Three years ago Minnesota Hockey unveiled a new Metro Regional process that tried to send the best 24 teams to their year end playoff. The process evolved because of the AA and A split the prior season that left the old "A" system disjointed. Districts from the South (4 and 9) could not fill their allotment because they did not have the teams, meaning slots were being sent to districts.
The new system was simple. If you were a good team, top 24 of the 35 teams in the Metro districts (2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10) you would be voted in by a panel of coaches...one from each district. The system allowed teams to win their district tournament to gain an automatic bid to Regions. The panel voted and hashed out who was and was not deserving.
Despite 5 top ten wins and a #12 NOW Ranking, Burnsville's season is over
Last Spring, the Competition Committee for MN Hockey drew up a new plan that eliminated the top 24 system and went to a "seeds by district" method. Thus eliminating a chance for the best 24 to get access to their tournament. District 8 has 10 AA teams, the new "seeds by district" method gives D8 seven slots to the tournament. Leaving fewer slots for more deserving districts like 5 and 6.
Bantam AA Buffalo and St. Cloud come from a district with only two teams, their district - no matter the quality of play - will only send one team to regions. This despite both teams being really good.
On Sunday, Buffalo joined Burnsville on the outside while teams far down the ladder will be off to Mankato, Cottage Grove or Anoka. The Bison and St. Cloud faced off in a best of two fewest goals allowed showdown last weekend. St. Cloud won both games and is headed to regions, Buffalo is headed to the batting cage...missing out on a very fun double elimination tournament and a lifetime of memories.
Andover is a top seed in the top Region
Trey Fechko scores for CC en route to their D6 title
BAA: What Should Have Been
After fair examination, the PeeWee AA release Sunday was not as flawed...no top 20 teams are missing the party. Furthermore, 29 of 32 of NOW Rankings' team made regionals.
The Bantam AA release wasn't as pretty with the East looking more like a state tournament than a regional. Here is how hypothetically the Bantam regional could have looked. More balance could have been achieved mathematically, but district opponents not facing each other in the first round is always a priority, that throws the ledger off a bit numerically.
Hypothetical Metro Top 24 + North 8
| Region | Location | Seed | Team | Seed | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West | Cottage Grove | 1 | Stillwater (2) | VS | 24 | Eagan (24) |
| West | Cottage Grove | 12 | Buffalo (26) | VS | 13 | Burnsville 12) |
| West | Cottage Grove | 6 | St. Cloud (8) | VS | 19 | Rosemount (19) |
| West | Cottage Grove | 7 | Eden Prairie (6) | VS | 18 | Centennial (20) |
| NOW Points = 105 | ||||||
| East | Anoka | 2 | Andover (3) | VS | 23 | Mounds View - Irondale (32) |
| East | Anoka | 11 | Eastview (13) | VS | 14 | Prior Lake (25) |
| East | Anoka | 5 | Edina (11) | VS | 20 | Lakeville South (17) |
| East | Anoka | 8 | Osseo Maple Grove (10) | VS | 17 | Elk River (22) |
| NOW Points = 133 | ||||||
| South | Mankato | 3 | White Bear Lake (4) | VS | 22 | Jefferson (23) |
| South | Mankato | 10 | South St. Paul (14) | VS | 15 | Wayzata (18) |
| South | Mankato | 4 | Minnetonka (7) | VS | 21 | Minneapolis (21) |
| South | Mankato | 9 | Blaine (9) | VS | 16 | Rochester (16) |
| NOW Points = 113 | ||||||
| North | Grand Rapids | Roseau (29) | VS | Hermantown (36) | ||
| North | Grand Rapids | Cloquet (15) | VS | Brainerd (30) | ||
| North | Grand Rapids | Grand Rapids (37) | VS | Bemidji (45) | ||
| North | Grand Rapids | Moorhead (5) | VS | Duluth East (34) | ||
| NOW Points = 231 |
Call Your Congressman
Throughout the year, YHH has been poked and prodded about the recent change from Top 24 to an unbalanced seeds by district size system. As badly as YHH would like to see 24 teams voted by their peers in the regional tournament. It will not happen unless there is major pushback from associations and coaches.
The news of this system came out last Summer and nothing was done. Every association has a voice, as does every district to request a change back to Top 24. In a straw poll of PeeWee and Bantam AA coaches, none told us that the old system was unfair. At the Bantam level this year, it is not fair that Buffalo and Burnsville are out and that four Top Ten teams are in the same (East) Regional.
If you are a parent, coach or administrator and you don't like the new district-size determines your seed system...make your voice heard. Contact your district director via email or phone...I am sure they'd love to have a respectful and well thought out discussion on the topic. The voice of the district director is the most powerful in MN Hockey.
The following is a link that will direct you to each of the District Directors in MN Hockey.
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