1994 Premier Top 14s

O-townClown · Post by **O-townClown** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:08 pm

Pardon me if this has been discussed before. I was looking at the Minnesota Made website and saw mention of this program. Supposedly the Top 80 Minnesota 1994 birthyear players gathered for a tournament and a whittled list of 40 is headed to Ann Arbor to play and tour the NTDP facility.

This week.

Does anyone know if this did in fact materialize? If so, how was participation? Saying you'll get the Top 80 and then having a bunch turn it down wouldn't be the same as having the Top 80. Since it isn't actually run by USA Hockey like the Select 15 program I think it could have a little trouble gaining steam.

Doglover · Post by **Doglover** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 6:33 pm

I think that's exactly what happened last year - the inaugural year. They got some of the good kids but not anywhere close to 80. It was a smart idea for Bernie to try to corner this market since MN is the only state that doesn't do Select 14's and Ann Arbor was a pretty good idea. I think it's tough to get these things to fly - similar to the Beantown tourney. Great ideas, just tough to get the right kids to commit. Leave it to Bernie to see an opportunity. I do greatly admire his business skills and insight.

Haven't heard a word about this happening this year - but I also don't have a '94 kid. Maybe some of you with '94's know if this was a go?? If it happened, I hope they were able to get some of the top kids to represent MN but most of the best are not MM customers. I heard it was a bust last year. Maybe he decided to wait until next year when he's got a corner on the market with at least some of the best '95s.

GR3343 · Post by **GR3343** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 10:54 am

I have a '92 who participated in this a couple of years back and it was a good deal. Top 80? Probably not, but still good competition just the same. Not really unlike the Advanced programs. Bernie did a good job with contacts at Ann Arbor and kept the cost down. The players got a good look at other things out there and played some decent hockey. Hopefully people won't read more into it than what it actually was/is.

nickel slots · Post by **nickel slots** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 1:33 pm

Doglover wrote:I think that's exactly what happened last year - the inaugural year. They got some of the good kids but not anywhere close to 80. It was a smart idea for Bernie to try to corner this market since MN is the only state that doesn't do Select 14's and Ann Arbor was a pretty good idea. I think it's tough to get these things to fly - similar to the Beantown tourney. Great ideas, just tough to get the right kids to commit. Leave it to Bernie to see an opportunity. I do greatly admire his business skills and insight.

Haven't heard a word about this happening this year - but I also don't have a '94 kid. Maybe some of you with '94's know if this was a go?? If it happened, I hope they were able to get some of the top kids to represent MN but most of the best are not MM customers. I heard it was a bust last year. Maybe he decided to wait until next year when he's got a corner on the market with at least some of the best '95s.

This year, if it happens, will be the third year of the program (last year was the 2nd year, not the inaugural). Two years ago (the '92s), two teams of Minnesota kids went all the way to Ann Arbor to scrimmage against each other, but they still were able to get a nice tour of the facility and some face time with the NDTP staff. Last year (93s), they were able to get two teams of Michigan kids to add to the experience. The games were competitive and it was probably good for the MN kids just to see what's out there (the MI kids played a different style than the MN kids, and I heard it was rather eye opening for many of them).

Tenoverpar · Post by **Tenoverpar** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 1:57 pm

rumor mill at the 94 level is that someone complained directly to the NTDP that the process of selecting kids to bring out there is/was flawed at best and there was no tryout but rather a "who do you know" to bring kids out. Hence the 93 groups lackluster performance when playing kids from top AAA teams (Little Caesers/Hbaked/Cware). Of course this is rumor that it was cancelled on the NTDP end, someone ask Bernie what happened, could have been anything, not really that important.

The 94's will get here chance in the spring just like everything else.

hockey34721 · Post by **hockey34721** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 7:24 pm

last year the 93's did a very good job against the michigan kids and every game was a close one. The michigan kids played a more physical hook, hack style of play which the minnesota kids were not used to but to say it was a lackluster performance is wrong.

Tenoverpar · Post by **Tenoverpar** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:50 pm

My bad, it was the Minnesota Michigan series 93's that were pounded, the 93's that went to Ann Arbor just got swept 4 straight in 4 good hockey games, only getting outscored 29-21, mixed up the two. SORRY 34721