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Froggy Richards wrote:

Sats81 wrote:

Froggy Richards wrote: I've had a chance to talk to a few of the main players in Hermantown Hockey this offseason. All of them realize that they should be in AA and that the program is being held back. One of them even stated that it's hurting all of Northern Hockey by them staying in A. It's tough for the other programs in 7A to generate any buzz and build up their programs when they lose players to Hermantown and then have no hope whatsoever of coming out of 7A. Their Squirt A team is almost half kids from Proctor and Duluth this year. Several more on the PeeWee and Bantam teams. This gentleman even went as far as to say he may skip High School hockey for his youngest son and just go the Junior route because he doesn't see the point in him playing A if he's trying to play after High School.

Hermantown will not play AA as long as Bruce Plante is coach. He is holding back the Hermantown program and Northern Hockey both. Maybe he retires if they win it this year. For the sake of everyone, I hope so.

If a kid is good enough it doenst matter if he plays A or AA. See Aamodt or Pionks or Leblanc, Jared Thomas, Sandelin, etc. List goes on there...

I would agree. But given the choice I think most would pick AA competition if they could. Look at the 10 finalists for Mr. Hockey every year. How many of them play A?

First of all Hermantown does not recruit; accusing the program of that couldn’t be further from the truth. A community attracting families who move in or open enroll is not recruiting. Also, community members encouraging others to move in because they like living in Hermantown for a host of reasons, including HS Sports, is not recruiting. The HS Program does not recruit period. I know of 2 elite players that approached the HS about playing were instructed to stay and play for their hometown. 1 was very recent. Funny thing is; that player then chose to forgo his senior year at his 2A school to go play in the USHL. I am sure there are more. You can’t stop someone from moving in, buying a house and trying out for youth or HS hockey. As far as open enrolling, I think most of the grades are full. Maybe when the new school HS is completed and the others are renovated, there may be more room for more open enrollees. Should this not be the goal of every community; attracting families and growing? If you want to stop people from moving out and moving into/open enrolling in Hermantown, maybe you should focus on improving your own community and program instead of constantly bashing a successful one. It’s people with an attitude like yours that are the problem. If you are moving to the Duluth area, or currently reside in the area and are thinking of moving, please consider Hermantown as your place of residence. It’s a small community with great schools and friendly people. Froggy, your agenda of bashing Hermantown is getting really old. You can stay at Denfeld.

pekyman wrote:

Froggy Richards wrote:

Sats81 wrote: If a kid is good enough it doenst matter if he plays A or AA. See Aamodt or Pionks or Leblanc, Jared Thomas, Sandelin, etc. List goes on there...

I would agree. But given the choice I think most would pick AA competition if they could. Look at the 10 finalists for Mr. Hockey every year. How many of them play A?

First of all Hermantown does not recruit; accusing the program of that couldn’t be further from the truth. A community attracting families who move in or open enroll is not recruiting. Also, community members encouraging others to move in because they like living in Hermantown for a host of reasons, including HS Sports, is not recruiting. The HS Program does not recruit period. I know of 2 elite players that approached the HS about playing were instructed to stay and play for their hometown. 1 was very recent. Funny thing is; that player then chose to forgo his senior year at his 2A school to go play in the USHL. I am sure there are more. You can’t stop someone from moving in, buying a house and trying out for youth or HS hockey. As far as open enrolling, I think most of the grades are full. Maybe when the new school HS is completed and the others are renovated, there may be more room for more open enrollees. Should this not be the goal of every community; attracting families and growing? If you want to stop people from moving out and moving into/open enrolling in Hermantown, maybe you should focus on improving your own community and program instead of constantly bashing a successful one. It’s people with an attitude like yours that are the problem. If you are moving to the Duluth area, or currently reside in the area and are thinking of moving, please consider Hermantown as your place of residence. It’s a small community with great schools and friendly people. Froggy, your agenda of bashing Hermantown is getting really old. You can stay at Denfeld.

Of course they don't recruit in High School, they don't have to. It's all done at the Youth Level. I agree with you, recruit players and grow. But then they should have to add the enrollments of each school that they take the top players from and then they're in AA and everybody is happy. Let the actual small towns that play with their own players have a chance to have some success in Class A. (Isn't that why Class A was created in the first place?) Then maybe a program like Hibbing or Virginia can eventually make the jump to AA. Section 7AA should be all Northern Teams and Hermantown is the main road-block in keeping that from happening. I guess it's all a moot point anyway since it won't happen as long as Plante is there. Same old story. Play a AA youth and regular season High School schedule, drop down for the High School playoffs, Sleepwalk to the Class-A Championship Game, get out-coached, lose, rinse, repeat, yada yada yada.

Don't forget to mention beautiful downtown Hermantown. With its old world shops on main street. Reminds me of a Rockwell painting from Oldtimers generation.

hadenuf wrote:Don't forget to mention beautiful downtown Hermantown. With its old world shops on main street. Reminds me of a Rockwell painting from Oldtimers generation.

Also "Pure Pleasure" on 53. A real family destination!

Froggy Richards wrote:

pekyman wrote:

Froggy Richards wrote: I would agree. But given the choice I think most would pick AA competition if they could. Look at the 10 finalists for Mr. Hockey every year. How many of them play A?

First of all Hermantown does not recruit; accusing the program of that couldn’t be further from the truth. A community attracting families who move in or open enroll is not recruiting. Also, community members encouraging others to move in because they like living in Hermantown for a host of reasons, including HS Sports, is not recruiting. The HS Program does not recruit period. I know of 2 elite players that approached the HS about playing were instructed to stay and play for their hometown. 1 was very recent. Funny thing is; that player then chose to forgo his senior year at his 2A school to go play in the USHL. I am sure there are more. You can’t stop someone from moving in, buying a house and trying out for youth or HS hockey. As far as open enrolling, I think most of the grades are full. Maybe when the new school HS is completed and the others are renovated, there may be more room for more open enrollees. Should this not be the goal of every community; attracting families and growing? If you want to stop people from moving out and moving into/open enrolling in Hermantown, maybe you should focus on improving your own community and program instead of constantly bashing a successful one. It’s people with an attitude like yours that are the problem. If you are moving to the Duluth area, or currently reside in the area and are thinking of moving, please consider Hermantown as your place of residence. It’s a small community with great schools and friendly people. Froggy, your agenda of bashing Hermantown is getting really old. You can stay at Denfeld.

Of course they don't recruit in High School, they don't have to. It's all done at the Youth Level. I agree with you, recruit players and grow. But then they should have to add the enrollments of each school that they take the top players from and then they're in AA and everybody is happy. Let the actual small towns that play with their own players have a chance to have some success in Class A. (Isn't that why Class A was created in the first place?) Then maybe a program like Hibbing or Virginia can eventually make the jump to AA. Section 7AA should be all Northern Teams and Hermantown is the main road-block in keeping that from happening. I guess it's all a moot point anyway since it won't happen as long as Plante is there. Same old story. Play a AA youth and regular season High School schedule, drop down for the High School playoffs, Sleepwalk to the Class-A Championship Game, get out-coached, lose, rinse, repeat, yada yada yada.

Well said Froggy - Plante is exactly what he boasts he doesn't like. Maybe Brucie and Randolph have a gentlemen’s agreement to stay Class A so neither team loses home ice advantage in the Sections.

hadenuf wrote:Don't forget to mention beautiful downtown Hermantown. With its old world shops on main street. Reminds me of a Rockwell painting from Oldtimers generation.

Exactly. What seems to get lost in Plante's "homegrown kids" monologues is that Hermantown is a suburb of Duluth. There are 3 AA schools (East, Marshall, Superior) and one of the largest A schools (Denfeld) all within a 10 minute drive of Hermantown. This is not small town hockey.

The program grew by having success in single A. Now it is time to graduate to AA. Plante and Hermantown have built an excellent program and they deserve credit, just as much as they deserve criticism for playing AA in youth, having a AA heavy varsity schedule, yet somehow saying with a straight face that "we're where we belong" in A.

*My bad for adding to the off topic rants, I thought this was the AA/A thread when I first posted, where it would be a little less off topic.

That said, I can't wait to see how Bemidji and GR match up early in the season. Jack vs Hawks AA championship game? Now that would be a treat!

rainier wrote:

hadenuf wrote:Don't forget to mention beautiful downtown Hermantown. With its old world shops on main street. Reminds me of a Rockwell painting from Oldtimers generation.

Exactly. What seems to get lost in Plante's "homegrown kids" monologues is that Hermantown is a suburb of Duluth. There are 3 AA schools (East, Marshall, Superior) and one of the largest A schools (Denfeld) all within a 10 minute drive of Hermantown. This is not small town hockey.

The program grew by having success in single A. Now it is time to graduate to AA. Plante and Hermantown have built an excellent program and they deserve credit, just as much as they deserve criticism for playing AA in youth, having a AA heavy varsity schedule, yet somehow saying with a straight face that "we're where we belong" in A.

rainier wrote:

hadenuf wrote:Don't forget to mention beautiful downtown Hermantown. With its old world shops on main street. Reminds me of a Rockwell painting from Oldtimers generation.

Exactly. What seems to get lost in Plante's "homegrown kids" monologues is that Hermantown is a suburb of Duluth. There are 3 AA schools (East, Marshall, Superior) and one of the largest A schools (Denfeld) all within a 10 minute drive of Hermantown. This is not small town hockey.

The program grew by having success in single A. Now it is time to graduate to AA. Plante and Hermantown have built an excellent program and they deserve credit, just as much as they deserve criticism for playing AA in youth, having a AA heavy varsity schedule, yet somehow saying with a straight face that "we're where we belong" in A.

*My bad for adding to the off topic rants, I thought this was the AA/A thread when I first posted, where it would be a little less off topic.

That said, I can't wait to see how Bemidji and GR match up early in the season. Jack vs Hawks AA championship game? Now that would be a treat!

Don't forget Proctor. If there was no open-enrollment you have the potential of Aamodt, Samberg, Judnick and Garret Worth playing for Proctor this year. Add those players to Proctor's current top line and nobody is even talking about Hermantown.

hadenuf wrote:Don't forget to mention beautiful downtown Hermantown. With its old world shops on main street. Reminds me of a Rockwell painting from Oldtimers generation.

Is that the one with the old guys sitting around a barrel with a fire pit in the back ground talking about how the postal service made the Hermantown area code stretch for such a long ways around it?

I have that painting hanging on my wall I think. Right next to the painting of cats playing poker.

Thanks Karl! Looking forward to the update!

Froggy Richards wrote:

rainier wrote:

hadenuf wrote:Don't forget to mention beautiful downtown Hermantown. With its old world shops on main street. Reminds me of a Rockwell painting from Oldtimers generation.

Exactly. What seems to get lost in Plante's "homegrown kids" monologues is that Hermantown is a suburb of Duluth. There are 3 AA schools (East, Marshall, Superior) and one of the largest A schools (Denfeld) all within a 10 minute drive of Hermantown. This is not small town hockey.

The program grew by having success in single A. Now it is time to graduate to AA. Plante and Hermantown have built an excellent program and they deserve credit, just as much as they deserve criticism for playing AA in youth, having a AA heavy varsity schedule, yet somehow saying with a straight face that "we're where we belong" in A.

*My bad for adding to the off topic rants, I thought this was the AA/A thread when I first posted, where it would be a little less off topic.

That said, I can't wait to see how Bemidji and GR match up early in the season. Jack vs Hawks AA championship game? Now that would be a treat!

Don't forget Proctor. If there was no open-enrollment you have the potential of Aamodt, Samberg, Judnick and Garret Worth playing for Proctor this year. Add those players to Proctor's current top line and nobody is even talking about Hermantown.

MrBoDangles wrote:

Froggy Richards wrote:

rainier wrote: Exactly. What seems to get lost in Plante's "homegrown kids" monologues is that Hermantown is a suburb of Duluth. There are 3 AA schools (East, Marshall, Superior) and one of the largest A schools (Denfeld) all within a 10 minute drive of Hermantown. This is not small town hockey.

The program grew by having success in single A. Now it is time to graduate to AA. Plante and Hermantown have built an excellent program and they deserve credit, just as much as they deserve criticism for playing AA in youth, having a AA heavy varsity schedule, yet somehow saying with a straight face that "we're where we belong" in A.

*My bad for adding to the off topic rants, I thought this was the AA/A thread when I first posted, where it would be a little less off topic.

That said, I can't wait to see how Bemidji and GR match up early in the season. Jack vs Hawks AA championship game? Now that would be a treat!

Don't forget Proctor. If there was no open-enrollment you have the potential of Aamodt, Samberg, Judnick and Garret Worth playing for Proctor this year. Add those players to Proctor's current top line and nobody is even talking about Hermantown.

I knew about the other three but didn't realize that Aamodt lived in the Proctor school District also. The Rails would already have their Hotel Rooms booked in St. Paul with those four. Lane Krenzen lives in the Proctor District too but his parents went to Marshall so I'm sure he was always going to end up there.

Jeffy95 wrote:

MrBoDangles wrote:

Froggy Richards wrote: Don't forget Proctor. If there was no open-enrollment you have the potential of Aamodt, Samberg, Judnick and Garret Worth playing for Proctor this year. Add those players to Proctor's current top line and nobody is even talking about Hermantown.

I knew about the other three but didn't realize that Aamodt lived in the Proctor school District also. The Rails would already have their Hotel Rooms booked in St. Paul with those four. Lane Krenzen lives in the Proctor District too but his parents went to Marshall so I'm sure he was always going to end up there.

A scout friend said there's a lot of interest brewing about Jake Malec.. I might have to get to a game when they're playing near by.

What a team they would've had..

MrBoDangles wrote:

Jeffy95 wrote:

MrBoDangles wrote:

I knew about the other three but didn't realize that Aamodt lived in the Proctor school District also. The Rails would already have their Hotel Rooms booked in St. Paul with those four. Lane Krenzen lives in the Proctor District too but his parents went to Marshall so I'm sure he was always going to end up there.

A scout friend said there's a lot of interest brewing about Jake Malec.. I might have to get to a game when they're playing near by.

What a team they would've had..

Malec is just a great all around Athlete. He's a D1 Baseball Commit and Quarterbacked the Rails to the State Tournament this year. Baseball has kept him from putting in the time for offseason hockey that most have. The Rails can put the puck in the net and should be fun to watch this year.

Yep, ifs and buts on how great they could have been with that group. Reminds me of the song, "Try not to think about what might have been......."