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I realize in the hockey world you cannot always believe what you hear. In recent weeks I've heard different people talking about (official) AAA hockey making its way to Minnesota.

What are the pros and cons of a move like this for the State of Minnesota?
What would happen to association hockey?

The simple answer is that only rich kids would play AAA. Some associations would suffer but most would benefit from the rich snobs leaving.

Marty McSorely wrote:The simple answer is that only rich kids would play AAA. Some associations would suffer but most would benefit from the rich snobs leaving.

The fact is if Mn Hockey allowed 5-6 teams in the state we could form our own league and it wouldn't cost much more than traveling teams are now paying, instead of traveling to Roseau or Grand Rapids for 3-4 tournaments you might travel to Chicago or Detriot since motel room cost would be similar the only differance would be a tank of gas more. Prove me wrong.

Judgeandjury wrote:I realize in the hockey world you cannot always believe what you hear. In recent weeks I've heard different people talking about (official) AAA hockey making its way to Minnesota.

What are the pros and cons of a move like this for the State of Minnesota?
What would happen to association hockey?

I can't think of a single con. In the long run I think it would be a good thing for association hockey, a little competition for a monopoly is not bad.

I have heard that MM will indeed be hosting a Tier 1 team next fall.
But for conversation please let me know where the other AAA teams may skate? Can they get that much ice from a public rink during association ice time?

Some of those smaller associations with rinks have contracts with neighboring communities that still have a demand for prime ice hours.

Marty McSorely wrote:The simple answer is that only rich kids would play AAA. Some associations would suffer but most would benefit from the rich snobs leaving.

Sounds like the only snob here is you and please don't talk about things you obviously have no clue about.

iwearmysunglassesatnight wrote:I have heard that MM will indeed be hosting a Tier 1 team next fall.
But for conversation please let me know where the other AAA teams may skate? Can they get that much ice from a public rink during association ice time?

Some of those smaller associations with rinks have contracts with neighboring communities that still have a demand for prime ice hours.

I am not sure how MN Made would accomplish this.

iwearmysunglassesatnight wrote:I have heard that MM will indeed be hosting a Tier 1 team next fall.
But for conversation please let me know where the other AAA teams may skate? Can they get that much ice from a public rink during association ice time?
Some of those smaller associations with rinks have contracts with neighboring communities that still have a demand for prime ice hours.

Not as difficult as you may think. The Fire teams manage to find plenty of practice ice in the Metro area. I have been a team manager for my son's teams and if I needed to find extra ice, it was only a few phone calls away.

muckandgrind wrote:

iwearmysunglassesatnight wrote:I have heard that MM will indeed be hosting a Tier 1 team next fall.
But for conversation please let me know where the other AAA teams may skate? Can they get that much ice from a public rink during association ice time?
Some of those smaller associations with rinks have contracts with neighboring communities that still have a demand for prime ice hours.

Not as difficult as you may think. The Fire teams manage to find plenty of practice ice in the Metro area. I have been a team manager for my son's teams and if I needed to find extra ice, it was only a few phone calls away.

The difficult part may be getting registered.

Over the long haul, while the AAA game is faster and the teams are deeper, the reality is that 90% of kids here don't need it.

AAA hockey would without a doubt explode in Minnesota if allowed

AAA hockey around the US has recently been inundated with a new season, the spring. More and more top end loaded all star teams are popping up all over the place and many kids actually consider the spring a better season. Same thing is happening here in Minnesota.
The hockey community would be better served keeping things as is and the handful of kids that can, will make A as first years and varsity as freshmen, and everyone else will play where they should, B.

you guys know that I advocate AAA hockey, while believing we don't need it, and believe Minnesota could easily field a league with 6-9 teams if allowed to flourish. I would think a team out of Minnesota Made (Machine)- one out of the superrinks (Easton)- one out of the eastside (Fire)- toss in Shattuck - Grand Forks may be on board, perhaps Duluth - invite in Thunder Bay, ONT - Madison WI- Green Bay - St Louis and suddenly you have a viable league that if structure with "supersite" weekends 2 x a month, travel becomes less of an issue and hosting tournaments and attracting teams in becomes more of a possibility.

Just a thought==happy holidays boys!

[quote="muckandgrind"][quote="iwearmysunglassesatnight"]I have heard that MM will indeed be hosting a Tier 1 team next fall.
[b]But for conversation please let me know where the other AAA teams may skate? Can they get that much ice from a public rink during association ice time?[/b]
Some of those smaller associations with rinks have contracts with neighboring communities that still have a demand for prime ice hours.[/quote]

Not as difficult as you may think. The Fire teams manage to find plenty of practice ice in the Metro area. I have been a team manager for my son's teams and if I needed to find extra ice, it was only a few phone calls away.[/quote]

Muck

You really didn't answer the question. In reality we are not talking about 1 hour to 2 hour of ice at either 4:00 pm or 9:30 pm on a weekday. If the twin cities was to field 4 tier 1 teams at a 97' level, where besides MM could they get the ice to practice?

If successful at one level, then four more teams added at four other years.. now 20 teams... where do they practice?

So then do we just get rid of HS Hockey and everyone goes and plays Midgets?

How would kids from Roseau, Warroad, East Grand Forks, Albert Lea, Little Falls, International Falls or Worthington play hockey?

How would a average kid from one of the 9 Edina Squirt teams play?


I think that this would be stupid as for we'd lose all of what makes Minnesota hockey great.

[quote="elliott70"][quote="muckandgrind"][quote="iwearmysunglassesatnight"]I have heard that MM will indeed be hosting a Tier 1 team next fall.
[b]But for conversation please let me know where the other AAA teams may skate? Can they get that much ice from a public rink during association ice time?[/b]
Some of those smaller associations with rinks have contracts with neighboring communities that still have a demand for prime ice hours.[/quote]

Not as difficult as you may think. The Fire teams manage to find plenty of practice ice in the Metro area. I have been a team manager for my son's teams and if I needed to find extra ice, it was only a few phone calls away.[/quote]

The difficult part may be getting registered.[/quote]

Couldn't they all register out of Wisconsin? How is the Fire getting around it? One each from Somerset, River Falls, Hudson, and Baldwin. Each with 15 skaters, 14 of them from Minnesota.

jancze5 wrote:
you guys know that I advocate AAA hockey, while believing we don't need it, and believe Minnesota could easily field a league with 6-9 teams if allowed to flourish. I would think a team out of Minnesota Made (Machine)- one out of the superrinks (Easton)- one out of the eastside (Fire)- toss in Shattuck - Grand Forks may be on board, perhaps Duluth - invite in Thunder Bay, ONT - Madison WI- Green Bay - St Louis and suddenly you have a viable league that if structure with "supersite" weekends 2 x a month, travel becomes less of an issue and hosting tournaments and attracting teams in becomes more of a possibility.

Just a thought==happy holidays boys!

Jancze, it sounds so clean the way you present it. I don't think that's how it would play out at all.

My guess is that instead of the "Detroit" model with just a handful of programs you would see a "Massachusetts" land grab with more than a dozen teams popping up at each age.

Just a hunch.

i read somewhere that areas that did NOT have AAA in their region generally produced more D1 college players than areas that had AAA. If I remember correctly it was a 2-1 ratio. I will try to find the article and post it ASAP.

I don't think it would flourish because we have the successful community model in place. Some states where there's a lot of AAA don't have the opportunities we have so they flock to club teams as their only option. Another factor will be that a spot on a community based team costs around $1000 where a spot on a AAA team can usually cost closer to $10,000. Our situation is so different. The Fire got their start primarily with small association players and malcontents who are often looking for a change. There won't be a mass exodus as most players are in a good situation right now.

iwearmysunglassesatnight wrote:

muckandgrind wrote:

iwearmysunglassesatnight wrote:I have heard that MM will indeed be hosting a Tier 1 team next fall.
But for conversation please let me know where the other AAA teams may skate? Can they get that much ice from a public rink during association ice time?
Some of those smaller associations with rinks have contracts with neighboring communities that still have a demand for prime ice hours.

Not as difficult as you may think. The Fire teams manage to find plenty of practice ice in the Metro area. I have been a team manager for my son's teams and if I needed to find extra ice, it was only a few phone calls away.

Muck

You really didn't answer the question. In reality we are not talking about 1 hour to 2 hour of ice at either 4:00 pm or 9:30 pm on a weekday. If the twin cities was to field 4 tier 1 teams at a 97' level, where besides MM could they get the ice to practice?

If successful at one level, then four more teams added at four other years.. now 20 teams... where do they practice?

Easy answer.....Augsburgh, Parade, Super Rink, Northeast (Edison), VMIA, New Hope, Mariucci, Ridder, etc. There is PLENTY of ice available around town. As a matter of fact, I believe I heard that New Hope may close soon because the city doesn't want to deal with the cost of maintaining it. IMO, that sounds like a great opportunity if a new Tier I club is interested in owning their own rink.

I don't think it would flourish because we have the successful community model in place. Some states where there's a lot of AAA don't have the opportunities we have so they flock to club teams as their only option. Another factor will be that a spot on a community based team costs around $1000 where a spot on a AAA team can usually cost closer to $10,000. Our situation is so different. The Fire got their start primarily with small association players and malcontents who are often looking for a change. Their won't be a mass exodus as most players are in a good situation right now.

How do you define a "mass exodus"? Sure, not everyone will leave community hockey because there wouldn't either be enough roster spots available on the AAA teams, nor would most of the players be good enough to make a Tier I team.

But I think Tier I would be a big success and I also don't believe that it would make a huge impact on community-based hockey. How much has the USHL or NAHL impacted HS hockey? Not a whole lot, either.

Bring on AAA to Minnesota. Why is Mn-Hockey afraid to start this program? If they are afraid of development, the players who leave to play AAA are giving an opportunity to other players to play in the spot that is left vacated for them leaving. To me that sounds like more development. If Mn-Hockey approves this, then Minnesota Hockey would have a chance to win the USA Hockey National title. Which they haven't sent a team in how many years? Quit giving SSM a free ride to nationals.

I understand that AAA hockey may not be for everyone, but give the upper end kids an opportunity to compete with the best across the nation.

But then Jancze can't wear his shattuck jacket to Nationals he likes it with no competition for his boy's team why do you think he has now changed his tune to leave Tier1 aaa out of Mn.

Bringing AAA hockey to minnesota would ruin high school hockey and playing for your community not a AAA club. It is more fun to play with your buds instead oof kids you met. I would ratrher win the State High school tournament then win midget nationals.

I like the idea of AAA hockey but I don't see how it would work for outstate kids.

Lets look at the Big 9 schools for the 95 or 96 year, between all of them could they come up with 12 to 15 kids that were truely AAA quality? How would they practice? a mere 70 miles between destinations.

I like the idea but outside of the metro I don't see it working very well.

Marty McSorely wrote:I like the idea of AAA hockey but I don't see how it would work for outstate kids.

Lets look at the Big 9 schools for the 95 or 96 year, between all of them could they come up with 12 to 15 kids that were truely AAA quality? How would they practice? a mere 70 miles between destinations.

I like the idea but outside of the metro I don't see it working very well.

So I guess we should never do it because it doesn't work for 5% of the population, now I can see how we elect a nut ball like You know who as senator.

cyclones02
PostPosted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 1:21 pm Post subject:
Bringing AAA hockey to minnesota would ruin high school hockey and playing for your community not a AAA club. It is more fun to play with your buds instead oof kids you met. I would ratrher win the State High school tournament then win midget nationals.


You can still win the State High School Championship and it doesn't have to be at the Midget level. If a player was cut from their high school team or doesn't want to play for them for what ever reason this gives them another option.

What about the other levels that would be involved? Minor & Major Squirts, Minor & Major Pee Wees, Minor & Major Bantams, U16's and U18's. It's all about other options, NOT just community hockey.

The competition outside the state of MN is better than you think. Give the kids another option. Isn't that what all this is about?? The Kids!!

The Fire orginazation has been allowed to register with WAHA because the person in charge of Registration for WAHA had a big dislike for Minnesota especially after the last birth year change and chose to register the Fire teams. This person has since passed away. The problems with the rosters last year probably brought some of the problems to higher ups in the Central District which could mean closer scrutiny of the rosters.

For a Tier I team to register in Minn. they have to get an affiliate agreement with Mn Hockey, this agreement has to be approved by the Mn Hockey Board of Directors. If a Tier I orginazation would receive an affiliate agreement with Mn Hockey then the Private Schools that previously had one and new ones would also request and receive one. This would mean that when the agreement is signed by both sides and approved by the board then all Mn Hockey rules and policies apply including the waiver policy which the Minn. players currently on the fire roster would now have to have a signed waiver not only by the Association President but also the District Director to be able to play for any team outside of their association including any private or Tier I team.

[quote="greybeard58"]The Fire orginazation has been allowed to register with WAHA because the person in charge of Registration for WAHA had a big dislike for Minnesota especially after the last birth year change and chose to register the Fire teams. This person has since passed away. The problems with the rosters last year probably brought some of the problems to higher ups in the Central District which could mean closer scrutiny of the rosters.

For a Tier I team to register in Minn. they have to get an affiliate agreement with Mn Hockey, this agreement has to be approved by the Mn Hockey Board of Directors. If a Tier I orginazation would receive an affiliate agreement with Mn Hockey then the Private Schools that previously had one and new ones would also request and receive one. This would mean that when the agreement is signed by both sides and approved by the board then all Mn Hockey rules and policies apply including the waiver policy which the Minn. players currently on the fire roster would now have to have a signed waiver not only by the Association President but also the District Director to be able to play for any team outside of their association including any private or Tier I team.[/quote]

This sounds ALOT Like the way the old cowboys used to brand it's Livestock. I don't know if the cowboys still do this but maybe we could
just install ear tags for all of the mites at each association. They could be
color coded for each association and once you have been tagged you
have to stay with that association regardless of where you Live.