Feature Story
How we are doing in the Upper Midwest
By John Russo
Let’s Play
Hockey Columnist
I’ve had an opportunity within the past
2-3 weeks to talk to several people across the country, as well as USA Hockey
people, who have a great view of what’s going on in the various areas.
Several things are very obvious. First,
there have been very substantial changes for the worse in hockey (so called)
development in the New England area. High school hockey, which was the engine that turned
out great players for a century, is now being replaced by midget and junior
leagues. These new for-profit leagues charge large fees to play and have
split the talent such that the quality at all levels has been reduced.
I recently had a discussion with a father
of a Massachusetts junior player. He paid $7,000 up front, then
felt obligated to keep sending smaller amounts to keep his son playing in
games. Players were leaving and being replaced with new players often weekly
(with a fresh $7,000) and no refund allowed. The midget and other teams below
in the organizations also had large fees.
New England has lost its high school hockey! What a shame. They are now
talking about creating a fall elite league (like we have).
In Michigan, there are many AAA midget elite teams, with youth organizations
below them like in New England. The fees are high. It can cost as much as $12,000-$15,000 a
year to play midget hockey.
In Michigan there are also more high school teams than in Minnesota – or anywhere else in the country. The midget/high school split
of players has, however, lowered the quality. A few years ago, the Upper
Midwest High School Elite League assisted in helping the Michigan high school coaches form their own fall elite league. They
are now getting a substantial number of players back to high school and high
school hockey is on the rise.
USA Hockey recently announced a new
development model that would place midget hockey at the pinnacle of
“development” across the country. In many areas they have few choices, no high
school hockey exists. Their initial intent, however, was to install midget
hockey in Minnesota and the upper Midwest. They have since indicated – at least for now – that they
recognize that we are different. Jack Blatherwick had
a blistering critique of this initiative recently, so I won’t get into it for
now.
At the risk of offending a few very good
high school teams in other states, I think we are really the last bastion of
good high school hockey in the USA. We are also the top developmental model in the USA (re: we turn out more top players).
While I feel the USHL and NAHL junior
leagues are part of our successful developmental model, we face problems, or
maybe better put, challenges that we have to face from the USHL and the NTDP in
Ann Arbor. Both solicit our young sophomore and junior high school
players to leave early and move to other states to, as they claim “develop
better.” The truth, however, is that a vast majority of these players develop
just as well staying in high school. Most players that leave early end up on
the 3rd or 4th lines (or D pairs),
for a year or more where their key skills languish.
There are no statistics that favor
players leaving high school early. They simply go to a team where they have to
wait to play on power plays, penalty kills and key late game minutes. They are
training to be grinders.
Our “model” has turned out more DI and DIII players, many
more players being drafted by the NHL and more
players being successful in the NHL than ever before. The attention being spent on improving development
at the youth and high school levels in the Midwest is very
good. Compared to most other areas, we obviously feel strongly about proper
development – and enjoyment for our players.
I don’t claim that the folks at Ann Arbor or the junior leagues intend to take advantage of the high
school players. However, the junior
leagues are FOR PROFIT operations. Winning is what the
coaches/GM’s get paid (very well) to do – so that the bleachers are full and
the owners make money. Ann Arbor has a $2.5 million budget (at least) for two teams. Very well paid folks, obviously.
I’ll say it again. We are the last
bastion of a great development model. We are not for profit, nobody is even
getting paid very well; we are still doing it for the right reasons and it shows
across the board, youth level through high school.
The really important message to Upper Midwest hockey
people is to protect what we have. Work to improve it, but protect against
those that have motivations that are questionable. Don’t buy the claim that
players have to leave to continue to develop.
Speak up if the AAA concept starts to edge its way into the
community-based association process we now have. Don’t be in such a hurry for
your own children. They don’t need the extreme programs that are now being
pushed at the Mite and Squirt levels. Those programs are for profit; for
big profit. A great player will turn out great in our process!
Right now, we in Minnesota and the Upper
Midwest still have a wonderful hockey process.
It has not been tainted by the profit motive. We are doing very well. We must
continue to “guard the gate,” however. The folks that claim to have a better or
faster way –simply don’t.
John Russo, Ph.D., is founder and director
of the Upper Midwest High School Elite League. He was a captain at the University of Wisconsin, and his Coaches Corner columns have appeared in LPH since
1986.
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