I think if you're aiming at playing after high school it's worth a shot. Adjust your target and see what the next step entails. Other than your time (we all know in youth hockey there is no need to discuss money), why not look for new experiences and rachet up a notch?

Cause if you put that $2K into skill/strength development he might actually end up being good enough to play out there.

Nice, you walked out there, slept outside the rink and didn't eat for four days. Impressive.

My son went a few years back and loved it. He didn't make it to main camp but is currently playing ECAC hockey. Our youngest is an 03. I hope in the next few years he has the same drive to attend a few of these and see where it goes, but am truly surprised at the amount of parents who "think" their kid is "ready". I feel it is good for them to go, see what its like, and realize, they are not "ready".

Overage are 20 year olds. There are no limits on 19's. If you kid is limited by overage then he graduated HS and played local junior for 2 years (unless he repeated or double repeated/PG like a few do) and if he is still looking for a place to play at 20, it's time to go to college and play club hockey if he still wants to play.

There are 60 NCAA D1 programs. There are 16 USHL clubs. Nearly every kid in that league has a D1 comittment. Don't think I've ever seen a line chart with a D3 school logo next to a kids name.

Exactly. If you cannot crack a USHL lineup than your college prospects are far from over. 2/3rd of D1 players did not play in the USHL never mind D3.

It can't be both? What if it cost double? Triple? Same experience, same time on ice, same level of hockey. At some point the experience is still great but it's not worth it. Everyone has to make their own call because you really won't know or get a straight answer from anyone because no one will be honest. No one will come back and say what a waste. They won't tell you that their kid was the 10th forward or was on a line with the same kids who wouldn't pass the puck all weekend. They will just say it was good to see where he was at.

From my personal experience, if your kid is not on the radar already and has no change of playing in the all star games, don't go. Wait till he can play on that level. That's when you see if he can really make a team and play at that leval. Those are also the games where all of the NHL and college coaches are watching. If he's underage and going just because you got an email, your probably wasting your time and money, unless of course you are just curious.

Semantics. Not worth it is the same as a waste of money. Doesn't mean zero value but it means if you could do it over, you wouldn't, but whatever.

Yes I've observed two camps. The talent on the ice varies greatly. There are 160-200 kids at the camp. There are also other USHL clubs having camps at the same time also with 160 to 200 kids out there. There arent that many good players out there. Maybe if your kid is younger all the kids look better because they are bigger/faster. But once your used to watching that level you'll see that there are a whole bunch who just aren't that good. You act like at a tryout they all have the same skill. All have had good coaching. And yes there are kids who try to showcase themselves so no, not everyone moves the puck when they are supposed to. This is a junior tryout, not the NHL and they are kids. Some go from tryout to tryout and when your desparte to crack into the league, you'll do what you think you need to stand out. Passing the puck to a 16 year old winger who is going to get battered along the wall and turn the puck over going the other way isn't the best way to showcase your abilities. But if you have been to any you would know this.

You would also know that during the prelim games often times the coaches can be seen meeting with returning players in locker rooms or lobby of the rink and not watching the games. Then as the college coaches and nhl scouts start to arrive they are off networking. The only games with the undivided attention of coaches and scouts are the all star games. They are the only ones that matter. These clubs are looking for handful of players. They know their returners. They know their affiliates who are ready to step into the roster and have already comitted to come out for the next season. They are looking for a couple more. Once its down to 40 players they can better judge because the younger kids who arenet ready and the older kids who can't play are gone.

Don't really care if you put stock in it or not.

Most clubs have 8 team main camp. A few have 4 main, 4 futures running at the same time but what's the diff. Pretty sure everyone can take in the face that in any hockey event they have been to there is a drop off in talent, IQ etc. The thought that a tryout camp is all Tier 1 junior level play is not close to accurate.

Just getting our feet wet with this. What is an affiliate player?

Drafted and maintained on the clubs protected list. If your kid is drafted and kept on the teams list, he can't play for any other USHL team.

Futures drafts are 10 players. All 10 are protected for a year. After a year I think the club can protect 4 or 6 of those so some will be dropped but are then elibigle again to be drafted in the phase 2 draft. Who is kept on the list depends on projections as well as the family giving an indication of a willingness to send their kid out there.

Not uncommon for players to be drafted in the USHL more than once. Once in the futures draft and then again in the phase 2 draft a couple of years down the road.

www.ushl.com/news_article/show/692675-2016-30-man-rosters-and-affiliates

Teams will have a 30 man roster in July and that pares down to 23 by Sep or the start of the season. So 7 will be cut or move to the affiliate list.

Affiliate lists are 18 deep. In general each year they consiste of 10 futures that were just drafted in May, Six from the prior years futures draft, and four others.

So this July most teams will have an affiliate list of ten '01's, six '00's and two '99's.

Thanks for the info. Good discussion.