Every spring readers start to wonder: What happens to hockey players after high school? For answers, we talked to Dan Woodley, the head coach of the Regis Jesuit varsity team in Aurora, Colorado. Under Woodley’s leadership, Regis was 5A National Champions 2011–2012, National Champion Runner-Up 2012–2013 and Three-Time Colorado State Champions.
When you have exhausted your eligibility for high school and Midget hockey, where can you continue to develop and keep your dream alive? The answer is junior hockey and there are programs out there that can satisfy many skilled players.
In the United States and Canada, there are various levels of junior hockey. Tier Three is a pay-to-play system with leagues all across the country. If you attend any of the showcase camps, you will meet Tier three scouts. If you capture scouts’ eyes, you will receive offers to attend their camps. In the Tier Three leagues, players strive to be noticed and get a call up to a Tier Two league.
The Tier One and Two leagues, such as the NAHL and USHL, are leagues that will prepare players to move on to college or university programs and, in some cases, from there to the NHL. Invitations to NAHL or USHL camps are hard to get by simply going to showcases. On rare occasions, an NAHL or USHL team will hold an open camp to evaluate local talent and these are opportunities not to be missed.
The equivalent of the American NAHL and USHL is the Western Canadian BCHL. The BCHL has placed more than 100 players on U.S. college and university teams and developed players for the next level. Two teams from the BCHL will be holding open camps in the Denver area this spring. The Victoria Grizzlies are holding an open camp at the Ice Ranch arena from May 9–11, and the Salmon Arm Silverbacks are holding an open camp at the Promenade arena May 30–June 1. These two camps give players the chance to bypass scouts and politics and skate in front of the decision-makers for a Tier two junior hockey team.
The final level of junior hockey is Canadian major junior, which is comprised of the WHL, OHL and QMJHL. This level of junior hockey does not feed into the university or college environment but instead supplies players directly to professional leagues such as the NHL.
There are many ways to continue to chase your dreams of playing hockey and junior hockey is a good fit for many. Get yourself into Tier Two junior camps. If those are not available, attend showcase events to open the door to Tier Three junior teams.
Good luck!