MADJHL

[CaptainZbubble 0]

Hey everyone,

There is a new Jr team starting at a local rink. The team will enter the MADJHL (Mid Atlantic Development Junior Hockey League). If anyone has any input or info on how well the league is run please let me know! Im putting serouis consideration into joining but would like some experiances that anyone has herd about.I figured this might start my path to better hockey.

Thanks,

CaptainZbubble

[whbd18 0]

There are some(4) local kids here who played for the jersey wildcats in that league.They are very good players so I'd expect the level of play pretty high,based on how they play.

[tiki21 0]

isnt that a step below junior c? i think that league you can only have a certain amount of players over 17?

[Project824 0]

isnt that a step below junior c? i think that league you can only have a certain amount of players over 17?

Yes, it's a step below Jr. C, which is terrible hockey in itself. The teams supposedly feed into the Empire League, Junior B, which is not very good hockey, not true Jr. B. The Empire is worse than top notch midget AAA hockey.

If you're of midget age, play for a quality midget team. If you're good enough to be playing for a quality junior team, they'll find you. Underage/underqualified kids playing for low quality junior teams don't develop. Everyone these days is just scrambling around for any junior team they can play for regardless of whether it actually makes them a better player, because somewhere along the way a bunch of parents saw that most NCAA players had played junior. Instead of figuring out whether their kids were good enough to actually play in the USHL, NAHL, EJHL or Tier II in Canada, these parents just went and had their local youth organizations form their own junior teams. Now we're stuck with an epidemic number of very mediocre junior teams in the U.S., midget hockey is nearly dead and the average player coming up is actually worse, less developed and less capable of reaching college hockey than he was 7-8 years ago.

[tiki21 0]

i know a kid whose plays in that developmental league, hes the skill level of a midget A player..

[CaptainZbubble 0]

I was weighing my options because ive had offers from 2 Jr. B teams but they would both require me to drive A hour and 1/2 plus for practices. The thing about this league is that it sounds like a nice intro to Jr. hockey with a chance to upgrade with good performance.

CaptainZbubble

[Project824 0]

I was weighing my options because ive had offers from 2 Jr. B teams but they would both require me to drive A hour and 1/2 plus for practices. The thing about this league is that it sounds like a nice intro to Jr. hockey with a chance to upgrade with good performance.

CaptainZbubble

Depends on your situation. If there's not quality midget programs around there and this is the next best thing, take it for what it's worth and at least you'll be getting ice time. The coaching won't be the greatest, kind of ironic for a "Developmental" league. Weigh between that and driving 1.5 hours to get to practice. If it's the best you can get, use it for the ice time, work hard and try to get on a better team next year. Just don't expect this league to spring you into a top junior league and land you in the NCAA.

[whbd18 0]

I was weighing my options because ive had offers from 2 Jr. B teams but they would both require me to drive A hour and 1/2 plus for practices. The thing about this league is that it sounds like a nice intro to Jr. hockey with a chance to upgrade with good performance.

CaptainZbubble

Depends on your situation. If there's not quality midget programs around there and this is the next best thing, take it for what it's worth and at least you'll be getting ice time. The coaching won't be the greatest, kind of ironic for a "Developmental" league. Weigh between that and driving 1.5 hours to get to practice. If it's the best you can get, use it for the ice time, work hard and try to get on a better team next year. Just don't expect this league to spring you into a top junior league and land you in the NCAA.

Is the league rerally that bad?Are the Players any good? It looks alot better than my HS Program,which used to be one of the best in the state.

[hockechamp14 0]

What's playing junior B worth to you? Maybe you should live with a billet family and go to high school closer to the team.

[J-Shera 0]

Worse then Jungle C? Is that possible.

[warrior37 0]

project824, i agree with your first post, there are too many half assed jr programs around, the epidemic is also coming up with more and more half way aaa organizations, i guess when it comes down to it, if youre good enough, they will find you, and by they it should be an established jr a or jr b or ncaa program

[Project824 0]

Is the league rerally that bad?Are the Players any good? It looks alot better than my HS Program,which used to be one of the best in the state.

The league is a Midget A level of play at absolute best. Not saying that the players aren't "good" at hockey, but as far as evaluating higher level talent and preparation to move on to play legitimate junior or college hockey, the players aren't going anywhere. The league is mostly kids who should be playing Midgets, and a couple of older kids who should hang them up and play men's league. Throw these MADJHL teams against strong Midget A programs around the country and these junior teams won't be winning many games.

The same holds true with leagues like the Empire Jr. B league, which fields teams that are worse than quality Midget AAA teams. Filled with Midget aged kids who are stuck playing for a label. Now, as someone else has pointed out, we have too many Midget AAA programs, mostly formed by the parents of kids who couldn't make established AAA programs. The problem with being a 15-19 year old hockey player now is that there are TOO MANY junior and AAA teams around. Add high school teams into the equation and talent is few and far between. For the most part, high school hockey is much weaker than it was 8 years ago, midget hockey as a whole is tons weaker and almost non existent, and junior hockey in the US has become a joke. Everyone and their mother can make a team of some sort, talent is extremely watered down and that brings the level of play down, which limits development, competition and exposure. There is no evolution amongst players to weed out the ones who can't cut it.

At this point it is worthless to play high school(to move on in hockey) unless you are in Michigan, Minnesota or prep (even prep hockey is down), kids that can barely skate are playing AAA hockey, and playing for a junior team means nothing with the exception of 3-4 leagues in the US. USA Hockey is going to do a major reevaluation of the situation this year and hopefully get rid of a lot of junior teams, and move a lot of AAA teams down to A.

[Chadd 916]

There was a team from the Met around here a couple years ago and about half the team played on an adult team at the same time. They were right around .500

[sherwood21 0]

Project, just wondering why you think Prep hockey is down? I remember you saying you were at the Belmont tourney so you must have a legit reasoning. I find that more and more kids are getting recruited from top end AAA and lots of kids are moving on to NCAA..

[hockechamp14 0]

Project, just wondering why you think Prep hockey is down? I remember you saying you were at the Belmont tourney so you must have a legit reasoning. I find that more and more kids are getting recruited from top end AAA and lots of kids are moving on to NCAA..

Because a weak team from my school is actually in the new england tournament. The pace of games aren't as fast, and there aren't players who are solid in all aspects anymore. At least my 2 cents

[Project824 0]

Project, just wondering why you think Prep hockey is down? I remember you saying you were at the Belmont tourney so you must have a legit reasoning. I find that more and more kids are getting recruited from top end AAA and lots of kids are moving on to NCAA..

Because there are 11 USHL teams, 20 teams in the NAHL and 14 teams in the EJHL. Players are signing NCAA DI from each of those leagues every year, the USHL is almost guaranteed, and the NA and EJ are strong, although the NA is getting a bit watered down for Jr. A. Kids no longer have to stay in prep school and pay 30-40k a year, abide by a dress code, and answer to a headmaster to get exposure for a scholie, so rarely are kids staying in New England through their senior or PG years like in the past, especially with strong EJ programs in the area. The top handful of kids in prep leagues are still prospects, but we won't be seeing a lot of NHL draft picks coming out of prep like in years past. The competition as a whole isn't what it used to be. Top players are going there for freshman-maybe junior year and then jetting for juniors. Let's face it, prep schools aren't much fun compared to playing junior, plus preps play only 30 or so games, vs. 60-70 for juniors, which is 30-40 more games to get exposure and experience. Prep has changed from a feeder for Ivy League and northeastern US hockey institutions into a stepping stone for Junior A for those who can make it.

In addition to the 3 US leagues, in Canada there are 16 teams in the Alberta League, 17 teams in the BC, 11 teams in the Manitoba, 36 teams in the OP, 10 teams in the SJ and 12 teams in the Maritime. There are plenty of leagues with talent, you just have to make sure it's the right league.

[Gongshow11 1]

i went through the prep system and i can say i should have gone jrs after. prep is really going downhill lately, because teams will take a 21 year old over a, 18 year old anyday, and plus there is maybe a handful of good teams in prep. I got offers from prep thats why im wher eim at now, but i regret not playing jrs.

[sherwood21 0]

That's a solid base for what you're saying and all, but you really can't argue with the education that most Prep schools offer. Let's not forget that quite honestly, lots of kids head to prep because of the great education you receive. Regardless if you think hockey players are only there for the hockey, or not, but if you work hard at a good school you've given yourself a great chance to succeed in further education.

[hockechamp14 0]

That's a solid base for what you're saying and all, but you really can't argue with the education that most Prep schools offer. Let's not forget that quite honestly, lots of kids head to prep because of the great education you receive. Regardless if you think hockey players are only there for the hockey, or not, but if you work hard at a good school you've given yourself a great chance to succeed in further education.

None of us are arguing with the education, we're arguing with the hockey. It's a matter of what's important to each individual and what meets each player's needs.

[Project824 0]

That's a solid base for what you're saying and all, but you really can't argue with the education that most Prep schools offer. Let's not forget that quite honestly, lots of kids head to prep because of the great education you receive. Regardless if you think hockey players are only there for the hockey, or not, but if you work hard at a good school you've given yourself a great chance to succeed in further education.

That's a fair and level-headed statement. I'm glad you have that on your mind. And that might also be one of the reasons some guys are leaving or forgoing prep school for junior - the academic issues. Any idiot can graduate from a regular high school, and let's face it, everyone knows more than a few GOOD hockey players who are just not that smart... I've played with guys who would make you less intelligent just breathing the same air as them.

But as far as hockey is concerned, it's no contest. It's entirely possible to do junior after school, and that should be the goal for more kids, to play in a top notch junior league at 17, 18 or 19 after high school, as opposed to playing on some of these crap junior teams at 15 and 16.

For the truly top notch talent though, they're looking at trying to land a scholarship in either place, and if you've got the talent, they'll get you into college, and get you through college. So junior gives you the best chance at having the talent.

[hockechamp14 0]

That's a solid base for what you're saying and all, but you really can't argue with the education that most Prep schools offer. Let's not forget that quite honestly, lots of kids head to prep because of the great education you receive. Regardless if you think hockey players are only there for the hockey, or not, but if you work hard at a good school you've given yourself a great chance to succeed in further education.

That's a fair and level-headed statement. I'm glad you have that on your mind. And that might also be one of the reasons some guys are leaving or forgoing prep school for junior - the academic issues. Any idiot can graduate from a regular high school, and let's face it, everyone knows more than a few GOOD hockey players who are just not that smart... I've played with guys who would make you less intelligent just breathing the same air as them.

But as far as hockey is concerned, it's no contest. It's entirely possible to do junior after school, and that should be the goal for more kids, to play in a top notch junior league at 17, 18 or 19 after high school, as opposed to playing on some of these crap junior teams at 15 and 16.

For the truly top notch talent though, they're looking at trying to land a scholarship in either place, and if you've got the talent, they'll get you into college, and get you through college. So junior gives you the best chance at having the talent.

Also, at prep with good grades, it's easier to get recruited by places like Yale, Harvard, Union, Clarkson, BC, although they may ask you to go play junior after you graduate to get better.