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SquirtC'00 wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong here Karl but in my memory most of the time when a senior is playing JV he's either the 2nd or 3rd goalie or an 8th defenseman getting ice time. I've found it rare to see a senior forward on JV.

The goalie is probably the most common. If there is a forward playing JV, yeah, he's almost certainly on that 4th/swing line seeing ice time in both games.

By the time a kid is a senior, if he's not good enough for meaningful varsity ice time, Junior Gold is probably the more enjoyable option anyway. (Assuming it exists in the community...not always the case in Greater MN.) More ice time, a playoff for a championship, and probably playing with other seniors who've been friends for a while instead of a bunch of sophomores he never played youth hockey with who are fighting to get a look from the varsity coach.

I saw a post mentioning that only 4 Moorhead players made the Elite league. Is there any Spud faithful who can shed some insight into who is missing from the league? I don't know the kids. Also I would expect there to be a higher count of Cloquet kids coming into the league with success of their bantams and underclass players. 11 East players seems to be an excessive amount of players coming from one team. I don't claim to know the talent out at East. Is 11 players from one team an indicator of northeast MN talent deprivation? Is the divide of "haves" and "have not" increasing in this region? Apparently so since 218 teams originally skated 2 to 3 from various north MN schools and had very balanced representation in early 2000's. Are the Roseau's Warroad's Virginia's and Hibbing's falling off the talent map due to hard economic times we are seeing? Any comments from people familiar with the programs would be appreciated.

northwoods oldtimer wrote:I saw a post mentioning that only 4 Moorhead players made the Elite league. Is there any Spud faithful who can shed some insight into who is missing from the league? I don't know the kids. Also I would expect there to be a higher count of Cloquet kids coming into the league with success of their bantams and underclass players. 11 East players seems to be an excessive amount of players coming from one team. I don't claim to know the talent out at East. Is 11 players from one team an indicator of northeast MN talent deprivation? Is the divide of "haves" and "have not" increasing in this region? Apparently so since 218 teams originally skated 2 to 3 from various north MN schools and had very balanced representation in early 2000's. Are the Roseau's Warroad's Virginia's and Hibbing's falling off the talent map due to hard economic times we are seeing? Any comments from people familiar with the programs would be appreciated.

Kids don't get on the team if they don't try out. I think there are plenty of kids (parents) who choose not to participate. There are a lot of politics and other things going on that turn a lot of people off of this event.

The observation is correct, not as much across the board representation from up north. More a result of people opting out than not making it.

The Iron Range schools are not putting out anywhere near the number quality players they used to in their glory years. The main reason, of course, is economics. Which results in declining enrollment.

Hibbing used to have 2,000 (yes 2,000) students in 9-12 in the 60's and into the 70's. The had graduating classes of 500+. Their current enrollment is 569. Greenway had approximately 650- 680 at that time. This year Greenway has 269. International Falls and Virginia were over 1,000. Chisholm and Eveleth had about the same enrollment as Greenway. Grand Rapids has not suffered such a severe drop but it is less. If memory serves me right their enrollment was around 1,200. Of those families left a much higher percentage are not from two parent families and get assistance from the government. The middle class has shrunk considerably over the years. Duluth has suffered the same. From four public high schools (Central, Morgan Park, Denfeld, East) to just East and Denfeld. The only school that has grown is Hermantown. Denfeld's enrollment is small compared to the 60's and 70's.

greenwayraider wrote:From four public high schools (Central, Morgan Park, Denfeld, East) to just East and Denfeld. The only school that has grown is Hermantown. Denfeld's enrollment is small compared to the 60's and 70's.

I would think Denfeld would have gained the most students when Morgan Park and then Central closed, and yet their enrollment is still down from decades past...hockey was so much more affordable back then too.

Duluth East and Hermantown will continue to dominate 218 hockey. The rest will continue to tread water and hope they can compete. Since 2007, I've seen it this way. East and Htown compete state wide have oodles of talent. The rest compete for bragging rights among the rest of the 218.

kniven wrote:Duluth East and Hermantown will continue to dominate 218 hockey. The rest will continue to tread water and hope they can compete. Since 2007, I've seen it this way. East and Htown compete state wide have oodles of talent. The rest compete for bragging rights among the rest of the 218.

Really?? thanks for the insight

SpOilerfan wrote:

kniven wrote:Duluth East and Hermantown will continue to dominate 218 hockey. The rest will continue to tread water and hope they can compete. Since 2007, I've seen it this way. East and Htown compete state wide have oodles of talent. The rest compete for bragging rights among the rest of the 218.

Really?? thanks for the insight

You bet SP . Not a problem...

Schotzy wrote:

northwoods oldtimer wrote:I saw a post mentioning that only 4 Moorhead players made the Elite league. Is there any Spud faithful who can shed some insight into who is missing from the league? I don't know the kids. Also I would expect there to be a higher count of Cloquet kids coming into the league with success of their bantams and underclass players. 11 East players seems to be an excessive amount of players coming from one team. I don't claim to know the talent out at East. Is 11 players from one team an indicator of northeast MN talent deprivation? Is the divide of "haves" and "have not" increasing in this region? Apparently so since 218 teams originally skated 2 to 3 from various north MN schools and had very balanced representation in early 2000's. Are the Roseau's Warroad's Virginia's and Hibbing's falling off the talent map due to hard economic times we are seeing? Any comments from people familiar with the programs would be appreciated.

Kids don't get on the team if they don't try out. I think there are plenty of kids (parents) who choose not to participate. There are a lot of politics and other things going on that turn a lot of people off of this event.

The observation is correct, not as much across the board representation from up north. More a result of people opting out than not making it.

NW thanks for steering back on topic. The Spuds have a few playing USHL in the fall. I do not know if that is B4 HS season or playing the whole year.
They have some elite players and a deep team. Those that are at the HS elite level are either playing in it or a junior team.

Marge, players are pre selected or invited to tryout. "Plenty" I would suggest is a stretch.

karl(east) wrote:

SquirtC'00 wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong here Karl but in my memory most of the time when a senior is playing JV he's either the 2nd or 3rd goalie or an 8th defenseman getting ice time. I've found it rare to see a senior forward on JV.

The goalie is probably the most common. If there is a forward playing JV, yeah, he's almost certainly on that 4th/swing line seeing ice time in both games.

By the time a kid is a senior, if he's not good enough for meaningful varsity ice time, Junior Gold is probably the more enjoyable option anyway. (Assuming it exists in the community...not always the case in Greater MN.) More ice time, a playoff for a championship, and probably playing with other seniors who've been friends for a while instead of a bunch of sophomores he never played youth hockey with who are fighting to get a look from the varsity coach.

Senior forwards often play JV when returning after a major surgery (broken legs and such), to get back up to speed.

So I suppose the next hockey is the Elite league? It's nice to see they will be up in the twin ports twice. One weekend at Duluth Marshall and in Superior.

Kniven- bantam elite league is in full swing and is in Bemidji this weekend, and has several more weekends in the metro

Also, Da beauty league Nhl pro am has a few more weeks at Braemar

I think there is some streaming somewhere for both

A couple Hibbing kids on Bantam Elite rosters. Hibbing should be good in a couple years hopefully. Moose Lake has 1 player. They should probably put who they play for and not their home town. And they don't play in the twin ports, Duluth area, at all? What's up with that

The SW team looks like they'll be way down this year....

MrBoDangles wrote:The SW team looks like they'll be way down this year....

Yeah, we might want to start a cheer section for them just to keep their confidence up.

stromboli wrote:

MrBoDangles wrote:The SW team looks like they'll be way down this year....

Yeah, we might want to start a cheer section for them just to keep their confidence up.

I'm in if they'll be serving cake..

Finally some Elite league hockey this weekend in the 218. It will be fun to watch 218 hockey. #northpuck

kniven wrote:Finally some Elite league hockey this weekend in the 218. It will be fun to watch 218 hockey. #northpuck

Kniven - UMHSEL was in Grand Rapids about a month ago ...

GoldenBear69 wrote:

kniven wrote:Finally some Elite league hockey this weekend in the 218. It will be fun to watch 218 hockey. #northpuck

Kniven - UMHSEL was in Grand Rapids about a month ago ...

Anybody know how Team North did this morning? I couldn’t make the game.

North won 5-2

Seitz and Mageau each had 2

WestMetro wrote:North won 5-2

Seitz and Mageau each had 2

Excellent! Thanks westmetro =)