I don't know enough of these kids to agree or disagree with your statement about killing the prep argument, I'll leave that to those of you who have kids who are draft eligible this year & followed these players closely. That said, I don't personally know anyone whose kid had a legitimate shot at playing D-I that said "Don't go to the USHL", just the opposite. Those that I know view prep as the stepping stone to the USHL and if they don't develop enough to get there, well their kid got a great high school education that hopefully helps them get into a strong academic school.

Here's a real question for those of you that have closely watched these players. How many of the USHL kids played U-16/U-18 FS here vs either prep or public HS? I could only find one kid from the local full season options, does this mean FS is really nothing more than a money grab or is it too early to really make that call?

Full season is not the way to go in this area - its clearly prep. Look at the college commits, look at the NHL mid season rankings.....NOTHING is pointing to full season as the best development method other than the marketing of the programs who are lining their pockets. All the best players play prep, leftover kids play full season. Sure you may find a player or two that goes to next level playing full season but 99% go the prep route. Your call.

Prep only matters in your New England bubble
The rest of the country laughs at your split season / prep model - it's a complete joke for development

Tier I Elite Hockey League and HPHL send WAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY more players every year to the USHL, NAHL, D1, and eventually NHL than the entire NE Prep league combined

You Boston blowhards gloat about 10-12 prep kids on central scouting??????

Im sure you're aware that scouts discount "playing in an enigma high school league" when evaluating prep players right?????

Keep paying $50K per year and reading the Jeff Cox propaganda to keep the dream alive!!!!!

Hey tool bag - we live in New England. No one here cares about Tier 1. Prep is the best way to go if you live here. Period. Who cares what the rest of the country is doing - we live here. Also, was the rest of the country laughing last year when a prep kid went in the 1st round of the NHL draft?

I don't know a single "elite" prep player paying 50K a year for school. Although financial aid is need based, because of the number of kids going to these schools with parents in the .002 income bracket you can make a pretty nice living and still get lots of aid. Do you really think NH, CW, etc. paid 50K a year to go to St. Seb's or Nobles?

Because it is need based (ISL) they got a lot less than you probably think. Fact.

Irony is, JE would have gotten way more, and he went to public HS.

Family income 350 K per year
Cost to attend N & G including R & B Sun-Fri 5K
Fact

Like I said, you can make a pretty good living and still get a great financial aid package.

Neither NH or CW were boarders.

So, not sure how much stock to put in your "facts."

No but my kid was a boarder & that's what my family paid, 5K because if I didn't, it would have been considered taxable income. Since my kid wasn't in the same hockey universe skill wise (he was just a solid 2 year varsity player) as MW, JCB, NH, CW, etc. I am assuming they got similar deals. That is where I got my facts from.

Also, it was interesting as we went through the process how different the aid packages were from different schools. I don't think it is coincidence that schools with name recognition, many "full freight" students and very large endowments offered far more aid than those without, even though tuition costs were all similar.

That really only applies to area kids that aren't geographically mobile. The best of the best area players go NTDP, right? That's full season hockey.

It's also getting harder and harder to convince out of area kids to go the NE prep route. Outside of this area, everyone understands that T1EHL and HPHL are the easier path to the USHL.

And, area kids are starting to realize Prep isn't all that, either. More and more are trying to play USHL, at least in the Fall. Some are coming back for Prep season, but mostly because they aren't seeing TOI.

Want to see the "modern" path? Take a look at the kid from RI that's been pumping in goals for the Steel lately. His four years have been 1) full season U16, 2) Low half season/Low Prep, 3) Top half season/Top Prep, 4) USHL.