Which one? NDTP, Junior A , Shattuck, MN High School
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
Such loaded questions.. 
NDTP develops great players because they get great players to start with. If you're good enough to join that program, then you are something special already. But they will make you better.
USHL: I've seen kids develop there, and I've seen kids flounder there. The same for the NAHL programs. Some kids are ready to play there at 16, and many are never ready for it. This is truly an individual call based on the maturity and needs of each player.
HS helps to create some good players, but not all will develop beyond a certain level in high school for many reasons. The team, schedule and coaches are three items that can help, or hender a player's growth. And I'll add that for every person who talks about their great high school experience and all the great friendships forged there, there are always as many, if not more, who would disagree with that statement and say high school was just a time in their lives. Many long-term friendships are forged in the junior ranks as well. I will ventrue to guess that more strong relationships are forged at college than high school, unless you go to school in the same area as home.
Shattuck St. Mary's is an interesting proposition, and other than high school where you live, the only option where you have a choice to attend without an invitation. Of course, attending doesn't put you on the top Prep Team by itself. (I know folks who have attended with the assumption that they would play on the top team, yet never seemed to crack the line-up.
Good luck finding an answer that is truly hard to find with so many ideas and personal experiences.
NDTP develops great players because they get great players to start with. If you're good enough to join that program, then you are something special already. But they will make you better.
USHL: I've seen kids develop there, and I've seen kids flounder there. The same for the NAHL programs. Some kids are ready to play there at 16, and many are never ready for it. This is truly an individual call based on the maturity and needs of each player.
HS helps to create some good players, but not all will develop beyond a certain level in high school for many reasons. The team, schedule and coaches are three items that can help, or hender a player's growth. And I'll add that for every person who talks about their great high school experience and all the great friendships forged there, there are always as many, if not more, who would disagree with that statement and say high school was just a time in their lives. Many long-term friendships are forged in the junior ranks as well. I will ventrue to guess that more strong relationships are forged at college than high school, unless you go to school in the same area as home.
Shattuck St. Mary's is an interesting proposition, and other than high school where you live, the only option where you have a choice to attend without an invitation. Of course, attending doesn't put you on the top Prep Team by itself. (I know folks who have attended with the assumption that they would play on the top team, yet never seemed to crack the line-up.
Good luck finding an answer that is truly hard to find with so many ideas and personal experiences.
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scoreboard33
- Posts: 581
- Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2007 4:53 pm
I'd make the assumption that if you are good enough to attend NTDP then you will probably make SSM top team.Blue&Gold wrote:Such loaded questions..
NDTP develops great players because they get great players to start with. If you're good enough to join that program, then you are something special already. But they will make you better.
USHL: I've seen kids develop there, and I've seen kids flounder there. The same for the NAHL programs. Some kids are ready to play there at 16, and many are never ready for it. This is truly an individual call based on the maturity and needs of each player.
HS helps to create some good players, but not all will develop beyond a certain level in high school for many reasons. The team, schedule and coaches are three items that can help, or hender a player's growth. And I'll add that for every person who talks about their great high school experience and all the great friendships forged there, there are always as many, if not more, who would disagree with that statement and say high school was just a time in their lives. Many long-term friendships are forged in the junior ranks as well. I will ventrue to guess that more strong relationships are forged at college than high school, unless you go to school in the same area as home.
Shattuck St. Mary's is an interesting proposition, and other than high school where you live, the only option where you have a choice to attend without an invitation. Of course, attending doesn't put you on the top Prep Team by itself. (I know folks who have attended with the assumption that they would play on the top team, yet never seemed to crack the line-up.
Good luck finding an answer that is truly hard to find with so many ideas and personal experiences.
Another good option is the East coast boarding schools that play a rigorous schedule and focus on academics, kind of like SSM.
And I've been touting the OHL and WHL but that would be if you only care about hockey, not high school, not college. These kids are pretty much pros and they don't care about anything else.