Stay with tier 1 team over elite if it is fun and friends are being made. Elite is just a title and most of the times town teams that stay together for year can beat most elite teams

thanks, I figured I should stay put. The stories and the turnover at the elite team had me thinking that way anyway. I appreciate the feedback

sorry your kid was cut from said elite team

this is a very good suggestion. lot's of BS out there and many people have many axes to grind. You should talk to the coach, see about attending practice (to see how they are run) and of course play in some games if there is not a conflict with your team. Then make the call for yourself based on what you see (not what you hear).

The kings 06 Elite is a sh*t show. Stay away!

Stay with good coaches who are good people also. Most parents overlook how important it is to have good people around their kids

The parents I talk to when we play them seem very happy with the coaching. That team is night and day from what it was 2 years ago.

^Who could be this bitter?

Turnover at most of the top elite teams (top 3 in division) would be 2 maybe 3 players a year. If there's more than that, it's a lower level team. If your son will be in the bottom 3 of the kids, stay put. If he can truly be in the top 6 forwards or top 3 D then make the move to see if he likes it.

Regardless of games, practicing with higher-level players throughout the season helps with development. The kids are usually faster, can handle passes better and more "in to" hockey. Obviously at the 06 level it's a crap shoot where kids will pan out, but if your kid is a good skater and likes the competition go for it.

As a prior poster said, see if you can play a few games with the elite team. If he does well, reach out to other teams and see if there are options.

My son made the jump from tier 1/BHL to Elite this season and I could not be happier with the decision. The difference in the speed and physicality is huge. I agree with some of the previous posters that alot of teams are 1-2 kids skating around and not much real hockey going on. Make sure you do your homework, get out to practices (not only for fit, but travel time as well), and make the most informed decision possible. I would warn you, it has taken him some time to adjust to the difference between the leagues and he will not score at the rate he currently is but it was definitely worth it. Good Luck with your decision.

3 sides to every story, consider the source before passing judgement on that Elite coach. If you get good feedback from the families who's kids are coming back; then consider the move. Although there are a handful of teams in town and tier 1 that can beat a given Elite level team, it is worth it to make the jump for your skater's development, because the overall level of competition is simply bigger, faster, stronger, which results in better for your kid. With that said, if your kid is going to be relegated to 3rd line duties then stay put. That can damage a kid's confidence. Good luck with your decision.