Thoroughbreds

[Just A Dad]

Any word on the selections for the 2009-2010 Minnesota Thoroughbreds team? I read they are now part of the Junior Women's Hockey League West Division with Balmoral Hall from Winnipeg, two Alberta teams and a team from Vancouver. The East Division includes four teams from the east coast and a team from Colorado. Any insight from anyone?

[Night Train]

Curious how that League compares to this one?,

http://mwehl.stats.pointstreak.com/play ... sonid=4364

[joehockey]

The JWHL is now probably the top US - Canadian League. The Ontario League is probably better but the Thoroughbreds have made a great step up - the College Forum covers this League pretty close. Best of luck to all of the girls involved.!

[hockeychamp01]

by the looks of their website they concluded tryouts this past sunday...any word on new players?

[Lucky]

by the looks of their website they concluded tryouts this past sunday...any word on new players?

Good luck to the Thoroughbreds in the JWHL, my daughter has played against them for the last three years and they have always been a great ambassador for USA hockey from a Canadian prospective.

[jcp-18]

Any word on who made the team? It looks like they had a practice tonight.

[hockeypup]

Any word on who made the team? It looks like they had a practice tonight.

Stephanie Anderson, junior, North St. Paul
Kate Beemer, junior, Hudson, Wisconsin
Mollly Blood, sophomore, Plymouth
Lindsey Brown, senior, Moundsview
Sarah Bruchu, sophomore, Lake Elmo
Lindsay Burman, senior, Stanchfield
Kalli Funk, junior, Roseville
Kaitlyn Milner, senior, St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin
Shelby Parisian, senior, Maple Grove
Keri Pickel, senior, Rochester
Emma Rucinski, junior, Rochester
MacKenzie Saad, senior, White Bear Lake
Lexi Schutt, post grad, Elk River
Raelyn Smith, junior, Zimmerman
Ivy Smith, sophomore, Rice Lake, Wisconsin
Danielle Williams, senior, Waconia

[iceage]

Any word on who made the team? It looks like they had a practice tonight.

Stephanie Anderson, junior, North St. Paul
Kate Beemer, junior, Hudson, Wisconsin
Mollly Blood, sophomore, Plymouth
Lindsey Brown, senior, Moundsview
Sarah Bruchu, sophomore, Lake Elmo
Lindsay Burman, senior, Stanchfield
Kalli Funk, junior, Roseville
Kaitlyn Milner, senior, St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin
Shelby Parisian, senior, Maple Grove
Keri Pickel, senior, Rochester
Emma Rucinski, junior, Rochester
MacKenzie Saad, senior, White Bear Lake
Lexi Schutt, post grad, Elk River
Raelyn Smith, junior, Zimmerman
Ivy Smith, sophomore, Rice Lake, Wisconsin
Danielle Williams, senior, Waconia

Can you play for the Thoroughbreds and play high dchool hockey?

[hockeypup]

Any word on who made the team? It looks like they had a practice tonight.

Stephanie Anderson, junior, North St. Paul
Kate Beemer, junior, Hudson, Wisconsin
Mollly Blood, sophomore, Plymouth
Lindsey Brown, senior, Moundsview
Sarah Bruchu, sophomore, Lake Elmo
Lindsay Burman, senior, Stanchfield
Kalli Funk, junior, Roseville
Kari Lundberg, senior, Woodbury
Kaitlyn Milner, senior, St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin
Shelby Parisian, senior, Maple Grove
Keri Pickel, senior, Rochester
Emma Rucinski, junior, Rochester
MacKenzie Saad, senior, White Bear Lake
Lexi Schutt, post grad, Elk River
Raelyn Smith, junior, Zimmerman
Ivy Smith, sophomore, Rice Lake, Wisconsin
Danielle Williams, senior, Waconia

[joehockey]

No it is either or in MN AAA or HS. In most areas of the country you can do both or at least before and after. Having just returned from the NAHA tournament MN could do very well at the National Level if we followed what is done in other areas.

Any word on who made the team? It looks like they had a practice tonight.

Stephanie Anderson, junior, North St. Paul
Kate Beemer, junior, Hudson, Wisconsin
Mollly Blood, sophomore, Plymouth
Lindsey Brown, senior, Moundsview
Sarah Bruchu, sophomore, Lake Elmo
Lindsay Burman, senior, Stanchfield
Kalli Funk, junior, Roseville
Kaitlyn Milner, senior, St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin
Shelby Parisian, senior, Maple Grove
Keri Pickel, senior, Rochester
Emma Rucinski, junior, Rochester
MacKenzie Saad, senior, White Bear Lake
Lexi Schutt, post grad, Elk River
Raelyn Smith, junior, Zimmerman
Ivy Smith, sophomore, Rice Lake, Wisconsin
Danielle Williams, senior, Waconia

Can you play for the Thoroughbreds and play high dchool hockey?

[Hux]

Can you play for the Thoroughbreds and play high school hockey?

Even if rules allowed for it, there is little chance anyone would want to as the JWHL and tournament schedule is pretty intensive.

[SECoach]

No it is either or in MN AAA or HS. In most areas of the country you can do both or at least before and after. Having just returned from the NAHA tournament MN could do very well at the National Level if we followed what is done in other areas.

Can you play for the Thoroughbreds and play high dchool hockey?

[/quote]

Joe.....or we could do worse if we followed what they did. I think the results of the NAHA tourney showed that we have great depth. You could probably put together another team or two from Minnesota that would compete. To be able to bring in 3 Minnesota teams and compete as they did shows that having the number of female players we do yields great results at high levels of competition. We can't start thinking that if we could just get them all on one team we would win a national championship, when this tourney is not a national championship.

Without trying to read to far into what you mean by "follow what they do" I would like to suggest that Minnesota's format of high school hockey being the "highest" level of play before college, and playing for your community, gives us numbers that no other area in the county can come close to. The more girls you can start and keep in the game for a longer period of time will yield you the highest number of quality players in the end. We all know some 6 year old that could become a great player that will never step on the ice. The opportunity to play in high school is in large part what gets another 6 or 8 year old into the game. When club hockey becomes bigger than high school, that player will be left behind.

Again, not being sure this is how you meant it, many of the other teams in this tourney are from areas of North America that by choice or by necessity, eliminate most of the players by the time they are 12. We have lots of opportunities for the better players to hook up with their peers in the off season, however if those opportunities ever become the leading edge, and high school hockey becomes secondary, the girl's game will shrink and that can't be good.

Based on your posts, your daughter has had alot of opportunity to play at a national level whether it be the NAHA tourney or the USA Hockey Select Camps. You have to have met parents from other parts of the country that are elitist and belong to a very small girl's hockey world. If we in Minnesota ever let our hockey become that, we will deliver what they do. One very special player from Texas, or Florida. I'm in favor of sending our girls in masses. Our current program allows us to do that.

Let me close by saying you probably didn't mean your comment the way I took it. I do however take every chance i get to keep us from thinking that they do it better than we do. I'm sorry you go laced this time.

Oh and i had to edit this to say carbon copy on the boys side.

[joehockey]

SE Coach I enjoy your posts and you are half right in your comments - the forum is meant to share thoughts mine are often not in the mainstream sorry.

I care a ton about girls hockey in MN and only want it to get better and to give more girls in MN the chance to play the game at the base and a higher number of MN girls to play at the highest level. I have had a chance to see hockey around the country and Canada - there are many models and to your point many areas don't match up - but if we think we have the perfect system top to bottom we are only half right - there are many measures of success - we lead in many.

MN Girls HS Hockey is unmatched and the girls that at the HS level some 3200 is outstanding - I am not against our system it is unique, cost effective and productive. What I would like is an extension of what we do right to get more coaches looking at more MN HS girls/teams - the girls I saw last weekend from many areas were not stronger than MN girls - but many are going on to play D1 while some top MN girls are still trying to find a way to. The Elite Leagues in their second year are a great opportunity if we can get the college coaches to come and watch..

For our total player base in MN we don't get as many girls to the highest level of National Team or as many girls the opportunity to play at the college level - it is becuase they aren't scouted closely. I am not trying to be an elitist just get more of the 100 college coaches at NAHA or the USA Hockey people who pick the kids a chance to see the players. Today MN players maybe 12-15 at the U15, U16 or U17 get a chance to be seen at the National Camp.

When MN sent 51 great players on 3 teams to NAHA this weekend we are disadvantage when a National coach or College Coach watches some of the US or CDN teams who have played and practiced together - the teams are discplined and able to show creativeness - players know and trust line mates and give passes knowing they will get them back. Our HS system produces great skilled MN players who on many occassions can just take off end to end but are not wired to set up and patiently work in the zone against top competition - I saw the top players in MN trying to do that last weekend but mostly we just threw long seam passes to create odd man rushes or if we got in the zone throw it to the point for a shot and then crashed the net - trademark MN girls HS Hockey. Don't get me wrong we looked good so don't everyone pile on.

Systems evolve and results can improve or go down - we have a system needed across the country - but MN Hockey or USA Hockey doesn't want to compare. The funniest comment I heard about MN was a year ago "behind the iron curtain" how do you produce so many great players - other areas see MN as elitist because we don't want to be involved or share or participate - we should look in the mirror on that message if we want to share the good word on what they should be doing but we don't....the rest of the country doesn't know our system - by having some other teams that could compete outside of the HS system - pre and post - there would be benefit.

Like some of you I grew up playing hockey had a older son in hockey and helped coach. When my daughter started is was a different game all together and still is - in our house we still doing what we started 10 years ago - work hard to get kids on skates/in the game and work hard to make sure it is a fun experience. I kind of watch and try to effect total girls skating, girls playing HS hockey and the girls from MN who go on to play D1 or D3. The numbers are hard to get at but look at hockey outside the metro or the suburbs of the metro and the girls game is in real trouble from the base to HS - we mask some of this with coops in HS - maybe the boys game is to I don't know. In an Olympic year with the womens team based here there should be huge emphisis to grow the game. As far as the CC on the boys side you can't this is apples and oranges boys to girls in MN and nationally.

Keep up the posts SE Coach I enjoy them and I will keep sharing but I am about done - we are in the final year so my posts aren't for my daughter it is for younger partents with daughters who are in HS but looking to figure out options to build on the strengths we have - if we don't continue to evolve we will go backwards it is a basic rule of nature. We agree more than we disagree - advancement comes from the edges not the middle so if we want MN to be the best stay the best we collectively have to keep sharing.

No it is either or in MN AAA or HS. In most areas of the country you can do both or at least before and after. Having just returned from the NAHA tournament MN could do very well at the National Level if we followed what is done in other areas.

Can you play for the Thoroughbreds and play high dchool hockey?

Joe.....or we could do worse if we followed what they did. I think the results of the NAHA tourney showed that we have great depth. You could probably put together another team or two from Minnesota that would compete. To be able to bring in 3 Minnesota teams and compete as they did shows that having the number of female players we do yields great results at high levels of competition. We can't start thinking that if we could just get them all on one team we would win a national championship, when this tourney is not a national championship.

Without trying to read to far into what you mean by "follow what they do" I would like to suggest that Minnesota's format of high school hockey being the "highest" level of play before college, and playing for your community, gives us numbers that no other area in the county can come close to. The more girls you can start and keep in the game for a longer period of time will yield you the highest number of quality players in the end. We all know some 6 year old that could become a great player that will never step on the ice. The opportunity to play in high school is in large part what gets another 6 or 8 year old into the game. When club hockey becomes bigger than high school, that player will be left behind.

Again, not being sure this is how you meant it, many of the other teams in this tourney are from areas of North America that by choice or by necessity, eliminate most of the players by the time they are 12. We have lots of opportunities for the better players to hook up with their peers in the off season, however if those opportunities ever become the leading edge, and high school hockey becomes secondary, the girl's game will shrink and that can't be good.

Based on your posts, your daughter has had alot of opportunity to play at a national level whether it be the NAHA tourney or the USA Hockey Select Camps. You have to have met parents from other parts of the country that are elitist and belong to a very small girl's hockey world. If we in Minnesota ever let our hockey become that, we will deliver what they do. One very special player from Texas, or Florida. I'm in favor of sending our girls in masses. Our current program allows us to do that.

Let me close by saying you probably didn't mean your comment the way I took it. I do however take every chance i get to keep us from thinking that they do it better than we do. I'm sorry you go laced this time.

Oh and i had to edit this to say carbon copy on the boys side.[/quote]

[Bensonmum]

Stephanie Anderson, junior, North St. Paul
Kate Beemer, junior, Hudson, Wisconsin
Mollly Blood, sophomore, Plymouth
Lindsey Brown, senior, Moundsview
Sarah Bruchu, sophomore, Lake Elmo
Lindsay Burman, senior, Stanchfield
Kalli Funk, junior, Roseville
Kaitlyn Milner, senior, St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin
Shelby Parisian, senior, Maple Grove
Keri Pickel, senior, Rochester
Emma Rucinski, junior, Rochester
MacKenzie Saad, senior, White Bear Lake
Lexi Schutt, post grad, Elk River
Raelyn Smith, junior, Zimmerman
Ivy Smith, sophomore, Rice Lake, Wisconsin
Danielle Williams, senior, Waconia

Where is Kari Lundberg? Is that a typo?

[hockey1518]

Kari Lundberg from Woodbury should also be listed. She is a third year player.

[Bensonmum]

It seems that the makeup of this team, especially the new players, is very different than the teams in the last 4-5 years.

[hockeypup]

Kari Lundberg from Woodbury should also be listed. She is a third year player.

She is listed. There was a revised roster posted after the first one....... subject line, correct roster posted below.....

[Hux]

When MN sent 51 great players on 3 teams to NAHA this weekend we are disadvantage when a National coach or College Coach watches some of the US or CDN teams who have played and practiced together - the teams are discplined and able to show creativeness - players know and trust line mates and give passes knowing they will get them back. Our HS system produces great skilled MN players who on many occassions can just take off end to end but are not wired to set up and patiently work in the zone against top competition - I saw the top players in MN trying to do that last weekend but mostly we just threw long seam passes to create odd man rushes or if we got in the zone throw it to the point for a shot and then crashed the net - trademark MN girls HS Hockey. Don't get me wrong we looked good so don't everyone pile on.

Gotta back Joe up on this. Earlier this year I had several discussions with college coaches, including a WCHA Head Coach, who each stated this very thing. To quote one in particular: "There are a lot of great players in Minnesota, but it takes a lot of coaching to get them to become great team players. It isn't that they are selfish, but because they are the stars of their team, head and shoulders above the others, they rarely have to work with the team. The coaches just say "get Janey the puck, or Janey take the puck and go."

In conjunction with this, one of the things I hear often from college coaches about why they heavily recruit Canadian players, particularly those from the PWHL is this: "They obviously have a lot of talent up north, but they also have a lot of depth on their teams. The kids know how to play a team game...there are blue chip, impact players and there are also kids who know how to be role players. Most importantly both types know how to work with one another. That makes my job much easier, on the ice during practice and on the bench. on gamedays."

This same philosophy is why we are seeing a rise in the number of kids coming from full season programs in the US on D1 rosters. The teams like SSM, Mission, Little Caesars etc. have depth, blue chip talent, and kids who can play a team game. To quote another coach "The kids coming from a full season team are usually ready to play much sooner than most of the high school kids. The stakes are high, and you don't have the luxury of time to let kids take a season or two to develop. They have to be ready immediately...or by Christmas at the latest."

[hockeya1a]

When MN sent 51 great players on 3 teams to NAHA

Gotta back Joe up on this. Earlier this year I had several discussions with college coaches, including a WCHA Head Coach, who each stated this very thing. To quote one in particular: "There are a lot of great players in Minnesota, but it takes a lot of coaching to get them to become great team players. It isn't that they are selfish, but because they are the stars of their team, head and shoulders above the others, they rarely have to work with the team. The coaches just say "get Janey the puck, or Janey take the puck and go."

In conjunction with this, one of the things I hear often from college coaches about why they heavily recruit Canadian players, particularly those from the PWHL is this: "They obviously have a lot of talent up north, but they also have a lot of depth on their teams. The kids know how to play a team game...there are blue chip, impact players and there are also kids who know how to be role players. Most importantly both types know how to work with one another. That makes my job much easier, on the ice during practice and on the bench. on gamedays."

This same philosophy is why we are seeing a rise in the number of kids coming from full season programs in the US on D1 rosters. The teams like SSM, Mission, Little Caesars etc. have depth, blue chip talent, and kids who can play a team game. To quote another coach "The kids coming from a full season team are usually ready to play much sooner than most of the high school kids. The stakes are high, and you don't have the luxury of time to let kids take a season or two to develop. They have to be ready immediately...or by Christmas at the latest."

This just Seems to go against the other things we here about wanting multisport athletes!

[joehockey]

Thanks Hux as always you said it better - in Minnesota we don't see many of the good US programs like Assabet, Polar Bears, Little Caesars of the hockey academies like NAHA, NSA or SSM (they do play in the Elite League) much less the top CDN teams. What I was trying to share was MN girls don't play very much in systems where they need to read and react. We do have great skills and creativity and I think people like Winny Brodt and Chris Peterson with OS and MN Whitecaps, CODP and FHIT are training to try and develop MN players. Hopefully we will continue to evolve what is the deepest pool of gilrs in the country.

When MN sent 51 great players on 3 teams to NAHA this weekend we are disadvantage when a National coach or College Coach watches some of the US or CDN teams who have played and practiced together - the teams are discplined and able to show creativeness - players know and trust line mates and give passes knowing they will get them back. Our HS system produces great skilled MN players who on many occassions can just take off end to end but are not wired to set up and patiently work in the zone against top competition - I saw the top players in MN trying to do that last weekend but mostly we just threw long seam passes to create odd man rushes or if we got in the zone throw it to the point for a shot and then crashed the net - trademark MN girls HS Hockey. Don't get me wrong we looked good so don't everyone pile on.

Gotta back Joe up on this. Earlier this year I had several discussions with college coaches, including a WCHA Head Coach, who each stated this very thing. To quote one in particular: "There are a lot of great players in Minnesota, but it takes a lot of coaching to get them to become great team players. It isn't that they are selfish, but because they are the stars of their team, head and shoulders above the others, they rarely have to work with the team. The coaches just say "get Janey the puck, or Janey take the puck and go."

In conjunction with this, one of the things I hear often from college coaches about why they heavily recruit Canadian players, particularly those from the PWHL is this: "They obviously have a lot of talent up north, but they also have a lot of depth on their teams. The kids know how to play a team game...there are blue chip, impact players and there are also kids who know how to be role players. Most importantly both types know how to work with one another. That makes my job much easier, on the ice during practice and on the bench. on gamedays."

This same philosophy is why we are seeing a rise in the number of kids coming from full season programs in the US on D1 rosters. The teams like SSM, Mission, Little Caesars etc. have depth, blue chip talent, and kids who can play a team game. To quote another coach "The kids coming from a full season team are usually ready to play much sooner than most of the high school kids. The stakes are high, and you don't have the luxury of time to let kids take a season or two to develop. They have to be ready immediately...or by Christmas at the latest."

[Bensonmum]

Gotta back Joe up on this. Earlier this year I had several discussions with college coaches, including a WCHA Head Coach, who each stated this very thing. To quote one in particular: "There are a lot of great players in Minnesota, but it takes a lot of coaching to get them to become great team players. It isn't that they are selfish, but because they are the stars of their team, head and shoulders above the others, they rarely have to work with the team. The coaches just say "get Janey the puck, or Janey take the puck and go."

In conjunction with this, one of the things I hear often from college coaches about why they heavily recruit Canadian players, particularly those from the PWHL is this: "They obviously have a lot of talent up north, but they also have a lot of depth on their teams. The kids know how to play a team game...there are blue chip, impact players and there are also kids who know how to be role players. Most importantly both types know how to work with one another. That makes my job much easier, on the ice during practice and on the bench. on gamedays."

This same philosophy is why we are seeing a rise in the number of kids coming from full season programs in the US on D1 rosters. The teams like SSM, Mission, Little Caesars etc. have depth, blue chip talent, and kids who can play a team game. To quote another coach "The kids coming from a full season team are usually ready to play much sooner than most of the high school kids. The stakes are high, and you don't have the luxury of time to let kids take a season or two to develop. They have to be ready immediately...or by Christmas at the latest."

Quote: The coaches just say "get Janey the puck, or Janey take the puck and go."

-- I know this is the old standard tired cliche about HS hockey, but I don't buy this in 2009 for a minute. I'd like an example of a team that operates this way in the SEC, Northwest Suburban, Lake, Classic Suburban, Classic Lake, or even the North Suburban. 5 years ago maybe, today no way.

Female Under 18 USA Hockey Registration:
MN - 10,352 (pop. 5.1 million) **this doesn't include a chunk of HS players who don't have to register with USA hockey.
MA - 7,028 (6.6 m)
NY - 4,113 (19 m)
MI - 2,953 (10 m)
WI - 2,683 (5.6 m)

-- The average fee for U12 in a Minnesota Youth association is about $1000. U14 is about $1200. If we adopt the Michigan model, then multiply those amounts by 5 or 6 or 8 and, when adjusted for population, we'll have about 1,500 girls playing hockey instead of ten thousand.

On the Girl's Youth Hockey forum there is a list of 30+ brand new AAA spring/fall girl's programs that have appeared in the last 2-3 years.

--3 years ago there were the Icecats, Blades and MN Showcase, period. At the same time, girl's numbers overall are dropping slightly for the first time. Correlation? Are parents of 5-year-olds steering girls away from the larger commitment necessary? Are girls not returning for their 2nd year of U12 after after a summer of softball and swimming and seeing how far they've fallen behind the girls who've been skating 3 times a week all summer?

Above is the list of new recruits for the Thoroughbreds 2009-10 version. Last year's team produced one D1 skater and one goalie out of ten seniors/postgrads. They finished above .500 in their league and won league games by the scores of 7-1, 6-0, 8-0, 6-0, 7-2, and 7-1.

--Does it seem like the elite Minnesota HS-age players are not gravitating toward U19AAA during the winter season even though the choice is there? (in general--there are definitely a couple studs returning for the T'Breds) Some have predicted that U19 teams would be popping up behind every tree as soon as us boobs realized the superiority of the Washington DC or Colorado or Ohio or Michigan or Illinois models of girls' hockey development. If there were a demand for it, it would happen, but it hasn't. Are Minnesota girls just numbskulls for appreciating how lucky they are to be able to play for their school teams in front of their families and friends for a $250 participation fee with a 2-minute drive to practice and a 15-minute trip to the visitors' arena against lifelong rivals?

[SECoach]

Thanks Hux as always you said it better - in Minnesota we don't see many of the good US programs like Assabet, Polar Bears, Little Caesars of the hockey academies like NAHA, NSA or SSM (they do play in the Elite League) much less the top CDN teams. What I was trying to share was MN girls don't play very much in systems where they need to read and react. We do have great skills and creativity and I think people like Winny Brodt and Chris Peterson with OS and MN Whitecaps, CODP and FHIT are training to try and develop MN players. Hopefully we will continue to evolve what is the deepest pool of gilrs in the country.

When MN sent 51 great players on 3 teams to NAHA this weekend we are disadvantage when a National coach or College Coach watches some of the US or CDN teams who have played and practiced together - the teams are discplined and able to show creativeness - players know and trust line mates and give passes knowing they will get them back. Our HS system produces great skilled MN players who on many occassions can just take off end to end but are not wired to set up and patiently work in the zone against top competition - I saw the top players in MN trying to do that last weekend but mostly we just threw long seam passes to create odd man rushes or if we got in the zone throw it to the point for a shot and then crashed the net - trademark MN girls HS Hockey. Don't get me wrong we looked good so don't everyone pile on.

Gotta back Joe up on this. Earlier this year I had several discussions with college coaches, including a WCHA Head Coach, who each stated this very thing. To quote one in particular: "There are a lot of great players in Minnesota, but it takes a lot of coaching to get them to become great team players. It isn't that they are selfish, but because they are the stars of their team, head and shoulders above the others, they rarely have to work with the team. The coaches just say "get Janey the puck, or Janey take the puck and go."

In conjunction with this, one of the things I hear often from college coaches about why they heavily recruit Canadian players, particularly those from the PWHL is this: "They obviously have a lot of talent up north, but they also have a lot of depth on their teams. The kids know how to play a team game...there are blue chip, impact players and there are also kids who know how to be role players. Most importantly both types know how to work with one another. That makes my job much easier, on the ice during practice and on the bench. on gamedays."

This same philosophy is why we are seeing a rise in the number of kids coming from full season programs in the US on D1 rosters. The teams like SSM, Mission, Little Caesars etc. have depth, blue chip talent, and kids who can play a team game. To quote another coach "The kids coming from a full season team are usually ready to play much sooner than most of the high school kids. The stakes are high, and you don't have the luxury of time to let kids take a season or two to develop. They have to be ready immediately...or by Christmas at the latest."

i hear ya boys.....but.....when people come to believe that someone else does it better, often they throw out what is working to copy another model. As i said before, our high school and community based system affords us much higher numbers and greater depth of players. Is there a talent disparity on teams that helps create a certain style of play that is viewed as negative? Probably.

With that said, the level of play in Minnesota High School Hockey has changed dramatically in a short period of time. The girl's game continues to attract better coaching. The gap between top players and others is getting smaller. The team play continues to improve. Is that because the top players are not as talented? I think it's because there are more players that can skate with them.

We need to continue to bring new girls into the game in as high a number as possible. As players reach a certain age they need to have opportunities to play with players of similar talent. Already teams like the Ice Cats and Jr Whitecaps are trending toward consistant rosters rather than starting fresh each season.

I hear what you are saying regarding the advantages of playing together on the same team year round. My point is that if that becomes the only viable option we will lose numbers. When a player is not identified as elite by age 11 they will drop out when the only option to play a reasonably competitive hockey season is with a very expensive and very small number of teams. I recently spoke with Mike Sullivan from Boston, or i should say he spoke. He went on and on about how Mass hockey has created a situation that has accidentally begun shrinking the number of high level mens players that Mass is producing. The cause of this seems to be limited opportunities for the masses and high level opportinities for the few with very little in between.

Our girls need more of the opportunities that you refer to, i agree, but not at the expense of the system that has given us the players it has. In an effort to make it happen faster let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater.

[SECoach]

I have to say it freaks me out a little bit that BensonMum and I posted at the exact same time.

[hemiman]

I may be way off, but doesn't Mn Hockey have a certain arrogance about it? We call ourselves the stae of hockey, but for the most part we shy away from national competition.

To me, it seems our arrogance prevents us from guaging ourselves against other parts of the country.

Sure we have greater numbers than, probably everyone else. Does that mean we are perfect and don't need to play other regions. If only to see how we stack up?
Heck, the Gophers get a girl from Miami, CC gets a guy from L.A., not exactly hockey hotbeds.
It just seems to me that we (Mn. Hockey) think we are perfect and doing every thing right, but we are losing numbers at the higher levels. We cant keep resting on our past achievements.

[Media]

Media's Thoughts for your disection !

1) High school hockey must be maintained
2) players should not move from u-12 to high school
3) A post grad program(s) are now required ! ie like the Crunch based on increased talent levels
4) Highschool coaches must be able to teach systems
5) The words "no checking" in womens hockey should be removed and replaced with the words limited contact .

Common sense: If you steal the best player from a team who is trying to get players you in effect have the potential to destroy a program or at a minimum limit its potential to grow .

That sould keep you going a while LOL