My situation

[HockeyIsLife 0]

I am going to play Midget AA hockey. I am 15 right now. I missed the whl draft so I'd like to know my options if I want to have a shot in plaing in the nhl. How do you play ncaa? Do you go to a tryout and they say that you can play?

And is playing hockey for a canadien university mean You can go into the nhl?

[AtlantaThrashers01 0]

k this is wut i learnt im not to 100% sure.....AA players(me being one) usually dont get scouted, ive never hurd or a AA guy getting drafted, if u want to get drafted id sugest playing AAA at ur age if ur looking into that. You have the best chance of making it to the nhl either playing AAA, n wen u turn 18 sumthing lik junior A but i dont think AA u hav a good chance. Not alot of canadian university players make it, there usually ex whl players or junior A guys so i guess u just work real hard in the next 2 year, try make AAA next year play ur best and try to get drafted, sum ppl i kno that play AAA got drafted all over the whl league so u got a chance

[HockeyIsLife 0]

you can get drafted after 14-15?

[DEATHTRON 19]

18 is the minimum draft age.

[warrior37 0]

jump off a tall bridge? no, but dont listen to people who type slang. keep playing aaa, go to jr a camps, if you work hard and play good major junior, jr a and b, and ncaa scouts will find you. just keep giving it hell, a website wont pave your way to the nhl though

[BigT 4]

i don't mean to be a ballbuster but don't plan on playin in the nhl....instead, play the highest level that you can and get an education...chances of the nhl are extremely thin

[srv2miker 0]

i don't mean to be a ballbuster but don't plan on playin in the nhl....instead, play the highest level that you can and get an education...chances of the nhl are extremely thin

This man's advice is gold. Your goal should be to get a scholarship to a great NCAA school, where you can get a good education as well as play the game you love. If the NHL comes after that, then even better, but with that quality of education you can do anything with your life.

[Patrick67 1]

NCAA sholarship should be your dream-scenario.... Education and hockey, can't beat that.

[biff44 0]

Tell us a little more. Are you Canadian? What are your stats and size?

I am going to guess that you are Canadian, as the Canadian kids tend to think that their life is over if they do not play in the CHL. Its not so! There are plenty of Junior A amateur hockey teams that are great competition. Do what you have to to go play there! Stuff that you should do THIS summer:

Hire a professional trainer to reduce your % body fat, put on 15 lbs of muscle mass, and get more agile.

Go find a good skating instructor (usually some older lady figure skating instructor at the local rink is perfect) for some one-on-one lessons, especailly in balance and edge work. When you can skate from one end of the rink to the other on only one skate, you are ready.

Shoot pucks in the basement all summer long.

Stickhandle a golf ball all summer long.

Start jawboning every Jr A coach you can find to come scout you next season. Try to get onto the best team you can for next season. Go to Jr A tryouts this season to get a feel of the speed.

On the Ice next season, play smart. Canadians (excuse the stereotyping here) seem to be all about making the big hit or having the big fight during a tryout. Learn how to not panic with the puck, make the smart outlet pass, keep your head on a swivel, play good positioning when you do not have the puck....all the things that a top Jr A team is looking for.

Good luck

[DLIGHTNING 0]

If you want to get your shot at a ncaa school, you should try to have some fotage of yourself and your skill and send it to every D1 and D3 school possible, if they like what they see than they will scout you. You should try to get to any tryouts you can still, Jr A or AAA , just to raise the level of your game.

Good luck, remeber that nothing comes without hard work ! The ratio of players who play compaired to how many never make it is huge.

There are many other leauges that are Pro, I know a guy who plays for Fort Wayne Comets, he loves it and gets paid decent :-)

[biff44 0]

That is an excellent idea. A video does help. Only has to be 10 minutes long or so.

Also, I have noticed that you have to be talking to the colleges all the time, as they must get thousands of contacts and have a short memory. Skating in a scouted tournament--drop a line to you top 10 college picks saying what team and # you will be on.

[M-Cohen 0]

If your going to play AA play for a team that has Either a AAA affiliation or a JR.A affiliation. If the AA team you play for is good the coaches from either the AAA or JR.A team will likely come out to the games.

Don't let playing AA discourage you, work your ass off and try as hard as you can. Anson Carter never played AAA and look where he is now, it's all hard work and determination.

[hip check 0]

The percentage of players that move to the next level decreases in such a huge amount it is frustrating to look at. How many kids play minor hockey in your area alone? Across your province, country? How many in the US, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Czech Rep...???? How many pro players are there - in any league? I'd be guessing they're not very good odds to begin with.

Work hard to play at the highest level you can. Talk to coaches, scouts, league convenors, athletics directors - anyone that can provide you with more information. Make sure they know your name when you leave. Work ethic and attitude will make the difference if you're close to any other players in skill.

Make sure the game is still fun.

[j8Zt8r 0]

It sounds as though you have the drive and desire to chase your dream which is the most important thing. I agree with most of the replies so far. Do everything you can to get an NCAA scholarship. There are 750 players in the NHL and 10's of 1000's trying to get there. The education you can get for free is worth more than any contract. Don't give up the dream and keep working hard, just be practicle and take a college offer WHEN you get it. See if you can find a showcase tournament as there are plenty of scouts that go to them. Drive and determination win over raw talent.

[Ti-girl 0]

First of all, do you know how many kids get Dub drafted and never play in the Dub?

Do you know how many kids NEVER get Dub drafted and go on to play in the Dub? (Clarke MacArthur - MH Tigers player now plays for the Rochester Americans. He was never drafted and was one of their best players for 2 years.)

Being Dub drafted isn't the be all end all. My brother WAS WHL drafted. Never played for them. Never wanted to. Wanted to get an NCAA scholorship.

There ARE other ways of getting to the NHL. You can always go through the Minor Minors (ECHL ect) and you can still make it.

Work as hard as you can and see what happens.

[j8Zt8r 0]

First of all, do you know how many kids get Dub drafted and never play in the Dub?

Do you know how many kids NEVER get Dub drafted and go on to play in the Dub? (Clarke MacArthur - MH Tigers player now plays for the Rochester Americans. He was never drafted and was one of their best players for 2 years.)

Being Dub drafted isn't the be all end all. My brother WAS WHL drafted. Never played for them. Never wanted to. Wanted to get an NCAA scholorship.

There ARE other ways of getting to the NHL. You can always go through the Minor Minors (ECHL ect) and you can still make it.

Work as hard as you can and see what happens.

Good points. I can think of a couple NHL all-stars that never got drafted and had great careers.

Adam Oates - been to the finals

Steve Duschene - his name is on the cup

I know there are a lot more but work is busy today. Please add to that list with anyone people can pick off the top of their heads.

[warrior37 0]

you could always ask the coach about the zamboni room

[M-Cohen 0]

Sorry, I'm kinda slow.. What does that mean?^^

[Ti-girl 0]

St Louis

Oates

Belfour

Joseph

Mike Keane

Roloson

Madden

Rafalski

Boyle

Halpern

Todd White

The Stastny brothers

Cicerelli

Greg DeVris

Todd Simpson

Steve Reinprect

Pascal Dupuis

Ruslan Fedetenko

Mark Eaton

Joe Mullen

[Eazy_b97 1]

Canadian University, rarely, if ever, gets you to the show. It's mostly filled with ex-Major junior players. If you want to get to the show, take one of the first posters advice, strive for the NHL, but always work one step at a time trying to play the highest level you can. If you get to the NHL, awesome, if not, at least you did everything in your power to get there. Try and get into the junior ranks ASAP if you aren't drafted. From there keep trying to advance, whether you start B and go to A, or A to major junior. If you play in the WHL (or QMJHL or OHL) you lose your NCAA scholarship, but most will pay for Canadian University schooling. NCAA is scouted by the pro's ALOT (I can't emphasize alot enough) more than Canadian University. At this point, keep your eligibility by not going out for WHL camps until you fully understand the restrictions, but try out for every other team you can see.

[Ti-girl 0]

The second you play WHL hockey you are ineligable for NCAA. Pre season and Camps don't count though.

[Eazy_b97 1]

There's a 48 hour limite or something along those lines for the OHL. It wouldn't surprise me if there's the same thing in the WHL, since it's an NCAA rule, and not an OHL idea.