Dad doubts me

[predshockey17 0]

I'll start this off Im going on 16. Pretty good player probally a B overall. My dad thinks ice hockey is done for me. I mite play jv ice hockey for my highschool. But after highschool he thinks I will be done. Is there any chance I could make a junior b team or something? Or would I have already been talked to?

[Ranger-#8 1]

Do you mean "B" as in a travel B or B as in ABC? Also where are you, if you are in a really competative area you might, but if it is average i doubt that you could make a junior team.

[thunderhockey19 0]

yeah same here i want to play some kind of junior hockey and i have decent talent but everyone doubts i can make it, would we have to be already talked to if something was going to happen... im 15 though.im playing highschool by the way maybe midget aa come fall.

[crosskore 0]

Well, I'am in the same boat as you. I played AAA hockey this summer and went to alot of prospect camps, but heard nothing. Iam 17 though, not 16, So I have even less time. I was on top ten in scoring and everything but still no one called. I think Mostly Jr teams are looking for older players. You could be just as good as say, an 18 year old but they would take the 18 old because they are older and probably a bit stronger. If you really want to go somewhere in hockey, go to the gym this summer and start getting big, strong,quick and fast. Thats what I'am doing. If you are talented, and you work out on your body this summer, you will blow them away by tryouts. Thats my plan. Hockey is no where near over for me yet. All you can do is try your best and do stuff on your own, not just in practices, and belive in yourself, and you just mite go all the way. if your 16 you still have at least 2 years of minor hockey to do, then you can try out for Jr.A teams then see how it goes from there.

[kosydar 0]

From what I've seen, Jr. B is not a whole heck of a lot higher up than competative midget hockey, but keep in mind I haven't seen some of the "better" Jr. B. leagues in NA.

Crosskore, I disagree about what you say about age. If two players are equal and one player is a year younger, I'd think that more often than not, they'd go with the younger guy, in hopes of him being better next year.

[crosskore 0]

Fair enough. I was just thinking that if they were older they would possibly have more experiance with Jr teams, and if not Jr teams, then just hockey in general. I also figured that they might be a tad stronger, and most of all, its my excuse. ;)

[SB39 2]

First, figure out how badly you want to play, then work out twice as hard as that. Sprint hills, squat heavy, and do lots of plyometrics. PM me or yglod11 if you need advice.

[Chadd 916]

Keep working and keep trying. Guys like Adam Oates, Curtis Joseph and Ed Belfour were never drafted in the NHL yet got there because of their work ethic and talent.

[kosydar 0]

Fair enough. I was just thinking that if they were older they would possibly have more experiance with Jr teams, and if not Jr teams, then just hockey in general. I also figured that they might be a tad stronger, and most of all, its my excuse. ;)

I know what you mean, I was trying to convince myself that jr. teams would want my "veteran leadership", but then USA hockey changed the rule that allows 18 year olds to play midgets, so now I don't need to worry about it.

[Eazy_b97 1]

I've been at Junior Camps since I was 15, never played. Finished a whole training camp to be bumped down by the teams #1 D (we play the same style). I am 19 now have had a few offers to play anywhere from D-B, not too much interest from Jr.A as I was never a AAA player (except for a few call ups) and really stayed away from the whole rep system my entire life. You have a shot, you'll need to be big. It won't be easy, usually junior teams have a core of Veterans they bought or had from the previous year. Then they have the new core which they have recruited all year, these are the ones you'll need to out preform. Generally in every area. If you work hard and give it your all you should be good. You need to do what your best at, I've seen a ton of kids become speed bags really quick because "Fights get the coaches attention" or "a big hit will get me a spot". Sometimes you aren't what they need, sometimes you won't be the better alround player, but will fill the role they need better. It is luck sometimes, skill others and alot of times both. Good luck and you aren't done, but don't expect anything. Juniors isn't all its cracked up to be.

[biff44 0]

Maybe your dad doubts you, but I don't. If you really want it, I think you have what it takes to go all the way. There are plenty of top NHL players that were never scouted in high school, never attended elite festivals, etc. They all have one dominating trait, they believed in themselves and saw themselves playing at a higher level.

I recommend you buy a copy of this book:

Mind Gym, and Athlete's guide to inner excellence, by Gary Mack with David Casstevens

I have read a number of sports pyschology books, but this one seems to distill it all into a few basic and easy to implement concepts. Basically, it says that if you really feel good about your self and have a postitive self image about where you are going in hockey, there is little you can not achieve. If, on the other hand you doubt yourself and do not really feel you are going higher, then you have a much harder time progressing.

And if you dad still doubts you, have him read the book too. He needs to support you.

[biff44 0]

Of course, you should be doing all you can that is under your control...like religiously working out this summer so you show up next season in top physical shape.

[predshockey17 0]

Alrite thanks guys.

[crosskore 0]

You can go around and ask for some workout tips/ Plyometrics stuff, but with that type of stuff you should and will be better off by consulting with an expert (adult with experience) and pickup this book- 'Complete conditioning for ice hockey. You will learn the hows and whys of hockey weight training, speed, agility/ quickness, nutrition, Flexability, and many exercises/ drills.

HE got me to buy that book he mentioned. I love it so much, I mite get a tattoo of the whole book on my body so I can read it everywhere I go. It's fantastic, and it helps you understand alot of what you need to do, tells you how and why you should do it, and it even has a full chapter on eating healthy foods.

[Chez 0]

I say play becaue you want to play, you can just work hard over the off season to improve you skills and mabey make a junior A team and get a hockey scoller ship for some university

[D3nZ 0]

Montreal drafted a 26 year old guy, so never know what might happen.

[Chadd 916]

Montreal drafted a 26 year old guy, so never know what might happen.

That doesn't apply to North Americans, only Euros. Cechmanek was 29 when he was drafted while Belfour and CuJo were never drafted yet have had distinguished careers.

[D3nZ 0]

Alot of the European players dream to play for their countries at the World Championships while we(in North America) dream of winning the Stanley Cups. But like Theo said, I would be in heaven for me if I could only play in a pro league and would be the happiest man alive, hehe.

[kovalchuk71 212]

i dont get it. can u go to jr and minor teams and try out (i guess a walkon) and u dont have to be scouted to make it to the nhl or be on any "super elite" teams?

[Eazy_b97 1]

Certain places have walk-on spots, every junior camp I've been to has had a "rookie camp" and I know a few guys who had walk-ons on their OHL teams. So they are playing at a high level and work their way up by raising their level of play and getting contracts for the next level above.

[kosydar 0]

With major junior teams, you have to be invited to the tryouts. But for Jr. B, I know that they have rookie camps where you pay to try out. However, I'd assume they have invite only camps for Jr. A. There is no league that you have to play in to go to the NHL, but its very unlikely that at least from a North American standpoint, that you don't play major junior, Jr. A, or college. From there, you normally move up to AHL, then to the NHL.

[Chadd 916]

One of the kids just drafted had one year of junior B nad one year of junior A experience.

[kosydar 0]

Was that one of those guys that NJ and CAL drafted from the BCHL?

[Chadd 916]

Yeah, the kid that scored more goals from Salmon Arm.

[Eazy_b97 1]

I don't get how some of these guys got drafted. I think I saw a few tier II kids drafted, and some more High school kids drafted. I don't understand how they can get a real rating on the players when they aren't challenging themselves. I'm sure theres more to it than just a normal High school or Tier II league, but I mean two kids went in the first round I think that played on the same Tier II line.