Best USA hockey States

Terrier

Registered User
Sep 30, 2003
10,437
6,198
Newton, MA
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Minnesota wins, and don't call us Minny.

Big school state tournament starts today. Brings people from all over the state together.

HIGH SCHOOL hockey does this:
2015_Boys_AA_Championship_game_at_the_Xcel_Energy_Center.jpg


Edina won again, though the Hornets had to go to OT.


Here's a cool video from the Canton-Norwood game last week.

Hockey crowd belts out emotional rendition of national anthem
 

kducks

Duck Off
Sep 19, 2007
32,381
980
OC
No doubt, but AAA hockey has diminishing returns. It is expensive. It costs over 3-5 times as much to play hockey in California compared to say Minnesota (including the difference in travel costs). Less and less kids who aren’t already playing will be able to commit the $3,500-$7,000 plus travel expenses to play. That growth rate in California will slow.

The one thing California does have going for it is population size. But I doubt California ever produces as many players as Minnesota, Michigan, Mass, etc... i just don’t see community-based hockey ever getting to the level it is in those states.

The Ducks high school hockey league is already seeing players being drafted.

The Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League produces its first NHL draft pick: 18-year-old Slava Demin

We have so many high school teams, the Ducks had to build a new practice facility to keep up with the ice time needed. The league keeps growing more every year, not slowing. The Kings started their own high school league a few years ago to keep up with the demand too. Kids being able to get credit in school for playing hockey, like they would for other sports is huge. Community involvement is bigger than ever with the Ducks putting multiple street hockey rinks in local schools. Hockey equipment expenses are being offset by the teams programs too.

BTW - the Ducks help fund the high school leagues costs, so that helps

High School Hockey - Youth Hockey - Anaheim ICE
 
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adsfan

#164303
May 31, 2008
12,621
3,665
Milwaukee
Probably New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, maybe Washington state due to proximity to British Columbia, maybe District of Columbia, but I feel DC probably isn't in general considered a Hockey State.

All of those states and not one of them is Wisconsin! SMH.
 

Breakers

Make Mirrored Visors Legal Again
Aug 5, 2014
21,373
19,714
Denver Colorado
Minnesota
Playing in the State High school championship is HUGE.
Why do you think Mittelstadt left the USHL to go back.

They always do well with NCAA recruitment, and have been number 1 with players on division 1 rosters.
 

adsfan

#164303
May 31, 2008
12,621
3,665
Milwaukee
Wisconsin somewhat oddly isn't a very good hockey state.

You somewhat oddly don't seem to know the UW men's hockey team has six national titles, ranking fourth best in college hockey history.

The UW woman's hockey team has 4 NCAA titles, making a total of TEN for the Big10 school. Both teams have a lot of homegrown players.

The Milwaukee Admirals won the AHL Calder Cup in 2004, sweeping the WBS Penguins. That is a league that had 28 teams at the time.

Wisconsin has no NHL team, but has a few players who came from here. Perhaps you recognize Joe Pavelski, Phil Kessel, Ryan Suter, Gary Suter, Drew Stafford, Craig Smith and Alex Galchenyuk, to name a few.
 

ref19

Registered User
Oct 3, 2017
1,810
703
You somewhat oddly don't seem to know the UW men's hockey team has six national titles, ranking fourth best in college hockey history.

The UW woman's hockey team has 4 NCAA titles, making a total of TEN for the Big10 school. Both teams have a lot of homegrown players.

The Milwaukee Admirals won the AHL Calder Cup in 2004, sweeping the WBS Penguins. That is a league that had 28 teams at the time.

Wisconsin has no NHL team, but has a few players who came from here. Perhaps you recognize Joe Pavelski, Phil Kessel, Ryan Suter, Gary Suter, Drew Stafford, Craig Smith and Alex Galchenyuk, to name a few.
I was purely speaking in regards to youth/hs age hockey.
 

AdmiralsFan24

Registered User
Mar 22, 2011
14,979
3,896
Wisconsin
I was purely speaking in regards to youth/hs age hockey.

You're still wrong. Most registered players age 18 and under.

Minnesota - 48,920
Massachusetts - 43,674
New York - 36,340
Michigan - 25,707
Illinois - 23,346
Pennsylvania - 22,511
Wisconsin -15,440
California - 14,886
New Jersey - 14,295
Connecticut - 11,244

I don't think 7th out of 50 qualifies as "not very good."
 

ref19

Registered User
Oct 3, 2017
1,810
703
You're still wrong. Most registered players age 18 and under.

Minnesota - 48,920
Massachusetts - 43,674
New York - 36,340
Michigan - 25,707
Illinois - 23,346
Pennsylvania - 22,511
Wisconsin -15,440
California - 14,886
New Jersey - 14,295
Connecticut - 11,244

I don't think 7th out of 50 qualifies as "not very good."
Correct it's just my opinion. And 7th is about right in where it would be in my rankings. Considering where it is geographically it's still less than 1/3 of Minnesota. In fairness though the majority of the population is on the eastern edge of Wisco next to Illinois.
 

adsfan

#164303
May 31, 2008
12,621
3,665
Milwaukee
I was purely speaking in regards to youth/hs age hockey.

I know that Joe Pavelski played high school hockey in Wisconsin and won the state title, scoring the game winning goal and assisting on the insurance goal. He was on the U of Wisconsin's 2006 NCAA title team averaging over a point per game.

I believe that his younger brother Scott also won a state title scoring 4 goals in the final before going on to U of New Hampshire to play on their hockey team. I am sure that there are other good former Wisconsin HS players not named Pavelski.
 

adsfan

#164303
May 31, 2008
12,621
3,665
Milwaukee
You're still wrong. Most registered players age 18 and under.

Minnesota - 48,920
Massachusetts - 43,674
New York - 36,340
Michigan - 25,707
Illinois - 23,346
Pennsylvania - 22,511
Wisconsin -15,440
California - 14,886
New Jersey - 14,295
Connecticut - 11,244

I don't think 7th out of 50 qualifies as "not very good."

I am kind of surprised that Wisconsin has more registered hockey players than California. A state with 7 times the population of Wisconsin.
 

beakerboy

Registered User
Sep 23, 2009
364
362
Wisconsin
I moved to the Fox Valley about 4 years ago and I don't really think of Wisconsin as a big hockey culture state. Sure, the people that do play or care about it are pretty passionate, but it is a fairly niche sport. Everyone around here is all about football or baseball.

I guess I think of it as not a hockey culture state when people think it is noticeable or out of the ordinary that someone plays hockey. Or you specifically have to ask for the playoffs to be put on TV if you go to a sportsbar.
 
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AdmiralsFan24

Registered User
Mar 22, 2011
14,979
3,896
Wisconsin
I moved to the Fox Valley about 4 years ago and I don't really think of Wisconsin as a big hockey culture state. Sure, the people that do play or care about it are pretty passionate, but it is a fairly niche sport. Everyone around here is all about football or baseball.

Welcome to 95% of the United States.

I guess I think of it as not a hockey culture state when people think it is noticeable or out of the ordinary that someone plays hockey. Or you specifically have to ask for the playoffs to be put on TV if you go to a sportsbar.

Who thinks it's noticeable or out of the ordinary? You? Also, welcome to 95% of the United States.
 

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