Feature Story
Wildcats stick to developmental plan
By Brian McDonough
Despite only 10 wins heading into the
last weekend of the regular season, the Minnesota Wildcats have nothing but
good things to reflect on as their first campaign nears its end.
“Our inaugural season was a blast and
successful on many fronts,” said Wildcats head coach Stu
Ronsberg.
In addition to acknowledging their
dedicated fans and much-improved roster, the Wildcats are perhaps most proud of
the players they’ve developed throughout the season.
After advancing two players to higher
levels this season, the team also gave three standouts - Seth Ronsberg and Justin Brausen, both
of whom were traded to the Minnesota Owls, and Shay Klitzke,
who was dealt to the Northern Pacific Junior League - an opportunity to compete
for a national tournament bid.
“And, at the end of the season, we’ll
have three or four more 17- to 20-year- olds that will be moving onto college
hockey, the NAHL, and potentially the USHL next season,” said Ronsberg.
Plain and simple, the Wildcats develop
the players they have, meaning that after the season starts, they don’t bring
in players to replace those that have committed to the program since Day 1.
“Our athletes appreciate the fact that
our roster didn’t turn over through the season like other teams did,” said Ronsberg. “They appreciate the fact that they didn’t
continue to see new players from other leagues replace their linemates or be replaced themselves at any given time
throughout the year.”
And that committed group impressed Ronsberg and his staff the entire season, both with their
work ethic and coachability.
“The group of athletes that we have on
our roster is top-shelf; no cupcakes here,” said Ronsberg.
“Our program is a demanding training and
development effort that works for athletes who are tougher, both mentally and
physically.
“And players discover that that doesn’t
mean equal playing time; they earn whatever ice time they get, regardless of
talent level.
“We have to honor our young athletes that
significantly upgraded their brand of play this year, surprised a number of
teams and endured a very competitive league,” he added.
Looking ahead to next season, Ronsberg is excited with the prospects of a young returning
veteran core, noting that a handful of his players will turn just 16 before
next season.
“We have to be one of the youngest junior
teams in the country,” said Ronsberg. “We have
players with four or five years of junior eligibility remaining. We’re not a
place where 20-year-olds come to play out their last season.”
Let’s Play Hockey
wants to publish your hockey stories. From tournament reports, to feature
stories on teams, players or coaches, to opinion pieces on the game of hockey, Let’s
Play Hockey accepts submissions from readers throughout the hockey community.
To submit your hockey story and/or photo(s), e-mail us at editor@letsplayhockey.com.