This past week some of you may have watched a "State of the Union" address. I'm sure most of you didn't. I didn't. But the topic got me thinking about the "State of Hockey".

OK, that's the last time I use that phrase because I'm sure the Minnesota Wild have it trademarked. Where Detroit is Hockeytown USA, Minnesota is the State of Hockey. Still, how is hockey doing? Hockey is a sport that attracts a very loyal following. We are all concerned and interested in its state of being. I'll give you my take.

If I were to assess the current status of hockey and give it a letter grade, it would be a B. Why not A, C, D or F? I'll try to explain. It's subjective, but it also seems appropriate after I reviewed the game. Here where some of my main thoughts:

• NHL - I think the NHL is the strongest it's ever been. It is possible that it was stronger in the early 80's after the Miracle on Ice, but I'm not sure. Still, there is little arguing it's strong. I give big kudos to the professionals who finally began to understand that there was no other way than to sign the last collective bargaining agreement with the league. Many thought it would hurt the game forever, I think it's helped the game. Without it, there would not have been the rule changes. Many of us diehard fans didn't need the rule changes, but the league needed them to attract new fans and money that are critical to the success of the sport. The other great thing about the NHL is that it's creating some great hockey in what are not known traditionally as strong hockey markets. Youth hockey in South Florida, North Carolina, Phoenix, Dallas, Nashville, Atlanta and Colorado keeps improving, significantly. The NHL is responsible for this, make no mistake about it. During the lockout there was constant discussion about which teams to contract. When was the last time you heard that?
• College - It's a great game. Kids really are getting an education and a few have a shot at the NHL. I must admit, I'm a little concerned about the recent trend toward NCAA D1 being an alternative to the minors for kids like Phil Kessel, Thomas Vanek and Zach Parise. One or two years and then pro. The University of Minnesota might have more NHL first round draft picks than any team in amateur or professional hockey. Most of those kids are now turning pro after one or two years. But college hockey is still a great game. The only reason I'm writing this column is because the #3 Notre Dame vs. #8 Miami game is "sold out" tonight. Miami just opened a great new facility and Jeff Jackson, coach of Notre Dame, is seeking funds for a new state of the art facility near the golden dome.
• Juniors - As the major feeder system to NCAA D1 and now even D3 schools, the Junior system is fairly healthy. There will always be a lot of franchise movement and change in Juniors, but the system continues to develop kids. The USHL is the only Tier 1 US Junior league and is the premier league. The NAHL is the only Tier 2 US Junior league and also does a great job of getting kids ready for the NCAA. Their are a number of additional Junior A leagues, especially the EJHL, spread around the country that churn out college players. The premier Canadian Junior leagues, the OHL, WHL, and QJMHL don't send kids to US colleges because they are considered "professional" hockey, but those leagues also continue to do their job. The three major Canadian junior leagues have produced 6 of the top 12 scorers in the NHL as of today. What's interesting about that list, however, is that the Q has 3 of the top 12, the O has 2, NCAA has 2, and the WHL, Russia, Slovakia, Czech and Finish youth leagues have produced one each. Talent is coming from all over the place. From where I sit, that is a good thing.
• US NTDP - The US National Team Development Program has been criticized by some over the years as a money trap. Still, I believe the program gives kids, especially kids from non-traditional hockey markets, a chance to train and develop under world class leadership. Look at the last few NHL drafts and you'll see a lot of NTDP kids in the first round. Something is working. There is a part of me that says that if you agree to play for them, you should give 5% or 10% of your professional earnings back to fund the program for years to come.
• Youth - I'm still troubled by much of youth hockey. The good thing is we haven't seen any parent-coach conflicts that have ended in death for a couple years (knock on wood). My own experience tells me that the number of problem parents has declined in recent years, but I think that's because my kid is now a second year peewee and that the prime time for wacky parents is mites and squirts. By peewees, most parents have figured it out or have left the game. Money is another issue that still bothers me. It costs too much to play in many parts of the country. We don't spend enough energy trying to make the game affordable. I've been told by more than one resource that it costs $15-25k a season to play AAA hockey in Dallas or Southern California. I'm not sure Detroit, Chicago or Boston are much different. Part of that expense is the cost of ice, but travel is the biggest expense for most of us. There have got to be ways to cut down on the travel expense. And all the people who make a living in youth hockey is getting a little extreme. I know our society has changed, but many of us grew up playing with volunteer coaches. I can see some payment at the AAA level, but I'm not so sure about the Tier II level hockey. Speaking of AAA youth hockey, I feel pretty strongly that the recruiting going on is universally a bad thing. Many GTHL youth teams have already decided who they are cutting and are contacting kids to tryout in the spring. There is no waiting until the season is over. USA Hockey freezes rosters on 12/31 and teams like the pizzamen from Detroit are known nationally for recruiting right up the the deadline. I like the 12/31 roster freeze date because it gives kids a chance to move midway through the season if something isn't working, but that's different than recruiting during the season. Thankfully, this is a relatively minor issue when compared to the good of the game.

Good hockey is now played in just about every state. New hockey families are born every day. It's still the greatest game in the world and the bug continues to inflict new "victims" on a regular basis. Hockey is doing well. As always, there are improvements that can be made, but there is a strong foundation to build from. Enjoy it and don't be afraid to volunteer to help make it better!