Predictions for Advanced 16 and 17 national team.

[The Exiled One]

I am a huge fan of Minnesota High School Hockey but the writing is on the wall. The fact is that AAA midget kids are much more prepared for the next level of competition. (8-9 month season, 60+ games, full time training, great coaching). The Elite league made an attempt to circumvent this but the league has become diluted and the quality of hockey diminishing...kind of a free for all. A jump above high school hockey but not comparable to AAA midgets. I am afraid that unless systemic changes are made to the high school model, high school hockey on a national level is falling way behind.

I don't buy that at all. I think that the USHL and the NTDP will always claim some of the best of the best, but those are only going to be players who are actually good enough to compete against 20 year-olds. That will always be a limited amount of players, because there are a limited amount of opportunities.

If you're talking about HS falling behind AAA, I don't agree. Top HS teams from MN have recently been competitive with Shattuck Prep, which is considered one of the best AAA Midget Major teams in the world. IMHO, last year's Edina team (with freshmen and sophmores) would have beaten Belle Tire (without fresheman or sophmores) in a best of seven series. Many of you won't agree, but I'm looking for some backup from the Edina fans (and maybe even Gopher Blog?)

Of course, on a school by school basis I don't doubt that you assertions are true. Matt Hansen made the right decision to get out of that situation at St. Cloud Tech. Hopefully they can turn it around up there.

[O-townClown]

I am afraid that unless systemic changes are made to the high school model, high school hockey on a national level is falling way behind.

On a national level, yes. In Minnesota? No.

"Systemic changes" aren't coming. They've added games and lengthened periods. It is a Varsity winter sport. Can't really do anything else. The Elite fills the gap, so the number of games spread isn't what it once was.

[goldy313]

Many of the kids who left high school to go play elsewhere then showed up at the U of M haven't done much either. Is Helgeson any better than Ness or Leddy? Okposo pretty much just took up space, Johnson was good but didn't stay long.

Kids leaving or staying in high school is such an individual thing that it's really hard to make blanket statements about doing one or the other and drawing any conclusion. Ambroz left a New Prague team that has a coaching carosel, plays in a weak conference, and few good non conference games, he was probably wise to move on. Then you have Charlie Thauwald who left Mayo early for the USHL, Mayo has a history of sending talented kids who stay to D1 programs yet Thauwald left and had 4 points in 2 seasons. A smart move? In 2005 Matti Niskanen never left Virginia, TJ Oshie never left Warroad yet were first round draft picks who play in the NHL, while of the 4 USNDTP drafted in the first two rounds of that draft only Jack Johnson has played significant time in the NHL.

The elite league has turned into what many of us feared it would, a parochial system that isn't destined to get the best players, just the chosen players. A better system might be one modeled after the great eight format. Just a thought.

[dueling21]

The elite league has turned into what many of us feared it would, a parochial system that isn't destined to get the best players, just the chosen players. A better system might be one modeled after the great eight format. Just a thought.

There sure is a lot of banging on the Elite League on the board. Is it a clash with Russo's personality that makes people hate the league that much? I think they do a fairly good job picking rosters. It's not perfect IMHO either, but it's impossible to make everyone trying out happy...nor should they try. Any time teams are picked and kids are left out someone screams "politics." It really is tiresome.