By John Russo

Let’s Play Hockey Columnist

I keep a “miscellaneous” file where I throw sheets with ideas, information and thoughts. This usually makes for one or two columns a year and one “Bits and Pieces” column every two or three years.

How are we doing in the Upper Midwest?

My primary measure of “how are we doing” is to look at the number of players at Division I colleges. A few years ago, we generally had about the same number as Massachusetts, New York/Pennsylvania or Michigan/Illinois. The 2010-11 stats from the “Stops and Starts” newsletter from the American Hockey Coaches Association (college hockey coaches) shows the following:

Men’s Division I

• Upper Midwest - 238: MN (182), WI (45), ND (9), SD (2)

• Michigan/Illinois - 193: MI (131), IL (62)

• New England - 199: MA (115), NH (13), CONN (30), NJ (23), RI (8), VT (10).

• New York/Pennsylvania - 156: NY(100), PENN (56)

Michigan, Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania have kept pace, but New England has dropped off. This is primarily due to their transition away from a base of (public school) high school hockey and into a midget/junior-based system with money as the driving force. Discussions with the coaches/managers of Massachusetts teams and the New England Prep Schools haave verified this. The midget/junior folks on the East Coast are money-making ventures for the teams/arenas. Many of the arenas are private. The teams are what are now called (I believe) “tuition based.”

It costs $10,000-$15,000 a year to play on these teams – plus travel and other player costs.

This is what “in-season” AAA hockey has gone to in the East and many other parts of the country. High school hockey struggles. Here we have been able to fend off the in-season AAA. We have it “off-season” – and it often provides good competition; although there are now too many teams and the (overall) quality of many teams has dropped off.

It’s all about money at the AAA and junior levels, however – never forget that. How we in the Upper Midwest handle our players with youth and high school hockey (including the Elite Leagues) is the top “model” in the U.S.

Women’s Divison I

• Upper Midwest - 152: MN* (131), WI (15), ND (5), SD (1)

• East Coast, including NY/PENN - 166: Top three: MASS (71), NY (25), PENN (19), CONN (19).

*MN was 101 in 2002.

We are producing so many girls to DI primarily due to the high school (and Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep) programs. Again, the high school model is the most productive in the country. The Girls Elite League continues to thrive. They continue to put all three of their Elite League teams in the NIT tournament in November and capture first and/or second every year against the best in the country (and Canada).

The only bad news for women is that the percentage of Canadian women has gone up since 2002 from 32.1 percent to 38.7 percent, while the percentage of US players has gone down from 66 percent to 58.3 percent.

The Wild

How about those Wild? Many have described them as “overachievers.” I really don’t see it that way, nor do I believe their coach does. I see it as several things that make up most good/great teams.

• A great sense of team. Nobody is on the NHL stat charts except the goaltenders and the whacker (Clutterbuck). Both of these reflect great effort. It appears that they also like each other and like what Yeo is asking of them, so they play for each other as a big group, including the coaches.

• A great effort. Shot blocking, hard backchecking, attacking the puck when the opposition is in possession, a passion for great defense by the defensemen. All of these items are effort items. Coaches can ask players to try hard all day long without success. It is an atmosphere, a growing confidence.

• Desire to: not go back to Houston; not to get traded (again); have a great wind-up to a career. It’s a unique group of very good players (not superstars) that want to prove something or “make it.” Look at Jeff Taffe — up for two games, worked his tail off, two points; back to Houston to wait for the next chance.

• The right coach for the group. Many of the young ones know him from previous seasons. But overall, he was a hard charger, hard tryer, hard nosed player; not a star. He had that special “it.” His team is the same. I think “it” is leaking into his players.

I like watching them play – for the first time in several years. It is a situation worth watching as a coach. That magic formula for successful coaching is elusive!

Food consequences

Coaches should counsel with their players about several food items.

• Caffeine (coffee): Some pretty good research has shown that a couple cups of coffee (actually about one ounce per 10 pounds of weight of player) before a game can improve (leg) performance by a noticeable amount. For a young person, 16-18 oz. of coffee will not cause them any problems.

• Milk: Roughly 55-60 percent of all people in the world are at least somewhat lactose intolerant (to having full allergies to milk products). It is likely that several players on each team have the problem. The consequences are not just gas and stomach problems (especially when under stress) but also lethargy and generally not feeling 100 percent.

Coaches at the high school level might consider asking all players to lay off milk and milk products (cheese, ice cream, yogurt, and many other products) for three to four days just to see how they feel. On the other hand, if a player digests lactose properly and feels good with milk products, chocolate milk is one of the best post-game drinks available.

I know the issues since I am very lactose intolerant. Many southern Europeans, Middle Easterners and Africans are lactose intolerant.

U of M Hockey Preferred Seating (Shake Down)

The big shake down is coming for the 2012 season. The best seat seatholders are being shilled for an extra $300, so tickets will now be $1,055 ($755+$300). Holy mackerel, $50 a seat. The arena’s only 65-85 percent full now. I can imagine what it will look like next year. The extra millions will go to some other sport. Basketball’s top “scrape” is $400 per seat. On the other hand, the BB coach is crying for a new “practice” facility – can’t use the game arena.

Another UM Hockey problem is the loud music now being played during (some, not all) whistle breaks. It is impossible to talk to a neighbor, the band is shut out, the cheerleaders can’t even be heard and worst of all – the student section is nullified. Whoever is running the show there really needs to think harder. Maybe they can tick off the “customers” even more with other things.

College athletics are out of control. The presidents don’t run the universities anymore. They should get a grip on the whole process. It is a spiral — and it’s all about money.

None of these issues have anything to do with the players or coaches. I doubt that they want to have the most expensive tickets in the country and tick off season ticket holders of 25-30 years and more.

Bring kids to high school games

High School is the focal point of youth hockey in Minnesota. Most kids start aiming at making the varsity team when they are in Mites. Parents need to bring the kids to see the next level up – and especially the high school team. It’s a big thing for them. Let them touch the gloves of players as they go on/off the ice. Let them see the cheers when goals are scored. Let them see how the big guys do it. They will remember that you took them for the rest of their lives.

By the way, they won’t want to go with you soon – when they get to be 13-14 years old.

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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