Minnesota NIT Starts Thursday in Plymouth, Who wins?

[Mitch Hawker]

For those of you missing high school hockey, this is a chance to see some of the the best high school players from the best high school hockey states face off against each other.

First game is tomorrow in Plymouth at 2:15

The Minnesota Seniors have won this in 2 of the 4 NIT's (2011, 2013). Wisconsin won the first in 2010 and Michigan won in 2012.

There will be 8 teams this year as Wisconsin and Michigan are both sending a U18 team for the first time as well as their usual senior teams.

Rosters and Schedule at

http://www.mnhockeyhub.com/schedule/day ... son=159569

[Mitch Hawker]

The Wisconsin Seniors win 13-1 and still nobody has picked them to win it?

http://www.mnhockeyhub.com/schedule/day ... er=1204814

Mass beats the Michigan Seniors 1-0 despite being outshot 44-16

[SuperStar]

How does a team that gets beat that bad be allowed to play in a so called - "NIT"?

Same thing happened last year when Mass came in and got outscored 32-2 and went 0-4 for the weekend. A good Bantam team would beat those guys.

Lets hope the same thing doesn't happen this year.

[WestMetro]

Watched Minn U 18s shutout Michigan. My sense is this roster is better than the Minn Seniors

Figuring this weekend will be the last time I see McNeeley on the ice in the Metro, especially now that Oettinger is gone. Probably John Peterson also. Maybe Malmquist too, although hearing different things there.

Game was very chippy with lots of penalties, I suppose kids trying to impress the scouts.

[Cdale]

How does a team that gets beat that bad be allowed to play in a so called - "NIT"?

Same thing happened last year when Mass came in and got outscored 32-2 and went 0-4 for the weekend. A good Bantam team would beat those guys.

Lets hope the same thing doesn't happen this year.

Well I talked to a Mass kid yesterday. He said the are loving the experience and the hockey here is "so good".

[puckbreath]

Looking at the scores only, as I'm not there, it would seem the non-mn teams are weak ?

I wonder; in mn, i.e., there are still a lot of very good players left after others go to juniors, have commits, etc.

These other states, where hs hockey generally isn't as good as here, I wonder if there is a much larger drop in talent between the two, per above ?

[SuperStar]

How does a team that gets beat that bad be allowed to play in a so called - "NIT"?

Same thing happened last year when Mass came in and got outscored 32-2 and went 0-4 for the weekend. A good Bantam team would beat those guys.

Lets hope the same thing doesn't happen this year.

Well I talked to a Mass kid yesterday. He said the are loving the experience and the hockey here is "so good".

I am glad they had a nice time here in Minnesota and glad they like the hockey here - But I could think of a 1000 other places I would rather spend my time and money, than traveling across the country to get the tar kicked out me for 4 games. But hey, on the bright side, they somehow won a game and only got outscored 20-1 and outshot 183-63 this year...

My point is - The HP league couldn't have found a few different teams to call? I am serious when I say that Mass team would have had a great game with a couple of our top Bantam Teams - Not usually the caliber of team(s) I would "invite" to a NIT..

Saw the MN Seniors vs MN 18's - Seniors took it to them for 2 periods, but the 18's battled hard in the 3rd and tied it up. Cline with 3 goals and 1 assist for the Seniors. He played well all game - He would be my pick for "star" of the game.

[WestMetro]

Watched the noon game Minn Red U 16s handily shutout the Minn White U17s , 7 to 0

If I counted right, this U 16 team had 5 NTDP invites, as well as Bantam Zerban who scored 2 goals.

Ausmus, Franta, Stevens and other U 17 Ds, and goalies Benson and Robert, weren't able to handle the Red offensive power

[JSR]

Looking at the scores only, as I'm not there, it would seem the non-mn teams are weak ?

I wonder; in mn, i.e., there are still a lot of very good players left after others go to juniors, have commits, etc.

These other states, where hs hockey generally isn't as good as here, I wonder if there is a much larger drop in talent between the two, per above ?

So the WI Seniors were weak???

[alcloseshaver]

They were on par with the Minny juniors lost 4-3. Wi shot the puck into their own net on a delayed penalty. Talent level looked close.

[JSR]

They were on par with the Minny juniors lost 4-3. Wi shot the puck into their own net on a delayed penalty. Talent level looked close.

I was not there but was told by a scout friend of mine that the MN Seniors were the best "team" there (not necessarily best long term talent but best "team"), followed by the WI Seniors, then the MN HP18s, and then there was a small drop off after that in his opinion to the next two teams, then a huge drop off after that, he basically said off the record that the bottom three teams had no business being there with the rest of them..... He said the WI Seniors losing two of their best players to game misconducts in the 1st and early second periods really hurt them in their game against the MN HP18's

[alcloseshaver]

They were on par with the Minny juniors lost 4-3. Wi shot the puck into their own net on a delayed penalty. Talent level looked close.

I was not there but was told by a scout friend of mine that the MN Seniors were the best "team" there (not necessarily best long term talent but best "team"), followed by the WI Seniors, then the MN HP18s, and then there was a small drop off after that in his opinion to the next two teams, then a huge drop off after that, he basically said off the record that the bottom three teams had no business being there with the rest of them..... He said the WI Seniors losing two of their best players to game misconducts in the 1st and early second periods really hurt them in their game against the MN HP18's

That would accurate.

[Puck76]

"I was not there but was told by a scout friend of mine that the MN Seniors were the best "team" there (not necessarily best long term talent but best "team")"

So team concepts are not given much appreciation by scouts? It only allows teams to win but does not make good hockey players?

[JSR]

"I was not there but was told by a scout friend of mine that the MN Seniors were the best "team" there (not necessarily best long term talent but best "team")"

So team concepts are not given much appreciation by scouts? It only allows teams to win but does not make good hockey players?

Depends.... Those senior teams have older more mature kids, and have some players that made for better "teams", but when projecting to the next level it was mentioned the MN HP's had better projected talent....