Dunny

This is U9. There are some bigger clubs at this thing. I'll report back after we play them, or whoever it is.

What's going on with Nylander? He plays all the final games, and is now out? Don't think he's playing tonight, either. What a disaster. Goaltending also quickly becoming ruinous. I took a whack of Leafs in my hockey pool, as a hedge against their success. Seems unnecessary.

Is that good? lol I hope it's them, I don't see who else it would be, but in Spring hockey it could be some dude named "Neil James' Titans" lol

I think we play the NJ Jr. Titans on Friday. Anybody familiar with that program? I'm not 100% sure it's them, but they're the only program I can find with that name.

Just finished Sunday, and signed today. We're playing for the '16 Bruce County Bucks of the KLEVR Super League, coached by former Oiler legend Theo Peckham. It's gonna be a blast, but we won't be very good. Played the (or a version of) Toronto Bulldogs on the weekend. I've seen the future of hockey, and it ain't any of the kids on our team. I will miss coaching this year. I'm coaching baseball, but it's not the same. Maybe they'll let me on the ice with the goalies once in a while.

I think it'll be great for both NCAA and CHL, but the impact downstream.. could be tough. BCHL, AJHL, GOJHL, OJHL, USHL, NAHL... they lose their big selling point

When the car is paid for, maybe he can pick my kid up on the way to beer league lol

Kids AAA Spring team cost breakdown: - 11 practices - 4 Dryland Sessions - 3 Tournaments - 4 Exhibition games - Track Suit - Hoodie/Ball Cap $400 CDN We actually got 16 sponsors in 48 hours.

Affluence plays a big part, but more so in the US, then here. I mean, I'm sure you could do it, Pete, if you really wanted to. It's painful, but it is possible. Just delay retirement a few years, like I'm going to do lol. It is a shame there isn't more ice available for you guys to dumb down the cost. Is there a US player that grew up poor in the past 30 years? Bobby Ryan, I guess, but he was in the OHL at 16. It's crazy that it's got to this point, but that's the competitive nature of it. At one time, power skating was novel, now, it's mandatory, as basic as oxygen. Understanding our costs, I get frustrated at people that won't help their kids out, but they have homes on the lake, and boats, or snowmobiles, quads, toys, toys, toys. They won't even go to the free power skating session every week. They're lazy, and selfish. It's not a money problem. People paying $500 for 75 hours of ice, then crying "rip off" when there's a $60 tournament fee added on . As for the Hyman video, I also understood the point. Hymans dad was playing God. Buying entire leagues lol. He was a big part of what is is so gross about the GTHL, I'm sure he got every opportunity with NHL level skills coaches, conditions coaches, etc. But, that's life.

I can't wait for the debates over the next 5 years when they start allowing CHL grads in to the NCAA lol

I dunno, that's kinda like saying the NHL is watered down, now vs. 40 years ago, but whose better? There are certainly many bad AAA teams, and the new dynamic is "Eliiiite". We played in an unsanctioned "AAA" tournament last weekend in the GTA, only to see that there was a "AAA and an "ELITE AAA" division. My kid is a goalie, we didn't have a team there, he just got picked up (for free!!) by the Everest Academy to fill in. Everest is a 30k/year hockey focused private school with some impressive alumni. We got deeeestroyed. Henry played well, but the team was 80% Korean and 20% Jewish, all at the academy for their affluence vs their ability. Don't get me wrong, they were pretty good players, but the KLEVR League T1 "ELITE" teams we played were mind blowingly good. Pretty neat to play against the best 8 year olds in Canada, definitely a drop between elite and standard AAA. Anyways, we have KLEVR tryouts this weekend. Team is owned/coached by Theo Peckham. Totally ground breaking US style programs, in Canada. Very novel. $2800 CDN Fee. 4.5 hours/week practice, plus exhibition game. KLEVR plays a single, mandatory, tournament every month, so it's very regimented, also very professional. Vs. $500 CDN for our local OMHA program. Play half ice at U9 rep level. Don't even keep score, no tournaments, as they don't want winners/losers. The extra money saved would be put in to development w/ proper goalie coaches. The choice is obvious... I think he'd better benefit from stashing the ego, staying home, and getting specialized instruction with the saved cash, but Hockey Canada/OMHA is so cucked, so infiltrated by activists and scared of their own shadow (mostly their own fault) that I just can't do it.

Probably harsh on Shesterkin. As far as Panarin goes, we have entered the period where everyone has forgotten that he will almost assuredly disappear in a puff of smoke when the going gets tough, and the going will get tough. I don't know how anyone can any faith in this guy. It's going to be a boatload of TO's on backhanded passes from the half wall. Take it to the bank.

We'll be out in 5 if we get either Leafs or Lightning. Really, I don't think we get out of 1st round unless we get a real puffball like Detroit or Washington. I'm not buying any of this until we see what Panarin and Shesterkin do in R1. History says, probably not much.

Definitely a good time to spend those Bonvoy points. I hit our fibre connection with a string trimmer, and we left for three days last summer lol.

Thanks.. does that include meals/books/lodging, or just tuition?

That's almost certainly accurate, and a great synopsis, but it would be sweet to have the skull crusher crushing skulls.

He didn't even fight that much. Neither did Belak or Boogaard. All fought at different points in their careers. Simon's full record is particularly benign. Probert fought a ton, but he also did massive amounts of cocaine. All the guys that don't make it have massive substance abuse issues. They're drug addicts. They all remind me of John Kordic. Why? My dumb guess is that it's fueled by $$$$ and opportunity that comes from the NHL. They are, generally, rough and tumble people from a young age. There are hundreds of guys that fought their way through the IHL, AHL, ECHL, etc, over the past 30 years. They fought wayyyy more. Anecdotally, it's hard to find one that isn't alive.

Good point, an excellent tool to shift momentum.

It's too bad we don't have a player that can step in and cause opposing teams to lose focus, get distracted, go off the rails a little bit. Ah well. Thought Brodzinski was really gonna make a difference tonight.

I'm just disappointed that Laviolette is going to make me resent Johnny Brodzinksi.

A lot of good points, there. Access is probably a much bigger issue for a lot of Americans not in Minnesota. I have 23 rinks within a very easy 30 minute drive. Not 23 pads, 23 stand alone rinks lol. Costs for entry in to hockey here are incredibly low, and even if you flat out don't have the resources to put your kid through hockey, we'll do it for you. From my time on the board of our org, of the 225ish kids in the program, there's always a couple we're paying for. It's all good. So, I can't really speak to much of the US. I can only assume from what I see in the NHL, that in much of the US hockey is a upper middle class sport, there. I also agree that they'll all end up in the same place, but there are exceptions akin to winning the lottery. Our neighbors kid is a u15 that is 100% going to be drafted, likely in the 1st round, of the OHL priority draft *if* he continues his development curve for one more year. That will be, by far, the highest OHL pick from my town of 8,000, ever. We've never had a NHL player from our town. Never. 125 years. (We do have a recent Yale captain to our name fuck yeah). What people over look, or don't care to acknowledge, are the lessons playing sport at a high-ish youth level teach you, the bonds it forges, and the arms length opportunities it will present you later in life. I don't know many local guys that played PJHL or OJHL here that didn't get a step up at age 20 over others. *wink wink nudge nudge* Anyways, my reasons for pushing this kid are both selfish and benevolent. I have a 15 yo that wanted to play House League, and was only good enough to play House League. Cool. It's fun. Not my thing, but sure, lol. Now, I have a kid that is very good, but also very young. He will get run down by much better athletes (Sorry, son, my bad) very quickly unless he outworks them. He gets that, and he wants it. Wants it bad. Until that changes, I gotta support that shit.

Very good question. I think it Depends. Forward? Goalie? D man? What level of talent? A local rep team or NHL aspirations? A PJHL player is a very talented hockey player, and they'll never even sniff the ECHL. You would be very fortunate to develop in to even a PJHL level player. Goalies follow really crazy development curves. Just look at Logan Thompson. I probably say it's much earlier than others would, but there are also always surprises. I don't buy in to "He'll burn out by pee wee" mantra that's so popular. That was never my experience. All the best players I played with when I was 7 were still very good players at 19. All the best kids that played with my 15 yo at age 7 are still the best, they've just been joined by other later bloomers. If you're talking NHL talent? I think if your kid is really struggling at the U8 or U9 level, it's probably not in the cards, but pure old fashioned hard work can close a lot of gaps.

I don't even think they hand out many full rides? Not in my experience, anyways. US college just seems like a class competition. Probably better off leveraging the relationships and lessons you make playing sport to set you up for a great start in life, college or not. I know I'd rather take a 5k paycheque from a junior C team, and have the handshake trades job that'll pay you 75k at age 18. Many of those success stories where I live. Not many NHL players.

Don't be bitter. Our goal is to just be the goalie on the Local "A" team. The rest is gravy.