Newspaper Article from Boston

[greybeard58]

Interesting article from Boston.

In a truly sorry state

By Dan Shaughnessy, Globe Columnist | February 2, 2010

I went to the Beanpot last night and tried to get fired up about the whole thing.
Sorry. Couldn’t do it. The building was flatter than Howie Long’s head when Harvard came out to play Boston College at 5 p.m. and there wasn’t much excitement when the Eagles flattened the Crimson, 6-0. Boston University topped Northeastern, 2-1, in a scintillating nightcap filled with tremendous goaltending and a late third-period score by the Terriers, who seem to own this tournament no matter how they are playing prior to the first two Mondays in February.
Here’s what really killed me. Last night’s Harvard roster had only one guy from Massachusetts (Chris Huxley of Weymouth). Harvard had 11 players from Canada, one from Sweden, and one from Croatia. Boston University, last year’s national champion, featured two kids from Massachusetts (out of 21). Northeastern had four Bay Staters and Boston College a whopping 11.
Not to sound like a WTKK talk show host, but the lack of locals took something out of it for me. What happened to the days of Peabody’s Bobby Carpenter on the cover of Sports Illustrated? The days of Charlestown’s Jackie O’Callahan, Scituate’s Dave Silk, and Winthrop’s Mike Eruzione winning Olympic gold? Jim Craig going from Oliver Ames to Boston University to Lake Placid?
There are no Massachusetts players on this year’s US Olympic men’s hockey team. And not enough in the Beanpot. Not for my money.
Bob Sweeney was honored as a Beanpot Hall of Famer between games last night. Playing for Boston College, Sweeney was MVP of the tournament in 1983. Before that, he played at Acton-Boxboro.
You won’t find any kids from A-B in the Beanpot these days.
“When I played at BC we had one guy on the team from outside of New England,’’ Sweeney said. “Now local hockey is watered down. There’re so many teams. Dave Silk talked about it at the luncheon the other day. He talked about how we grew up around here, wanting to play for BC, BU, or Harvard. It was a big deal to have the opportunity to skate where the Bruins skated. On the spoked-B.’’
“It’s just not the same,’’ said former Penguin/Bruin Kevin Stevens, who starred at Boston College. “There’s no buzz in this building like in the old days when everybody was on top of each other, smoking cigars.’’
Stevens played his high school hockey at Silver Lake Regional in Kingston. That wouldn’t happen today. No kids from Silver Lake in the Beanpot.
“I keep reading that the local game is watered down,’’ said Bruins assistant coach Don Sweeney, who won a national championship at Harvard. “We always had Massachusetts players when I was at Harvard and I still think there are a lot of good players here, but it’s probably not like in the heyday of the Minnesota Super Series.’’
Joe Bertagna, Commissioner of Hockey East, was a goalie at Arlington High (1969), then Harvard (1973). He has seen the decay of local talent first-hand.
“We keep track of the number of players in Division 1,’’ said the former Spy Ponder. “It used to be Minnesota and Massachusetts, ranking 1 and 2. Then Michigan came in and we dropped to third. This year we were just five kids ahead of New York. For whatever reason, Massachusetts is not producing Division 1 players like it used to.
“The rise of junior hockey has hurt public school hockey. Parents are always looking for the next best deal. They go from public schools to Catholic schools, to the preps, to juniors. And there’s no value in social stability. Starting in eighth grade I played nine seasons in high school and college and I only wore two jerseys. And I’m still friends with the same guys. It’s a cultural change.’’
An age change, too. This is the era of the 20-year-old freshman.
Kevin Paul Dupont, the Globe’s estimable hockey scribe, has been hammering at this theme for years and recently relayed this quote from the one and only Mike Milbury.
“What we are doing is just not right,’’ said Milbury, who grew up in Walpole. “We are not developing players. We’ve got a lot of parents out here spending a lot of time and money and it’s obvious that we’re still not getting it right. It should not be a 12-month-a-year sport, and kids shouldn’t be put in a car for a three-hour drive to New Hampshire where they’ll be in a game that has three 12-minute periods and they play, what, 10 minutes each?
“Limit their games. Increase their training. Keep them focused, happy, and having fun.’’
“I think the local game is on the upswing,’’ BC coach Jerry York (Watertown’s finest) said after the Eagles routed the Crimson. “There’s been a dry spell for a long time. Local hockey dropped right off the radar. We went a couple of decades when it was very barren. We always look for the best players, but if they happen to be from Watertown or Winchester, all the better.’’
The late, great House Speaker Tip O’Neill, a BC guy (1936), patented the phrase “All politics is local.’’ There was a time around here when all Beanpot hockey was local, too.
Go Eagles.

[silentbutdeadly3139]

Interesting article from Boston.
...
“Limit their games. Increase their training. Keep them focused, happy, and having fun.’’
“

I always love that one...less games and more training is fun and makes kids happy ? I agree it makes for a better player but its probably not more fun for the kids.

[nofinish]

I always love that one...less games and more training is fun and makes kids happy ? I agree it makes for a better player but its probably not more fun for the kids.

Fun level depends on which kid you are. The high skilled kid who dominates the puck probably has more fun in games. The low skilled kid may have more fun in practice where they can have more puck play. My mite age daughter says she likes drills and games in practice more than actual games.

[observer]

Another twist on this, beyond hockey as I read a comment as it relates to the University of Minnesota Tennis Team, interesting that a high percentage of the aide is going to students from out of the state and country. In several instances these are state funded colleges and universities and wouldn't it be nice if a higher percentage of the aide was available to in state students and athletes. Back to Massachusetts hockey, I hope they can find, and assist, a few more Massachusetts hockey players in the future.

[InigoMontoya]

I think that pertains to MN, as well. BSU is doing well in the WCHA and ranked nationally with a lot of Canadians. Hopefully there will eventually be more opportunity for MN kids. A Minnesota kid that plays hockey and graduates from Duluth, Mankato, St Cloud, Bemidji, or the U will be more likely to end up working, living, paying taxes, raising a family, and coaching the next generation right here in this state than a 22 year old freshman from Moose Jaw.

[muckandgrind]

Interesting article from Boston.
...
“Limit their games. Increase their training. Keep them focused, happy, and having fun.’’
“

I always love that one...less games and more training is fun and makes kids happy ? I agree it makes for a better player but its probably not more fun for the kids.

I agree....I can't think of a better way to drive kids from the game than to tell them "You will practice more and play fewer games." The whole point is for kids to have fun playing the game, not to develop the minority few who have the genetics to go on and be Div-I and NHL players. Where has all the perspective gone?

With all this talk about "development", I think many people are forgeting that hockey is just a game, and is meant to be fun.