AAA announcements

[Guest]

More kids from North Jersey to south/philly are making D1 than ever before. Despite what people say about watered-down hockey, the talent in this area is closing the gap with boston, minn, mich, etc. Still not as good, but definitely getting better.

[Guest]

D1 in DVCHC and the likes of those leagues but NCAA D1, not happening

[Guest]

Technically Jimmy Dowd Jr is an example of a Jersey kid on a NCAA D1 team playing in the frozen 4 for Penn State. Granted he didn't go to Penn State right from NJ. He played for Red Bank at the AA level before going to the Jr Titans(AAA) at age 15 for 1yr followed by 1yr with the Avalanche(AAA) at age 16. At 17 he played 1 yr for the JR Titans in the NAHL before going to the Chicago Steel for 2yrs then Penn State. Could he have made the jump from AA to the Jr Titans in the NAHL without AAA, yes. Was he really on Penn States radar before he moved to the Chicago Steel in the USHL, probably not.

[Guest]

Exactly he played tier2 until midget, which was the point of the original post. I don't think people are really against AAA in the area as much as AAA before bantam/midget age.

[Guest]

I think hockey scouts have finally caught on. It is getting more like baseball. Scouts are realizing kids develop at different rates. The kids playing Tier1 at 12U are kids that developed faster. Once kids get to puberty if they have some ability, hard work and desire take over and that is what you need to make it. There are plenty of guys that made D1 that are less talented than other players that did not make D1. Attitude, hockey sense, coachability, all around athlete and work ethic separates players. There are more kids playing hockey than ever before and therefore more talent in the area. There are kids playing AA that are more talented than kids playing AAA. None of it matters until puberty hits. Even the program does not matter. As long as you are with coaches that develop your skating & hockey sense, kids should be fine if he has some talent.

[Guest]

I say let parents do what they want, it's their dime and can't take it with you. I do get what the OP is saying though as far as competition goes. The blame needs to be shared by all: the parents, clubs, leagues, districts and USA Hockey. It's all about the $ money not the competition of play.
 Who said the path to the juniors goes mostly through AAA? I strongly disagree, for ex the LVPY have been putting multiple players in the Juniors every year for years, up and down the East coast and I know of some that went to the Midwest, and as far as Texas. They are 1 of many clubs that do that.
 As for NCAA D1, Hockey: about 3.2% of high school players make it to D1. They are not coming from the AAA programs we have in the area. I have over 40 yrs in the game playing youth through college, coached college club hockey for 5yrs, spent 2yrs as an assistant in the ECHL and refed for over 16yrs. I still keep in contact with pretty many college coaches, even some NCAA D1 coaches and trust me they aren't busting down the doors of local AAA players. At one time AAA in our area was legit. I refed AAA games the past few years that had kids that skated like low A player.

Sure, almost anyone can play juniors.  It just depends what level.  USHL and NAHL are really the only ones that matter. Depends on where you want to go.  D1 - you need to get to USHL.  D3 - NAHL. Top ACHA team at the school- any juniors and if you are good enough - you may be able to play right from 18U AAA.

[Guest]

ACHA has plenty of AA players and A players on their teams. Lehigh University won the other year with multiple non-AAA/Juniors players on it. The comment was made that more kids from Jersey/Pa area are going D1, which was assumed they meant NCAA D1, which is the ultimate goal. The fact is no player from the area is going from AAA to NCAA D1 hockey. When I coached teir2 and asked the kids (ages U8-U12) where they wanted to play none of them said West Chester, John Carroll, Villanova. They said Boston University, Denver, Boston College, St Cloud St and even Quinnipiac. Don't get me wrong playing for any college at any level is awesome, but that isn't what was being talked about.
I agree with the original post about AAA at mite-peewee is more about the parents want for AAA and the clubs want of their money and not the players ability.
And no college scouts are coming to see your peewee AAA player. If lucky maybe a Juniors team will see them when they are 14/15/16yrs old.

[Guest]

More kids from North Jersey to south/philly are making D1 than ever before. Despite what people say about watered-down hockey, the talent in this area is closing the gap with boston, minn, mich, etc. Still not as good, but definitely getting better.

This one made me pee my pants a little from laughing so hard. South Jersey/Philly is nowhere near closing the gap, next you will say West Chester University can hang with the Minnesota State Mavericks. USA Hockey AAA Nationals would also disagree. Midwest and Northeast (minus PA/NJ) were very well represented. PAs best representation came from Pittsburg, who is well above S. Jersey/Philly.

[Guest]

I say let parents do what they want, it's their dime and can't take it with you. I do get what the OP is saying though as far as competition goes. The blame needs to be shared by all: the parents, clubs, leagues, districts and USA Hockey. It's all about the $ money not the competition of play.
 Who said the path to the juniors goes mostly through AAA? I strongly disagree, for ex the LVPY have been putting multiple players in the Juniors every year for years, up and down the East coast and I know of some that went to the Midwest, and as far as Texas. They are 1 of many clubs that do that.
 As for NCAA D1, Hockey: about 3.2% of high school players make it to D1. They are not coming from the AAA programs we have in the area. I have over 40 yrs in the game playing youth through college, coached college club hockey for 5yrs, spent 2yrs as an assistant in the ECHL and refed for over 16yrs. I still keep in contact with pretty many college coaches, even some NCAA D1 coaches and trust me they aren't busting down the doors of local AAA players. At one time AAA in our area was legit. I refed AAA games the past few years that had kids that skated like low A player.

Sure, almost anyone can play juniors.  It just depends what level.  USHL and NAHL are really the only ones that matter. Depends on where you want to go.  D1 - you need to get to USHL.  D3 - NAHL. Top ACHA team at the school- any juniors and if you are good enough - you may be able to play right from 18U AAA.

And anyone and I mean anyone can play AAA if parents are willing pay, that's the whole point of this topic.

[Guest]

Not all AAA programs are the same. Some offer what AA does. Others offer 4 hrs/wk on ice (including skills), 1 hr/wk gym, 1 hr/wk video and free ice 2-3 days/wk in the Spring with a week long 6 hr/day training camp. Now if you want to argue some of the teams offering this are not really AAA, fine. But my kid is 12U and the value is great. My family could care less about the extra A. All we care about is as much ice time at the best price. My kid may play in college or he may not. We won't know that until he is 15-17 and puberty fully sets in. But if he is good enough, the AAA value will give him the best shot to play in college at the best price.