Any and all questions about playing junior hockey

[Barclay Donaldson]

Completely understand what you are saying. But for clarification, when they say "main camp/invitation only" is that their way of just setting the hook deeper or does it give you .0001% more chance than those actually Predraft camps?

FWIW, these are great conversations, you guys are a wealth of knowledge and it's truly appreciated!

Invitation only is a crap shoot because it varies between different teams in different years. There are some teams that use the main camp as an actual test of the roster. Most of the players they expect to make the roster are there, and those players are almost exclusively ones the team has drafted, tendered, protected, or scouted extensively. But there are others who only host an invitation-only main camp without a predraft camp, I can think of Shreveport recently as one, where it is likely a big money maker with a couple hundred skaters on a couple of teams.

There is no streamlined and standard answer, teams just have different development systems and it changes constantly over time. A NAHL team owner who also owns NA3HL teams, which is quite normal, will likely hand out invitations to players on those NA3HL teams in order to help sell the organizational and league development model to players. But other teams might not need it and don't want the hassle of organizing 3 camps in the summer when they already know the roster for next season and want to enjoy their summer.

 

[CB1]

Regarding the NAHL and fully realizing that you play wherever the opportunity is given, are there particular divisions that are better than others? How would you rank them and are certain divisions better for "pursuing" the college hockey dream? Like I said, beggars can't be choosers, but just curious with what you guys think or know.

Thanks!

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Regarding the NAHL and fully realizing that you play wherever the opportunity is given, are there particular divisions that are better than others? How would you rank them and are certain divisions better for "pursuing" the college hockey dream? Like I said, beggars can't be choosers, but just curious with what you guys think or know.

Thanks!

All the divisions are fairly even. The NAHL process for drafting, tendering and scouting results in pretty good parity between teams, divisions and the league.

 

[kij]

Regarding the NAHL and fully realizing that you play wherever the opportunity is given, are there particular divisions that are better than others? How would you rank them and are certain divisions better for "pursuing" the college hockey dream? Like I said, beggars can't be choosers, but just curious with what you guys think or know.

Thanks!

As Barclay said the divisions are pretty even but you will have fewer scouts at your regular games if you go to Alaska or the south division just because of geography but in that league, with division crossover play, you will be seen. Not even UAA or UAF make that trip over to Kenai. The south is a little better, many midwest and northeast schools do go down in the dead of winter for scouting just to get out of the cold but there are the obvious budget constraints and a short drive when a team is playing locally is always preferred compared to a cross country flight.

 

[Guy23]

Will Canadian kids be aloud to cross the border and play in the states?

 

[JMCx4]

Will Canadian kids be aloud to cross the border and play in the states?

Under prevailing circumstances & with our current Administration, that's gonna be a hard question to answer.

 

[CB1]

Gentlemen, hope everyone is safe and well! Question regarding junior summer tournaments/showcases. Normally there is a Pre-Draft Tournament that takes place ahead of the NAHL draft. Since COVID nixed the Pre-Draft, and teams are now asked to attend the Senior Chowder Cup. What are the main benefits of the Senior Chowder Cup if the NAHL draft takes place prior? Are there still scouting opportunities that take place at the Chowder still? I know this may be difficult to answer as now it seems teams (USHL, NAHL, & etc) are holding main camps at different dates than normal due to COVID. As I understand it USHL does their thing, then NAHL, and so on. But seems everything is up in the air this year! They say the Senior Chowder Cup is still a go, but with all these quarantine requirements from high risk states, wonder if they will be able to pull it off?

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Gentlemen, hope everyone is safe and well! Question regarding junior summer tournaments/showcases. Normally there is a Pre-Draft Tournament that takes place ahead of the NAHL draft. Since COVID nixed the Pre-Draft, and teams are now asked to attend the Senior Chowder Cup. What are the main benefits of the Senior Chowder Cup if the NAHL draft takes place prior? Are there still scouting opportunities that take place at the Chowder still? I know this may be difficult to answer as now it seems teams (USHL, NAHL, & etc) are holding main camps at different dates than normal due to COVID. As I understand it USHL does their thing, then NAHL, and so on. But seems everything is up in the air this year! They say the Senior Chowder Cup is still a go, but with all these quarantine requirements from high risk states, wonder if they will be able to pull it off?

No one has any idea what is going on. I doubt the teams even know what is going on. Anyone who says they do is lying.

One thing I can still say is that every team still knows their roster for this upcoming season. Every team still knows their roster for the upcoming season by the time their previous season has finished. Save for one or two spots they might save for a player who surprises them in tryouts or from their NA3 affiliate, the rest of the roster is easily filled up from returning players, protected players, drafted players, tendered players, and the rest. COVID didn't change that list of 50 or so players they've gone after.

That means it is *almost entirely certain* this is a way for teams to make up money. That is what the Pre-Draft Tournament was. If the person you are thinking about putting into this tournament hasn't been in constant contact with a NAHL staff member and had them knocking down their door, then they are likely looking at the wallet rather than the talent level.

 

[rinaldo]

chowder cup canceled as of today

 

[JMCx4]

chowder cup canceled as of today

Source?

 

[CB1]

Pro-Am Hockey (proamhockey.com) just updated their website with the cancellation.

 

[rinaldo]

Source?

..

 

[rinaldo]

they are putting together a tourny in Danbury CT to replace the chowder cup.

 

[rinaldo]

No one has any idea what is going on. I doubt the teams even know what is going on. Anyone who says they do is lying.

One thing I can still say is that every team still knows their roster for this upcoming season. Every team still knows their roster for the upcoming season by the time their previous season has finished. Save for one or two spots they might save for a player who surprises them in tryouts or from their NA3 affiliate, the rest of the roster is easily filled up from returning players, protected players, drafted players, tendered players, and the rest. COVID didn't change that list of 50 or so players they've gone after.

That means it is *almost entirely certain* this is a way for teams to make up money. That is what the Pre-Draft Tournament was. If the person you are thinking about putting into this tournament hasn't been in constant contact with a NAHL staff member and had them knocking down their door, then they are likely looking at the wallet rather than the talent level.

any thoughts on the New England Prep league?

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

any thoughts on the New England Prep league?

Which one? NEPSAC or ISL? And what do you mean by thoughts? Are they money grabs, will they play this year, what?

 

[rinaldo]

Which one? NEPSAC or ISL? And what do you mean by thoughts? Are they money grabs, will they play this year, what?

NEPSAC. Do you think that is a good league? Your thoughts or opinion on the talent/competition. Just your general opinion overall.

any insight to which teams will be good/bad?

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

NEPSAC. Do you think that is a good league? Your thoughts or opinion on the talent/competition. Just your general opinion overall.

any insight to which teams will be good/bad?

I have spent most of my limited time in North America living in New England. From everything I have seen, NEPSAC is just as good, if not better, than any AAA midget league in North America. Talent top to bottom is extremely high, with a minimal talent drop off. A factory of college commitments and a continuously building list of pro alumni. My general opinion is it is extremely high quality. And with a sticker price over $50,000 per year in tuition for every school, absolutely no league expansion since it's inception, and being an established powerhouse institution for almost 100 years, it better be the expectation the product is good and the quality is high.

Like college hockey, it is cyclical as to who is good. The only schools consistently at the top are Salisbury and KUA. Everyone else has their ups and downs. Last year, Lawrence Academy and Dexter were a force and AOF finally had a good season after dominating the 2000s and then fading to anonymity during the 2010s. And towards the bottom were former contenders Thayer and Gunnery. It honestly depends on who the school gets to coach and recruit, how much money they want to sink into scholarship money or tuition waivers, and which school gets their wealthy Fortune 500 CEO alumni to donate to the hockey program.

 

[rinaldo]

I have spent most of my limited time in North America living in New England. From everything I have seen, NEPSAC is just as good, if not better, than any AAA midget league in North America. Talent top to bottom is extremely high, with a minimal talent drop off. A factory of college commitments and a continuously building list of pro alumni. My general opinion is it is extremely high quality. And with a sticker price over $50,000 per year in tuition for every school, absolutely no league expansion since it's inception, and being an established powerhouse institution for almost 100 years, it better be the expectation the product is good and the quality is high.

Like college hockey, it is cyclical as to who is good. The only schools consistently at the top are Salisbury and KUA. Everyone else has their ups and downs. Last year, Lawrence Academy and Dexter were a force and AOF finally had a good season after dominating the 2000s and then fading to anonymity during the 2010s. And towards the bottom were former contenders Thayer and Gunnery. It honestly depends on who the school gets to coach and recruit, how much money they want to sink into scholarship money or tuition waivers, and which school gets their wealthy Fortune 500 CEO alumni to donate to the hockey program.

thanks fpr the response. Some of those schools are "hockey" schools while others hockey is secondary. Either way great competition i agree.

 

[CB1]

they are putting together a tourny in Danbury CT to replace the chowder cup.

Just talking, nothing major : ) Interesting the NAHL Combine moved to Danbury CT (from MA), but CT along with NY & NJ have a mandatory 14 day quarantine of travelers from 19 states.

 

[mjhfb]

Just talking, nothing major : ) Interesting the NAHL Combine moved to Danbury CT (from MA), but CT along with NY & NJ have a mandatory 14 day quarantine of travelers from 19 states.

Do you mean the math doesn't work? They change to CT one week before but players from certain states need to quarantine prior for 14 days?

 

[rinaldo]

Just talking, nothing major : ) Interesting the NAHL Combine moved to Danbury CT (from MA), but CT along with NY & NJ have a mandatory 14 day quarantine of travelers from 19 states.

it is a done deal per emails that have gone out

 

[CB1]

Do you mean the math doesn't work? They change to CT one week before but players from certain states need to quarantine prior for 14 days?

Yes. My son isn't going, but if we had signed up for it when it was in MA, then they changed locations, we would not be able to attend since we live in one of the 19 flagged states. I'm sure some kids will be affected by this move. Guess having it someplace is better than not having it at all. Just part of the crazy situation as the sport tries to maneuver through this pandemic! Take care!

 

[mjhfb]

Yes. My son isn't going, but if we had signed up for it when it was in MA, then they changed locations, we would not be able to attend since we live in one of the 19 flagged states. I'm sure some kids will be affected by this move. Guess having it someplace is better than not having it at all. Just part of the crazy situation as the sport tries to maneuver through this pandemic! Take care!

Will be very interesting on 2 fronts - will the NAHL refund or give a credit to those players, and will NAHL email them prior to say they cant go and/or turn kids away at the desk from those states.
What a mess.

 

[CB1]

Any thoughts or insights regarding play in the USPHL vs the NA3HL? Are they somewhat comparable? Some teams tout their affiliation to higher level teams (NCDC and NAHL), but if level of play is not comparable, I would assume it would hinder development of a player in one or the other? For consideration, and to be upfront, the goal is to play in NAHL (have to shoot for something!). FWIW, we will already be attending a couple NAHL main camps, but need to think about a plan B if these do not work out. Have already had offers from both USPHL & NA3HL teams. Thanks!

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

Any thoughts or insights regarding play in the USPHL vs the NA3HL? Are they somewhat comparable? Some teams tout their affiliation to higher level teams (NCDC and NAHL), but if level of play is not comparable, I would assume it would hinder development of a player in one or the other? For consideration, and to be upfront, the goal is to play in NAHL (have to shoot for something!). FWIW, we will already be attending a couple NAHL main camps, but need to think about a plan B if these do not work out. Have already had offers from both USPHL & NA3HL teams. Thanks!

I am assuming you mean USPHL Premier and NA3HL.

The answer for that is it varies by team. Every team is going to market themselves as superior. You are a potential customer. In reality, both leagues will average 3-6 D3/ACHA commits per team. Some will have a lot more. Some will have a lot fewer. Some will even have zero.

Think of it as no different process than buying a car. Do you have and mind outing the specific teams? That would be the most effective way of figuring out the best offer.