Junior & College Hockey

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Anon

Jan 17, 2023 - 9:58AM

Re: Just go to college ....

anon

Anon

I keep seeing posts suggesting that we should all forget this junior crap and have junior go straight to college after graduation. Well, I felt exactly the same way a year ago. In fact, we turned down a couple tenders and committed to a college because I figured the chances of playing D1 hockey (having no offers so far) was extremely low. I was also worried that if he went off to play junior this year, he might want to play another year and I really wasn\'t down with that.

Well, my wife and some friends convinced me to give him one \"gap year\" where he could get noticed or just have a year having fun playing junior hockey. Otherwise, he might spend his life wondering what might have been. Moreover, he is a very late bloomer, so I figured that there might be some interest even though there wasn\'t much before.

So, off he went to play tier 2 junior for a coach who liked him and his style of play. He gets a lot of ice time and has been contacted by numerous D1 and D3 programs - not the elite D1 programs like Michigan or Minnesota, but good colleges. In fact, it\'s looking like hockey may help him get into some elite academic schools that he might not have gotten into otherwise.

As such, the gamble seems to have paid off for us. The question now is whether we let him play another year of junior. The answer is probably \"yes\", provided some of our target colleges remain interested but want him to mature another year.

I am calling BS on D1 schools seeing your son at Tier 2 Juniors! i see kids scoring big in NCDC and BCHL who are not getting those calls. most elite teams are commiting spots to their own Premier kids, So not sure if is coming from agent looking to farm customers but I am not buying it!

Huh? The NAHL is Tier 2 and puts more players into NCAA D1 than any other league.

Anon

Jan 17, 2023 - 10:44AM

Re: Just go to college ....

Yes, the NAHL is tier 2. Not all NAHL players get offers, but many do.

I am not entirely surprised that NCDC kids are not getting offers. NCDC is not viewed as favorably as the NAHL.

Americans playing in the BCHL without offers? That surprises me.

JustFacts

Jan 17, 2023 - 11:40AM

Re: Just go to college ....

Anon

anon

Anon

I keep seeing posts suggesting that we should all forget this junior crap and have junior go straight to college after graduation. Well, I felt exactly the same way a year ago. In fact, we turned down a couple tenders and committed to a college because I figured the chances of playing D1 hockey (having no offers so far) was extremely low. I was also worried that if he went off to play junior this year, he might want to play another year and I really wasn\\\'t down with that.

Well, my wife and some friends convinced me to give him one \\\"gap year\\\" where he could get noticed or just have a year having fun playing junior hockey. Otherwise, he might spend his life wondering what might have been. Moreover, he is a very late bloomer, so I figured that there might be some interest even though there wasn\\\'t much before.

So, off he went to play tier 2 junior for a coach who liked him and his style of play. He gets a lot of ice time and has been contacted by numerous D1 and D3 programs - not the elite D1 programs like Michigan or Minnesota, but good colleges. In fact, it\\\'s looking like hockey may help him get into some elite academic schools that he might not have gotten into otherwise.

As such, the gamble seems to have paid off for us. The question now is whether we let him play another year of junior. The answer is probably \\\"yes\\\", provided some of our target colleges remain interested but want him to mature another year.

Huh? The NAHL is Tier 2 and puts more players into NCAA D1 than any other league.

Wrong.

Current players in NCAA DIV 1 who played in-

NAHL: 621 (only 293 that did not play USHL)

USHL: 914

The Tier 1 USHL is the number 1 feeder to NCAA DIV 1 hockey.
If you had any idea what you were talking about, you'd know this.
And no one believes a story about a kid going off to T2 juniors on the whimsical suggestion of your wife's social club and getting "multiple" D1 offers as well as multiple D3 offers.

Anon

Jan 17, 2023 - 12:07PM

Re: Just go to college ....

JustFacts

Anon

anon

Anon

I keep seeing posts suggesting that we should all forget this junior crap and have junior go straight to college after graduation. Well, I felt exactly the same way a year ago. In fact, we turned down a couple tenders and committed to a college because I figured the chances of playing D1 hockey (having no offers so far) was extremely low. I was also worried that if he went off to play junior this year, he might want to play another year and I really wasn\\\\\\\'t down with that.

Well, my wife and some friends convinced me to give him one \\\\\\\"gap year\\\\\\\" where he could get noticed or just have a year having fun playing junior hockey. Otherwise, he might spend his life wondering what might have been. Moreover, he is a very late bloomer, so I figured that there might be some interest even though there wasn\\\\\\\'t much before.

So, off he went to play tier 2 junior for a coach who liked him and his style of play. He gets a lot of ice time and has been contacted by numerous D1 and D3 programs - not the elite D1 programs like Michigan or Minnesota, but good colleges. In fact, it\\\\\\\'s looking like hockey may help him get into some elite academic schools that he might not have gotten into otherwise.

As such, the gamble seems to have paid off for us. The question now is whether we let him play another year of junior. The answer is probably \\\\\\\"yes\\\\\\\", provided some of our target colleges remain interested but want him to mature another year.

Huh? The NAHL is Tier 2 and puts more players into NCAA D1 than any other league.

Don't most players go into USHL with a verbal already in place? Can you find that number? The number of current USHL players that had a verbal college commitment before stepping on the ice with an USHL team. Interesting. I think the majority of US kids chasing any type of commitment are mainly in EHL, NAHL, NCDC, USPHL Premier ( In alphabetical order). Sound right?

anon

Jan 17, 2023 - 12:27PM

Re: Just go to college ....

JustFacts

Anon

anon

Anon

I keep seeing posts suggesting that we should all forget this junior crap and have junior go straight to college after graduation. Well, I felt exactly the same way a year ago. In fact, we turned down a couple tenders and committed to a college because I figured the chances of playing D1 hockey (having no offers so far) was extremely low. I was also worried that if he went off to play junior this year, he might want to play another year and I really wasn\\\\\\\'t down with that.

Well, my wife and some friends convinced me to give him one \\\\\\\"gap year\\\\\\\" where he could get noticed or just have a year having fun playing junior hockey. Otherwise, he might spend his life wondering what might have been. Moreover, he is a very late bloomer, so I figured that there might be some interest even though there wasn\\\\\\\'t much before.

So, off he went to play tier 2 junior for a coach who liked him and his style of play. He gets a lot of ice time and has been contacted by numerous D1 and D3 programs - not the elite D1 programs like Michigan or Minnesota, but good colleges. In fact, it\\\\\\\'s looking like hockey may help him get into some elite academic schools that he might not have gotten into otherwise.

As such, the gamble seems to have paid off for us. The question now is whether we let him play another year of junior. The answer is probably \\\\\\\"yes\\\\\\\", provided some of our target colleges remain interested but want him to mature another year.

Huh? The NAHL is Tier 2 and puts more players into NCAA D1 than any other league.

I think you missed this part so I'll call it out for you: "He gets a lot of ice time and has been contacted by numerous D1 and D3 programs".

Where does it say he was being offered, either D-I or III? In rereading his post, I don't even think he's inferring that his son has received an offer at this point, just interest. What he will soon find out, regardless of where the interest is coming from, his kid isn't likely going to be really offered anything until his age out season, so OP dad your kid has another year or two before he heads to hallowed halls of Univ of Alaska Fairbanks or Gustavus. As they say "enjoy the ride"

Anon

Jan 17, 2023 - 4:17PM

Re: Just go to college ....

I agree that OP did not say "offers" - he said interest, not offers. There is an obvious difference.

I do not agree that all NAHL players must await their age-out year to get offers. Yes, many NAHL players need to sweat it out until the age-out year before the first offer comes. But I know several current or former NAHL players who got offers - some from very good schools/academies - one or two years before the age-out year. A quick look at the NAHL news section reveals several 03s who not only got offers, but committed this year. Depends on many, many factors, including the player's size, ability, character, grades, experience, representation, coach support, etc.

JustFacts

Jan 17, 2023 - 4:55PM

Re: Just go to college ....

Anon

Only 6% of all players in NCAA D3 are under the age of 21.

Players currently in NCAA D3 who played in NAHL

2004s: 1
2003s: 0
2002s: 22

Several 03s may have gotten a commitment this year but they will be a fractionally small handful, just like the 02s from last year. This number gets smaller every year. There are 402 03s currently playing in NAHL and only several have offers per website. Your kid, my kid, the kid up the street, they're all playing juniors until they age out. I wish mine was a unicorn too but look at the data and be realistic.

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