Who's going to make the 54 who go on on the advanced 17

[GR3343]

Yes definately some players missing that were previously mentioned. Very surprised Noah Gavin didn't make it. Didn't watch him much this weekend but he's a good hockey player no question.

There are players missing, but I also don't see any glaring holes. As expected and as usual, a very talented group of players and all should be very proud of themselves.

Think PapaG nailed it. The "Final 54" is clearly a very talented group of kids who should be extremely proud of themselves to have reached this level of acknowledgement in Minnesota High School hockey. They are in the rarefied air of the top 50 in their age group in "the state of hockey" ... and they should be proud of not only their hard work and sacrifice... but as many in Minnesota know they should step back and take a moment to acknowledge the hard work and sacrifice of their parents, family, and coaches who have supported them and helped acheive this memory...

There are always disappointments. I would hate to be in a position to decide the last 5 kids on the bubbble for any position on any team. I don't envy the evaluators job in making these tough decisions. However, nothing on the 17 list leads me to beleive there was anything approaching significant malice, politics or unfairness. In the end one often learns little from success and a great deal from disppointment. All the kids who made the festival should interpret not making the "Final 54" as an opportunity and not as a message of failure. Anyone on that festival list has the opportunity to move ahead in their hockey careers if they have the desire, discipline and most of all perseverance to do something with their current disappointment... Remember, in two weeks there will be 30 more disappointments and 8 weeks after that thier will be 24 disappointments... disappointment is not an end for the truly great but rather a beginning...

Congrats to the FINAL 54.

Fantastic post, great message to the kids! Very well said.