Will your son leave HS early to play Jrs?

[auld_skool]

this is an incredibly difficult question - and i would hope most would not pass judgement until you have been through it, or have been close to a family that has.

when recruiting junior & college coaches are suggesting such and such, it is very easy to get caught in the wash. It is important to remember that once you leave HS, hockey is a business and very few "advisors" have your personal intrests in mind.

IF your goal is to play D1, if you are good enough you will get a chance, regardless if you take the HS or Juniors route. There is not a fast path to success.

In the end it just a game and we all end up in the same beer league, some just take a longer path to get here.

Excellent post - USHL teams operate as businesses (as I suspect the NAHL and BCHL do). They can (and do) make a lot of promises of ice time and enhanced development that can make kids and their families "drool" about the prize at the end. Bottom line, if you aren't helping them win (and make money) they'll cut you loose so fast it'll make your head spin. It's always going to be an individual player/family decision, but unless a player is an unquestioned superior talent (i.e. Taylor Cammarata) I don't think finishing your H.S. career is this huge obstacle that can't be overcome. I think if a player has the skill and desire, once he graduates he'll be able to make a team in juniors and earn a scholarship. If not, he probably wasn't and isn't that good to begin with. IMHO

Exactly. One other reason to leave early would be to develop faster with better coaching if you want to attract NHL attention. A USHL team wouldn't want you if they didn't think you had potential. They want ALL their players to move on to the next level...it makes them look better. I'm sure a lot of the coaches also want to go D1 and showing they develop players can't hurt their resume.

[mghockey18]

The pace in a high caliber High School hockey game doesn't even compare to the USHL. Don't believe me? Go watch one in person. Doesn't even compare. Development wise, it is a no brainer. BUT, you have to take into account schooling, family situation, etc in order to make your decision. Again, for some players it is better to stay in high school, but for others the USHL is a much better place to go development wise.

In my own opinion, if I am a forward I am staying in High School. If I am a defensemen I am heading to the USHL. The forwards can close gaps so much faster than even elite high school players.

[Neuuman]

The pace in a high caliber High School hockey game doesn't even compare to the USHL. Don't believe me? Go watch one in person. Doesn't even compare. Development wise, it is a no brainer. BUT, you have to take into account schooling, family situation, etc in order to make your decision. Again, for some players it is better to stay in high school, but for others the USHL is a much better place to go development wise.

In my own opinion, if I am a forward I am staying in High School. If I am a defensemen I am heading to the USHL. The forwards can close gaps so much faster than even elite high school players.

I agree - the pace and level of play of a USHL game is far above MN High School Hockey. This entire debate and argument can only be settled after the fact. Take hypothetical players "A" and "B". Player "A" is someone like Taylor Cammarata. Whether he played at SSM, Wayzata, or Waterloo, I think all would agree he was going to be successful. Now, take hypothetical player "B". A player with some definite skill and potential "upside", but who also has some glaring deficiencies in his overall game. Several things can happen if he takes the juniors route. The extremes are - 1.) he can develop and improve his deficiencies and be a highly recruited D1 prospect. 2.) He can "prove" he's already reached his potential and be cut loose by his junior team, left to ponder why he spent the last year or two in a town he would never willingly move to (except for hockey) while all of his friends were enjoying their High School experience and preparing for college (scholastically).

There are a bunch of players who fall within my hypothetical "A" and "B" players referenced above.

Having said that, there are several (actually many) kids who finish their High School careers and do play at the next (D1) level. It just seems to me the upside to staying in high school far outweighs the downside to leaving early. IMHO