Major Junior Hockey

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

I have tickets to the exhibition game tomorrow night against the University of Lethbridge. I have always been unimpressed by Canadian collegiate hockey. How come we don't schedule an exhibition game every year against one of the major junior teams (OHL, QMJHL, WHL) instead? I grew up in a WHL city, and I think that major junior hockey is pretty exciting, and would make for a great game and great fodder for the old debate about what is better: major junior or division 1 college.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

I don't know if anyone else on here caught the game, but those Lethbridge boys were goons. I am not one of those fans who is averse to tough guys and a physical game, I have plenty of favorite players at the NHL level who can be considered fighters, enforcers, agitators, whatever, but the U of L guys were just plain thugs, trying to start stuff for the sake of starting stuff in an exhibition game.

 

[Twynntown]

I don't know if anyone else on here caught the game, but those Lethbridge boys were goons. I am not one of those fans who is averse to tough guys and a physical game, I have plenty of favorite players at the NHL level who can be considered fighters, enforcers, agitators, whatever, but the U of L guys were just plain thugs, trying to start stuff for the sake of starting stuff in an exhibition game.

Personally, I think it's a Canadian thing. And I'm not saying any of this in an anti-Canadian way. I have a lot of good friends who are Canadian. But if you've ever been exposed to Canadian hockey, their style is heavily weighted towards the big hit, talking trash and fighting. I've played with and against Canadians, and you can see that it's a part of their game. I think if you look at professional hockey in the 60's, 70's & 80's, there was a lot more fighting and physical play. That's when the NHL was primarily Canadian players. As Americans, Europeans and Russians gradually made their way into the NHL, I think we've seen a game based less on violence and physical play, and more skill. Of course, rule changes have helped with that too.

 

[upnorthkid]

Personally, I think it's a Canadian thing. And I'm not saying any of this in an anti-Canadian way. I have a lot of good friends who are Canadian. But if you've ever been exposed to Canadian hockey, their style is heavily weighted towards the big hit, talking trash and fighting. I've played with and against Canadians, and you can see that it's a part of their game. I think if you look at professional hockey in the 60's, 70's & 80's, there was a lot more fighting and physical play. That's when the NHL was primarily Canadian players. As Americans, Europeans and Russians gradually made their way into the NHL, I think we've seen a game based less on violence and physical play, and more skill. Of course, rule changes have helped with that too.

that's not just a canadian thing honestly. much of minnesota hockey is the same way. as far as scheduling a major junior team, personally i think its a bad idea. if anything, it just exposes kids in MN who wouldn't have seen major junior live and show them the possibility. then if you lose, more kids think it sounds like a better idea. if you win, its what you're expected to do by most people. would be dang fun to watch, but the end result may be less than desirable

 

[bemidjigopher]

The gophers would kill a Major Junior team the oldest guys in the league turn 21 during the season, there are 21 year old freshman on D1 rosters. On the right team they would have the best player on the ice, but a team in the Q or the dub wouldn't have the depth to compete with a top D1 squad