Do you have a legitimate chance to make the NHL?

[Intoewsables]

I'm 17 and have never played ice hockey at any level, so I'd say there's a pretty good chance.

 

[qwertysac]

Anybody posting anything similar to "I've only been playing for 1 year but..." or i started skating 2 years ago but ..." needs to geta reality check

 

[sushi45]

I did manage my high school's ball hockey team's equipment. Theres a slight chance that I can become an equipment manager or even an assistant.

But as a player, nope.

 

[AIREAYE]

If I was a mod, I'd close this topic

 

[Pog Form]

Obviously zero chance whatsoever. If I work really hard and get into some games with better players (to improve my own play), I could maybe hold my own as a defensive forward in a B-level men's league (I'm in Toronto), but that's about it.

 

[Injektilo]

Not to be a downer, or to specifically call you out (there are many posts like yours), but there are a COUNTLESS kids who are naturally athletic, naturally very talented at hockey, who work like mad at the sport since a very young age, who still do not play a single game in the NHL. I know very athletic guys, who dominated every level they played at since they were tiny little kids, who devoted massive amounts of time to the sport, and even still they've made it no further than Jr A, the CHL, the CIS, or for one friend of a friend, low level pro hockey in Europe. To make the NHL you need not only exceptional commitment, but very exceptional talent. For example, only about 15-30 Ontario kids from any given birth will play a single game in the NHL, with only about half of those able to stick around for anything more than a few games here and there. There are an insane number of incredibly talented kids playing hockey at a very high level, who are super dedicated to the sport, and the vast, vast, vast majority of them will not make the NHL. We're talking about a countless number of kids who were always among the best players in the top leagues growing up, who were very dedicated to the sport, who still didn't make it. In any given birth year there is a good chance that the absolute best player from Kitchener, Oshawa, London, Hamilton, wherever will still not be good enough to play in the NHL. Unless you've played in at least the CHL I don't see how you could honestly think "if I did this differently, I could have made it." And I'm just talking about playing a few games here and there, nevermind being a first liner like Burrows, which is massively less common. If you've never even played ice hockey at all I don't see how you could possibly think "had I been focused on hockey since I was a child, I'd probably be like Alex Burrows."

I will say this, I played a good amount of hockey when I was younger, was a decent HS player in Toronto, am now a decent beer leaguer, I'm 6' tall with wide shoulders and am naturally fairly strong and decently athletic, but even if I was ridiculously committed to hockey from an early age I don't think I would have had even the slightest chance to make the NHL, I just don't/didn't have that truly exceptional natural talent that all NHLers are born with.

Exactly. Didn't pick up a stick until 12, and I assume the next line about "haven't ice skated" meant "didn't ice skate till 12"...... and yet this guy has average NHL speed? Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?

 

[Brunomics]

No chance at all, considering I'm 8 years removed from playing college club hockey where I was nothing but a 3rd liner combined with the fact that even though I'm a gym rat years of working in an office barely moving around everyday combined with those goodies coworkers bring in makes it hard to stay in decent shape nowadays.

Back then I had no shot either, in beer league I'd play against Benoit Hogue sometimes and he would dominate barely trying. It's amazing the skills those guys have.

 

[DrVanntastic]

I have a GREAT chance at playing in the NHL...




in an alternate dimension where the NHL is below beer league in skill level.

 

[Polak]

Well, if signing Bryzgalov doesn't work out, I guess I could get a set of goalie pads and have a legit chance at playing goalie for the Flyers..

 

[tarheelhockey]

Statistically speaking, if you're Canadian your chances are somewhat less than 0.001%. And about half that if you're American.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

I could play in the NHL. As long as the ''N'' stands for anything other than National.

 

[GrizzWinter31]

Exactly. Didn't pick up a stick until 12, and I assume the next line about "haven't ice skated" meant "didn't ice skate till 12"...... and yet this guy has average NHL speed? Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?

He meant to say he would have NHL speed if his ankles weren't so damn heavy when he skated

 

[jorbjorb]

my player in nhl 11 does

578 games played

1620 pts

 

[jorbjorb]

my player in nhl 11 does

578 games played

1620 pts

 

[bradbirtch]

nope terble skater

 

[HowToHockey]

If the best goalie in the world was 5'6", he'd still be the best goalie in the world.

I am pretty sure there is a 5 foot 3 goalie in the HHOF Roy Worters

 

[mbhhofr]

I did, as a Linesman.

 

[RobertKron]

Things I find adorable in this thread:

1) The "I skated with a few Pro/Junior/College/53-year-old-ex-NHLers and I could kinda keep up, so I probably had a shot if I could do it all over again" crowd. You really think those guys were really going for it during a scrimmage with some schmoes?

2) That somehow the players in the NHL just happen to be the only 700 guys in the world who actually committed themselves to hockey from an early age. There are tens of thousands of kids that were just as committed, or maybe even more, and didn't make it. Just because you scored a hat trick in your C-level rec league last night and have only been playing for 6 months doesn't mean you'd have a shot at the NHL if you'd just started skating at age 5 and done more pushups. Elite-level hockey players basically grow on trees, and only a very tiny percentage of those even play a single NHL game.

It's kind of ridiculous that on a forum that devotes such a high degree of attention to every little bit of the NHL, there's such a massive disconnect when it comes to recognizing just how ****ing good these guys are.

 

[JVenzon]

I love when people always say its impossble and just give up and say theres no way you can ever make it to the NHL...If its so 'IMPOSSIBLE' then how come theres still 750+ players that are playing right now. You think they would of ever made it if they just said how 'IMPOSSIBLE' it was...no. They would have a normal job and not have the best job in the world to be able to play hockey for a living. So the people that believe and work there ***** off will have a chance...and the people that believe that its 'IMPOSSIBLE', just keep sitting on your ass at home and watch the believers live there dream while your 40 and wishing that you just gave it a shot cause you only have one life...and one shot so make it count!

Left Wing
Niagara Falls Jr. Canucks, now team name has changed for this season too Niagara Rivermen
Major Bantam

 

[nukethewhales]

I love when people always say its impossble and just give up and say theres no way you can ever make it to the NHL...If its so 'IMPOSSIBLE' then how come theres still 750+ players that are playing right now. You think they would of ever made it if they just said how 'IMPOSSIBLE' it was...no. They would have a normal job and not have the best job in the world to be able to play hockey for a living. So the people that believe and work there ***** off will have a chance...and the people that believe that its 'IMPOSSIBLE', just keep sitting on your ass at home and watch the believers live there dream while your 40 and wishing that you just gave it a shot cause you only have one life...and one shot so make it count!

Left Wing
Niagara Falls Jr. Canucks, now team name has changed for this season too Niagara Rivermen
Major Bantam

Yeah, you're probably not going to make it. Sorry.

 

[ponder]

I love when people always say its impossble and just give up and say theres no way you can ever make it to the NHL...If its so 'IMPOSSIBLE' then how come theres still 750+ players that are playing right now. You think they would of ever made it if they just said how 'IMPOSSIBLE' it was...no. They would have a normal job and not have the best job in the world to be able to play hockey for a living. So the people that believe and work there ***** off will have a chance...and the people that believe that its 'IMPOSSIBLE', just keep sitting on your ass at home and watch the believers live there dream while your 40 and wishing that you just gave it a shot cause you only have one life...and one shot so make it count!

Left Wing
Niagara Falls Jr. Canucks, now team name has changed for this season too Niagara Rivermen
Major Bantam

If you're the best player on your team in AAA Bantam hockey you might have a shot if you work very, very hard. The vast, vast majority of people posting in this thread weren't at that level when they were 13/14 though.

 

[BLBarmada]

I aim to be GM on the Wild one day, 17 and hopefully coaching this winter, I know the director of player personnel for the Wild, 2 junior scouts ( met them on this board) a some one who worked for the Areos ( he was GM and again met him on these boards).

 

[fong p88]

I scored a goal in SR hockey on a guy who played in the NHL in the mid/early nineties, he only had a cup of coffee and if I were to guess is now in his mid-forties. Oh yeah the puck deflected off my stick and was completely accidental.

 

[Joey Moss]

I'm going to be the next late bloomer.

I love the claims in this thread. "Does it count if I played with NHL players".. lol..

 

[hskates21*]

I think I can do it.

Name: John Tavares
Position: Center
Age: 17

We'll see. Crossing my fingers.

Omg you made it!!!!