AAA hockey coming to Minnesota

[Bruins]

AAA would work just fine here, 3-5 teams at each birth year, that's way less than 100 players at each level. Of course these guys are not going to the NHL, who cares ? You guys keep talking about how this is all for fun, let them have their fun. Yeah, Yeah we all know that the B and C players are the only ones who ever make it so why do you care? If Johnny is so good they will find him, BS. Certain associations stink and always will, think of all the good players who give up because they get tired of losing, no option, no choice for them. Sorry all you anti- AAA guys whose kids play for big associations, people want options. Whose ragging on the figure skaters, gymnasts and tennis players? If you're good in those sports you have a place to go, but not in Minnesota hockey. Sure little league (association) hockey has been good for Minnesota ,one size fits all, but times have changed and Minnesota is due for an option.

[jancze5]

5th grader

Why are you ducking the question? What team does your superstar play for? Are you afraid to compare apples to apples or what?

Who said anything about full scholarships, the only thing full of anything here is you

Once again, in your idiotic post you fail to see what I'm saying and have been saying for a year and a half on this board...

[jancze5]

1 other thing for my "knowitall" 5th grade friend....if you think the scoresheet is where anyone looks for anything in a player, you're just as smart about this game as you actually preach on here...

YOU DON"T KNOW JACK

[O-townClown]

Jancze why don't put your money in the bank and save it for your kid's
college since he won't be getting a full ride scholarship scoring 8 goals
in 26 games. The shattuck schedule is not even very tough compared
to the schedules of the Detroit teams. Century college has expanded
and is right down 694 from Woodbury so your kid could play with his
buddies for the Royals and get his college prep there. They have one
of the best best pet grooming programs in the state and your boy can
then follow in your footsteps to a tee.

Wow, 5th. What a D-bag.

How could anyone be so worked up about someone else's path?

[hockeyboys]

Thank you Elliot for spelling out the reality. AAA Winter hockey in MN - NEVER!

[Judgeandjury]

Lets look at the numbers of College players by the top 4 states.
2007:
Minn had 211 at Div I and 306 Div III = 517 total
Mich had 146 at Div I and 101 Div III = 247 TOTAL
Mass had 110 at Div I and 293 Div III= 403 total
N.Y. had 93 at Div I and 171 Div III = 264 total
Ill Had 63 at Div I and 57 at Div III = 120
All other states were under 100 total players.The total American players was 2562 playing Div I & III NCAA hockey in 2007 and does not include club hockey.

2008: Div.I
Minn has 203 down 8 and at least there were 4 injured and not on a roster.
Mich has 128 down 18
Mass has 125 up 15
N.Y. has 87 down 6
Ill. 58 down 5
Pa has 51 up 14
Cal has 39 up 4
Conn has 31 up 5
Wis has 39 up 10
NJ has 27 up 4
N H has 16 down 3
Colo has 28 up 9
Alaska has 22 down 9
Ohio has 28 up 7
Mo has 25 up 3
Every other is under 20 the difference is from 2007.

Interesting! I wonder what these numbers would look like if Minnesota went the AAA route?

[5thgraders]

Jancze, Otown thats what makes all of this fun I can tackle both of you
at the same time. I don't need a scoresheet I just need the roster and
the 5feet 7 1994s are behind the curve. Otown the cold weather has
done wonders to you and your posts. I will take the d bag anyday
because one thing for certain it is alot better than a punching bag like
you. Get back on your plane warm up and come to your senses and
keep your nose in the sand and out of other peoples business.

[O-townClown]

Interesting! I wonder what these numbers would look like if Minnesota went the AAA route?

The same?

[nobama]

Well then you are saying that there is no downside so why not do it.

[Judgeandjury]

Well then you are saying that there is no downside so why not do it.

I agree! If people are devoted to their associations then stay and play. If people like what AAA offers versus their local association then more power to them.
I still find it interesting that parents get all worked up about programs like Minnesota made and the Fire but when kids leave for private school when they get older everything is fine. Who cares if they leave at 8 years old or 15 years old?

[O-townClown]

Well then you are saying that there is no downside so why not do it.

If that isn't the most gigantic logic leap ever I'll buy you a year's worth of dinner at Famous Dave's.

[jancze5]

5th, when you're ready to man-up, let us know.

Until then, O-town let me know when you're in town, maybe you guys can come skate at our neighborhood rink, we'll be back in town the 30th. The best games of hockey are just beginning, on the ponds and at the local outdoor rinks, with no coaches, no 5thgraders, no refs, just kids, guys and whoever having fun!

[greybeard58]

Judgeandjury wrote:

Interesting! I wonder what these numbers would look like if Minnesota went the AAA route?

The numbers would probably go the way of the other states that have Tier I drastically down!
I have to repeat this again that according to the President of USA Hockey and I quote" If the states that now have TIER I had there chance they would follow the model that Minnesota has used for all of these years".
****** 2008***2007***2006***2005***2004***2003
MINN.** 203****211****214****205****208****204
MICH***128****146****150****144****130****122
MASS***125****110****124****149 ****159****185
N.Y.*****87*****93****103*****98*****91****101
ILL.*****58*****63*****59*****46*****43*****51
PA.*****51*****37*****40*****43*****45*****47
CAL.****39*****35*****32*****27*****23*****20
CT******31*****26*****30*****29*****31*****34
WIS.****39*****29*****27*****27*****25*****25
N.J.*****27*****23*****25*****23*****19*****19

One would think that the larger number states with Tier I would actually show a very large increase due to the better competition;but they haven't. Mn Hockey Youth numbers have been on the decline for a number of years yet the number of players moving to D 1 has been constant.You can not increase the numbers at the top with out increasing the numbers at the incoming years and Tier 1 teams do not care if that happen or not.They only worry about their team and not the community if a player has problems they usually cut them and get another player. Yes I have witnessed Tier 1 at a few national tournaments and at invitational tournaments in this state and Wisconsin and their actions and sometimes quality of play has made me believe that Minnesota is doing it right.
If you have time go to the AHL and IHL and the ECHL and check the rosters for Mn players, you will find quite a few from some very small associations and a few that played B level till High school a lot more than the states with Tier 1.

[5thgraders]

Jancze I am not a big fan of tooting my kids horn on this site like you do. Do you really get great satisfaction from tooting that your boy goes to a
School that you feel is special, not to mention very expensive, is it all the tuition you pay that allows your mind to think that this is a good thing to do.


I will stick to the Century College way of knowledge and refrain from the
taunts from you to toot my boy.

And for that game of shinny at the Bielenberg that I am not invited to, be
sure you have your full gear on you just might need it.

[Bruins]

When AAA arrives and the tryout dates are posted, what do you think the turnout will be? It will be huge, and the program will be a success in its first year. All you AAA haters will be there with your kids saying its the best ever, why didnt we do this earlier? Then you will post how many from the AAA teams go D1 vs the top 10 little league teams in town. But then everyone will say that they are doing it just for fun and we all know the top players are hidden on C teams just developing at a slower rate (yawn). MN can support many AAA teams here, we have the numbers and it would thrive. Just look at the top AAA teams in the summer, great coaching and success comes easy for these guys.

[muckandgrind]

People - Why can't Tier I and Community Hockey co-exist together? I don't see any harm in allowing 4-6 Tier I teams operate in this State...we are talking about 16 players * 5 teams = 80 players at any given birth year!!! How could that POSSIBLY hurt the current system??? We would probably see the Edina kids stick with Edina and the Wayzata kids stick with Wayzata...we may see a couple of strong players leave their weak associations but, developmentally speaking, wouldn't those players be better off playing with stronger players??

This whole debate is really moot anyways. We all know the day is coming soon when we will see more Tier I AAA teams operate in this area. It's going to happen. We basically already have two (Fire and SSM) and it's just a matter of time when a few more pop up around the State (isn't MM's 'Squirt Choice Hockey' just laying the groundwork for another AAA Winter Program?).

[keepyourheadup]

Muck I agree, full time AAA is coming like it or not. I can't fault anyone for exercising the right to choose where their child plays. I think the problem lies with the parents who feel they've somehow been left behind when kids leave their association. I've said this before, if the motivation to move is based on the desire to pursue a post high school career in hockey I think this is misguided at best. If your reason is to improve the youth hockey experience for your child then I say why not. Janze I agree with your view point but I think even you would agree that the roster for the SSM prep team in a few years will not look much like this years tier 1 team. Maybe it comes down to fearing change, to just assume AAA will ruin the current system is quite a leap.

[DMom]

People - Why can't Tier I and Community Hockey co-exist together? I don't see any harm in allowing 4-6 Tier I teams operate in this State...we are talking about 16 players * 5 teams = 80 players at any given birth year!!! How could that POSSIBLY hurt the current system??? We would probably see the Edina kids stick with Edina and the Wayzata kids stick with Wayzata...we may see a couple of strong players leave their weak associations but, developmentally speaking, wouldn't those players be better off playing with stronger players??

This whole debate is really moot anyways. We all know the day is coming soon when we will see more Tier I AAA teams operate in this area. It's going to happen. We basically already have two (Fire and SSM) and it's just a matter of time when a few more pop up around the State (isn't MM's 'Squirt Choice Hockey' just laying the groundwork for another AAA Winter Program?).

Have you ever played a regular "little league" Wisconsin team. Just recently had the experience of playing their PeeWee A state championship team from last year, we, a small association, outshot them 37-4. There are no competitive teams in Wisconsin except for Hudson and Superior and that's because they play in Minnesota, you'd have that happen to Minnesota?

[muckandgrind]

People - Why can't Tier I and Community Hockey co-exist together? I don't see any harm in allowing 4-6 Tier I teams operate in this State...we are talking about 16 players * 5 teams = 80 players at any given birth year!!! How could that POSSIBLY hurt the current system??? We would probably see the Edina kids stick with Edina and the Wayzata kids stick with Wayzata...we may see a couple of strong players leave their weak associations but, developmentally speaking, wouldn't those players be better off playing with stronger players??

This whole debate is really moot anyways. We all know the day is coming soon when we will see more Tier I AAA teams operate in this area. It's going to happen. We basically already have two (Fire and SSM) and it's just a matter of time when a few more pop up around the State (isn't MM's 'Squirt Choice Hockey' just laying the groundwork for another AAA Winter Program?).

Have you ever played a regular "little league" Wisconsin team. Just recently had the experience of playing their PeeWee A state championship team from last year, we, a small association, outshot them 37-4. There are no competitive teams in Wisconsin except for Hudson and Superior and that's because they play in Minnesota, you'd have that happen to Minnesota?

You think that by adding a couple of Tier I teams in Minnesota will somehow cause the whole 'Minnesota Hockey Monopoly' to cave in on itself?? Really? The whole state of hockey (pun intended) would be ruined by adding a few teams?? I hardly think so.

I think that Tier I and Community-based hockey can (and will) coexist just fine.

And you're point about Wisconsin is like comparing apples and oranges. Hockey is a fast growing sport in Wisconsin, but didn't start growing until a few years ago. There is community-based hockey in Wisconsin, you just have to give it some time to mature, that's all.

[Bruins]

DMom, how do you think the Wisconsin players felt who got shelled by your team. I am sure the had to have a few players who were good. What if they wanted to play on a better team or should they just get crushed all the time? Sure it doesnt bother you, your winning, heck your sons "no-name" AAA summer team even beat the 97 Blades (yeah right).

[DMom]

DMom, how do you think the Wisconsin players felt who got shelled by your team. I am sure the had to have a few players who were good. What if they wanted to play on a better team or should they just get crushed all the time? Sure it doesnt bother you, your winning, heck your sons "no-name" AAA summer team even beat the 97 Blades (yeah right).

They didn't get crushed, the score was 2-1 thanks to excellent goaltending on their part. You've just made my point for me, there is AAA hockey in Wisconsin. All you do is move the problem away from yourself and your kid, or so you think, the problem still exists for those 'left behind'.

[Judgeandjury]

People - Why can't Tier I and Community Hockey co-exist together? I don't see any harm in allowing 4-6 Tier I teams operate in this State...we are talking about 16 players * 5 teams = 80 players at any given birth year!!! How could that POSSIBLY hurt the current system??? We would probably see the Edina kids stick with Edina and the Wayzata kids stick with Wayzata...we may see a couple of strong players leave their weak associations but, developmentally speaking, wouldn't those players be better off playing with stronger players??

This whole debate is really moot anyways. We all know the day is coming soon when we will see more Tier I AAA teams operate in this area. It's going to happen. We basically already have two (Fire and SSM) and it's just a matter of time when a few more pop up around the State (isn't MM's 'Squirt Choice Hockey' just laying the groundwork for another AAA Winter Program?).

Have you ever played a regular "little league" Wisconsin team. Just recently had the experience of playing their PeeWee A state championship team from last year, we, a small association, outshot them 37-4. There are no competitive teams in Wisconsin except for Hudson and Superior and that's because they play in Minnesota, you'd have that happen to Minnesota?

You think that by adding a couple of Tier I teams in Minnesota will somehow cause the whole 'Minnesota Hockey Monopoly' to cave in on itself?? Really? The whole state of hockey (pun intended) would be ruined by adding a few teams?? I hardly think so.

I think that Tier I and Community-based hockey can (and will) coexist just fine.

And you're point about Wisconsin is like comparing apples and oranges. Hockey is a fast growing sport in Wisconsin, but didn't start growing until a few years ago. There is community-based hockey in Wisconsin, you just have to give it some time to mature, that's all.

Well put! This is the second year of Minnesota made and the Fire program has been around for a while. I'm happy to report all is fine and no one is suffering.
After all said and done not all associations are equal. Some are stronger and some are weaker there's a reason why the same associations are annually better than the rest. If you choose not to play AAA winter hockey then great. If you choose to play AAA winter hockey great. Does it really matter to you and your association?
In the past couple years if you're losing kids to Minnesota made or the Fire maybe your association should go to the parents and ask them why they chose to leave their program and look at what changes could be made to benefit everyone. I know a few associations saw the writing on the wall last year and did make changes this year. Good for them. In my association they have lost a good share of kids both years to Minnesota made and they haven't skipped a beat.

One question for other associations. Does your association ever ask for feed back? If parents are not happy are they quickly labeled as complainers? Or does the association actually try to resolve the matter? I've seen many people in our asssociation ask basic simple questions only to be labeled as a complainer. It's really sad if you think about it. I realize that parents volunteer their time to the association. But if you cannot answer simple questions or don't have time I question why they volunteer?

[puckboy]

before we welcome AAA there are 2 points that are serious barriers.

1) Who is going to sanction these teams in Minnesota. MN hockey, I doubt it.

2) If they get sanctioned, which I don't see how that will happen, where will they get ice. I have read comments that ice is available. Good luck finding it on a consistent basis during the week.

[itsmorefun]

The only people who have a valid argument about this topic are those who have played Tier One and those who have played MN association hockey and have the knowledge to compare. Most people who comment, on this board, about their disgruntled idea of Tier One hockey, have never even experienced it. You just can't be taken seriously...

I would imagine that if you asked those who have the experience in both... MOST would tell you the experience they had with Tier One hockey is uncomparable to MN association hockey and they wouldn't have changed a thing about their youth hockey (in fact, I think that sounds like another good topic to start). It's NOT just about the hockey - although the level of hockey (depth of teams) does not even compare to MN - its about the EXPERIENCE! And families should have the choice.

Remember... not everyone goes to Hill Murray or Edina or Wayzata.

[Judgeandjury]

before we welcome AAA there are 2 points that are serious barriers.

1) Who is going to sanction these teams in Minnesota. MN hockey, I doubt it.

2) If they get sanctioned, which I don't see how that will happen, where will they get ice. I have read comments that ice is available. Good luck finding it on a consistent basis during the week.

PuckBoy-
Do you suppose that Minnesota made would host a team or teams? Right now many associations are renting ice from Minnesota made. If needed Minnesota made will have plenty of ice time available. Not to mention the third rink will be built within the next year or two which even adds more ice time. Choices are good.