Former Hockey East Div. 1 Student - Ask me Anything...

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HockeyAdvice
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2012 8:51 am

Former Hockey East Div. 1 Student - Ask me Anything...

Post by HockeyAdvice » Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:01 am

Hey everyone,

I can't say that I have ever posted on this forum before but I thought it might be beneficial to offer up any knowledge that I may (or may not) have.

I've noticed after browsing the forums that there are a lot of questions about Juniors, Prep, BCHL Vs. USHL , College, Advisors etc... that I should be able to answer to some degree.

My background: Canadian, now dual-citizen living in Boston, 6 years of Junior experience (Canada & USA), 4 years of D-1 hockey, Graduated in 2010, still actively involved in all aspects of hockey

Ask away, I will try and respond as soon as possible.

Hopefully, I can be of some help.

JCarlson
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:40 am

Post by JCarlson » Fri Feb 08, 2013 2:51 pm

I have a question for anyone that may know: When looking to tryout for an NAHL team, how do you find out which team has the most open roster spots for the coming season? Will the coach offer that info up or is it hush hush? It would seem to make sense that if it's going to cost me 200 bucks+ to tryout, my money is best spent on a team that's actually looking to fill spots.

Murphy
Posts: 35
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:56 am

Post by Murphy » Fri Feb 08, 2013 7:45 pm

I will offer an opinion, but like anything else, you need to take it for what it's worth. Coaches call kids they are interested in....however they call many more kids than they have open spots for.....if you are just getting a letter, i would seriously consider how badly I wanted to try out.

If the coach is calling, you can ask how many open positions they expect, and how they see you fitting into the lineup. The coach will give a sell job, but you can get a better feel for the situation. It is not just about being good enough. They are looking for role players. 1st line versus 3rd line kids have different skills. Some will be the tougher enforcer kids, some finese. Like it or not, big goalies are viewed more favorably.

One of the camps we attended, there were 250 kids at the camp. All the kids who made the team were either returners, draftees or tendered kids.

What I would do is recommend that players go to USHL and NAHL camps a year before they truly want to attend, just for the experience. It makes it a little less intimidating when they're there for real.

Just one opinion. Good Luck!

JCarlson
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:40 am

Post by JCarlson » Mon Feb 11, 2013 10:47 am

It seems there are some NA teams that are more successful than others at eventually getting their guys to D1. Better coaching? Better connections?

Murphy
Posts: 35
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:56 am

Post by Murphy » Tue Feb 12, 2013 6:03 pm

I think there are some coaches and programs that are extremely committed to making it happen for their players (D1 commitments), and work very hard to build connections and market their players. I believe other programs are more concerned with other things - business, money, winning, etc and if it happens fine. Teams that get commitments are the best. Teams that move their kids on to USHL are also good.

Some NAHL programs have long standing coaches and winning programs and others turn over often. Some have established coaches like Littler come in and that can also be a good thing. The right team makes all the difference in the world. At the end of the day it is a business.

Good luck.

JCarlson
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:40 am

Post by JCarlson » Fri Feb 15, 2013 2:16 pm

You hear a lot about the importance of your HS coach.....how he's the main contact person when scouts come looking. Our HS coach is not good. Not much interested in encouraging/helping guys move on or up. We never got along vwery well.. Just the way it is.

livinthedream
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2011 4:15 pm

Question regarding Family Advisors

Post by livinthedream » Thu May 16, 2013 4:38 pm

Hi Guys, Hoping you can share your collective wisdom here! We have a son (junior in HS) whose dream - like many - is to play D1 hockey. He has had some mild interest expressed by a USHL team, attended a few camps and was told he did very well, but nothing has materialized. He will be skating in the Elite League this fall, and for his HS this winter. His HS team does very well, but plays an extremely conservative brand of defense, and so he does not have the flashy stats that seem to get defensemen noticed.

How important is it to have a "family advisor" nowadays? And where would one begin the process of finding one? Any idea on the cost? We do not come from a hockey background, but several people and coaches have told us he is very good. We're not sure if he's just not quite good enough, or if kids need someone with a hockey background advocating for them to make the jump to the next level.

Would appreciate any advice/feedback you have to share!

preferhockey
Posts: 136
Joined: Fri Feb 15, 2013 10:07 am

Post by preferhockey » Mon May 20, 2013 11:43 am

JCarlson wrote:You hear a lot about the importance of your HS coach.....how he's the main contact person when scouts come looking. Our HS coach is not good. Not much interested in encouraging/helping guys move on or up. We never got along vwery well.. Just the way it is.
HS coach can help get player attention and open doors, all you can do is try to encourage coach to contact some teams. If you have specific teams and contacts that would help situation.

Second question on advisor, not needed if parent of player just get involved with player contacting teams via e-mail, have a hockey history/bio of player prepared to share - do include other activities player participates. Coaches and scouts like multi-sport athletes.

joey
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:15 pm

Post by joey » Tue Jun 11, 2013 6:08 pm

My 18-year-old son has gotten some mild interest from a team in the BCHL, nothing very concrete. He has gotten some moderate interest from 3 NAHL teams, no tenders/wasn't drafted, but was invited to their final camps.. So, time will tell if we earn a roster-spot invite from anyone...

The one and only person that I have talked to who had a son play in both the BC and the NAHL told me that the leagues are about the same ability level, but that the BC was more finesse-oriented and the NA was "grittier".

She recommended the NA on the basis that her son got tougher in the NA after spending a season in the BC.

In the event that we end up with opportunities in either of these leagues, could you please offer your opinion as to these questions:

How do the ability levels of the typical BC teams compare to the NA or USHL?

How would the quality of the coaching in these leagues compare?

How does the overall experience in the BC compare to the US leagues? , and

Do you agree or disagree with this one mom's opinion about the grittiness and the value of a "grittier" season of play?

Thanks for your input -

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