The Minnetonka Machine, and where they came from

[Cookster]

I have been very impressed with Tonka all season and we have all heard stories about where the kids game from, but apparently here are some details. By the "letter of the law", most players started at Tonka High School in 9th grade, however, most did not play for Tonka in the 8th Grade.

House
L Garry
G Garry
Stout
Klaers
Browning
Baer

These players are all home grown talent

Moore -- Played in Chan system until 9th grade, and then played on Tonka Bantam AA and believe was in HS at Tonka in 9th
Burrows -- Played in Orono System until 9th grade, then played on Tonka Bantam AA and believe was in HS at Tonka in 9th

Bauer -- Played for Chan System through 9th grade, and Chan schools in 9th, then Sophomore season went to Green Bay AAA. Junior and Senior years at Tonka HS
Lunski -- Played at Chan HS in 9th Grade, then 10-12 at Tonka
Schultz -- Played in Chan System (Bantam AA in 9th grade). Believe he went to a Chan school in 9th, then 10-12 at Tonka
Berg -- Move in from Colorado this year after 2 years in Colorado HS.
Scheetz -- Played at Chaska in 10th grade, now at Tonka for 2 years.

So of the top 13 skaters and Goalie, 7 are officially Tonka kids, and 2 started at Tonka in 9th grade. Not passing judgment, just stating the situation.

[JerseyDave]

Thanks for posting, I've been wanting to do a project like this for my own curiosity. I am sympathetic to the MG guy (Brod) who is frustrated that Tonka's open admission policy has led it to fielding an all-star team (similar to the privates). I've spent many hours online arguing public vs private in relation to Illinois high school football. My former public team once got second place at state to a perennial Catholic powerhouse from Chicago (Mt. Carmel, where Donovan McNabb played), and my ex-school declared itself "public school state champions" which was mocked by the privates. I don't think open admission was done at Tonka for athletic reasons though, according to Gov, but low enrollment in the elementary schools. Open admission is a great opportunity for some students and athletes. The entire SW metro is a hotbed of hockey talent. Many of these players are not traveling far. Orono is not far either. I assume the Colorado family moved to Tonka on their own volition. Edina has attracted national talent with its reputation. I don't have any answers, but I did want to see where these players came from.

By the way, Javon Moore talks a little bit about what led him to Tonka in a recent interview on YHH. His interview starts at about 1 hour, 35 minutes into the video: https://youtu.be/YaufT8lokcE?si=PnFOGiEVGV332lJb

[rangerforme]

I don't mind players that start out as 9th graders, the have no 100% sure they will be making the team or getting playing time. Its the 10th and later that apparently aren't promised they'll make team or be a starter from the coaching staff before they move(ya right, give me a break) that sucks.

[GoldenBear]

To add a little clarity, Klaers played with Burrows on Orono’s. Peewee state team and left for Tonka after peewees ( dad played with Goldy at St.Olaf). Nothing wrong with that in my opinion…also with the current Benilde goalie being an Orono transfer, that Orono team while a top 5 class A team this year coulda woulda shouda..GB

[WestMetro]

Blueblood would be our expert on all these

Pretty accurate from what i remember . Possible exceptions:

I wonder if Hunter Bauer open enrolled at Tonka in 9th grade while playing at GBG that season?

I thought Ashton Schultz was open enrolled and on Minnetonka varsity as a ninth grader, but hurt much of that first season ?

[WestMetro]

Just to add one other point of context

Jimmy Snuggerud played one year for his dad Dave at chaska high school before deciding to go to the national team. Dave then left the coaching job at Chaska, after serving there for two different long stretches over the decades

That same year the coaching jobs opened up all at once at every Carver County school - Chaska , Chan , HF, Waconia .

Many of the CCHA stars had to assess and guess ahead as to what options there might be and what they saw and where , in terms of new coaches , team talent , playing time and on what lines , etc . Some of the Orono kids and MWT kids saw all this in motion as well , and made some assessments

In hindsight , 17 of the CCHA alums who had HS eligibility somewhere in 2022-2023 now have D1 schools . And a few more yet to come . Pretty impressive .

Not making a judgment , just stating the facts and another point of context to this thread

[ClassAGuy]

To add a little clarity, Klaers played with Burrows on Orono’s. Peewee state team and left for Tonka after peewees ( dad played with Goldy at St.Olaf). Nothing wrong with that in my opinion…also with the current Benilde goalie being an Orono transfer, that Orono team while a top 5 class A team this year coulda woulda shouda..GB

Add to that Benilde's 2nd Leading Scorer is also an Orono kid. That Pee Wee A team was loaded.

Spartans being #6 in Class A is really impressive considering all the kids they have lost.

No comment on the Tonka stuff just again kudos to Orono for still being very good in the Small School field and as GB pointed out had they just kept a few more of those kids they would have been the favorite to win A this winter.

[bardown27]

To add a little clarity, Klaers played with Burrows on Orono’s. Peewee state team and left for Tonka after peewees ( dad played with Goldy at St.Olaf). Nothing wrong with that in my opinion…also with the current Benilde goalie being an Orono transfer, that Orono team while a top 5 class A team this year coulda woulda shouda..GB

The BSM goalie isn’t from Orono. Played at STMA before going to Wayzata in bantams

[SEC Scotty]

How is Minnetonka differ from any private school ?

MSHSL has no teeth.

Hope there’s a lot of upsets in sections, tired of the same teams year in and year out.

Go Grand Rapids, Centennial, Roseau, Rosemount, Park, and anyone but Hill Murray.

[GoldenBear]

The BSM goalie isn’t from Orono. Played at STMA before going to Wayzata in bantams

My bad Bardown, you are correct. I mixed up with the goalie before him. GB

[inthetwine]

How is Minnetonka differ from any private school ?

MSHSL has no teeth.

Hope there’s a lot of upsets in sections, tired of the same teams year in and year out.

Go Grand Rapids, Centennial, Roseau, Rosemount, Park, and anyone but Hill Murray.

Gentry is the team people should be pissed about, publicly, funded charter, school, accepting out-of-state players. And they’re not here for the education!

[CrimsonCakeEater]

How is Minnetonka differ from any private school ?

MSHSL has no teeth.

Hope there’s a lot of upsets in sections, tired of the same teams year in and year out.

Go Grand Rapids, Centennial, Roseau, Rosemount, Park, and anyone but Hill Murray.

Gentry is the team people should be pissed about, publicly, funded charter, school, accepting out-of-state players. And they’re not here for the education!

I believe the correct wording is that, in the words of Cardale Jones, "[they] ain't [there] to play school." Not gonna blame the kids though, can't say I wouldn't like that if I were in their scenario!

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

If Gentry were able to do some damage in AA, they would attract more scrutiny.

[SpreadOut!]

I have been very impressed with Tonka all season and we have all heard stories about where the kids game from, but apparently here are some details. By the "letter of the law", most players started at Tonka High School in 9th grade, however, most did not play for Tonka in the 8th Grade.

House
L Garry
G Garry
Stout
Klaers
Browning
Baer

These players are all home grown talent

Moore -- Played in Chan system until 9th grade, and then played on Tonka Bantam AA and believe was in HS at Tonka in 9th
Burrows -- Played in Orono System until 9th grade, then played on Tonka Bantam AA and believe was in HS at Tonka in 9th

Bauer -- Played for Chan System through 9th grade, and Chan schools in 9th, then Sophomore season went to Green Bay AAA. Junior and Senior years at Tonka HS
Lunski -- Played at Chan HS in 9th Grade, then 10-12 at Tonka
Schultz -- Played in Chan System (Bantam AA in 9th grade). Believe he went to a Chan school in 9th, then 10-12 at Tonka
Berg -- Move in from Colorado this year after 2 years in Colorado HS.
Scheetz -- Played at Chaska in 10th grade, now at Tonka for 2 years.

So of the top 13 skaters and Goalie, 7 are officially Tonka kids, and 2 started at Tonka in 9th grade. Not passing judgment, just stating the situation.

Thanks for posting this information. So, with 7 of the team’s top 14 growing up playing for Tonka and 7 not growing up playing for Tonka, it is more accurate to refer to Minnetonka this year as “Lake Minnetonka Area.”

The question moving forward is will other suburban hockey powerhouse high schools follow the Tonka Model—half team homegrown and half from elsewhere—and is this a good thing for high school hockey in Minnesota?

My answer is an obvious no.

[WarmUpTheBus]

Aren’t there small parts of Chanhassen in the Minnetonka school district?

[ryguyMN]

Aren’t there small parts of Chanhassen in the Minnetonka school district?

It does. It dips down into the Lotus Lake and Lake Minnewashta areas for those familiar with the territory.

IMG_0071.jpeg (106.25 KiB) Viewed 2680 times

[Brodziak Fan Club]

Aren’t there small parts of Chanhassen in the Minnetonka school district?

It does. It dips down into the Lotus Lake and Lake Minnewashta areas for those familiar with the territory.

IMG_0071.jpeg

Dude, I'm a total geography dork. Cool map. Where did you find it. Did you make it? I feel like it's hard to find an easy to read district boundary map.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

It's not at all uncommon for school district boundaries to vary slightly or even significantly from municipal boundaries. As I recall, about 1/3 of Minnetonka is in the Hopkins school district?

I remember some years back, this came into play down in Burnsville. The city of Burnsville operates the arena. But then some Burnsville kids are in the Apple Valley HS part of the neighboring school district, and there was a bit of a kerfuffle over parsing out the ice time at Burnsville arena. This was so long ago that Burnsville high school could actually field their own varsity.

[Gov78]

All or part of 10 communities: Minnetonka, Chanhassen, Deephaven, Eden Prairie, Excelsior, Greenwood, Shorewood, Tonka Bay, Victoria and Woodland comprise the Minnetonka school district.

60% of the households in the city of Minnetonka are in the Hopkins school district including the Minnetonka city hall and police department. Hopkins HS and middle school are in the city of Minnetonka.

[Gov78]

Aren’t there small parts of Chanhassen in the Minnetonka school district?

It's actually a fairly large part of Chanhassen starting at the north border where hwy 62 runs east/west.

[FlinFlonBomber]

This BS is totally wrong and ruining high school hockey in Minnesota.

[SpreadOut!]

Aren’t there small parts of Chanhassen in the Minnetonka school district?

It does. It dips down into the Lotus Lake and Lake Minnewashta areas for those familiar with the territory.

IMG_0071.jpeg

But if you play for Chaska-Chan in youth hockey you do not live in the Tonka School District part of Chan. Youth hockey association boundaries are based on school district/high school boundaries.

[WestMetro]

As I mentioned above , I think Bauer and Schultz open enrolled in 9th grade at Tonka . Someone can double check.

So if I'm counting right , That leaves only two kids , Lunski and Scheetz , who started at one high school and later transferred with eligibility somehow . Several ways to do that , assuming Tonka AD looked it all over

So there are several diff issues going on:

- association Vs HS - boundaries , public vs private access to kids after bantams , etc

- open enrollment in 9th grade
- transfers after 9th grade
- kids trying to guess ahead at new coaches in Carver County
- Advisors input , discussions with various parties
- Etc etc


-

[ryguyMN]

Aren’t there small parts of Chanhassen in the Minnetonka school district?

It does. It dips down into the Lotus Lake and Lake Minnewashta areas for those familiar with the territory.

IMG_0071.jpeg

Dude, I'm a total geography dork. Cool map. Where did you find it. Did you make it? I feel like it's hard to find an easy to read district boundary map.

LOL...I Googled "Minnetonka school district" and the map showed up as one of the links and did a screen grab.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

To me, there is not a lot of difference between open enrolling in 9th grade and open enrolling in subsequent years. Well if it happens later I guess we call it a "transfer" and it sounds worse, but it's a pretty marginal difference. But your milage may vary.