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I've been a follower (reader) for about a year. Now first time poster
As the section rankings are now getting set, it got me thinking back to my days when i played. A lot of SR's are playing their last games. I remember my last game....... first congrats on a great, fun hockey career, may your future continue to be bright.... but what bantam players will be stepping into those key positions created by graduation? or will most be filled with JV systems?

While answers to this question could fill an encyclopedia, I am curious what Grand Rapids will look like next season. They lose a ton this year and it seems like Peterson, Jonah Bischoff, and Shepard will be the only real quality players returning. (This year's sophomore class seems very thin.)

That said, Rapids has a darn good Bantam team (even without Bischoff), so I see a sophomore-heavy team next year for the T-hawks. I'm not super familiar with them, so if a Rapids fan has some insights that would be nice.

rainier wrote:While answers to this question could fill an encyclopedia, I am curious what Grand Rapids will look like next season. They lose a ton this year and it seems like Peterson, Jonah Bischoff, and Shepard will be the only real quality players returning. (This year's sophomore class seems very thin.)

That said, Rapids has a darn good Bantam team (even without Bischoff), so I see a sophomore-heavy team next year for the T-hawks. I'm not super familiar with them, so if a Rapids fan has some insights that would be nice.

Mitchell Mattson is widely considered one of the top Bantam players in the state from one of my sources. It would appear GR would be down a bit next year, but looking at the bantam rankings and players other teams will lose, I expect GR to be a top 3 seed next year as well especially if Avery Peterson and Hunter Shepard return and there's no reason to believe they won't.

Marty2013 wrote:I've been a follower (reader) for about a year. Now first time poster
As the section rankings are now getting set, it got me thinking back to my days when i played. A lot of SR's are playing their last games. I remember my last game....... first congrats on a great, fun hockey career, may your future continue to be bright.... but what bantam players will be stepping into those key positions created by graduation? or will most be filled with JV systems?

Approximately half the 1998 kids that went to Ann Arbor last summer are not playing Minnesota Bantams this year. They are playing a mix of Tier 1 Bantam (Shattuck, Stover, Compuware), JV (HM, Benilde, STA) and Varsity ( HM, Spring Lake Park, Hibbing) just to name a few.

bemused wrote:

Marty2013 wrote:I've been a follower (reader) for about a year. Now first time poster
As the section rankings are now getting set, it got me thinking back to my days when i played. A lot of SR's are playing their last games. I remember my last game....... first congrats on a great, fun hockey career, may your future continue to be bright.... but what bantam players will be stepping into those key positions created by graduation? or will most be filled with JV systems?

Approximately half the 1998 kids that went to Ann Arbor last summer are not playing Minnesota Bantams this year. They are playing a mix of Tier 1 Bantam (Shattuck, Stover, Compuware), JV (HM, Benilde, STA) and Varsity ( HM, Spring Lake Park, Hibbing) just to name a few.

Is there a published list of which players went to Ann Arbor?

Was this a tournament team or a camp?

Edina having a large number of seniors especially on defense (5 of the 6 are seniors) and rumors hurley and malmquist could leave. I would expect many new faces from a successful JV team (16-2) and the bantam squad. guys like Keiffer Bellows and Zuhlsdorf could be on the team next year perhaps

Eagan, for example, will be losing players who scored over 80% of the goals. The JV is awful and the Bantams are even worse. Their cute 3 year run is over. Eastview and Apple Valley have a declining population. Expect younger programs with strong Bantams to take over - like Rosemount and Farmington.

green4 wrote:Edina having a large number of seniors especially on defense (5 of the 6 are seniors) and rumors hurley and malmquist could leave. I would expect many new faces from a successful JV team (16-2) and the bantam squad. guys like Keiffer Bellows and Zuhlsdorf could be on the team next year perhaps

Bellows, Zuhlsdorf and Wait for sure. Assuming Bellows doesn't go off to Shatuck or some other school again...

bemused wrote:

Marty2013 wrote:I've been a follower (reader) for about a year. Now first time poster
As the section rankings are now getting set, it got me thinking back to my days when i played. A lot of SR's are playing their last games. I remember my last game....... first congrats on a great, fun hockey career, may your future continue to be bright.... but what bantam players will be stepping into those key positions created by graduation? or will most be filled with JV systems?

Approximately half the 1998 kids that went to Ann Arbor last summer are not playing Minnesota Bantams this year. They are playing a mix of Tier 1 Bantam (Shattuck, Stover, Compuware), JV (HM, Benilde, STA) and Varsity ( HM, Spring Lake Park, Hibbing) just to name a few.

Of the roster of players that went to Ann Arbor, excluding the goalies, the following breakdown is pretty close:

16% Varsity - 5, HM, Rogers, Marshall, Farm.and SpringLakePrk
13% Jun. Varsity - 4, BSM (2), HM and STA
13% Tier 1 - 4, SSM (2) and Russell Stover (2)
56% Bantams - 18
2%Injured - 1

How many of these players will play varsity next year? I would guess about 70-75%.

Ssm87 wrote:

bemused wrote:

Marty2013 wrote:I've been a follower (reader) for about a year. Now first time poster
As the section rankings are now getting set, it got me thinking back to my days when i played. A lot of SR's are playing their last games. I remember my last game....... first congrats on a great, fun hockey career, may your future continue to be bright.... but what bantam players will be stepping into those key positions created by graduation? or will most be filled with JV systems?

Approximately half the 1998 kids that went to Ann Arbor last summer are not playing Minnesota Bantams this year. They are playing a mix of Tier 1 Bantam (Shattuck, Stover, Compuware), JV (HM, Benilde, STA) and Varsity ( HM, Spring Lake Park, Hibbing) just to name a few.

Of the roster of players that went to Ann Arbor, excluding the goalies, the following breakdown is pretty close:

16% Varsity - 5, HM, Rogers, Marshall, Farm.and SpringLakePrk
13% Jun. Varsity - 4, BSM (2), HM and STA
13% Tier 1 - 4, SSM (2) and Russell Stover (2)
56% Bantams - 18
2%Injured - 1

How many of these players will play varsity next year? I would guess about 70-75%.

There were several Northern Kids that were not on the early lists floating around..most are playing Bantam except Gotz
who I believe is playing Varsity for Hibbing and there was one other from the NW part of the state who may be playing Varsity too..

Wayzata could easily have 3-4 kids make Varsity next year.

Pretty much the whole DE team is graduating I'm sure many bantams will make varsity next year.

hondo98 wrote:Eagan, for example, will be losing players who scored over 80% of the goals. The JV is awful and the Bantams are even worse. Their cute 3 year run is over.

Didn't we see this same sort of comment posted at the end of last season?

who are the kids playing varsity, jv and tier one? bellows and lindgren are shattuck i assume?

Please don't encourage the dads on this topic. This year is not even over yet. Simply have your son work hard this summer, go to tryouts, and live with the results. The dads that try to create a buzz about their player are losers.

Too late the bait is in he water and there are few already circling.......watch the names get dropped

Too early for such a speculative topic.

Lee