CJEHL

[Edge 0]

After a recent showcase, I have been offered a spot on a team in the CJEHL(Canadian Junior Elite Hockey League).

I personally have never heard of this, living in the southwest U.S. so I was hoping some of you guys would have some opinions on the league to help me out. Apparently it is Tier 1 Jr. A, and after going to their website, and speaking to the coach for a lengthy time, it seems pretty promising. Also, their "graduates" aren't too shabby.

http://www.cjehl.com/

Thanks for any help :)

[Lfntn10 0]

If you've got a chance to land yourself in a D-1 school with that league, I'd go for it.

[Gongshow11 1]

be careful, some of those graduates might have played there when they were 15, because I play against a lot of the graduates, whose last team was actually in the OPJHL

[Edge 0]

Yeah i'm asking around about it...I've heard from one person that it is not sanctioned, so it might be a bit sketchy. Can't be sure yet though.

By the way, I'm 16, and this year would be my first year of Jr.

[hockechamp14 0]

were you in chicago?

[Edge 0]

Yup. Team southwest unfortunately. We were brutal.

You?

[hockechamp14 0]

Yup. Team southwest unfortunately. We were brutal.

You?

Team Connecticut. 3-1 for the weekend. I wanted to shoot the referee we had in each of the four games. Holy cow this is a showcase, not the freaking "man with waterwings" show.

I've never heard of the CJEHL, and to be honest, if you don't know that much about the league and can't figure out that much from the website, you might be better off not paying for it and not going there.

If there's any high level coaches in your area as far as midget or whoever else moves players on in their careers, try and talk to them. I know my coach at the showcase who was my jr. b ----- errr high school? :P coach for the season was very helpful in letting us know what kind of decisions we should be looking at and which of these teams are sending us garbage (either the team is garbage or is good but just wants your money).

If the coach talked to you for a while, they obviously think you would fit in well. I'd be more worried about billeting, and how the league is run mostly. If your support system there sucks, your head isn't going to be in it to get better.

Also whoever says that an unsanctioned league is "tier 1 jr. a" is a joke. They just said they're as good as the OHL, WHL, and QMJHL, and BETTER than the BCHL

[Edge 0]

The actual league is only like 300 dollars for everything then its like 1,000 a month for billet/living. not too shabby, but i've yet to hear any real opinions on it.

Did you get talked to by anyone? I got to by 2 or 3 jr. scouts but nothing worth bragging about. Our team was comprised of good high school players (high school is not big here at all), so we just had too many weak links. I play H.S. and AAA here and there was only 1 or 2 others on the team that play AA or AAA hockey other than high school.

Congrats on the solid weekend.

[warrior37 0]

first off youd be better off in the NAHL, USHL, or any sanctioned Hockey Canada Jr A or B league. You should never, never pay a fee to play and billeting in the NAHL is only $300 a month and thats the most expensive tier 2 billeting fee in the US. Secondly, Gongshow is correct, those kids played on OPJHL teams or AAA clubs that have gone defunct and now are in the CJEHL, looks to me like another CEHL jokeshow.

[Edge 0]

that is what I am seeing it as also. I've been hearing pretty much the same thing across the board after reseaching it and what-not.

This season I'll probably end up playing Jr. A Tier 3 in town here to start me off.

I'm not going to be able to make any NAHL or USHL tryout camps over the summer, the junior team in town seems to be the best option, and I'd be a top defenseman on the team.

[warrior37 0]

what is tier 3 jr a?

[Edge 0]

Well the league was Jr. B last season but is Jr. A Tier III now I guess...i'm not exactly sure on how they rank the leagues or whatever but its solid hockey.

WSHL(western states hockey league) is the league.

[warrior37 0]

ahhh, pretty sure its still jr b level hockey, but they call it jr a. the tier 3 part comes from the pay to play system. ushl is tier 1 no cost to players at all, nahl is tier 2 no pay to play but 300 a month for billet, and now i guess ejhl and the jr b leagues want tier 3 status where there is a fee of a couple grand to play. not bad hockey for jr b, good luck with where ever you end up

[EricG. 0]

I've never heard of this league and my best bet is it hasn't ever been around. The website is brutal anyways. I'm almost certain that one of the men starting this was the owner of the Bramalea Blues (OPJHL). Unfortunately that says nothing good. He only took kids whos parents could afford to pay the most money. I don't believe anyone paid less of a fee than $5,000...to play Tier II in OPJHL. Needless to say the team ended the year with 1 win and a total of 5 points and I think were ranked the worst team in the country. This is a joke and a scam. Not many guys from the area or at least junior calibre guys would be willing to take a chance to play here. There's nothing wrong with a non sanctioned league because the other one in Ontario (GMHL) is very legit. However this is a complete scam. This guy tried soliciting players by claiming he'd have a team (likely Bramalea moving) playing in the GMHL next season when this was never the truth. He'd mostly feed b.s. to American kids who knew nothing or little of junior hockey in Canada. Take my advice and don't waste your time.

[GSHL99 0]

Don't really know anything about the CJEHL, seems like it's another of the junior outlaw leagues that pop up and go defunct almost as fast. As for the alphabet soup, I really think it's time for USA Hockey and Hockey Canada to sit down and come up with accepted definitions of youth and junior hockey levels of play.

[hockechamp14 0]

Don't really know anything about the CJEHL, seems like it's another of the junior outlaw leagues that pop up and go defunct almost as fast. As for the alphabet soup, I really think it's time for USA Hockey and Hockey Canada to sit down and come up with accepted definitions of youth and junior hockey levels of play.

They do for junior at least, it's like this (in USA):

Tier 1 Jr. A --- all expenses paid, in USA they get no compensation.

Tier 2 Jr. A --- Billeting fee, team pays for equipment & ice fees and everything else.

Tier 3 Jr. A --- (doesn't exist in canada) Players pay to play. Depending on the team, various costs may be taken care of.

Everything else (jr. b, jr. c, sanctioned independents is considered Tier 3)

[Edge 0]

Yup ^ Exactly. Apparently we get free equipment and the cost is pretty minimal compared to travel around here.

I have had offers from the GMHL to play a couple times, but I don' think that's that great of hockey either. I know some A/AA players that are playing in that league....so yeah the CJEHL thing doesn't seem much better than that.

[EricG. 0]

Yup ^ Exactly. Apparently we get free equipment and the cost is pretty minimal compared to travel around here.

I have had offers from the GMHL to play a couple times, but I don' think that's that great of hockey either. I know some A/AA players that are playing in that league....so yeah the CJEHL thing doesn't seem much better than that.

You'd be surprised how many kids from the OPJHL went over or are going over to the GMHL. I played in the OPJHL and I'm seriously looking into going over to. I guess it takes time to eliminate some of the worse kids. It's not bad hockey though.

[Zamboni 6]

Also, their "graduates" aren't too shabby.

http://www.cjehl.com/

Thanks for any help :)

I do see the Graduates link, page that opens reads "Players that our CJEHL staff have promoted".....just in case you read it quick and thought players played in that league.

I'm not familiar with the cjehl....was aware of another 'outlaw' league, unsanctioned by HC in the Toronto area....Greater Metro Jr A.

[GSHL99 0]

Actually, there are no formalized standards. Creating a perceived tier system related to whether fees are involved or not does absolutely nothing to define the level of play. If I start a league which charges no fees to low level players does that make my league "tier I" inspite of the lack of talent?

Nor does it address the fact that there are absolutely no standards defining levels of youth hockey beyond whatever the league or assocation decides to call them. It's a mess and it needs to be fixed.

[hockechamp14 0]

Actually, there are no formalized standards. Creating a perceived tier system related to whether fees are involved or not does absolutely nothing to define the level of play. If I start a league which charges no fees to low level players does that make my league "tier I" inspite of the lack of talent?

Nor does it address the fact that there are absolutely no standards defining levels of youth hockey beyond whatever the league or assocation decides to call them. It's a mess and it needs to be fixed.

I think virtually all leagues are independent until approved otherwise by USA hockey. Basically, they're going to screw anyone else, no matter how much talent a league has because they're sucking the USHL's dick and will be for quite a while.

[wallin2199 0]

Hey man,

In my experience in Juniors, I have seen people go to these unsanctioned Junior leagues and hate it for the most part. It is usually some coach who has some "out of the box" idea where he can create and transform some new league into something it really isn't. The WSHL will probably be considered Jr. A, but the play is still Jr. B. I played against the WSHL teams at Nationals and they were ok. But the only real Jr. A leagues in America are the USHL, NAHL and now the EJHL. The CSHL and AJHL are the next two leagues and then everything after that is foggy. I am guessing you are still in HS as I have read the posts, but I would definitely advise you to consider your other options before going out to the CJEHL. If you could get on the Polar Bears or the El Paso Rhinos, they would be a good quality team. Anyways, your main future hockey goal if your playing juniors should be the USHL or NAHL, so good luck, but be weary of unsanctioned leagues or new startup teams.

[Edge 0]

I'm now almost positive I will play in the WSHL, with the Polar Bears...the new league format that they're talking about seems pretty reasonable, and they will be changing some of the teams in the league to make it better competition from what I hear. The polar bears have sent several guys to the NAHL, USHL, WHL, etc as well as have 2 NHL draft picks who have actually played on the team, so I think it will be a solid start to my Junior career.

CJEHL and the other "Junior A" leagues I've been talked to by aren't options...just too shady to consider anymore.

Also, I've been invited to tryout camps for some teams in the USHL and NAHL but I'd rather spend my cash on something else instead of flying around to random camps all summer.

Thanks for the advice.

[JR Boucicaut 3798]

Hey man,

In my experience in Juniors, I have seen people go to these unsanctioned Junior leagues and hate it for the most part. It is usually some coach who has some "out of the box" idea where he can create and transform some new league into something it really isn't. The WSHL will probably be considered Jr. A, but the play is still Jr. B. I played against the WSHL teams at Nationals and they were ok. But the only real Jr. A leagues in America are the USHL, NAHL and now the EJHL. The CSHL and AJHL are the next two leagues and then everything after that is foggy. I am guessing you are still in HS as I have read the posts, but I would definitely advise you to consider your other options before going out to the CJEHL. If you could get on the Polar Bears or the El Paso Rhinos, they would be a good quality team. Anyways, your main future hockey goal if your playing juniors should be the USHL or NAHL, so good luck, but be weary of unsanctioned leagues or new startup teams.

A kid I know from my days in Orlando plays for El Paso.

[J-Shera 0]

I'm surprised you didn't get drafter into the WHL. I swear they drafted like every kid from Arizona that can skate. I'm pretty sure I seen one from Peoria too.