For the first time Minny has teams other than Shattuck competing at the U19 and U16 Tier 1 level. Looks like 6 teams total with a total of 56 D1 commits on these teams. Curious how this is influx of teams is being received nationally. The teams were put together for the Nationals and the tournament is at the Super Rink in Blaine. Curious if they would have six teams if they had to travel out of state for the tournament?
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USA Hockey National Championships
- Thread starter Reggie44
- Start date
No, they are teams from the fall high school league that plays at Fogarty Arena in Blaine before the high school season.
Hockeydad4two
Registered User
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
Here's the web site for all of the National tournaments:
http://nationals.usahockey.com/2016
Here's the web site for all of the National tournaments:
http://nationals.usahockey.com/2016
giwan
Really??!!
Those before/after teams did travel to some early tournaments.
Minnesota Hockey did not give them tier 1 status.
I don't think the rest of the country is too happy since the Minnesota teams are running the table.
Not so fast...Chicago Mission u19 beat MN elite
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
Looks like both of you are right. The three Minnesota "before and after" high school teams were 8-0 before the 'Red' team lost to Chicago Mission 4-1. But as of now the 'Black' team and the 'White' team each remain undefeated.
http://nationals.usahockey.com/page/show/2153819-2016-girls-tier-i-19u
Looks like both of you are right. The three Minnesota "before and after" high school teams were 8-0 before the 'Red' team lost to Chicago Mission 4-1. But as of now the 'Black' team and the 'White' team each remain undefeated.
http://nationals.usahockey.com/page/show/2153819-2016-girls-tier-i-19u
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
Let's not get to excited, not because of who is winning and losing, but because USA Hockey Nationals are a complete rip-off for the kids and the parents.
Spend thousands of dollars to fly, drive, stay, eat, etc for 6 or 7 days. To do what? Proclaim a national champion of travel teams? Meaningless.
Who benefits? The host city, USA Hockey and the paid travel coaches. It's a money grab at it's finest. Those who say that it's great for recruiting? Sure, but you have to be on a team that makes it. If you're a great player but your team isn't here, or you are an ineligible player... well, you are SOL as they say.
(now don't dare say that I've got sour grapes for not making it... my kids have "made it" for a dozen years, this year included).
The two thousand dollars per kid average that is spent here could be much better used - ask ANY hockey coach, but not the travel team coaches for whom this is their bread and butter. Plus, kids are missing school for up to a week! (stupid, stupid, stupid)
My fix? Well, if you want to keep Nationals, then fine, keep them. But play 2 shorter games a day. That way players are in and out of here in 3 or 4 days.
Let's not get to excited, not because of who is winning and losing, but because USA Hockey Nationals are a complete rip-off for the kids and the parents.
Spend thousands of dollars to fly, drive, stay, eat, etc for 6 or 7 days. To do what? Proclaim a national champion of travel teams? Meaningless.
Who benefits? The host city, USA Hockey and the paid travel coaches. It's a money grab at it's finest. Those who say that it's great for recruiting? Sure, but you have to be on a team that makes it. If you're a great player but your team isn't here, or you are an ineligible player... well, you are SOL as they say.
(now don't dare say that I've got sour grapes for not making it... my kids have "made it" for a dozen years, this year included).
The two thousand dollars per kid average that is spent here could be much better used - ask ANY hockey coach, but not the travel team coaches for whom this is their bread and butter. Plus, kids are missing school for up to a week! (stupid, stupid, stupid)
My fix? Well, if you want to keep Nationals, then fine, keep them. But play 2 shorter games a day. That way players are in and out of here in 3 or 4 days.
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
Ironic that NCAA hockey will mess up the quarterfinal tournament bracket just to save the cost of ONE FLIGHT while a dozen or more U19 teams plus the U16 teams will pay to fly to wherever the national tourney is being played. The difference, of course, is who's paying!
The Minnesota elite teams play in two tournaments before joining there high school teams.
The tournaments are ;
1. NAHA Labor Day tournament
2. USA Canada Cup in Detroit
These are both invite only tournaments which NCAA Scouts enjoy these events because it is the only time to evaluate the top Minnesota Players vs Ontario teams.
The USA national tournament is far from the top event during the season.
Agree 100% on the school comment.
I always thought an 8 team tournament with 3 games in 3 days for all teams. Run it like the MSHSL tourny, but with a 7th place game.
You play unlimited OTs on Day 1 and in the winners bracket. The consolation bracket and 3rd place games play a 5 min ot + shootout to decide the winner.
Thurs - Sat and you fly/drive/bus back on Sunday.
BTW - next year the HS tourny is the week before the youth tourny. For kids that double up, that's 2 straight weeks of missed school. Plus physically and emotionally tired kids.
Does USAH care about academics?
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Re: USA Hockey National Championships
Silly person, sports are important, school is just something you do between games and practice. It is much worse on the boys side where nothing matters short of an AHL contract.
Silly person, sports are important, school is just something you do between games and practice. It is much worse on the boys side where nothing matters short of an AHL contract.
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Re: USA Hockey National Championships
EXACTLY.
It's really difficult to find a solution. The only way I can think to make USA Hockey change is for teams not to go. But the teams have a lot vested in this and have no incentive to boycott. When a travel program goes to Nationals, it gives the team credibility, which attracts players, which is what the teams want.
Parents don't realize that this is a scam until they do it for a few years. By the time the light bulb goes off, it's too late... their kids have "graduated" from USA Hockey and a whole new pack of rookie parents are booking flights, hotels, burning vacation days and taking their kids out of school for a week.
EXACTLY.
It's really difficult to find a solution. The only way I can think to make USA Hockey change is for teams not to go. But the teams have a lot vested in this and have no incentive to boycott. When a travel program goes to Nationals, it gives the team credibility, which attracts players, which is what the teams want.
Parents don't realize that this is a scam until they do it for a few years. By the time the light bulb goes off, it's too late... their kids have "graduated" from USA Hockey and a whole new pack of rookie parents are booking flights, hotels, burning vacation days and taking their kids out of school for a week.
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
Some crazy, insane and ridiculous things about Nationals:
1. College coaches are only there for 2 to 3 of the 5 days.
2. Parents/players are required to stay in certain hotels. Not only do these hotels overcharge, but that means there are kick-backs to the home organization and USA Hockey.
3. Admission is charged. This year it's $40 per person!!!!! Yes, you've paid thousands and then you show up... $40 please!
4. Regional tournaments are 2 to 4 weeks prior to nationals. For those who are flying, most parents are paying last minute, top dollar fares.
5. Because it's a 5 day tournament, and you have NO idea how far your team is going to go in the tourney, you have to book flights to arrive Wed, leave Monday. Some leave on Tuesday because their team schedules a Wed practice at the site. Your kid can be "out" on Saturday morning, but you're stuck there unless you pay exorbitant change fees.
6. A few teams practice and play together all year. Other teams are thrown together and just play showcase games and the regional tournament. What does "winning" prove?
Will someone at USA Hockey please develop some ethics and make this about the kids? I see the USA Hockey people at these tournaments. I appreciate all the hard work the volunteers and low-paid staff do. But is this why you volunteer??? To rip-off parents and pull kids out of school? If you hadn't thought about how bad this is I give you a pass (they all know, but I'm being nice). But now that you are called out on it in a public forum, and you know it's insane and not right, stand up at the next meeting and say "this isn't right and we need to fix it now". If you don't... then you are part of the problem and congratulations that you get your USA Hockey jacket, free travel and food, and whatever else you get out of this. I know this is one of your only perks, but these perks are on the backs of kids and parents. Think about that on your free flight home.
Some crazy, insane and ridiculous things about Nationals:
1. College coaches are only there for 2 to 3 of the 5 days.
2. Parents/players are required to stay in certain hotels. Not only do these hotels overcharge, but that means there are kick-backs to the home organization and USA Hockey.
3. Admission is charged. This year it's $40 per person!!!!! Yes, you've paid thousands and then you show up... $40 please!
4. Regional tournaments are 2 to 4 weeks prior to nationals. For those who are flying, most parents are paying last minute, top dollar fares.
5. Because it's a 5 day tournament, and you have NO idea how far your team is going to go in the tourney, you have to book flights to arrive Wed, leave Monday. Some leave on Tuesday because their team schedules a Wed practice at the site. Your kid can be "out" on Saturday morning, but you're stuck there unless you pay exorbitant change fees.
6. A few teams practice and play together all year. Other teams are thrown together and just play showcase games and the regional tournament. What does "winning" prove?
Will someone at USA Hockey please develop some ethics and make this about the kids? I see the USA Hockey people at these tournaments. I appreciate all the hard work the volunteers and low-paid staff do. But is this why you volunteer??? To rip-off parents and pull kids out of school? If you hadn't thought about how bad this is I give you a pass (they all know, but I'm being nice). But now that you are called out on it in a public forum, and you know it's insane and not right, stand up at the next meeting and say "this isn't right and we need to fix it now". If you don't... then you are part of the problem and congratulations that you get your USA Hockey jacket, free travel and food, and whatever else you get out of this. I know this is one of your only perks, but these perks are on the backs of kids and parents. Think about that on your free flight home.
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
Back to original question, will the Minny HS school kids do this if they had travel. There are so many local opportunities available to them and most have them have played out East over the course of their minor careers. With 56 D1 commits on the 5 local teams not sure how many would travel while school is in session.
Back to original question, will the Minny HS school kids do this if they had travel. There are so many local opportunities available to them and most have them have played out East over the course of their minor careers. With 56 D1 commits on the 5 local teams not sure how many would travel while school is in session.
I don't have a problem with Nationaks as a concept. It's a goal that players strive for and to make it is special for a lot of them. I do agree that there a lot of issues with the way it's run. The travel/missed school day complaints sounds like someone from Minnesota who never goes more than a half hour away for good hockey. For many parts of the country, the travel is necessary and the normal course of business. My complaint is that this year the hosts did a poor job. Rather than making it the culmination of the season with appropriate hoopla and opening ceremonies etc like other national hosts have done, this was run like a low end tournament. The swag was terrible, service bad etc. The big event was The Taste of Minnesota which was advertised as a bunch of food trucks and craft beer gardens and was in fact 2 trucks- hot dog truck and a fried walleye truck. Plus some canned beer. If people are making the time and money commitment for Nationals, USA Hockey should make sure the hosts do it right.
Re: USA Hockey National Championships
Sorry, but I believe you are off base for most of the country, where..
1. The 19's and most of the 16's hated the opening ceremonies. The kids that participated were the 14's and the 12's (when they used to come).
2. Traveling for 7 days when school is in session is ridiculous.
3. Taste of Minnesota? You think that would have added something if they did it right? No way.
4. Swag. Really?
Do it right.
1. There needs to be at least a month between regionals and nationals. That way people can plan.
2. Hotels should be blocked so there's a discount for the parents, not a surcharge so the tournament can get their kickback.
3. Admission should not be charged.
4. Fund it by charging every team competing in a state and regional a "nationals' fee". In other words, if you are vying for nationals, you pay, whether you go or not.
5. A 3 day tournament. One hour games if you have to.
6. And most importantly... hold it at sites where it's easy for most of the families to get in and out of.
No one needs any "extra" stuff. Come for the hockey and if you want to stay extra days to do "extra" stuff, do it on your own.
Sorry, but I believe you are off base for most of the country, where..
1. The 19's and most of the 16's hated the opening ceremonies. The kids that participated were the 14's and the 12's (when they used to come).
2. Traveling for 7 days when school is in session is ridiculous.
3. Taste of Minnesota? You think that would have added something if they did it right? No way.
4. Swag. Really?
Do it right.
1. There needs to be at least a month between regionals and nationals. That way people can plan.
2. Hotels should be blocked so there's a discount for the parents, not a surcharge so the tournament can get their kickback.
3. Admission should not be charged.
4. Fund it by charging every team competing in a state and regional a "nationals' fee". In other words, if you are vying for nationals, you pay, whether you go or not.
5. A 3 day tournament. One hour games if you have to.
6. And most importantly... hold it at sites where it's easy for most of the families to get in and out of.
No one needs any "extra" stuff. Come for the hockey and if you want to stay extra days to do "extra" stuff, do it on your own.