Another NAHL MN Team Added
Posted: Fri May 10, 2013 6:33 pm
The Minnesota Wilderness out of Cloquet will leave the SIJHL and head to the NAHL beginning next season.
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How do they build the team. New draft or open try outsclutterbuck22 wrote:The Minnesota Wilderness out of Cloquet will leave the SIJHL and head to the NAHL beginning next season.
Both. They have a draft in June and tryout camps after in June and July.394 West wrote:How do they build the team. New draft or open try outsclutterbuck22 wrote:The Minnesota Wilderness out of Cloquet will leave the SIJHL and head to the NAHL beginning next season.
Yes, I think they are first SIJHL team to reach the RBC Cup Tournament. Not sure why they would drop down a Tier to the NAHL. Maybe to save the billet expenses or maybe just tired of the constant travel up North, although that won't get better in the NA019 wrote:They must be pretty good, as they are in the RBC Cup this week.
Well, hockey-wise, I think Canadian Jr. A, which this team is, is more on the NAHL level vs. USHL, so it probably won't be a "drop down" per se.D3Referee wrote:Yes, I think they are first SIJHL team to reach the RBC Cup Tournament. Not sure why they would drop down a Tier to the NAHL. Maybe to save the billet expenses or maybe just tired of the constant travel up North, although that won't get better in the NA019 wrote:They must be pretty good, as they are in the RBC Cup this week.
It's a drop down in designation. The Wilderness is actually built more like a NAHL team than a Candian Junior A team anyways. The youngest player on the Wilderness team is a 1994 birth year, where most Candian Junior A teams have a handful of very skilled 16 and 17 year olds, (96 & 95 this season), more similiar to the USHL.Mailman wrote:Well, hockey-wise, I think Canadian Jr. A, which this team is, is more on the NAHL level vs. USHL, so it probably won't be a "drop down" per se.D3Referee wrote:Yes, I think they are first SIJHL team to reach the RBC Cup Tournament. Not sure why they would drop down a Tier to the NAHL. Maybe to save the billet expenses or maybe just tired of the constant travel up North, although that won't get better in the NA019 wrote:They must be pretty good, as they are in the RBC Cup this week.
I'm not sure anyone would agree with you that it's "dropping down". The NAHL has over 50 kids committed to D-1 colleges, while the SIJHL has zero. The SIJHL also had two teams fold during the year this year because they couldn't get enough players to field a team, and a good number of kids on the Wilderness tried to play in the NAHL first before ending in the SIJHL.D3Referee wrote:
Yes, I think they are first SIJHL team to reach the RBC Cup Tournament. Not sure why they would drop down a Tier to the NAHL. Maybe to save the billet expenses or maybe just tired of the constant travel up North, although that won't get better in the NA
Drop down in what designation ? Maybe I'm missing something.D3Referee wrote:It's a drop down in designation. The Wilderness is actually built more like a NAHL team than a Candian Junior A team anyways. The youngest player on the Wilderness team is a 1994 birth year, where most Candian Junior A teams have a handful of very skilled 16 and 17 year olds, (96 & 95 this season), more similiar to the USHL.Mailman wrote:Well, hockey-wise, I think Canadian Jr. A, which this team is, is more on the NAHL level vs. USHL, so it probably won't be a "drop down" per se.D3Referee wrote: Yes, I think they are first SIJHL team to reach the RBC Cup Tournament. Not sure why they would drop down a Tier to the NAHL. Maybe to save the billet expenses or maybe just tired of the constant travel up North, although that won't get better in the NA
So in that sense, yes, the Wilderness might be a better fit for the NAHL.
Plus, judging from their gaudy record, the SIJHL isn't up to Canadian Junior A standards anyways (probably why they haven't had any presence at the RBC Cup in the 13 year history of the league until now). They might well get better competition by dropping down in class and getting to play in the NAHL, which has some very decent teams at the top end.
Yeah, that's how I've seen it too.WCHBlog wrote:I'm not sure anyone would agree with you that it's "dropping down". The NAHL has over 50 kids committed to D-1 colleges, while the SIJHL has zero. The SIJHL also had two teams fold during the year this year because they couldn't get enough players to field a team, and a good number of kids on the Wilderness tried to play in the NAHL first before ending in the SIJHL.D3Referee wrote:
Yes, I think they are first SIJHL team to reach the RBC Cup Tournament. Not sure why they would drop down a Tier to the NAHL. Maybe to save the billet expenses or maybe just tired of the constant travel up North, although that won't get better in the NA
Of course, we're all entitled to our opinion. I am just going by the official designation;Mailman wrote:
Way I've seen it, levels top to bottoms would go, based on hockey play:
USHL
NAHL/Candian Junior A equals more or less.
Tier 3
One thing about the CMJ A League, is that there is lot of differences between the leagues/teams.
Some leagues are good, some not, same with teams.
I.e, the Canadian teams I'm familiar with have very few 16-17 year olds, mostly older players.
For that matter, most USHL teams I know have older players.
Just have to agree to disagree, no big deal. Canadian Jr. A teams I've seen, *hockey-wise*, a move to the NAHL would be, at most, a lateral step, and for some, a step up, regardless of their designation on paper.D3Referee wrote:Of course, we're all entitled to our opinion. I am just going by the official designation;Mailman wrote:
Way I've seen it, levels top to bottoms would go, based on hockey play:
USHL
NAHL/Candian Junior A equals more or less.
Tier 3
One thing about the CMJ A League, is that there is lot of differences between the leagues/teams.
Some leagues are good, some not, same with teams.
I.e, the Canadian teams I'm familiar with have very few 16-17 year olds, mostly older players.
For that matter, most USHL teams I know have older players.
- USA Tier I / Canadian Jr A (Teams cover all costs)
- USA Tier II / Canadian Junior B (Teams cover all costs except billet)
- USA Tier III / Canadian Junior C (Pay to Play)
I didn't invent the designation. It is what it is. Right now the Wilderness are in the top tier. If they pull out and go to the NAHL , they move down a tier. Pretty black and white.
Is the SIJHL the armpit of Junior A? Probably. That's why they havent had a previous representative at the RBC Cup and thats why the Wilderness were able to rack up a 52-3 record, or whatever it was.
Are there NAHL teams that will give them a better fight? Of course. There are NAHL teams that would smoke USHL teams. I'd take Wenatchee or Topeka over Des Moines 7 days a week. That doesn't have anything to do with the Tier they play at.
If you look at the rosters at the RBC Cup you will notice 96 and 95 kids on the other teams, about a handful or less, same as most USHL teams. The Wilderness doesn't roster any. Neither do most NAHL teams. Since the Wilderness is made up of guys who are done high school, the NAHL is probably a better fit for them.
This!Cootslayer wrote:Just an educated guess here on the change.
Someone just bought into the team that has kids that play hockey.
Witchhunt against HS coach failed and now there is limited junior interest in kids who may or may not be connected to the "hunter".
Need to "buy" a place to play next year?
Sometimes the answer to your question is right out in the open.
http://cecboyshockey.com/teams/default. ... wsID=28379Rocketwrister wrote:This!Cootslayer wrote:Just an educated guess here on the change.
Someone just bought into the team that has kids that play hockey.
Witchhunt against HS coach failed and now there is limited junior interest in kids who may or may not be connected to the "hunter".
Need to "buy" a place to play next year?
Sometimes the answer to your question is right out in the open.
Problem #1 with your post, The Wilderness will have at least one D1 player, their captain has committed to a D1 school. In the future there will be others from this years team, maybe after a year or two of playing somewhere else (but then of course it will be that league that made that happen). This Wilderness team is very good, as showed by there performance at the RBC.The NAHL has issued 96 Commitments this season and will be well over 100 by the end of the summer. The Wilderness have never had a D-1 product, it is really funny that people think the SIJHL is legit. Its a talented Tier 3 league that sends kids to d-3 schools to think that they could compete with an Austin club that was 31 games above .500 is a joke. A MOCKERY
Again, I am not saying this roster would compete, but they will not go into the 2013-14 season with this roster. And NO, kids do probably not want to play in the SIJHL, they all want to play at the highest level they can. But, if you "end up" not making the USHL/NAHL/BCHL, the Wilderness program in the SIJHL are one that players gravitate towards. That is why they have so many players that have NAHL experience (however brief it may have been).The Wilderness has had some good teams but every single player in the roster has been cut and tossed to the curb. You think kids want to play i the SIJHL???
They have been "maybe in, maybe out" for the past six weeks, they are going to be fine with their tenders. And why is it so hard to tender players?Also the Wilderness has 12 days to Tender 15 kids. I reallyl dont think ppl realize how hard it is to Tender kids even in the NAHL.
This I do agree with, the attendance has been poor in Cloquet, and it will be tough to survive unless that dramatically improves. You can tell me that this team may fail because of revenue numbers, but I do not agree with the fact they will not compete, and NO, I am not saying they will get to the Robertson Cup next season, but they will compete with each team in their division.Attendance is poor and will continue to be. It's won't last.