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Did you not read what the OP had asked Larry? If you would have taken the time to actually read his / her question, you would have understood that this thread isn't about the NHL and/or the number of Stanley Cups won by team, which has absolutely nothing to do with a city being a hockey town.
He didn't say it's not about the NHL. He said it's not JUST about the NHL. I said nothing in contradiction to what he said. I was just pointing out a fact.
The only debate we should be having is Minneapolsi vs St Paul and this debate isn't even close. Hill-Murray, Johnson, and Cretin all trump the best teams from Mpls. Southwest had a few good runs but that's about it. Suburbs wise, Edina is obviously tops. Historically St Paul suburbs like South St Paul and White Bear are best although recently Minneapolis suburbs, especially around Lake Minnetonka.
An even better debate is Northern Minnesota vs the Twin Cities. I'm a Cities homer but Duluth, Grand Rapids, Hibbing, Eveleth, Virginia, Roseau, Warroad, Moorehead, and Thief River Falls pack a pretty good punch.
Quote:
He didn't say it's not about the NHL. He said it's not JUST about the NHL. I said nothing in contradiction to what he said. I was just pointing out a fact.
Well the Wild have the longest active sellout streak so there you go.
Blake Wheeler and David Backes are both from Minneapolis
Not so much.
Wheeler was born in Robinsdale. His Freshman year of High School was at Wayzata before transferring to Breck (Golden Valley). After his Junior season at Breck he went to play in the US Junior League (USHL) and play at Green Bay before enrolling at the U of M.
While Backes was born in Minneapolis, his US Olympic and StarTrib bios list his home as Blaine so it's likely he didn't stay long in the youth hockey wasteland of Minneapolis. He played his high school hockey for Spring Lake Park and was drafted in 1993.
The only debate we should be having is Minneapolsi vs St Paul and this debate isn't even close. Hill-Murray, Johnson, and Cretin all trump the best teams from Mpls. Southwest had a few good runs but that's about it. Suburbs wise, Edina is obviously tops. Historically St Paul suburbs like South St Paul and White Bear are best although recently Minneapolis suburbs, especially around Lake Minnetonka.
An even better debate is Northern Minnesota vs the Twin Cities. I'm a Cities homer but Duluth, Grand Rapids, Hibbing, Eveleth, Virginia, Roseau, Warroad, Moorehead, and Thief River Falls pack a pretty good punch.
Well the Wild have the longest active sellout streak so there you go.
MPLS
Edina
Eden Prairie
Blaine
Bloomington Jefferson
Minnetonka
Wayzata
Benilde St. Margaret's (pvt)
Breck (pvt)
STP
Holy Angels Academy (pvt)
Mahtomedi
St. Thomas Academy (pvt)
Hill Murray (pvt)
Apple Valley
Cretin-Derham Hall (pvt)
Centennial
White Bear Lake
Out State
Duluth East
Roseau
Hermantown
Grand Rapids
Warroad
Moorhead
Duluth Marshall
Virginia
Idk, of those three categories, I think I'd still take the Minneapolis side. I did leave out Burnsville, which has a decent program, but can't figure out if Burnsville is a St. Paul suburb or a Minneapolis one. I know you mean within the city limits, and that's a no brainer, St. Paul easily takes the cake
He didn't say it's not about the NHL. He said it's not JUST about the NHL. I said nothing in contradiction to what he said. I was just pointing out a fact.
I'm pretty sure most who follow the NHL already knew MN didn't have a team for a short time.
I was living in the south at the time and thought it was very odd that the NHL didn't move a little faster at getting a team back in the MPLS. - STPL. area.
I think the majority has spoken, Detroit and its Red Wings rule.
Most northern American cities and those in Canada have a strong base for hockey fans.
I live near Phoenix and there is a professional hockey team here, but not much support in comparison to the colder climates.
In case you haven't noticed, the majority has spoken; Minneapolis has been leading this poll the entire time.
Again, this thread isn't just about the NHL.
The majority who actually know something about hockey have gone with Minneapolis whereas the majority who have gone with Detroit no little about hockey and borderline challenged.
Kid Cann, with your list I would switch Blaine and Holy Angels. Holy Angels (in Richfield) is 100% more on the Minneapolis side of the metro and draws lots of players from inside Mpls while I've always associated Blaine with St Paul (they do play the section championship at the Colliseum). Burnsville is on the Minneapolis side.
In the forties, fifties,sixties the North dominated. In the sevenites and eighties the St Paul side dominated wiht programs like South St Paul, Hill-Murray, and Johnson. Lately though Minneapolis suburbs have been on top. I hate to say it, but Hill has been the only consistantly relevant squad on the St Paul side in the last decade.
If I was to rank the top ten most significant hs's for hockey:
1)Edina
2)Roseau
3)Eveleth
4)St Paul Johnson
5)Bloomington Jefferson
6)Hill-Murray
7)International Falls
8)Warroad
9)Duluth East
T10)Grand Rapids
T10)South St Paul
*Special mention to White Bear Lake. They were the first school in the state to have an indoor arena and also the first suburban school to have a team. They lost the very first game of the very first state tournament and have since made it to twenty-one more state tournys and have managed to lose in the first round every time.
The top high school teams in the country (Catholic Memorial, Boston College High, Coyle Cassidy, Hingham, Austin Prep, Malden Catholic) With successful Division 3 teams even in the likes of Somerset, Longmeadow, Barnstable, etc. The area is also home to the best college hockey division in the country (Hockey East) and area schools have won more than 13 Frozen Fours. Boston features the Beanpot tournament that draws 17,000 + for a college hockey tournament! The rivalries and traditions in the tournament really match the culture of the region. Harvard, BC, BU, Northeastern participate in the tournament. All of these schools are located around 10 miles from each other. On January 8th, 2010; Boston College played Boston University outside at Fenway Park which attracted 41,000 for the event. (Fenways' capacity is only 39,000 since its close to 100 yrs. old). Youth hockey is very succesful in New England, withmore youths playing hockey, than youth basketball, and youth football in many communities throughout Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Conneticuit. In Burriville, Rhode Island, the schools were polled on what sport they played, and it was hockey, baseball, football, then basketball. In that order. The junior teams in the area are very successful in tournaments across north american tournaments. The Mass Maple Leafs just went 6-0 in Toronto's Paul Coffey Tournament that includes many Canadian teams. Boston also has a beautiful rink thats in the metro area. The New England Sports Center has 6 rinks, and hosts many international tournaments. The Bruins, average 17,565 fans a game (which is the garden's capacity for hockey) the TD Garden is a relitivly small NHL arena. The media around here didnt pay attention the Bruins alot between 1980-1986 due to some struggles. Then for around a 9 year period the Bruins were once again atop the sports scene. Then from 1996 to around 2000, the Bruins were back to the basement here in the sports scene. Then again, 2001 to around 2003 the Bruins were back on the sports scene below the Pats, and Sox.. but above the Celtics. In 2004, the Bruins lost in the 1st round again and fans were upset, the bruins paying the price of noone paying attention to the Bruins, 2005 (lockout) fans were really upset, and the college hockey, youth hockey, and high school hockey really strong still. Then at 2007, then the Bruins started to emerge on the sports scene again. This time is prime for the Bruins, has the Bruins have sold out games since 2008. The owner here has been under fire around here since he bought the team, with websites urging him to sell the team, to an owner that will care about winning, and bringing a Stanley Cup to the hungry region. Weve been lacking a cup since 1972. As for home grown talent, 166 NHL players have come from Massachusetts (NHL Players Born in Massachusetts, United States | Hockey-Reference.com), 16 NHL players have come from Rhode Island (NHL Players Born in Rhode Island, United States | Hockey-Reference.com), 25 NHL players have come from Conneticuit (NHL Players Born in Connecticut, United States | Hockey-Reference.com), 2 NHL players have come from Vermont(NHL Players Born in Vermont, United States | Hockey-Reference.com), 7 NHL players have come from New Hampshire (NHL Players Born in New Hampshire, United States | Hockey-Reference.com), and Maine is represented by 5 NHL Players. Notable players from the region include, Chris Drury (CT), Brian Boucher (RI), Tony Amonte (MA), Bob Carpenter (MA), Jim Craig (MA), Ted Dunato (MA), Hal Gill (MA), Bill Guerrin (MA), Jack O' Callahan (MA), Tim Poti (MA), Darren Toucottie (MA), Ryan Whitney (MA), Brian Boyle (MA), Scott Young (MA), Keith Tkchuck (MA), Keith Carney (RI), Bryan Berard (RI), Chris Clark (CT), Jonathan Quick (CT), John LeClair (VT). Notable alumni from the areas college. From Hockey East, notable players include Brian Gionta, Patrick Eaves, Scott Clemmensen, Ted Crowley, Andrew Alberts, Keith Carney, Hal Gill, Chris Drury, Brent Clark, Mike Grier, Bill Guerin, Chuck Kobasew, Paul Kariya, Tim Poti, Patrick Sharp, Martin St. Louis, Ryan Whitney, Brooks Orpik, Ty Conklin, Rick DiPetro, Tim Thomas, Dwayne Roloson, and Fernando Pisani.
Top NHL Cities:
1. Minneapolis/St.Paul: The Wild have been struggling in the past, but have sold out all games since 2000
2. Chicago: They average 21,000 a night in there large arena. The regular season games the local TV ratings show they average 78,000 + a night.
3. Boston: The group of hardcore fans around here know hockey and respect it, TV ratings succeeded 500,000 views in the NESN market twice in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, the Hub is back.
Top Overall hockey city:
1. Boston: Everything explained above
2. Minneapolis/St.Paul: Very similar to New England in love for hockey, that may be a tie between the region, and Boston.
3. Detroit: The amount of players in Michigan, and the colleges are also successful here, as well as in Northern Ohio.
Last edited by hockeykid34; 01-01-2011 at 04:29 PM..
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