That said, it is not wrong to think that the vast majority of American 16-year-olds are not going to be ready for that jump to Major Junior. The ability to attract players at age 16 and 17 is actually a big tool for the CHL against the NCAA, because colleges cannot admit a player that hasn’t graduated high school, obviously. An age at which that player still has a lot to learn and room to grow. This usually means the better hockey players are going to have a very important and difficult decision to make at a still young age. It can be a very tempting option for a player, but there are many other options available to the top-end American talent.
The 16-year-old season is also the first in which a player has the option of going to the Canadian Hockey League. The top-end players tend to start to separate themselves from their peers in the 16-year-old season as well. Typically, at age 16, a young man is beginning to figure out what kind of player he can be. His physical appearance and size, are obvious, but also maturity and skills usually progress at a more unpredictable rate. That is what makes the 16-year-old season an important one for elite hockey players. Yes, the NHL has gotten younger and there are a few players that have made it to the league at the ripe-old age of 18, but the emphasis is on the word few.įrom 15-18, so much can change about a player. Most 16-year-olds don’t just want to get to the NHL, they want to get there by the time they’re 18, or worst-case scenario, 20. When you’re a teenager that also happens to be an elite hockey player, there’s probably only one thing on your mind.
Keep in mind, this is by no means scientific, nor is it going to prove whether one path or the other is “right.” Due to this contentious landscape involving hockey prospects, it is prudent to be aware of the precedence set and what, if anything, we can learn from it.
Nhl 17 be a pro player types series#
This series will be ongoing throughout the remainder of the offseason and into the 2011-12 campaign. The purpose of this series is to educate the general public on the routes players have taken to the NHL over the last few years. Editor’s Note: This post is the first in a series that will examine the player development paths of the 52 American first-round draft picks from 2005 to 2011.
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