HighSchoolHockeyForums.com

This has been my first time attending the Class A tournament. While I think it doesn't quite stack up to AA in several ways (something for another topic), it has been entirely worth it just to watch Bruce Plante's press conferences.

Some of the highlights--the quotes are approximate, but most of the key words are right:

"Matt Messinger is a maniac genius type. It's kinda weird to have a smart kid as a goalie. Goalies are usually dumb sh*ts. We like to tell him, 'you're the only guy who can screw this up.'"

After the win today, when asked how his heart was doing: "Pretty good, I guess. I'm still alive."

"Staying in the hotel with all these chicks hanging around is scary, you know? The Crowne Plaza is out of control, man. I wish I could've been 16 myself."

On Thomas's goal in the 3rd, which went off a defenseman's skate: "Goal-scorers just throw anything up there and it just goes in. Some guys can't throw it in the ocean."

"The first thing I did after the goal was look up at the clock to see how much time is left. I gotta get out of here."

"We're the public school champions right now...it's not a level playing field. Even if we could pick from all of northern Minnesota, we'd only have about 100,000 people. How big is the Cities, 8 billion? They can get them from anywhere. We've had a few kids move in to Hermantown, but they're all *from* Hermantown. [Turns to his 3 players also at the press conference] Matt Messinger was born here, Jared Kolquist was born here, and Jared Thomas moved here in third grade, when he was still in diapers. Matt had never been out of Hermantown before until we brought him down here."

"We always used to schedule Benilde when they were Class A, and we never beat them. But one year they lost something like 14 seniors, and we brought a lot of kids back, and I thought, this year we're gonna get em. *pause* Sh*t. *pause* We dropped them after a while because we were getting our brains beat out for nothing."

"For a small school, Class A is the greatest thing in the world. 9 out of 10 people tomorrow are going to be cheering for Hermantown, because even though we're undefeated, we're still the underdog."

"The parents have left me alone for a long time and it's great. I tell them, if you want to get rid of me, just start b****ing at me and I'll be gone."

Entertainment value aside, in watching Plante give these press conferences, I get the sense I'm watching a master at work. He just has something most of these other coaches don't. It's not hard to see why all the players buy in to his coaching, why no one complains, and even how his style rubs off on his players. He's been one of the highlights of the weekend for me; it's a pity I'll probably miss his press conference tomorrow since I'll be at Mariucci.

Funny stuff. One of my favorite coaches.

Lee

east hockey wrote:Funny stuff. One of my favorite coaches.

Lee

Old school and teaches the game the right way, hes what every coach should strive to be.

Great coach. What he gets out of an enrollment of ~600 is outstanding. Hope they get it done tomorrow.

Gets a lot out of his teams, great coach.

Too bad he isn't for going to "AA" with the big boys..BUT thats a whole other topic.

he was just as funny 20+ years ago when I had him as a teacher

Great coach. Love watching his interviews. Bred a pretty damn good hockey player too

Wish I could've seen those.

Go, Bruce, go!

Those are some great quotes. Yet another reason to cheer for the REAL small class A guys against the Cadets.

Everyone is starting to see why everyone in Hermantown loves this coach. The players will walk on water for him. Hopefully he stays for many more years. Worth the price of admission.

rainier wrote:Great coach. What he gets out of an enrollment of ~600 is outstanding. Hope they get it done tomorrow.

More to it than that ... see how strong there youth program is? Wish our association knew there secret

silentbutdeadly3139 wrote:

rainier wrote:Great coach. What he gets out of an enrollment of ~600 is outstanding. Hope they get it done tomorrow.

More to it than that ... see how strong there youth program is? Wish our association knew there secret

Not just the association. Plante has put these kids in position to win. Kids have played defense their whole life and he moves them to play forward and visa versa. There has been at least 4 different bantam A coaches over the last 6-7they years. Again, the pipeline is healthy but he has a way to get even more out of these young men.

Sad truth......they are huge underdogs to St Thomas. Metro All Star Teams competing at the A level?????

Go Hawks !!!!!!

karl(east) wrote:This has been my first time attending the Class A tournament. While I think it doesn't quite stack up to AA in several ways (something for another topic), it has been entirely worth it just to watch Bruce Plante's press conferences.

Some of the highlights--the quotes are approximate, but most of the key words are right:

"Matt Messinger is a maniac genius type. It's kinda weird to have a smart kid as a goalie. Goalies are usually dumb sh*ts. We like to tell him, 'you're the only guy who can screw this up.'"

After the win today, when asked how his heart was doing: "Pretty good, I guess. I'm still alive."

"Staying in the hotel with all these chicks hanging around is scary, you know? The Crowne Plaza is out of control, man. I wish I could've been 16 myself."

On Thomas's goal in the 3rd, which went off a defenseman's skate: "Goal-scorers just throw anything up there and it just goes in. Some guys can't throw it in the ocean."

"The first thing I did after the goal was look up at the clock to see how much time is left. I gotta get out of here."

"We're the public school champions right now...it's not a level playing field. Even if we could pick from all of northern Minnesota, we'd only have about 100,000 people. How big is the Cities, 8 billion? They can get them from anywhere. We've had a few kids move in to Hermantown, but they're all *from* Hermantown. [Turns to his 3 players also at the press conference] Matt Messinger was born here, Jared Kolquist was born here, and Jared Thomas moved here in third grade, when he was still in diapers. Matt had never been out of Hermantown before until we brought him down here."

"We always used to schedule Benilde when they were Class A, and we never beat them. But one year they lost something like 14 seniors, and we brought a lot of kids back, and I thought, this year we're gonna get em. *pause* Sh*t. *pause* We dropped them after a while because we were getting our brains beat out for nothing."

"For a small school, Class A is the greatest thing in the world. 9 out of 10 people tomorrow are going to be cheering for Hermantown, because even though we're undefeated, we're still the underdog."

"The parents have left me alone for a long time and it's great. I tell them, if you want to get rid of me, just start b****ing at me and I'll be gone."

Entertainment value aside, in watching Plante give these press conferences, I get the sense I'm watching a master at work. He just has something most of these other coaches don't. It's not hard to see why all the players buy in to his coaching, why no one complains, and even how his style rubs off on his players. He's been one of the highlights of the weekend for me; it's a pity I'll probably miss his press conference tomorrow since I'll be at Mariucci.

That's some funny stuff right there...

He reminds me of Jerry Burns on skates......

karl(east) wrote:Some of the highlights--the quotes are approximate, but most of the key words are right:

"For a small school, Class A is the greatest thing in the world. 9 out of 10 people tomorrow are going to be cheering for Hermantown, because even though we're undefeated, we're still the underdog."

Are they not the No. 1 seed?

MNHockeyFan wrote:

karl(east) wrote:Some of the highlights--the quotes are approximate, but most of the key words are right:

"For a small school, Class A is the greatest thing in the world. 9 out of 10 people tomorrow are going to be cheering for Hermantown, because even though we're undefeated, we're still the underdog."

Are they not the No. 1 seed?

Hermantown isn't underdogs. STA is. A little reverse psychology there.

where can i watch all the post game press conferences?

And to think the hermantown pipeline is pretty loaded right now too...mr. plante and the hawks should be solid for sometime

Another couple quotes from Bruce out of todays Duluth News Tribune
He billed the TRF's game as the "Public school championship"
About playing St Thomas today...."They are the best team" We consider ourselves an underdog even though we are the No 1 ranked team. To win this game we have to play our best game of the year. Last year we played our best game and lost. Two years ago we played our best game against Breck and lost. We can't even beat them, so far when we play our best game. Isn't that something? 30-0 and we're the underdog.

Not only is Plante an awesome coach with a post-teaching stand-up career, but he's a genuinely good guy. Catch him outside of Hermantown High on the tennis courts or practice field and he will stop what he's doing and just BS about the weather, or the condition of the courts or anything else that pops into his brain. Those kinds of guys get along with everyone and he has no false pretenses. He deserves this.

Here is the video for those that want to watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6qpYCJg ... re=related

Very entertaining stuff Plante, keep it comin and get that W today!

Hahaha he sure doesn't sugar coat the 2nd intermission interview.

Haha oh god what a character.

"Gotta keep playing your ass off..."

"Their faster than hell.."

After the second period in a quick interview.

The Universe wrote:Haha oh god what a character.

"Gotta keep playing your ass off..."

"Their faster than hell.."

After the second period in a quick interview.

LMAO. Saw that. God he's great.