I know it would never happen, but dream scenario for me would be to get rid of the 2 class tournament. Have a single tournament with a 16 team field. No section tournaments, just have it so that the top 16 teams ranked at the end of the year are the teams that make the tournament. This would no doubt showcase the best tournament that Minnesota high school hockey has to offer.
I could see doing this overall with the AA schools, but for A they don’t have the depth to hold up against AA, no matter how good their top end is because of how school sizes have gotten, especially if you’re playing these games on consecutive days.
For me personally, I'd rather see the 16 best teams, regardless of school size or population. If the Warroads/Hermantowns/SCC teams are good enough to be there, then they should be there. But I don't necessarily enjoy seeing feel good story teams make it and then get destroyed. Those games are not exciting and don't highlight the talent that our state produces.
And Andover needs someone to challenge them in a 7AA Final besides GR..,now that DE isn’t the same without Mike Randolph coaching &’Cloquet bailed to single A.St. Cloud Cathedral and Mahtomedi need somebody to beat in the Class A tournament to make the tournament more interesting.
Serious question - (I don’t follow high school hockey much) - if you aren’t a cake eater, are folks very excited about a final with Edina?
I've never liked Edina so anybody who plays Edina "Go Team playing Edina". 😆
I have no problem with Edina, they are a skilled team that plays hard...I enjoy watching them.
Try being a school in Hermantown's conference who never gets to go to the tournament. I get the thought of, just beat them then, but it must be frustrating.
Great for cathedral! Glad to see that, they deserved it, great goaltending, now I gotta go with Chan. After last night they gotta be thinking frustrate Edina because they couldn’t stay disciplined. Should be a good one!
This one has the feeling of a classic in the making
The Edina 2 minute penalty could have been called 5 minutes. I hope the Chanhassen player is OK.
How Edina doesn’t get a 5 minute major for that is beyond me. That was worse than anything called in the gophers game
Lou with a classic line, “the best thing that happened for Edina that period is the horn went off”😂
Edina is hanging on. They don't have any great playmakers that can make a difference. I think this is case of a senior dominated team taking it to a younger team. Bigger isn't better on this level.
Cheers
Edina found some legs in the third. They’ve tied it up and the ice isn’t tilted one way anymore.
Edit: Now they take the lead with a PPG.
The 45 app sucks golf balls through garden hoses. Keeps stalling on me. In 2024 they should have this figured out.
I had better luck saying I’m watching on a computer, but it still froze here and there.
Buzz buzz
The Edina goalie was a joy to watch, every time they showed him on the scoreboard after a save, flurry, whatever he was smiling and laughing and enjoying the moment. You could tell his teammates loved him and he was easy to root for.
Caden Lee (24) from Chan has the potential to be a very good D1 player.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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The Edina goalie was a joy to watch, every time they showed him on the scoreboard after a save, flurry, whatever he was smiling and laughing and enjoying the moment. You could tell his teammates loved him and he was easy to root for.
Caden Lee (24) from Chan has the potential to be a very good D1 player.
I made this observation as well. The moment was not too big for him. That's the guy you want in the net with the game on the line--and he proved it.
I have a beef with the cross-check against Chanhassen that led to the ensuing Edina go-ahead goal. It should not have been called or both players should have gone to the box. That little kerfuffle happened in front of the benches away from the play and had no impact on the game. The Edina kid came in a little late on his hit and the Chan kid responded with a short jab back. The Hornet falls on the ice like a thunderbolt hit him. Of course, the "victim" was snickering on the bench as he got away with something.
As a ref, I would never make a late one-sided, game-changing call like that on a play that meant nothing. It reminded me of the NCAA championship game last spring. Sure, Cooley was an idiot for standing there engaging with a player away from the puck while his team was up late by a goal, but the ref has a greater responsibility to call a fair game. If a player gets tripped or hacked and loses possession of the puck, that should be called no matter the score or time of the game. But two players giving each other the business away from the play? That's both or neither.
I'm 50% factual and 50% sarcastic. When you get to know me, you will know which is which.
I’m a big fan of Curt Giles, Lechner (Hill) and Randolph (STA). Want to see their teams at State, cause of their coaching style. Though every time I see Giles, I see Cotton Hill from ‘King of the Hill’.
Keep your stick on the ice...
The 45 app sucks golf balls through garden hoses. Keeps stalling on me. In 2024 they should have this figured out.
Give the rights back to Channel 4 45 will never be close to what Channel 4 did in the past
Does anyone know how long Chanhassen has had a youth program. Someone was saying only 4 kids on that team played for their youth program, the rest are outsiders. I find that hard to believe.
Does anyone know how long Chanhassen has had a youth program. Someone was saying only 4 kids on that team played for their youth program, the rest are outsiders. I find that hard to believe.
They co-op with Chaska for youth hockey. And at the Tourney a Chan family sat behind me. I asked the dad some questions about their feeder programs. I'm more confused after than before. It's sounds like both cities could have their own programs. Though his son was 1 of 4 Chaska kids to play at his level. And I've heard the same rumor about the the high school team, that the group of Sr's they had came from all over.
Keep your stick on the ice...
Does anyone know how long Chanhassen has had a youth program. Someone was saying only 4 kids on that team played for their youth program, the rest are outsiders. I find that hard to believe.
They co-op with Chaska for youth hockey. And at the Tourney a Chan family sat behind me. I asked the dad some questions about their feeder programs. I'm more confused after than before. It's sounds like both cities could have their own programs. Though his son was 1 of 4 Chaska kids to play at his level. And I've heard the same rumor about the the high school team, that the group of Sr's they had came from all over.
People were saying the same about Tonka 13 kids from outside the youth program. Who knows But it needs to stop.
I've heard stuff about Tonka for the last couple years. Though I ever heard a conversation by someone sitting in my section about how Edina recruits. The Edina one was news to me. They are pretty good about developing their own talent or families more to Edina. So basically people talk to talk, have no clue what they are talking about and as you said... who knows.
Keep your stick on the ice...
I would think the Edina youth program speaks for the talent the HS team has. Don't they have the biggest youth system out there?
Tonka's youth program has been well ranked through the years down into squirts. Also while they had several transfers, I believe a few had previous ties to MYHA at some point in their past. And despite it being a larger school district, overall school enrollment in the district has been down significantly so that plays a part in all of this. I doubt anyone really knows how much 'recruiting' happened, but surely it's not limited to Tonka and Chan to any degree.
I'm curious how many players schools like Tonka, Wayz, MG, Edina, Chan, etc. didn't have on their rosters this year from playing juniors instead.
People were saying the same about Tonka 13 kids from outside the youth program. Who knows But it needs to stop.
Stop what? Open enrollment?
They are not indentured servants.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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Not that this is the end all, be all, but here are the 2016-17 Squirt A rosters for C/C, Edina (White & Green) & Minnetonka. Seniors & a small amount of juniors.
2018-2019 Pee Wee AA's C/C & Edina (couldn't find Minnetonka)
I would think the Edina youth program speaks for the talent the HS team has. Don't they have the biggest youth system out there?
@vegoe may know or have the numbers. I may be dating myself, though I'm pretty sure WBL had the largest feeder system for a couple years.
Keep your stick on the ice...
Going back to Chanhassen. Just curious how much in hurts a program in high school when they co-op? You have Chan/Chaska, Osseo/Maple Grove, Centennial/SPL...
Keep your stick on the ice...
People were saying the same about Tonka 13 kids from outside the youth program. Who knows But it needs to stop.
Stop what? Open enrollment?
They are not indentured servants.
Stop everything LOL
Just me not a fan of kids playing lets say for Blaine Youth Hockey but hey Hockey is better at Andover so I am going to go there for HS
Keep your stick on the ice...
Then you might as well stop watching because it's not going to change. Ever.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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Then you might as well stop watching because it's not going to change. Ever.
We can only hope it could change back to the way it was. IMO I don't understand some of the kids that grow up playing with their buds then ditch them to play for a better program. Hell I would rather see them go play in the USHL
centennial and Spring Lake Park don’t co-op for the boys, only the girls. Co-op girls team is common due to lower numbers.Going back to Chanhassen. Just curious how much in hurts a program in high school when they co-op? You have Chan/Chaska, Osseo/Maple Grove, Centennial/SPL...
Osseo Maple grove is a huge program and they are a juggernaut, but I think the vast majority of those kids are Maple Grove players and they only co-op because Osseo is tiny and couldn’t field teams…maybe I’m wrong but if that’s the case I don’t see a way around it unless Osseo co-ops with Champlin Park instead.
cha-cha has been a co-op for a while and they’re pretty successful at youth levels but nothing to fear.
Woodbury has very good youth hockey but the kids all split up when they get to high school.
Wayzata, Edina and OMGHA seem to be the largest programs for youth hockey. keep in mind a decent number of players from SW metro (Edina, Tonka, etc) also play Made/Choice instead of playing for their association.
Eden Prairie is an interesting g association. Smaller than I would have guessed. Only 4 bantam teams this year. No A team. But they still get the plenty of top high school players somehow.
WBL is not that big (similar in numbers to Blaine).
EP may be ok next year....but they may be about to take a downslide come 25-26 going forward.
This is always the big one to check on 8U hockey numbers. I noted the big associations.
Edina 499 8U players in 22-23
OMG 424
Minnetonka 467
Wayzata 512
Lakeville 377
Rochester 341
Stillwater 347
White Bear Lake 317
Chaska/Chan 307
Blaine 293
Duluth 292
Eagan 289
Woodbury 288
Cottage Grove 288
Prior Lake 285
Centennial 284
Mounds View 288
Hastings 265
Minneapolis 255
Orono 227
Rogers 214
STMA 208
Andover 201
Rosemount 199
Mahtomedia 194
EP 192
Farmington 187
Jefferson 182
Elk River 178
Moorhead 177
Mankato 176
Grand Rapids 175
Didn't realize the demographic shift was that stark in EP yet, but it sure appears it's going a lot faster than the ramp up.
Woodbury has very good youth hockey but the kids all split up when they get to high school.
Can confirm this. Can also confirm that demographics for the 2 public schools in this town highly favor East Ridge (about 2/3rds of the kids in the youth program live in the ER boundary). I guess having 2 high schools personally worked to our advantage, as my daughter played for Woodbury HS this past season. If we had a single giant high school like Stillwater, she might have gotten cut.
Woodbury has very good youth hockey but the kids all split up when they get to high school.
Can confirm this. Can also confirm that demographics for the 2 public schools in this town highly favor East Ridge (about 2/3rds of the kids in the youth program live in the ER boundary). I guess having 2 high schools personally worked to our advantage, as my daughter played for Woodbury HS this past season. If we had a single giant high school like Stillwater, she might have gotten cut.
Does Eastridge draw from the Cottage Grove association, too?
I seem to recall the (bizarre) attendance boundary extending that far south when the school opened.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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Woodbury has very good youth hockey but the kids all split up when they get to high school.
Can confirm this. Can also confirm that demographics for the 2 public schools in this town highly favor East Ridge (about 2/3rds of the kids in the youth program live in the ER boundary). I guess having 2 high schools personally worked to our advantage, as my daughter played for Woodbury HS this past season. If we had a single giant high school like Stillwater, she might have gotten cut.
Does Eastridge draw from the Cottage Grove association, too?
I seem to recall the (bizarre) attendance boundary extending that far south when the school opened.
Yes East Ridge does extend into Cottage Grove as well. The school sits about a mile from the Woodbury/Cottage Grove border.
The city of Woodbury is split into 4 school districts. Tartan, Stillwater, Woodbury HS, and East Ridge. Plus there’s Hill-Murray taking some students.
Yes East Ridge does extend into Cottage Grove as well. The school sits about a mile from the Woodbury/Cottage Grove border.
The city of Woodbury is split into 4 school districts. Tartan, Stillwater, Woodbury HS, and East Ridge. Plus there’s Hill-Murray taking some students.
Yep, it's always had crazy district boundaries; not New Hope/Robbinsdale/Crystal/the Brooklyn's/Osseo crazy but still crazy. When I went to Woodbury it included all of Newport and several parts of Cottage Grove, areas toward Afton along Bailey & Military and even some neighborhoods just north of Park HS where Tower Rd used to dump into 70th St. I would imagine as Woodbury grew many of those areas moved to Park and eventually some to Eastridge.
As Woodbury has expanded east along I94 Stillwater is getting more students, I think their portion of Woodbury north of Brookview and east somewhere between Radio & Woodbury Drives. It may even expand further south as you move east, I thought I heard the new homes east of Settlers Parkway is in the Stillwater district. Tartan's area was always a small chunk of Woodbury Heights along 94, just a few blocks if i recall correctly.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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When I went to Woodbury it included all of Newport and several parts of Cottage Grove, areas toward Afton along Bailey & Military and even some neighborhoods just north of Park HS where Tower Rd used to dump into 70th St.
Yeah, but you went to school with a horse and buggy... 😉
Keep your stick on the ice...
Are there any youth association that DONT follow school district boundaries? As far as I know everyone does but some may combine school districts
Gotta love that the whole Hockey Hair thing has gotten big enough to deserve a New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/14/style/minnesota-hockey-hair.html
B1G refs... corrupt, or just incompetent?
Rochester, Duluth and Minneapolis combine their players into a single youth program.Are there any youth association that DONT follow school district boundaries? As far as I know everyone does but some may combine school districts