Eveleths High School Team

[hockeyislife4]

What do you think about Eveleth and its Future? <p></p><i></i>

[Blue Devils fan]

I'm with 2AhockeyOldTimer on this one <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :D --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /happy.gif ALT=":D"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <p></p><i></i>

[hockeyislife4]

i dont know...they have alot of kids returning next year and a few eighth graders that are very impressive. they are only losing around 4 seniors so they might be the team to watch next year <p></p><i></i>

[slickslide]

You are going to wish you had Homola back. <p></p><i></i>

[hockeyislife4]

Yeah its true he is a great coach....Johnson will do just fine i think. this year was his first year and i think he learned alot this year..next year could be the year for the Bears <p></p><i></i>

[ironranger]

eveleth should easily contend with the section next year and maybe make a run for it. with only 3 starting seniors graduating and 1 senior who didnt play the underclassmen with some good sense of hockey should make next season fun to watch <p></p><i></i>

[2AhockeyOldTimer]

Thats right you agree with me. What do you agree with me on? <p>2A</p><i></i>

[hockeyislife4]

I agree with ironranger <p></p><i></i>

[royal12]

I'm glad to see that slickslide has a sense of humor. There is no way that the players would want Homola back. All he did after 98 was run the program into the ground. The state championship in 98 was won by kids who worked their butts off on the rinks since they were 4 and he reaped the benefits. He had the same team back in 99 and what happened to them? Beat by a Central team in Eveleth (a team that Johnson was coaching). Bottom line...the players believe in Johnson, they respect him, and will follow him. That team they had this year wouldn't have won half the number of games if Homola was there. They only had like 5 players return from the previous team. They had more wins this year than last with 15 players that were sophs. and below. That's coaching slickster.<br><br>What did Homola do for the program? Youth program? <br><br>Johnson has done more for the overall program in one year than Homola did in 10. <br><br>I know that he has hockey camps scheduled for the youth levels, his high school team is skating all summer, he hd his players involved in the youth program and with community things. Did Homola ever do that?<br><br>Back to the subject at hand, I really think that EG could be a contender this year if they come together as a team. They have a lot of youth but also some very good talent too. My only question mark for them is goaltending. I really believe that goaltending hurt them this year. <p></p><i></i>

[hockeyislife4]

Ironranger,<br>what did you think about the 3 eigth graders in eveleth last year and how to do you think theyll do next year? <p></p><i></i>

[ironranger]

the 3 8th graders this year did "average" if you want to say that, but with 1 year behind them and already having essential skills to compete at highschool hockey they are only going to get better and help out the team in the coming years. <p></p><i></i>

[hockeyislife4]

ironranger,<br>Do you think its going to hurt the team now that the babich twins are gone? <p></p><i></i>

[CoachGriswold]

Eveleth nets International Net Minder sensation! Classic small town Eveleth lands Cuban All-Star net-minder Guadalupe Chulupa, a junior transfer from the tiny town of Tacona-Seville. The rap sheet on this kid is outrageous! 6'-8" 160 pounds of sinewy flesh. Fast as a viper with the mental strength of a man on death row. Look for Chulupa to lead this hockey town to new heights. Lets play Hockey has a story coming out in April on this incredible transfer.<br><br>CG-<!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :rollin --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... s/roll.gif ALT=":rollin"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <p></p><i></i>

[redknight99]

I watched the team a few times this year and I would say that they probably have the most returning from the previous year from the teams in section 7. <br><br>I think that coach J did a good job of bringing along the young kids and developing them for the varsity level. He brought them along slowly and by the end of the year had one of them on their powerplay unit. These are kids who recieved very poor coaching at the youth levels (especially bantams) and Johnson was forced to go back to basics with them to teach them correctly...and it worked great. <br><br>I watched EG play their last game in Silver Bay and they looked very good. They played hard and like a team. The loss of the Babichs will hurt but I think what they lose on the rink they gain in the locker room. Those kids have great talent but they may lack a little in the TEAM department. This is just an outsider's opinion, so don't take my word on it. <br><br> <p></p><i></i>

[slickslide]

They are not as good as when Homola was there.<br> <p></p><i></i>

[GB12]

slickslide-<br>I would agree, they are not as good as when Homola was there in 98 and 99. But neither is their youth program which obviously feeds the high school program. In the hay days of the 90's there were many more kids to choose from in order to make the team. Most sophomores didn't even play varsity. I think that you could agree that in the last few years the teams have not been very good (an frankly disappointing) under Homola. He had a pretty good team a few years ago but they got bounced in the playoffs early by Central. Not to mention the loss to Chisholm about 5 years ago in the playoffs...yes, Chisholm. <br><br>But from the last few years of me watching games, this year's team was a vast improvement on the previous years performances. Mainly in discipline and work ethic. Also, they won like 5 out of their last 6 games going down the stretch. In the final Homola years I believe they hit the "skids" come playoff time (9-1 vs. HIbbing in playoffs in 2004). There is a difference in attitude around there and a great one at that.<br><br>So although I know that you are just stirring the pot, you do have a point, but it has nothing to do with coaching, it has a lot to do with attrition. <br><br>Always remember, Homola would still be there if he knew of a simple thing called restraint. <p></p><i></i>

[slickslide]

I am not simply stirring the pot. I am an outside observer and in my opinion Craig Homola was a terrific coach. Eveleth is going through attrition and so is everyone else up north. We can respectfully disagree on this issue. I will say that it probably won't be fair to evaluate Johnson until he has had a full circuit of players run through his program. For example, your current Pee Wee A and B teams go through. Then you can truly evaluate him and his program. <p></p><i></i>

[GB12]

I would agree with you on that. With the attrition issue, yes, most places are facing it but they still seem to maintain a certain talent level. EG seems to have an attrition level with their youth coaches. <br><br>I think that their peewees were something like a combined 4 win program. Should be interesting. <p></p><i></i>

[slickslide]

GB- Does your program have mostly parents coaching in it?<br> <p></p><i></i>

[GB12]

I coach at the college level so I can't answer that. <br><br>In my opinion, parents are all right to a certain age and then they should move aside. In most of the successful programs i have seen, most of the coaches are not parents but instead are community members that are knowledgable in hockey. I realize that over in Eveleth, that may not be a possibility. I'm sure that there are knowledgable community members out there but they probably are not willing to give up free time. What I have seen in Eveleth is a lot of people who "think" they know a lot and scream at people but in reality could not coach themselves. These are the people who do not have the courage to coach but would rather sit and make judgements on those who do. If you do not actually coach, you can win 100% of the time! <p></p><i></i>

[slickslide]

Are these the same people who ran off Homola?<br> <p></p><i></i>

[royal12]

Just to jump in remember Homola was not ran because of any parents. Yes, there were many parents who were not happy with him but his ultimate error was his personal life spilling into his coaching. Let me give you a theoretical scenerio...What would you do if you had an employee who was supposed to be supervising kids but instead was sitting in a bar drinking all day? Would you keep that employee or remove them from their position of being a role model, leader, and mentor to 15-18 year olds? <br><br>It's funny how some people can in their late forties and still not be able to take responsibility for themselves and their actions. They lay blame on others instead of accepting the consequences for what they do.<br><br>Personally, I think we should move off the Homola subject because it simply does not warrant any more discussion on any thread. He is gone and no matter who whines and complains, he will never be back coaching. <p></p><i></i>

[slickslide]

Sounds like sour grapes Royal12!! <p></p><i></i>

[zorba]

sounds like you should keep your (ultimate error) comments to to yourself, WOW...... get a life <p></p><i></i>

[slickslide]

Simply stating my opinion. <p></p><i></i>