(College Hockey) D1, 2, & 3 compared to other leagues

[steveayres35]

What league levels compare to college hockey the most, depending on it's division level?

Junior Leagues (U18/U20), ECHL, Minor & Amateur American/European Leagues, Small Market National Teams like Japan, China, Korea, Africa, South America, etc.

I'm also surprised that most college hockey players don't continue their careers after graduation. I bet that some of them can compete for an NHL/AHL/ECHL roster spot, minor leagues, or outside of America.

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[BOS358]

The players who are good enough to sign NHL contracts do so. The ones that aren't often spend some years kicking around the minors or Europe for a few years.

Look at Billy Keenan, he of the six-game career at Harvard and author of Odd Man Rush. He managed to find teams in Belgium, Germany, and even Sweden. Still, the ones who wind up in the ECHL and lower end up "living the dream" for a few years and get tired of riding buses and month-long road trips and decide to move on.

 

[steveayres35]

I guess it all depends on how passionate you are about continuing a sports career, no matter what level you play at.