I haven't really formed an opinion on this, the people I know are vastly split, and I am curious as to how you all feel. In my area, school hockey teams are about 25% travel team kids (AA, A and B) and the rest a variety of levels- former travel, rec league etc. Teams aren't officially recognized by the school (they are technically clubs) so they aren't in yearbooks, etc. There is one school team that has a player who is on a AAA nationally ranked team, He is one of their stars and already being "looked at." Because of travel, he makes about 50% of the games, but is still the county scoring leader by a wide margin. When he is at a game, the point spread will always be at least 10, and over 90% of the goals are his. He will generally be told to stop shooting by 3rd period, but they keep him on the ice, so he plays with his opponent, "rope a dopes" them as it were. (It can be embarrassing to the other kids on the ice playing against him). I have heard that parents (and many players) on his own team prefer games when he isn't there, because then their kids get to really play. When other teams know he is playing, they don't want to play and the number of "sick" kids rises dramatically.
The kid is actually a nice kid off ice. And he is an amazing player, a beauty to watch in AAA games. But in school games, its an awful hour watching him dominate everyone on his shifts (which are almost 50% given the small rosters of most teams). So here's my question- We all know he CAN play for his school. But should he? What is in it for him? Your thoughts?