Playing Tier I Hockey

Let's be blunt.  If you want your kid to get "seen" by scouts and coaches from various leagues and colleges in the U.S. (such as the NAHL, USHL, Colleges, etc.) playing Tier II youth hockey is not a step in the right direction.   Playing Tier I youth Hockey, on the other hand, offers greater opportunities for those who wish to play at the highest level of hockey they possibly can.  Speaking from the point of view of someone in the U.S., this blog addresses a lot of questions parents and kids may have about playing Tier I youth hockey, playing at higher levels in juniors, youth hockey, and more.

A list of Tier I teams can be viewed at Pointstreak http://www.pointstreak.com/hockey/ .  If your kid plays on one of these teams, they will typically have several opportunities to be seen during games by scouts,  coaches, assistant coaches, etc. 

If your kid makes a Tier I team, you have taken ONE STEP forward to getting your kid moving toward his hockey goals (pardon the pun).

Tryouts for Tier I hockey teams are generally posted on team websites.  An application is usually found on team websites as well.  Most Tier I tryouts are in June but there are some exceptions.  Fill out the application and pay the registration fee.  ANY kid can tryout during Tier I hockey team tryouts unless a team has restrictions.  You should let the coach know via their email address on the website that your kid is interested, feel out the situation, and tell them a little something about your kid.

"Wait," you say, "I don't live near a town with a Tier I hockey team."  Do not despair; if your kid is an older teen and you do not live within distance of a Tier I team, all is not lost.  You can billet your kid.  Read "Billeting Your Hockey Kid" on this blog for more information.  Note: Billeting is not as bad or scary as it seems.

During a season of playing Tier I hockey, your kid may impress a scout or coach.  If so, your kid's coach may be contacted by a scout or coach about your kid.  Also, a scout or coach could contact the parent OR THE KID directly via telephone, email, text, or letter.  There are some rules about who a kid can't talk to based on their age but that info. can change so look into it on the USA Hockey website if you have questions.

Ideally, your kid could invited by a scout or coach to come to a "hockey combine" which is a lot like a hockey camp but it usually has a purpose for kids to pre-tryout for teams in the NAHL, USHL, etc.  

Typically, a player must be INVITED to a hockey combine.  More on that under "Hockey Combine" on this site.  Hockey combines usually cost a few $100 to "register" plus airfare, transportation and lodging if necessary.  Drills and games will take place in a combine which is an ideal way for coaches to see your kid perform among his peers.

I will cover the various options that can occur after Playing Tier I Hockey in another segment titled "After Tier I Hockey: The next step to playing hockey."  

As a Tier I primer, please note the following details about playing Tier I Hockey.

• Tier I hockey is referred to as "amateur" hockey.  Each team is organized by birth year.  In other words, if your kid is born in 2002, he plays in the age group for ALL KIDS born in 2002 (i.e. Pee-wee, Bantam, etc.)  Whatever year of birth from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, EVERY KID on a Tier I team is born the SAME YEAR.  So, obviously, half the team could be in one lower grade in school than the other half who could be one grade higher.  Each team has a wide variety of birth DATES but not birth YEARS. 
• Generally speaking, Tier I teams play others Tier I teams in their region.  For example, teams in Rocky Mountain Region play other Rocky Mountain Region teams.  LA Kings play Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars Elite, Las Vegas Storm, and so on.
• Tier I Hockey games are played "tournament style".  Using the Rocky Mountain Region again as an example, here is how "tournament style" Regular Season hockey games work for Tier I hockey:

1.  Dallas Stars Elite will fly to L.A. approx. twice a year and play L.A. two games.  The Phoenix teams will also have traveled to L.A. during same time and Dallas will also play two games against Phoenix.  Teams may even play each other three times, depending on their schedules.
2. These regular season games usually take place on weekends but players often must travel on Fridays to get to their destination.  This can lead to missing a lot of Fridays at school; half or full days.
3. Paradoxically, the L.A. team flies the following month to Dallas and plays Stars Elite two times and Phoenix again two times.  The cycle is repeated until 20 games have been played.  Then it's time for Regionals and Nationals.