Eight Minnesota 2000 Birth Year players were invited to participate in the STX 68 last weekend in Chicago. Unique to the hockey business, the players paid no fee to the camp and were given sticks, gloves and apparel from the athletics manufacturer. Ben Brinkman (Edina), Jack Jensen (Edina), Jack Lagerstrom (Edina), Devlin McCabe (St. Paul Academy), K'Andre Miller (Minnetonka), Jackson Nelson (Luverne), Todd Scott (St. Michael), Nick Strom (Andover), and Brady Ziemer (Hutchinson) were all selected to attend.

The players were put through testing, trained and played games with the country's elite 2000 players. Other star US players invited were Oliver Wahlstrom (Maine), Jake Wiese (Mass), and TJ Walsh (Mass). Wahlstrom and Walsh are reportedly attending Shattuck St. Mary's this fall in Faribault.

Only four percent of Minnesota high school players each year make the Upper Midwest Elite League or their Developmental League. This Fall, the Red and Black League will be launched for all high school aged players getting ready for their coming season. Playing a no-check/rub out style of hockey, the Red and Black will kids a chance to play other sports while building up their hockey legs for the coming tryouts and Winter season. YHH plans to cover the league this Fall.

The Gentry Academy will open this Fall in Blaine, MN. Founders Chuck and Tami Lucius are setting out to assemble a first class group of teachers and hockey instructors for the coming school year. Students will benefit from a great education and be coached by Sean Skinner on the ice. Sean will focus on skill development and the important mental aspects of the game.

"We are really excited about the great opportunity that kids will get to come to our school and become better students and hockey players," co-founder Tami Lucius said last week after the school officially opened it's doors at the Super Rink on the campus of the National Sports Center.

Summer time features a lot of players headed in new directions. Over the past three weeks, no team has changed it's future complexion more than the Edina Bantam AA team. Two years ago, arguably one of the best PeeWee A teams in the state's history went a perfect 55-0. YHH has learned that several of those players will not be returning to Ikola Way for Bantams this year. Players from that team have moved entirely, moved to private schools and prep schools and some will even move on to play high school hockey this Winter. Upwards of six or seven players could be missing from the Hornets top Bantam AA team.

In most associations this would be a death blow, for Edina, this will likely hurt any chances of another undefeated campaign, but it will not hurt their chances of finishing very high again come March.

Utilizing precedent set by Minnesota Hockey, the Minnesota Magicians NAHL club has tapped into Before and After Hockey for this season. They will form two teams, U16 and U18 at the Tier I level this Fall with players who play High School hockey and then will give it their best to qualify for US Nationals once the high school season is complete. Chris Boeltl will head the U16 team this Fall. Players committed to play for the Magic are Curtis Hansen (Prior Lake), Tyler Rock (Holy Family), and USHL Waterloo draftee Keaton Perhrson (Lakeville North). The U18 team will be headed by AJ Bucchino this Fall. Their roster has not been announced at time of publish.

Durham Hockey Institute, founded by former NHLer's Keith and Wayne Primeau have started their first team in Minnesota at the 2000 and 2001 level for a tournament in Kalamazoo, MI on the campus of Western Michigan University. Top end '00 and '01 players like Blake McLaughlin (Grand Rapids), Devlin McCabe (SPA), Jake Hale (MPLS) and Kaden Bohlsen (Wayzata) will make the trip to Michigan over the Labor Day weekend to face other top teams from North America.

DHI will likely form Summer AAA and Tournament teams with Minnesota kids starting as early as next Spring.