Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

[ne7minder]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

Typical MN hockey parent (I've met a lot of them!). But in reality, they are largely correct - the scouts all go to MN and they can be seen there so they don't have to go to Nationals for that. That being said, the scouts all go to the New England prep school and club tournaments and they send teams to Nationals. There is something to be said for the thrill of winning a national championship and the level of play is generally very high (higher than MN HS hockey, but the MN Elite league is comparable or Nationals).

There is another reason not to go if you are from MN. Typically they play for a high school team and while some of those teams are very good (Edina had 7 D-I recruits last year & 9 this year) they are not eliet from top to bottom. To compete they would really have to throw together an all-star team who would then be playing against similar talent playing with the team that they have played with all year (and maybe more than just a year).

 

[MAHOCKEY FAN]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

There is another reason not to go if you are from MN. Typically they play for a high school team and while some of those teams are very good (Edina had 7 D-I recruits last year & 9 this year) they are not eliet from top to bottom. To compete they would really have to throw together an all-star team who would then be playing against similar talent playing with the team that they have played with all year (and maybe more than just a year).

isn't that what the Minnesota Elite Red, Black and White teams are? Elite teams?

 

[D2D]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

isn't that what the Minnesota Elite Red, Black and White teams are? Elite teams?

What's in a name? I would say a more accurate description would be "temporary all star teams, mostly from the Twin Cities".

 

[shelfit]

What's in a name? I would say a more accurate description would be "temporary all star teams, mostly from the Twin Cities".

Try fitting that on the front of a jersey!

 

[used2lurk]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

I would say say that these "temporary all star teams" are only formal in design as they have rosters that are generally fixed unless they are short players in the MN elite league. Then they occasionally have players play with other teams if they are short. These teams are "coached" only in the sense that they have a coach on the bench. No practices, no systems, no PP or PK. Just get out there and play. They do have positions but a lot of the time they might need an extra F and a D will play or vice versa.

In 2016 the National Tourney was here so there was a more formal roster system with teams having to log players total games played before the HS season and after as there is some formal # of games needed to be played.

https://nationals.usahockey.com/page/show/2153799-2016-girls-tier-i

There were 2 U16 and 3 U19 teams that entered the tourney. Elite Sky played SSM in the final for U16 (lost 2-1) and Elite Black played SSM (lost 2-1 OT). All 3 teams from MN were in the same side of bracket at U19 and White lost to Red in quarters who lost to Black in semis.

 

[WH Fan]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

Looking at myhockeyrankings.com I see that the top four teams are Shattuck, Boston Jr. Eagles, Belle Tire and East Coast Wizards. I assume they are the top seeds in pool play and have to be the favorites to win it all. I wish I were savvy enough to create a poll to see who the group feels will be eventual champion, but I'm not. So, I'll just put it out there for reply. Who's going to win the title? One of these four teams, or will a dark-horse get hot and take it all?

Nobody should bet against SSM winning this for a 3rd year in a row, but the top 5 teams (SSM, BT, ECW, Mission and BJE) are capable/strong enough to go all the way. After the top 5, there isn't a dark horse that can get through 3 playoff games now that quarterfinals are back in the tournament.

 

[MAHOCKEY FAN]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

so back to my point...why was the National tournament in Minnesota if they had never travelled anywhere to play and only played then because it was convenient. Once again, i don't care what Minnesota does, my question is why would USA hockey put Nationals in Minnesota without them ever playing in Nationals?

 

[D2D]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

so back to my point...why was the National tournament in Minnesota if they had never travelled anywhere to play and only played then because it was convenient. Once again, i don't care what Minnesota does, my question is why would USA hockey put Nationals in Minnesota without them ever playing in Nationals?

Are you mixing up the high school vs. the Tier I and Tier II nationals? They are separate tournaments broken down here:

https://nationals.usahockey.com/2018

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

Are you mixing up the high school vs. the Tier I and Tier II nationals? They are separate tournaments broken down here:

https://nationals.usahockey.com/2018

I think the poster is referring to 2016 which is mentioned by used2lurk in post #25.

 

[ARM]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

so back to my point...why was the National tournament in Minnesota if they had never travelled anywhere to play and only played then because it was convenient. Once again, i don't care what Minnesota does, my question is why would USA hockey put Nationals in Minnesota without them ever playing in Nationals?

Shattuck has always participated in the national tournament, even if many of the high school players weren't interested, so it isn't like Minnesota as a whole ignores it in other seasons.

Many large tournaments in both hockey and soccer wind up at the National Sports Center, just because they have a facility that was designed to handle such events.

 

[D2D]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

I think the poster is referring to 2016 which is mentioned by used2lurk in post #25.

I think you are right! My mind right now is on my taxes...in the middle of TurboTax which is only slightly more confusing than this hockey board!

 

[ne7minder]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

so back to my point...why was the National tournament in Minnesota if they had never travelled anywhere to play and only played then because it was convenient. Once again, i don't care what Minnesota does, my question is why would USA hockey put Nationals in Minnesota without them ever playing in Nationals?

Bigger crowds?

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

I think you are right! My mind right now is on my taxes...in the middle of TurboTax which is only slightly more confusing than this hockey board!

I can relate to that...Turbo Tax is on my list of things to do this weekend.

 

[MaizeRage]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

so back to my point...why was the National tournament in Minnesota if they had never travelled anywhere to play and only played then because it was convenient. Once again, i don't care what Minnesota does, my question is why would USA hockey put Nationals in Minnesota without them ever playing in Nationals?

That was the first year Minnesota Hockey sponsored Tier 1 hockey, so they didn't have teams that could play in nationals prior to that.

 

[HockeyEast33]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

That was the first year Minnesota Hockey sponsored Tier 1 hockey, so they didn't have teams that could play in nationals prior to that.

Not true - as has been mentioned numerous times, Shattuck has been MN Hockey's representative to the Nationals at the U16 and U19 level for many years. They had few if any other Tier 1 teams (to your point) and seem to have reverted to that now that the 1 year they hosted has gone by. So the question is still valid - why award the nationals to MN when they don't encourage/sponsor participation? Only two possible answers I can think of:

- USA Hockey incorrectly thought this would change MN thinking on participating annually beyond SSM - fat chance of that given the oft stated thinking by MN folks on this forum around the Nationals' lack of value and the inherent superiority of MN girls hockey in general.
- This was the only facility that bid on the girls nationals that year. You have to bid to win and not a lot of facilities bid in general for girls nationals - the requirements are draconian because there is a money grab aspect to this for USA Hockey, few facilities meet the rink/hotelling requirements nationally, and the boys tournaments are way more attractive because they are better attended and the players are higher visibility.

 

[MaizeRage]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

Not true - as has been mentioned numerous times, Shattuck has been MN Hockey's representative to the Nationals at the U16 and U19 level for many years. They had few if any other Tier 1 teams (to your point) and seem to have reverted to that now that the 1 year they hosted has gone by.

Shattuck-St. Mary's has always been given a special exception, but otherwise, there was no Tier 1 hockey in Minnesota until it was approved in the fall of 2015.

 

[EPIC97]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

The reason MN hosted in 2016 was the Minnesota Women's Hockey League applied and was granted the host. The Nationals also include Adult divisions in A, B, C levels. The MN women are usually represented every year at Nationals wherever they are held. When the adult women hosted MN hockey then asked the the Elite league to do what was necessary to qualify to play. Lock in rosters, track games, player attendance and results and follow deadlines for participation in the nationals. Usually the Fall Elite league does not do this. To qualify they also needed to keep the teams together in the spring. The players enjoyed the experience, but remember 5 teams that would normally have played and count on getting to nationals to keep their programs viable did not get to go in 2016.

 

[HockeyEast33]

Re: Up next, 19U Tier 1 Nationals

When the adult women hosted MN hockey then asked the the Elite league to do what was necessary to qualify to play. Lock in rosters, track games, player attendance and results and follow deadlines for participation in the nationals. Usually the Fall Elite league does not do this. To qualify they also needed to keep the teams together in the spring. The players enjoyed the experience, but remember 5 teams that would normally have played and count on getting to nationals to keep their programs viable did not get to go in 2016.

Confirmed my thinking that they bid and won - forgot about the adult division! USA Hockey asking the Elite to qualify is a bit ridiculous - sacrificed 5 programs participation that need the competition and exposure to include a bunch of MN girls who didn't even want to be there. Not very focused on increasing participation and growing the sport....