Every young man serious about hockey has the dream to pursue a future in division one hockey and make it to the NHL. Going about these lofty dreams often leads to the complication of how to go about making this dream a reality. Multiple routes have been offered through various sanctioned leagues whether it’s Major Junior or Jr. A in Canada, tier one, two, or three in USA. The best road to college hockey is often personal preference depending on the athlete’s options and location. Each player during their senior year of high school must determine if they want to take the extra years to pursue the dream and go the junior route in hopes of making a college hockey team or if they believe their best bet is to go to college for their future career. Many aspects and decisions are necessary in this process such as should I play juniors and keep my NCAA eligibility or go the major junior route, is college or juniors better for me, and which leagues are the best to aim for if I decide to go the junior route?
Major debates have been based on whether to play Major Junior or Junior hockey that allows you to keep NCAA eligibility. There are three leagues in Canada that will diminish your NCAA eligibility, the OHL, QMJHL, and WHL. These three leagues are considered junior hockey, but to the NCAA if you play, you are considered a professional and no longer eligible to participate in NCAA sports. On the opposing side of the spectrum, many leagues in both Canada and USA are considered amateur leagues, allowing you to keep eligibility. Both junior A and B leagues in Canada allow you to remain eligible along with all tier one, two and three leagues in the USA. This being said, each individual must make the decision for what is better for themselves, if you are near the 20 year old age limit and have no interest from any NCAA division one schools then Major Junior will probably be your best route to get yourself in front of NHL scouts. However, if you are 16 or 17 and already have offers from NCAA schools then you may want to go that route. While NCAA sets you up for success by providing schooling and high level hockey, Major Junior also gives you one free year of college for every season you play. Regardless, if you have both NCAA division one and Major Junior options, more than likely there is no wrong answer.
Deciding whether to take the extra years to chase your hockey dream in juniors or go straight to college to get a head start on your degree for a future job is a significant life decision for many individuals. Although this decision is also solely personal preference, there are many components to consider in making this verdict. Juniors seems to be socially unacceptable until people learn about the true opportunity it provides. Most junior teams require that their players go to the local high school if still of age, community college to get core credits, or get a job in the community to help pay for their expenses and save for college. In addition, junior hockey provides kids their first experience away from home. This allows them to mature and develop on their own out in the real world. On the other hand, those who are not truly dedicated to the game of hockey and don’t care much about it will not want to go the junior route. This most likely will lead to them being cut from the team some time during the season because coaches can tell who is committed and who is not. After being cut, they will be sent home where at that point they will no longer have a college to attend. Juniors is a gamble, but if you are dedicated to the sport of hockey this is the route most travelled.
Junior hockey is an expanding world today and there are many leagues that fit different players. The ranking of leagues is quite basic. If you are in the States, the only tier one league is the USHL and the only tier two league is the NAHL. These are the two most heavily scouted leagues in the USA. When it comes to tier three there are too many leagues to name. The most widely known is the NA3HL, the affiliate league of the NAHL. The other well known tier three league is the USPHL which has had numerous division one commits due to its location on the east coast. Canada’s system works as Junior A, B, or C. Junior A leagues in Canada have multiple division one commits per team in many leagues. Junior B and C are commonly used as stepping stones to Junior A. Depending on how far away you want to travel for a league and where is your skill set is are the two factors that determine which league you make it into.
The hockey world is often a tough egg to crack and it confuses many people before learning about how to go about the process. Some love the opportunity, others shy away from the complicated process. However, once one becomes familiar with the process and follows a path to success, it becomes a great opportunity that can open many doors to an individual’s future. The decision is often a tough one for kids to make, some leave their home town while still in high school, others wait until graduation to make this decision. Whether it is a no brainer decision or it is a close call of what to do, be informed of where you are going and what organization you are getting yourself into. Follow the information provided and inform yourself for your own good, the decision will become quite clear.