Help for a rising hockey player

[Lard_Lad]

Weren't there roller hockey players like Eric Messier that made it to the NHL?

Yeah, but they were guys who had established ice hockey careers before playing roller hockey. Messier had three full seasons in the Q and part of one playing Canadian university hockey before he joined RHI.

 

[Puckclektr]

There is a HUGE difference between Rollerblading and ice skating. I love to skate and have been skating since I was 4. I never really liked Roller Blading.

 

[Sticks of Fury]

Learn to take over the game and dominate in ice hockey. That will definitely get you noticed. Need to find out what qualities you need to develop instead of being just a finesse player. Maybe the mold of the czech rookie in san jose who escapes my name who also got injured last year late in the season and regarded as a defensive type.

 

[mazmin]

After I posted last night I did some reading. I read a study stating that to become an "expert" on something you need to dedicade at least 10,000 hrs of practice to it. The study claims this rule applies to surgeons, violinists, carpenters, deejays... pretty much everywhere.

Let's do some quick math, let's just pretend you play 5 hrs of hockey per day. It would take 2000 days to reach the "expert" 10,000 hrs. 2000 days translates to almost 5 and a half years. So with a heavy amount of practice you will be between 19-22 before you are considered an expert. Not a bad age to go to College.

Of course 5hrs a day, 364 days a year seems like an unreallistic load, you still have your previous experience with roller hockey. Despite the relevance of the study and it's implications, I just wanted to give you an idea of how much people have to work for excellence. Are you willing?

A lot of people on these boards tell you "you have no chance" but they don't know you and how hard you are willing to work. You can't control the fact you started late but you can control your willingness to achieve your goal with hard work.

 

[Keetz]

After I posted last night I did some reading. I read a study stating that to become an "expert" on something you need to dedicade at least 10,000 hrs of practice to it. The study claims this rule applies to surgeons, violinists, carpenters, deejays... pretty much everywhere.

Let's do some quick math, let's just pretend you play 5 hrs of hockey per day. It would take 2000 days to reach the "expert" 10,000 hrs. 2000 days translates to almost 5 and a half years. So with a heavy amount of practice you will be between 19-22 before you are considered an expert. Not a bad age to go to College.

Of course 5hrs a day, 364 days a year seems like an unreallistic load, you still have your previous experience with roller hockey. Despite the relevance of the study and it's implications, I just wanted to give you an idea of how much people have to work for excellence. Are you willing?

A lot of people on these boards tell you "you have no chance" but they don't know you and how hard you are willing to work. You can't control the fact you started late but you can control your willingness to achieve your goal with hard work.

Great positive post

 

[devilsfan26]

I don't mean to be a pessimist, but while it is nice to dream of being in the NHL some day, you have to consider how many other people your age are aiming toward the same goal. There are millions and millions of people around the world, and to be among the best 1000 or so hockey players is nearly impossible. While there are some NHLers who started late, the percentage of people who start playing ice hockey in their teens who make it to the NHL is without a doubt lower than .1%. Not only are you among a crapload of teens starting ice hockey, you are also going up against probably hundreds of thousands of kids who have been playing hockey almost their whole lives.

I know you're probably just reading this post and saying "Bah, I'll ignore him, he's just trying to put me down," but when I was your age I was in the same situation as you (played roller hockey for a long time, just started playing ice hockey, wanted to be a pro) and I realized how amazing you really have to be in order to be in the NHL. It's not the same as trying out for a local travel team, because in that situation you only have to be one of the best kids who live in your area. To make the NHL, you have to be one of the best of millions of hockey players all over the entire world.

Anyways, good luck following your dream, don't give up, but remember that it is very important to focus on another backup career just in case you aren't able to bust into the NHL no matter how hard you try.

 

[Habsfan 32]

After I posted last night I did some reading. I read a study stating that to become an "expert" on something you need to dedicade at least 10,000 hrs of practice to it. The study claims this rule applies to surgeons, violinists, carpenters, deejays... pretty much everywhere.

Let's do some quick math, let's just pretend you play 5 hrs of hockey per day. It would take 2000 days to reach the "expert" 10,000 hrs. 2000 days translates to almost 5 and a half years. So with a heavy amount of practice you will be between 19-22 before you are considered an expert. Not a bad age to go to College.

Of course 5hrs a day, 364 days a year seems like an unreallistic load, you still have your previous experience with roller hockey. Despite the relevance of the study and it's implications, I just wanted to give you an idea of how much people have to work for excellence. Are you willing?

A lot of people on these boards tell you "you have no chance" but they don't know you and how hard you are willing to work. You can't control the fact you started late but you can control your willingness to achieve your goal with hard work.

Great post man.

 

[JMW814]

thank you guys so much for all the advice; positive and negative. I have already spoken with my family and started to look at schools up north to stay at. I've thought about it, and I know I will only live once, so why not aim at the thing you want more than anything. Last night I spent 4 hours on my excercise bike (The only thing the doc says I can do for 6 weeks because of my lcl sprain). I keep hearing everyone saying only shear numbers of how many people I am competing with. I don't think it is skill or numbers as much as it is will. I am hoping if I work hard up until college, I may be able to go to a place like Michigan. In response to people asking me if I'm mostly muscle or fat, I'd say half anf half. Any more suggestions/comments/questions? (P.S> Just IM me at JMW814 on aim if i am on to talk to me)

 

[JMW814]

whoa, stop the presses. i take back going to boarding schools up north, i found a pretty good usa junior hockey team near me on the space coast i could drive to and play with. other than that, everything is pretty much the same

 

[JMW814]

im just feeling really ****** right now, because i think i found the one thing in life that i would love doing and excel at if i had the chance, but i didnt have the chance, i live in florida and it is too late to follow my dream. .. none of you could imagine how much i want it and how much i am jealous over you canadians who grew up with ponds and rinks everywhere, and i havent lived within an hour of an ice rink in my whole life! i want this so bad but i cant have it! This sucks! no summer camps come anywhere in north florida! i hope some of you have some inspiring words, i am so upset at myself for not taking this up a long time ago, and at the situation i am in. why is pretty much every sport except hockey so available around me? i want to and love playing hockey so much but i dont know how i could realistically go on a path to making it. also, what is the difference between acha and ncaa hockey?

 

[SkateLikeTheWind]

The difference between acha and ncaa hockey is quite large.

First, ncaa has much better funding, thus better facilities and so on. So they get the best players, biggest players, fastest players.

NCAA is for top notch players possibly looking for a pro career. While the acha is still a competitive league, mainly it is composed of former junior players who couldnt get into a d1 program but still want to play some pretty good hockey through college.

 

[BrettNYR]

Thats laughable. Can you name one player who came out of Florida and made it??

If by chance you can, I can name 20 who came out of NY...just to show you the caliber isnt quite the same.

Ummm.. That was in the past. Florida's caliber is quickly improving. And I mean overall the talent is better. No one really looks out of place here, like they did in NY.

 

[BrettNYR]

I lived in Buffalo, NY my entire life until moving to Florida a few years ago and I hate to burst your bubble, but if you've been playing hockey, let alone roller hockey in Florida your whole life you have an extremely slim to none chance of ever making it onto an NHL roster.

Even at the highest levels of hockey in Florida, they still pale in comparison to anything up north. Also, roller hockey is a totally different type of game than ice, the way the game flows and the style of play is like comparing apples and oranges.

There's a guy on my beer league who used to play in the RHI, this is his first year ever playing organized semi-competitive ice hockey and he's just a complete beginner. Even his shots are weak because he's so used to using a plastic puck.

Unless you drop out of school, train every single day for hours on end, move Ontario, and enroll in some very vigorous hockey programs; your chances of making even a division 3 or 2 team is still going to be very very small since you're starting so late.

Unless you have the raw natural talent of someone like Crosby, you just can't start this late at the age of 15 playing roller hockey your whole life living in Florida and expect to make it to the NHL, it's just not realistic.

If you're really serious about this, it's probably too late to make it onto an NHL roster or pretty much any roster where you'll actually be able to contribute, however since you seem like a big guy at 200lbs (assuming it's mostly muscle and not fat), perhaps you may be able to go the route of an enforcer where your overall skills and abilities aren't that great, but you'll still be the enforcer of the team, you could be the next Peter Worrel .

You just need to be realistic here, even Brent Gretzky the brother of Wayne who like Wayne also has been playing hockey his whole life only had a short lived career in the NHL playing something like 5 games before being sent back down to the minors and never made it back again.

Good luck in whatever it is you decide to do, but unless your last name is Crosby, you should never expect to make it to the NHL. The odds are HEAVILY stacked against you, just be realistic about it.

I'm from LI, NY, and I find that the rec-league's are alot better.The caliber is much better.

And it's near impossible to make the NHL, regardless of when you start.

After I posted last night I did some reading. I read a study stating that to become an "expert" on something you need to dedicade at least 10,000 hrs of practice to it. The study claims this rule applies to surgeons, violinists, carpenters, deejays... pretty much everywhere.

Let's do some quick math, let's just pretend you play 5 hrs of hockey per day. It would take 2000 days to reach the "expert" 10,000 hrs. 2000 days translates to almost 5 and a half years. So with a heavy amount of practice you will be between 19-22 before you are considered an expert. Not a bad age to go to College.

Of course 5hrs a day, 364 days a year seems like an unreallistic load, you still have your previous experience with roller hockey. Despite the relevance of the study and it's implications, I just wanted to give you an idea of how much people have to work for excellence. Are you willing?

A lot of people on these boards tell you "you have no chance" but they don't know you and how hard you are willing to work. You can't control the fact you started late but you can control your willingness to achieve your goal with hard work.

Finally, someone positive!

 

[Accord]

im just feeling really ****** right now, because i think i found the one thing in life that i would love doing and excel at if i had the chance, but i didnt have the chance, i live in florida and it is too late to follow my dream. .. none of you could imagine how much i want it and how much i am jealous over you canadians who grew up with ponds and rinks everywhere, and i havent lived within an hour of an ice rink in my whole life! i want this so bad but i cant have it! This sucks! no summer camps come anywhere in north florida! i hope some of you have some inspiring words, i am so upset at myself for not taking this up a long time ago, and at the situation i am in. why is pretty much every sport except hockey so available around me? i want to and love playing hockey so much but i dont know how i could realistically go on a path to making it. also, what is the difference between acha and ncaa hockey?

EVERYONE that has ever played hockey, football, baseball, whatever has at one point or another seriously wanted to play their respective sport professionally, but for 99.999% of people it's just not realistic, even 99.999% of young players in Canada will never turn pro. Just play hockey for the love of the game and to have fun.

Just because you can't play it professionall doesn't mean you can't be involved in it professionally. When you're ready to go to college, apply to a bunch of schools in the northeast and major in sports management or sports marketing and get an internship with a major league level team, the internship will allow you to gain experience and make valuable contacts that will be invaluable later in life.

The ACHA is basically very low level college hockey, even below NCAA DIII. Most of the players in it do take the game seriously and are pretty good, but none of them will ever turn pro, they're just playing it for recreation. Most teams actually require you to pay to play for them and more often than not there are no tryouts, as long as you're decent you can play.

 

[JMW814]

thank you for the advice, but i am going to keep on keeping on. i just got off the phone with my cousin whos in the minors, who started relativaly late and is from florida too. i think im going to work on building skill until i turn 16, then start playing in non-check leagues, and if i am good enough i will move up a league. im going to work the hardest i can and movie up as far as i can. i am a pretty damn good hockey player overall; ive led my team in scoring pretty much every season in roller hockey. accord: thank you for pointing out facts, and i liked how u didnt say i couldnt, jus tthat not all of them make it. i think though, that the ones who will it enough, and try hard enough make it. I have family in tampa and i may go over there to play. (thatd be much more realistic than the ne usa!) Ive been thinking about it; and you only live once, so i want to die knowing i had the funnest career available to me, and had a blast. thank you for all of your advice guys... idk whatd id do without it. trust me, i have the drive of an animal; and i am going to give every possible waking second to making my dream come true. if i dont make it, at least i know i tried my hardest. but it is possible that i can make it. there is a lot of paths ahead. many lead to nothing hockey related. many lead to relative hockey goodness. only a select one or two is the path that lead to the destination that i want, and ill be damned if anyone keeps me from taking it

 

[Habsfan 32]

Don't quit on your dream buddy. One of my buddies was playing Junior C and he got a contract offer by the Long Beach Ice Dogs in the ECHL. You never know someday you could be laughing at all the guys on here that said you would never make it.

 

[JMW814]

thank you guys, ive been able to get real about my dreams, and i have laid out a reasonable dream... i dont expect on the pros now, but i know if im good enough i may make it. first i need to learn skating and powerskating ans bulk up with muscles and get lean. then maybe join a o.k. local club, then on to a better one if nessecary. if i'm able to excel past that i could play in a us junior C team near me. i'll prolly end up going to a acha team if good enough, but once again, if i get good, lightning may strike and i may end up going to ncaa. im sure there have been at least a couple stories like me. at least i have the benefit of playing very good roller hockey since i was walking. i picked up roller skating pretty fast, so who knows. i'll make sure to update you guys as i go on in my life playing hockey and skating. i'm not counting on 'making it', but it doesnt hurt trying... at least i will know that i tried the best i could. but, who knows? i may make it if i can find the natural inside of myself. I think going to game 5 & 7 of the cup finals (and being a diehard lightning fan) has helped me too. Game 5 cost me $100 and Game 7 costed me $0! (I snuck in, and still managed to scramble to the first row after the horn went off at the end ) i know yall have heard this a million times, but i appriciate yo taking the time out to help me out. for now, lets root for me being able to ice skate well. lol. p.s. whats the deal with the roller hockey leagues; i may be able to fall on that if ice doesnt work out well.
thanks -jmw

 

[Hedberg]

p.s. whats the deal with the roller hockey leagues; i may be able to fall on that if ice doesnt work out well.
thanks -jmw

In the 90's there used to be pro roller hockey leagues. Sadly, most of the teams folded and the leagues disappeared

 

[devilsfan26]

Don't count on being a pro roller hockey player. Roller hockey hasn't really established itself as a real pro sport yet, in my opinion, and there is not much money you can make there. Remember.....while I wish you the best of luck to accomplish your dream, do not dedicate the next few years of your life solely to becoming the best hockey player you can possibly be. It is more important to remain focused on academics at the same time just in case your hockey goals do not go as planned. It is a nice thought to believe that everyone has a chance to make it to a high level of hockey, and it is all about how hard you try, however the cold hard truth is that this is simply not so. You need some inner talent to get that far, and you are in relatively the same position, and have the same ambition I did when I was your age. There are a few NHLers who had late starts, but the percentage of late starters who get that far is somewhere around 0.01%, if not lower.

So in short--follow your dreams, but always have a backup plan. Other than just not being good enough no matter how hard you may try, other obstacles may get in your way. Suppose you suffer a career-ending injury before you make it to the pros. Anything can happen, a car accident, or whatever, may prevent you from physically following your dreams, so it is crucial to maintain a backup plan.

I'll use myself as an example. I started playing ice hockey at 16 after playing roller hockey since I was 5. I play in a non-check house league, I think I can make a travel team, though. Anyways, I gave up hope on becoming a pro hockey player once I realized how nearly impossible it is. In my opinion, this should only be your dream if you are clear-cut far above the rest of the players in your community. Only then can you hope to be among the best in the world some day. Now that I have given up on becoming a pro hockey player, I am going to college to major in accounting, but for whichever school I go to, I will try to make the hockey team simply because I love playing the sport. I hope you understand that I'm trying to give you a realistic view on this rather than putting you down.

 

[markov`]

I'll give you only one tip: be confident. If you go out there thinking you're better than them, you're better than them.

 

[markov`]

Don't count on being a pro roller hockey player. Roller hockey hasn't really established itself as a real pro sport yet, in my opinion, and there is not much money you can make there. Remember.....while I wish you the best of luck to accomplish your dream, do not dedicate the next few years of your life solely to becoming the best hockey player you can possibly be. It is more important to remain focused on academics at the same time just in case your hockey goals do not go as planned. It is a nice thought to believe that everyone has a chance to make it to a high level of hockey, and it is all about how hard you try, however the cold hard truth is that this is simply not so. You need some inner talent to get that far, and you are in relatively the same position, and have the same ambition I did when I was your age. There are a few NHLers who had late starts, but the percentage of late starters who get that far is somewhere around 0.01%, if not lower.

So in short--follow your dreams, but always have a backup plan. Other than just not being good enough no matter how hard you may try, other obstacles may get in your way. Suppose you suffer a career-ending injury before you make it to the pros. Anything can happen, a car accident, or whatever, may prevent you from physically following your dreams, so it is crucial to maintain a backup plan.

I'll use myself as an example. I started playing ice hockey at 16 after playing roller hockey since I was 5. I play in a non-check house league, I think I can make a travel team, though. Anyways, I gave up hope on becoming a pro hockey player once I realized how nearly impossible it is. In my opinion, this should only be your dream if you are clear-cut far above the rest of the players in your community. Only then can you hope to be among the best in the world some day. Now that I have given up on becoming a pro hockey player, I am going to college to major in accounting, but for whichever school I go to, I will try to make the hockey team simply because I love playing the sport. I hope you understand that I'm trying to give you a realistic view on this rather than putting you down.

You're absolutely right. But if the guy has some talent (a lot of talent, in fact), with the dedication he has, he will make it, don't you think? I'm not talking NHL. If he really wants to play hockey, there is not just the NHL. There is the AHL, the ECHL and the Euro leagues. If he makes it to the NCAA and he wants to go to Europe to make a living playing hockey I'm pretty sure he could.

But again, you need to have talent. I play ice hockey since I'm 4 years old, and I'm 15, and I'm not that good. I will never, eeever make it to the next level. But one's thing for sure: take a great talent, with your dedication, and you're gonna play hockey.

 

[Schlep Rock]

Two things...

A. Talent in Florida is rising rapidly... there is a stud out of the Florida area called Frank Grezcak (didn't spell his last name right but you get the point). I believe he moved to play for Honeybaked this year, kid is a STUD and one of the best US born for his age group. It doesn't stop with him from Florida, there's a lot of decent talent coming out of that area.

B. Hiring an agent? First, it'd have to be a family advisor since he wants to go NCAA. Secondly, no serious family advisor will take on a kid who has never played ice hockey before. Agencies are a business and time will be spent recruiting & developing those with pro futures. This isn't to say that an agent/advisor wouldn't provide some advice but as far as taking on a client like this, no way. This of course comes as agencies are seriously toning down their recruitment of players with the uncertainty of the need for agents in hockey.

 

[kerrly]

Simple as this, if you're good enough to play at the next level, the scouts will find you. You need to get yourself in the best possible league in your area and you need to perform at a high level.

Get in every powerskating course that is around and get on your skates every single day if you can. Just work your ass off and the rewards will come.

 

[Anthony*]

Simple as this, if you're good enough to play at the next level, the scouts will find you.

exactly

if you havent been recognized yet, then thats kind of a problem

 

[AG9NK35DT8*]

I am a 15 year old, 5'10'' 200 lb. American kid who lives in Florida. I have been playing roller hockey since I can ever remember, and I am about to teach myself how to ice skate well so I can start playing ice hockey. It has always been my dream to play in the NHL, and now I am taking all of the steps that I can to make it into the NCAA hockey system, and then eventually into the NHL hockey system. I think if i were to get into the NCAA system it would be as a walk-on, I don't think scouts go to Florida! If any of you have some tips for me, I would really appriciate it. I want more than anything in my life to play hockey in the pros and whatever comments, questions, or suggestions you have are very welcome, I need some guidance because I know the path ahead of me is going to be long and hard. Thank you.

Well if u are 15 and dont know how to iceskate, you will never be in the NHL unless you are a kid with superstar skills. also being 5'10 200lbs at 15 years old i would also think you need to lose weight, cause at 15 years oldI know its no muscle.But I would definitly advise to you lose the NHL dream. Dreams like that are for kids that are in elementary school, you are still young at 15 but old enough to know when there is a difference between "DREAMS and "REALITY".

Also to be an NHL player just like anysport you must be exceptionally good, basically the type of player no matter what age gets ahhh's and ooohhhh's and wow's. To play a proffesional sport you must be exceptional and there isnt even a hand full of people out there that really anyone can name.

Sorry to smash your hopes and dreams but i think someone needs to tell you the truth.