HighSchoolHockeyForums.com

When you look at the Rapids roster, they are losing 3 forwards, 2 defensemen and 1 goalie. Seems with another years maturity of all the 10th graders who logged ice time, all they would need would be 1 forward, 1 defenseman and a goalie off the Bantams. The cupboard is certainly full of very capable players for the next 4 years.

TennJed wrote:Some thought #14 should have been on varsity this year. Partially due to skill level and partially to weak defensive corp on varsity.

There is a big difference from Bantams to Varsity. #14 needed this year at Bantams. Seems to me that getting little help from the forwards was the main reason some feel the d-men were weak. After all, #22 was an All Star. Hmmmmmmm?

TennJed wrote:GR has not had a bantam team in recent years that "beat DE and Edina regularly". I do think notice has been served however. This bantam crew should be promising in coming years.

This year GR Bantams were 4-0 against DE outscoring them 22-10. I'd say that's not too shabby. The last 3 seasons GR has a 7-6-1 record against DE. outscoring them 48-42. Rapids went 2-2 against Edina this year outscoring them 18-14. Didn't play Edina the year before but lost the only game in '11-'12 5-4.

Maybe it would have been more accurate if I said ''regularly compete with Edina and East." Although this year they definitely made a statement by sweeping East, hope that translates to more success at the varsity level.

north_bear wrote:

TennJed wrote:GR has not had a bantam team in recent years that "beat DE and Edina regularly". I do think notice has been served however. This bantam crew should be promising in coming years.

This year GR Bantams were 4-0 against DE outscoring them 22-10. I'd say that's not too shabby. The last 3 seasons GR has a 7-6-1 record against DE. outscoring them 48-42. Rapids went 2-2 against Edina this year outscoring them 18-14. Didn't play Edina the year before but lost the only game in '11-'12 5-4.

Maybe it would have been more accurate if I said ''regularly compete with Edina and East." Although this year they definitely made a statement by sweeping East, hope that translates to more success at the varsity level.

Yea Grand Rapids has 7AA all locked up for the next several years. The rest of us will have to scrounge for table scraps and left overs. Woe is me......

Yea they sure do!!!! Everyone better look out!!

Still salty about Cloquet's season? Or maybe there outlook is just as bleak as this year was?

Keep it in perspective boy's, many teams could have gotten hot and won the bantam tourney. The Rapids goalie stole the title. It is good for the State to have Rapids competing with the best.

north_bear wrote:Yea they sure do!!!! Everyone better look out!!

Still salty about Cloquet's season? Or maybe there outlook is just as bleak as this year was?

haha. Well honestly.....after the fallout with my Lumberjacks during last years season, Coach Esse and my boys did very well nonetheless. It will be 2 years removed from this, and will be behind us. The flow of our youth programs, in particular bantams and high school will no longer be affected. Work hard, have fun, and compete. The Lumberjacks traditionally do well with these. And with Coach Esse leading our boys, I am not worried.

Great competitive hockey against our rivals Duluth East and Grand Rapids is just plain fun in 7AA hockey. I always look forward to competing with these and all the traditional powers ))

alcloseshaver wrote:Keep it in perspective boy's, many teams could have gotten hot and won the bantam tourney. The Rapids goalie stole the title. It is good for the State to have Rapids competing with the best.

I think it's possible to keep it in perspective while at the same time having a good reason for optimism at the next level.

TheHockeyDJ wrote:

alcloseshaver wrote:Keep it in perspective boy's, many teams could have gotten hot and won the bantam tourney. The Rapids goalie stole the title. It is good for the State to have Rapids competing with the best.

I think it's possible to keep it in perspective while at the same time having a good reason for optimism at the next level.

Well put DJ...

kniven I would not take the Rapids commentary too personal. We should collectively be pretty happy that a small program can win a state title at the highest level of Bantams. That is actually a good thing for hockey and hopefully it bolsters northern associations confidence to compete and play with the bigger programs in the state. Cloquet has some nice pee wee talent that made state and Hibbing and Hermantown were right in the mix of things in Bantam AA playing a large number of the best metro teams. This used to only be done by Duluth East. now maybe folks are realizing the East Model works for smaller programs. They have a very nice track record we should all try learn from for sure.

I think Elk River, East, STMA, Andover, Forest Lake Cloquets will be tough and that section 7AA will have some great battles for a lot of years. The compete will be very high for a lot of good programs. Strength of our section!

The amount of overall work it takes at all levels of a program to field a competitive varsity team is amazing.

I just saw the 2014-15 schedules for UMD men's and women's hockey and there is something interesting there for 7AA playoff hockey. The weekend of Semi-Final Saturday the men are on the road and the women are at home. What is noteworthy is that the women are playing Ohio State at Amsoil Arena on Friday night and SUNDAY afternoon. This leaves Saturday open to a realization of the rumors I've heard for a while that Semi-final Saturday for 7AA will not be at it's usual Noon and 2:30 pm start, but will likely be moved to the evening with a 5:00 pm and 7:30 pm start. Now if we could just get 7A to have their semifinals at 11 and 1pm at Amsoil and have a State Tourney like day with 2 sessions….

I just confirmed that the 7AA and 7A semi-finals will both be at Amsoil Arena next year. The 7AA semi-finals will be at Noon and 2:00, and the 7A Semi-finals will be at 6:00 and 8:00. This is a dream come true to have both sections semis in the same place on the same day. I'm sure the 7AA games are early due to avoid a really late drive for an Elk River or Andover if they played the 8:00 game and it went multiple OT's. I would think this schedule should make for a packed arena with 8 teams in the same day. I know I'm very excited for this. What are your thoughts?

TheHockeyDJ wrote:I just confirmed that the 7AA and 7A semi-finals will both be at Amsoil Arena next year. The 7AA semi-finals will be at Noon and 2:00, and the 7A Semi-finals will be at 6:00 and 8:00. This is a dream come true to have both sections semis in the same place on the same day. I'm sure the 7AA games are early due to avoid a really late drive for an Elk River or Andover if they played the 8:00 game and it went multiple OT's. I would think this schedule should make for a packed arena with 8 teams in the same day. I know I'm very excited for this. What are your thoughts?

If true, it's about time. I reserve further comment until actually confirmed by a Section admin.

The reason the games are early is for FL's drive home.

The section will be very competitive but not one of the stronger sections. Rapids appears to have the most potential because of their strong bantam teams over the past couple of years, but their weak defensive play and the inability of the coaching staff to find a remedy doesn't guarantee success at the high school level.

mnmouth wrote:

TheHockeyDJ wrote:I just confirmed that the 7AA and 7A semi-finals will both be at Amsoil Arena next year. The 7AA semi-finals will be at Noon and 2:00, and the 7A Semi-finals will be at 6:00 and 8:00. This is a dream come true to have both sections semis in the same place on the same day. I'm sure the 7AA games are early due to avoid a really late drive for an Elk River or Andover if they played the 8:00 game and it went multiple OT's. I would think this schedule should make for a packed arena with 8 teams in the same day. I know I'm very excited for this. What are your thoughts?

If true, it's about time. I reserve further comment until actually confirmed by a Section admin.

It was confirmed to me by the Amsoil Arena event coordinator.

Also note that 7AA is locked in to play at Amsoil through 2017 per last administration meeting. Vote was 9-1, financials being the key component. Anyone want to venture on who had the lone dissenting vote?
Not sure why the majority of the southern schools would not even vote against it?

alcloseshaver wrote:Also note that 7AA is locked in to play at Amsoil through 2017 per last administration meeting. Vote was 9-1, financials being the key component. Anyone want to venture on who had the lone dissenting vote?
Not sure why the majority of the southern schools would not even vote against it?

If there were a venue like Amsoil Arena in the south then I'm sure they'd already rotate. There just isn't a good venue in the twin cities for the attendance 7AA usually gets. Mariucci is terrible because of the olympic ice and it would feel empty in a 10,000 seat arena. Section 4AA and 3AA are in a dilemma because they don't have something comparable to the Colesium available. Honestly, it should of been a 10-0 vote. All I ever hear from southern fans is they don't like going to Duluth, but they never come up with a good option on their own.

I know this is old news, but was curious to hear from some of the southern schools if they have people on this forum who would like like to comment.

TheHockeyDJ wrote:

alcloseshaver wrote:Also note that 7AA is locked in to play at Amsoil through 2017 per last administration meeting. Vote was 9-1, financials being the key component. Anyone want to venture on who had the lone dissenting vote?
Not sure why the majority of the southern schools would not even vote against it?

If there were a venue like Amsoil Arena in the south then I'm sure they'd already rotate. There just isn't a good venue in the twin cities for the attendance 7AA usually gets. Mariucci is terrible because of the olympic ice and it would feel empty in a 10,000 seat arena. Section 4AA and 3AA are in a dilemma because they don't have something comparable to the Colesium available. Honestly, it should of been a 10-0 vote. All I ever hear from southern fans is they don't like going to Duluth, but they never come up with a good option on their own.

I don't have a dog in the fight at all but I have mentioned 2 or 3 times on this discussion when it was held earlier to play at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud. Never got any feedback on the idea to switch between there and Amsoil every other year.

St. Cloud option has been brought up before, vote was 9-1 against. Will be brought again after the 2017 season. Once the puck drops at Amsoil it's a hockey game.

TheHockeyDJ wrote:

mnmouth wrote:

TheHockeyDJ wrote:I just confirmed that the 7AA and 7A semi-finals will both be at Amsoil Arena next year. The 7AA semi-finals will be at Noon and 2:00, and the 7A Semi-finals will be at 6:00 and 8:00. This is a dream come true to have both sections semis in the same place on the same day. I'm sure the 7AA games are early due to avoid a really late drive for an Elk River or Andover if they played the 8:00 game and it went multiple OT's. I would think this schedule should make for a packed arena with 8 teams in the same day. I know I'm very excited for this. What are your thoughts?

If true, it's about time. I reserve further comment until actually confirmed by a Section admin.

It was confirmed to me by the Amsoil Arena event coordinator.

Nothing against you DJ but having it privately confirmed to you means nothing. We need it publicly confirmed.

alcloseshaver wrote:Also note that 7AA is locked in to play at Amsoil through 2017 per last administration meeting. Vote was 9-1, financials being the key component. Anyone want to venture on who had the lone dissenting vote?
Not sure why the majority of the southern schools would not even vote against it?

You obviously just read this information from an article in the Elk River Star News, so why are you asking people to guess on the odd man on the 9-1 vote? The article, (written by editor Bruce Strand) clearly states it was Elk River's A.D. Mike Cunningham. It is an interesting article and explains the financials of the whole Amsoil deal:

http://erstarnews.com/2014/04/05/commen ... y-section/

sanryam wrote:

alcloseshaver wrote:Also note that 7AA is locked in to play at Amsoil through 2017 per last administration meeting. Vote was 9-1, financials being the key component. Anyone want to venture on who had the lone dissenting vote?
Not sure why the majority of the southern schools would not even vote against it?

You obviously just read this information from an article in the Elk River Star News, so why are you asking people to guess on the odd man on the 9-1 vote? The article, (written by editor Bruce Strand) clearly states it was Elk River's A.D. Mike Cunningham. It is an interesting article and explains the financials of the whole Amsoil deal:

http://erstarnews.com/2014/04/05/commen ... y-section/

Sarcasm