Ask anyone who's grown up playing in MN and without any question whatsoever the biggest jump is from pee wee to bantam, and it's because that is the odd age where some "boys" become "men" and some don't. Bantams was the first year I was ever cut from A's, and it was in large part to a lot of the other kids getting so much bigger than me (it was also right at the time they exempted freshman to play "down" so there were essentially three years playing at that level for the first time).
I can tell you, without the experience I received at pee wee with full contact I would have been a basket case in bantam.
I guess my point is I fail to see the positive in this, and frankly see it as just more mushy PC pansy stuff on behalf of the Minnesota hockey league.
