Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1200804
15 How Minnesota Hockey communities create college hockey pipelines IT'S NO SECRET THAT MINNESOTA produces more hockey talent than any state in the country. So, when one looks over rosters of some of the top college programs and sees them littered with players from the State of Hockey hotbed, it shouldn't come as a surprise. However, if you dig deeper, there are certain college programs that seem to always have skaters from certain Minnesota com- munities in their lineup. And it's most likely not a coincidence. Many of these pipelines from high school to the next level have been long established and are only growing stronger. From Bill Nyrop to Anders Lee and many more, the Edina to Notre Dame men's hockey connection has been well doc- umented. The road from Hermantown to AMSOIL Arena in Duluth is stronger than ever. But what is it about these schools that creates such a long- standing connection? Why is it that over the last seven years the Golden Gopher women have had at least one player—from Paige Haley to Nicole Schammel to Taylor Heise—from Red Wing? In some cases, proximity is key. Other times, it's a personal connection. It has to be more than random happen- stance, right? Campus Connectors Jim Scanlan used to coach the boys' and girls' high school teams at East Grand Forks High School. b y S T E V E M A N N Taylor Heise is the latest Red Wing star to suit up for the Golden Gophers. Max Johnson and Taylor Schneider helped Lakeville North win the 2015 MSHSL State Tournament.