A quick reference guide to understanding common references and comments made in casual Junior/scouting discussion.
Affiliate Player, (aka AP): a player who plays a lower level than that of the team who owns his rights at a higher level. Affiliated players are signed to affiliate cards.
Agent, (aka Rep): A player’s paid representative, much like in the NHL
A Partial: A scholarship that does not fully cover the player’s tuition costs
A Twenty: A twenty year-old player
Axed: To be released or sent down. “He got the axe after training camp.”
Barn, (aka House): An arena
Black Aces: players who practice with the team but never play. A term often evoked during playoffs.
Card: A document used by teams to sign players. In effect, a contract. Each team is only allowed a certain number of cards each season. (to be “carded” is to be signed by a team.)
Director of Player Personal, (aka Director of Player Development): A team’s head scout.
Division I, (aka “D1”): The top level of collegiate hockey in the United States, sanctioned by the NCAA
Division II, (aka “Dll”): Synonymous with the division three level of collegiate hockey in the United States.
Division III, (aka “D3”): The lower level of collegiate hockey in the United States, sanctioned by various organizations including the NCAA and NAIA.
Dropped: To have one’s rights released (and the player subsequently cut) by a team.
Family Advisor: An individual who guides a player’s family through junior hockey and on to a scholarship. Much like an agent, a family advisor is technically not paid to represent the individual player thus allowing the player to maintain his NCAA eligibility.
Four For Four: An NCAA scholarship where all four full years are covered by the school, i.e. 100% coverage, while the player plays four seasons for the team.
Fly-Down: A paid trip by an NCAA (or CIS) school for a player and one parent used for recruiting purposes.
Full-Ride: A 100% paid scholarship for four seasons from an NCAA division one school.
Future Considerations: Compensation, often in a trade. Money, draft picks, prospects.
G.P.A.: Grade point average. A scoring system used to create equal an equal comparison of grades between students regardless of their location or school.
Half-Ride: A 50 per cent paid scholarship from an NCAA division one school. Also known as a “two for four”
Healthy Scratch: To be scratched from the lineup despite not being injured. “Bobby is a healthy tonight for missing curfew.”
Intra-squad game: A scrimmage held at the end of training camp comprised of the best players in the camp.
Injured Reserve, (aka IR): A player or list of players who are physically unable to play due to injury. This is commonly a game to game reference.
Junior A: The second-highest level of junior hockey in Canada. This level maintains NCAA eligibility. Sometimes called tier two. In the United States Jr A has several different variations with tiering, ie USHL is tier 1, NAHL is tier ll.
Letter of Intent: A promissory document that says a player will attend X-school and not sign with another. In turn, X-school will promise to reserve a spot for the player.
Listed: To be protected by a team. To be placed on a team’s protected list
Long Term Injured Reserve, (aka LTIR): A player or list of players who are physically unable to play due to injury. This list either has a longer than normal expected time of return to health, ie more than 10 days to several weeks or months. Or can also be presumed an end of season type injury.
Major Junior: The highest level of junior hockey in Canada. Sometimes called tier one, governed by the CHL.
Overage Player, (aka over-ager): A twenty year-old player still playing Jr hockey.
PPL: Player protected list. “He is on our fifty player protected list.”
Priority Selection: Official name for the OHL draft.
Protected List: An organization’s stable of prospects and current players. “He is a prospect on our protected list.”
Red Shirt: An NCAA player who practices with the team but is ineligible to play, (or is simply never dressed) a practice player.
Release: A document stating that a player is no longer property of an organization (and can play elsewhere).
Role Player: Common hockey term meaning a player who plays on the third or fourth line, such as checker or energy player.
SAT: pron. S-A-T. An aptitude test used as a college entrance exam by American colleges and universities. The name once stood for standardized aptitude test.
Scratch: To be taken out of the lineup. “He was scratched from the score sheet and will not be playing.”
Sent down: When a player is demoted/released to an affiliate club. The player may or may not have his rights released outright.
Showcase: A tournament with the primary intention of displaying players for scouts rather than to determine a top team.
The Wire: The a list of players currently up for trade, privately exchanged by general managers. “I heard he’s on the wire so maybe he’ll get traded.”
Three For Four: An NCAA scholarship where three full years are covered by the school and the fourth by the player, i.e. 75 per cent coverage, while the player plays four seasons for the team.
To be picked up: To be placed on a protected list.
To be released: When one is not only cut from a team, but also has his playing rights made free from the organization. To become a free agent after being an organization’s property.
Two For Four: An NCAA scholarship where two full years are covered by the school and the remaining two by the player, i.e. 50 per coverage, while the player plays four seasons for the team underage player, aka an “underage”—a 16 or 17 year old player who plays junior.
Walk-on: A player who is not protected (junior hockey) or does not receive a scholarship (NCAA) but makes the team
White Card: A protected list for prospects of AJHL teams. (More info)
The Wire: The a list of players currently up for trade, privately exchanged by general managers. “I heard he’s on the wire so maybe he’ll get traded.”