highest level you played at/what would you do differently?

[kovyperron5727 0]

i guess ill post here since i didnt look too hard before starting a new topic on this. I have little skill, but enough maybe to play hs this year. been playing bantam A1, like a single A team, and maybe plkay local beer league. I've been playing football lately and lifting weights a ton so I might go farther than I think

Just remember this, David Perron was cut from Midget A so pretty much if you want it bad enough anything can happen

[farhanshak 1]

highest level i have ever played is a few games at B and C is the highest consistently...good level of skating...game has a decent pace.

I have also played a few pick up/shinny games with guys that play in the OHL (mostly 4th liners man they are fast), guys that played junior A and are about in their 20's now, some guys that played in the GTHL, and guys that play varsity and are on US hockey scholarships but are canadian boys etc...cant remember names as i just asked what level do you play when i was there. jeepers creepers these guys were flying. i got undressed my first time on the ice, fell the second time on the ice (all nerves) and was fine after that... but ended up getting a goal to start a comeback and then getting an assist on the tying goal. game ended 6-6. i cant believe they actually kept score. it was all fun though. some of the nicest and most friendly guys i have ever played with.

a few things i would do differently and i learned this the hard way. dont do a hard leg and/or cardio workout the day of an important game...because your legs wont move.

get some sleep and dont pull all nighters studying and then workout and then try to play hockey (you only have so much in the tank before you stop)

dont eat Kawartha lakes moosetrack ice cream every other day...as good as it tastes...it will eventually slow you down.

[cityofwalrus 0]

Played Juniors and College.

What I would've done different was when the canadian junior A team wanted me to play for them at 15, I should have said yes, but instead I didn't wanna leave home.

[biff44 0]

Speaking for a son, Major Junior. What would I do differently? I would concentrate more on getting him top-flight skating training very early. I would then work harder shmoozing, trying to get him onto the best travel teams early enough to get noticed. It is very hard to break into it as a "late bloomer", too many USA hockey festivals missed early on for the scouts to put down their donuts and pay attention. I would also probably sell my soul to get hima good agent/advisor early--can not do much college or Majors wise without a known agent pushing the product.

[Jarick 5]

Squirts, lowest level possible. I was awful. I liked playing when I was a little kid but as I got older I lost interest, especially when my uncle quit playing and the North Stars left. My mom made me keep playing until I hit 13 and hurt my knee before the season. Didn't start up again until I was 22 and bored and got some skates, a stick, and became obsessed.

I think a big part of it was that my family didn't watch or care about sports, so I had no real interest in it growing up. Literally no interest in any sport until I hit about 21-22, when I got bored with playing music, was done with school, and needed something else to fill my time.

I guess I would have liked to take more interest in playing growing up while my parents were supportive and offered to pay for it. If it was maybe one or two practices and one game a week it would have been way more fun that four practices and two games a week, which made me hate it. My coaches must have recognized I had no interest in the game because they pretty much left me alone to do my own thing.

I'd like to foster an interest in the game to my son. I'd imagine when he gets old enough to actually watch games (he's just 5 months now), he might be interested in picking it up. We'll see.

[Machinehead2k5 32]

I used to play sticktime with a lot of ECHLers and college guys when I was 16-18 before I went to college and kept up with them pretty good, the cardio/skating was there but not the hockey sense. I stopped playing hockey altogether once I went to college and didn't play hockey for about 6 years except for maybe a sticktime here and there (avg. 1 every 3 months) and picked up the game again at 24 now I'm 26.

Now it's the other way around my skating has faltered so bad b/c I'm overweight but my hockey sense has gone up for being a late bloomer.

My parents told me that they would have started me in hockey back when we lived in Pittsburgh at a young age if they knew I would like hockey so much.

[Chadd 916]

Now it's the other way around my skating has faltered so bad b/c I'm overweight but my hockey sense has gone up for being a late bloomer.

I believe that not having a lot of foot speed can force you to become more aware.Instead of just putting your head down and going balls-out, you tend to look around to try and make a play.

[Machinehead2k5 32]

Now it's the other way around my skating has faltered so bad b/c I'm overweight but my hockey sense has gone up for being a late bloomer.

I believe that not having a lot of foot speed can force you to become more aware.Instead of just putting your head down and going balls-out, you tend to look around to try and make a play.

It's got a name... Jimmy Slater/Pascal Dupuis Syndrome. :lol:

[farhanshak 1]

Now it's the other way around my skating has faltered so bad b/c I'm overweight but my hockey sense has gone up for being a late bloomer.

I believe that not having a lot of foot speed can force you to become more aware.Instead of just putting your head down and going balls-out, you tend to look around to try and make a play.

It's got a name... Jimmy Slater/Pascal Dupuis Syndrome. :lol:

is it just me, or was pascal dupuis flying the finals...lol. that guy is fast. but thats pretty jokes. i think i have a bit of that...but am learning more and more to slow er down and get my head up.

[Cams 7]

The highest I played was houseleague way back in the day.... I had to take a couple years off once I hit 12 years old due to a health issue/surgery which pretty much killed hockey for me for a few years, but got playing once again, about 2 years later. Plus I moved to a new school too. At that point it was just pick up and then eventually beer league and tournaments and such. Mind you size was never on my side either.

What I would have done different - Well, asides from the surgery thing being unavoidable... My Dad wanted me to take power skating - I refused "I know how to skate" after all.... If I would have realized how hard you have to work and dedicate yourself, I would have put more into it. I probably could have played travel if I really wanted to. I know people have told me that I could have played Jr. C, so what could I have done if I would have taken clinics and camps....? Never find out now! I am really trying to instill that into my 10 yr old girl what it takes commitment-wise to do well, and she is motivated big time. She is borderline travel right now, but still houseleague this year. I think I realize more now how much I love the game, and kind of took hockey for granted back when I was a kid.

I was lucky to have played with jr.A players on occassion, as well as played in a pick-up group with Aaron Ward when he was just breakin in with the Wings. That was cool! A lot of Windsor NHL'ers/OHLers all play various pick up all summer here.

[willc7786 0]

Played D-1 College Hockey. Biggest thing I would change would be starting to play at a much earlier age, my first time in full gear was my first practice for my HS freshman team when I was 14... and man was I a bender. Had to fit in enough ice team/training over 4 years of HS to make up for the 10+ years before that I was behind everyone else.

[kovyperron5727 0]

Played D-1 College Hockey. Biggest thing I would change would be starting to play at a much earlier age, my first time in full gear was my first practice for my HS freshman team when I was 14... and man was I a bender. Had to fit in enough ice team/training over 4 years of HS to make up for the 10+ years before that I was behind everyone else.

Dang thats impressive to start at 14 and end up playing D-1.

[Law Goalie 147]

It's got a name... Jimmy Slater/Pascal Dupuis Syndrome. :lol:

Rico Fata.

[myk13 0]

Ice Hockey = Midget AA

Roller Hockey = Narch Platinum or NCRHA Division 1, whichever you consider to be better.

[BuckleyHockey15 0]

surprised there have not been more posts, but currently I'm 15 and attending one of the top hockey prep schools in NE after playing JV at a D2 prep school last year, even though i know if i worked out and prepared better for the season i couldve been atleast a reserve for varsity, so this summer i upped my workouts, got a trainer to work out with once a week and leaving the rest of the week to do my own things started skating 2 games a week, 4 times a week total, and switching back to D(natural position) even though im only 5'6 and 160(last year i was only 5'3 140), even though hockey is not my main sport(baseball) i still love it and hope atleast to play varsity sometime before high school ends so im just going to work as hard as i have ben in prep. for tryouts.

[#44wannabe 4]

I got a look in at Jr A in the MJHL, didnt make it because i lost a fight. Im not too pissed about that i just wish i had paid for my ITC so i couldve played Jr B. That is my biggest regret, also drinking too much the night before games/after games.

I play semi pro here in the UK but i wish i had been confident enough to stay out in Canada when i had the chance.

[mug25 2]

C/B league. If I could do it different, I'd have started playing when I was a kid and not in my early 20's.

[C.SLO5 0]

To all the people in their teens or early 20's...Keep at it. As someone who's 25 and hasn't played a high enough competitive level...I should've given 1/10th of what I do at 25. I'm not PAST my prime but I'm not in it either. If you're playing great levels right now, then keep going at it. You'd be suprised how far you can go on some effort. And as a person who's done with school, college, etc and working at a "grown up" job...my competitive level has passed me by and I should've seen it and handled it when it was there but I didn't. DON'T GIVE UP!

[NextBobbyOrr 0]

I'm only 14, yet I regret tons in my hockey career as small as it's been. As a kid, I was fat, pudgy. I kinda accepted it, figured that was the way it had to be. Think Garfield. Now, I'm in better shape yet still rather overweight. Still last year I was able to make AA and got dropped to A because I couldn't keep up. Yet I was still able to do very well at A. I'm doing pretty well for Midget 1st year. Just got called up for my A team. It makes me wonder how I'd do if I was in better shape. But I'm trying to get in better shape every day. Eating well, sleeping well and excercising. I'm considerably better than I used to be. And in grade 12, I'm gonna try out again and see where it takes me.

[Skoda10 14]

The highest I played was college club hockey in the ACHA after high school hockey. I, like many of you, would have started earlier. I didn't learn how to skate until 7th grade. Was really the first person in my family to have an interest in playing hockey.

It might not be the right word for it, but I also would have been more aggressive. I was always the shy kid, quite, humble, and didn't want to cause trouble. I think the more aggressive kids generally do better. The kids that aren't worried about getting penalties, or making a bad play, or coughing up the puck when they try to cut to the net. I think all those types of things led to many lost one on one battles, and passing off or dumping the puck instead of skating with it.

[duul 0]

Played A hockey almost all my career in Ontario, I started when I was 10. I regret not making the jump to AAA when I got asked to, I decided to just play with my friends. I'm playing juvenile now and next year trying out for our Junior A team, and will most likely end up playing Junior C next season. I've never worked out a day in my life, so I think I'm going to start actually doing something to gain weight. (6'1, 150 pounds)

[phonak 0]

I play D3 College hockey, but I'm one of the worst players on the team so it doesn't say much.. I wish I would have started playing hockey at an earlier age. I started a year and half ago with organized hockey, and have been playing bear league until now.

[MyBoxersSayJoe 133]

Honestly, my biggest regrets were turning down offers to play travel hockey in both middle and high school. And going to a college without a hockey program. (Tough to find a school with computer animation AND ice hockey.) I loved supporting my local program, however, and I'm still very active and involved in it. I don't regret that at all. It just would have been interesting to see up to what level I could have gone. I can safely say I peaked around the age of 20. I just hit this zen point where I had confidence that I didn't have in high school.

Now I'm coaching for my former high school, and playing in D6 and D8 locally. My rink has weird divisions, though. D1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8b, 8c. So I'm not really sure what to compare it to.

[Cams 7]

Question for those saying they played or play junior A or junior in general... is that JR A as in the US, or JR A as in CHL (OHL, WHL, QMJHL). I assume there is quite a difference (CHL being the higher end). When I talk to guys who say the play or played junior - there is a such a broad range of "junior" hockey..... heck in Ontario I know for sure there is Jr A (OHL), plus - depending on what part of the province - tier II Jr A (OPJHL? and similar leagues), Jr B, C, and even D in some areas. I am not totally sure how Jr A (junior for that matter) in the US works.

[PJaeggi97 0]

Currently playing in the Regio League here in Switzerland.

Born in Swtizerland, grew up in Hamburg,NY until the age of 9. Played on the same line in Squirts as Kane. That summer the family decided to move to South Carolina. Alot different. From being on the Ice 5-6 times a week it went down to 3-4. Played AA with a local team in NC. My Midget year made the step up to AAA with Team Carolina. Senior year of High School had a falling out with the coach of the Junior team. Wasted that entire year drinking and chasing the pink. Alot of people were disappointed and surprised with my talent i wasn't playing.

Following year made a comeback and was a leader on the team. Was never really interested in moving away from home and playing in the south never got any looks from USHL or NA teams. That season got an offer from a MetJHL team allowing me to play for free. Was one of the top players in the league that year and got the interest of Buffalo State. Decided on coming to Switzerland instead. Now i'm getting paid to play and couldn't be happier.

.

Dang thats impressive to start at 14 and end up playing D-1.

My Junior coach few years ago started at 16, ended up playing in the WPHL. Was looked at by the Ranger's but blew it because of his attitude.