Attempted to watch Thayer vs Nobles on YouTube but it made me sad. Amazing how missing the big name players can make the hockey so very bad. Prep is going to stink this year with 90% of the better players staying put where they are in USHL, NAHL, USPHL. They are getting great experience with JR hockey, not locked down on campus and can still do school online. I don’t see a downside other than prep hockey needing to reinvent itself over the next few years. Big name hockey programs like Avon, Salisbury and Cushing will be folding for the year, announcement right after the new year. Not good.

Why is it amazing? Prep hockey had only been two lines deep the past 5+ years anyway. Take those two lines away, what’s left?

What’s left is full pay students

Sucks not being able to afford prep

Its does, but what a waste of money to play lower level hockey

That’s because it’s about the academics, not the hockey.

So where are you supposed to play as a 16/17 year old kid? Prep is bad, FS is bad.. those are the options.

There’s lots of good full season midgets and junior hockey outside New England. Prep has ruled the day in this area and blew it. Now serious players have to consider living away from home.

Or, parents can realize kids are going to play junior until 20 or 21 anyway and just focus on development until after HS.

At this point it is what it is. If some of these prep schools cancel after the first of the year, the kids that are already affiliated with a JR team will hook on to them but you aren't going to see a mass exodus of more kids leaving. There aren't many more spots to take on decent teams.

My son's coach is confident they are going to be playing games after the 1st of the year - I only hope he is telling the truth!

Its SUPPOSE to be about academics and not hockey, but tell that to the ones that are leaving prep for the USHL, NAHL, BCHL, OHL, NCDC et.

It has NEVER EVER been about academics or anything else other than the hockey. So once the hockey goes away, so does the talent. When the pandemic ends things will return to normal. The top players will be back at prep and parents will go back to repeating the humble brag, it's about the education.

My son is at Prep and it is 100% for hockey. He is working to play in college and at 16 the best option for him was to go play at Prep school. FS teams in the area stink so the best option for exposure was to go to prep. Hope it works out but I will never say it was for the academics, his public school was just fine. 100% Hockey decision.

My son is at Prep and it is 100% for academics. He is working to do well in life and at 16 the best option for him was to go to Prep school. FS teams in the area stink but it would have worked out fine, because they’re all playing junior after HS anyway. I know it will work out because no one ever said they thought Prep school was a detriment in life. But I will never say it was for the hockey. The academics at his public school were just fine, but Prep is still better. 100% Academic decision.

Ok, So I guess I should have said that..I guess its a win win for him, but if not for the hockey opportunity he would have not gone.

That is a different equation. Having a kid that’s good enough to leverage hockey to get most or all of their Prep tuition paid is a win-win, as you said.

Unfortunately, for some parents it really is 100% about the hockey. They’ve lost sight of the importance of a Prep school education. They’re also the ones headed for Tampa in a couple of weeks and putting their kid’s education at risk. Some of those kids may be good enough to pull it off, then again the best kids went to the U or NA. Some may not see the edge if the cliff that’s right in front of them.

Go for the academics. The hockey will take care of itself.

Will be surprised if the better prep players go to FLA...most preps are doing something for a season

The ones who already have their commitments are going to Florida. More ice for my son

Every level and league has become two lines deep if that. It’s everywhere you look.