There are some minor aspects of Minnesota high school hockey that people back
east are probably now aware of. Minneapolis/St. Paul is the only major city in
the state and, for what seems like forever, has hosted the state high school
hockey tournament. It IS NOT the hated big city, but the center of excitement
for urban, suburban, and rural kids who travel to these tournaments. Rural
high school hockey means only one thing (sorry Moorhead, Mayo, East) in
Minnesota -- the Iron Range. Though the Iron Range schools are not the only
small ones (many Twin City schools are small) the state high school tournament
became most exciting when you had the Roseau-type of small (250 students) Iron
Range school go up against the larger (800-2500 student) Twin Cities schools
like Edina, So. St. Paul, and Bloomington Jefferson.
 
A quote from http://www.minnhock.com/index.htm says "Dynasties have come and
gone; Eveleth in the 1940's, International Falls and Greenway during the
1960's, Grand Rapids and Edina during the 1970's, Burnsville during the
mid-80's. And of course, the three-peat championships of Bloomington Jefferson
from 1992-1994." Looking at the list of Dynasties, it could be read Iron Range
during the 40's, 60's, 70's; and Twin Cities during the 70's, 80's, and 90's.
The proliferation of indoor ice rinks has changed the structure and power base
of high school hockey. The northern Iron Range schools do not get the extra
X-hours of ice skating each winter. Ice is available everywhere, at anytime.
 
On a national scale, bigger than the state of Minnesota, no longer does the
frozen north have a comparative advantage (more so considering rollerblades)
in developing skating skill. Minnesota as a producer of high school hockey
talent is now not as dominant as it once was given that New England can
produce players out of its ice rinks. Eliminate the capital facilities, and
the frozen north returns as the dominant procucer of hockey players. But since
that is not going to happen, the Iron Range will unlikely return as the hot
bed of high school hockey in the state of Minnesota and Minnesota is unlikely
to return as the hot bed of high school hockey in the nation. These were once
fine pedistals to stand on, but the competition has caught up. The Iron Range
and Minnesota produce excellent players (just ask Dean Blais) but the rest of
the country has caught up.
 
Interestingly, this ability of Minnesota to produce excellent high school
players never did translate to college. Minnesota has had only ONE coach who
has won a national title. Before Herb Brooks and after Herb Brooks no one has
been able to win it. To win the NCAA title takes an excellent coach to go
along with the excellent players. Lucia may be that kind of coach.
 
Nathan Eric Hampton
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.