Junior Fest.

[Betty 99]

Any news on when Junior Fest. names will be posted?

[SEhockeyDAD]

I believe it should be in the next week, or so. I'd think participants will be notified, but the rosters might be posted on the MGHCA website. http://www.mghca.com/index.htm

[MNHockeyFan]

The way it worked out this year is a bit strange, IMO, with just 3 high school teams, plus SSM. Not a very inclusive approach compared to the Senior Fest, which featured 8 high school teams, one from each section.

[allhoc11]

The way it worked out this year is a bit strange, IMO, with just 3 high school teams, plus SSM. Not a very inclusive approach compared to the Senior Fest, which featured 8 high school teams, one from each section.

Mnhockey, I think you are confused. Jr Fest doesn't include SSM, it's just MN HS seniors to be.

[joehockey]

The way it worked out this year is a bit strange, IMO, with just 3 high school teams, plus SSM. Not a very inclusive approach compared to the Senior Fest, which featured 8 high school teams, one from each section.

I think you are talking about the Upper Midwest League in October. http://www.girlselitehockey.com

.....A new HS Hockey League is being launched in conjunction with the HS Coaches. NikeBauer is the sponsor and the WhiteCaps team is involved. It will start slow but mirrors the very successful Boys Elite I & II Leagues and is intended to be HS fall sport supportive. Letters just went out - to 30 pre-selected players and a tryout out will be held in August for other 30. It looks like a great concept if the top 60 plays are in the league. Love the idea of some of Minnesota's top Women Players Brodt, Darwitz and Potter coaching and helping current players - a lot of knowledge transfer should go on!

[allhoc11]

.....A new HS Hockey League is being launched in conjunction with the HS Coaches

I have heard about this, but to my knowledge the MGHCA doesn't sponsor this event, it's a private venture.

[MNHockeyFan]

I think you are talking about the Upper Midwest League in October. http://www.girlselitehockey.com

Yes I guess I confused the two in my post above. So has anyone heard anything recently about Junior Fest?

[joehockey]

.....A new HS Hockey League is being launched in conjunction with the HS Coaches

I have heard about this, but to my knowledge the MGHCA doesn't sponsor this event, it's a private venture.

You are correct it is like the Boys Elite Leagues but like those leagues HS coaches recieved info and gave input and I think head of MGHA was very involved along with other coaches in supporting and developing. The goal was to create and grow the leauge similar to the Boys League. Two of the directors who are listed on the invite letter are actually HS coaches so there is involvement and I understand they have worked closely with High School League and Minnesota Hockey to create a good competitive experience that does not jepordize elgibility. The HS coaches over site of the Phase Tryouts appears to have been used heavy evalute players. So it is private venture like boys but the coaches have had a lot of input if that makes sense.

[chickendance]

Kind of quiet here now that the letters are going out.

[SEhockeyDAD]

There are some Junior Fest items on the MGHCA website, and by looking at the schedule, it appears that there are 6 teams. Is there a Wisconsin team? A Shattuck team?

[MNHockeyFan]

There are some Junior Fest items on the MGHCA website, and by looking at the schedule, it appears that there are 6 teams. Is there a Wisconsin team? A Shattuck team?

From the paperwork there are 6 teams, each identified by a color only. You would assume that it's just Minnesota high school (junior) girls only, since it's sponsored by the MGHCA, but it doesn't say this one way or the other.

The girls find out which team they are on when they go to registration on June 10th, which is a practice day. It also says that girls will NOT be placed on the same team as any of their high school teammates. The cost for one practice and 5 games is $225.

[chickendance]

They were told only four teams of juniors and two outside teams.

[MNHockeyFan]

They were told only four teams of juniors and two outside teams.

Could this have changed? The written material says they will assign players at time of registration, and the teams will be Team Red, Black, Blue, Green, Yellow and White. Unless the members of two of the colors are already decided because they are outside teams?

[chickendance]

well of course it could change...

[SEhockeyDAD]

I'm a little disappointed in this year's Juniorfest format. As I understand it, its a format designed to present top 11th grade players to college scouts. Has this always been the reason for MGHCA to hold this event? I guess I'd prefer that scouting were a secondary concern. There's already NDP phase 3 for scouts to watch, so why have an event which includes pretty much the same players?

This may be a strong statement, but if the Juniorfest format is changed to benefit the college scouts, maybe the colleges should foot a good part of the bill. Otherwise, make it an event geared toward players and include a couple more teams. I'm very sure that next best 30 players won't radically diminish the quality of play, but it would benefit those players and their teams next season. I guess its a question that MGHCA has to ask themselves; Is scouting the reason to hold an event like Juniorfest?

In contrast, the Senior Classic pulls in more girls on 8 teams. Its a great honor for those very good players that year in and year out, don't get a chance to play phase 3 or AAA hockey.

The top 60 players will always get numerous chances to play in elite-type tournaments. There's not a lot of fall-off in the ability of players 60-90, but the chances to play with and against top competition really falls off. Might it serve girls hockey better for MGHCA to give more opportunities to more good players, rather than one more opportunity to the same players that scouts already know about?

[Marty McSorely]

SEDad,

I think it depends on the scouts there. If most are D1 then the process is fine, if they are D3 scouts then the top 100 would be nice.

Maybe with the Elite League starting up the top outstate girls will get more exposure.

[MNHockeyFan]

Also whether there will be 6 teams made up of all MN high school juniors, or as rumored only 4 teams + 2 outside teams - this makes a difference in terms of how many get to experience the event (roughly 102 vs. just 68).

[keepitreal]

SEDad,

I think it depends on the scouts there. If most are D1 then the process is fine, if they are D3 scouts then the top 100 would be nice.

Maybe with the Elite League starting up the top outstate girls will get more exposure.

The HS Elite league will be even more selective than Junior Fest.

[chickendance]

The Elite league is the same list as NDP, thats where their auto-invites come from.

[MNHockeyFan]

There is a blurb on the Junior Festival including a link to the schedule posted on the MGHCA site:

http://www.mghca.com/

[keepitreal]

According to the coaches site, last year's festival "drew 48 college coaches from 34 different schools. Of those coaches, 24 of them were Division I coaches representing 20 different Division I programs".

As for the question of whether two outside teams are involved, the site does state that every player on the ice will be eligible for recruiting (i.e. just completed their junior year), so unless the two outside teams are comprised entirely of juniors, that statement would be in error. I can't imagine what two outside teams would meet this criteria, or why the association would feel it necessary to incorporate outside teams when the stated goal is to showcase their own (Minnesota HS juniors) to the college coaches.

[hockeyrube7]

From everything that I have seen and heard is that the Junior Fest is the biggest recruitment time there is. Can anyone speak to that? Are rosters posted anywhere?

[MNHockeyFan]

From everything that I have seen and heard is that the Junior Fest is the biggest recruitment time there is. Can anyone speak to that? Are rosters posted anywhere?

According to the invite packet, "You will not know what team you are on until registration" which will be on June 10th at 11:45 am. So it is doubtful that rosters will be posted anywhere before then.

[Puck Bag]

Reading this thread is very complicated!

My daughter did Junior Fest last year. This is how it "did" work - and I'm sure they are not changing it up too much.

You get invited and if you accept you show up on the first day - pretty early in the AM if I recall and you find out what team you are on. They hand out the jersey's ect. They then have a player meeting - parents are welcome and they describe the entire recruiting process - DI vs DIII ect. It was a great presentation and well worth sticking around for as a parent.

Each team then has a practice - which depending on the team can mean a very long wait with only the two rinks at Fogerty and then the round robin tournament begins.

In the packet is an information sheet. You send this back ASAP and the coaches put together a three ring binder that is handed out to all the college coaches that attend. You'll see them all carring this around and taking notes.

Some of the schools I saw there last year were, SCSU, NDU, UM, UMD, Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth, OSU, Sacred Heart and a slew of others and too many DIII schools to even keep track of.

Overall it's a lot of fun and well worth it. Last year the teams were pretty even (I thought) and even though the "Black" team seemed loaded - they took it on the chin a few times.

If I remember correctly it was about four years ago that they did have a team made up of kids from the dakota's but after a one year experiment that was dropped. If it has not changed back - these teams will be 100% Minnesota High School Juniors - to be Seniors for the 08-09 season.

[MNHockeyFan]

Reading this thread is very complicated!

My daughter did Junior Fest last year. This is how it "did" work - and I'm sure they are not changing it up too much.

You get invited and if you accept you show up on the first day - pretty early in the AM if I recall and you find out what team you are on. They hand out the jersey's ect. They then have a player meeting - parents are welcome and they describe the entire recruiting process - DI vs DIII ect. It was a great presentation and well worth sticking around for as a parent.

Each team then has a practice - which depending on the team can mean a very long wait with only the two rinks at Fogerty and then the round robin tournament begins.

In the packet is an information sheet. You send this back ASAP and the coaches put together a three ring binder that is handed out to all the college coaches that attend. You'll see them all carring this around and taking notes.

Some of the schools I saw there last year were, SCSU, NDU, UM, UMD, Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth, OSU, Sacred Heart and a slew of others and too many DIII schools to even keep track of.

Overall it's a lot of fun and well worth it. Last year the teams were pretty even (I thought) and even though the "Black" team seemed loaded - they took it on the chin a few times.

If I remember correctly it was about four years ago that they did have a team made up of kids from the dakota's but after a one year experiment that was dropped. If it has not changed back - these teams will be 100% Minnesota High School Juniors - to be Seniors for the 08-09 season.

puckbag, it doesn't look like much has changed from the way you described last year's, except this year it is at Richfield (also ice two sheets) and the arrival time for registration (11:45 am) is not early. The practices that afternoon start at 1:30, with the last ones finishing at 6:00 pm, then the games get started the next morning at 8:00 am. Again it does not say anything about out of state teams so presumably it's all MN high school kids.