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I heard Team Brick Alberta added three of their best players after the Subway Tournament. I had also heard that a couple of the Blades better players had the flu and played sparingly.

Sounds like we have a couple of contestants for the Fox show"Moment of Truth"

It's a different model than most of the Blades teams, The Machine doesn't borrow players to compete. They put in a huge amount of ice time to develope their players. If you look at the 96 Machine team it has had the same roster for the last three summers. Compare that to the some 40 players that have moved throught the 96 Blades team over that same amount of time.

Can you say the same for the 97 Machine? That group of kids gets cleansed every fall. Development huh?

rock head wrote:98 Blades fall way short at the Brick in Canada 0-4-1 one point !!!!! The 97 Blades team was the best team ever to play for the Blades at the Brick.
The 97 Blades coaches did a great job last year.

I would agree the 97 Blades have been the best, but until you know all of the dynamics of what went on at the tournament you should reserve your comments

Can't Never Tried wrote:

100percenteffort wrote:I heard Team Brick Alberta added three of their best players after the Subway Tournament. I had also heard that a couple of the Blades better players had the flu and played sparingly.

Why not just say nice game!

Nice game!!

Tons of talent in both clubs - no denying that - but also many other talented kids all over MN who either don't live geographically close to the cities or have limiting finances, or just play other sports at a high level that require significant commitment. Don't kid yourselves - those kids will be at Selects and will impress all the Blades, Stars and Machine kids.

The Blades get invited to the top tournaments because they are a well run organization with a strong history. There will always be tough years, but that's true of all the clubs. The organizers of the big tournaments understand that since they've been running these things for many years. They specifically know it's true in MN with the increased competition for good players. If you really care about player development, you'd skip the weaker tournaments that just cost families a lot of time and money.

In my opinion, The Machine has changed youth hockey in MN and it will only be a matter of time until we see if that change is for the better. Personally I prefer the old days where we took our skates off in March and maybe spent one week up north at a hockey camp, but spent the summers playing baseball, swimming, camping and being kids. Afraid those days are gone for good though. The Blades seem to offer the closest thing with approx. 4 - 5 spring/summer tournaments and the kids practice a week or two before each one and are off the rest of the time. Best mix I've seen while still allowing competition at a high level. Apologies to the Machine families who prefer their summers at MM, but summer is too short in MN for me to spend it in a rink. It's probably good there's a choice for everyone and time will tell if we all made the right choices for our kids and which model is best for MN hockey and most importantly, THE KIDS.

Thanks Doglover for all your heart felt wisdom. First of all in order to take your skates off in March you had to have played the game and you never did. Your kid plays and some how that makes you an expert. You can say anything you want to convince the folks on this board that you played but it is not true.

You say that the Blades are invited to the top tournaments is a joke, There are two tournament that you speak of, they are the Brick and The Prospects. You and I know that you will be uninvited very quickly when it comes to the Brick, with showings like you had with your 98s.

As far as the Prospects goes the only reason you are "invited" is because you have aggreed to bring Bob Turom two teams at most levels. If you don't, you will be uninvited at that tournament also.

This brings me to the next point, if the prosects is so strong why do you bring a second team that always gets hammered? Could it be money? How strong can it be. Those poor families that you talk into going to the Prospects on the second team with all kinds of promises made to them only to get smoked, sound like a waste of time and money.

Here is another point you need to understand (because you never played) is that there is little or no development playing in a tournament. No matter how weak or strong. Tournaments are a fun and they can be used as a measuring stick. Your 98s can use the Brick to measure their achievement.

If the Blades are such a well run organization why are they dumping Bellows as the coach? Why did they dump Hatch from the 94 team midseason and the 95s have had new coaches every year.

As long as you brought it up lets look at the roster for the 97 Machine. The team is in its third year
Bear
Bowlby
Carroll
Duda
Graham
Jungels
Kaske
Klehr
Nyman
Oden
Saccoman
Sullivan
Swail
Zuhsdorf

14 players that all joined the team in the first summer.

The Machine has changed Mn hockey and the reason that you "prefer the old days" is that you have to work to hard to keep up with them. Its only a matter of time and you will grow tired and you kids will no longer be playing hockey and you won't keep up with them because they do this full time and with that rink. They have way to many resources. The Baldes will come and go just like so many other AAA teams before.

Anyone remember the Jr. North Stars or Team Minnesota.

There are so many errors and inaccuracies in that post, it's not even worth addressing. Time to move on...

Icemen23, what do you know about the 98 Blades and how Brian Bellows coaches. Until you know your facts I think you should keep your thoughts to yourself. The Blades are a great organization with great talent and "dumping" Bellows as you put it, is the only way to develope the talent of the whole team without an agenda for his kid. As for whose kids are going to be tired of hockey.....I know a lot of Machine kids and parents who are already tired and burnt out at a very young age.

Hmmm...Dumping Bellows but keeping RS??? - should change the name of the 98 squad from The Minnesota Blades to The Minnesota Dysfunction.

I suggest that you start up a team and call it Team Minnesota and hold try outs.
If a team is humbled to represent Minnesota. Lets make sure it has the best players.
Like I said I read all the team bio's and they all have All-Star teams. They have kids from all over their states or provinces. With the exception of the Blades.

Nothing against the Blades but they're not even close to having all the best kids from Minnesota. If you want to be humbled and honored then bring up a new team called Team Minnesota.
Everyone needs to check the ego's at the door. This includes everyone. I can promise you that both the Blades and Machine work very hard to develop as hockey players. From what I see both programs are solid.


Think about it. This is one tourney and a chance of a life time for these boys.
If you're going to do it. Do it right! Bring up the best players.

Just a thought.

I suggest that you start up a team and call it Team Minnesota and hold try outs.

Great idea, when are you having tryouts for next years group of 99's?

That would be the 99 Blades tryout dates this summer!

I thought DDQQ was going to get the new ball rolling with Team MN

No disrespect to the Blades they have a great program. Like I said. It was just a suggestion. We all know that the Blades would never give up the tourney spot.
It's too bad. Just imagine how good team Minnesota would be.

Are the 99 Blades going to scrimmage the 98 Snipers?

It brings a tear to my eye knowing that we could dominate the Brick if we only could send out best 10 year olds to the brick. Imagine the respect and love we would feel thoughout North America. Forget about Iran, Iraq, high gas prices, recession, forclosures and the rest of the worlds problems. We could win the Brick if we sent our best. What a disgrace for the state of hockey.

This thread has turned into an utter joke. Especially from the side of the argument where there is NO long term history and we're being schooled by parents of 10 year olds who ONLY know Minnesota hockey and want to talk about out of state tournaments they have no clue about. Wake up.

Minnesota Made has cornered a market and offer a great product. In years past (80's to mid 90's) the Blades were the premier program to be part of and have built a solid reputation and 99% of those kids that played with these teams will tell you that playing these summer tournaments was great. With Bernies program taking off and the influx of more and more summer AAA teams, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the Blades younger teams are going to taper off quicker as talented kids have so many options.

Everyone just needs to do what they think is the best option for them. In the end it doesn't really matter. No high school coach gives a hoot where little jonny played his summer AAA. Can he play or not? Period. Bickering amongst each other and having the audacity to put down any program that you are not part of is pathetic. Shut your trap, root for the freaking 8,9,10,11, 12 whatever old kid and enjoy the game.

jancze5, I agree this thread is a joke, but I'm going to have to disagree that Minnesota Made has cornered the market on hockey talent. If that were the case then Bernie would not be calling the Blades parents trying to get them to come over to the Machine. The products are different in the fact that the Machine are promoting hockey players and the Blades are promoting athletes. Even though you are "able" to play other sports when you are on the Machine it is BS because you can't possibly have any time to do anything else but play hockey (atleast at a high level). The Blades allow you to miss practice for a baseball, lacrosse etc. game whereas with the Machine it is an act of God to make that happen. The other difference is the approach to the devolpment. Machine does it by intimidation and humiliation whereas the Blades emphasize development in fun environment. Regardless where you play, if you can play you will be found......period!

The Blades organization is known throughout the US and Canada and is the benchmark for AAA hockey in MN. Sorry, it is what it is. They have a long great tradition.

Bruins: if the 98 Blades want to be a team that fits into the category of the, so called, "benchmark for AAA hockey" then they better start by getting a coaching staff that can work together.

stupidiswhatstupiddoes wrote:Bruins: if the 98 Blades want to be a team that fits into the category of the, so called, "benchmark for AAA hockey" then they better start by getting a coaching staff that can work together.

That will take care of itself

Bruins wrote:The Blades organization is known throughout the US and Canada and is the benchmark for AAA hockey in MN. Sorry, it is what it is. They have a long great tradition.

Yes...I'm sure thats right...the canadians calling the Blades the "benchmark"..you have no clue....no clue...none...at all. I am trying to regain my composure...

jancze5 wrote:This thread has turned into an utter joke. Especially from the side of the argument where there is NO long term history and we're being schooled by parents of 10 year olds who ONLY know Minnesota hockey and want to talk about out of state tournaments they have no clue about. Wake up.

Minnesota Made has cornered a market and offer a great product. In years past (80's to mid 90's) the Blades were the premier program to be part of and have built a solid reputation and 99% of those kids that played with these teams will tell you that playing these summer tournaments was great. With Bernies program taking off and the influx of more and more summer AAA teams, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the Blades younger teams are going to taper off quicker as talented kids have so many options.

Everyone just needs to do what they think is the best option for them. In the end it doesn't really matter. No high school coach gives a hoot where little jonny played his summer AAA. Can he play or not? Period. Bickering amongst each other and having the audacity to put down any program that you are not part of is pathetic. Shut your trap, root for the freaking 8,9,10,11, 12 whatever old kid and enjoy the game.

AMEN!...Get off it you flipping clowns...Have the pride, but stop the yapping. Hockey is too good of a sport for you to continue this worthless yapping...I had the privledge to officiate last weekends tourney at MM, and I can't tell you how impressed I was with the respect and skill of all of the teams and players. Slaughtered or not, it was an awesome experience. Everyone involved from players, to coaches, to parents made officiating the tourney a pleasure. This coming from an official that has to tolerate way too much BS during the regular season. I was impressed with the respect that all displayed during the tourney, I am so glad there is glass between me and you so I didn't have to listen to all the back stabbing, bad mouthing that I am sure was in the house. Now I get on the board and follow all of the crap....It's crap, get off of it and enjoy the game for what it is...a game. Tourneys are tourneys. You will never have the best all on one team for a lot of different reasons.

Get a life and stop the crap.