Full season teams are in the top division, really good teams, holding their own. Half season not so much. Not sure what the thinking g is, teams don't start practicing until after the tournament.

OP must be talking about 1/2 season teams. FS is a different story. Those kids are the cream of the crop, like the kids playing too Junior teams for Kings or Islanders. Neither organizations "developed" these kids but all stake claim to them. Can't argue with the logic. Knights are now in 4th year. No more excuses about an upstart program. If TL and JL were that good people would stay, players would improve and they would win. It's that simple.

Face the facts folks. The Lovell magic sauce ain't that magic. They are like every program. Their only stable one being the original, and outside of his FS older kids, they are average at best for top teams and poor at others.

And for the record, my kid plays in the program and has for a couple of years now so this is not an EHF/E9 thing. Just a realistic view of the program which we like.

FS Kings and Islanders are mostly kids that play for HSs with lousy programs. A notch above HS JV/below Varsity for the most part. Prep not really an option for most of the kids.

Most of the BA FS kids are from decent local HS programs but know this is better hockey. A notch above public HS Varsity, especially in terms of depth, probably equal to top Prep. League gives them the opportunity to play against the best kids in the country.

Some of the kids have been with the program for a number of years, like your kid. Some new to the program. Some are billeted kids from Canada and other parts of the US. So, it's a mix.

Kind of unfair to put it on BA that they don't have more carryover kids from the youth level on these teams. Fact is, some kids develop, some kids don't. In a lot of cases, it doesn't matter how good the instruction is.

Some kids leave before they even get to U14 to play for other teams where parents think it's a better deal. Some leave to play Prep.

Lots of avenues. I don't think the composition of a U16 or U18 team in this area is necessarily a reflection of the strength of a program. Different at Little Caesars or Chicago Mission. They take kids from a much bigger geography.

But, I do agree that there isn't necessarily any ""magic" program.

Great post! All very true. Always a balance between Hockey, Education and Cost. I tell you this: the preps better realize soon that people are starting to recognize that there are better options than dropping $25 ( financial aid)-$60k on prep . Sometimes it is a great option but unless you are a stud and paying $15k or less than you may have much better option especially when the prep school isn't that great academically.

Agree. Prep hockey is good but as you will see in the summer and fall tournaments it's hardly as if prep players are the best on the ice. Good players are everywhere and at the price it should be better but the reality it prices out a lot of very good players.

It seems like the difference between u18 and Prep is the super stud who can either afford prep or gets a great deal. Three or four kids like that can make the difference. The rest of the players are pretty much interchangeable. Hockey wise U18 will give you far more ice time than prep at a fraction of the cost. Of course academics aside.

Prep is down right now. No MA prep kids drafted this year, only 2 in NE. Only 3 on the Central Scouting list for 2017.

The best Prep kids are going to the USHL, either the NTDP, or because they were drafted. With NAHL here now you'll see more leave.

Prep is getting younger every year. Wait till you see the '02s in lineups this year. What 18/19 year old D1-level player - who is going to have to play Juniors in most cases next year anyway - is proving anything by playing against a 14 year old?

Have your kid go to Prep for the education. Not for the hockey. Not any more. And that means, take real classes, not watered down classes for athletes. Don't pretend for a second the colleges will juts say "Oh, he went to X, he must have gotten a good education." They will look at the transcripts and figure out what kind of student he is.

Otherwise you're wasting his time and your money.

It used to be Prep was full of really good kids who were coming into prep as repeat Jr's or PG's. Real strong, mature kids. Now it seems like mostly really young and lower level older players. Still some real good players too, however most leave before they get their prep school diploma.

Sorry your kid got cut