MN Junior Hockey pecking order....

[kniven]

......Is there a current pecking order of junior hockey teams in Minnesota as far as overall success?

[O-townClown]

Free-to-play is better than P2P and at Tier III I've always just gone off My Hockey.

[SCBlueLiner]

......Is there a current pecking order of junior hockey teams in Minnesota as far as overall success?

Look at the NAHL standings from the last several years, I suppose. The other measure of success is player advancement. I would put them in this order, personally.

Austin Bruins
Minnesota Wilderness (Cloquet)
Minnesota Magicians (Richfield)

Tier 3 teams in no particular order:

Granite City Lumberjacks
New Ulm Steel
Alexandria Blizzard
Willmar WarHawks
Breezy Point Northstars
Rochester IceHawks

I don't know much about these Tier 3 programs other than the NA3HL has sent a handful of players on to D3 and ACHA hockey.

I do know the Austin Bruins just bought the Tier 3 team in Rochester (IceHawks) and are rebranding as the Rochester Grizzlies. I've heard some info floating around as to what ownership wants to do with this team. First thing they did was clean house. Sounds like they intend to make it a legitimate path towards making an NAHL team (the Bruins being the obvious benefactors of this pipeline).

[O-townClown]

Blueliner, the top couple USPHL teams deserve mention too. Blue Ox & Moose are stronger than some of the NA3 teams.

Tier III is very confusing. So many leagues.

[SCBlueLiner]

Yep, I didn't even mention the USPHL teams. In no particular order.

Hudson (WI) Havoc (border city, I'll include them)
Minnesota Blue Ox (Coon Rapids)
Minnesota Moose (Blaine)
Minnesota Mullets (Forest Lake)
Steele County Blades (Owatonna)

[kniven]

Good stuff! Thanks boys.........

[BSUBeaver]

You also have the Superior International Junior Hockey League with the Minnesota Iron Rangers and Theif River Falls Norskies. The league falls under the Canadian Junior Hockey League umbrella.

[O-townClown]

You also have the Superior International Junior Hockey League with the Minnesota Iron Rangers and Theif River Falls Norskies. The league falls under the Canadian Junior Hockey League umbrella.

Isn't that covered under the free-to-play I mentioned? If it is what I think it is that should be a peg above any of the P2P.

Norskies get to play in the Ralph Engelstad. Extremely nice and I'm told they draw a solid crowd.

[zamboniexhaustinhaler]

You also have the Superior International Junior Hockey League with the Minnesota Iron Rangers and Theif River Falls Norskies. The league falls under the Canadian Junior Hockey League umbrella.

Isn't that covered under the free-to-play I mentioned? If it is what I think it is that should be a peg above any of the P2P.

Norskies get to play in the Ralph Engelstad. Extremely nice and I'm told they draw a solid crowd.

You were told wrong. And it's pay to play

[O-townClown]

Net Presence, ZEI:

Thanks! SIJHL isn't what I thought it was then.

A friend's son was BCHL and then traded to Brooks in the Alberta league. They won the provincial, won the western region, and then won the national Junior A tournament. One level down from Major Junior. I thought it was 10 leagues and about 165 teams.

If SIJHL is one of those leagues and these are two of the teams I was way off to think the entire level was Free-to-Play.

If SIJHL is a level down from it then Canada too has a P2P layer I don't know anything about.

Either way I stand corrected! Thanks!

I know for what I usually call "provincial" Junior (maintain NCAA eligibility) the BCHL and Alberta are great. I think there's an equivalent in Ontario. I do know some of the provinces aren't regarded as highly.

Tons of NCAA Div I kids come from British Columbia and Alberta.

[zamboniexhaustinhaler]

Last I heard Norskies charged $3k plus not including billet fees.
But that was last year.
Manitoba league used to be no charge, but I believe they went p2p recently too ?

[O-townClown]

Last I heard Norskies charged $3k plus not including billet fees.

Thanks. Very cheap compared to P2P teams in the American leagues. Sounds like a hybrid pricing where a portion comes from players and a portion comes from attendance.

[zamboniexhaustinhaler]

Last I heard Norskies charged $3k plus not including billet fees.
But that was last year.
Manitoba league used to be no charge, but I believe they went p2p recently too ?

Zam -- Norskies are currently charging $4500 + $350/month for billeting. Did find out what the situation is with the other CJHL leagues -- this info comes from the SIJHL commissioner so, I consider it very accurate. Everybody but the Alberta and Saskatchewan leagues are now charging something above the standard billeting fees. The BCHL's are apparently tied to / deemed "equipment fees" -- don't know the actual number. The Manitoba league started charging $500 per player which goes to the league. Not sure if that gets redistributed back to each team or not. The rest of the leagues all charge between $1000 - $6000 per player.

Appreciate it Net. Here's a question for you; the last few years I've noticed a slowly growing presence of USHL players going into D3 ranks in the MIAC, WIAC, and other Wisconsin leagues.

I wonder if that may affect leagues such as the CJHL etc. in the future in terms of advancing players ?

[zamboniexhaustinhaler]

Last I heard Norskies charged $3k plus not including billet fees.

Thanks. Very cheap compared to P2P teams in the American leagues. Sounds like a hybrid pricing where a portion comes from players and a portion comes from attendance.

Don't know but I bet you're right.