Last Updated on Thursday, 09 August 2012 10:55
By Chris Pryor
In recent months the subject of playing junior hockey vs. high school has popped its head up again. What’s the right call? Where is the best place to maximize your development?
As I talked about in an earlier article (LPH, Dec. 11), I believe this is an individual decision. What’s good for one player doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the same for the next. You need to play in an environment where you’re getting quality ice time and having fun. The two components are very important at a young age and go hand in hand.
Over the years, rather it be kids leaving high school too early to play junior or college, or kids leaving college or junior to play pro too early, the same scenario still exists – getting quality ice time. Yes, the players are playing against bigger and better competition, and if the player can physically handle the jump and gets playing time, this can be very productive.
On the other hand, to get limited minutes and get physically outmuscled game in and game out can be counterproductive, no matter what level you’re talking about. If a high school player plays all situations and is the “go-to guy” for his team one year and the next he decides to leave early for juniors and all of a sudden finds himself as a role player, this can have lasting implications on that player and in some cases they might never reach their full potential.
In the last decade or so, high school hockey has made significant changes in the amount of games that a high school hockey player can play. With the addition of the Elite League, it has added almost three months of hockey to a select group of high school hockey players playing in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas. Also along with increasing the number of games being played, the level of competition is such that for a number of the players participating, this might be the most competitive hockey they see all year.
You add the Elite League in the fall and the high school tournaments in the spring (especially in Minnesota) and you present a unique environment for the high school player in the Midwest that doesn’t present itself anywhere else in North America.
Chris Pryor is the director of hockey operations for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is in charge of the amateur and pro scouting departments. A native of St. Paul, Pryor spent eight seasons as a scout for the Flyers. He played parts of six seasons in the NHL with the Minnesota North Stars and New York Islanders. If you have a question for a pro hockey scout, e-mail it to editor@letsplayhockey.com.
