I hear you. I am grabbing one on my next order. He is growing again and the shinguards I bought him are a little small and its getting worse. When I order them it will go in the cart. He had a impact against a kid last summer that was violent. He poped back up, but it made a lot of people do the ohhhhhhhh. The other boy stayed down for a little, but I think both would have triggered it. Also he did an airborn horizontal 180 this season and was upset at the time crying for a minute or two. I think that was more from a shock perspective. He stayed down a good 15-20 seconds which is abnormal for him. It seemed longer for dad. I skated over and he got up. I didnt let him take another shift after, but he did appear to have a headache, but no other indicators. Hes the im fine kid. He will get hurt and pop back always saying "im fine" then seconds later he will admit hes hurt.

Anyone play with the Shockdoctor gravity 2 mouth guard? I have trained him to always wear one, but he hates not being able to talk as much and it affects breathing. Lower mouth guards in soorts where people wear cages are becoming more popular as there is no risk of tooth injury or concussion as long as you have a guard in either the bottom or top. May go to his dentist to get one made as I think they are covered or will run us like $20.
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Kind of a cool idea on a mouth guard.
Im ordering one for the kid to see how it goes as while his is always in his mouth it seems to just be floating around. This one seems to work close to a custom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5FTachKsi4

Interesting video associated with it regarding getting sick from mouth guards. Its kind of a plug, but still interesting results.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GKM2rKcLfs

should mention gravity 2 didnt work out any different then a regular mouthguard. Dont bother.
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Tonight makes third night in a row...three different rinks... Tomorrow back to the first rink. LM played his best game of the summer last night... Hoping to build on that in 30 minutes
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I'm no photoshop wiz, pretty much just auto correct and the like, but merged this shot, because it was pretty cool. Kid is going to be a freshman and is playing a regular line varsity this Summer. The Little Man has played with/against him since they were mites... Notice, doesn't even have his "M" jersey yet...

Kind of hard to tell by the photo really anyway, but think he deked and was going to go 4 hole, lost the puck(looked like it bounced on his a bit) and ended up spinning and backhanding it.... It was beautiful.

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Even the Little One has her "M" Jersey already.... I know many will be jealous of her full stick tape job...

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2 of the LM last night.... First he is recieving a pass, as he slides in from the point. Missed high left, but it was his best chance of the night. I don't think he played great, but was solid. Played D exclusively. Told me he was very nervous when he heard that(has yet to be locked into a 2 line rotation on Varsity D), that was odd to hear from him. 7-1 win playing shorthanded, easily their top 4 out. 2 away with travel, 2 still injured. That said, their opponent would most likely lose to our JV team...

Hopefully they also were shorthanded, missing most of their stars....because if not, it is going to be a LONG season for them in the Fall.

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The Little One will take the ice tonight in net. It will actually be the first time she plays in a "real game". I don't mind saying that I am anxious/nervous....
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Reading about all your different rnks and practices and games all year kind of makes me glad my kids don't play. I admire you all, and their dedication to the game! And secretly, I wish I had played when I was a kid (I know, strange for a native Minnesotan to have never played organized hockey).
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Uggggggh had to order skates today. $130 for the skates shipped for a little kid. :-)

$600 for 2 weeks of hockey camp 4 hours at the rink each day.
Debating a 4 day skating clinic by Robbie Glantz for $270 that we got a discount code for because hes skating with a club. 2 hours a day for 4 days. Dont know if he will get enough out of it as its designed for older kids.

Mike as Al, EJ, Scott and others will say its funny but while some mornings its a pain once you see your kid on the ice smiling and going for it everything seems well worth it. The game to most is the ultimate team sport and you see it from an early age. My son played his first season of Tball this year. What a friggin disaster compared to hockey. Kids not listening, crap behavior, no sense of teamwork. Basically Same age group kids in hockey are passing to each other, giving centering feeds, diving to block shots (laugh my arse off at that), communicating to each other and generally way better behaved.
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http://www.usahockey.com/Template_Us...2_03&id=305004

This was not unexpected and I am wondering how long it will last, but USA Hockey approves checking change.
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I think this will hurt USA player development significantly. Most of Canada, except Quebec will now be checking 2 years before any USA youth hockey player.

Although I don't have a dog in this fight any longer (my kid plays Bantam Minor this come year), I am saddened by the decision. I doubt USA Hockey will reverse this change any time soon, the only hope for parity is to convince the rest of Canada to make the same change.

On a side note, does anyone have experience with Selects Hockey? We screwed around this year waiting on another family to confirm their kid as a roommate for my son at Kent State's hockey camp and we submitted the app too late. My son is on a waiting list, but I didn't want to leave that to chance.

I was talking with another parent about camps and he told me about Selects Hockey's Elite Camp. I contacted them and they had a spot and approved my son, so we're happy he has a place to go, but I was hoping to get some feedback on them.
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I doubt Canada will change its mind. :-)
I had always heard the Quebec Peewee tourney was the best of its kind?

Are most EU teams checking at Peewee?
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A few photos from tonight.... Photos 3 & 4 are sequence of her breaking out with the puck. They look almost exactly the same, but think they are like 2 strides apart? Anyway, she was able to get a little separation, angle at what would be the end faceoff circle(they were playing cross ice), shoot and score.

She then got crushed as she celebrated(not looking where she was going) and a kid on her team skated without looking where he was going....

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Boom! Notice, celebration doesn't end when she hits the ice, she's holding that stick out, just like she was when she ran into that kid...:-)


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That black and white photo came out very cool.
14 thought she had some candy thats all. :-)

Hawks skate
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apparently this went off his stick and in but no one noticed till in the net
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Cougars today wife and girls came and mom worked the camera
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Chicks dig the flow.
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his cheer team
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Him in this kid in the orange had a little thing going today.
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trying to keep him outside
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Friday he will play in a mite scrimage between the blackstars and tri valley. This will be his first competitve travel scrim against mite kids he doesnt practice with. He will be playing for the Stars I did some schedule swapping and dad will be there to cheer him on. will take some photos and maybe a video clip if he doesnt stink up the joint. 5.5 years old so expectations are low.
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Look at that flow.... Serious hockey hair going on there! Pic of the girls(Micah's cheer team) is great...

Seeing the Cascade M11 reminded me that we have a kid, possibly the best kid on the team, who was out for the remainder of our playoffs last year with a concussion. He then got dinged again first game of Summer and has not played since. Anyway, I noticed that his little brother was wearing a new Messier helmet yesterday at the JV game. I would be interested to hear if his old helmet(CCM) was just "old" and needed to be replaced, or if the decision was made due to the stated protection difference. I would guess when the older brother starts playing again, he will have one on as well(he wears some form of Bauer).
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The Little Man played really well last night, but the JV team was CRUSHED again. They play in the Adult Summer League & were competitive last year, but have been moved up to Division III. The majority of these 14-17 year old kids just are not there physically. Even the ones that can skate, they are generally so much smaller, it takes 2 strides to one when they are trying to get anywhere. I shouldn't even say the majority, all these kids are not there physically.

That doesn't mention the higher level players(D2 guys) on each team, that just smoke the kids.

I can tell Jackson is getting pissed off and was involved in a minimum of 4-5 dust-ups last night and was also involved in a matching 5M roughing major, trying to protect his goaltender. He was getting the chit beat out of him and kept it up all night long.

Admittedly, I was heated inside, knowing that it was a bunch of grown men beating on a 14 year old kid(not during play, but after the whistle stuff). But he was giving as much as he was getting, he just doesn't have grown man strength.....or weight.... I know that he cannot dish out, without getting back....even if it is man against boy, that is the game. Still doesn't mean I don't get a little bent inside, being he was usually the one on the ice a few seconds after the whistle.

All the work paid off in the locker room, when he was rewarded with some praise from the coach who stated something to the effect of "Good job, Jackson. I know I have one guy who will take care of Devin(the goalie)."

Didn't even take the camera, shooting through the net at the Olympic Oval is worthless... I may shoot through the glass a few games...but it is not as fun and results are spotty.

P.S. I should not exaggerate, he'll be 15 tomorrow...
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Thats weird they are allowing that. Around here that would not fly. Maybe in roller leagues, but ice I just cant see them allowing it. Beer league guy can go Game7 guy at any time. You can get full blown brawls and some very dangerous hits.

As to the concussion thing there are so many arguments both ways on the helmets and the checking age. Some argue as Al start them early when they cant hurt each other. The argument to that is kids lack self control at that age and you could see a ton of boarding and blindside hits as kids at that age dont care. This also raises the cumulative hits argument on the brain and increasing susceptibility as the years grow. Much like a boxer.

What I have found interesting is many people who kids play around here who are from Canada and grew up playing have no issue with it. A few reference childhood incidences where kids got destroyed the first year checking was introduced. Many left hockey some never wanted to play again or it took years to want to.

I am starting to think the model may work with increasing body contact starting in mites. The thing many have missed is that in majority of European countries hitting is not allowed until the 13 age also. With that they are like the US is hoping to do force kids to use their feet and skate to out play the other player. Europen players if nothing else are often the best skaters. I dont know if eithet is right, but I am now willing to see how this works out and do see some serious upside if it works. It will keep more house kids playing longer as well. Where it will be interesting is in the travel enviornment and when kids head to Canada for tourneys. I think it could be horrible and may result in a stopping of travel north of the boarder till Bantam. Then you got to wonder because many argue they are the ones turning into the boards. When I think of a lot of the crushing hits of recent time it was not a euro getting smoked but a canadian or american.
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Fak so I call Brunos hockey and ask if the skates have shipped. Nope he doesnt have them. I ask if he can get them. He will let me know. I call in the afternoon. He acts like hes getting them but upon further questioning I find out its the 301 not the 370. I had to repeatedly say no and I just wanted a refund.

Had to order westside skate in NY cost me 20 more and a weeks delay. I have talked to bruno before and he seems like a great guy, but this is two times I have had this happen. Apparently Graf youth skates ship once a yeat from china in august and once they are gone they are gone.
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FRUSTRATING Mike... Did the same thing with Jackson's last skates.... IMO no reason with todays tech anyone shouldn't have up to date invo online....or at least 24 hour update the buyer.
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AWESOME pic, EJ!

...and I dig the jersey. :-)



Hope you guys don't mind that I comment and follow what you go through with your kids and hockey, even though mine don't play. It's a religion here in MN, and I guess I'm raising heathens. :-) At least when we took them all to the WCHA Final Five title game, they loved it.
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