When is the Roster Complete for Junior Hockey Teams?

Q:When is the roster complete for junior hockey teams? 

A:Never.

Junior hockey teams do not require a player (or their parents) to pay for playing hockey at the "junior hockey" level (NAHL, USHL, in addition to other junior hockey leagues.)  No contract is signed between player and team for junior hockey participants.  On the other hand, youth travel teams (Tier II, Tier I, etc.) usually require parents to sign a contract that fees will be paid when a kid "makes the team."

In junior hockey, no contract = no financial obligations.  Except for billeting costs, a player has no financial obligation when it comes to playing junior hockey.  In a nutshell, a junior hockey player does not get paid to play, but neither do they have to pay to play (except paying for their own gear in some instances.)

Fans who attend junior hockey games, such as the Lone Star Brahmas (NAHL) or Lincoln Stars (USHL), pay to attend games and their fan-based crowds can be very supportive and raucous as they cheer their team on! Additionally, junior hockey teams have sponsors, marketing departments, and owners with a real interest in drawing crowds resulting in numerous intermission entertainment venues.

The no-pay arrangement makes it easy for coaches to release (i.e. cut) players at will.  A player signed with a junior hockey team is never guaranteed to play every game of the season let alone maintain membership of a junior hockey team through the next day, next week, or next month.  Teams with players who may be considered weak links or teams that need a different sort of player (a grinder or someone with sweet hands, for example) can send a player packing within 1 day as a trade or release.

In this article, we won't get into what it means when a player is protected or tendered.  You may view valuable information about that here.http://navigatingjuniorhockey.blogspot.com/

Players know the score when it comes to playing junior hockey.  The buddies they make during the season may be gone at any time.  Being released may not be the end of a youths' (generally age 16-20) hockey career...if the player has talent another team may be willing to pick them up for a test drive. 

Experiencing junior hockey is a unique event.  One minute all is well, the next minute, you are riding a bucking bronco.  Like many team sports, is a sled dog eat sled dog world!   

Making the Cut in Junior Hockey and The Trickle Down Effect of Sports

     

If your kid has wedged his skate into the ice rink door of being a Junior Hockey player, congratulations!  Looking for some clues and advice?  Welcome.  We are going to share with you what we have learned over the last few years about making the cut in junior hockey and what we call "The Trickle Down Effect" of sports.

As you may be aware, the road to "Juniors" (Junior Hockey) is long and tedious, filled with unexpected turns and surprises.  Much like a mystery novel or sci-fi adventure, in the world of Junior Hockey, nothing is quite what it seems.

      ROSTER CUTS

• Kids trying out for a junior hockey team (NAHL, USHL, etc.) can make it to the 30-man roster then be quickly cut without explanation.
• Don't even bother to ask a coach why your kid was cut from a roster...coaches are so busy putting a team together that it is highly unlikely that you will get a response. 
• If you do get a response about why your kid was cut; kudos to the coach who took the time to explain but don't hold your breath waiting for a response whether you are a parent or player.
• If your kid gets cut, the coach may (but is NOT in any way obligated to) provide an alternative team or give some guidance about where to proceed.      
• It would not be rare for a kid to be cut in from a junior hockey team and move to a lower-berth league - - then get picked up by the team bus (for a different team) on it's way to a junior hockey tournament!                    

    COACHES

• Junior hockey is fast-paced in every regard, including coaches' responsibilities. 
• Junior hockey coaches have an extensive background in ice hockey - -they grew up playing hockey; they lived and breathed hockey as youths and teens.  Most junior hockey coaches played juniors themselves.  Many played beyond juniors such as in the CHL and NHL. 
• In the cold, hard world of sports, including junior hockey, understand that no parent or player is "owed" an explanation of "why" a kid didn't make a team.  It sucks, it happens, time to move on.

GETTING SCRATCHED

• Being scratched just means the coach had too many players on the team for a game and had to "scratch" some players to keep the roster legal, especially during the roster-selecting pre-permanent roster era.. 
• Getting scratched is not always a bad sign...it can mean that the coach wants to look at kids who are "on the bubble" of being cut from the team.  Your kid is safe IF he outshines those who took the position he would have filled (i.e. defense/forward, goalie). 

MORE : Getting Cut, Being Traded and/or Moving From Leagues in Junior Hockey

• If your kid is talented and has a deep desire, never give up the quest for your kid playing juniors even if he gets cut from an organization...such a move can mean the kid could get traded to another team or a different league. 
• Your kid could be a substitute player for a junior team and prove his value when called upon.  
• Getting cut from junior hockey IS NOT the kiss of death - other hockey-playing options usually open up, starting with coaches who need a player in juniors and ending with a college club team that has an empty spot. 
• Even if your kid gets cut and moves down a level...get a grip.  Be strong for your kid and let them know that being cut or down-graded is a wake-up call: 
• Do they STILL want to play juniors?  Do they want to keep trying to find a team that needs them and that is a good fit? 
• Does your kid want to give up his nomad, uncertain way of junior hockey life or go home and be with his best friends since elementary school?   
• As a player, growth is the only option. 

      THE TRICKLE-DOWN EFFECT of SPORTS

1. We stress that playing competitive hockey means you have to embrace what we call "the trickle down effect of sports." 
2. For example, if a junior hockey player is offered a college gig, he takes it and his spot becomes open.  
3. That junior player's spot gets filled by someone waiting to play at a higher level.
4. And so it flows, downward: The Trickle Down Effect of Sports.

GO FOR IT

If you have even ONE foot in the door to playing Junior Hockey, GO FOR IT and do not stop until you have pummeled every single opportunity to death...if junior hockey (and playing hockey beyond) is your focus.     

The road to making the cut in junior hockey is not pretty.  Good players get cut.  Good kids get cut.  Families don't matter so much to coaches.  It's hardcore, blood and guts, gouge your eyes out competition.  Can you make the cut in junior hockey?

Parent Information: What is a Hockey Combine?

    A hockey combine is a gathering of hockey players who have signed up to show a particular team or hockey organization what their skills are.  A combine may also be referred to as a "Camp" or  a "Pre-season Skate," but either description suits that of a combine - - where coaches get to take a look at what skills a player has. 

Drills, skills and even games go on at combines, camps and pre-season skates and they are a great way for coaches to put eyeballs on your kid and see how they stand up to their age-specific rivals.

Combines, like camps, pre-season skates and even tryouts are the best way to get your kid seen and noticed...hopefully in a good way; and the possibility of a coach asking your kid to try out for a junior hockey (or other level) team is possible. 

Grab that bull by the horns and get your kid where they can be seen if you want him/her to advance to a higher-level of play...and you think they have the skills.  There is nothing to lose, except required fees (typically $50-$200 each) and travel costs, if any.

NAHL 2013-2014 Season Begins

The official North American Hockey League (NAHL) season starts the second week of September.  Team schedules may be viewed HERE.

Visit pointstreak.com to check on teams and standings throughout the season.

Many team rosters are not set until Oct. 1. We wish everyone good luck this season and hope that things work out for everyone in the end - - that's how things sometime go.

Parent Information: What is Junior Hockey?

A primer on "what is junior hockey?" for parents.

What is Junior Hockey?  

1.      Junior hockey is played in the gap years between the year or two before high school ends and the time when a player starts college.  Junior hockey can result in your kid starting college a year or two (or even three years) past the time when they would normally have started college.  In other words, because they were playing junior hockey, players may delay entering college with their "hometown" non-hockey playing friends...this is a typical junior hockey scenario. 

If the above paragraph is a red flag to you, then turn back now, because it just might happen...if your kid get's lucky (there's always some luck involved in every nail-biting situation, isn't there?)...and if your kid is that good... 

However, if you have come so far as to inquire about junior hockey, you must be thinking that your kid shows something special in his/her talent on ice.  Maybe, you and your kid wonder if something bigger can come of this thing we call hockey.


2.      Why is skipping college directly out of high school typical (although not concrete) in junior hockey?  Well, that's the way it's been done for a long time.  Most NHL pros from the U.S. will tell you they played junior hockey; that they were billeted (lived away from home) with a host family during their late high school years and perhaps beyond.  Ask Mike Modano; he was billeted.  So was Darryl Sydor.  The list goes on and on.

• In the U.S., junior hockey is played by the top youth players who advance from playing at upper youth levels such as the Tier I Elite level.  Players may be as young as 16 but "age out" at 20-yrs. old.  In other words, junior hockey players are 20 & under (born as late as Dec. 31of the current season of competition).
• Junior hockey is a bridge that can lead to recruitment by a the highest level of US hockey (USHL) or a university or even a NHL farm team.
• Levels of Junior Hockey in the U.S. include Tier I (USHL); Tier II (NAHL) Junior A; Tier III - Junior A, B, C and D. Canada has it's own version of junior hockey.
• Junior hockey players do not pay to play hockey or all their gear (exceptions apply); the team does.
• We repeat, "Many junior hockey players are billeted, i.e. live away from home with a host family." Read "Billeting Your Hockey Kid" for more information about billeting on this website.
• Junior hockey teams play in arenas with fans who pay to watch them play.  Look at USHL Lincoln Stars or Tri-City Storm for examples of junior hockey teams with good teams and website. 
• Some junior hockey leagues are considered more prestigious than others.  In the U.S., the USHL is the Tier I junior hockey association, followed by Tier II NAHL followed by other junior hockey associations.

If you or your kid are interested in playing hockey at a level where universities are scouting for players - - playing junior hockey at the highest level possible is the road to take. 

Additionally, quality coaching, skill development, and higher competition levels are other benefits of playing junior hockey.

BE PROACTIVE if you wish for your kid (or yourself) to play junior hockey.  Go to pre-camp tryouts and combines as early as age 14 or 15.  Get seen, be noticed. YES, it will cost money to go to those camps but it may be the only way to be SEEN=Proactive.


Junior Hockey Leagues: 2013-2014

CHL (Canada)
CHL TIER 1
SPHL
USHL
NAHL
DEL
UKR
OJHL
GOJHL
OTHERS
(New junior hockey teams and/or leagues are occasionally created.)

RELATED READING: http://www.lakershockey.com/page/show/193046-understanding-junior-hockey

Parent Information: College Hockey Divisions

Admit it: you would pee your pants with joy if your hockey-playing son advanced to play NCAA men's ice hockey.  No "club" hockey at a university (not that there's anything wrong with that), but hockey in one of the two NCAA college ice hockey divisions.

First of all, let's get one fact straight:  In the U.S., there are 2 NCAA divisions of men's college ice hockey: Division I and Division III.  Don't ask us why there is no Division II, there just isn't.  Maybe there used to be a Division II and it was vanquished due to a hockey fight.  Who knows? 

Did you know that in 2013, Yale won the men's NCAA Division I hockey championship?  If you knew that tidbit, good for you...I think we have a real hockey fan on our hands.  Let's test your college hockey knowledge a little bit further:  Who won the men's NCAA Division III ice hockey championship in 2013?  If you said Wisconsin-Eau Claire, you're a winner; just like the Bluegolds. 

Division I and Division III men's ice hockey teams are divided into CONFERENCES and TEAMS.  There were 5 conferences with a total of 58 teams in Division I Men's NCAA Ice Hockey in 2013and 10 conferences for Division III men's ice hockey with a total of 74 teams in 2013.  Read more about D1 hockey teams and D3 hockey teams on the underlined links.

Most Interesting Names of D3 College Hockey Teams:

Amherst Lord Jeffs  (Named after Lord Jeffrey Amherst, of course).

Concordia-Moorhead Cobbers (Cobber="Pal").

Mass-Dartmouth Corsairs (Corsair means pirate.  Now you know).

St. Olaf Oles (This is hysterical..."Ole", pronounced "Oh-lee" is a common Norwegian/Scandinavian name and it is also my great grandfather's name!).

Williams (Mass) Ephs (named after founder Ephraim Williams).

Cost of Playing Travel Hockey

I dislike the term "travel hockey" because it seems pretentious.  Don't we ALL "travel" in some way or another to get to an indoor rink?  However, because of the various levels of hockey out there (another grandiose term..."levels of hockey") we're going to describe "travel hockey" as hockey that is NOT recreation hockey or house hockey.  We are not talking Junior hockey or Pro's but anywhere from a local travel team that plays in nearby rinks to Tier I teams that travel extensively.  The final amounts for each category get larger the more a team travels. Based on 2013/14 average prices.

GEAR
Gear is gear, or at least you would think so.  These costs are part of the amount due when you sign your youth to travel hockey. 

1. Travel hockey sweaters/jerseys are often intricate and cost anywhere from $100-150 each.  You need home and away color jerseys so figure $300 for travel jerseys.
2. Breezer covers (that cover hockey pants) are usually required for travel hockey.  Approx. $40.
3. Hockey bags are usually team-specific with travel hockey logos/names and run about $100 each.
4. Helmets must be purchased to match the team's colors.  If you have a blue helmet but the team wears red helmets; time to pay for a new helmet.

SIGN-UP FEE
Sign up fees are based on many factors, including ice time, which costs $.  Exact practice and game times will be calculated prior to joining a team.  If ice time in your area costs the current average of $300/hr., each player on the team pays their proportionate share in advance when contracting to join a travel team.  Therefore, cost of ice time is included as part of the amount due when you sign your youth to travel hockey. 

It can cost as little as $3,000 per season (coach pay, coach travel, ice time and tournament fees) to play on a local travel team in an average town.  The higher the level of competition, the higher the sign up fee's will be; as much as $10,000 to $12,000 per year BEFORE personal travel expenses are included.  The higher level of hockey that you play = more $$ to pay.  (Because more practice and therefore ice time is required and coaches may be paid more.)

COACH PAY
Often, the cost of coach pay is included as part of the amount due when you sign your youth to travel hockey.  Some travel organizations give the coach a stipend and/or salary while others just pool payment as a group for all or part of the coach(es) air fare expenses.  Sometimes an equitable portion of coach travel is included in fees of the beginning of the season payment parents make to the hockey organization and sometimes parents have to kick in a little bit more cash later down the road if the team travels more than anticipated due to winning tournaments, etc.

PERSONAL TRAVEL EXPENSES
Flights, baggage fees, hotel rooms, rental cars are additional costs of travel and ARE NOT included in any payment you make when you sign your youth to travel hockey.  We do not include food because hey, you're going to eat regardless.

TOURNAMENTS
Most travel hockey teams plan which tournaments they will attend at the beginning of the year.  Typically, such decisions are based on majority-rule by parents and tournament prices are often included when you sign your youth to play travel hockey.  If a team does well in tournaments, however, they may advance to the next level and require a "surprise" injection of funds from parents.

CONTRACTS
Parents are required to sign a contract when their kid signs up to play travel hockey.  Those contracts are legally binding and usually require payment in full before the season starts.  It is rare to get a refund, but a partial refund could be negotiated if circumstances are valid.