College/Uni hockey age limit?

[myst3ry 0]

I've never known the answer to this.. Is the age limit for College/University hockey the same as Junior? I'm just wondering because the College i'm going to now does not have a team.. The only reason why i'm going to this school is because it is the only school that has the program I need.. However, i'm just wondering if when i'm finished my course and I get a transfer to a University with a team, if I will be too old to play..

[Chadd 916]

For some club level hockey it doesn't matter. High level competitive clubs may have more restrictive rules. As for D1 or D3, you only have four years of athletic eligibility for NCAA sports. As I understand, that begins the first when you begin taking classes.

[mack 44]

As long as you have eligibility it should be all right. A lot of freshmen who end up at uni for hockey are 19-20 anyway.

[QandA 0]

I think CIAU is 5 years eligibility. Most of the players we're players that tried to go Pro and realized they didn't have much of a chance so they decided to get an education.

[chippa13 1844]

For some club level hockey it doesn't matter. High level competitive clubs may have more restrictive rules. As for D1 or D3, you only have four years of athletic eligibility for NCAA sports. As I understand, that begins the first when you begin taking classes.

Eligibility is used up by playing, not by merely attending a college or university. That is why schools often will "red shirt" a freshman. They don't play their first year into the school and still have 4 years of eligibility left.

As for age limits, I believe there is one for Div. I but I don't think the same is true for III.

[Chadd 916]

They have to apply for the "red shirt" waiver and it is almost always granted. It can also be used in the event of injury if the player has played a very limited number of games.

[Smith 0]

It startes from the first day you take classes If you "red shirt" It gives you still only 4 years of playing games. Mostly for medical reasons. Some times you can get A 2 year red shirt. There is no age limit. That would be against the law. I think there was a 30 to 40 year old that was a kicker in college. And for some college hockey team there was a upper 30 year old that played.

[LkptTiger 1]

Most freshmen don't play their first year, but there are quite a few who do play and do extremely well; recently, off the top of my head I think of Jeff Tambellini (going into Jr. year), T.J. Hensick (sophomore), Brandon Rogers (senior), Brandon Kalenicki (sophomore), Dwight Helminen (would be senior, signed with Rangers :( ) and who can forget Al Montoya (junior). Can you tell I'm a Michigan fan?

[WAMPS19 0]

There is all correct answers here, but the fact is that if you are enrolled in the college, you can play NCAA hockey for up to 5 years. You could be 35 and be in college and still play, I know it is not hockey, but look at Chris Weinke with FSU a few years ago. However, Juniors has an age cap up to 21 years old I think. If you are still 21 and in Junior A, you are going nowhere but on the street. Most guys that chose to play Juniors at 18 or 19 go on to play in the OHL or WHL, in hopes to go pro, otherwise you try and play Ice. But it is extremely hard to get into the NHL from College.

[Eazy_b97 1]

The way of Major Junior A is becoming the road less traveled more frequently than before. OHL, WHL, and the Q are gambles because if you don't end up a Pro hockey play your screwed. In addition to hockey college provides schooling and a more broad experience than Major Junior. Alot of kids are opting to play Junior A then go to US college from there rather than going to Major Junior. I believe Major Junior will eventually be high level hockey for those less school oriented.

[myst3ry 0]

Thanks for the replies.. So theres still hope that I may make it to the Pros!

[kosydar 0]

The way of Major Junior A is becoming the road less traveled more frequently than before. OHL, WHL, and the Q are gambles because if you don't end up a Pro hockey play your screwed. In addition to hockey college provides schooling and a more broad experience than Major Junior. Alot of kids are opting to play Junior A then go to US college from there rather than going to Major Junior. I believe Major Junior will eventually be high level hockey for those less school oriented.

Actually, its sort of the opposite with the CHL vs. college. I read in a THN article this year that playing in the CHL is a safer bet than college because as long as you're in the CHL they pay for your schooling. So that way, they automatically get college paid for while playing. Holding out for college isn't the safer way because theres always the chance you could get injured or just not recruited. I know that the Tri-Cities Americans' booster club does a lot of fundraising to help continue to pay for player's educations after they're finished playing, and I'd imagine others teams do similar things.

[Eazy_b97 1]

The education level isn't even close. As well the majority of people aren't done schooling by 21 (or whenever they are pushed out of the CHL). Also the teams generally have a school of choice and the schooling works around the hockey, where as in NCAA the hockey works around the school. Thats just the CHL way of keeping as many players as possible. It's much better than it was, but I'd say unless you go within the first 3 rounds the NCAA is a safer route.

[kosydar 0]

I'd imagine it'd be a very difficult decision to make for any kid. The CHL is a sure thing that doesn't give as big of a reward, and college is a huge gamble with a great upside to it. You're right about a lot of things though, Eazy.

[crosskore 0]

the schooling works around the hockey

Does the hockey ever force the students to miss some school because of a road game or anything? Just curiouse on how that works.

[Eazy_b97 1]

I believe so..... from what I'm told I'd assume so. I've never asked exactly, but don't see how it couldn't.

[kosydar 0]

I think it does for both routes. With CHL, they have a lot of weekday games, many of which are out of town. While the college games might be on weekends, they still have extra travel days.

[Eazy_b97 1]

Also you have to goto the school in that specific area of the team...... if your attending U of T or York and are Traded to Guelph you don't just finish up the semester, you gotta goto the team right away and possibly lose than schooling if there aren't courses open.

[Jim Bob 0]

the schooling works around the hockey

Does the hockey ever force the students to miss some school because of a road game or anything? Just curiouse on how that works.

I went to Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY. Clarkson has a Division 1 hockey program and I worked for the team during my Junior and Senior years at school.

In NCAA D1 hockey, the vast majority of games are played on Friday and Saturday nights.

The teams usually leave on Thursday afternoon when they have road games that weekend.

So, they try and have players schedule as few Thursday afternoon and Friday classes as possible so they limit the amount of class time that is missed.

Players can also work with professors to have Independent Study classes if the only scheduled session of a class they need for graduation is either late in the afternoon (when they are going to be at practice) or on Fridays and the player will miss a lot of class time.

But, some professors are more willing to work with hockey players than others. I know one player that had to appeal to a dean to get a professor to grant him an IS in a class he needed for graduation. The only session was going to be during practice time. Since he was on a hockey scholarship, he couldn't miss practice.

The professor didn't want to give the player "preferential treatment". But, one of the deans basically forced the professor to grant the player the IS.

Being a hockey player at a school like Clarkson comes with it's advantages and it's disadvantages.

Some professors will go easier on athletes. And others, in an attempt to not be seen as biased, will be overly hard on athletes.

It's all in the luck of the draw.

[Jim Bob 0]

Here is a good site on elgibility rules for NCAA hockey:

http://www.playyourgame.com/ncaa_eligibility_explained.html

[LarrieNation9 0]

Hey Jimbob I just finiished a conditioning camp at Clarkson.The facility and J.F. Houle were awesome. Hopefully in 4 years I'll get ashot to play there

[Jim Bob 0]

JF is a character.

I got a good laugh when I heard that he was named one of the assistant coaches last summer.

He's a great guy and he's got to be a great recruiter with his personality.

The coolest part about going to school with JF was that the Habs GM used to scout the team on a regular basis. Since it was JF's dad and all.