In 2023, Norwell played Sandwich in the MIAA Division 4 boys state title. Norwell eventually won, 4-3, in overtime.
Along with it being a really good game, I couldn't help but wonder what Norwell would look like if it had Teddy and Casey Mutryn on the roster. Both were (and still are) top players in their respective birth years. Both once called Norwell home.
Of course, the Mutryns weren't anywhere near Norwell High School. Then, the duo was at St. Sebastian's. Now, Teddy is with the USHL's Chicago Steel and Casey is with the U.S. National Team Development Program.
But it got me thinking bigger picture.
What if there was a world in which prep schools didn't exist? What if junior hockey wasn't a thing? What if academies like Mount St. Charles, South Kent and Seacoast Performance Academy weren't around?
College coaches would flock to MIAA games. NHL scouts would be headed to local towns all over Massachusetts to get a glimpse of potential draft picks.
Let's use last season as an example. Imagine Cole Eiserman, who owns the NTDP goal-scoring record, lighting it up for Newburyport High School, or Teddy Stiga, who was a second-round pick in the NHL Draft earlier this year, headlining Lincoln-Sudbury's lineup. There was a time not so long ago when there were no academies, local kids didn't play juniors and fewer players opted for the prep route.
I want to be clear about something: I'm not saying this all should happen. The landscape is the way it is. Less and less high-end talent is staying in the MIAA. Most don't even choose to play for their hometown.
But what if they did?
The atmosphere at MIAA games is already good. That wouldn't change. But I do wonder if some of these players put back at their hometown high schools would actually make them better. Many of these players are really good, but have a tough time differentiating themselves among other good players at prep schools, juniors or academies.
Some ground rules for this bizarro world exercise: Players born from Oct. 1, 2006, to Sept. 30, 2010, were eligible. Private schools such as St. John's Prep, Catholic Memorial and Xaverian were also not considered. While they're in the MIAA, it's impossible to put players at those schools since it's not based on where they're from. Players on those rosters were put in their hometown high school.
We'd be here a long time if we showed how every single lineup changed. Instead, let's look at the schools who would see the biggest improvements.
