Fun stat of the day

Yeah, I met Tommy Barasshole when he was a Sabre. Pretty apt name for this dickstain.

 

Does it look like I give a fk?

 

I served my country.

 

did he ever wear #32 in Buffalo? I'll bet that pic is from the 1983 draft or a photo shoot shortly after.

 

No, he wore #31.

His daughter had cancer when she was 2 yrs old. This was about a year before he won those cups with the pens.

 

My groin just ripped thinking about playing goaler.

 

Barrasso wore 30 for Buffalo and 35 for Pitt.

 

Wondering if he wore 32 in preseason or anything

 

I was just looking at one of his rookie cards, I couldn't make out if it was a one or zero.

At that time both housley and barrasso started playing on the sabres right away. I know Barrasso was right out of high school, both US players straight to the pros.

 

Barrasso was out of Acton Boxboro HS, I coached there for 4 years recently.

 

how did your team do?

 

Yeah man, right out of high school and housley didn't play in the minors either.

 

We were alright. My last year we lost in the Division 1 State semis to the team that won the thing. God damn Burlington!!!!

I could fill pages on this thread but I’ll try to keep it short- overall Mass HS hockey has been on the decline for about 20 years now. Used to be you played for your local HS, you played for a prep school, or you played for one of only a handful of junior teams. nowadays there are probably 50 junior programs around here and 40+ of them are garbage. They’re about money making and the vultures that run them are selling something they can’t back up. For instance, a local HS player that has parents that have a checkbook will be targeted. I’m not talking about a really strong HS player I’m saying essentially any HS player that can pay and tie their own skates will be “recruited “ to play on these shit low level teams with the promise of college hockey. Teenage boys have the biggest egos in the world, they’ll do anything if you tell them how great they are, it’s sickening. Sometimes these are JV level players that are just plain bad hockey players. Kid can’t skate backwards but he was told he’s gonna play HockeyEast?........ I don’t think so. Of course sometimes it’s also the better players that jump to juniors and the USNTDP plucks the elite, which I obviously have no issue with, in fact that team should be every HS aged kid’s goal. Either way all of this has really watered down Mass HS hockey.

 

Good read, Matty, interesting. One thing that's cool is the kids in that area at least play the game. Might have a whole lot of 'not so talented' hockey skaters, but probably a few that can really go.

When I was a kid, it was hard to find a group of hockey enthusiast's because we were so poor and my parents and mentors didn't know where the 'cliques' were. Things were very dry until HS level and then you had to be pretty good to make a team here (well at least capable of skating backwards, lol).

So guess what? I played baseball and football instead... didn't cost a damn thing, lol.

 

that sucks for guys like you Will that may have wanted to play but never had the opportunity. still hasnt stopped you from being a hockey nut though and that is awesome.

growth in the States is why USA hockey will continue to improve long after we're all gone. there are so many untapped resources here, so many athletes that have never had the chance to play hockey and i firmly believe that once someone plays its nearly impossible to not be hooked. best sport hands down. its a slow progression here but its still a consistent progression. an ex player of mine is playing for the Huntsville Havoc down in Alabama, he says its nuts and that since the NCAA football season ended the fans go bananas at their home games. imagine Auston Matthews' uncle never brought him to the Coyotes games or imagine Seth Jones' dad wasnt traded to the Nuggets and he didnt watch the Avs practice by happenstance. Imagine Gronkowski or Lebron started skating when they were 4. there's such a large pool of athletes here.

 

Hey, Justin Holl is from tonka bay, Minn. Drafted 54th overall in 2010 by chicago, just played his first two nhl games at 26 and scored in both games.
Good story, he played in last weeks ahl all-star game in utica. Leafs have been hanging on to slow polak when they have this guy on the farm.

At the pace the game is growing in the US, it's possible that it could pass canada one day. If access to the game is easier in the US than Canada, then it's possible.

 

i think its inevitable

 

And with that, all the legends from Howe to the rocket, orr, gretzky and mario, do a collective head turn, huh?

 

Global warming will melt all the ponds in canada.

 

#s going down in Canada, #s going up in the US.
the US bridging the gap at every level. it was only a decade ago when the US was an afterthought for a WJC medal.