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.