Where's the action on the hocky-l on a friday before a big weekend of
college
puck?
 
Topic:  which is worse, recruiting foreigners to play college puck in
the U.S.
        or recruiting 20-year old freshmen from juniors.
 
In my opinion, the recruiting of juniors is more of a bane to the game
than
recruiting foreigners.  The world is becoming a smaller place and I
think we
should embrace that.  The NHL is great testament to the quality of the
worldwide hockey pool, most of which does not reside in the U.S.of A.
 
As long as the college players are the same age, I say let 'em compete
with
the best.  I do have a problem, however, with the intense recruiting of
junior
players that has escalated in the last few years.  There are too many
20-year
old freshman competing against 18-year olds.  Many of us can still
remember
when we were of that age, and of the level of maturity and physical
size that
can be gained in those 2 important formative years.
 
I think the recruiting of juniors is a cop-out.  It takes less
evaluative
skill to rate players after 2 more years of growth and junior play.
 
 
Maybe I'm just bitter because the Gophers are gonna get smoked up in
Grand
Forks this weekend by many of the aforementioned junior players.
Though I don't mind seeing Canadians or the occassional European play
for
American colleges, I still hope to see an all-Minnesotan lineup win the
national championship someday.
 
 
kirk out.
 
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Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 10:54:24 -0600
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From: Kirk Ahlberg <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: foreigners vs. juniors
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