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News Article
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Posted by GSH-Editor on Monday, August 16, 2004 |
A GSH Editorial
Options. Decisions. Benefits and repercussions. This is the natural progression of today’s junior aged hockey player. So many decisions have to be made by a fresh faced 16 year old as to what direction he wants his future to lead towards. So which path leads to Rome, you may ask? The GSH takes a look down both barrels of the gun.
First of all, there is the most familiar route which is the Major Junior Hockey League, which includes three pillars of power: the Ontario Hockey League, (OHL), the Western Hockey League (WHL) and of course the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Each year, aspiring hockey players are drafted by teams from these leagues and enticed with the thoughts of fame and fortune, and possibly a career in the National Hockey League. There is no doubt that by playing Major Junior “A†Hockey, you are putting yourself in a position to be fast tracked to the NHL, more so then you would by playing Tier II Junior “Aâ€. This is because major junior is scouted more then Tier II, but of course there are your exceptions. Two CJAHL players (KRIS CHUCKO, and TRAVIS ZAJAC, both from Salmon Arm Junior “Aâ€) were drafted in the 1st round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. These players wanted to keep there eligibility for NCAA school. It turned out pretty good, wouldn’t you say?
So what does Tier II Junior “A†have to offer then you may ask? The answer is a lot. In my opinion, taking this path is your smartest option, if you’re not a blue chip player who is a dead on lock to be drafted in the NHL. The reason being is that the moment you play one game of Major Junior hockey, your eligibility to play college NCAA hockey in the United States has been severely damaged. Scholarships are the bread and butter of the CJAHL and USHL (United States Hockey League). Basically if your think about it (with some exceptions of top round NHL picks) by getting a Division I NCAA scholarship it is comparable to a signing bonus that the average Major Junior player would get if they are lucky enough to get drafted and eventually sign. (A lot of players get drafted but never end up signing). Think about it, a scholarship at a top academic school can be worth upwards of $150 000 US depending on the quality of the institution. That is a pretty sweet deal, don’t you think? Did I mention that you get to play hockey for four years, get a degree that will help you make a living, be a big man on campus, meet some great buddies, drink lots of beer, and still get drafted to the NHL? Let’s look at this year’s draft to support my argument here. This year three NCAA players were chosen in the 1st round alone: NY Al Montoya, (Michigan), A.J. Thelen (Michigan State) and Drew Stafford (North Dakota). Last year’s draft boasted a record 9 NCAA players taken in the first round. In 2002, there were six college players taken in the first round, including five already in school. You see an emerging pattern here? Playing NCAA hockey allows these players to develop and become men before they head off to NHL camps, giving them a huge advantage over players straight out of junior, in my opinion.
Now my critics will tell me that Major Junior players get school deals in their contracts. This is true, most players get there tuition paid for each year they play Major Junior (some players get more money if they are elite). The problem with this is you must remain a full time student every semester you play. What happens is, sure you have this sweet deal, but in some cases it can become null if you miss a semester of school, leaving you in the outhouse with no shit tickets.
In sum, I am not knocking either league. For some, major junior is the best route for them and they have no regrets, and the same goes for others who went the CJAHL/NCAA route. What kills me is seeing some of these guys who were 3rd and 4th line major junior players, and they go play in the minor leagues for 5 years, then come home realizing that they are 25 and have zero education. I would much rather see the average player (who’s not gonna be an 18 year old NHL Rookie) come out of CJAHL or CHL, go to school for four years, and then go try his luck in the pros. Hey, if it doesn’t work out, you were chasing your dream –but you did it the smart way, and now you have something to fall back on. Hitting the books might not seem that important now, but just remember, perhaps that one time a week you shut her down from the lads cause your studying for your SAT’s or getting your work done, could result in a positive outcome in your lifestyle years down the road. |
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Comments
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Re: Most roads lead to Rome, some go no where....
by leafs_15 on Friday, July 29, 2005
this will help me make sum descions thanx alot
Re: Most roads lead to Rome, some go no where....
by sterno22 on Saturday, July 23, 2005
very well put
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Average Score: 4.8
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