And please do not forget the 800 lb gorilla in the room -
who you know,
lineage,
nepotism,
connections,
money
In any order you see fit.
Absolutely factors in, in a big way especially as the kids get older. You're welcome
Some truth to this. I've seen kids go far with no connections just because they were that good as well. I've seen not so good kids go far because of money/connections also.
Bottom line, if the kid is that good the connections will approach him/her.
I'm still not sure who I hate more... the 2014 parents or the ones that act like D1 or higher is unattainable.
Going as far back as is trackable on elite prospects, it appears that roughly 23% of brick players are drafted by NHL teams. Clearly an extremely high percentage, showing a strong correlation with being a top player at 10 and at 18.
And stop acting like D1 is out of reach. New England probably sends 20++ kids to D1 every year.
Saying it doesn't matter, and that everything changes has a small merit of truth, as some kids do fall off, while others are late bloomers. But the numbers don't lie. For the most part, if you are one of the best when you're 10, you have a decent shot at making it.
Either I'm taking crazy pills, or they're just trolling