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I read Reusse's article today about priority shifts in hockey. Frankly, I see and hear about Hockey Development blah, blah, blah all of the time. I watch selfish play for the sake of points.

Some kids play for Shattuck or Fire for the sake of development instead of playing with their buddies and hometown team. If they are talented, wouldn't they get to their destination anyway?

Are high school players playing to get noticed or help their team get to the State Tournament?

I will give Edina kudos. Except for a player or two, their team is focused and unselfish. They are focused on getting it done. I would argue that Roseau is on the same level.

Your thoughts and observations

Article:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/12757177.html

I've noticed this as well. The emphasis seems to be on personal development-(points) with little regard for team or community. Sports teach kids a great deal about life and hopefully we'll see the pendulum swing back away from personal greed and back towards the importance about being a part of a team.

I applaud the Edina kids for staying with their program as well.

Hockeyguy_27 wrote:I applaud the Edina kids for staying with their program as well.

I applaud them as well. It's great to see.

Many kids leave for JRs and find themselves spending time on the pine. I have not checked the stat lines. But, I hear Mike Fink is an example of that.

Patrick White from GR is a positive example from that community.

breakout wrote:

Hockeyguy_27 wrote:I applaud the Edina kids for staying with their program as well.

I applaud them as well. It's great to see.

Many kids leave for JRs and find themselves spending time on the pine. I have not checked the stat lines. But, I hear Mike Fink is an example of that.

Patrick White from GR is a positive example from that community.

It is tough for some of these kids. Fink, from what I was told, was advised to play Juniors this year to better prepare him for college. It will be interesting to see next year if some of the current juniors who are currently committed opt to stay in high school or leave for juniors. I hope they stay.

breakout wrote:I applaud them as well. It's great to see.

Many kids leave for JRs and find themselves spending time on the pine. I have not checked the stat lines. But, I hear Mike Fink is an example of that.

Fink plays. He was injured for a little bit early and sat out because of it but that can happen anywhere. Otherwise, he is in the lineup every game and plays.

It depends on the reasoning. After my hometown high school coach was playing favorites my sophomore year, I left for a private school. Part of me wishes i had stayed, but on the other hand, the move gave me the playing time i wanted.

Michael Fink stat line:

http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/pla ... sonid=2212

LetsPlayHockey22 wrote:It depends on the reasoning. After my hometown high school coach was playing favorites my sophomore year, I left for a private school. Part of me wishes i had stayed, but on the other hand, the move gave me the playing time i wanted.

Well, there's a case in point of Reusse's position. Team be damned.

It's never player's fault, it's always the coach, the refs, the association board, the athletic director, the parents, you name it - just never the player. Things don't go your way, so what do you do? Tuck your tail and run. There's a lesson for all the kids.

Govs93 wrote:

LetsPlayHockey22 wrote:It depends on the reasoning. After my hometown high school coach was playing favorites my sophomore year, I left for a private school. Part of me wishes i had stayed, but on the other hand, the move gave me the playing time i wanted.

Well, there's a case in point of Reusse's position. Team be damned.

It's never player's fault, it's always the coach, the refs, the association board, the athletic director, the parents, you name it - just never the player. Things don't go your way, so what do you do? Tuck your tail and run. There's a lesson for all the kids.

How about that senior player, who has stuck it out every year, and is cut to make room for some freshman? Happens quite a bit, latest example i have is at St. Cloud Tech, has happened several times. Where's the loyalty there? When it's all about winning for the coaches and team, then why shouldn't the player also have priorities?

Kyle leaving mid-season is a classless move on his part. But it's done and the Goph's have to adjust.

breakout wrote:Many kids leave for JRs and find themselves spending time on the pine. I have not checked the stat lines. But, I hear Mike Fink is an example of that.

Do you have some examples of players that left early to the USHL only to find themselves sitting on the bench? How many of these players actually have a college commitment?

My thinking is that if a kid leaves early because the college coach where he has committed to play has told him he will need a year in Juniors, don't you think that the college coach has been in touch with the Juniors coach and told him that this player needs to play?

Blue&Gold wrote:

Govs93 wrote:

LetsPlayHockey22 wrote:It depends on the reasoning. After my hometown high school coach was playing favorites my sophomore year, I left for a private school. Part of me wishes i had stayed, but on the other hand, the move gave me the playing time i wanted.

Well, there's a case in point of Reusse's position. Team be damned.

It's never player's fault, it's always the coach, the refs, the association board, the athletic director, the parents, you name it - just never the player. Things don't go your way, so what do you do? Tuck your tail and run. There's a lesson for all the kids.

How about that senior player, who has stuck it out every year, and is cut to make room for some freshman? Happens quite a bit, latest example i have is at St. Cloud Tech, has happened several times. Where's the loyalty there? When it's all about winning for the coaches and team, then why shouldn't the player also have priorities?

Kyle leaving mid-season is a classless move on his part. But it's done and the Goph's have to adjust.

If it happens as a senior, then I'll agree that it sucks for the kid, but ultimately that's going to say a lot about his potential as a player. If he's losing a varisty spot he had the year before to a freshman, he wouldn't be playing the following year, clearly. You could view that as the coach coaching for the team rather than the player - which is his overall responsibility, although developing indiviuals is also important.

But in the case of the kid above, he evidently had a sense of entitlment as a sophopmore... a sophomore! If I was a teammate of somebody like that I'd be thrilled to see him go. I wouldn't want that selfishness on my team.

RLStars wrote:

breakout wrote:Many kids leave for JRs and find themselves spending time on the pine. I have not checked the stat lines. But, I hear Mike Fink is an example of that.

Do you have some examples of players that left early to the USHL only to find themselves sitting on the bench? How many of these players actually have a college commitment?

My thinking is that if a kid leaves early because the college coach where he has committed to play has told him he will need a year in Juniors, don't you think that the college coach has been in touch with the Juniors coach and told him that this player needs to play?

USHL coaches, for the most part, don't really give much of a hoot what the college coaches want. They (USHL coaches) have some contact with every D1 program in the country, and if they did what those coaches wanted, they'd be in trouble. The USHL is as close to a professional program as most players will experience. The teams must put butts in seats to pay bills, and players have to perform to play, and/or stay around.

Govs93 wrote:
It's never player's fault, it's always the coach, the refs, the association board, the athletic director, the parents, you name it - just never the player. Things don't go your way, so what do you do? Tuck your tail and run. There's a lesson for all the kids.

See?!

Almost on queue.

Govs93 wrote:

Govs93 wrote:
It's never player's fault, it's always the coach, the refs, the association board, the athletic director, the parents, you name it - just never the player. Things don't go your way, so what do you do? Tuck your tail and run. There's a lesson for all the kids.

See?!

Almost on queue.

Not for long.

Lee

Dont be too judgemental of Okposo, there seems to be more to the story. Lets wait to see what he has to say before you judge the move.

Penalty Shot wrote:Dont be too judgemental of Okposo, there seems to be more to the story. Lets wait to see what he has to say before you judge the move.

BS...........you either commit for the season or you don't

Govs93 wrote:

Govs93 wrote:
It's never player's fault, it's always the coach, the refs, the association board, the athletic director, the parents, you name it - just never the player. Things don't go your way, so what do you do? Tuck your tail and run. There's a lesson for all the kids.

See?!

Almost on queue.

That's funny!

east hockey wrote:

Govs93 wrote:

Govs93 wrote:
It's never player's fault, it's always the coach, the refs, the association board, the athletic director, the parents, you name it - just never the player. Things don't go your way, so what do you do? Tuck your tail and run. There's a lesson for all the kids.

See?!

Almost on queue.

Not for long.

Lee

Funnier!

Blue&Gold wrote:

RLStars wrote:

breakout wrote:Many kids leave for JRs and find themselves spending time on the pine. I have not checked the stat lines. But, I hear Mike Fink is an example of that.

Do you have some examples of players that left early to the USHL only to find themselves sitting on the bench? How many of these players actually have a college commitment?

My thinking is that if a kid leaves early because the college coach where he has committed to play has told him he will need a year in Juniors, don't you think that the college coach has been in touch with the Juniors coach and told him that this player needs to play?

USHL coaches, for the most part, don't really give much of a hoot what the college coaches want. They (USHL coaches) have some contact with every D1 program in the country, and if they did what those coaches wanted, they'd be in trouble. The USHL is as close to a professional program as most players will experience. The teams must put butts in seats to pay bills, and players have to perform to play, and/or stay around.

USHL is a business, coaches get paid to win. If they don't win, they don't have a job.

breakout good topic, I'm a big proponent of the team concept. It's a interesting world we live now days. At this age and level with the many options that can be available to players of his talent, it does become harder and harder to keep the focus on the team. And players at this age level with their eyes on the carrot should have some personal concern about their development however Govs has it right that so often it is fault of everyone else rather than the player looking in the mirror. That player often misses the fact that he could be looking at his own worse enemy.

Kyle's leaving in the middle of the season should send a message to his future teammates though. You quit on your teammates once like this and it gets easier the next time.

Some have suggested (on other parts of this site) that his grades would have caused future problems. I don't know if that is the case. If so then the move right now might have been the best for all concerned.

I do think that the current system (along with parenting) does breed some of the character flaws that seem more apparent now days and why the concept of team has diminished.

Yep, I like the what this group of players at Edina have done in forming a team of unity and drive to succeed as one.

tomASS wrote:Some have suggested (on other parts of this site) that his grades would have caused future problems. I don't know if that is the case. If so then the move right now might have been the best for all concerned.

It wasn't grades.

Gopher Blog wrote:

tomASS wrote:Some have suggested (on other parts of this site) that his grades would have caused future problems. I don't know if that is the case. If so then the move right now might have been the best for all concerned.

It wasn't grades.

then BIAFP is correct - and I predict this will not be the last time he quits on future teammates.

I do think the gophs will be better as a team without his services since he offered nothing to to that element of his play.

BIAFP wrote:

Penalty Shot wrote:Dont be too judgemental of Okposo, there seems to be more to the story. Lets wait to see what he has to say before you judge the move.

BS...........you either commit for the season or you don't

When they committ for college, it should be for a full 4-years, unless they are failing in school. That goes for ALL collegiate sports.

wbmd wrote:

BIAFP wrote:

Penalty Shot wrote:Dont be too judgemental of Okposo, there seems to be more to the story. Lets wait to see what he has to say before you judge the move.

BS...........you either commit for the season or you don't

When they committ for college, it should be for a full 4-years, unless they are failing in school. That goes for ALL collegiate sports.

I don't believe colleges give 4 year deals. Their deals are for one year at a time.

wbmd wrote:

BIAFP wrote:

Penalty Shot wrote:Dont be too judgemental of Okposo, there seems to be more to the story. Lets wait to see what he has to say before you judge the move.

BS...........you either commit for the season or you don't

When they committ for college, it should be for a full 4-years, unless they are failing in school. That goes for ALL collegiate sports.

OK, I'll buy into that IF the player is also guaranteed a spot for those 4 years. I know of a couple of situations where coaches have either flat-out sent a player packing, or worked to get that player to leave.

It has to go both ways! It goes to my point above, if a team can release (cut) a player, then the player should be able to leave when they want. If a marginal player can be cut, then a good player can leave.

Kyle's move was class-less, but we're into times that we'll see it again.