Mr Hockey 2012 Finalists

[WarmUpTheBus]

Kloos should win. Hands down. Randolph and Toninato get much deserved credit too, and all of the other players on the list are certainly top 10 worthy, however NO ONE draws the attention that Kloos does night in and night out and still delivers. His supporting cast other than Alex Harvey is very weak and the kid just flat out gets it done.

Judd Peterson is just as worthy.

I'd love for the NHL scouts and D1 coaches to step up and say Peterson is a smart, well-mannered kid, is a phenomenal HS player, is destined for a great hockey career, and therefore deserves the Mr. Hockey award over Kloos, but that's not going to happen. Kloos wins this hands down, but I certainly hope Peterson goes on to have a better hockey career!

Are you saying Kloos isn't a "smart, well-mannered kid" and therefore doesn't deserve the award?

[StreetStix]

Judd Peterson is just as worthy.

I'd love for the NHL scouts and D1 coaches to step up and say Peterson is a smart, well-mannered kid, is a phenomenal HS player, is destined for a great hockey career, and therefore deserves the Mr. Hockey award over Kloos, but that's not going to happen. Kloos wins this hands down, but I certainly hope Peterson goes on to have a better hockey career!

Are you saying Kloos isn't a "smart, well-mannered kid" and therefore doesn't deserve the award?

Nope, he isn't. He described Peterson and then said he deserves the award over the current frontrunner, Kloos. His description of Peterson doesn't translate as a lack thereof of the part of Kloos.

[xy]

The fact that he hopes Peterson has a "better hockey career" certainly opens the door to wondering exactly what he does mean. Unless he's in Peterson's immediate family, in which case you can understand the bias, why would he want one kid to have a better career than the other unless he was somehow more "deserving"?

He probably meant that he thinks Peterson's a better long-range prospect, likely in part due to size. That's probably a defensible opinion. But if that's what he meant it could have been made an awful lot more clear.

[StreetStix]

The fact that he hopes Peterson has a "better hockey career" certainly opens the door to wondering exactly what he does mean. Unless he's in Peterson's immediate family, in which case you can understand the bias, why would he want one kid to have a better career than the other unless he was somehow more "deserving"?

He probably meant that he thinks Peterson's a better long-range prospect, likely in part due to size. That's probably a defensible opinion. But if that's what he meant it could have been made an awful lot more clear.

Yea, not sure what that part meant. Oh well. Ah, St. Cloud fan makes sense!

[The Exiled One]

The fact that he hopes Peterson has a "better hockey career" certainly opens the door to wondering exactly what he does mean. Unless he's in Peterson's immediate family, in which case you can understand the bias, why would he want one kid to have a better career than the other unless he was somehow more "deserving"?

He probably meant that he thinks Peterson's a better long-range prospect, likely in part due to size. That's probably a defensible opinion. But if that's what he meant it could have been made an awful lot more clear.

Ummm.... I'm a St. Cloud State fan.

[longdistancespectator8]

Peterson is deserving of the award but more deserving than Kloos.... The award is not about future hockey success. Its about who is the best high school player in the state of Minnesota. It's hard to argue that Kloos has not been proving this since September. He led the elite league in scoring, and scored in all 25 games. Then started the high school season and has scored in all 20+ games he has played in that. And he isn't playing a terrible AA or A class schedule. He consistently puts up points in games where his team is heavily outmatched. If you were to take a look at South's schedule and look at all their difficult games, i.e. Breck, Eagan, Burnsville, Eden Prairie, Hill Murray, Edina, Kloos has a point on about 65 to 70% of those games. I just find no reason for anyone to be "more deserving" than Kloos. All ten players on the list have their own argument for why they should win the award, and all are deserving of the Mr. Hockey title and joining that elite list of players who have won the award. This year, imho, Kloos has done everything and more to prove he is the best HIGH SCHOOL player in the state and that is who should win the award.

[Shinbone_News]

Is it officially the case that there are only two nominees each year for the Brimsek?

This is the second year in a row. I realize that MN HS goaltenders have been in a slump for a few years now -- so much so apparently that there weren't enough quality tendies to fill out the Elite League -- but why go out of their way to snub someone like Franke, who is a very nice goalie with a tougher schedule than Bitzer and a slightly better sv% than Koop -- and on a weaker team than both? With more shut outs than either of them?

We're talking about very minor differences here, of course, which makes it all the more glaring that he's getting snubbed.

I fear this is another one of those post-HS-potential scenarios, since Franke is a little guy.

Goalies suffer from politics worse than any other position, IMO. (I'll never forget that Robb Stauber had to ~walk on~ at the U of M, and a year later won the Hobey Baker.)

[rudy]

Here they are:

http://www.mnhockeyhub.com/news_article ... r_id=32770

[Sats81]

Peterson is deserving of the award but more deserving than Kloos.... The award is not about future hockey success. Its about who is the best high school player in the state of Minnesota. It's hard to argue that Kloos has not been proving this since September. He led the elite league in scoring, and scored in all 25 games. Then started the high school season and has scored in all 20+ games he has played in that. And he isn't playing a terrible AA or A class schedule. He consistently puts up points in games where his team is heavily outmatched. If you were to take a look at South's schedule and look at all their difficult games, i.e. Breck, Eagan, Burnsville, Eden Prairie, Hill Murray, Edina, Kloos has a point on about 65 to 70% of those games. I just find no reason for anyone to be "more deserving" than Kloos. All ten players on the list have their own argument for why they should win the award, and all are deserving of the Mr. Hockey title and joining that elite list of players who have won the award. This year, imho, Kloos has done everything and more to prove he is the best HIGH SCHOOL player in the state and that is who should win the award.

He has a point in every one of these games..(assuming you meant he had a hand in 65-70% of LS's goals in these specific games?) If you go back to last season there have only been 3 games total (all last yr) he hasn't had a point in...both games against Eagan and the section final vs LN. Like i've said before I haven't seen a HS player since Danny Welch play as dynamic as him. He's the clear cut front runner and no offense to any of the other players (all tremendous players) anyone other than Kloos is a miscarriage of justice.

[almostashappy]

Peterson is deserving of the award but more deserving than Kloos.... The award is not about future hockey success. Its about who is the best high school player in the state of Minnesota. It's hard to argue that Kloos has not been proving this since September. He led the elite league in scoring, and scored in all 25 games. Then started the high school season and has scored in all 20+ games he has played in that. And he isn't playing a terrible AA or A class schedule. He consistently puts up points in games where his team is heavily outmatched. If you were to take a look at South's schedule and look at all their difficult games, i.e. Breck, Eagan, Burnsville, Eden Prairie, Hill Murray, Edina, Kloos has a point on about 65 to 70% of those games. I just find no reason for anyone to be "more deserving" than Kloos. All ten players on the list have their own argument for why they should win the award, and all are deserving of the Mr. Hockey title and joining that elite list of players who have won the award. This year, imho, Kloos has done everything and more to prove he is the best HIGH SCHOOL player in the state and that is who should win the award.

Isn't it awarded to the best high school SENIOR player in the HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE? Or are underclassmen, or kids that play for SSM, or kids that attend a Minnesota high school but are playing juniors all still eligible?

The fact that only seniors are eligible suggests that the player's entire high school career should be considered, not just what they've done since November (and yes, I mean November, not September...ELITE league results shouldn't matter for a MSHSL award). Of course, most of the nominees have been 3 of 4 year starters and have been great all throughout their careers, so maybe that doesn't matter so much.

I agree with Sat's comment about Zajak and Merchant. Eagan has fantastic blue liners, but you can't ignore the contribution provided by a relentless forecheck. It's funny how solid defensemen who score lots of goals are lauded to the heavens, while forwards that are willing to play d aren't recognized as much for their two-way games.

[keepyourheadup]

Not sure if performance from sept to Nov counts but considering all 10 nominees played in the league it certainly gives us a baseline to compare them as far as offensive production is concerned.

[Hscout000]

I have a big issue with not having Franke up for Brimsek.

Nothing against Kyle Koop but Franke has equal or better numbers with a worse D-corp in front of him. Maple Grove might have the best Defense corp in the state.

Both play very difficult schedules and both are great goalies, I just feel Franke has been more vital to his teams success.

[observer]

Franke or some others. The women had 10 nominees for their award so I don't know why they don't give a few more some props on the men's side. 2?

[slyer]

what else does franke have to do 4 yr starter with over 100 starts,2 year elite league, 2 section finals in 3 years, top 5 the whole year in save % for class AA, tied for first as we speak. i guess that resume still isn't good enough, they blew it

[rainier]

what else does franke have to do 4 yr starter with over 100 starts,2 year elite league, 2 section finals in 3 years, top 5 the whole year in save % for class AA, tied for first as we speak. i guess that resume still isn't good enough, they blew it

Agreed. Only having two candidates is idiotic.

[mulefarm]

What's ironic about the award, nobody involved in hs hockey votes for the award. State D1 coaches and pro scouts vote, so I would guess the elite league would influence the vote.

[CB00]

I have a big issue with not having Franke up for Brimsek.

Nothing against Kyle Koop but Franke has equal or better numbers with a worse D-corp in front of him. Maple Grove might have the best Defense corp in the state.

Both play very difficult schedules and both are great goalies, I just feel Franke has been more vital to his teams success.

Could not agree more. Franke 5 Koop 3

[stpaul]

Congrats to Charlie Sampair of Hill-Murray for making the list. He's been dynamite this year. 25 goals in 23 games so far. With his speed and scoring ability he is capable of playing at a D1 college - maybe after a year in the USHL.

[slyer]

Looks like a few of us on the message board got it right, but the voters for the brimsek like i said earlier blewwwwwwww it. Now they will have the THIRD place goalie in the nwsc in the running for the award, nice job. maybe they should wait until the season is over before nominating, this way they could get it right. Everybody at the game saw who the better goalie was period, this is gonna be a tough decision for the award one of them has the speech memorized

[RickyTicky]

Good list, maybe some got left off that deserve it but at any rate you got to imagine Kloos will win it this year.. on pace for his 2nd straight season with 90+ pts (could get over 100 this year) against good metro competition, that in itself is an amazing feat. He is the true meaning of the phrase "You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him".

[almostashappy]

NHL's 2012 Draft web page has a story that profiles the Mr. Hockey candidates in this year's draft class:

Merchant, Opperman vie for Minny's 'Mr. Hockey'

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=616939&print=true

[D6Rocks]

NHL's 2012 Draft web page has a story that profiles the Mr. Hockey candidates in this year's draft class:

Merchant, Opperman vie for Minny's 'Mr. Hockey'

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=616939&print=true

I guess it's over. Merchant wins.

[mulefarm]

Wow, the top ranked nominee at 155. It's hard to believe that is the best Mn high school hockey can do!

[longdistancespectator8]

Wow, the top ranked nominee at 155. It's hard to believe that is the best Mn high school hockey can do!

It would look a lot better if Brady Skeij was still playing high school hockey. No. 18.

[almostashappy]

Wow, the top ranked nominee at 155. It's hard to believe that is the best Mn high school hockey can do!

Merchant is the top-ranked Mr. Hockey nominee in this year's draft class. There are a few MN kids who are ranked higher that aren't eligible for Mr. Hockey nomination because they are in juniors or underclassmen.

I guess you could argue that a kid that that leaves high school early to play Juniors or go to SSM shouldn't be considered representative of "the best Mn high school hockey can do," but I wouldn't....not too many kids jump from Bantam A straight into the USHL. And it's what they do as an underclassman playing on their high school team that in large part determines if they're offered the chance to jump.

Oh, and speaking of probable Mr. Hockeycandidates who jumped...ran across an article on A.J. Michaelson that was really funny....the intro sentence reads

If anyone can live up to the phrase “be true to your school,” it’s center A.J. Michaelson.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/42179-.html

You betcha...that's why he's still playing for Apple Valley, right?