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.
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.
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.
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.