BCHL

[sjsharks11 0]

I was at a kind of showcase camp a couple of weeks ago, and I spoke with some BCHL coaches who were interested in me. I know that a lot of the players there end up playing d1 college, and that it is one of the best junior "a" leagues in North America. I was wondering if anyone on here plays/has played there and basically just give me some more info on what you do about going to school, off ice living, ect.

Thanks

[Adam91 0]

I was at a kind of showcase camp a couple of weeks ago, and I spoke with some BCHL coaches who were interested in me. I know that a lot of the players there end up playing d1 college, and that it is one of the best junior "a" leagues in North America. I was wondering if anyone on here plays/has played there and basically just give me some more info on what you do about going to school, off ice living, ect.

Thanks

- you billet with a family

- practice almost everyday

- once you are done highschool, I don't think you are required to go to post secondary

- you don't get paid, it ruins NCAA elegibility

- regular season is 60 games

[shooter27 116]

I was at a kind of showcase camp a couple of weeks ago, and I spoke with some BCHL coaches who were interested in me. I know that a lot of the players there end up playing d1 college, and that it is one of the best junior "a" leagues in North America. I was wondering if anyone on here plays/has played there and basically just give me some more info on what you do about going to school, off ice living, ect.

Thanks

- you billet with a family

- practice almost everyday

- once you are done highschool, I don't think you are required to go to post secondary

- you don't get paid, it ruins NCAA elegibility

- regular season is 60 games

The BCHL allows you to RETAIN NCAA eligibility. Its the CHL leagues (OHL, WHL, QMJHL) where you get paid and lose your NCAA eligibility. If you look at NCAA rosters there are quite a few kids that played in the BCHL, particularly at the western (WCHA, CCHA) schools (more expensive for eastern schools to recruit out in BC).

[budro727 0]

I was at a kind of showcase camp a couple of weeks ago, and I spoke with some BCHL coaches who were interested in me. I know that a lot of the players there end up playing d1 college, and that it is one of the best junior "a" leagues in North America. I was wondering if anyone on here plays/has played there and basically just give me some more info on what you do about going to school, off ice living, ect.

Thanks

- you billet with a family

- practice almost everyday

- once you are done highschool, I don't think you are required to go to post secondary

- you don't get paid, it ruins NCAA elegibility

- regular season is 60 games

The BCHL allows you to RETAIN NCAA eligibility. Its the CHL leagues (OHL, WHL, QMJHL) where you get paid and lose your NCAA eligibility. If you look at NCAA rosters there are quite a few kids that played in the BCHL, particularly at the western (WCHA, CCHA) schools (more expensive for eastern schools to recruit out in BC).

I'm pretty sure that is what he was saying. He said that getting paid ruins NCAA eligibility.

[Grinder 2]

Although I never played that level, I've been a season ticket holder for the Nanaimo Clippers for three years now. The league plays a skilled level of hockey. I can't speak to the whole player experience, but I do know that many of the teams place a great emphasis on teaching young adults to conduct themselves as professionals off the ice - public relations events, fundraisers, appearances, and so on - the kind of 'grooming' that completes a player as far as being an asset to a team and it's supporting organization. As well, while I can't speak for all of the teams, I know that Nanaimo has a good relationship with many of the Universities in the states (Cornell, for one - many Clipper players have gone on to there) and you frequently see scouts at the games during the season.

[Griff 2]

I have a lot of buddies that played in the BC and they all have good things to say about it, one thing that I would be sure to get settled as soon as possible is any academic complications. If you're still in HS make sure everything is in order and that any classes you take in Canada will count with the NCAA.

Oh and was the camp the Global showcase?

[sjsharks11 0]

I have a lot of buddies that played in the BC and they all have good things to say about it, one thing that I would be sure to get settled as soon as possible is any academic complications. If you're still in HS make sure everything is in order and that any classes you take in Canada will count with the NCAA.

Oh and was the camp the Global showcase?

No it was the Junior Prep Camp in Port Alberni

[ultraman7k 0]

just out of curiosity, this girl I had a few classes with used to do a lot of work for the Vancouver Giants, and I asked her how much they got paid. Apparently it's not much?

Does anyone know how much WHL players get paid?

[mxihockey 0]

Depends on how bad the team wants you. I have a friend who was offered 200k to play for a team in the Q. I will not name the player or team for obvious reasons.

[#44wannabe 4]

It's low, like $50-300 per week depending on the player.

[shooter27 116]

Depends on how bad the team wants you. I have a friend who was offered 200k to play for a team in the Q. I will not name the player or team for obvious reasons.

That 200k isn't salary, its what they call an "education incentive". Basically, since by playing in the Q you lose the ability to get a college scholarship, so that money is meant to go towards college in the even that you don't make it to the show. I'm not sure what happens to those guys that do make it, but I believe that money option goes away once you become an established player in either the AHL or NHL.

[Adam91 0]

just out of curiosity, this girl I had a few classes with used to do a lot of work for the Vancouver Giants, and I asked her how much they got paid. Apparently it's not much?

Does anyone know how much WHL players get paid?

As a 16 year old rookie you'd start out at about $75 a week, from there each year you player you go up another $50 - $75.

[Simonp27 0]

Depends on how bad the team wants you. I have a friend who was offered 200k to play for a team in the Q. I will not name the player or team for obvious reasons.

That 200k isn't salary, its what they call an "education incentive". Basically, since by playing in the Q you lose the ability to get a college scholarship, so that money is meant to go towards college in the even that you don't make it to the show. I'm not sure what happens to those guys that do make it, but I believe that money option goes away once you become an established player in either the AHL or NHL.

All CHL players are entitled to a Canadian College education paid for by their OHL/WHL/QMJHL club - I think this only applies if they do not turn pro before they want to start the degree and normally after their 4th or 5th year of major junior.

Otherwise $75cdn is the weekly max I think.

Top players can get a lump sum which is "quietly" paid to the player to keep him away from the NCAA route - Pat Kane was rumoured to have got $150,000 - $200,000 for agreeing to sign with the London Knights - the CHL likes to keep these lump sums quiet and many players (the majority I expect) would not get them.

[ultraman7k 0]

interesting. I knew they'd pay for your college but this whole deal about the big money is new to me. Besides, 50-75 bucks per week isn't a whole lot anyways.

[shooter27 116]

Deleted - Just noticed someone else made the same point I was trying to make

[M.W. 0]

interesting. I knew they'd pay for your college but this whole deal about the big money is new to me.

Yeah, it's an "under the table" type of situation, so they don't really advertise it.

[Pats 0]

Two Things:

1. WHL players get paid as follows: 16 year olds $160/ month; 17 year olds $180/ month; 18 year olds $200/ month; 19 year olds $240/ month and 20 year olds $600/ month. I have never heard of or are aware of any under the table pay in the WHL they are very strict about this.

2. I played in the BCHL during parts of the 2005- 2006 and 2006- 2007 season. It is a good league hockeywise, fast and skilled, it can get pretty physical because some of the rinks especially in the interior are very small. As for off the ice, the situation varies vastly between teams. All teams engage in community events to some degree; some teams will send their players out a few times a week while others may only do it once a month. Also, most teams will pay for post-secondary schooling as long as the classes are passed ie. you pay then once you pass the course you will be reimbursed. If you're high school aged you all go to the same school and most teams will punish players if you are not passing your classes or not going to class, most teams have strong relationships with the high schools. The travel can suck sometimes especially in the winter in the interior the island and lower mainland teams don't have it too bad in that regard. Although the BCHL gets the most exposure of junior A leagues, it's not necessarily better than the other ones, it's just that there are more younger high-end prospects playing there which in turn gets the great exposure.

[Simonp27 0]

interesting. I knew they'd pay for your college but this whole deal about the big money is new to me.

Yeah, it's an "under the table" type of situation, so they don't really advertise it.

It is only the highly rated guys that get these lump sums. Some of the larger CHL teams (London, Kitchener, Vancouver etc) get huge crowds and parents/agents know this and want their share. Often a player will fake interest in the NCAA route to try and boost the payment. Players will also force themselves down the relevant CHL draft by pretending to not be interested in playing major junior so the teams with early picks avoid them and then a team who they have already agreed to play for drafting mid or late in the first round takes them knowing they have already agreed to play subject topayment.

The Gare Joyce book "Future Greats and Heartbreaks" gives a real insight into what goes on.

More on the Kane Payment and Gagner etc:

Gagner Romps: the How and Why

Have you noticed who the leading scorer in the OHL is?

It’s none other than Sam Gagner. The London Knights’ ’89 has 31 points in nine games. Last weekend alone, he had 12 points – six Friday, three Saturday, and three Sunday. He was named OHL Player of the Week and has figured in 31 of his team’s 51 goals. His points per game average: 3.44.

Last year, Gagner played in the USHL for Sioux City, where he was the second-leading scorer on his team, and tied for 27th in the league. Gagner finished the season with an 11-35-46 line in 56 games played. His points per game average: .82

What does this say about the respective quality of play in the two leagues? If the OHL is a huge leap above the USHL, as the OHL desperately wants you to believe, should Gagner, an ’89, be able to waltz into the league as a rookie and put up numbers like that?

Don’t get us wrong, Gagner is an excellent player and will almost certainly be a first round draft pick come June.

However, the reason he is able to do what he is doing is two-fold. 1) He’s a year older, and has a year of USHL experience under his belt. 2) More significantly, the OHL has a serious depth problem, which means savvy forwards like Gagner can put up ridiculous numbers, just like Robbie Schremp (145 points) did last season.

The OHL is aware of its depth problem, though they won’t acknowledge it publicly. What it comes down to is simple mathematics. When you have one league that draws the bulk of its players from one province, and you are trying to stock 20 teams, you are simply going to run out of quality players. Most OHL teams, on average, have two strong lines, perhaps three solid d-men, and a strong goaltender. And, since CHL players 20 and under must play in either major junior or the NHL – they can not play in the AHL – kids like Gagner are likely going to be playing three years in the league. They are stuck there until 20, unless, like Sidney Crosby, they can make the jump directly to the NHL and be on the big club’s active roster.

Top 18-19-20 year olds in the US are, while junior eligible, already playing NCAA hockey, moving forward developmentally. They’re not banging around the OHL putting up big numbers by being able to skate circles around third and fourth liners, many of whom would have a difficult time cracking the top two lines at the Tier II level, or elite midget programs.

Americans in the OHL such as Matt Auffrey, David Meckler, Joe Grimaldi, Vladimir Nikiforov, Bobby Ryan, Trevor Lewis, Bobby Sanguinetti, Dan Collins, Jared Boll, Tyler Haskins, Tommy Mannino, Steve Spade et al are all playing against kids when they could be in college challenging themselves by playing against stronger, physically mature men.

As for Gagner, an ’89, he’s still a kid, and would be serving himself better by playing in the USHL. It’s a smaller league (12 teams, though it will be expanding), and it draws from a national pool, not just a provincial pool. If Gagner had stayed in the USHL for this season, he might have improved his point total over the 60-game USHL season to, at an absolute top, 90 points (only one USHL player in the last five years, Thomas Vanek, has reached 90 points). More realistic would be 75-80 points. Gagner will easily surpass that in the OHL.

Of course, the USHL doesn’t pay its players. And Gagner gets a generous package, worth a reported $300,000. The flip side: most OHL players don’t even make minimum wage.

The OHL, knowing that there just aren’t enough quality players in Ontario to stock all of its 20 teams, has ramped up its US recruiting. We saw the attention lavished on the Under-18 Team’s Patrick Kane who, by the way, is second in the league scoring with a 9-13-22 line. Kane turned down a full scholarship from BU, and got $200,000 from the Knights.

Sounds like a lot, but is it?

The government gets its cut, of course, but there’s plenty left to buy a nice car, which Kane did, and reportedly totalled. On the flip side, a college scholarship does not get taxed, and pays off in myriad ways both in the present, and for years down the line. Kane, of course, was offered a full by Boston University which, four years from now, will likely be worth… $200,000.

Just some thoughts for an autumn day. Life’s short. Make wise decisions, and you’ll reach your destination.

Source : http://www.ushr.com/news/20061001

[tips09 0]

I have a lot of buddies that played in the BC and they all have good things to say about it, one thing that I would be sure to get settled as soon as possible is any academic complications. If you're still in HS make sure everything is in order and that any classes you take in Canada will count with the NCAA.

Oh and was the camp the Global showcase?

No it was the Junior Prep Camp in Port Alberni

I went aswell :)