Drewcifer
Registered User
This article is from the Minneapolis Star Tribune so it is a bit rah-rah but interesting none the less:
http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/15653432.html
The state is an NHL fast track
The gifted hockey talent flowing freely from Minnesota has been reaching the highest levels more quickly, thanks to a number of options that speed their development.
By KENT YOUNGBLOOD, Star Tribune
Last update: February 15, 2008 - 2:17 PM
The notion that Minnesota is the state of hockey is nothing new. Heck, it's been trademarked. The state has been producing NHL players pretty much as long as the league has been around.
But the past few years the number of highly drafted, highly anticipated, high-impact players has been on the rise.
"For 20 years you had a bunch of OK players," said Tom Thompson, assistant general manager for the Minnesota Wild. "It wasn't like there weren't players coming through. But there weren't many top-end guys for quite a while. Now there are guys every year."
To wit:
• Twenty Minnesotans were taken in the first two rounds of the past three NHL entry drafts. Among them: Peter Mueller, center for the Phoenix Coyotes, and Erik Johnson, defenseman for the St. Louis Blues.
• Four of the 16 players in the Young Stars game at the NHL All-Star weekend were from Minnesota.
• Six Minnesotans were on the 22-man USA Hockey team that went to the world junior championships last month in the Czech Republic.
"I think it's a unique environment right now," Wild President and General Manager Doug Risebrough said. "Much like the '60s, '70s, right now I think Minnesota's producing as many or more players than anywhere in the world. And it's not just the number, it's the quality -- Erik Johnson, [Kyle] Okposo -- these guys are top picks."
Thompson, who oversees the Wild's amateur scouting, has been watching this state for decades. He was with Calgary when the Flames chose Bemidji's George Pelawa in the first round of the 1986 draft. So he has seen the ebbs and flows of hockey talent. What does he think of today's skill level?
"Elite level talent in this state is being developed more," Thompson said.
Developed, and noticed. Of the 38 Minnesotans who have played for an NHL team this season, 27 are 27 years old or younger, and 16 were drafted in the first three rounds of the NHL draft.
Young stars? Johnson and Mueller were among six Minnesotans who were taken in the first two rounds of the 2006 draft. Johnson went first overall. Kyle Okposo -- who left the University of Minnesota in December and who appears on the verge of being called up by the New York Islanders -- went seventh. Mueller went eighth.
"Minnesota has been on the upswing the last few years," said Jim Johannson, a Rochester native and the senior director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. "[Minnesota is] separating itself a bit from other places. And I think what has been really impressive is the physical ability of these guys. There are some real horses in the bunch. Some big guys who have the athleticism. I'm saying they're physically built better. They're training better, and they're men at a younger age"
Deep roots to youth hockey
Minnesota has always had a deep and strong youth hockey system. This is the one constant in the equation, Johannson said. "You have to credit the structure of youth hockey," he said. "By and large in Minnesota, it's, 'I want to make the Bloomington team,' or 'I want to make the Edina team.' Every kid wants to play for his team."
According to Mark Jorgensen, executive director of Minnesota Hockey, 34,726 boys were registered in youth hockey in Minnesota this year. That is slightly more than runner-up Massachusetts (34,642).
But it's the structure, not just the size, that matters. In most states youth hockey is club-based, set up to cull lower-level players at a young age. Minnesota's is community-based, with A and B leagues, and is more inclusive.
"It gives kids time to develop," Jorgensen said. "That's our secret. A kid can play B hockey for years, develop his skills, then jump up."
One example of that is Anaheim Ducks winger Brandon Bochenski, who played B-level youth hockey for years until he developed into a top-level talent. In another state, he might have been lost along the way, Jorgensen said.
And high school hockey is still played at a level unmatched around the country. Phil Housley went from South St. Paul High School to the NHL in the early 1980s and played for 21 seasons. Housley, who now coaches at Stillwater High School, said high school hockey is as competitive as it's ever been.
"I think the state high school tournament, over the last four years, is getting back to where it used to be," Housley said. "The competition is great."
Risebrough does a great deal of scouting and lately has spent a lot of time in Minnesota. He has watched enough to think there are at least two more high-end draft picks coming in Minnetonka's Jake Gardiner and Roseau's Aaron Ness. But those two aren't alone.
''There is a high level of competition," he said of the Minnesota high school scene. ''So, consequently, people are finding good coaches. The enthusiasm is back. ... I went to three games, and they were all really good crowds."
Other avenues for elite players
But why are so many elite players emerging now?
"There are so many options for good young players to play more, to develop more, I guess just to get on the ice more against high-quality opponents," said Phoenix defenseman Keith Ballard, a Baudette native who was the 11th pick in the 2002 draft.
Want to play 365 days a year? Take your pick.
There is Jason Berg's FHIT (Flex Hockey Institute of Training) in Mendota Heights. His company is four years old, and it specializes in both on- and off-ice training. Berg, who is also the Minnesota scout for the United States Hockey League, is well aware of all the options a player has. One of his company's goals is to advise each player according to what's best for him, Berg said. For example, he advised Ryan McDonagh to stay in high school so he could play baseball. Gardiner stayed at Minnetonka so he could compete for the golf team.
Bernie McBain's 15-year-old Minnesota Made program in Edina is another training option. Many of the high-end NHL draftees have worked through his summer program.
McBain has a picture that was taken seven years ago on a frozen pond in his back yard. All the boys in the picture are 12 years old, and all had spent countless hours every summer in his program. In the picture are Johnson, Okposo and Mueller. All three were first-round picks in 2006.
On the ice that winter day long ago were six players who were drafted by the NHL and eight who got Division I scholarships. But it was the warm-weather months when those players honed their skills.
"During the summer, when you get into independent hockey, there are really no rules," McBain said. "No board saying you can't practice or only play this many games."
Johnson said he honed his skills during those sessions in McBain's program. "The first time we all got together we were 9," he said. "Nobody worked harder than we did. In the summers, three hours a day, five days a week."
More options abound
Twenty years ago, a player had few choices once he reached high school age. He could play for his local school or leave and play juniors. Those options are still there. But there are other options, too:
• The fall Elite League, an invitation-only league that starts with a training camp on Labor Day and includes 24 games played over eight weekends.
The advantage is that top-level players can get two months of exposure against other top players and still have the option of playing for their high school team in the winter. It also offers college and pro scouts an opportunity to see the best the state has to offer under one roof.
"Scouts get to see, for eight weekends straight, a kid play against other top-level kids," said Chris McAlpine, an NHL agent and former NHL player who coaches one of the Elite teams each fall.
• Another option is the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, which was created in 1996 and is based in Ann Arbor, Mich. Since its inception, nine Minnesotans have gone through that program and ended up as first-round NHL picks, including Johnson, Mueller and Ballard. Currently there are four Minnesotans on the NTDP's under-18 team, including Jordan Schroeder and Danny Kristo, two of Berg's clients.
Ryan Rezmierski is the program's director of player personnel. A staff of scouts scours the country in search of talent, and 46 players get an invitation to a tryout camp each year in March. Those who make the team -- and choose to move away from home -- are treated to an intense program. Each year the team plays most of its games against older players -- including college opponents.
"We push them," Rezmierski said. "We play them against older players, accelerate their development, then they come down and play against players their own age in international tournaments."
Final choices, NHL future
Scott Monaghan is the director of operations for the Ann Arbor program. He looks out over an amateur hockey landscape that looks a lot different than it used to.
"Things have changed so much in the past 20 years," he said. "There are so many options for kids. A kid can do what he wants to do developmentally."
There are many paths to choose for a player. He can go through high school, choose juniors or, given the opportunity, move to Michigan. But, more often, those roads are leading to the NHL for some of Minnesota's top young hockey players.
"It used to be you'd go to college, and you'd get the training you needed there, then you'd become a top-tier NHL prospect," Johnson said. "Now those guys are already prospects, and they [go to college] to hone their skills and mature. Colleges do a great job. But guys are getting better a lot earlier."
http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/15653432.html
The state is an NHL fast track
The gifted hockey talent flowing freely from Minnesota has been reaching the highest levels more quickly, thanks to a number of options that speed their development.
By KENT YOUNGBLOOD, Star Tribune
Last update: February 15, 2008 - 2:17 PM
The notion that Minnesota is the state of hockey is nothing new. Heck, it's been trademarked. The state has been producing NHL players pretty much as long as the league has been around.
But the past few years the number of highly drafted, highly anticipated, high-impact players has been on the rise.
"For 20 years you had a bunch of OK players," said Tom Thompson, assistant general manager for the Minnesota Wild. "It wasn't like there weren't players coming through. But there weren't many top-end guys for quite a while. Now there are guys every year."
To wit:
• Twenty Minnesotans were taken in the first two rounds of the past three NHL entry drafts. Among them: Peter Mueller, center for the Phoenix Coyotes, and Erik Johnson, defenseman for the St. Louis Blues.
• Four of the 16 players in the Young Stars game at the NHL All-Star weekend were from Minnesota.
• Six Minnesotans were on the 22-man USA Hockey team that went to the world junior championships last month in the Czech Republic.
"I think it's a unique environment right now," Wild President and General Manager Doug Risebrough said. "Much like the '60s, '70s, right now I think Minnesota's producing as many or more players than anywhere in the world. And it's not just the number, it's the quality -- Erik Johnson, [Kyle] Okposo -- these guys are top picks."
Thompson, who oversees the Wild's amateur scouting, has been watching this state for decades. He was with Calgary when the Flames chose Bemidji's George Pelawa in the first round of the 1986 draft. So he has seen the ebbs and flows of hockey talent. What does he think of today's skill level?
"Elite level talent in this state is being developed more," Thompson said.
Developed, and noticed. Of the 38 Minnesotans who have played for an NHL team this season, 27 are 27 years old or younger, and 16 were drafted in the first three rounds of the NHL draft.
Young stars? Johnson and Mueller were among six Minnesotans who were taken in the first two rounds of the 2006 draft. Johnson went first overall. Kyle Okposo -- who left the University of Minnesota in December and who appears on the verge of being called up by the New York Islanders -- went seventh. Mueller went eighth.
"Minnesota has been on the upswing the last few years," said Jim Johannson, a Rochester native and the senior director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. "[Minnesota is] separating itself a bit from other places. And I think what has been really impressive is the physical ability of these guys. There are some real horses in the bunch. Some big guys who have the athleticism. I'm saying they're physically built better. They're training better, and they're men at a younger age"
Deep roots to youth hockey
Minnesota has always had a deep and strong youth hockey system. This is the one constant in the equation, Johannson said. "You have to credit the structure of youth hockey," he said. "By and large in Minnesota, it's, 'I want to make the Bloomington team,' or 'I want to make the Edina team.' Every kid wants to play for his team."
According to Mark Jorgensen, executive director of Minnesota Hockey, 34,726 boys were registered in youth hockey in Minnesota this year. That is slightly more than runner-up Massachusetts (34,642).
But it's the structure, not just the size, that matters. In most states youth hockey is club-based, set up to cull lower-level players at a young age. Minnesota's is community-based, with A and B leagues, and is more inclusive.
"It gives kids time to develop," Jorgensen said. "That's our secret. A kid can play B hockey for years, develop his skills, then jump up."
One example of that is Anaheim Ducks winger Brandon Bochenski, who played B-level youth hockey for years until he developed into a top-level talent. In another state, he might have been lost along the way, Jorgensen said.
And high school hockey is still played at a level unmatched around the country. Phil Housley went from South St. Paul High School to the NHL in the early 1980s and played for 21 seasons. Housley, who now coaches at Stillwater High School, said high school hockey is as competitive as it's ever been.
"I think the state high school tournament, over the last four years, is getting back to where it used to be," Housley said. "The competition is great."
Risebrough does a great deal of scouting and lately has spent a lot of time in Minnesota. He has watched enough to think there are at least two more high-end draft picks coming in Minnetonka's Jake Gardiner and Roseau's Aaron Ness. But those two aren't alone.
''There is a high level of competition," he said of the Minnesota high school scene. ''So, consequently, people are finding good coaches. The enthusiasm is back. ... I went to three games, and they were all really good crowds."
Other avenues for elite players
But why are so many elite players emerging now?
"There are so many options for good young players to play more, to develop more, I guess just to get on the ice more against high-quality opponents," said Phoenix defenseman Keith Ballard, a Baudette native who was the 11th pick in the 2002 draft.
Want to play 365 days a year? Take your pick.
There is Jason Berg's FHIT (Flex Hockey Institute of Training) in Mendota Heights. His company is four years old, and it specializes in both on- and off-ice training. Berg, who is also the Minnesota scout for the United States Hockey League, is well aware of all the options a player has. One of his company's goals is to advise each player according to what's best for him, Berg said. For example, he advised Ryan McDonagh to stay in high school so he could play baseball. Gardiner stayed at Minnetonka so he could compete for the golf team.
Bernie McBain's 15-year-old Minnesota Made program in Edina is another training option. Many of the high-end NHL draftees have worked through his summer program.
McBain has a picture that was taken seven years ago on a frozen pond in his back yard. All the boys in the picture are 12 years old, and all had spent countless hours every summer in his program. In the picture are Johnson, Okposo and Mueller. All three were first-round picks in 2006.
On the ice that winter day long ago were six players who were drafted by the NHL and eight who got Division I scholarships. But it was the warm-weather months when those players honed their skills.
"During the summer, when you get into independent hockey, there are really no rules," McBain said. "No board saying you can't practice or only play this many games."
Johnson said he honed his skills during those sessions in McBain's program. "The first time we all got together we were 9," he said. "Nobody worked harder than we did. In the summers, three hours a day, five days a week."
More options abound
Twenty years ago, a player had few choices once he reached high school age. He could play for his local school or leave and play juniors. Those options are still there. But there are other options, too:
• The fall Elite League, an invitation-only league that starts with a training camp on Labor Day and includes 24 games played over eight weekends.
The advantage is that top-level players can get two months of exposure against other top players and still have the option of playing for their high school team in the winter. It also offers college and pro scouts an opportunity to see the best the state has to offer under one roof.
"Scouts get to see, for eight weekends straight, a kid play against other top-level kids," said Chris McAlpine, an NHL agent and former NHL player who coaches one of the Elite teams each fall.
• Another option is the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, which was created in 1996 and is based in Ann Arbor, Mich. Since its inception, nine Minnesotans have gone through that program and ended up as first-round NHL picks, including Johnson, Mueller and Ballard. Currently there are four Minnesotans on the NTDP's under-18 team, including Jordan Schroeder and Danny Kristo, two of Berg's clients.
Ryan Rezmierski is the program's director of player personnel. A staff of scouts scours the country in search of talent, and 46 players get an invitation to a tryout camp each year in March. Those who make the team -- and choose to move away from home -- are treated to an intense program. Each year the team plays most of its games against older players -- including college opponents.
"We push them," Rezmierski said. "We play them against older players, accelerate their development, then they come down and play against players their own age in international tournaments."
Final choices, NHL future
Scott Monaghan is the director of operations for the Ann Arbor program. He looks out over an amateur hockey landscape that looks a lot different than it used to.
"Things have changed so much in the past 20 years," he said. "There are so many options for kids. A kid can do what he wants to do developmentally."
There are many paths to choose for a player. He can go through high school, choose juniors or, given the opportunity, move to Michigan. But, more often, those roads are leading to the NHL for some of Minnesota's top young hockey players.
"It used to be you'd go to college, and you'd get the training you needed there, then you'd become a top-tier NHL prospect," Johnson said. "Now those guys are already prospects, and they [go to college] to hone their skills and mature. Colleges do a great job. But guys are getting better a lot earlier."
