Section Playoffs Super Saturday 2-26-22 Games

[thefatcat]

I thought the move to two classes was lame-o...I am now in favor of expanding to three classes with 40 something teams per class and make each class a super tourney like Class 6A football does now...a March Madness if you will. I honestly think it will help increase numbers / participation at the youth level as the middling programs like an Irondale, Armstrong, Hopkins, Kennedy, Jefferson, Woodbury, Tartan, etc. would have a realistic chance of not being first round cannon fodder for the perennial powers of Class AA. You don't have to waste time watching a team like Benilde beat a Hopkins team 10-1 in the first round anymore. The purists will bemoan this but I think it could work.

Also, the MSHSL board needs to be an elected position with term limits...get some people in there with new / fresh ideas.

It’s moving with the times. The game of hockey has changed so much in so many ways over the past 20-30 years. The cost of playing hockey is insane especially when compared to other sports.

It’s time to evolve and move to a 3 class, ranked system to promote the utmost fairness possible.

Hockey is for everyone....that can afford it.

A buddy of mine has a Bantam AA that plays in Edina. Association Fees = $2000....they've been asked to pay an addt'l $3000 on top of that for "team fees". That's $5000 all-in to play Bantam AA at Edina, that is absolutely insane.

For comparison, MN Made is around $3000 all-in for the same amount of games and more ice time for practices that a typical bantam team. And if you add in travel costs for a team like Edina to travel out of town it makes it even more insane.

[MWS coach]

I thought the move to two classes was lame-o...I am now in favor of expanding to three classes with 40 something teams per class and make each class a super tourney like Class 6A football does now...a March Madness if you will. I honestly think it will help increase numbers / participation at the youth level as the middling programs like an Irondale, Armstrong, Hopkins, Kennedy, Jefferson, Woodbury, Tartan, etc. would have a realistic chance of not being first round cannon fodder for the perennial powers of Class AA. You don't have to waste time watching a team like Benilde beat a Hopkins team 10-1 in the first round anymore. The purists will bemoan this but I think it could work.

Also, the MSHSL board needs to be an elected position with term limits...get some people in there with new / fresh ideas.

It’s moving with the times. The game of hockey has changed so much in so many ways over the past 20-30 years. The cost of playing hockey is insane especially when compared to other sports.

It’s time to evolve and move to a 3 class, ranked system to promote the utmost fairness possible.

Hockey is for everyone....that can afford it.

A buddy of mine has a Bantam AA that plays in Edina. Association Fees = $2000....they've been asked to pay an addt'l $3000 on top of that for "team fees". That's $5000 all-in to play Bantam AA at Edina, that is absolutely insane.

For comparison, MN Made is around $3000 all-in for the same amount of games and more ice time for practices that a typical bantam team. And if you add in travel costs for a team like Edina to travel out of town it makes it even more insane.

A Buddy of mine has a T1 U14 in Chicago, all in $20,000+, don't disagree with you that $5000 Bantam hockey in MN is insane, but put into perspective of other parts of the country and no even in the same ballpark as far as afordable.

[hawkhockey]

It’s moving with the times. The game of hockey has changed so much in so many ways over the past 20-30 years. The cost of playing hockey is insane especially when compared to other sports.

It’s time to evolve and move to a 3 class, ranked system to promote the utmost fairness possible.

Hockey is for everyone....that can afford it.

A buddy of mine has a Bantam AA that plays in Edina. Association Fees = $2000....they've been asked to pay an addt'l $3000 on top of that for "team fees". That's $5000 all-in to play Bantam AA at Edina, that is absolutely insane.

For comparison, MN Made is around $3000 all-in for the same amount of games and more ice time for practices that a typical bantam team. And if you add in travel costs for a team like Edina to travel out of town it makes it even more insane.

A Buddy of mine has a T1 U14 in Chicago, all in $20,000+, don't disagree with you that $5000 Bantam hockey in MN is insane, but put into perspective of other parts of the country and no even in the same ballpark as far as afordable.

Those prices are astronomical and disgusting but those are for the top teams. What does it cost to play bantam B/C in a place like Edina? Or other communities that aren't as hockey crazed. It's certainly not as affordable as soccer or basketball but hockey can be played at a relatively high level without the ridiculous price tags in the expensive communities or top teams.

[blueline_6]

I thought the move to two classes was lame-o...I am now in favor of expanding to three classes with 40 something teams per class and make each class a super tourney like Class 6A football does now...a March Madness if you will. I honestly think it will help increase numbers / participation at the youth level as the middling programs like an Irondale, Armstrong, Hopkins, Kennedy, Jefferson, Woodbury, Tartan, etc. would have a realistic chance of not being first round cannon fodder for the perennial powers of Class AA. You don't have to waste time watching a team like Benilde beat a Hopkins team 10-1 in the first round anymore. The purists will bemoan this but I think it could work.

Also, the MSHSL board needs to be an elected position with term limits...get some people in there with new / fresh ideas.

It’s moving with the times. The game of hockey has changed so much in so many ways over the past 20-30 years. The cost of playing hockey is insane especially when compared to other sports.

It’s time to evolve and move to a 3 class, ranked system to promote the utmost fairness possible.

Hockey is for everyone....that can afford it.

A buddy of mine has a Bantam AA that plays in Edina. Association Fees = $2000....they've been asked to pay an addt'l $3000 on top of that for "team fees". That's $5000 all-in to play Bantam AA at Edina, that is absolutely insane.

For comparison, MN Made is around $3000 all-in for the same amount of games and more ice time for practices that a typical bantam team. And if you add in travel costs for a team like Edina to travel out of town it makes it even more insane.

Just about every association has their registration fees posted on their website.

Edina Bantam AA Association fees:
Bantam Registration Fee - $1445
Bantam AA Rostering Fee - $150
Total Bantam AA Association Fees - $1595

That doesn't seem unreasonable for Bantam AA. For comparison:

Minnetonka - $2465 ($2050 Registration + $115 Tryout Fee + $300 Roster Fee)
Eden Prairie - $2205 ($1915 Registration + $120 Tryout Fee + $170 Roster Fee)
Woodbury - $2355 (No breakdown on website)
Elk River - $1600 ($1275 Registration + $325 Roster Fee)
Lakeville - $2150 (Registration fee only, no other fees listed)

If Edina BAA paid an additional $3000 for "team fees" that is not association fees. That sounds like "slush fund" fees requested by the coach/team manager. That typically goes for scrimmage costs, team parties, entering add'l tourneys beyond what the association arranges, etc. But $3000 sure seems like a big ask. Maybe they are subsidizing additional coach pay on top of what the association pays, or chartering private buses to out-of-town tournaments, I don't know, but in my experience it is typically parents that drive the "slush fund" donation up, not the association.

[headsupsticksdown]

I thought the move to two classes was lame-o...I am now in favor of expanding to three classes with 40 something teams per class and make each class a super tourney like Class 6A football does now...a March Madness if you will. I honestly think it will help increase numbers / participation at the youth level as the middling programs like an Irondale, Armstrong, Hopkins, Kennedy, Jefferson, Woodbury, Tartan, etc. would have a realistic chance of not being first round cannon fodder for the perennial powers of Class AA. You don't have to waste time watching a team like Benilde beat a Hopkins team 10-1 in the first round anymore. The purists will bemoan this but I think it could work.

Also, the MSHSL board needs to be an elected position with term limits...get some people in there with new / fresh ideas.

It’s moving with the times. The game of hockey has changed so much in so many ways over the past 20-30 years. The cost of playing hockey is insane especially when compared to other sports.

It’s time to evolve and move to a 3 class, ranked system to promote the utmost fairness possible.

Hockey is for everyone....that can afford it.

A buddy of mine has a Bantam AA that plays in Edina. Association Fees = $2000....they've been asked to pay an addt'l $3000 on top of that for "team fees". That's $5000 all-in to play Bantam AA at Edina, that is absolutely insane.

For comparison, MN Made is around $3000 all-in for the same amount of games and more ice time for practices that a typical bantam team. And if you add in travel costs for a team like Edina to travel out of town it makes it even more insane.

$3000 on top of the association fee? WTH are they doing? Oh wait, must be the weekly team dinners at COV/Tavern, the LV custom Edina warmups and the car service to/from the rink?

[headsupsticksdown]

It’s moving with the times. The game of hockey has changed so much in so many ways over the past 20-30 years. The cost of playing hockey is insane especially when compared to other sports.

It’s time to evolve and move to a 3 class, ranked system to promote the utmost fairness possible.

Hockey is for everyone....that can afford it.

A buddy of mine has a Bantam AA that plays in Edina. Association Fees = $2000....they've been asked to pay an addt'l $3000 on top of that for "team fees". That's $5000 all-in to play Bantam AA at Edina, that is absolutely insane.

For comparison, MN Made is around $3000 all-in for the same amount of games and more ice time for practices that a typical bantam team. And if you add in travel costs for a team like Edina to travel out of town it makes it even more insane.

A Buddy of mine has a T1 U14 in Chicago, all in $20,000+, don't disagree with you that $5000 Bantam hockey in MN is insane, but put into perspective of other parts of the country and no even in the same ballpark as far as afordable.

Totally. Minnesotans complaining about association fees (all in good fun) are quickly brought back down to earth when looking at fees in other regions. Kids in CA, FL, TX and even CO are paying in upwards of 4K for squirt hockey. Just looking at the results from Fargo over the past few weeks and you’ll see a FL team in the mix for the championship at both levels. Heck, when you’re dropping 4K, then throwing travel fees on top of that, you better come to play. In contrast, a place like Hermantown or Proctor costs $400 plus a few here and there on top of that.

I always tell folks “travel hockey” in other regions means getting on a plane to play, not hopping on the 494/35 and grabbing some caramel rolls along the way..

[raidergrad72]

This should've posted separately but ..
I remember the last year of the one class tournament,
Roseau, the smallest school in it, took home the championship.
That's when there was a lot of barking about going to 2-class and the barkers, including myself, had a point with the 2 tier tournament until they got it right with A & AA.

Your memory is failing you. But that's okay.

https://content.hmpioneers.net/video/19 ... _Final.mov

I stand corrected. Roseau took home the prize in '90 as the smallest school in it.
Just ordered a large bottle of ginkoba.