Final National Rankings released

Today, Myhockeyrankings.com posted the final rankings for the 2010-2011 hockey season. Shattuck St. Mary's clinched the top spot after claiming their fourth U18 Tier I National Championship. Shattuck was followed by St. Louis AAA Blues and Colorado Thunderbirds to round out the top 3. Greater Boston Jr. Bruins and Mid-Fairfield Blues both leaped a few spots in the top 10. Junior Bruins made their way to the fourth spot behind Colorado Thunderbirds, and with Mid-Fairfield's second place finish at Nationals, the Blues jumped up to a final national ranking of 7. 


Check out the final national rankings of the 2010-11 season
National Rankings

Shattuck St. Mary's claims 4th U18 Tier I National Championship

Championship Game: Shattuck St. Mary's Prep 3, Mid-Fairfield Blues 1

Shattuck St. Mary's claimed its fourth U18 Tier I National title in seven years. Shattuck scored all three of their goals in the third period including an empty netter. Mid-Fairfield displayed a valiant effort to tie the game 1-1 after they were down 1-0 early in the third period. Mid-Fairfield had some quality chances to tie the game, but a late penalty in the third period made it hard for the Blues to comeback in the closing minutes. This is Shattuck's first U18 Tier I National Championship since 2008, a span of two years where they didn't claim the title. Congratulations to Shattuck St. Mary's Prep on another National Championship. Definitely I give props to the Mid-Fairfield Blues who had an incredible run to the championship game and fell just short. Shattuck St. Mary's continues to prove itself as one of the premier youth hockey programs in the United States. 

Championship Live Box Score

Mid-Fairfield Blues vs. Shattuck St. Mary's Prep

Championship Box Score

Championship Sunday

 

Its the last day of Midget Major AAA U18 Tier I hockey, and a season that began in late August is finally ending on April 3. The finals pairs up two teams, one a lot of us might of expected, while the other has taken the National Championships by storm by claiming first place in the National Division and defeating #2 & #3 nationally ranked teams in the playoff round. 

Mid Fairfield enters the championship game with impressive wins over #2 ranked St. Louis in the quarterfinals by a 4-2 score, and followed it up by defeating #3 ranked Colorado Thunderbirds 3-1. 

Shattuck St. Mary's needed a dramatic double overtime win to advance into the championship game. They took down the Greater Boston Jr. Bruins a team who shutout Honeybaked in the quarterfinals. Shattuck St. Mary's is a team who has held the #1 ranking for most of the year, and has been the premier team in Midget Major AAA hockey.

Mid-Fairfield used its many D-1 committed players and in combination with coming under the radar to make its run to the championship game. Mid-Fairfield like the Greater Boston Jr. Bruins don't play games all year like many Midget Major AAA hockey teams. They play a few tournaments and games in September, October, and November until high school hockey season starts, and players then go play on their respective high school and prep hockey teams. The team gets back together after the conclusion of their high school season, and they practice together a few times before heading to the National Championships. Even though Mid-Fairfield and Greater Boston are competing against teams who play together all year, they still find a way to be competitive and both teams found themselves in the semifinals at Nationals this week. 

Shattuck St. Mary's Prep have lost only once in the year 2011, and only five teams all year. Shattuck's has looked like the premier team all year in USA Midget Major hockey, and by some measures the clear-cut favorite to win. But close games with Dallas Stars Elite, a tie to Russell Stovers, and now they needed two overtimes to beat the Boston Jr. Bruins, Shattuck looks more vulnerable then ever. However, Shattuck only needs to win one more game to claim the National Championship.

USA Hockey U18 Tier I National Championship

Shattuck St. Mary's Prep vs. Mid-Fairfield Blues

International Skating Center Olympic Rink - Simsbury, CT

2:00 PM ET

Live Webcast   


Playoff Bracket
Schedule/Scores/Standings

Then there was only 8

8 teams still stand, while 105 Midget Major AAA hockey programs have seen their season come to an end. Only one will be able to call themselves National Champions tomorrow. 4 teams chances at a National title fell just short yesterday after failing to qualify for the quarterfinals.


Scores from yesterday
Greater Boston Jr. Bruins 3, Mid-Fairfield Blues 1
St. Louis Blues 3, Honeybaked 4 (OT)
Team Comcast 3, Colorado Thunderbirds 4 (OT)
Connecticut Wolfpack 4, California Stars 6
Gilmour Academy Prep 4, DC Capitals 3
Buffalo Regals 1, Shattuck St. Mary's 8


Team Eliminated in Pool Play
Buffalo Regals
Team Comcast
Connecticut Jr. Wolfpack
California Stars


Quarterfinals
(1A) Shattuck St. Mary's Prep vs. (4N) DC Capitals
(2N) Greater Boston Jr. Bruins vs. (3A) Honeybaked
(1N) Mid-Fairfield Blues vs. (4A) St. Louis Blues AAA
(2A) Colorado Thunderbirds vs. (3N) Gilmour Academy Prep


(Click on Playoff Bracket for Bracket)
Playoff Bracket

Scores/Schedule/Standings at Nationals (Click on link)
Scores/Schedule/Standings

Live Webcasts (Click on link)
FastHockey

NAPHL teams announced for 2011-2012 campaign

The NAPHL has grown in popularity over its past two seasons, and has announced the teams who will compete in the NAPHL in 2011-2012. 

NAPHL 2011-2012 U18 Midget Major Participants

California Titans

Carolina Jr. Hurricanes

Detroit Falcons

Lansing Capitals

New Jersey Jr. Titans

Oakland Grizzlies / Michigan Warriors

Omaha AAA

Orange County Hockey Club (CA)

Phoenix Firebirds

Pikes Peak Miners

Pittsburgh Viper Stars

Pursuit of Excellence (Kelowna, BC)

San Jose Jr. Sharks

St. Louis Selects

Texas Tornado

TPH Thunder AAA

Wenatchee Wild

West Michigan Hounds


Check out the NAPHL website for more information: naphl.net

Detroit & Chicago teams abandon TIEHL for new HPHL

A familiar sight we are seeing, as some of youth hockey's most prestigious organizations have left the TIEHL, and they have formed a new league that suits their needs better. If some of you have forgotten, many of the same organizations who are ditching the TIEHL did the same thing to the Michigan National Hockey League not so long ago. It was on June 20, 2000 that eight organizations left the Michigan National Hockey League, after the MNHL decided to make an A & B divisions. Former President of the MNHL, John Kay, became president of the new league. The new league was called the Midwest Elite Hockey League (MWEHL), and now holds the name Tier I Elite Hockey League (TIEHL). Although the organizations who left the MNHL said they left because they desired more day-to-day control, the other MNHL board members knew the real reason why. The organizations had teams that would have to drop into the lower division and travel more outside the metro Detroit area. 

"It was clear that they were trying to create a position that will allow them to maintain as individual clubs without having to earn it year-to-year," said the Chicago Chill's Larry Pedrie, the Chill was among those teams assigned to the B division in the MNHL. "They see us as a threat. And instead of working within your own organization to make it better and identify you weaknesses, they instead choose to cannibalize other clubs and take their players."

MNHL treasurer Gale Cronk also displays feelings that the "eight organizations" who left the league because they couldn't get what they wanted in the MNHL. "The Detroit teams are crybabies," Cronk said. "They don't want anyone outside of Detroit to win anything. Now those guys want four teams out of Detroit to run it all. And those four teams, no matter how good or bad they are, want to be in the A Division and never move. And only play who they want to play, when they want to play, if they want to play."

The newly formed MWEHL started off with teams including Little Caesar's, Compuware, Honeybaked, Ice Dogs (now Victory Honda), Belle Tire, Chicago Young Americans, Team Illinois, and Cleveland Barons. 

And now, most of the same organizations who left the MNHL, have left the league they created to form a new one. Its like once they create a league by their standards, they screw it up enough, and then they leave it behind and move on to create a new one. Will they ever stop this madness? Who knows. 

The new HPHL has been created by the forefathers of the MWEHL/TIEHL. Little Caesars, Honeybaked, and Compuware are the Detroit teams who've joined the HPHL, and Team Illinois, Chicago Young Americans, and Chicago Mission are the Chicago teams who've abandoned the TIEHL to join the HPHL. How will this affect the TIEHL? What will Victory Honda and Belle Tire do in Detroit? Chicago Fury is now stranded by themselves with no Chicago teams to play. Can the TIEHL still be supported at a national level? What will this move do to the younger teams at VH, Fury, and BT, because they don't play in a nationwide league? 

Check out the website for more information on the HPHL. 

www.hphl.us

Courtesy & Source: Michigan Hockey Magazine. V.21:1:17 / March 7, 2011

Article: MNHL Breaks Up, Midwest Elite League Formed.

1-1 teams need wins to advance

Today, there is many teams who's record is 1-1 and faces a must-win situation to surely advance to the quarterfinals. 


Schedule


Honeybaked (1-1) vs. St. Louis Blues AAA (1-1)
Prediction: I see the St. Louis Blues AAA prevailing in this matchup, they lost by one goal to top seeded SSM Prep and easily took down the #3 Colorado Thunderbirds. Pretty good considering playing two of the top three teams in the country, and considering you're number 2 in the country. 


Team Comcast (1-1) vs. Colorado Thunderbirds (1-1)
Prediction: It took a loss to Dallas Stars Elite in the round robin portion of Rocky Mt. Districts to wake up the Thunderbirds, and go on a tearing streak to win the championship. The loss to St. Louis yesterday seems to be another wake up call, and Colorado should win this game. However, don't count out Team Comcast. 


Greater Boston Jr. Bruins (1-1) vs. Mid-Fairfield Blues (2-0)
Prediction: The Jr. Bruins could definitely use this win to secure a spot in the quarterfinals but Mid-Fairfield is playing good hockey, and I see the Blues winning and taking the top spot in the National Division. 


DC Capitals (2-0) vs. Gilmour Academy Prep (1-1)
Prediction: Gilmour's unbelievable run isn't going to end here, in a weaker National division. DC Capitals really haven't been tested yet in their postseason, and Gilmour who's been battle tested in every shape and form during their postseason should be ready for this game. I see Gilmour squeaking out a victory in this contest, in a minor upset.