top D1 recruiting classes for next season?

[john0128]

which teams have the best recruits for next season?

[brookyone]

Re: top D1 recruiting classes for next season?

which teams have the best recruits for next season?

Harvard appears to have a nice group.

[canadahockey26]

Re: top D1 recruiting classes for next season?

That's interesting, in Canada I think the consensus is the 90-92 birth years were the strongest, and the talent coming up is dwindling.

[stanleycup]

Re: top D1 recruiting classes for next season?

Completely agree, in Canada the group of 1996's that are are entering their senior High School years in September are not nearly as strong as the 1995's and 1994's. The players that were invited to Team Canada U18's conditioning camp in May are generally not impact players. It will be interesting to see if the USA dominates international competitions in 2013/2014, I suspect they might.

[brookyone]

Re: top D1 recruiting classes for next season?

I'm going to throw out North Dakota and Minnesota as classes with some good potential. Potential for fairly immediate big roles with the combo of graduation and the Olympic year factors. Though not specified in the commitment thread Wolfe for Minnesota, as well as Menke and Hirschy for North Dakota have some USA U18 credentials I believe. Not sure...I think Tapani is in this class too for No Dak? It'll be interesting to watch how these programs endure the loss to graduation of strong leaders and prime contributors to success as well as potential loss of services of other impact players to Olympic teams. Big opportunities for the freshmen.

[Blackbeard]

Re: top D1 recruiting classes for next season?

I'm going to throw out North Dakota and Minnesota as classes with some good potential. Potential for fairly immediate big roles with the combo of graduation and the Olympic year factors. Though not specified in the commitment thread Wolfe for Minnesota, as well as Menke and Hirschy for North Dakota have some USA U18 credentials I believe. Not sure...I think Tapani is in this class too for No Dak? It'll be interesting to watch how these programs endure the loss to graduation of strong leaders and prime contributors to success as well as potential loss of services of other impact players to Olympic teams. Big opportunities for the freshmen.

In response to your test poll, could the answer be the team that you left off the list?

There are 8 teams in the WCHA.

[ARM]

Re: top D1 recruiting classes for next season?

That's interesting, in Canada I think the consensus is the 90-92 birth years were the strongest, and the talent coming up is dwindling.

Completely agree, in Canada the group of 1996's that are are entering their senior High School years in September are not nearly as strong as the 1995's and 1994's.

Assuming that is true, are there any theories as to why? Are numbers down in terms of participation?

[joehockey]

Assuming that is true, are there any theories as to why? Are numbers down in terms of participation?

I wonder if there was an economy effect with 2008 markets in both the US and Canada?

[ARM]

Re: top D1 recruiting classes for next season?

In response to your test poll, could the answer be the team that you left off the list?

In recent years, it does seem that the Bulldogs perform best in years when little is expected of them. That should be true in 2013-14, because that had to be the least-talented UMD team I've ever seen. The incoming class looks good, but upgrades are definitely in order.

It is hard to compare classes in the East and West so I'll just look at WCHA classes. Wisconsin looks to have its best recruiting class in a while and none too soon, because that cupboard looked almost as bare as the one in Duluth, and now Decker is gone. North Dakota appears to have upgraded its blue line, which is important given they can't move MLam back there a month or two into the season anymore. Minnesota's class looks deep but nowhere near as talented as its last. The Gophers' pattern of late seems to be that the outstanding classes arrive in even years, and I think that Brandt/Leveille/McMillen/Menefee/Stecklein is a tough act to follow. OSU may have a solid class, but I don't know enough about the recruits to guess. My best guess for how it will shake out a few years down the road when evaluating the incoming WCHA classes will be 1) Wisconsin; 2) North Dakota; 3) Minnesota; 4) UMD; 5) Ohio State.

[OnMAA]

Re: top D1 recruiting classes for next season?

That's interesting, in Canada I think the consensus is the 90-92 birth years were the strongest, and the talent coming up is dwindling.

Assuming that is true, are there any theories as to why? Are numbers down in terms of participation?

I wonder if there was an economy effect with 2008 markets in both the US and Canada?

The phenomina in Canada has more to do with a dwindling supply pool at the grass roots levels. This is partly driven by lower birth rates in Canada in the late 90's and early 2000's. The Birth rates (per 1000 inhabitants) in Canada peaked in the late 80's and early 90's. That was the so called Boom-Echo. Then Birth Rates per 1000 steadily declined, hitting an all time post war (WW2) low around 2003-2005. Since then the rates have increased a bit. The birth rate decline was offset somewhat by higher and more relaxed immigration policies, but that segment of the population is typically into soccer rather than the more expensive hockey programs. Suspect that economic factors and the high cost to play the game at an elite level are also factors in declining enrollment numbers.

The school system has been trying to manage the lower birth rate issues for years in their planning cycles. Lower enrollment in elementary schools is creeping into high schools and a lot of teachers have trouble finding full time work. There is more supply than demand in that employment sector.

The affect of dwindling birth rates can be seen clearly in the OWHA (Ontario) registration numbers. There was a clear bubble in numbers for the 90-92 years followed by a flat line and then decline in the subsequent years. This is now starting to show up at the Midget age levels.

[stanleycup]

Re: top D1 recruiting classes for next season?

Wow, I am very impressed with the summary provided by OnMAA. It explains a lot of the changing dynamics. This will start to impact Canada's ability to compete with the US in International competitions. Would not be surprised in the US started to pull away at the U18 level, starting this year. It will also impact the number of Canadians filling NCAA D1 rosters. If there are two equal players in the US and Canada and I was running a NCAA program - I would lean towards the US player.

Another dynamic is that the OWHA is so poorly managed that many kids leave the sport at the Bantam / Midget age groups and focus on other pursuits.

[Blackbeard]

Re: top D1 recruiting classes for next season?

That was the so called Boom-Echo.

Boom, Bust & Echo was/is a fascinating book. Read it in the late '90's. A very eye opening read about part of the fabric of our existence that surrounds us daily to which few give any thought. After the read you look around yourself with different eyes with the reasons for many things that were previously a mystery now being "obvious" to you.

As I recall, the authors claimed that, as a percentage of the population, the baby boom generation in Canada was substantially larger than it was in the US.

(A related book was "The Pig in the Python").

http://www.footwork.com/book.asp

[frozenfeet]

Re: top D1 recruiting classes for next season?

The phenomina in Canada has more to do with a dwindling supply pool at the grass roots levels. This is partly driven by lower birth rates in Canada in the late 90's and early 2000's. The Birth rates (per 1000 inhabitants) in Canada peaked in the late 80's and early 90's. That was the so called Boom-Echo. Then Birth Rates per 1000 steadily declined, hitting an all time post war (WW2) low around 2003-2005. Since then the rates have increased a bit. The birth rate decline was offset somewhat by higher and more relaxed immigration policies, but that segment of the population is typically into soccer rather than the more expensive hockey programs. Suspect that economic factors and the high cost to play the game at an elite level are also factors in declining enrollment numbers.

The school system has been trying to manage the lower birth rate issues for years in their planning cycles. Lower enrollment in elementary schools is creeping into high schools and a lot of teachers have trouble finding full time work. There is more supply than demand in that employment sector.

The affect of dwindling birth rates can be seen clearly in the OWHA (Ontario) registration numbers. There was a clear bubble in numbers for the 90-92 years followed by a flat line and then decline in the subsequent years. This is now starting to show up at the Midget age levels.

Sorry I have no census data to back up my claim however it has been my opinion that the US or more specifically Minnesota’s pinnacle period was the years 91-93 so somewhat in line with Canada. Women’s hockey is still in its infancy and you are going to have periods of growth, followed by an adjustment…kind of like of wave. Not that these last two years don’t have quality players I just don’t see the quantity of those blue-chip type players…I could be wrong and time will tell…now back on subject.

I think you have to give North Dakota a little more consideration. This is shaping up to be a really nice class. You have two top 10 (maybe top 5) scorers in Menke and Tapanni, arguably Canada’s top prospect in Kryzaniak (blue line) and a top 5 goalie prospect in Shaw. Throw in another US U18 defenseman and a couple of all-time Minnesota top point producers.

[ARM]

Re: top D1 recruiting classes for next season?

I think you have to give North Dakota a little more consideration. This is shaping up to be a really nice class. You have two top 10 (maybe top 5) scorers in Menke and Tapanni...

This is just a question to understand your context. Are you saying that those two will likely wind up in the top 5 or 10 nationally for all rookies next season?

[frozenfeet]

Re: top D1 recruiting classes for next season?

This is just a question to understand your context. Are you saying that those two will likely wind up in the top 5 or 10 nationally for all rookies next season?

No I wouldn’t be so bold as to imply that… a better noun would have been forward…this only speculation based on credentials to this point compared with other players in the class. North Dakota has made incredible strides these past years and for once in their history they have depth. Playing time for rookies will be much more difficult than in the past. I like Cameranesi for Minnesota better, but her chances of cracking the lineup is probably more difficult given their talent level.