Alexandria Blizzard Listed as Top 5 NA3HL Organization
JuniorHockey.io | April 18, 2025 | Stephen Heisler
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THE FIVE: NA3HL ORGANIZATIONS THAT GET IT RIGHT
- COACH – Is the coach doing the job for the right reason.
- OWNERSHIP – Does the operator have control of the building. Do players get the extra ice time needed to focus work on the individual aspects of their game. Does ownership maintain their end of the bargain and delivered all that was paid for?
- BILLETING – Are billets coming back season after season or is the situation an afterthought, hockey house, or even a revolving door?
- OPPORTUNITY – Is the coach throwing a fit if one of our clients has the chance to go to an NAHL team to skate and try to win a stall?
- ACCESS – Does the coach have access to NAHL team? Does the coach have good relationships with more than just one NA team.
- DEVELOPMENT – This is a big one, are players getting better with that coach and team? Is there a notable difference between the first month of the season to the last? Was there a good return on the parents’ investment?
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ALEXANDRIA BLIZZARD – When it comes to doing things the right way, St Cloud Norsemen owner Chris Canavati has been doing exactly that for the last 20+ years. That includes the operation of two NA3HL clubs in Wilmar and Alexandria, Minnesota. Blizzard head coach Jeff Crouse elected to stay in Alexandria as the head coach of the NA3HL team when the NAHL team moved to South Dakota in 2012. Unlike many other NAHL operated 3HL teams, Crouse has excellent relationships with several NAHL teams and coaches, not just the bosses’ team in St Cloud. Getting his players to those teams in season has never been an issue. The new reality for 3HL coaches is relationships within the game, and that has to include coaches from college club programs. While other guys were literally ignoring the club coaches in the past, Crouse has always extended the same level of professional courtesy to the club programs as he did NCAA schools. That was a smart move. Since 2012, the ONLY complaint we’ve ever received regarding Crouse and the Blizzard program, came from a goalie that was unable to prove he could play at the appropriate level of competitiveness needed to be put into many games. One complaint in 13 years. Not bad coach, not bad at all.
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Find all 5 teams at: https://www.juniorhockey.io/news/the-five-na3hl-organizations-that-get-it-right
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