The Minnesota Blades
AAA Hockey Club

 
      Established 1989      
 

Mission Statement
To provide exceptional youth hockey players the opportunity to develop advanced individual and team skills by playing with and against players and teams of equal or superior skill.

History & Philosophy
The Minnesota Blades AAA Hockey Club is a non-profit youth hockey association that originated in 1989, initially as the Minnesota Stars. The founders, John Arko and Dennis Postregna, wanted to give talented Minnesota youth hockey players the opportunity, in the off-season, to travel outside the state and country to complete at the Tier I level --- experiences not normally available to Minnesota players during the regular season. They started with two select teams, playing hockey across Europe with 1976 and 1977 birth years players.

Since then, the organization has grown to include boys and girls teams from Mites to Midgets, ages nine to nineteen. Funding for the Blades activities comes from parents, corporate sponsors, and the annual Blades-sponsored Spring AAA tournament, the Minnesota Super Series.

Part of the Blades philosophy is that the best competition challenges players to be their best. The strength of this concept lies in the belief that highly skilled players, playing with others of similar skills, are able to learn more about teamwork and the game of hockey, because their coaches are teaching a team of players who can all execute and understand at the same level. Blades coaches stress skill and systems development, play making and teamwork. The tournaments that Blades teams participate in are selected based on the strength of the competition, the dates, and the location. To assess the success of the Blades program, check out the ever-expanding list of our alumni accomplishments.

Excellent coaching, highly-competitive tournaments, and international travel all serve to "stretch" Blades players' abilities and attitudes, building self esteem in a variety of areas. The tournament travel experience alone can be extraordinarily educational. Playing in a hockey tournament in Toronto, for instance, will still allow our young players time to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame, or to have lunch at Gretzky's restaurant. In Boston, they may have the opportunity to see a Red Sox game or visit the Harvard campus. Every aspect of the Blades schedule, from player selection to practices to competition, is designed to help the individual improve as a hockey player. Additional benefits include the expansion of life experience and the development of self-confidence, all while having fun with their friends!

Announcements
 
2002 MN Blades Tryouts!  July 13, 2010.....Register Now!

This tryout is for the 2002 Blades team for the 2011 season, which starts in April 2011.  For more tryout information, click on "Tryouts" tab on left sidebar.

   
2010 MN High School State Hockey Tournament - 34 MN Blades!

Congratulations to the 34 MN Blades players who played in the MN State High School Hockey Tournament!

5 of the players are Mr. Hockey Finalists!

Blades State Tournament Participants (34 players) Mr. Hockey Finalists
Ankeny, John Edina 1992 Bjugstad, Nick 1992 Blade
Bahe, Ben Hill 1993 Decowski, Cal 1992 Blade
Bjugstad, Nick Blaine HS 1992 Alt, Mark 1991 Blade
Brodzinski, Johnny Blaine 1993 Gardiner, Max 1992 Blade
Casto, Chris Hill 1991 Isackson, Chris 1992 Blade
Cotroneo, J. D. Hill 1993
Cutshall, Ryan Edina 1992
Dugas, John Hill 1995
Everson, Max Edina 1993
Farrell, Landon Rochester Lordes 1994
Fashing, Hudson Apple Valley 1995
Faust, Andy Hill 1994
Faust, Willie Hill 1991
Fogarty, Steven Edina 1993
Gardiner, Max Minnetonka 1992
Girard, Connor Edina 1993
Jarrett, David Edina 1992
Johnson, Jonah Hill 1994
Johnson, Jordan Hill 1991
Lavalle, Zach Hill 1994
McCallum, Connor Hill 1993
Michaelson, A. J. Apple Valley 1994
Olson, Collin Apple Valley 1994
Phillippi, John Hill 1993
Prochno, Andrew Minnetonka 1991
Reno, Parker Edina 1995
Richart, Taylor Blaine HS 1992
Sampson, Jake Edina 1993
Scheid, Eric Blaine HS 1992
Schulze, Kevin Hill 1993
Sit, Michael Edina 1993
Skjei, Brady Lakeville North 1994
Toninato, Dom Hill 1994
Wagamon, Joe Blaine HS 1992

 

   
Did You Know.....just under 300 MN Blades played/are playing D1 hockey?

Click here to view!

   

MN Blades Victorious at the NAHL Tournament in Blaine!

TWO MN Blades teams, Midget Major U18 & Bantam U14, win the NAHL Tournament in Blaine September 16th-20th, 2009.  Congratulations!  On USAHockey.com, the Bantam U14 team is the Youth Hockey Feature Of The Week. Click here to view article.

Congratulations also goes out to the MN Blades Midget Minor U16 team (a team of all U15 players) for being a finalist at the NAHL Tournament.

   

 MN Blades Head to Ann Arbor

The MN Blades are happy to announce that 4 Blades players have accepted offers for the National Team Development Program and will be heading to Ann Arbor.

Travis Boyd, Dan Carlson, Matt McNeely and Matt VanVoorhis have all signed contracts.  Congratulations Travis, Dan, Matt and Matt!  There are a few other Blades players who have offers and have not signed, and others who are still waiting to hear.

Other MN Blades currently in the program are: Nick Mattson, U18 NTDP; and Justin Faulk, U17 NTDP.

   
The Brick Super Novice Highlights!
http://brickhockeyhighlights.com

For the first time, everyone can get a sense of the quality of play at the Brick Super Novice Hockey Tournament in West Edmonton Mall. There is no better tournament in the world for ten-year olds!  You can view highlights of the 2008 Blades or the 2007 Blades (finalists).  Remember, these kids are ten years old!

   

MN Blade in NHL Playoffs

Phil Kessel, a former MN Blade, plays for the Boston Bruins and scored his first two goals in the Boston vs. Carolina series on May 10, 2009.....it was his second multiple-goal and third multiple-point game of the '09 playoffs. 

The series is tied at 3-3 and game 7 is tomorrow.  GOOD LUCK PHIL!

   

Our own......

Our own MN Blades's player, Blake Wheeler, made his playoff debut with the Boston Bruins!

Wheeler is in his 1st NHL season with the Bruins and doing great!

More highlights to follow.....below is a picture of Wheeler's first NHL Hat Trick back in November!  "Congratulations Blake!"

 

   

Another pair of Blades make the big time!"

Our own MN Blade's player, Taylor Chorney, made his NHL debut this month with the Edmonton Oilers.  Taylor is 21 years old and played at Shattuck St. Mary's and went on to play collegiate hockey at University of North Dakota.

Congratulations Taylor - well done!

   
Six Minnesota Blades chosen in 2008 NHL Entry Draft

This year’s Minnesota Blades NHL draft class includes six players, led by, defenseman Jake Gardiner in the first round. Gardner was chosen 17th overall by the Anaheim Ducks.

Gardiner enjoyed a meteoric rise from a being solid player as a junior forward at Minnetonka to becoming Mr. Hockey as a senior defenseman. That year included playing in the spring for the Minnesota Blades.

Two Blades with the same birthday were chosen in the second round. Derek Stepan of Hastings and Shattuck was chosen 51st overall by the New York Rangers. Danny Kristo of Edina and the National Development program was chosen 56th by the Montreal Canadians. Although both were born on June 18, 1990, there is no truth to the rumor that their draft-day horoscope read "In the second round you shall be chosen".

Corey Fienhage, of Eastview was chosen in the third round (81st) by the Buffalo Sabers. St. Thomas Academy’s Nick Larson went to Calgary in the fourth round (108th) and Edina’s Joe Gleason was taken by the Chicago Blackhawks in the seventh round (192nd).

The 2008 class brings to 71 the total of Minnesota Blades who have been drafted by NHL teams. Gardiner is the 17th Blade taken in the first round of the draft. The first Blade ever drafted was Ben Clymer in the first round in 1997.

   

11 Blades taken in 2007 NHL Draft

Eleven Minnesota Baldes Alumni were picked in the 2007 NHL draft. The first round picks included 2007 Mr. Hockey Ryan McDonagh, Angelo Espisito and Minnesota gophers; Patrick White and Jim O'Brien. These 11 bring the total of drafted Minnesota Blades Alumni to 65 since the 1997 draft.
   

 

Stories
 
Minnesota Blades get four first-round picks, thirteen total in 2007 NHL Draft
Click Here for Full Story
   

 

 

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