is just a glaring example of it, the UMHSEL isn't really helping anyone, nor is it helping keep kids around to maintain, much less raise the level of play around here during the winter. I know that's not their intent, but it should be. No matter how good the talent is, just playing games (really looonnngggg games), does nothing to make anyone better. At some point, someone has to think with all the hockey people (past pros, college players, etc) and $$$ in MN, someone would look at a model like the Harbor Center (http://www.harborcenter.com).

The fact that the Elite League teams don't practice much during the week and focus almost entirely on weekend games is (if you believe their talking points) a feature, rather than a liability. Supposedly, this allows the kids playing Elite hockey to still play on a fall sports team for their high school. But, as has been pointed out in a previous thread, there are only a handful of kids who actually do juggle both fall hockey and fall soccer/football.

If you want better outcomes against teams that have already been practicing 5x a week for the past month, then you have to practice more, and insist that the players play as a team. The former is possible, if you give up the window dressing claim that they aren't limiting multi-sport athletes. The latter, however, is damn near impossible.

And as far as I'm concerned, I'm not embarrassed by the lopsided scores nearly as much as I am about the reported petulant behavior of a few of the players once the score got out of hand. Is it too much to hope that these guys would have matured a bit during the off-season (or to wish that somebody that they respected would take them aside and tell them to grow up)?

[imlisteningtothefnsong]

Dog house Syd, there have been people who have tried to create options right here in the State of Hockey. Northern Educate, Gentry Hockey, Bauer-Emerson, and Breakaway. They are met with strong opposition. See video...

http://youtu.be/n6RXaTgtcd8

[puckbreath]

I've said it before, and this is just a glaring example of it, the UMHSEL isn't really helping anyone, nor is it helping keep kids around to maintain, much less raise the level of play around here during the winter. I know that's not their intent, but it should be. No matter how good the talent is, just playing games (really looonnngggg games), does nothing to make anyone better. At some point, someone has to think with all the hockey people (past pros, college players, etc) and $$$ in MN, someone would look at a model like the Harbor Center (http://www.harborcenter.com).

The fact that the Elite League teams don't practice much during the week and focus almost entirely on weekend games is (if you believe their talking points) a feature, rather than a liability. Supposedly, this allows the kids playing Elite hockey to still play on a fall sports team for their high school. But, as has been pointed out in a previous thread, there are only a handful of kids who actually do juggle both fall hockey and fall soccer/football.

If you want better outcomes against teams that have already been practicing 5x a week for the past month, then you have to practice more, and insist that the players play as a team. The former is possible, if you give up the window dressing claim that they aren't limiting multi-sport athletes. The latter, however, is damn near impossible.

And as far as I'm concerned, I'm not embarrassed by the lopsided scores nearly as much as I am about the reported petulant behavior of a few of the players once the score got out of hand. Is it too much to hope that these guys would have matured a bit during the off-season (or to wish that somebody that they respected would take them aside and tell them to grow up)?

If I'm not mistaken, and someone correct me if wrong, but I believe fighting is strictly forbidden in the league rules, resulting in banishment from the league.

Yet, at least in the past, it has occurred with no consequences at all.

And of course, when a rule only exists on paper, like so many in hockey, the result is usually very predictable.

[WestMetro]

Puckbreath is correct.


5 years ago there was hardly any legal contact in Elite, much less fighting.

Seems like the level of legal contact first started to grow a couple years ago, greatly increased last year along with the level of contact penalties, and then again this year.

Fighting this year has really increased, and gotten way out of hand, and it has been more than just a few. Too bad, because it will carry into the high school season unless the coaches put out the word, especially before the Edina Lakeville game on Dec 4