HighSchoolHockeyForums.com

goldy313 wrote:You have to have the site prearranged, you can't just wait and see who is playing who then try and find a rink, hope there is ice available, and find people to sell and take tickets, sell concessions, etc. based on 24 hours notice or less. No sport runs this way, all are set up up to year in advance if not more.

Also the Administrative section administers the tournament, administrative sections aren't exactly aligned with the hockey sections nor any other sport. There is an awful lot that goes into planning these events, not something that can be done at a days notice. Things such as cost; Marriucci charges in the neighborhood of $10,000 to rent their building in 1AA and 1A they used to play there but lost money and played in an empty environment so they moved to a building that charges around $1000 for the day. Aside from 1 coach in the section the schools seem to like the move, not only is the atmosphere better but the member schools get a nice check returned to them following the tournament, something that dissapeared at Marriucci.

I think the DECC is half the cost too compared to Marriucci, not totally sure on that, but I know with all the southern schools in 7AA now they were looking at alternating semis and finals between Marriucci and the DECC every year, but Marriucci is too expensive. I think I'd like the DECC for atmosphere better anyways.

Background
The Minnesota State High School League is giving serious consideration to the reduction of games and scrimmages next season. The discussion centered around cost savings - and the belief that by reducing games and scrimmages, districts will save dollars. One of the possibilities is the reductions of games in boys hockey from 25 down to 22. The Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association believes that a contest reduction will be devastating to our sport.

Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association position Believes that the number of contests should remain the same. Look at the success of the recent Boys State High School Tournament as an indication of the importance of the number of contests that we currently have. A reduction would significantly impact high level players staying in high school.

The primary goal is to keep players in High School Hockey. The junior levels have used the argument of their number of contests and extended length of season as a recruiting tool for years. Thanks to the efforts of Bruce Johnson, Tom Saterdalen, Willard Ikola and others we recently increased our contests to 25 games.

In addition, the MHCA has worked with cooperation with Minnesota Youth Hockey, USA Hockey to help create opportunities like the Minnesota Elite I and II Leagues. These leagues give student-athletes an opportunity to play fall/spring sports as well as compete in a fall hockey league. The MHCA can point to the dozens of case examples of players staying in their local community because they feel they are doing a good job preparing them for the post-high school world of hockey.

If the Minnesota State High School League Board of Directors reduced the number of contests or shorten the season, we believe that our "blue-chip" players would be targeted and successfully encouraged to leave their local community. Boys high school hockey currently loses about 10-12 players every year to junior hockey. The MHCA anticipates that number to grow by 500% if there was a reduction. The ripple effect would be that the level of competition would decrease and the level of excitement regarding our sport would decrease. This would in turn affect attendance of contests by "hockey fans"; those fans not associated with a particular school.

Additionally, the largest High School State Tournament in the nation would suffer and the MSHSL would not get the same revenue streams from attendance and/or television partnerships.

Further, the MHCA sees the rise of club or midget hockey teams taking an additional slice of our players and make the resulting product the equivalent of intramural hockey.

If the number of contests are reduced, players that leave will certainly not be a part of our local communities for our children to look up to and the excitement that is generated on a cold winter night.

Timeline
The board has called a special meeting for March 2nd to make decisions on this topic.

Request
Please speak or write to any of the following people on this important issue.

Deb Henton, North Branch Public School Superintendent DHenton@northbranch.k12.mn.us

Becky Leuer, North Branch High School Activities Director bleuer@northbranch.k12.mn.us

Craig Perry, MSHSL Associate Director
cperry@mshsl.org

Dave Stead, MSHSL Executive Director
dstead@mshsl.org

Mark Kuisle, MSHSL Board President
makuisle@rochester.k12.mn.us

MSHSL Board of Directors

Representing: 1-2A
Les Zellmann
St. James HS
500 8th Ave S
St. James MN 56081
W: 507-375-5602
F: 507.375.4371
lzellmann@stjames.k12.mn.us

Representing: 3-4A
Chris Laird
Heritage Christian Academy
15655 Bass Lake Road
Maple Grove MN 55311
W: 763-463-2205
F: 763.469.2296
chrlaird@heritagemail.org

Representing: 5-6A
Steve Niklaus
Treasurer
Annandale School District
125 Cherry Ave
PO Box 190
Annandale MN 55302
W: 320-274-5602 ext. 2900
F: 320.274.5978
sniklaus@annandale.k12.mn.us

Representing: 7-8A
Chad Stoskopf
Esko High School
PO Box 10
2 E Hwy 61
Esko, MN 55733
W: 218-879-1909
F: 218.879.1909
cstoskopf@esko.k12.mn.us

Representing: 1-2AA
Mark Kuisle
President
Rochester Century HS
2525 Viola Rd NE
Rochester MN 55906
W: 507-287-7918
F: 507.529.4634
makuisle@rochester.k12.mn.us

Representing: 3-4AA
Jeff Whisler
Vice President
Mahtomedi HS
8000 75th St N
Mahtomedi MN 55115
W: 651-407-2119
F: 651.407.2175
jwhisler@mahtomedi.k12.mn.us

Representing: 5-6AA
Dave Alto
Spring Lake Park HS
8000 Hwy 65 NE
Spring Lake Park MN 55432
W: 763-785-5550
F: 763.786.9857
dalto@district16.org

Representing: 7-8AA
Ron Larson
St. Francis High School
3325 Bridge Street
St. Francis MN 55070
W: 763-213-1504
F: 763.213.1710
ronlar@stfrancis.k12.mn.us

Representing: Girls Sports
Mindy Sparby
309 7th Street NW
New Richland MN 56072
W: 507-465-3205
F: 507.465.8633
msparby@nrheg.k12.mn.us

Representing: Boys Sports
John Schumacher
Park Rapids HS
401 Huntsinger Ave
Park Rapids MN 56470
W: 218-237-6550
F: 218.237.6401
jschumacher@parkrapids.k12.mn.us

Representing: CTAM
Jill Lofald
6310 Elinor Street
Duluth MN 55807
W: 218-336-8830 x2003
F: 218.336.8842
Jill.lofald@duluth.k12.mn.us

Representing: MASSP
Dean Ogg
Staples-Motley HS
401 Centennial Dr
Staples MN 56479-2118
W: 218-894-5407
F: 218.894.2434
dogg@isd2170.k12.mn.us

Representing: MASSP
Luanne Wagner
St. Francis High School
3325 Bridge St NW
St. Francis MN 55070
W: 763-213-1503
luawag@stfrancis.k12.mn.us

Representing: MMEA
Bill Webb
4733 Hibiscus Ave
Edina MN 55345
W: 952-848-3034
F: 952.848.3178
wilwebb@edina.k12.mn.us
williamallenwebb@aol.com

Representing: MSBA
Gary Lee
11880 360th St SW
Fertile, MN 56540
W: 218-574-2237
F: 218.574.2238
gary@leenursery.com

Representing: MSBA
Carol Bomben
9260 Talus Circle
Eden Prairie, MN 55347
(H) 952-942-6356
cbomben@edenpr.org

Representing: Public
John Klinnert
1801 W Lincoln Ave
Fergus Falls MN 56537
W: 218-739-5299
F: 763.739.9135
jklinnert@prtel.com

Representing: Public
Kim Algoo
516 East 4th Avenue
Shakopee, MN 55379
ksalgoo@hotmail.com

Representing: Public
Brent Robbins
General Mills
Number One General Mills Blvd M 4-F
Golden Valley MN 55426
W: 763-764-7731
F: 763.784.5011
brentrobbins@genmills.com

Representing: Public
Mike Rusinko
19014 Firethorn Pointe
Eden Prairie MN 55347-2106
W: 612-277-6100
F: 612.277.1010

It also never hurts to let your school officials (athletic director, principal, superintendent etc.) know how important this is to the world of hockey, and more specifically, the school. Hockey is somewhat unique because of its large and active 'junior' program that can lure kids away from high school early.

When talking to school administrators use their language; $$$$. If a kid leaves their high school to play in another league the school loses the 'revenue per pupil' for that student that they would normally get from the State government. I believe that amounts to around $5000+ per kid who leaves high school early to participate in hockey elsewhere. If top players were to leave and go elsewhere the cost to the school in lost revenue would eat up the savings they have by reducing games because they still have to put on the program for the players who are left.

Obviously, as stated above, the level of hockey skill would also likely drop but schools really hate the idea of losing $$$.

LPH's Wally Shaver has an article this week on the reduction of games. Sounds like this is far from a done deal.

http://www.letsplayhockey.com/977shaver.html

mrheavyfoot wrote:LPH's Wally Shaver has an article this week on the reduction of games. Sounds like this is far from a done deal.

http://www.letsplayhockey.com/977shaver.html

I agree, however it still won't hurt to contact these individuals and let your voice be heard. The more people that openly express their opinion on this issue can only help guide them (the mshsl) in the right direction. It sounds like the coaches association has their ducks lined up on this one. Good for them. Now it's up to us to get behind the coaches on this and show our support for them.

Smartest thing to do would be to drop JV (hockey) programs. That would save high schools a pile of cash per season. Save on ice cost, transportation, equipment, etc. Roll the sophomores into a U16 program right under the old associations and let mom and dad do what thye always have done for the great game of hockey....fund it. Actually this would be the most logical move to make across the board for all high school sports. The MSHSL is not smart enough to make this move even though it would be the most fiscally prudent measure to take into action for 2009-2010.