My son plays is a first year USPHL U18 divison, he played AAA in the past, and wants to play in the NAHL or Canada Jr A by the time his second year of U18 is done. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good advisor? Thanks.
Any and all questions about playing junior hockey
- Thread starter Hockeydad1196
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Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
Advisors truthfully aren't able to do as much as they advertise anymore. The most they are able to do is get you a half-chance with one of their contacts in exchange for a hefty hit to the wallet. The top of the line advisors with the real pulling power generally approach the players, not the other way around. The simple way of looking at it that those teams would approach your son if they were really interested in him to begin with, and an advisor isn't the way to to change that. Even with NAHL expansion and the NCDC, there is a huge surplus of interested and qualified kids. Putting up big numbers and playing well is going to more for him in getting to the next level than an advisor ever will.
If his goal is to get attention from the NAHL or Canadian Juniors, his best bet is to put up good numbers and grab attention that way, along with finding an identification camp that has a lot of coaches from other teams in attendance. Free-to-play coaches frequent each other's camps and historically redirect each other quality excess talent.
hey guys, sorry for the questions but I was wondering about something. My son has recently been into contact with NAHL Coaches in hopes that they will draft him late this year. One of the coaches invited him to a pre-draft camp for further evaluation... usually I would say no as these are typically money grabs, but this was the first time the coach invited him to a pre-draft camp... usually they invite him to the main camp, but he says this time it's because the draft is before the main camp so he has to go the pre draft. So any suggestions/ advice?
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
It is hit or miss. At that point in the summer, NAHL teams already know what the roster looks like. Those camps are to find a surprise or two for the two or so spots up for grabs. They also use it to keep tabs on some, since teams plan on dressing 30+ guys at some point during the season with call-ups, demotions, injuries. Most of the kids there are to bring in some revenue.
See how many players signed up for the pre-draft camp, ask them where they rank him, etc. If they're bringing in a ton of kids, and they just want to get some glimpses of him on the ice at the same time as 100 other kids, then it's a money grab. If it sounds like they are legitimately interested in your kid and are willing to use a draft pick on him, it's up to you if you want to plunk the money down. It's impossible to tell with free-to-play hockey, use your best judgement.
Thanks for the input, I appreciate it. I just want to know how to differ if the team has legitimate interest with him or not. He emailed the coach at the beginning of the season, and he replied that he will scout him later in the season, they have been keeping in touch since. A couple weeks ago, the coach told him to register for a pre-draft camp for further evaluation, however I am still skeptical as the coach did not see him yet. Is there any way for me to tell, because I don't want to spend thousands to fly to a city just to see him play a few games, I already had way too much of that this season. Additionally, what questions can he ask the coach to gauge his interest?
Thanks!
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Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
Unfortunately there is no clear way to know. He can ask if the coach has been to any of the games so far this season, don’t buy the online scouting trick. If he has been signing up on the scout sheet and he still wants a better look, it sounds more legitimate. Another good one is asking how many kids who showed up to the pre-draft camp ended up playing on the team. Or how many ended up getting drafted. Stuff like that.
Sorry to say but the coach wants the money. Yeah, you might surprise him, ask him how many guys he anticipates competing for how many spots. Honestly even the draft after a round or two is just throwing darts at the mud. There is no reason to make the trip for a pre-draft. Now if the coach was offering to allow you to play for free, help with accommodations, bring him out for a week this season, anything like that, then he is truly interested.
Do you have any tips to get the attention of NAHL coaches/ scouts. He still has one more year of U18 in which he will be playing in the T1EHL or the HPHL. This year he plays U18 in the USPHL. He has attend a NAHL team's main camp before where he was cut in the round right before the All Star Game.
If you're in that league, you should be noticed. Reach out to the NAHL midwest scouts and see if they will come to the games. When they are at the game, speak with them after the game. If that scout is interested, they will likely send an assistant coach. Same thing. Main camp, which is free to attend, is how you know you have their interest. This main camp most likely won't be advertised and will be at the end of the summer.
Is making the OJHL easier than the NAHL, what is the tryout process like, and would a 2002 be able to age in good?
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
It depends on a lot.
The NAHL quality wise is a little bit better league than the OJ. Depends on the nationality, because there's import limits. If you can make a NA team you can definitely make an OJ team, if you can make an OJ team you can probably make a NA team. An '02 is a 16/17 year old, and the OJHL has the junior hockey maximum of 9 20-year olds, so unless they're physically developed they're going to get bodied. But, the same thing goes in the NAHL, as the quality in the NAHL is higher and the physicality is the same even though there aren't as many overagers. The tryout process is through getting scouted and going to camps. More in depth information here: How to play in the OJHL | Ontario Junior Hockey League | Ontario Jr A
Hello, I've been reading the 2020 posts regarding trying to break into the NAHL. Since things have changed drastically (due to COVID-19) since the last post, does anyone have thoughts on the NAHL announcing their virtual scouting packages? I realize that it may be a way to generate revenue since all the combine and pre-draft camps may be up in the air, but do you think it may help in the least bit since the player gets a call with central scouting (I'm not really sure what that is either, but....)? Could that somehow be better since they actually get to speak with someone?
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
The virtual scouting packages function in the same way as the NAHL camps: they bring in relied-upon revenues for teams from gullible parents. Nothing more. NAHL teams only have two to three spots open at the beginning of the camps, the rest of their roster is set. Each team has a laundry list of drafted players, tendered players, future USHL cuts, and protected players they use to fill out the near entirety of the roster every year. Those few open spots are more than enough to squeeze out a lot of money in a few camps, and they get to spot a handful of kids for the future between the hundreds of clients/camp attendees. The original logic with the combine and drafts was that it gave you the opportunity to talk to the coaches personally and have all eyes on you individually. That's the selling point.
I will tell you what I tell everyone else. If you have the talent to play in the NAHL, you would know it. Scouts would be talking to you, coaches would be watching you. They would be breaking down your doorstep and filling up your phone, because that is how competitive free-to-play recruiting is. Is there a chance that buying this package could help a little bit? Yes. Is there a chance it won't make a difference in the world and you're out a lot of money as a result? Bigger yes.
Gentlemen, thanks for the feedback! Much appreciated!!! Interesting how far they are going with packages from $200 - $900. Actually hard to believe that someone is going to sit and watch 10 games (the highest $ tier). I thought I was going to die just going through 5-6 of my sons games looking for clips.
kij, that is exactly what we did, created highlight videos and put them up on YT.
Again, thank you for the feedback!
kij, that is exactly what we did, created highlight videos and put them up on YT.
Again, thank you for the feedback!
Best of luck to you and your son! Some of the best advice I had received in juniors was to stay open to all options. You may have your heart set on the NAHL but the USPHL, NA3HL, and Canadian leagues are just as good. You may want to go NCAA but it cannot hurt to keep an ACHA team in your back pocket at a school that has a program you are interested in, hockey is not going to last forever and a career has to start sometime.
Thank you!! We are grounded and very realistic and trying to go up the ladder one rung at a time (if possible). We played USPHL juniors this past season, so he could stay home and finish high school. Now just trying to open and wedge our foot in any door opening we can find if someone will give us the opportunity.
We setup a website with bio/stats/highlights to use as a "resume". We plan to e-mail some coaches and etc, but do you guys know if team scouts frown upon receiving these unsolicited e-mails as well? We were hoping to include some of them just in case they scouted for more than one team. Our intention is not to "tick" anyone off, but just try to get the name out there (hopefully in a good light!).
Thanks!
I believe that some enjoy them more than others. Many of these scouts have their own lists already but if you have already done the work for them and you have a decent, 5-10 minute video there is no harm in the scout watching it in his free time. Fair warning though, it is a part of his job as a scout to fill those team camps up with players. If he played in the USPHL then you should link your eliteprospects profile in every initial email because it is such a uniform standard that coaches find it easier to pick stats out of it. As far as tier 3 teams go, they LOVE players reaching out to them because the player pool is so shallow, tier 1/2 they have their scouts and can be very selective on who they communicate with because the player pool is very large.
This looks like the place to ask about NAHL main camp invites. My kid received an invite from the coach to a main camp. We were a little surprised because he is a 2004 and we always thought this league skewed older. He wants to go and see how he measures up and we will do that contingent on being able to get him back on the ice for a few weeks prior so he won't go into the camp completely unready and out of shape. I want to keep our expectations in line with reality. Does the league take a hard look at younger players, is it filling a camp, is there interest for maybe playing next year? As my name says, we are new to all this. Thanks in advance. newtohockey
Barclay Donaldson
Registered User
NAHL camps have always been a money maker for teams. After every single NAHL team plays their final game of the season, each and every one has 22-23 of their 25 roster spots already set for the next season. They rely on getting a couple hundred kids each paying a couple hundred bucks to go to their 2-3 camps every season as much as they rely on ticket sales and corporate sponsorships to make ends meet. With huge financial doubts last year, expect the camps to be as full as any.
My advice to you is the same advice I copy and paste to everyone. If you have the money, then go for it. If you don't, then don't. They use those camps to help their bottom line, and who can blame them since it works, and it also gives them the chance to fill in the 2-3 spots they do have open. If they truly wanted your kid on the team and your kid was good enough to play, you would know. They would have been calling him every week last season, they would be knocking down your door. If you have the money to drop on it and you're of the opinion that it would be useful to see how he measures up, then it obviously can't hurt. If not, then stay far away.
If you have any more questions, feel free to sent me a direct message.
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!
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