Open tryouts?

[HotBacon 0]

I know this is wishful thinking, but do any minor leagues ever hold an open tryout? Or is it if you don't get drafted out of juniors or college you can pretty much settle into beer leagues and/or open hockey?

[whbd18 0]

I highly doubt it. They have try out camps which Im sure you have to be drafted or asked ,to participate in.

[Gongshow11 1]

i think it was kocur for the red wings who was asked to come back when he was playing beer leagues at the time.

But yes, you have to be invited

[Chadd 916]

SPHL used to have a couple open tryouts

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

Still, you had to be "approved."

Jrs/college club experience minimum.

[hockechamp14 0]

I think there's a "free agent" camp this summer for the ECHL for anyone who wants to register. I imagine space is limited and you'd have to be approved.

[Project824 0]

I think there's a "free agent" camp this summer for the ECHL for anyone who wants to register. I imagine space is limited and you'd have to be approved.

And it's a great way for the guy organizing it to make a few bucks...

A tryout, as in a legitimate chance to make the team is being invited to training camp. Team management decides that, not a camp fee. Put it this way, if you have to pay to be there, it's not legit. Free agent camps are fundraisers, I'd estimate 1 in 200 guys at one of those get a chance at training camp, and usually they're first dayers - first day and they're cut.

Even the SPHL's open tryouts are screened - you have to know someone, or you have to have a legitimate hockey background. It's like applying for any other job in a way, if you don't have the resume and experience for it, your name's out.

[flymonty3 0]

Ha I have held a few of these, and it is the same as juniors, and open or free agent camp is a hege moneymaker for whoever is putting it on. It is more or less a way for the person or company holding the camp to socialize with the coaches they had come, and out of 30-50 in attendance, one or two might get a camp invite and I only know of 2 players in the past 5 years to make a "AA" level pro roster via a free agent camp. One was Bryce Charpentier when he made the club out of Long Beach's free agent camp (doesnt hurt that he is 6' Huge, 250+ LBS and was coming off his 2nd or 3rd BCHL season, so he wasnt an average player) Another is a kid from New York University's ACHA D.2 team, I think his name was Ryan Hughes, played about half the season for Knoxville in the SPHL. Even the Free agent camps held by teams are money makers, why else would they charge 300.00 for you to come try out when it only costs the team about 30.00 per player throughout the course of a weekend.

I use free agent camps to have coaches come look mostly at a few specified clients who already have a good shot at making the roster of whatever club is in attendance, because once they commit to attending training camp with a certain club, their rights are at least temporarily held whith that club in that league, so by doing this it can actually get someone a "unofficial tryout" and these guys usually just get straight up contracts after camp if their good enough...

If you want a shot at playing pro hockey and your serious about it, you have to have a decent resume at least, because unfortounatly if you dont have the numbers on paper, 99% of the coaches out there wont even spend 5 minutes watching you play, or even return your messages, especially if you are calling all these teams on your own...

If you are good enough, and serious about trying to play, contact an agent and spend a little more money and do it right the first time, it will actually save you much more in travel expenses, and frustration in the long run. If your just giving it a go for the hell of it, or a camp is local, then sure, see what happens.

PM me with questions.

[Jim A 4]

It was always amusing to meet the guys who were in town to tryout for the LB Ice Dogs, saying how great they were and would be on the team..only to see them with 4 assists in the C League at the local rink .

[jrhky36 1]

i think it was kocur for the red wings who was asked to come back when he was playing beer leagues at the time.

that was in '97. i played on the same team with him out of lakeland ice arena in waterford, mi.

his hands finally healed up nicely. his knuckles were a mess from all the fighting he did. he was also very good friends wiht john wharton who was the wing's trainer at the time. john would tell scotty all the time about how joey's hands were healed. finally scotty and ken holland said ok. the cup party at his house that summer was insane.

[Deerok 3]

A few years back (97) I went to one in Edmonton called the Derek Prue Pro Edge Free agent camp.

I have no idea if they still have it, but it was roughly $300 and 3 days long. Scouts were from the WPHL, WCHL, and supposedly some Euro scouts.

Great experience!

[hockey3 0]

Ya i think they still have something like that in Edmonton. I cant remember the name of it but I got a letter for something along the lines of that and it was about 450 dollars for the tryout. I didnt waste my time and money on it though.

[dix0r 0]

It was always amusing to meet the guys who were in town to tryout for the LB Ice Dogs, saying how great they were and would be on the team..only to see them with 4 assists in the C League at the local rink .

i heard that a few years ago, the ice dogs had tryouts at the rink i work at now. my manager said novice league guys were showing up and getting absolutely destroyed. good times...wish i could've seen it :[

i suck...but at least i know i suck...no ideas in my head of good level hockey in my future, lol...