AHL

Re: Proof That SportsJournalists.com Will Never Agree on Anything

Mr. friendly half miler would have a better handle on that. I'd be interested in hearing what he thinks. I do know some fans of hs hockey don't like the top talent going to Michigan. They want the kids to stay home and play.

 

Re: Proof That SportsJournalists.com Will Never Agree on Anything

Nothing wrong with watching AHL hockey, Boom. Nothing wrong with watching hockey, period.

 

Re: Proof That SportsJournalists.com Will Never Agree on Anything

Well, Central Scouting has two players in the development program ranked in the top 20 for this year's draft.

http://cdn.nhl.com/futures/cssrankings/na_skater0107.pdf

 

Re: Proof That SportsJournalists.com Will Never Agree on Anything

Some good USA HS programs have fallen on hard times because their elite players are spending their last 2 years in prep school. From there many move on to a program such as USHL which is a tier 1 junior program. From there into top D1 college program.

When I see kids playing D1 hockey now I always do a quick calculation of how much their parents must have spent on getting them to that point. Hockey in US now is not a game learned on the pond.

 

Re: Proof That SportsJournalists.com Will Never Agree on Anything

In Minnesota, Boom, it isn't so much the prep schools as MN HS kids going direct to the USHL for their junior and/or senior years.

The fairly low cap on games played (about 24) that the MSHL puts on the hockey teams has been blamed for this.

 

Re: Proof That SportsJournalists.com Will Never Agree on Anything

At the old Hersheypark Arena, our company seats were bottom two rows, directly behind one goal. They were shooting slap shots into your lap. I absolutely loved it.

 

Re: Proof That SportsJournalists.com Will Never Agree on Anything

Word is out at most rinks that if you want your kid to play D-1 you better get him out of HS program and into prep school/ USHL .

If Baskeball ever had the development system that hockey has created it be vastly improved.

 

Re: Proof That SportsJournalists.com Will Never Agree on Anything

And it works out for the best kids -- like those good enough to go the Shattuck, or to the NDTP in Ann Arbor, or even to the USHL.

But the parasitic level of pay-to-play "AAA" teams out there that milk parents for their coin with the promise of a career for a kid who would have a hard time making a good HS team is truly sickening.

And then there are the overbearing parents. Egads.

 

Re: Proof That SportsJournalists.com Will Never Agree on Anything

I think it's because of the great outlet shopping in Lancaster.

 

Re: Proof That SportsJournalists.com Will Never Agree on Anything

Even better ... they have 'em two blocks away from Giant Center now, too!

 

That topic is a whole different animal within itself.

 

Re: Proof That SportsJournalists.com Will Never Agree on Anything

Kids that get invited to the NTDP are elite, like Erik Johnson. The rest are a level below that, although still very good. A board favorite went to Shattuck. Ok, maybe not a favorite of some.

Not all AAA teams are like the ones you described. I don't doubt they are out there, but my experience has been quite different. Guess it depends on who is running the team.