At the state hockey meetings, apparently it was decided to have all Minnesota "A" level hockey tournaments in the cities, with championship games being played in the Excel center. Although I think that playing in the Excel center would be a very good experience for the kids, I have some major problems with this decision.
1) District 16 was supposed to have the state bantam A tournament next year. It was Thief River Falls turn, who have a first class facility. Nicer than Blaine who is supposedly scheduled to host instead. Blaine has a nice complex, but each individual rink is not that nice. If the championship game needs to be played in an NHL style arena, they could have played the championship game at Engelstad Arena on UND campus. Engelstad is every bit as nice as the Excel center.
2) I do think that it will be great for the kids to have a chance to play in the excel center, although I believe that it will take away from the high school experience. Every kids dream is to play in the state high school tournament at the Excel. Now some of these kids will have already played state tournment games there. I think the excel center should be a goal for every young hockey player to culminate their youth careers as 17, 18 year olds not as 11 year olds.
3) Are the northern teams going to be exempt from the $450 tourney entry fee. Now we are the only ones that have to travel 6 hours, stay in hotels, and eat out, and stay in their own beds for the weekend. For our teams to go to the state tournement now, it is going to cost us 10 times more to go.
I don't think this is a good idea. the outstate teams take great pride in hosting state tournaments. It is a very good money maker for our communities and now that is gone.
State "A" Tournaments
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
it does seem like a slippery slope. If Minnesota Hockey stands to make a lot more money out of filling up the Excel, than I think all travel costs should be re-imbursed. That doesn't deal with the effect of sleeping in a hotel the night before a game or the fundraising, but it would help somewhat.
On the flip side, I know many families that would pay and enjoy an event like this.
On the flip side, I know many families that would pay and enjoy an event like this.
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FREDFLINTSTONE
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It was a travesty.
A black day for youth hockey.
Not only that, but the one individual that stood up against the 'good old boys' and a newer 'junk yard dog'; was chastised, called a liar and lied to.
But even worse, the local associations were insulted, told they had not and were not capable of putting on a premier event.
One more vote and it would have been stopped. But the 'leaders' knew well in advance that one northern district woudl nto be represented. Teh one vote that would have stopped 'them'.
A black day for youth hockey.
Not only that, but the one individual that stood up against the 'good old boys' and a newer 'junk yard dog'; was chastised, called a liar and lied to.
But even worse, the local associations were insulted, told they had not and were not capable of putting on a premier event.
One more vote and it would have been stopped. But the 'leaders' knew well in advance that one northern district woudl nto be represented. Teh one vote that would have stopped 'them'.
I am sorry, I did everyhting I could think of.FREDFLINTSTONE wrote:I can't believe this. Elliote, is this correct?
I asked it to be extended to the June meeting, but a second was not made to my motion.
I still have to hold the bile in my stomach back.
Outsate (and not that far out as most of D10 & D8 has been eliminated) kids, coaches, and volunteers should shed a tear as MH tries to make a buck, tries to make themselves look superior in the eyes of USA Hockey.
I told them I felt ashamed to be associatied with them.
And I am.
Words or emoticons on a board cannot describe how bad I feel.
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mnticketbroker
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whom is it for ?
I would like to see their reasoning behind this? Did the people in favor of this actually ask the KIDS what they would want ?
By the way, the post about, playing at the X in high school, was a very important comment. You are absolutely right. It sounds like MNHOCK did not think this thru from their customers eyes. I called my oldest son and asked him when you played youth association, what would have been more fun? Winning a youth state trny at the X, or winning a youth state trny in Grand Rapids... He responded Grand Rapids for sure.
How will the X look good to someone for youth hockey ? Whom is going to go other than families ? For the most part, when the season is over for youth, it is over. They don't really go in droves to watch some other team play.
To me this decision slaps all the volunteers throughout the state, outside of 94 LOOP, in the face. This is not the time for MN Hockey to alienate their core customer, they need everyone. Furthermore, my opinion is that a rural host community would welcome and enjoy hosting a state tournament. A twin cities team would probably vote road trip over playing in Blaine and possibly the X if you make the final.
FYI, many metro kids have played or will play in the X prior to a state trny.
By the way, the post about, playing at the X in high school, was a very important comment. You are absolutely right. It sounds like MNHOCK did not think this thru from their customers eyes. I called my oldest son and asked him when you played youth association, what would have been more fun? Winning a youth state trny at the X, or winning a youth state trny in Grand Rapids... He responded Grand Rapids for sure.
How will the X look good to someone for youth hockey ? Whom is going to go other than families ? For the most part, when the season is over for youth, it is over. They don't really go in droves to watch some other team play.
To me this decision slaps all the volunteers throughout the state, outside of 94 LOOP, in the face. This is not the time for MN Hockey to alienate their core customer, they need everyone. Furthermore, my opinion is that a rural host community would welcome and enjoy hosting a state tournament. A twin cities team would probably vote road trip over playing in Blaine and possibly the X if you make the final.
FYI, many metro kids have played or will play in the X prior to a state trny.
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Can't Never Tried
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Re: whom is it for ?
mnticketbroker wrote:I would like to see their reasoning behind this? Did the people in favor of this actually ask the KIDS what they would want ?
By the way, the post about, playing at the X in high school, was a very important comment. You are absolutely right. It sounds like MNHOCK did not think this thru from their customers eyes. I called my oldest son and asked him when you played youth association, what would have been more fun? Winning a youth state trny at the X, or winning a youth state trny in Grand Rapids... He responded Grand Rapids for sure.
How will the X look good to someone for youth hockey ? Whom is going to go other than families ? For the most part, when the season is over for youth, it is over. They don't really go in droves to watch some other team play.
To me this decision slaps all the volunteers throughout the state, outside of 94 LOOP, in the face. This is not the time for MN Hockey to alienate their core customer, they need everyone. Furthermore, my opinion is that a rural host community would welcome and enjoy hosting a state tournament. A twin cities team would probably vote road trip over playing in Blaine and possibly the X if you make the final.
FYI, many metro kids have played or will play in the X prior to a state trny.
18,000 bantam A fans at the X?? yeah right!
you think they would have learned from moving the girls tournament to the X how little atmosphere there is with friends and family showing up. This is a stupid decision, however, it would have been smarter to hold the championship games at ridder.
One way to get 18,000 there is to hold the games between the periods of a wild game. two 5 minute run time periods for all the marbles. Geez, with thinking like this, I might get a chance to run Minnesota Hockey some day
One way to get 18,000 there is to hold the games between the periods of a wild game. two 5 minute run time periods for all the marbles. Geez, with thinking like this, I might get a chance to run Minnesota Hockey some day
Maybe, if you suck up to the current non-DD leaders, eventually you may.sorno82 wrote:you think they would have learned from moving the girls tournament to the X how little atmosphere there is with friends and family showing up. This is a stupid decision, however, it would have been smarter to hold the championship games at ridder.
One way to get 18,000 there is to hold the games between the periods of a wild game. two 5 minute run time periods for all the marbles. Geez, with thinking like this, I might get a chance to run Minnesota Hockey some day
Good old boys, seems ot be correct.
We had two very capable canidates running for the board. Unfortuantely for them they were not looked at because they were not in the ring.
And one, Hal Tearse, would not have replaced any existing board member, woudll have brought a tone of admin experience to the treasurer's position, as well as the significant positive achievements he has done for MH in terms of hockey. But he is not a 'yes' man.
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Air Force 1
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- Location: East Grand Forks
This year's Pee Wee A didn't even fill up the Willmar Civic Center, a nice crowd for a Pee Wee A game with everybody that would filter in as the next teams were preparing, but hardly full.
Anybody from up north that has seen the North Dakota State High School tournament at the Ralph Engelstad Arena, unless it is the two Grand Forks Schools or GF and Grafton, the lower bowl is barely half full for that. We recently played a AAA tournament at the REA and the main arena is terrible for a game that maybe has 200 people watching, those 11,500+ empty seats don't make a lot of noise or really care. I actually liked the games we played on the neighboring Olympic Training Arena, you could tell there was a hockey game going on at least. the REA is a beautful arena and a great atmosphere during a Sioux game, or the West Regional, or the World Jr, but go to a Sioux womens game or a youth tournament and it is WAY TOO BIG.
I agree, the Xcel should remain something that every hockey playing Minnesota kid shoots for his or her high school career, not as a 12 year old.
As for the original post the TRF was supposed to host next year's Bantam A, Minnesota Hockey's loss. Anybody that has ever attended a tournament in TRF knows they put on a first class operation and the facilities cannot be beat, the 'Lil Ralph and the ajoining Huck Olson Arena are great. With the assistance that Minnesota Hockey could have given to TRF, they would have been tough to surpass in years to come after.
As nice as the X is, my kids would rather skate in the old barn in Crookston or the North Rink in Roseau, they both have told me that.
Anybody from up north that has seen the North Dakota State High School tournament at the Ralph Engelstad Arena, unless it is the two Grand Forks Schools or GF and Grafton, the lower bowl is barely half full for that. We recently played a AAA tournament at the REA and the main arena is terrible for a game that maybe has 200 people watching, those 11,500+ empty seats don't make a lot of noise or really care. I actually liked the games we played on the neighboring Olympic Training Arena, you could tell there was a hockey game going on at least. the REA is a beautful arena and a great atmosphere during a Sioux game, or the West Regional, or the World Jr, but go to a Sioux womens game or a youth tournament and it is WAY TOO BIG.
I agree, the Xcel should remain something that every hockey playing Minnesota kid shoots for his or her high school career, not as a 12 year old.
As for the original post the TRF was supposed to host next year's Bantam A, Minnesota Hockey's loss. Anybody that has ever attended a tournament in TRF knows they put on a first class operation and the facilities cannot be beat, the 'Lil Ralph and the ajoining Huck Olson Arena are great. With the assistance that Minnesota Hockey could have given to TRF, they would have been tough to surpass in years to come after.
As nice as the X is, my kids would rather skate in the old barn in Crookston or the North Rink in Roseau, they both have told me that.
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greybeard58
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32HockeyFan
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This is about the dumbest thing I've heard of. Being a "cidiot" (sort of, I was transplanted here) I would much rather travel to Duluth, Rapids, TRF, wherever than to play a state tournament in the cities. My son has already played at almost every rink around here from the Super Rink to Mariucci to Braemar, etc. Playing in the north is much better. Better fans, better traffic, more relaxing, more fun. Thanks Mr. Elliot for representing the "normal" people in this state.
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egf hockey1
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Who is going to pay the rent at the X? Will it come out of the fees for every player in Minnesota Hockey? The X does not come cheap and there is no way you are going to get enough paying customers to make it worthwhile.
Funny how communities can handle a "B" tourny but not an "A". It looks like it would be the exact same effort to handle the requirements.
Funny how communities can handle a "B" tourny but not an "A". It looks like it would be the exact same effort to handle the requirements.
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My_Kid_Loves_Hockey
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- Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 12:25 am
I would rather my son experience the state tournament in a non-metro setting, it's about the experience.
TRF put on a great Squirt tournament this year (again i would assume) and it's a shame that they will not get to showcase what they can do.
Why don't we send the "good old boy's" some of us common folks thoughts on their change.......
Who do we send this to and who can get it going? Please post
TRF put on a great Squirt tournament this year (again i would assume) and it's a shame that they will not get to showcase what they can do.
Why don't we send the "good old boy's" some of us common folks thoughts on their change.......
Who do we send this to and who can get it going? Please post
sorno82 wrote:Who is going to pay the rent at the X? Will it come out of the fees for every player in Minnesota Hockey? The X does not come cheap and there is no way you are going to get enough paying customers to make it worthwhile.
We were told the Wild would do it free, if the ice is available.
Funny how communities can handle a "B" tourny but not an "A". It looks like it would be the exact same effort to handle the requirements.
Yes, seems that way.
See the MN hockey web page....My_Kid_Loves_Hockey wrote:I would rather my son experience the state tournament in a non-metro setting, it's about the experience.
TRF put on a great Squirt tournament this year (again i would assume) and it's a shame that they will not get to showcase what they can do.
Why don't we send the "good old boy's" some of us common folks thoughts on their change.......
Who do we send this to and who can get it going? Please post
President...
VP tourney
VP planning
Sec-Treasurer
VP promotions
all district directors.
actualy all of them
Whatthe wrote:For those of us who care less about the location of a one week-end tournament and more about travel and good competition all season long, what happened on the redistricting, private schools, 2 A team issues, etc.?
Discernment only went through the survey that was conducted. The overhead was difficult to read and since this was the first time most had an opportunity to see the results, no significant discussion took place. The few that had seen it in advance gave their opinions of what the information meant - most of which was using the data in a method that supported their preconceived ideas.
The time was not well spent.
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greybeard58
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I am sorry graybeard, but I do not remember the number, I have it in my notes.greybeard58 wrote:Out of all the numbers registered with Mn Hockey, how many returned the survey? Half or more?
Even though I ma on the steering committee of the discernment committee, the information has not been given to me.
As I have told you in the past when we have spoken in person, for some reason, some people fear me, dislike me, or something, but for some reason I have to fight for everyhting.
I am not sure if the survey was made avaialble to everyone, but he number of responses would not come close to half of the total mebership in youth and girls hockey.greybeard58 wrote:Out of all the numbers registered with Mn Hockey, how many returned the survey? Half or more?
It is probably well under 10% of just the number of players, not including coaches, refs and non-parent admins.
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FREDFLINTSTONE
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