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The Exiled One wrote:From last year, Jonny Brodzinski and Josh Archibald.

I don't believe they came out of nowhere. they played 2-3 yrs of varsity.
I would say a player that played jv or sparingly as a junior would be a player that came out of nowhere his sr year is what we're talking about?

mulefarm wrote:

The Exiled One wrote:From last year, Jonny Brodzinski and Josh Archibald.

I don't believe they came out of nowhere. they played 2-3 yrs of varsity.
I would say a player that played jv or sparingly as a junior would be a player that came out of nowhere his sr year is what we're talking about?

Nah, I think it's more like a quality player on a lousy team that didn't get scouted. Heck, it sometimes happens to quality players on quality teams. Robb Stauber -- a walk-on at the U, wins the Hobey Baker, first goalie ever????? Who missed that one????

Agreed that Brodzinski and Archibald hardly "coming out of nowhere." I'd look more to kids in the USHL who never got a look at HS but who are ripping it up at juniors.

Really hard for quality players not to be noticed or found these days. 20-30 yrs ago it happened , but not much these days.

It's like I keep saying. Plenty of kids peak at high school. Give them the kudos while they're at it, it might go up in smoke in the USHL or D3.

Same with selects programs. A big percentage of those kids -- bigger than you might think, anyway -- never even play college hockey by choice or otherwise.

Elite league is development (by definition, seems to me) for those kids who go on to higher, faster, bigger level of hockey, for others it may be exposure for the last time.

And I can't imagine that more hockey games, played with the alleged cream of the state crop, while getting to stay at home and go to high school is a less desirable path than, say, jumping to the USHL at age 17.

I guess you could argue what "coming out of no where" is, I can except that. Snugerud had few options coming out of high school and played with the vulcans for one or two years. Witchow played JV as a soph, Bob Kinne is an example of a kid that made the most of his Elite league opportunity, don't recall him plaing on many of the top offseason and select teams. Cody Corbett is this years bigest surprise in the Elite league from what I've seen. Plays at Stillwater and was never on the top AAA teams or mentioned at the top of his year class. He's been one of the top two or three D-men in the league this fall. Are fewer players missed now compared to 20-30 years ago? Absolutely, maybe thats because we have something like the Elite league to showcase some of the kids that might not otherwise be seen. Nick Seeler at EP, which was heavily scouted did not become a big time prospect till his senior year either, always a good player but made a big jump his senior year.

mulefarm wrote:Really hard for quality players not to be noticed or found these days. 20-30 yrs ago it happened , but not much these days.

Agreed. Almost every player that deserves it will be seen these days.

All these are PATHS. HS/Elite is a path. USHL is a path. Canadian Junior is a path. These athletes are lucky to have choices.

In response to the original post, the Elite League has no business telling a family what they can do when the team isn't playing or practicing. It's not legal or even wise. The league has enough to worry about.

I agree with that, the league seems a little over the top where controlling their players are concerned. If you've ever had the chance to hear Russo give his intro speach to the kids at the league meeting about how great this league is and that its every bit as good as the USHL its really quite entertaining. I love the fact it exists but its taken a little to seriously by some.

Shinbone_News wrote:It's like I keep saying. Plenty of kids peak at high school. Give them the kudos while they're at it, it might go up in smoke in the USHL or D3.

Same with selects programs. A big percentage of those kids -- bigger than you might think, anyway -- never even play college hockey by choice or otherwise.

Elite league is development (by definition, seems to me) for those kids who go on to higher, faster, bigger level of hockey, for others it may be exposure for the last time.

And I can't imagine that more hockey games, played with the alleged cream of the state crop, while getting to stay at home and go to high school is a less desirable path than, say, jumping to the USHL at age 17.

Here are the rosters from the 2007 Elite League. I agree with your point because over 1/2 of these kids are out of hockey.

Tradition Team North
G 12 Pat Arnason G.F. Red River
G 11 Matt Hemingway Alexandria
D 11 Joe Arbour Duluth East
D 12 Drew Olson Brainerd
D 10 Nate Schmidt S.C. Cathedral
D 12 David Brown Cloquet
D 11 Izaak Berglund Little Falls
D 12 Joel Scattarelli Rogers
D 12 Trent Johnson Duluth Denfeld
F 12 Justin Jokinen Cloquet
F 11 Ben Hanowski Little Falls
F 12 Rob Johnson Duluth East
F 12 Anthony DeCenzo Hibbing
F 12 Chris Stafne Duluth Denfeld
F 12 Jake Johnson Duluth Denfeld
F 12 Joe Frazer Brainerd
F 11 Cody Hotchkin Duluth Denfeld
F 11 Jared Maetche St. Cloud Tech
F 12 Alex Guyer Greenway
F 11 Max Tardy Duluth East
F 12 Beau Hanowski Little Falls

Team Great Plains
G 11 Mike Lee Roseau
G 12 Alex Christiansen East G. Forks
D 11 Aaron Ness Roseau
D 12 Ryan LaDouceur G.F. Red River
D 12 Jarrett Galbreath G.F. Red River
D 11 Grant Narveson Fargo North
D 11 Michael Pieper Warroad
D 11 Ian Cochran Moorhead
D 11 Ryan Hills Grafton
F 12 Jeremy Hahn Warroad
F 12 Ian Powers Fargo South
F 12 Joe Becker Moorhead
F 11 Tyler Landman Roseau
F 12 Eric Meland G.F. Red River
F 12 Bryce Ravndalen Warroad
F 12 Cody Peck Fergus Falls
F 12 Ben Bergquist Detroit Lakes
F 11 Nick Oliver Roseau
F 12 Nick Thielen Moorhead
F 12 Zach Lehrke Park Rapids
F 11 Chad Demers Grafton
F 12 Alex Simonson G.F. Red River

Starkey Team Southwest
G 12 Derrick Caschetta Edina
G 12 Ben Waalkens Albert Lea
D 11 Nick Leddy Eden Prairie
D 12 Anthony Raiola Minnetonka
D 12 Joe Gleason Edina
D 11 Alec Rush Eden Prairie
D 12 Chris Student Benilde
D 12 Jake Gardiner Minnetonka
F 11 Marshall Everson Edina
F 12 Corey Leivermann Mankato West
F 11 Sam Coatta Minnetonka
F 11 Jack Barnes Blake
F 12 Austin Wetmore Holy Angels
F 12 Tommy O’Donnell Bl. Jefferson
F 12 Matt Leer Edina
F 11 Bryan Glynn Benilde
F 11 Zach Budish Edina
F 11 Anders Lee Edina
F 11 Connor Gaarder Edina
F 12 Nate Weingarden Breck
F 12 Danny Mattson Holy Angels

St. Paul Eye Clinic Team Southeast
G 12 Mike Morgan Rosemount
G 12 Hakan Yumusaklar Lakeville South
D 12 Corey Fienhage Eastview
D 12 Charlie Raskob Holy Angels
D 12 Adam Royce Albert Lea
D 11 Zach Palmquist S. St. Paul
D 12 Derek Docken Northfield
D 11 Beau Burgau New Ulm
F 12 Rob Maloney Eastview
F 12 Ryan Bohrer Cretin-Derham
F 11 Charlie Thauwald Rochester Mayo
F 11 Tom Zimmerman Cretin-Derham Hall
F 12 JT Brown Rosemount
F 12 David Eddy Woodbury
F 10 Ryan Walters St. Thomas
F 12 Whitney Olsen Eagan
F 12 Matt Bergland Benilde
F 12 Nate Percy Rosemount
F 12 Dylan Porter Rosemount
F 11 Riley Horgan M. Westonka
F 12 Ryan Kesti Red Wing

Acceleration Minnesota Team Northwest
G 11 Brent Hollerud Blaine
G 11 Michael Webb Holy Angels
D 11 Nick Jensen Rogers
D 11 Patrick Borer Benilde
D 12 Nick Carson Blaine
D 12 Jeff Lesmeister Anoka
D 12 Grant Fahnhorst Wayzata
D 11 Cole Meyer Buffalo
F 12 Sean Randall Coon Rapids
F 12 Derek Loisel Coon Rapids
F 12 Cory Thorson Rob. Armstrong
F 12 Mike Schaber Blaine
F 12 John O’Neill Anoka
F 12 Ryan Johnson Blaine
F 11 Berkley Scott Anoka
F 12 Cory Belisle Anoka
F 12 Zach Johnson Mnd. Westonka
F 11 Josh Birkholz Blake
F 11 Cole Gunner Richfield
F 11 Tyler Lapic New Prague
F 12 Chris Cass Lakeville South

Team Northeast
G 12 Jack Hanna Centennial
G 12 Joe Phillippi Hill-Murray
D 12 Bo Dolan Hill-Murray
D 12 Dan Sova Hill-Murray
D 12 Thomas McCarthy Benilde
D 10 Joe Schmitz Centennial
D 12 Aaron Molstad Stillwater
D 12 Luke McManus Rosemount
F 12 Ryan Furne Hill-Murray
F 12 Adam Mueller Roseville
F 10 Anthony Villneauve W. Bear Lake
F 11 Dan DeLisle Totino-Grace
F 11 Tyler Zepeda Hill-Murray
F 11 Dan Cecka Hill-Murray
F 11 Tyler Pitlick Centennial
F 11 Willie Hess Centennial
F 11 Matt Johnson Stillwater
F 12 Nick Nagel Totino-Grace
F 12 Tyler Barnes Burnsville
F 12 Jake Hendrickson Burnsville
F 12 Jacob Kogler Forest Lake

Alternates
D 10 Garrett Orhn Greenway
D 10 Blake Thompson Eden Prairie
D 10 Jordan Johnson Hill-Murray
F 12 Ryan McElhone Elk River
F 11 Zac Frischmon Blaine
F 12 Adam Perisic Burnsville
F 11 Joe Rehkamp Breck
F 12 Tyler Groth Fargo South
F 12 Nick Schaefer G.F. Red River
F 12 Brett Mason Maple Grove

Shinbone_News wrote:It's like I keep saying. Plenty of kids peak at high school. Give them the kudos while they're at it, it might go up in smoke in the USHL or D3.

Same with selects programs. A big percentage of those kids -- bigger than you might think, anyway -- never even play college hockey by choice or otherwise.

Elite league is development (by definition, seems to me) for those kids who go on to higher, faster, bigger level of hockey, for others it may be exposure for the last time.

And I can't imagine that more hockey games, played with the alleged cream of the state crop, while getting to stay at home and go to high school is a less desirable path than, say, jumping to the USHL at age 17.

I'll disagree with you here.

First of all, these kids don't "peak" at HS, they just make the team because they're better than other kids at their school. They might have peaked at PeeWees. They were never destined to play beyond HS or they chose not to play in the NAHL or some other league. Heck, they may not even want to play college hockey.

Second, Elite may be about alot of things but development is not one of them. Exposure and extra games YES but not developing as players, unless you consider playing games development.

And obviously, what's "desirable" to one kid might not have the same appeal to another. Playing in the USHL with the cream of the national crop is very appealing to some athletes, even though you "can't imagine" it.

Yet at least one player played there last year, had some success and still returned to high school.

The league is much more about exposure than development you are spot on there.

auld_skool wrote: Second, Elite may be about alot of things but development is not one of them. Exposure and extra games YES but not developing as players, unless you consider playing games development.

And obviously, what's "desirable" to one kid might not have the same appeal to another. Playing in the USHL with the cream of the national crop is very appealing to some athletes, even though you "can't imagine" it.

Agreed it's not REAL development, but all the kids talk about how "fast" Elite League games are, and having gone through something like that myself in the paleolithic age, having your eyes opened like that is a form of development too. At the very least, you get a taste for what "the next level" might look like, and realize just how much work you have left to do.

Minnesota Pride prevents me from going too deeply into why a kid might prefer the state cream to the national cream. Everyone knows the MSHSL state hockey tournament is the be-all and end-all of amateur American sports (bigger than football in Texas, bigger than basketball in Indiana), and the envy of every non-Minnesotan hockey player in the US.

Shinbone_News wrote:
Agreed it's not REAL development, but all the kids talk about how "fast" Elite League games are, and having gone through something like that myself in the paleolithic age, having your eyes opened like that is a form of development too. At the very least, you get a taste for what "the next level" might look like, and realize just how much work you have left to do.

Minnesota Pride prevents me from going too deeply into why a kid might prefer the state cream to the national cream. Everyone knows the MSHSL state hockey tournament is the be-all and end-all of amateur American sports (bigger than football in Texas, bigger than basketball in Indiana), and the envy of every non-Minnesotan hockey player in the US.

We agree then after all. I think the kids that play a game or two in the USHL during HS seek that "next level" experience for real. An "eye-opener" to say the least. Faster, bigger, and tougher than Elite.

And yes, for the small percentage of MN players lucky enough to participate the State Tournament must be an incredible experience, long remembered.