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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M 09 DEVELOPING AT HOME As a town with a population of just more than 10,000, Grand Rapids does not have the talent pool that metro-area competitors boast. During the 2016-17 season, the association had 411 youth players register. It's a large number and especially impressive given the city's small population. Marinucci thinks this unique circumstance is something that makes the program special. "We develop our players and we live and die with the players we develop. I think as a community we are proud of that," said Marinucci, who grew up in Grand Rapids and won the Hobey Baker Award in 1994 as a member of the UMD Bulldogs. While these players are developing indi- vidually, they also get the chance to devel- op chemistry with their teammates. Most players start with the same teammates at 8U and continue with them all the way up to the high school level. Once these players reach the high school level, they are quick to give back to the com- munity that helped make them the hockey players they are today. Older players are often seen helping the younger players on the ice. They let young skaters out onto the ice after certain varsity home games. The giving-back nature of Grand Rapids is something that is seen throughout the community. "A lot of coaches and people running it are people that have been through the organization and had that experience," said Chris Henrichsen, association treasurer and youth coach. "We are able to get everybody in the right mindset because of the experience of those within our program." PRODUCING TOP-END TALENT Grand Rapids has continued to push out some of the State of Hockey's top talent. The list of successful alumni is astounding and includes the likes of Alex Goligoski, Jon Casey and Marinucci him- self. These three alumni are among 12 Grand Rapids natives who have made it to the big leagues. Last season, a new group of young stars emerged. Gavin Hain, Blake McLaughlin and Micah Miller played together on the same line for much of the season and were key to Grand Rapids' title run. The trio had been together since they were 12 and had won the Minnesota Hockey State Tournament Bantam AA title back in 2014. Recently, Hain and McLaughlin's accomplishments were rewarded as the two high school stars got to repre- sent Team USA at the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup. They also got to represent their country at the 2016 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament. Marinucci also stressed that, after hockey season, Grand Rapids prides itself on hanging up the skates. Playing multiple sports is a point of emphasis for the Thunderhawks, and key to their overall suc- cess. That philosophy won't change. "We live and die with what we've produced over the years," Marinucci said. "We develop our players and we live and die with the players we develop. I think as a community we are proud of that." –Chris Marinucci The Grand Rapids community was rewarded for its commitment to youth hockey last year with a high school state championship.