Blake Heinrich

HockeyWatcher10 · Post by **HockeyWatcher10** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 12:02 am

Will Blake Heinrich be going anywhere next year or is he going to be returning for his senior year at Hill Murray? From watching him play he looks like a good hockey player with a lot of potential.

wblhcky24 · Post by **wblhcky24** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 12:28 am

Heinrichs a pretty solid defenseman who can score also. Him and guentzel were both drafted by sioux city. I expect guentzel to leave not so sure about heinrich though I wouldn't doubt it

UntouchableFlow · Post by **UntouchableFlow** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 7:00 am

wblhcky24 wrote:Heinrichs a pretty solid defenseman who can score also. Him and guentzel were both drafted by sioux city. I expect guentzel to leave not so sure about heinrich though I wouldn't doubt it

By expect, I think you mean hope. Heinrich is rock solid, with a great physical game. His physical game has been put on hold since the rule changes, but he's a very good defenseman, and anchored the Pioneer's defense all season long. I wish him the very best and I think he'll have a great career somewhere after Hill-Murray.

Pioneerprideguy · Post by **Pioneerprideguy** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 8:19 am

I'm hoping both Blake & Jake return next year. If they do, HM will return to Elite status. Jake's brothers graduated from HM and I believe Jake will follow suit. An additional year to put on size would really benefit him. Blake is a fantastic player and is on a roll right now. He'll play college hockey regardless of what he does next year...stay in school, enjoy being a senior, graduate with your friends.

keepyourheadup · Post by **keepyourheadup** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 9:01 am

Big fan of this kid, plays a real honest in your face style. As for staying with your friends..would this be the guys at HM or in Cambridge where he lives. I really do hope they both stay but its a little comical when privates start feeling the the same thing the public schools have felt for years.

Pioneerprideguy · Post by **Pioneerprideguy** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 9:13 am

[quote="keepyourheadup"]Big fan of this kid, plays a real honest in your face style. As for staying with your friends..would this be the guys at HM or in Cambridge where he lives. I really do hope they both stay but its a little comical when privates start feeling the the same thing the public schools have felt for years.[/quote]

Not a lot of HM people crying at the start of the season when the team was struggling because a few players left the program to play elsewhere. We just worked hard and got better. Public schools could learn something.

MrBoDangles · Post by **MrBoDangles** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 9:33 am

Pioneerprideguy wrote:
keepyourheadup wrote:Big fan of this kid, plays a real honest in your face style. As for staying with your friends..would this be the guys at HM or in Cambridge where he lives. I really do hope they both stay but its a little comical when privates start feeling the the same thing the public schools have felt for years.[/quote]

Not a lot of HM people crying at the start of the season when the team was struggling because a few players left the program to play elsewhere. We just worked hard and got better. Public schools could learn something.
I needed a good laugh this morning.

wingman · Post by **wingman** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 10:03 am

If you measured this kid by just his hockey skills, he is one of the top of the D core in minnesota high school hockey. If you add in his character off the ice, you may not find any better in all of hockey.

Oldtimehockeyguy23 · Post by **Oldtimehockeyguy23** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 1:20 pm

Very good at hard hitting in high school but gets away with being out of position from trying for big hits because it is high school.. Needs to change the risk-taking at the next level.

stpaul · Post by **stpaul** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 1:55 pm

I don't know Blake Heinrich or what his plans are for next year. He is a standout for HM. HM will be a contender for the state title next year. They are young. They graduate only 5 seniors. I am guessing and hoping that Jake Guentzel will be back. Both of his brothers stayed at HM 4 years and still had great college careers. Zach LaValle is the QB on the football team and likely will remain at HM so he can play football again. It certainly didn't hurt top defensemen Chris Casto (UMD) and Dan Sova (Mich. Tech) to stay at HM for their senior years. Casto was a Captain who played on HM's great 3rd place 2010 team. Sova was also a Captain and a won a state title at HM in 2008.

UntouchableFlow · Post by **UntouchableFlow** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 2:57 pm

Pioneerprideguy wrote:
keepyourheadup wrote:Big fan of this kid, plays a real honest in your face style. As for staying with your friends..would this be the guys at HM or in Cambridge where he lives. I really do hope they both stay but its a little comical when privates start feeling the the same thing the public schools have felt for years.[/quote]

Not a lot of HM people crying at the start of the season when the team was struggling because a few players left the program to play elsewhere. We just worked hard and got better. Public schools could learn something.
Really important thing to note. It sucks to think about the "what-ifs" but they should have had 4 returning defensemen from last season. Herlofsky, Wood, and Johnson, all should have been back with Heinrich, and that would have been one of the top defensive cores in the entire state. Year in and year out I am very impressed at how much Hill improves from the beginning of the season to the end. This reflects great coaching from Lechner and Schafhauser. I read an interview earlier this year after the Benilde game in which Lex called the new guys "new puppies" and they sure have matured since the beginning of the year. I think that Heinrich and Guentzel stay next year for a shot at a state championship. Plenty of time to develop after High School, only a few chances to win a state title.

keepyourheadup · Post by **keepyourheadup** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 3:04 pm

Trouble with what ifs is there are a number of schools in the same boat,
AV,Wayzata, both lakevilles, Holy Angels and thats just a start.

MrBoDangles · Post by **MrBoDangles** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 3:25 pm

UntouchableFlow wrote:
Pioneerprideguy wrote:
keepyourheadup wrote:Big fan of this kid, plays a real honest in your face style. As for staying with your friends..would this be the guys at HM or in Cambridge where he lives. I really do hope they both stay but its a little comical when privates start feeling the the same thing the public schools have felt for years.[/quote]

Not a lot of HM people crying at the start of the season when the team was struggling because a few players left the program to play elsewhere. We just worked hard and got better. Public schools could learn something.
Really important thing to note. It sucks to think about the "what-ifs" but they should have had 4 returning defensemen from last season. Herlofsky, Wood, and Johnson, all should have been back with Heinrich, and that would have been one of the top defensive cores in the entire state. Year in and year out I am very impressed at how much Hill improves from the beginning of the season to the end. This reflects great coaching from Lechner and Schafhauser. I read an interview earlier this year after the Benilde game in which Lex called the new guys "new puppies" and they sure have matured since the beginning of the year. I think that Heinrich and Guentzel stay next year for a shot at a state championship. Plenty of time to develop after High School, only a few chances to win a state title.
Lex wouldn't be letting the cat out of the bag if he called the new guys what they really are..... It takes a few games for talented players to get used to playing with each other for the first time.

HockeyGuy81 · Post by **HockeyGuy81** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 3:53 pm

Pioneerprideguy wrote:
keepyourheadup wrote:Big fan of this kid, plays a real honest in your face style. As for staying with your friends..would this be the guys at HM or in Cambridge where he lives. I really do hope they both stay but its a little comical when privates start feeling the the same thing the public schools have felt for years.[/quote]

Not a lot of HM people crying at the start of the season when the team was struggling because a few players left the program to play elsewhere. We just worked hard and got better. Public schools could learn something.
Considering the crying and irrational comments I heard last night at the coliseum while Roseville was keeping it close, I highly doubt HM people weren't crying at the beginning of the season. Private school kids/parents can learn something.

Sats81 · Post by **Sats81** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:08 pm

Extremely impressed with this kid. He was throwing some serious hits in the Moorhead game last night and was very physical in their game vs MG. He will have a nice career at the next level.

keepyourheadup · Post by **keepyourheadup** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:15 pm

Agreed sats, that is if he doesn't get hurt first. Great hits but they are right on the edge...at the next level what goes around comes around and the kid is going to have to be careful. Its good to be king (toughest guy on the rink) but that won't last much longer.

Tigers33 · Post by **Tigers33** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 9:57 am

This kid was the second best player in the tournament in my opinion!!

mulefarm · Post by **mulefarm** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 10:00 am

keepyourheadup wrote:Agreed sats, that is if he doesn't get hurt first. Great hits but they are right on the edge...at the next level what goes around comes around and the kid is going to have to be careful. Its good to be king (toughest guy on the rink) but that won't last much longer.

Why won't it last? Good players seem to adjust as they move up the ladder. Why can't this kid?

Tigers33 · Post by **Tigers33** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 10:23 am

keepyourheadup - You are always negative on this site. Why is that?

One thing I would like to mention. During the handshake after the game #16 gave a nice hug to EVERY single player, #16 was the kid who stepped up right away to get the trophy for their assistant coach - proceeeded to put it around his neck with a another great big hug, #16 was also the kid that immediately congratulated every kid for being on the all-tourney team.

This kid seems like a very classy young man. Leave everything out on the ice and than hold your head up high afterwards. I have no idea who he is, never heard of him til this tourney, and wouldnt be able to pick him out if the team was not in their jersey's. Just think that these things go un-recognized at times.

Tornadoes 2003StateChamps · Sun Mar 11, 2012 4:34 pm

Tigers33 wrote:This kid was the second best player in the tournament in my opinion!!

Agreed!!

keepyourheadup · Post by **keepyourheadup** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 7:19 pm

Sorry you feel I'm negative, not my intention. If you read my first post on this kid I said I'm a big fan and I still am, my point was that when you play the style Blake does you become a target. He is very strong and physically dominates at the HS level. If he sees you coming and even most of the time if he doesn't he'll put you on your rear. In juniors and beyond there will be collisions he will get the worst of...its just the physics of it, there are many more big kids playing after HS. When you play such a bone crushing style the risk of injury goes way up. I'm certainly not hoping he gets hurt, just think the chances start to go up as you move up...which in my mind is almost a certainty.

Kloosforpresident · Post by **Kloosforpresident** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 7:28 pm

This kid hits so hard, best defenseman in the state