What age should kids be wheeling for the OHL

[Nick01477]

Not sure if proper place to put this but, given that the 2016 priority selection just passed, my question is what age should be trying to reach the OHL? I mean this is two ways. The first way is: Which age should a kid make it a serious goal to make it to the OHL. And the second meaning is: what is appropriate for a kid and parent (s) to start making that push to make it to the OHL. Are kids pushed too much?

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[LaPlante94]

Not sure if proper place to put this but, given that the 2016 priority selection just passed, my question is what age should be trying to reach the OHL? I mean this is two ways. The first way is: Which age should a kid make it a serious goal to make it to the OHL. And the second meaning is: what is appropriate for a kid and parent (s) to start making that push to make it to the OHL. Are kids pushed too much?

It should be your goal to make the OHL once you start playing hockey and start to love the game. Once you become a teenager it should be a serious goal to make the OHL since you get drafted when you are about 15 years old. Playing AAA hockey (especially in the GTA area), don't be discouraged if you don't live in GTA area because if you are good you'll get scouted and they'll keep an eye on you. It depends what you consider pushed too much. You gotta work hard on and off the ice to make it and you are gonna have to do it even harder once you make it. I don't think kids are pushed too hard but some parents can be a bit extreme and put way too much pressure on their kids and it affects them. If you have a parent who devotes their free time to practice with you and work out with you then you should be grateful. People are different and respond to different style of coaches/parents. I liked my coaches strict and perfectionists because it made me a better player because I worked harder to get it right so I didn't have to skate suicides. But I didn't want to come home and have to hear about what I did wrong and yelled at because I made a bad play because I had a coach who did that. Sorry for blabbing on.

 

[SH15]

With puck bunnies these days, these kids are wheeling well before the OHL

 

[Torts]

Not sure if proper place to put this but, given that the 2016 priority selection just passed, my question is what age should be trying to reach the OHL? I mean this is two ways. The first way is: Which age should a kid make it a serious goal to make it to the OHL. And the second meaning is: what is appropriate for a kid and parent (s) to start making that push to make it to the OHL. Are kids pushed too much?

I say it time and time again but players (in every sport) develop at different rates. A player who might be the best on his team at 12 may not be the best player at 15 or 16 and so on.

However, if a player is playing AAA hockey around 12 or 13 I'd say it's reasonable to set junior hockey of any kind as a goal come 16/17 years of age. I'm no scout or adviser but I'd recommend that finding or speaking with some sort of representation or agency might be a good idea. Lots of time working on and developing skating - we've seen in recent years that hockey has changed. You have to be able to skate at an elite level to make the next stage.

God help my unborn children haha!

With puck bunnies these days, these kids are wheeling well before the OHL