Yukon Joe
Registered User
Okay, so now let me talk about my oldest son, let's call him Tommy (2010). I need you guys to talk me down from thinking he's going to have some sort of career in hockey.
He started playing hockey at age 6, he's been decent to average, but has been moving up the ranks in the Tiers. Last year in U11 he was in Tier 1, the highest level you could play at (though this was the covid-shortened year).
This year he moves up to U13. Now, above Tier 1 there is a AA Tier. He tries out for AA, is cut in the last round of cuts. Moving back to club the very next day he has a slow timed skate and is placed in Tier 2, not even considered for Tier 1. During the year though he was affiliated to the Tier 1 team and has played several games with them, including in their semi-final playoff game last night.
Tommy is a defensive defenceman. By my eye he has great positioning and gap control. He's not just hanging back but gets in the forwards face in the rush breaking up numerous plays. They did a team skills competition where he was the best stickhandler and second fastest skater (to a kid a year older and a head taller than him).
What Tommy is not however is a goal scorer. He does not have a nose for the net. He did actually score two goals in the last two weeks, both shots from the blue line that went in, but those have been his only two goals all year.
The thing is, his coaches keep talking him up to me. The coach of the Tier 1 team played CIS/U-sports hockey. He's the one who keeps calling Tommy up to play - they were down a Forward last night, but moved a D up to forward so they could add Tommy. He just texted me about what a "stud Dman" Tommy is, and how their team is better with him in the line-up. The head coach on his own Tier 2 team is always telling me what a great Dman he is. One of the assistant coaches on his T2 team - I don't know his personal hockey resume, but he's clearly played, and his brother had a lengthy NHL career with 1000+ games. Anyways this coach has urged him to try out for AA again, and has said he ought to be on the AA team this year.
Oh - he also did a bunch of tryouts for an AAA spring team. He didn't look out of place but didn't make the team (last round of cuts again), but did then make the AA spring team. The one AA tryout game was one where he didn't just 'not look out of place', but looked really good.
So the question is - he's good, but there are probably dozens of other kids his age across the city/province just as good, right? It would be foolish to really load him up on expensive hockey camps / power skating thinking he's going to make some kind of hockey career, right (and by career I mean playing junior hockey or university hockey)? And in particular - no matter how good defensively you are as a D man it's always going to be scoring that gets you noticed, right?
He started playing hockey at age 6, he's been decent to average, but has been moving up the ranks in the Tiers. Last year in U11 he was in Tier 1, the highest level you could play at (though this was the covid-shortened year).
This year he moves up to U13. Now, above Tier 1 there is a AA Tier. He tries out for AA, is cut in the last round of cuts. Moving back to club the very next day he has a slow timed skate and is placed in Tier 2, not even considered for Tier 1. During the year though he was affiliated to the Tier 1 team and has played several games with them, including in their semi-final playoff game last night.
Tommy is a defensive defenceman. By my eye he has great positioning and gap control. He's not just hanging back but gets in the forwards face in the rush breaking up numerous plays. They did a team skills competition where he was the best stickhandler and second fastest skater (to a kid a year older and a head taller than him).
What Tommy is not however is a goal scorer. He does not have a nose for the net. He did actually score two goals in the last two weeks, both shots from the blue line that went in, but those have been his only two goals all year.
The thing is, his coaches keep talking him up to me. The coach of the Tier 1 team played CIS/U-sports hockey. He's the one who keeps calling Tommy up to play - they were down a Forward last night, but moved a D up to forward so they could add Tommy. He just texted me about what a "stud Dman" Tommy is, and how their team is better with him in the line-up. The head coach on his own Tier 2 team is always telling me what a great Dman he is. One of the assistant coaches on his T2 team - I don't know his personal hockey resume, but he's clearly played, and his brother had a lengthy NHL career with 1000+ games. Anyways this coach has urged him to try out for AA again, and has said he ought to be on the AA team this year.
Oh - he also did a bunch of tryouts for an AAA spring team. He didn't look out of place but didn't make the team (last round of cuts again), but did then make the AA spring team. The one AA tryout game was one where he didn't just 'not look out of place', but looked really good.
So the question is - he's good, but there are probably dozens of other kids his age across the city/province just as good, right? It would be foolish to really load him up on expensive hockey camps / power skating thinking he's going to make some kind of hockey career, right (and by career I mean playing junior hockey or university hockey)? And in particular - no matter how good defensively you are as a D man it's always going to be scoring that gets you noticed, right?