Give me the Independent, or give me...
The Independent Classic is a staple in the Minnesota hockey AAA tourney scene. It has something to offer for all types of skaters boys, girls, invite, open...little ones and big. This year there are over 200 teams playing at 25 levels at 11 different rinks around the Twin Cities.
For several teams, this is their final tournament of the Spring and for some it will be their final tournament as a team after spending six years together toiling on the Summer ice.
Here is our take on the boys Invite levels...our picks and few players to watch while at the rink. Our favorite part of hockey is finding the new face in the crowd. The Independent is a great place for a player or team to stand out.
2002 Magician Ben Monson
Picks
We announced our picks on Ten Minutes Tuesday...here is a more detailed account of those picks.
2001
MAP North > Great Lakes Blues
Comments: MAP is loaded top to bottom, they should win this one going away. Great Lakes won the Shock Doctor two weeks ago, they could challenge
2002
Velocity > Machine Black
Comments: As you will see in the Players to Watch section, the list of great players in this field is long. There are four or five teams that could win it.
2003
Lake Superior Stars > MN Blades '04Comments: The '03 level has a very deep talent pool with two elite '04 teams in the field. The Stars should have the talent and physical maturity to win it.
Wiz Wyatt finalist Ty Tuccitto stars for the Steeldogs Black
2004
Finlandia Thunder Bay > Steeldogs Black
Comments: A lot of unknowns in the '04s, FHC teams have done really well this Spring, we are betting on them to continue that success. Watch out for the Steeldogs, a very loaded group of '04s on both teams (Teal and Black).
2005
Velocity Black > Machine Black
Comments: Velocity has a loaded team of skaters including EP's Teddy Townsend, Jackson Nevers and John Halvorson from Edina and Eddie Revenig from Minneapolis. Some very unknown commodities will take on the Black. Sometimes that can mean T-R-O-U-B-L-E.
2006
MN Blades > Euro American Red
Comments: still a fairly unclear age group for the YHH staff (no players to watch, sorry). We do know that the Blades will be strong and we also know that Euro and Hometown have performed well so far this season.
Players to Watch
2001
The Whole MAP North team (Ben Fritsinger, Justin Grudem, Creighton McMahon and Charlie Schoen to name a few).
2002
Grant Ahcan (Icemen), Cade Ahrenholz (Machine Black), Luke Anderson (MN Flames), Blake Arneson (Machine Black), Matt Beaty (MN Magicians), Jon Bell (MN Flames), Dusty Bergstrom (Rapid Fire), Jackson Borst (Velocity), Tate Hammit (Northern Wings), Ryan Hadland (MN Magicians), Drew Holt (Icemen), Jackson Kunz (Northern Wings), Grant Martin (MN Flames), Ben Monson (MN Magicians), Jack Novak (MN Magicians), Landon Parker (Northern WIngs), Jonathan Peine (Rapid Fire), Nick Speltz (MN Magicians), Logan Stelmach (MN Flames), Nick Williams (Velocity) Emmett Wurst (Machine Black).
Cade Ahrenholz (scoring in the Super Series in April) will star this weekend for Machine Black
2003
Hunter Bischoff (LSS), Mitchell Dokman (Machine Black), Maddox Flemming (Machine '04), Tyler Grahme (MN Blades '04), Isaac Howard (MN Blades '04), Barrett Hall (O & S Cattle), Mason Johnson (O & S Cattle), Connor Mahony (Machine Black), Christian Manz (Machine '04), Evan Murr (Steeldogs), Kaden Nelson (LSS), Jack Peart (LSS), Blake Polifka (Steeldogs), Connor Smith (Steeldogs), Bennett Soderberg (Machine Black), Charlie Stramel (Machine '04) and Gavyn Thoreson (MN Blades '04).
2004
Adam Blazino (FHC), Grant Kohnen (Steeldogs Black), Ty Tuccitto (Steeldogs Black), Charlie Sandven (Machine Black) and Sawyer Seidel (Steeldogs Black).
2005
See Above.
Christian Manz starred in the Selects in April, he will stop a lot of pucks for the Machine '04 this weekend
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