How many 02 AAA teams are out there ??

[old goalie85]

I'm not talking about "elite/open" Just any summer teams. 20 ?? 25 ???

[barry_mcconnell]

45 (and counting). In no specific order. Some interesting gaps at the 2002 level.

1. Blades
2. Machine Orange
3. Machine Black
4. Legacy
5. Miracle Gold
6. Miracle Gold Black
7. MN Edge
8. Ice Edge Black
9. Ice Edge Blue
10. Bauer Vapor
11. Easton Stealth
12. MN Icemen
13. Team Warrior Black
14. Magicians Black
15. Magicians Red
16. Team Walser
17. MN Jr. Moose
18. EuroAmericans Red
19. EuroAmericans Blue
20. EuroAmericans Gold
21. Reebok Nationals
22. Velocity
23. MN Flames
24. Northern Wings
25. Skate to Excellence
26. Lake Superior Stars
27. Warrior Dynasty
28. Breakaway Red
29. Breakaway White
30. NHG TC Vulcans
31. NHG Ice Bucks
32. NHG TC Xtreme
33. NHG Renegades
34. NHG Lakers
35. NHG Great Lake Gulls
36. NHG Blast
37. NHG Fighting Loons
38. Rapid Fire Gold
39. Rapid Fire Black
40. Northern Storm
41. Ice Clams
42. Southern Minnesota Knights
43. MN Mavericks
44. Capital City Comets
45. Ice Dawgs Not sure this team exists. Anyone?

Actually I'm not so sure about all the NHG teams. Some might have 2002 and others not.

No 2002 ?
---------
Total Hockey Fusion
Mn Jr. Rage
Easton Predators

EDIT: Adding clubs I missed

[old goalie85]

Thanks Barry-No Skate to EX ?? Still 25 is great for Mn kids !!! I remember when my 94 was a 1st year Pee-Wee there were 3 or 4. That doubled w/my 98. This give our kids a great oppertunity to improve/skate during the summer mnths.

[helightsthelamp]

Also:

Miracle Gold (Black)
Lake Superior Stars
Dynasty Warriors
Northland Hockey Group Teams -
Ice Bucks
Solar Bears (2)
Renegages
Lakers
Predators

That brings the total to 35.... WOW!

[old goalie85]

Hard for me to agree w/ the folks that say Mn. kids can't develope here @ home !! And that's just 02's !!

[Shinbone_News]

Does Breakaway not have an 02 club? At 01, that's a nice group of players and coaches too.

Also, The Pond (or is it "Beyond the Pond") out of Rosemount. I would think with their killer squirt A's this year, they could put together a heck of an 02 group.

[barry_mcconnell]

Does Breakaway not have an 02 club? At 01, that's a nice group of players and coaches too.

Also, The Pond (or is it "Beyond the Pond") out of Rosemount. I would think with their killer squirt A's this year, they could put together a heck of an 02 group.

Forgot about Breakaway, I'll update list. The Pond has gotten out of the AAA game this year for some reason. Those Rosemount kids skate elsewhere.

[Duluthguy]

Also, Rapid Fire out of Duluth has two teams at the 2002 level: Rapid Fire Gold is invite level and Rapid Fire Black is open.

[helightsthelamp]

Also, Rapid Fire out of Duluth has two teams at the 2002 level: Rapid Fire Gold is invite level and Rapid Fire Black is open.

Does Northern Storm have an 02 Team???

[Mr Hockey]

The eight Official NHG 2002 teams in 2013

Ice Bucks (Southern Mn to Ames Iowa)
Lakers (Brainerd Lakes Area)
NoDak Oilers (Fargo/Grand Forks)
Predators (Fargo/Moorhead)
Borderland Rage (Ft. Frances, International Falls, Red Lake Ontario)
Rum River Renegades (NW Twin Cities)
SoDak Solar Bears (Eastern South Dakota, NW Iowa, SW Mn)
SoDak Solar Bears Black (Eastern South Dakota, NW Iowa, SW Mn)

[Duluthguy]

Also, Rapid Fire out of Duluth has two teams at the 2002 level: Rapid Fire Gold is invite level and Rapid Fire Black is open.

Does Northern Storm have an 02 Team???

Northern Storm's website does list one, including a tournament schedule for 2013....

[barry_mcconnell]

Updated list to add Rapid Fire and Northern Storm. Not adding any NoDak/SoDak teams.

[CHI-TOWN HOCKEYDAD]

Ice Clams (Owatonna Area)

[hipcheck62]

So what does this tell you?

There is ample opportunity to get your kid some extra ice ice time in the Spring and Summer and continue improvement.

OR

Unless you want your kid to fall behind you better keep up with the other 500 kids whose parents are willing to spend the money.

I have gone back and forth on this myself. I will admit to spending too much money on this off season stuff and when I look back at the end I think, Why did I do that? My kid would have had just as much fun playing only lacrosse and going to the cabin to fish and swim all summer.

[SCBlueLiner]

Knights - Mankato
Mavericks - Faribault

I know of a couple of others out of Fargo/Moorhead (Blackhawks) and Sioux City (Vipers) to go along with the NHG teams. Out of state teams that play in MN tournaments.

[dlow]

Capital City Comets has an 02 team and 01, 00, 99 & 98

[barry_mcconnell]

Capital City Comets has an 02 team and 01, 00, 99 & 98

Added. I hadn't heard of this team. Not a ton of information on their website. Who runs this program? When did they come into existence? Which tournaments will they play?

[old goalie85]

I know these teams very in ability, but I wonder how long before someone puts together a 02 summer "district" type set-up where the kids play a game schedule. Thus cutting out all these 1600-1800 $ tournys.

[dogeatdog1]

I know these teams very in ability, but I wonder how long before someone puts together a 02 summer "district" type set-up where the kids play a game schedule. Thus cutting out all these 1600-1800 $ tournys.

It has been done. It didn't work at least for my liking. AAA showcase had a league and the development side of the equation was lost. You had one or two practices and lots of games. Teams left because of this. I think that the current structure with lots of practice ice, few scrimmages and tourneys in the spring and fall, eventhough they are expensive $ makers, is the way to go. Even the Showcase AAA has gone away and tried to make this about development.

[old goalie85]

Makes sense Dog . I know some of the teams play MASH as well. Just a thought now that mine are almost done w/it.

[dogeatdog1]

Makes sense Dog . I know some of the teams play MASH as well. Just a thought now that mine are almost done w/it.

Im in the same boat with my kids almost done with AAA. looking back we tried it all MASH, Showcase, High end stuff, Met a lot of good people and kids had good experience.

[old goalie85]

Meeting the new people/kids making new freinds are at the end of the day the coolest part to my wife and I. To me, "hockey is hockey" no matter how many A's you put in fnt.

[JSR]

Meeting the new people/kids making new freinds are at the end of the day the coolest part to my wife and I. To me, "hockey is hockey" no matter how many A's you put in fnt.

I totally agree with you on this. I think it is beyond cool that because my son has played on a variety of teams from all over in the off season that he has met a ton of cool people and he is "friends" with them. I remember last year we were up in the Twin Cities at the Stars & Stripes tournament, with my son's spring team at the time, and some MN boys he had played with the previous summer came over to watch him play and hang out afterward. Seriously does that even happen in any other sport??? Maybe but I've not seen it and I have 3 kids playing a variety of sports. I agree that is probably the coolest thing of all about all of this.

[DrGaf]

Meeting the new people/kids making new freinds are at the end of the day the coolest part to my wife and I. To me, "hockey is hockey" no matter how many A's you put in fnt.

I totally agree with you on this. I think it is beyond cool that because my son has played on a variety of teams from all over in the off season that he has met a ton of cool people and he is "friends" with them. I remember last year we were up in the Twin Cities at the Stars & Stripes tournament, with my son's spring team at the time, and some MN boys he had played with the previous summer came over to watch him play and hang out afterward. Seriously does that even happen in any other sport??? Maybe but I've not seen it and I have 3 kids playing a variety of sports. I agree that is probably the coolest thing of all about all of this.

Also, I agree. I do not like the direction alot of these "local" AAA options are going with only local kids. I honestly believe it is short sighted to basically play with the same group of kids 12 months a year. By short-sighted, I'm refering to the ability to make new social paths, get variety in coaching styles, and I would venture to say a greater increase in hockey IQ.

For instance, my youngest was pigeon-holed as a D for the first year at SQA because of the ability of skating backwards... amazing right? Staying with the same coach for the next 4 years and always played as a D in our local association. Now by avoiding the "local AAA option," my youngest was able to play forward each summer. Now go figure, after lighting up the association coach last summer, my kid was a now was made a F his first year at Bantams. (I grew up a Dman, we all know that's where the real skill guys are!:P)

Personally, I would encourage younger hockey parents to encourage their kids to play on a variety of teams and competitive levels (Showcase, MASH, Hat Trick 3v3, open and invite if avaiable) ... even teams full of strangers. Because in theory ... someday ... they just might have to fit in somewhere their neighbor isn't rostered.

[SCBlueLiner]

Dr. Gaf,

I wouldn't blame that on local hockey. I would blame your son being pigeonholed as a defensman on a shortsighted coach. Kids at Squirts and PeeWees should get experience playing C, W, and D. It will only help their overall game and make them better at whatever they end up doing.

That being said, I think you should be happy your son played D at an early age. Young D generally develop better overall skating skills than forwards. It might be ice time since less D are carried on a team, but I think it has more to do with skating backwards, pivoting, transition skating, etc. that make them stronger skaters.

I agree though, defense is where it's at.