Mike Lee ESPN article

[stillwildinIL]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/draft2009 ... id=4291769

Roseau would have been a much better team with Mike, but he chose the NHL future instead.
Blais believes SCSU will win a national title with Mike.

Can't wait to get an NHL jersey with my cousins name on it!

[ACTUALFORMERPLAYER]

Mike chose to believe the silver tongue of Dean Blais and leave his classmates, Nick Oliver stayed in Roseau and only went 11 picks after Mike Lee. The earlier Central Scouting rankings had Mike Lee ranked higher than his final North American 4th. Looks to me like his draft stock dropped by chosing the route of the USHL and leave high school early.

[BBB]

To go 11 picks ahead as a goalie vs a forward is a much bigger deal in the NHL draft.
Regardless of where you think his stock went you cant argue he prepared himself better for college and pro hockey.
He saw a lot more shots in games and practice from much better players. Played against stronger players and had to deal with more of a pro style game in front of the net. he played in 60 games that he had a chance of seeing a lot of shots and possibly losing, at Roseau that might have been 6 or 7 that you probably didnt know the outcome before it started. It would be safe to say that with roso's team and their schedule that some games he would not see a difficult shot. Lee also played in a lot of tough buildings after long road trips so his experience from the USHL will help wherever he plays in the next few years. With that he also played for a coach who has a ton of experience between the WCHA and the NHL so that probably didnt hurt either.

[DubCHAGuy]

Mike chose to believe the silver tongue of Dean Blais and leave his classmates, Nick Oliver stayed in Roseau and only went 11 picks after Mike Lee. The earlier Central Scouting rankings had Mike Lee ranked higher than his final North American 4th. Looks to me like his draft stock dropped by chosing the route of the USHL and leave high school early.

Unlikely. Not many teams gamble on a HS goalie. Look at some of the recent goalies who left HS early. Frazee, Stalock, Fallon, and now Lee all were drafted where goalies that stick around (Lundin, Richards) werent. Even Kangas wasnt drafted after his dominant senior year, but was after the following year in the USHL.

[Goldy Gopher]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/draft2009 ... id=4291769

Roseau would have been a much better team with Mike, but he chose the NHL future instead.
Blais believes SCSU will win a national title with Mike.

Can't wait to get an NHL jersey with my cousins name on it!

[FREDFLINTSTONE]

St.Cloud first needs to win a NCAA first round game (0-6).

[midwesthockeyscout]

To go 11 picks ahead as a goalie vs a forward is a much bigger deal in the NHL draft.
Regardless of where you think his stock went you cant argue he prepared himself better for college and pro hockey.
He saw a lot more shots in games and practice from much better players. Played against stronger players and had to deal with more of a pro style game in front of the net. he played in 60 games that he had a chance of seeing a lot of shots and possibly losing, at Roseau that might have been 6 or 7 that you probably didnt know the outcome before it started. It would be safe to say that with roso's team and their schedule that some games he would not see a difficult shot. Lee also played in a lot of tough buildings after long road trips so his experience from the USHL will help wherever he plays in the next few years. With that he also played for a coach who has a ton of experience between the WCHA and the NHL so that probably didnt hurt either.

Although I am a proponent for players staying in high school - STRICTLY, from the emotional standpoint of leaving your high school friends early and not graduating with your class: the experience and memories of that - it is CLEAR that it is a benefit to play with men bigger, stronger than HSers..... and the amount of games/length of season is also a huge factor.

The difference here is compare those players that are young 10th graders for example - that are still bantam eligible - There are many who opt to play A Bantam versus JV for the amount of games played, and still against quality players. I believe you get into the HS system, and play with kids that are 11th graders, and not 9th graders (as in bantams) to help improve your physical play.

So, for the situation for any player to move up in play over HS, you get the double benefit of playing against stronger, older players and more games.

Please keep in mind, as I have stressed on this forum in the past, the majority of these decisions are recommended by the college coaches, who now seem to be getting more players to leave their senior seasons, rather than graduating, then playing a year of juniors before attending college. College hockey is a business, too.

[midwesthockeyscout]

Let me just add, too, that the new Fargo Ice Arena is a spectacular arena.