Tryout Invitation

[cja5150 0]

oh yeah, well i got a letter from the vancouver canucks inviting me to rookie camp and its not costing me a dime, you guys think i should go?

Yeah,

I heard they need new waterboys and fluffers. You will do an ACE job!!

:o

-Chris

i heard you're recruitng fluffers, now do you use lip balm or chap stick. fact of the matter is, lets not avert the attention away from you sheldon kennedy

Sorry for hijacking this thread, but I don't get the Sheldon Kennedy thing man. Weren't these kids like 17/18 that Graham James was molesting or whatever?

If my coach tried that crap on me when I was 17, I would have beaten him until he couldn't breathe. And there ain't no court that puts you in jail for that.

-Chris

hey timmy tough nuts, how much you bench?

I'm 34 and don't bench what I used to. I still get 315 for reps but don't know what I max. I'm only 215lbs and don't want anymore mass.

When I was 18 most anything would set me off. I'm much more relaxed now. Although I still think that guy deserved a massive beat down.

I'm surprised to hear that Jr. Bruins sent out those crappy invites, I would be surprised if ANY EJHL team would do that crap to make money. It's dishonest.

-Chris

[Gongshow11 1]

oh yeah, well i got a letter from the vancouver canucks inviting me to rookie camp and its not costing me a dime, you guys think i should go?

Yeah,

I heard they need new waterboys and fluffers. You will do an ACE job!!

:o

-Chris

i heard you're recruitng fluffers, now do you use lip balm or chap stick. fact of the matter is, lets not avert the attention away from you sheldon kennedy

Sorry for hijacking this thread, but I don't get the Sheldon Kennedy thing man. Weren't these kids like 17/18 that Graham James was molesting or whatever?

If my coach tried that crap on me when I was 17, I would have beaten him until he couldn't breathe. And there ain't no court that puts you in jail for that.

-Chris

hey timmy tough nuts, how much you bench?

I'm 34 and don't bench what I used to. I still get 315 for reps but don't know what I max. I'm only 215lbs and don't want anymore mass.

When I was 18 most anything would set me off. I'm much more relaxed now. Although I still think that guy deserved a massive beat down.

I'm surprised to hear that Jr. Bruins sent out those crappy invites, I would be surprised if ANY EJHL team would do that crap to make money. It's dishonest.

-Chris

they did send that out, i tossed them before i opened them. only 315? better hit that juice up like you did when you were 18, ICEMAN

[warrior37 0]

well considering a season in the EJ is 4K im not suprised

[j8Zt8r 0]

First, this has turned into 1 of the funniest threads.

On the topic though, I can't beleive they send out those letters and have a balls to ask for money. My little brother was asked in person to a Junior B tryout. It is this weekend and no money was asked for it. Maybe it is different by regions or something like that.

[Gongshow11 1]

no cuz they want him, letters are money makign scams. id rather send off my credit card number to a telemarketer

[cja5150 0]

well considering a season in the EJ is 4K im not suprised

Someone told me today that Walpole Stars is $5k? Pete MacArthur (BU) was saying that some kids spend $10k+ per year to play juniors? He played USHL.

What is an average cost to play Juniors?

[warrior37 0]

Jr A in the USHL, NAHL, and most any Jr B and Jr A in Canada is FREE

[gavin 0]

If you're paying to play Junior then YOU'RE DUMB. Maybe you should figure out that ... at this point you should enjoy hockey and see what you can get out of the sport BESIDES a trip to the NHL.

[j8Zt8r 0]

Once you make Junior B here, it is free.

[cja5150 0]

Jr A in the USHL, NAHL, and most any Jr B and Jr A in Canada is FREE

Don't they have to pay for ice time and other costs? Is there enough attendance at USHL games to cover the costs of running a franchise?

Are billet families ever compensated?

Is Jr A in Canada the same as Major Junior(WHL, QMJHL)?

Gavin: If you look at how many kids EJHL puts into D1 schools, you might reconsider your position.

-Chris

[gavin 0]

Chris, I'm not familiar with EJHL, maybe I spoke out of turn. But I know with USHL games they will get attendances of like 7 thousand. I was at a Green Bay Gamblers game with my coach and his son and they had about that many.

And yes in Canada ... it depends on where you are. On the east coast they have Junior A (i.e. in Moncton, NB that would be the Moncton Beavers) and then one level up is Major Junior (Moncton Wildcats, LHMJQ or "The Q"). But in Ontario, the OHL is considered the top level, but there is no Junior A below that, the next level down is Junior B. In BC, the BCHL is considered Junior A, but it is not Major Junior, the WHL would fill that role.

Basically, don't go with what it's called (most bush league, like the International Junior Hockey League and many others) call themselves Junior B but they are a long shot from Major Junior) but rather with how many levels is it from CHL.

[All Torhs Team 0]

I just recieved an invitation letter to the Toledo Cherokee Junior tryouts saying that I was seen by one of their scouts. Now this is all great, but Im wondering if this is for real and I might get a look, maybe not for this year but following seasons, or if they just want my $185 to tryout. Im just turning 16 in a few weeks and play U18 AA so it seems alittle odd that Im getting this. Any one know whats really going on?

Toledo? Hmm, Im trying out for something like that, a juniors program but its in the states. I beleave there are 4 teams from the states, one team from canada. Those five teams have a tourny, then there is an All star team picked and the all star team will travel over seas to play.

This may be another thing that your trying out for but it sounds familiar plus the $185 is how much i had to pay also.

The tryout is a very good deal though because of the rink time and the players. You will get 4 games and 2 practices to show the judges what youve got. Plus the players there are very good so you can see where you stand and maybe get a feel for your chances next year.

The team that Im trying out for suits you up with free gloves, pants, helmets and possibly sticks. if you make the team.

If you are going to tryout It going to be a good time at a tourny basically with excelent players, If you choose not to, at least you know they wanted you.

[Project824 0]

And yes in Canada ... it depends on where you are. On the east coast they have Junior A (i.e. in Moncton, NB that would be the Moncton Beavers) and then one level up is Major Junior (Moncton Wildcats, LHMJQ or "The Q"). But in Ontario, the OHL is considered the top level, but there is no Junior A below that, the next level down is Junior B. In BC, the BCHL is considered Junior A, but it is not Major Junior, the WHL would fill that role.

Um, yea.... no Junior A in Ontario below the OHL? Ontario Provincial Junior League? Northern Ontario Junior League? That's two by my count, which makes sense since Ontario is the most populated province. There is a Tier II Junior A league in every major province: the BCHL, SJHL, AJHL, MJHL (Manitoba), NOJHL, OPJHL, MJHL (Maritime) and LHJAAAQ. These are in addition to the three Major Junior Leagues, the WHL, OHL and QMJHL (or "Q" as you so familiarly put it).

There are more than enough Tier II Junior A teams in Canada (most NCAA DI players still come from Tier II), along with 3 strong leagues in the U.S. If you are over 18 and still playing Junior B, Junior C or a fake Junior A league, it might be time to go to college or get a job.

As for the EJHL in the US, yes players pay to play on these teams, and with expenses, JuCo tuition, etc., the tab at the end of the year can be $10k. But the EJ has gone a different route, by offering a league in close proximity to most Northeastern U.S. colleges, making recruiting easier, thus the large number of DI commitments in the last 2 years. The EJ's teams have found operating to be easier because they don't have to account for 30 players' ice and living expenses each year. The USHL is still the strongest US league, but they have the benefit of great ticket sales to generate funds. The NAHL is probably still a better league than the EJ by a hair, but is running into problems with overexpansion, and teams folding because corporates are pulling funding. The NAHL's players do not pay to play and that is partially where teams fall into financial trouble, along with the fact that many teams are located in podunk towns where the people know nothing about hockey and don't watch games.

And to answer the original question, 99% of these tryout camps where you pay are fundraisers. You might find a player or two here or there that has potential for the future, but it is almost always "talent among the less talented". Very rarely will you be skating against returners or true prospects, you might have a vet here or there out there for a Sunday skate. As others have said, if they want you, you'd know it already, and you wouldn't be paying.

[Gongshow11 1]

i know boston bulldogs in the ajhl costs 10k a yr

[gavin 0]

Project824: I guess I was speaking from ignorance in regards to Ontario. I knew that there is Junior A in the Maritimes and out west (the two places I have lived) below Major Junior. For some reason I thought that in Ontario it was different... that all the Junior leagues below were considered B. I kinda thought that was weird. Thanks for clearing it up for me. Are you from Ontario?

[warrior37 0]

youre fucking busch league gavin, tier II jr A in ontario is unreal, there is the OPJHL, the CJHL, and the NOJHL and SIJHL...as far as Jr B there is the WOJHL, the MWOJBHL, and the GHL Jr B, get your facts right and give your head a shake...

[biff44 0]

What these posts are pointing out is that a lot of players do not understand the Junior hockey system. That is especially true if you are from one part of the world and are seriously considering playing in another part of the world.

It is easy to put up a web site and have your league look professional. It is also pretty easy to ask a question on a message board and either get a positive response (from someone who owns the team or has a kid playing there), or a negative response (from someone who competes with that league, and does not want you to go there), or a truthful response.

In New England, for instance, D1 prep schools (private high schools for those from away) and the EJHL are the top two leagues. Any given day you can find posts deriding either option!

So, how the heck do you actually find out about a league? Well, you can ask on these message boards and FILTER out the data. You can search around on the internet for things like D1 college placements RECENTLY that a team has had (either from their websites or from cheisenber), NHL draft picks, QMJHL/OHL/USHL draft picks. You can talk to your current coach (assuming he is interested in moving up his players, some coaches are psycho against that). You can talk to scouts you might run into at a rink (just to not pester them too much, they are actually there working). You could look at your favorite college team's roster and see what team they all came from. You can go to some showcases and find the best team and figure out where the players came from.

Good luck. There are regional differences that are hard to figure out. New England just has too much to do, so the Junior hockey games have something like 50 fans in the audience per game (in some leagues it is 40 parents and 10 scouts, so it can be ok). Obviously, unless they charged tuition there would be no junior hockey. The alternative--spend $120,000 for a D1 prep education and the chance of getting selected onto the varsity hockey team! The other alternative is to play far away, where mom and dad will spend at least $6K a year on plane flights, hotel rooms, and incidental expenses for junior, and the loss of the home support system to the player.

Does it make sense for a player from, say, Canada to come play in the EJHL? Well, maybe. If he is already on a top local junior A team, is it getting scouted heavily? BCHL gets a lot of college scouts attending. But some leagues are just not scouted. Maybe he is a good player and needs to jump start his career by playing where the college scouts grow. $6K, $10K for a year to grap a $50-130K college scholarship might be a good deal--if the player is truly good.

[gavin 0]

youre fucking busch league gavin, tier II jr A in ontario is unreal, there is the OPJHL, the CJHL, and the NOJHL and SIJHL...as far as Jr B there is the WOJHL, the MWOJBHL, and the GHL Jr B, get your facts right and give your head a shake...

Look I'm not sure what you're attacking me about but I do happen to know a fair amount about SIJHL and that is not what I would call "unreal." It would fit more the category of "bush league." Speaking of bush league, am I supposed to think that is a slam? Because I don't take it as a slam. You don't get any more "bush league" than say... the North Stars in the International Junior Hockey League. But I wouldn't be ashamed to play for them.

Further, the reason that I say that some of your "unreal" Junior "A" leagues are not as hot as you make it out to be, is because there is a stud player coming to play for us next season. He plays in the Western Junior "B" Hockey League (WJHL I guess). All I know is that he plays on a higher level than the teams in the SIJHL, which is considered Junior A. Go figure. That was my only point.

Another question, how familiar are you with these leagues you keep mentioning? I find it odd that you would call the league in Michigan/Ontario the GLHL (Great Lakes Hockey League), when the Great Lakes Hockey League has, since the 1930's been a Senior A league in Wisconson and the U.P. of Michigan. I only know this because on weekends when I am not playing college I play for the Eagle River Falcons (Eagle River, WI) and they are in the GLHL. I think what you mean to say is the GLJHL (Great Lakes Junior Hockey League), which is a Junior league in Ontario/Michigan that I really don't know much about, but I do know that a lot of the guys that come out of there get scholarships and stuff. Pretty good hockey, to be considered Junior B.

Basically... Junior B is not always bush league hockey. And sometimes (SIJHL etc.) Junior A is actually more bush.

[Gongshow11 1]

SIJHL is a joke, its 5 teams or so and just terrible. the fact that they went far in the dudley was an embarassment

[gavin 0]

And yet they are considered Junior A. That is explicitly my point.

[Gongshow11 1]

its because the league is bush, but the players coudl go anywhere else in canada. not all the jr leagues below are jr.b you dustbucket, theyre jr.a tier II, and major junior is tier I.

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