Looking for a Club To Play With...

[connor macdavid]

Hey everyone, a couple of my buddies and I are going on a trip to Western Europe, starting in Spain and ending in jolly old England.

We've all played fairly high level minor hockey, with two of the four of us having played Junior B (one was drafted by a team in the OHL). Our plan is to take our gear to Europe, traipse around the Western European country side, try out for some teams, and hopefully stick in Europe.

Any one know of any start-up teams or rebuilding teams in nice cities/towns?

Please PM me or comment below.

Thanks!

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- 5'10, 160 lb. butterfly goaltender who played Major Midget AA
- 6'3, 215 lb. power forward (won't fight, more of a speed guy)
- 6', 180 lb. puck-moving defenseman
- 5'8, 145 lb. centerman with good hands
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Let me know if it would be possible to set up a tryout with anyone!

Click to read more...

 

[UpGoesRupp]

I'm also looking to do this as my girlfriend is going to get a job teaching in Great Britain for a bit.

I went to a couple games and played some pick up in Austria but was hoping to find some club teams in GB to play for.

I've played junior A and blew out my knee when I was 18 so had to stop. Now, 5 years later my knee is stronger then ever. I'd consider myself a play making center, defensively responsible with a good stride.

 

[villevalo]

Unless you guys have played some years as a junior in the UK you will be classed as imports under Elite/EIHA rules.

The best you could hope for is rec hockey I would think.

http://www.eiha.co.uk/

The EIHA covers most of the pro and rec leagues in the UK so it might be best to email them/their affiliates or even just pick some teams from the site and see where that gets you.

I should stress that the EIHA pro leagues do not allow imports from non EU countries unless they hold dual nationality with any UK country or EU country, so ultimately your looking at playing a bit of rec here and there or perhaps trying to apply to one of the Elite league teams to take you on, should you wish.

 

[UpGoesRupp]

Oh, I've played over the last five years around here in senior leagues. I had to sit out my Junior eligibility cause my knee and also to focus on school. I've been to a few ECHL camps when they were held where I live just as a sort of kick at the bucket but never really took it seriously.

Now that the opportunity to play overseas has come up I thought I'd give it a try. I've been in the gym 3-4 days a week and on the ice about the same amount. I'm just looking for a more stable competitive environment.

I am applying for a work visa and we have a place set up to prove our residency. About two years ago I was in contact with ex-NHLer Steve Mckenna about helping abroad in China and coaching/playing. Also, there's some programs in the netherlands that will take imports.

When it boils down to it I'm just looking for a competitive league. My only worry is that their won't be ice for me over there. Hockey is such an integral part of my health and social life. Would be nice to take that familiarity over the pond.

 

[UpGoesRupp]

Ah, The EIHA needs EU passports for the premier league. A work visa doesn't validate you to play in the league. That's one more X on the list of places to play.

 

[Siamese Dream]

How close were you to making the ECHL team at those camps? You could still have a shot at one of the smaller Elite League clubs if you contact the coach and organise a tryout. If not there is still rec hockey, there are some fairly serious teams who play in the competitive full checking summer cup, I remember these two guys played in it one summer before signing in the Elite League:

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=45943
http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=28876

A team like Edinburgh would love a cheap import who is already in the country. Do you have an Elite Prospects profile?

Here's the league page for the Southern Summer cup. Do you know where in the UK you will be living? http://summercup.drover.ca/index.asp

 

[ChaiTiefling]

Do you have an Elite Prospects profile?

And if not, do you want one.

 

[UpGoesRupp]

I had a change in last name due to some family history (Not quite Bobby Ryan magnitude)
So I asked to get my stuff off Hockeydb etc when I was done with Junior. I knew the coach who held try outs for the ECHL team and he basically said the skill was there but I'd be the 13th-14th forward(Helped I lived locally) and the main reasoning was that he knew I hadn't skated competitively for about two years prior to camp.

There was also the decision to finish school as I don't nor do I ever consider myself a future NHLer haha.

We are really hoping she gets a job in Edinburgh. If not, we have relatives(not mine) that live in Bromley. Which is about a 40 minute metro to the middle of London. Also, we can see our selves living in the UK for a couple years as I've spent quite a bit of time there already.

 

[Siamese Dream]

I had a change in last name due to some family history (Not quite Bobby Ryan magnitude)
So I asked to get my stuff off Hockeydb etc when I was done with Junior. I knew the coach who held try outs for the ECHL team and he basically said the skill was there but I'd be the 13th-14th forward(Helped I lived locally) and the main reasoning was that he knew I hadn't skated competitively for about two years prior to camp.

There was also the decision to finish school as I don't nor do I ever consider myself a future NHLer haha.

We are really hoping she gets a job in Edinburgh. If not, we have relatives(not mine) that live in Bromley. Which is about a 40 minute metro to the middle of London. Also, we can see our selves living in the UK for a couple years as I've spent quite a bit of time there already.

If she can get the job in Edinburgh that would be perfect. They would probably willing to sign you as they wouldn't have to pay your accommodation or anything.

If you end up in Bromley you would probably have to just play rec hockey, there's the summer cup teams in Streatham which is very close and Chelmsford if you can't deal with the city traffic, and Gillingham isn't too far away either.