Grit on display in the Stanley Cup Playoffs
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- Last Updated on Thursday, 06 June 2013 17:44
By Kevin Hartzell
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist
Recently I have had a couple of interviews for head coaching positions in our hockey world. I have been twice asked an interesting question. The question was framed something like this: “Your critics claim you are great with the average player, you coach em up as well as anyone, but you don’t prefer the high-end player.”
Where could such a question evolve? The question comes from somewhere out there in the hockey cosmos doesn’t it? Could they so believe I don’t like talented players that they felt compelled to ask me such a question? Crazy, I thought … but the question was asked. I mean who doesn’t like a highly talented player, right?
As a long journey ends, another begins
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- Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 April 2013 19:03
By Kevin Hartzell
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist
When Eric Hartzell was a young lad, he would skate and play on our backyard pond with friends and frequently by himself. Eric loved to skate. I thought when he was young that he was already one of the most beautiful skaters I had ever seen. He had a strong and slightly bull-legged skating stride.
His strong and biting skating strides made a distinctive sound on the pond’s surface and oftentimes served as my weekend alarm clock back in White Bear Lake. I would arise to a young boy enjoying what I had enjoyed so much as a child … a frozen pond. It was his favorite place to play and dream.
Minnesotans and the 2013 Hobey Baker Award
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- Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 March 2013 19:44
By Kevin Hartzell
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist
Congratulations to the four Minnesota natives that have been recognized as final 10 candidates for the 2013 Hobey Baker Award, presented annually to the year’s top college hockey player. No other state or province has more than one, so Minnesota’s four is quite impressive. All four of these Minnesota natives are, in my opinion, serious contenders to win the award and also legitimate candidates to play in the NHL – which makes this a very special group indeed. The four finalists are Quinnipiac goaltender Eric Hartzell (White Bear Lake), North Dakota forward Danny Kristo (Eden Prairie), St. Cloud State forward Drew LeBlanc and Nebraska-Omaha forward Ryan Walters (Rosemount).
Earned respect for the ECAC
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- Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 April 2013 18:26
By Kevin Hartzell
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist
Having a son play in the ECAC the past four years has given me a new perspective on the balance of power in American college hockey. Those of us “in the West,” and that includes me, often want to believe that the WCHA is and always has been the best conference in college hockey. Back in my playing days, I was lucky enough to participate in two Frozen Fours, one of which had three WCHA teams in it and the other had all four of its participants from the WCHA.
No offense to the programs of that time, but the Minnesota, Michigan, North Dakota and Boston College programs had great regional advantages. They had player talent pools right in their backyards … North Dakota’s being mostly in Canada. These teams won often and, really, they should have.
Time for quiet contemplation
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- Last Updated on Thursday, 21 March 2013 15:07
By Kevin Hartzell
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist
I continue to remain passionate about leadership. In the past year I have begun to put on leadership clinics for kids and young adults. It has never been more needed. We see occurrences of the lack of leadership almost daily on the news.
This winter we have some seen some of these occurrences within the Minnesota high school sports scene. Recently we have seen play out on the national news scene a more serious occurrence with an Ohio drinking party involving a bunch of young teens, including some of their local high school football team members and an intoxicated young teenage girl leading to a possible rape. There are studies that report that as many as one in four women are being sexually and/or physically assaulted. This should lead us all to asking the question as to why this is happening.
