defenserules,

What was your take on the Apple Core Jr B team?
We played them over the summer and beat them like 6-2 or 6-1 without all our players. Then I saw they won Titans and Hitmen showcases against what seemed to be mainly Met teams.

Bottom line is if you put the $7000-$10,000 a year you spend on Jr B hockey into your kids college fund you would both be better off.

Excellent point.

TXi,

So it's ok to spend $7-10K for U18 AAA hockey? But not Jr B?

I always liked the idea of my son practicing 3 times a week and dryland twice a week (with a very good trainer). Keeps him busy, keeps him healthy and keeps him out of trouble while improving his skills. Not counting all the experiences he has while playing hockey and traveling.

His Jr B team will be visiting two colleges while in Boston this weekend, and the visits aren't about hockey because the coaches are away scouting, etc. Many of the trips have dual purposes like this.

Some others:
December while in Buffalo they will tour Mercyhurst, Canisius & Niagara while at the Canisius College Jr Showcase.

February they will Tour Uconn, then play Jr Briuns there and then stay for Uconn vs Mercyhurst game.

December I believe they play NE Flacons at American International College then stay to watch AIC vs Mercyhurst game.

Not counting many other trips and colleges TBD.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: trimback,

I don't believe I did say it was okay to spend $7K-$10K on U18AAA hockey...did I ?

Trimback - Applecore was the best team there. They're very chippy. While the score doesn't reflect it, the game was in reality a tie (wonderful officiating - not). I have no idea how the team we played compared to the summer games you had. Have fun at Mercyhurst - my daughter attends there and rooms with some of the players - too bad she can't leverage her Quakers play into D-1 level play. MAWHA championship doesn't mean THAT much LOL.

Txi - The "Is it worth it" topic is separate. But since you brought it up, I guess you spend your money how you feel is best and others will do the same. You have no idea what would make us "better off" and it's rather presumptous of you to say so. I smell some sour grapes here. I can't quite figure out what you have against Jr hockey.

TXI, Then why single out just Jr B in your statement?

The proliferation of junior hockey in general in this part of the country is nothing more than a transfer of wealth from naïve hockey parents into the pockets of those running these programs. As we all know 99.9999% of these kids will not get a D1 scholarship or make it to "the show" or any where even close. Would most of them be "better off" staying home and playing Midget hockey and saving the money for college? That is the question. There would still be plenty of avenues for players with a real shot of moving on in the sport to do so be it Prep school or Juniors.

I am not telling any one how to spend their money. If they want to sink $50K into playing Jr hockey from the time they are 15 until age 20 only to end up in the beer league that is their choice.

Txi,

1st there is a proliferation of Jr teams and AAA youth teams in the area which has watered down the talent levels. This is the Atlantic district doing this. My son plays for the only Empire Jr B team in the area, which in its short existence has improved each year.

Now this is not about making it to the show or even nailing down a Div1 scholarship. Many of the kids I know who play hockey want to play hockey at Div1 schools, doesn't matter if it is scholarship or pay. Most parents assume they will pay for college, just like they have for private schools and hockey to date.

Who are you or we to tell kids they shouldn't strive for those things above if they want to try anyway? I should call Tyler Hostetter and tell him he is not going to make it then, and John Henrion, Kyle Palmieri, Chris McCarthy, or Mike Montagna just to name a few.

Why does the USA Hockey take its U16 kids and play them in the NAHL (Juniors)? To develop the players.

My son plays Juniors because it is a FIXED price much less than what it would cost for a U18 AAA team that will do the same thing for him. (I Know because Both my boys played Tier 2 and Tier 1 at youth levels, and my older son plays Juniors.. so we have experience with the costs for each and what extras come with each for the increased price.)

What U18 AA or AAA team practices three times a week?

What U18 AA or AAA team does dryland with a professional two times a week at no additional cost?

What U18 AA or AAA team provides rooms and travel to ALL away games/tournaments over 50 miles?
*Which for our team is 98% of our away travel.

What U18 AA or AAA team (besides Bud) puts there kids in front of scouts almost every weekend at no additional cost?

What U18 AA or AAA team while traveling takes the kids to view colleges and transports them at no additional cost?

With this they also get helmets, gloves, shells, socks, jerseys, stickers, skate sharpenings, private spacious home locker room all included in the cost.

They also get a non dad coach who has done the path they are wishing to take. Experience at no additional cost. While playing some of the best talent who is taking the same path as them.

If the kids end up in a Beer league in the end, who cares? Nothing but experiences to be had in the mean time. Rather have him in Boston this weekend playing hockey and touring schools than hanging at parties and driving around the local area doing nothing like a majority of the other kids in the area.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: trimback,

Trimback - ditto on every point.

Besides, ALL roads lead to the mens league eventually! The only question is when do YOU turn off.

Speaking of great opportunities for exposure to lots of ice hockey and getting an excellent middle school (6-9th grades) education for around $15,0000 a year you should check out Upland Country Day School. Their Ice Hockey Program includes practice five days a week, tournaments in New England, Biannual trips to Finland and Germany for Hockey Tournaments, and 25-30 games a season. It's a great place to study and play. Many of their students move on to New England Schools as well as The Hill School. Check it out...http://uplandcds.org/index.php

trimback i understand your points but still believe the proliferation of juniors in this area has destroyed midget hockey,and in doing, so has removed a cost effective opportunity for the majority of kids to play good competitive hockey and allow for post high school opportunities without bankrupting the parents. a serious evaluation of the area junior leagues AJHL, MET, UHL, Empire leaves one wondering where is the value. if all the midget aged boys would stay in midget hockey then the quality of the competition would be such that all this extra time and effort and cost would be unneccessay.
and for those boys playing in these leagues after high school i am fairly certain that they would be better served by going to college and playing for their ACHA team and having a wonderful experience there.
for those boys who have excelled, the opportunity to play in the ejhl nahl and even the ushl is available to them either during high school and after. it is from these leagues that colleges draw players not from the ajhl,met or the empire especially if you are playing in these leagues after high school graduation. and if the level of midget competition in this area would improve (which it would by eliminating junior play) then the scouts from these leagues would be around to pull players to these top leagues. ultimately, i am of the opinion that if you are good enough they will find you, no matter where you play.
in the end the point remains; junior hockey in this area has destroyed midget hockey along with high school hockey and at the same time has created no greater opportunity than midget hockey had offered all at a greater cost.
just one man's opinion.

Midget hockey has been dead for the most part in this area for awhile. Kids have been going away at a much greater expense to Prep schools, and kids have been going to OP, OHL, USHL, NAHL and other places for a long time. Orgs have produced a poor Midget hockey product and people have moved on because of it.

My son played AAA hockey in the area into Midgets, I can tell you it is much CHEAPER not more expensive to play Juniors than Midget hockey. Again show me a Midget program that offers what TriState offers for the same FIXED flat price. Tristate is also High School friendly.

I personally don't care for the Junior C leagues. I also don't care the Atlantic Met/AJ have as many teams as they do. It's watered down the level of play like they have done at AAA in youth hockey. I have seen kids playing Jr B and Jr A in the Met/AJ who wouldn't make our Empire team, even last year.

So if you believe if you are good enough they will find you then the kids should be good enough to be found at Midget AA in the area.

Everyone here says Juniors is all about profit and taking money from parents, then why don't the U18 teams offer all the things junior teams offer at the U18 prices (including hotel and transportation) and compete for the business to stop Junior hockey??? Because they can't do it.

trimback,

i understand your desire for a fixed price. it would be real nice if we all lived in minnesota where the price is low and the competition is great. however we don't. i believe the time and effort put into these junior leagues could have been averted if midget hockey would have been developed and supported thereby increasing the local level of competition. this would have taken a generation of hockey players but with that being said i agree with you, the cat is out of the bag ad there is no going back.
i agree with your statement that boys have been leaving the area for quite some time and they will continue to do so. the leagues you mentioned are so far superior to the empire et.al, that one would be foolish to not leave with the caveat that it is done earlier , no later than first year out of high school. moreover, if you are not there( ushl etc.) by your first year out of high school then you would probably be better off playing for a good ACHA team and get on with your education. a great option and a wonderful experience.
i am not in agreement with your assessment of the empire vs. ajhl/met. the ajhl has 12 teams while the empire has 20 . the met 28 teams are spread over the whole alantic seaboard unlike the other two leagues which are fairly localized to the north. moreover, having seen a decent number of ajhl, met and empire games i would have to say that the ajhl is a better, albeit older, league while the other two are near equal with the empire being the youngest.
in the end the people will continue to pay serious money for hockey and the dream, just wishing there was another way. to each is own. take care.

crusader,

The Empire/EJ has a large number of teams but most of them are in the north were the population of USA Hockey players is much greater (deeper). Plus they also usually pull the better kids from this area. But the Met/AJ have lots of teams in this small radius in our area.

Remember when you compare MET = Empire, AJ = EJ as levels go.

I wouldn't count the EJ out and only hold the USHL as top honors, the EJ is placing many kids in eastern schools. USHL is next step up but seems to be western school and player based.

Empire is a feeder for EJ teams, my son is in high school playing Empire.

Not sure I agree AJ is better. EJ won nationals last year I believe.