7AA Pre Season Trash Talk Thread

[TheHockeyDJ]

Put up your dukes.

Rankings:
1. Grand Rapids - 2 time defending champs, return a lot of experience
2. Duluth East - With Mike Randolph at the helm they're always dangerous
3. Cloquet - Jokenin is a solid goal scoring threat, he'll need help though
4. Anoka - New team with some good young talent
5. Elk River - They're bench is always loud during the game
6. Forest Lake - Will be a long season for the Rangers

[boblee]

Today's Rankings:

1. Grand Rapids
2. Cloquet
3. Anoka
4. Duluth East
5. Elk River
6. FLake

It could change every day this season. I think the top 5 in this section will be closer than any other year.

[Can't Never Tried]

Put up your dukes.

Rankings:
1. Grand Rapids - 2 time defending champs, return a lot of experience
2. Duluth East - With Mike Randolph at the helm they're always dangerous
3. Cloquet - Jokenin is a solid goal scoring threat, he'll need help though
4. Anoka - New team with some good young talent
5. Elk River - They're bench is always loud during the game
6. Forest Lake - Will be a long season for the Rangers

Anoka
Cloquet
Rapids
East
ER
FLake

[Neutron 14]

Anoka
East (never hurts to suck up to Admin)
Cloquet
Rapids
Flake
ER

[EREmpireStrikesBack]

It could change every day this season. I think the top 5 in this section will be closer than any other year.

1. Duluth East
2. Grand Rapids
3. Elk River
4. Cloquet
5. Anoka
6. Forrest Lake

[elliott70]

1. Anoka
2. Duluth East
3. Cloquet
4. Elk River
5. Grand Rapids
6. Forrest Lake

State Tourney team = Duluth East

[5 Hole]

Unless Donny Lucia lets P-White play for the T-Hawks on Tuesdays and Thursday, then there is ABSOLUTELY NO way GR will finish number one... Sorry rapidsrapids

DE
Anoka
CEC
GR
Elk

[hockey59]

Put up your dukes.

Rankings:
1. Grand Rapids - 2 time defending champs, return a lot of experience
2. Duluth East - With Mike Randolph at the helm they're always dangerous
3. Cloquet - Jokenin is a solid goal scoring threat, he'll need help though
4. Anoka - New team with some good young talent
5. Elk River - They're bench is always loud during the game
6. Forest Lake - Will be a long season for the Rangers

1. Anoka - a senior dominated team
2. Duluth East
3. Cloquet
4. Grand Rapids
5. ER

[northwoods oldtimer]

1. Duluth East
2. Cloquet
3. Anoka
4. Grand Rapids
5. Elk River
6. FLake

rabidrabid, where are you getting your information from regarding Grand Rapids? A lot of experience graduated last year. Your comment is one year off the mark. They deserve the preseason number 1 but she might be tough sledding to keep the one spot this year. I think 2-4 could be a slug fest with Rapids getting Underwood it will help this club. However we will all know more once we see some games. Miss the "Barnyard" in the 'suction'! Will miss the colorful bantor from the Shady Bunch. Those boys are the reason I keep reading this fine forum!

[TheHockeyDJ]

Guys like Roy, Sparren, and Kosak (captains) have played at state 2 years in a row. They'll be able to pass things they learned on to the younger guys. Also Palkki, Rendle and others coming back from last season. Ofcourse goaltending is the #1 question for Rapids this year.

Also, let's clarify, are we ranking for now or what we think they'll be at the end of the year? I'm about now

5 hole, is Duluth East returning Ben Leis and Keegan Flagherty? Is CEC returning Johnson and Ellingson? Is Elk River returning Martell? EVERYONE at the top lost their key players. Yes, Rapids losing White and Stejskal is huge. But those other players previously mentioned were just as important to those teams.

Last year 7AA reached a crescendo in terms of talent. There will be a drop off this year all across the board. The games will be just as fun, but we'll be missing the electric plays of Johsnon, Martell, and White this year.
Also, I'll add everyone thought Duluth East wouldn't be as good when Locker and Spehar graduated and they've been a power for a long time since. Especially those immediate years after. Don't doubt a team that has a coach that came from the school of Herbie.

[hockey59]

[quote=" EVERYONE at the top lost their key players.

Except Anoka...they graduated 4 seniors who were key contributors...but return they're top 3 scorers from the past two seasons (O'Neill, Belisle & Scott) who have combined for 241 career points entering this season while playing in the NWSC...and 3 of the they're top 4 D and a veteran goalie.

[quickgym guy]

[quote=" EVERYONE at the top lost their key players.

Except Anoka...they graduated 4 seniors who were key contributors...but return they're top 3 scorers from the past two seasons (O'Neill, Belisle & Scott) who have combined for 241 career points entering this season while playing in the NWSC...and 3 of the they're top 4 D and a veteran goalie.

Yeah but, Anoka was just an average team last year...

[east hockey]

[quote=" EVERYONE at the top lost their key players.

Except Anoka...they graduated 4 seniors who were key contributors...but return they're top 3 scorers from the past two seasons (O'Neill, Belisle & Scott) who have combined for 241 career points entering this season while playing in the NWSC...and 3 of the they're top 4 D and a veteran goalie.

Yeah but, Anoka was just an average team last year...

17-10-1 against the 32nd best schedule in the state? I'd call that above average. With few losses to graduation, they get my pre-season nod for #1 in 7AA. Ugh, that hurts to read what I just typed. Almost as much as if I'd picked Cloquet.

Lee

[ColdasIce]

Unless Donny Lucia lets P-White play for the T-Hawks on Tuesdays and Thursday, then there is ABSOLUTELY NO way GR will finish number one... Sorry rapidsrapids

sorry boblee too...bob, get real, grand rapids???? JUstin Jokinen can't do it alone, I watched him for 10 weeks in the elite league, struggles, East is loaded, watch out for their D men It will be a battle between, East, ANoka, and Elk RIver... boblee you really need to look at the whole picture and quit always putting your team Number 1 even tho they won it the last two years, no Chance without White

DE
Anoka
CEC
GR
Elk

[boblee]

Unless Donny Lucia lets P-White play for the T-Hawks on Tuesdays and Thursday, then there is ABSOLUTELY NO way GR will finish number one... Sorry rapidsrapids

sorry boblee too...bob, get real, grand rapids???? JUstin Jokinen can't do it alone, I watched him for 10 weeks in the elite league, struggles, East is loaded, watch out for their D men It will be a battle between, East, ANoka, and Elk RIver... boblee you really need to look at the whole picture and quit always putting your team Number 1 even tho they won it the last two years, no Chance without White

DE
Anoka
CEC
GR
Elk

I am putting them there for the PRESEASON. Because that is where the two time defending champs begin. I never once said they would stay there. I never even said they would win a game...

[TheHockeyDJ]

Exactly, Grand Rapids is #1 until beaten. Speculation can't defeat the FACT that GR is two time champs. Man that sounds good.

[Neutron 14]

Exactly, Grand Rapids is #1 until beaten. Speculation can't defeat the FACT that GR is two time champs. Man that sounds good.

So your pre-season rankings is basically the post-season from last year?

I would of thought pre-season rankings were an insight to how they will do this year... Guess I'll never be an ironhead.

[EREmpireStrikesBack]

Easy there GR fans (never seen you so fired up bobber)! He asked for preseason rankings... of course people are going to have different opinions and of course people are going to have opinions about other people's opinions. Almost sounds like he struck a nerve and this might be a sore season for the Thunderchickies.

[Neutron 14]

Easy there GR fans (never seen you so fired up bobber)! He asked for preseason rankings... of course people are going to have different opinions and of course people are going to have opinions about other people's opinions. Almost sounds like he struck a nerve and this might be a sore season for the Thunderchickies.

It'll be a long way down from that high horse...

[east hockey]

Easy there GR fans (never seen you so fired up bobber)! He asked for preseason rankings... of course people are going to have different opinions and of course people are going to have opinions about other people's opinions. Almost sounds like he struck a nerve and this might be a sore season for the Thunderchickies.

It'll be a long way down from that high horse...

The horse wasn't that high up to start with.

Lee

[Neutron 14]

The horse wasn't that high up to start with.

Lee

Not as high as their noses I'll agree, but up there nonetheless!

[TheHockeyDJ]

You guys have very poor perception. Very embarrassing. The fact that GR deserves to be at the top right now is no indication I believe they'll be there all season. I just don't believe they should be written off as some 7-18 team that will be playing on the road in the quarters, just the same I feel about Cloquet and Duluth East. Just because CEC lost Tyler Johnson and Reid Ellingson is no reason to think they'll be bad this year.

The reasoning from some in this thread is CEC and East will be the same with their losses, however you guys measure Rapids differently saying their loss of White will put them in the basement.

[TheHockeyDJ]

One thing I'm curious about with regards to Anoka is the fans. When the semi-finals are at the DECC, Rapids, CEC, and East have about 1500-2000 fans there. Anoka, if you reach the semi's, how many fans can we expect to drive 2 hours? Are you guys diehards?

[Neutron 14]

You guys have very poor perception. Very embarrassing. The fact that GR deserves to be at the top right now is no indication I believe they'll be there all season.

1. Roseau
2. Edina
3. Hill Murray
4. Holy Angels
5. Centennial
6. Moorhead
7. Grand Rapids
8. Duluth East
9. Cloquet
10. Burnsville

Why are the rules different for Rapids than for Burnsville? Shouldn't Burnsville be ranked above Holy Angels since they beat them last year? Are they less deserving than Rapids? Blaine went to state last year, yet you have Centennial ranked above them. Dont they deserve a higher ranking too?

Your hypocrisy is whats embarrassing.

[boblee]

Here is my general rule of thumb when doing a PRESEASON RANKING:

The #1 team is the one that won last year. Plain and simple #1 until proven otherwise.

After that, it is a general assesment combining last season and the returning talent with what is expected this season.

Also, I do not preseason rank for the future. What I rank is what I believe in the here and now. It could change tomorrow, it could hold true all year.

So that is my logic.