I think Clay is essentially correct.  While HS hockey in MN is not perhaps
as big as basketball in Indiana, in part because there is also HS basketball
in MN, there is an identification with the community, whether the school is
public or private and even the privates aren't like prep schools because
there is no boarding.  Therefore, there is extensive newspaper coverage with
stories and box scores.  And, the HS hockey tournament is similar to the
Indiana basketball tournament with extensive TV coverage of all winners
bracket games for both divisions.
 
Some good players always left the state but the proliferation of D-1
programs in the state certainly affects the Gophers as does the tendency to
recruit before the season starts rather than at the end of the season.
Obviously some players don't really develop in their senior year but have
already signed tenders.  Also, I suspect the growth of Junior A leagues has
helped other out of state talent develop.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Satow, Clay [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Monday, April 19, 1999 5:02 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: All Minn hockey
>
> Excellent point.
>
> I think another key point is that the HS infrastructures are quite
> different.
>
> In the east, the strongest programs in the HS infrastructures have
> traditionally been private prep schools.  One characteristic of prep
> schools
> is that they're not particularly community oriented; the players at the
> prep
> schools come from a very widely dispersed geography.  If a school is
> located
> in Exeter, New Hampshire or Deerfield, Mass.,  it may have few, or even no
> students from Exeter or Deerfield. So there's not a particularly strong
> association betwen the school and the town in which it is located.
> Another
> class of strong programs in the eastern (at least Massachusetts and Rhode
> Island) hockey are the parochial schools.  The student body isn't so
> widely
> disperesed as in the prep schools, but it still doesn't represent a
> community.  Wins and losses are not reported on the front page of any home
> town newpaper.
>
> I have a different impression of Minnesota.  Since my impression has been
> formed from a distance, it may be all wrong, and I'd appreciate feedback
> from Minnesotans.  In Minnesota, I have the feeling that the strongest
> programs are the public schools.  So there's a much closer link between
> the
> community and the school hockey teams.  The hockey team is an important
> part
> of the local culture.  The communities, not just the schools, think of
> "our"
> hockey team.  I think an interesting parallel may be with Indiana and
> basketball, as exemplified in the movie "Hoosiers."
>
> I think that if there is only one "our" university, there is pressure on
> the
> in-state heroes to go to that university, and for that university to
> recruit
> from "our" high schools.  In Minnesota there is -- I think some would
> argue
> was --  one dominant "our" university.
>
> Today, though, there may be more than one "our" university, and high
> school
> heroes are now less reluctant to venture out of state.
>
> Clay
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Rowe, Thomas [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> > Sent: Monday, April 19, 1999 10:21 AM
> > To:   [log in to unmask]
> > Subject:      All Minn hockey
> >
> > You can't really compare basketball with hockey that way.  For a window
> of
> > time, Minnesota had a tremendous HS hockey infrastructure combined with
> a
> > big-name successful homestate hockey team.  I know the East also had a
> > great
> > infrastructure, but there are a whole bunch of big-name teams in the
> same
> > area looking for the same talent - relatively speaking, Minnesota was
> > isolated.  Hence, for a time, they made the idea work.  I never liked it
> > much, but I'm not a Minnesotan.  I seriously doubt they could continue
> to
> > make it work with all the college programs in Minnesota (and elsewhere)
> > trying to draw from the same pool.  That is, times have changed.  Et
> Vive
> > La
> > Change, eh?
> >
> >
> > Tom Rowe                                          [log in to unmask]
> > ====================================
> > Home of Division 3 National Champion Pointers
> > 89, 90, 91 & 93 and National Runners Up 92 & 98
> > ====================================
> >
> > HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
> > [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.
>
> HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
> [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.