I thought playing was the fun part, didn't realize it was about who was watching.
Enjoy gawking at all the puck bunnies at your local D-II HS games. Don't let your wife see your eyes stray.
Your right, playing is part of the fun but by the time a kid is 16/17 the entire experience should be fun and if he isn’t having a good time where he is why not give HS a shot.
Good for your kid, hope he enjoys it.