Keep your kid at his Catholic or Prep until he gets that call from the USHL. Tier 1 teams around here are not good and are back filled with disgruntled Mass kids that can't play at their Catholics or Preps, and unless he already has a DI commit in hand, the USPHL is the road to DIII and Club hockey.

This is absolutely 100% accurate.

Haha, yeah, except for the part about being "back filled with disgruntled Mass kids that can't play at their Catholics or Preps." There are two programs, yes, both not strong by league standards, but neither had very many prep or CC kids. NHJM had almost no Mass kids, and about half of what they did have were out-of-area billets.

Guess 100% ain't what it used to be.

League is a lot of fun. Don't let the parents that maybe watched one period of one game tell you differently.

Use the brain in your head - I went to at Tier 1 showcase in Hingham last year and it was a debacle. Hockey was decent but it was out of control punk hockey. Multiple fights per game - it was a joke to be honest. If you want to spend a few thousand bucks, have your kid on buses all the time and missing a ton of school go for it.

My kid played in the league, and I think in that game you saw, if I have the right one in mind. I don't think it was a showcase. The way the league worked, you played every team in your division four times, twice at home, twice away. I think it was one of those games. I don't remember any "bad" games in a showcase, which is when you played teams out of your division, once each.

If I'm right, it was anomalous. It was a joke, and league reprimands were handed down. Sorry it was the only game you saw. Main combatant had over 120 PIM last year. Real goon.

But, the comment about the buses isn't accurate, we had only one bus trip to NJ. And he really didn't miss much school, the way things worked out. Maybe 4 days?

I will tell you, it was a great league and a great experience. Generally, very clean games relative to midget hockey in general.

...with the exception of mentioning the catholics/prep in the same sentence.

USPHL so you can pay for Tier 3 Juniors bus rides.

T1EHL is the feeder for the USHL, which is the best hockey league in the country.

Let's do it this way - Do you ever foresee your kid being big enough or strong enough to play D-1 hockey? T-1 if it's realistic he will play D-1; USPHL if he has D-3 more in the cards for him. And if mom is 5'2" and dad is 5'6" I'd say keep the kid local because T-1 will be the end of the road for him

Truest statement on here in a long time. Genetics takes over at some point. You can't buy size. Bad move marrying the hot little spinner that was a cheerleader in college.

NCDC Sux guy is he the same guy who's son scored .14 PPG in the Canadian tier 3 league? Is the player tall?

Is this even English? Who's= Who is. Whose= Shows possession. Not only are you short but dumb as well. Probably with a chubby wife. My son is a big defenseman just so you know and moved from CCHL which is Tier 2 to NAHL which is also Tier 2. Now go get your shine box.

Except, it's not that simple. There are a lot of factors that go into the process, particularly when the kid in question is 15, as the OP's kid is. Where is he going to school? Is that a consideration? How difficult is it to get to the locations of the two Tier 1 teams in the area? What times do they practice? What is the traffic like at different times of day? What time does he finish classes? Does he have other responsibilities after school? Is there even a parent that can consistently drive him?

I know these things factor in more heavily than where he may eventually play because we have been faced with this decision. I don't know whether my kid is D1 or D3 material yet, or either, but I do know that the Tier 1 league was an excellent experience for him. We won't continue, because of some of those other factors. I'll miss the league. It was fun.

It was a good run though! Who's it about anyway?

Let...me...say...it...more slowly...for...you...so...you...can...understand...

I...do...know...that...the...Tier...1...league...was...a...good...experience...for...him...

Prep