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I have yet to see a game played by Minnekonta..( i live in sw mn) .. But i have been looking at their scores and saw that their goalie gives up just a little over a goal a game.. Is he really talented (much like Mike Lee was for Roseau) or does a lot of it have to do with Tonka's great defense core that i've read/heard about? thanks for the info..

Well having three D-1 defensemen has to help, but this is a good question still

I would imagine it would be much like Duluth East last year with their 3 (if you count Welinski 4) D-1 defensemen. The D was so good they fed the offense which led to many more scoring chances.

EHSHack wrote:I would imagine it would be much like Duluth East last year with their 3 (if you count Welinski 4) D-1 defensemen. The D was so good they fed the offense which led to many more scoring chances.

so their goalie is really good or just average with great defense?

EHSHack wrote:I would imagine it would be much like Duluth East last year with their 3 (if you count Welinski 4) D-1 defensemen. The D was so good they fed the offense which led to many more scoring chances.

Right. In my opinion, great defense and spotty goaltending can defend much better than great goaltending and spotty defense. SSP v. Tonka is a perfect example of this.

The answer is Tonka has D-1 status or potential at all three roles: goalie, defense and forward which is what makes them so dangerous. Everyone in the state knows about the Defense and should know it about the goalie. The underclassmen forwards have been the best kept secret until lately... Their top line forwards are all underclass and didn't miss a beat after Gardiner got hurt.

Bottom line is this is a great team that comes along once every 10-15 years in MN with strength at every position. ...and this one seems to have come out of nowhere...

Factsmatter1 wrote:The answer is Tonka has D-1 status or potential at all three roles: goalie, defense and forward which is what makes them so dangerous. Everyone in the state knows about the Defense and should know it about the goalie. The underclassmen forwards have been the best kept secret until lately... Their top line forwards are all underclass and didn't miss a beat after Gardiner got hurt.

Bottom line is this is a great team that comes along once every 10-15 years in MN with strength at every position. ...and this one seems to have come out of nowhere...

Really, a team like this comes around pretty much every year. Edina last year could have been on Tonka's level. Roseau 2 years ago was definately pretty close.

If Tonka runs the table and wins state, I'll give them credit for being the team you claim they are, if not.... you know.

Word on the street is Gardiner will be playing tonight

scoreboard33 wrote:

Factsmatter1 wrote:The answer is Tonka has D-1 status or potential at all three roles: goalie, defense and forward which is what makes them so dangerous. Everyone in the state knows about the Defense and should know it about the goalie. The underclassmen forwards have been the best kept secret until lately... Their top line forwards are all underclass and didn't miss a beat after Gardiner got hurt.

Bottom line is this is a great team that comes along once every 10-15 years in MN with strength at every position. ...and this one seems to have come out of nowhere...

Really, a team like this comes around pretty much every year. Edina last year could have been on Tonka's level. Roseau 2 years ago was definately pretty close.

If Tonka runs the table and wins state, I'll give them credit for being the team you claim they are, if not.... you know.

Scoreboard,

We can agree to disagree but no way you are getting me to buy into the statement about Edina being the same level as Tonka. Their "D" was much weaker and there goal tending was spotty at best. No one would question their offensive capability. My only point above is that Tonka has top talent across the Board.

Factsmatter1 wrote:

scoreboard33 wrote:

Factsmatter1 wrote:The answer is Tonka has D-1 status or potential at all three roles: goalie, defense and forward which is what makes them so dangerous. Everyone in the state knows about the Defense and should know it about the goalie. The underclassmen forwards have been the best kept secret until lately... Their top line forwards are all underclass and didn't miss a beat after Gardiner got hurt.

Bottom line is this is a great team that comes along once every 10-15 years in MN with strength at every position. ...and this one seems to have come out of nowhere...

Really, a team like this comes around pretty much every year. Edina last year could have been on Tonka's level. Roseau 2 years ago was definately pretty close.

If Tonka runs the table and wins state, I'll give them credit for being the team you claim they are, if not.... you know.

Scoreboard,

We can agree to disagree but no way you are getting me to buy into the statement about Edina being the same level as Tonka. Their "D" was much weaker and there goal tending was spotty at best. No one would question their offensive capability. My only point above is that Tonka has top talent across the Board.

Who do you think was the last team to be as good as Minnetonka? Are we going all the way back to Jefferson in the 90's? Just curious.

Does anyone know if all of these Tonka players grew-up in the Tonka system? Or have some joined in the last few years? I just don't remember them being this strong at the youth level when these kids were playing.

HappyHockeyFan wrote:

Factsmatter1 wrote:

scoreboard33 wrote: Really, a team like this comes around pretty much every year. Edina last year could have been on Tonka's level. Roseau 2 years ago was definately pretty close.

If Tonka runs the table and wins state, I'll give them credit for being the team you claim they are, if not.... you know.

Scoreboard,

We can agree to disagree but no way you are getting me to buy into the statement about Edina being the same level as Tonka. Their "D" was much weaker and there goal tending was spotty at best. No one would question their offensive capability. My only point above is that Tonka has top talent across the Board.

Who do you think was the last team to be as good as Minnetonka? Are we going all the way back to Jefferson in the 90's? Just curious.

Maybe the '93 Jefferson team for this reason...

Quote:"The Jefferson teams were about the sum of the whole as their teams developed from squirts to their final high school game. It was the talent on their teams that was unmatched as they boasted 15 players from the '92 and '93 teams that went on to play at a higher level. They had it all talented forwards who could score, defensemen who could move the puck, and a goaltender that kept the puck out of the net in Randy Koeppel and Jeff Heil."

youngblood08 wrote:Does anyone know if all of these Tonka players grew-up in the Tonka system? Or have some joined in the last few years? I just don't remember them being this strong at the youth level when these kids were playing.

I'm pretty sure that Jim Kruger, the goalie, transferred from hopkins sometime around his freshman year. But I'm almost positive that Holl, Gardiner, Prochno, and Hesketh all have grown up in the Tonka system.

While I agree that Tonka is an outstanding and clearly the best team in Minnesota right now, let's have them win a state title, or at least get to a state tournament before we start talking them in comparison to the greatest teams in history. Jefferson won three straight titles in the early 90s, Burnsville and Hill-Murray each played in three title games in four years during the mid 80s, teams like Edina, Grand Rapids and Roseau have had stretches where they made numerous tournament appearances. When Minnetonka wins a title, they can be talked about in the same way as those teams.

Factsmatter1 wrote:

scoreboard33 wrote:

Factsmatter1 wrote:The answer is Tonka has D-1 status or potential at all three roles: goalie, defense and forward which is what makes them so dangerous. Everyone in the state knows about the Defense and should know it about the goalie. The underclassmen forwards have been the best kept secret until lately... Their top line forwards are all underclass and didn't miss a beat after Gardiner got hurt.

Bottom line is this is a great team that comes along once every 10-15 years in MN with strength at every position. ...and this one seems to have come out of nowhere...

Really, a team like this comes around pretty much every year. Edina last year could have been on Tonka's level. Roseau 2 years ago was definately pretty close.

If Tonka runs the table and wins state, I'll give them credit for being the team you claim they are, if not.... you know.

Scoreboard,

We can agree to disagree but no way you are getting me to buy into the statement about Edina being the same level as Tonka. Their "D" was much weaker and there goal tending was spotty at best. No one would question their offensive capability. My only point above is that Tonka has top talent across the Board.

facts, I don't necessarily disagree with you, but Tonka isn't dominating all of their opponents. 3 of their wins against top 5 teams are by 1 goal and they have 8 wins by 3 or 4 goals. I would say a team as dominant as what you're saying would be winning by a little more.

All that being said, doing what they have been doing without a full roster is crazy. We will see them play Edina and Wayzata each at least twice more. We'll see if the full roster helps them improve.

I'd agree with Jefferson being the best. Also, the 98 Duluth East was outstanding and had a lot of D1 players.

Factsmatter1 wrote:

scoreboard33 wrote:

Factsmatter1 wrote:The answer is Tonka has D-1 status or potential at all three roles: goalie, defense and forward which is what makes them so dangerous. Everyone in the state knows about the Defense and should know it about the goalie. The underclassmen forwards have been the best kept secret until lately... Their top line forwards are all underclass and didn't miss a beat after Gardiner got hurt.

Bottom line is this is a great team that comes along once every 10-15 years in MN with strength at every position. ...and this one seems to have come out of nowhere...

Really, a team like this comes around pretty much every year. Edina last year could have been on Tonka's level. Roseau 2 years ago was definately pretty close.

If Tonka runs the table and wins state, I'll give them credit for being the team you claim they are, if not.... you know.

Scoreboard,

We can agree to disagree but no way you are getting me to buy into the statement about Edina being the same level as Tonka. Their "D" was much weaker and there goal tending was spotty at best. No one would question their offensive capability. My only point above is that Tonka has top talent across the Board.

Goalie, I'll give you. Defense was weaker but not by as much as you say. When all is said and done, they will probably have 3 defensemen from that team end up d1. Plus so far one and hopefully a couple more playing d3

Anyway, the point I'm making is there is a "chosen" team every year and people generally get overexcited and try to crown em.

scoreboard33 wrote: Anyway, the point I'm making is there is a "chosen" team every year and people generally get overexcited and try to crown em.

To some degree, this is true; people will latch on to the most talented team in a given year and declare them the closest thing we have to the '93 Jags, which in a simple sense I suppose is true. And this year's Tonka team has the potential to reach that level.

I'm not sure it's the greatest team over the past few years, and to a large degree that depends on what you think makes a great team. If it's talent alone, I think '07-08 Edina might give them a good run. Some of the Moorhead teams from the middle of the decade as well, perhaps.

Personally, though, I would say that truly "great" teams should win a state title.

Not only that, there's an argument that a truly great team will not have just one good year--the best year (93 Jefferson, 98 East) will simply be the crowning achievement in the midst of a dynasty. I think there's something to that position.

scoreboard33 wrote:

Factsmatter1 wrote:

scoreboard33 wrote: Really, a team like this comes around pretty much every year. Edina last year could have been on Tonka's level. Roseau 2 years ago was definately pretty close.

If Tonka runs the table and wins state, I'll give them credit for being the team you claim they are, if not.... you know.

Scoreboard,

We can agree to disagree but no way you are getting me to buy into the statement about Edina being the same level as Tonka. Their "D" was much weaker and there goal tending was spotty at best. No one would question their offensive capability. My only point above is that Tonka has top talent across the Board.

Goalie, I'll give you. Defense was weaker but not by as much as you say. When all is said and done, they will probably have 3 defensemen from that team end up d1. Plus so far one and hopefully a couple more playing d3

Anyway, the point I'm making is there is a "chosen" team every year and people generally get overexcited and try to crown em.

scoreboard,

while what you say is true, this Tonka team seems to definitely be something special. Take the Roseau team from 3 years ago who won state with two losses and beating every team on their schedule; they only played 9 AA teams all season, including sections/state, many that were very mediocre.

While this Tonka team has played a couple sub-par opponents and had a few close games, their schedule has been very difficult (rated #3 by pagestat) and they are still winning. Last year, many were in love with Jefferson while they were winning, not even dominating, a Lake Conference schedule.

So, I do agree that every year a team comes around that everyone says is great, but I also believe this team is doing things similar teams of the past didn't.

nikebauer05 wrote:

youngblood08 wrote:Does anyone know if all of these Tonka players grew-up in the Tonka system? Or have some joined in the last few years? I just don't remember them being this strong at the youth level when these kids were playing.

I'm pretty sure that Jim Kruger, the goalie, transferred from hopkins sometime around his freshman year. But I'm almost positive that Holl, Gardiner, Prochno, and Hesketh all have grown up in the Tonka system.

Yes, other than Kruger they all came up through the youth system. Kruger wasn't going to get to play with Alex Fonz already in place at Hopkins. Similar situation on the girls side with Julie Friend coming to Minnetonka as a freshman and becoming starting goalie as she wasn't going to play at Hopkins with Billadeau already there.

I disagree with the earlier suggestion that Kruger's goaltending has been spotty as there was a number of games against top 5 teams where he kept his team in the game and allowed them to win it.

Gov78 wrote:

nikebauer05 wrote:

youngblood08 wrote:Does anyone know if all of these Tonka players grew-up in the Tonka system? Or have some joined in the last few years? I just don't remember them being this strong at the youth level when these kids were playing.

I'm pretty sure that Jim Kruger, the goalie, transferred from hopkins sometime around his freshman year. But I'm almost positive that Holl, Gardiner, Prochno, and Hesketh all have grown up in the Tonka system.

Yes, other than Kruger they all came up through the youth system. Kruger wasn't going to get to play with Alex Fonz already in place at Hopkins. Similar situation on the girls side with Julie Friend coming to Minnetonka as a freshman and becoming starting goalie as she wasn't going to play at Hopkins with Billadeau already there.

I disagree with the earlier suggestion that Kruger's goaltending has been spotty as there was a number of games against top 5 teams where he kept his team in the game and allowed them to win it.

Great point Gov!

HShockeywatcher wrote:facts, I don't necessarily disagree with you, but Tonka isn't dominating all of their opponents. 3 of their wins against top 5 teams are by 1 goal and they have 8 wins by 3 or 4 goals. I would say a team as dominant as what you're saying would be winning by a little more.

Last time I checked the W column didn't include a stat for margin of victory, but this same team is about to take Edina to running time.

All of these players grew up in the tonka hockey program except Krueger. He transferred over after his freshman season from Hopkins.

These senior kids never won a tournament in their youth hockey days. They never made it of the first round in the D6 playoffs. Edina, Chaska and EP got all the glory.

Now, it's their turn....

Question Blueblood as you seem to be in the know. How does this group of kids go from nothing as PeeWees and Bantams to one of the better teams in the state as high schoolers? Late Bloomers? Coaching? Development vs. Winning philosophy at youth level? Other?

That is awesome that all have grown up in the program. It says a lot about this group of athletes and the Development Program at Tonka. Did they all workout at IMPACT over at Tonka with Eric Johnson??