Minor Hockey Talks - Hockey Forum

What’s going on with VP’s? They must be concerned about these losses. Tomorrow’s game is huge for them.

Guest wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 8:51 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Sun Mar 16, 2025 8:38 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 2:26 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Thu Mar 13, 2025 1:16 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Tue Mar 11, 2025 11:23 pm with season over, who are the best players on every team. east teams too. I'm trying to find players to recruit

Why you running a beer league team in Ashl?

Beer league?!?!?! Who you kidding, bud! All these players are going to the OHL!

Recruiting season on now for next year. What are people thinking about Spring Hockey, Dryland and two practices/week at this age U18AA. Is this really necessary? I don't want to put up a stink but hoping practice went down to once/week and Dryland left to the players and not a team activity.

Dryland isn’t necessary at this stage. Most kids have other sports going on or go the gym. Why do they need to do a bunch of exercises with their teammates?

Just to be clear, Dryland is for the Spring/Summer only .. until training camp. The plan is no Dryland once the season starts.

Do coaches run lines during playoffs or play specific players?

Congratulations to all the teams in the playoffs. Have fun boys! Remember all that matters is that you have fun. It’s not that serious.

Hey everyone,

First time posting here but long-time reader. Just looking for some honest advice and maybe some hope from others who’ve been through the grind. My son is U17 playing GTHL AA year up in the west. He’s always been a bit of a late bloomer, even in school, and while things didn’t line up for his U16 year (couldn’t find an AAA team), I still 110% believe he has the potential to make it to the next level, yes, even the NHL.

We’ve put everything we have into his development. He’s been at a private school that’s known for hockey, and we’ve worked with multiple skills coaches over the years. He’s in the gym with a strength and conditioning coach, sees a mobility specialist, and even has a personal chef helping dial in his nutrition. We also brought on a sports psychologist last year to keep his mindset sharp. I know it sounds like a lot, but we’ve done everything we can think of to give him every possible edge. His gear is top of the line and constantly updated. Custom skates, sticks, all of it. He’s played spring hockey, gone to every major off-season tournament and showcase we could get him into. If there was a way to help him stand out, we did it.

He lives and breathes the game. He’s not just one of those kids going through the motions, he studies film, trains constantly, and genuinely wants it. Coaches always say the same thing: smart, coachable, works hard, great attitude. They just say he “needs to get noticed.” His point totals aren’t through the roof this year, but he contributes in ways that don’t always show on the scoresheet. He plays a full 200-foot game, battles, does the little things right.

And honestly not to sound cocky, but I’ve seen a lot of kids get drafted who don’t work half as hard, has his type of shot, or even visualizes the game like he does. Some of these AAA kids get by on size or politics, but they don’t have the drive. It’s frustrating watching scouts overlook players who are doing all the right things just because they’re not in the “right” program. I’ve been to enough games and talked to enough people to know that if my son had just gotten that one shot, that one opportunity, he’d have made people take notice. He’s just as good, if not better, than some of the names that got called to DMF or the Titans U16 AAA this year.

It’s worth mentioning he’s big, projected to be 6’5 by doctors. He’s grown a lot physically over the past year, and he’s holding his own. I’d even say he’s excelling against older, stronger players. We’re looking at all options right now: Junior A, trying prep school in the States, maybe even another push for AAA next year. But I won’t lie, it’s hard. It feels like a lot of doors are closing and I don’t know what path makes the most sense anymore.

A part of me thinks this might all be part of his story. Some kids are meant to peak later. I truly believe with the right break, whether that’s an NCAA scout seeing him dominate a Junior A game, or even a OHL team realizing they missed on him and inviting him to main camp, that could be the turning point. And beyond that, I don’t think the NHL is unrealistic. I know how that sounds, but if you’ve watched his shifts, seen how he thinks the game, the plays he makes, he’s not just another AA kid. I genuinely believe he could develop into a solid third-line center at the pro level, maybe even higher if he fills out more. He’s got that hockey sense you can’t teach. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if someone like Connor Bedard had to go through what my kid went through: no politics on his side, no AAA connections, no early hype, I don’t think he makes it either. My son’s path is just different, not lesser. And sometimes, the ones who get overlooked end up being the ones who prove everyone wrong.

Has anyone seen players come out of AA and make something happen this late? I know Wayne Simmonds went from select to AAA so there’s a chance. Just looking for some honest perspectives.

Looks like a solid A player or as an underager for beer league.

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Mar 22, 2025 3:18 pm Looks like a solid A player or as an underager for beer league.

AA hockey is an even bigger joke. Hate to break it to you, bud, but no one’s scouting the local AA circuit. You’re out here chirping Single A like it’s some crime, but at least those kids know where they stand—what’s your excuse?

You’re not in the show, you’re not even close, and the only way you’re getting near the NHL is if you buy a ticket. So maybe cool it with the ego trip before you embarrass yourself further.

Just wanted to give a heads up to some of the folks on here before they get blindsided at next year’s tryouts: the days of minor hockey being a closed club for the same old families are over.

We’re Pakistani. We’re new Canadians. And we’re coming, not just one kid at a time, but entire families. I’ve got five kids, all in the system. My oldest is U16 AAA this year, logged major minutes on the PK, plays shutdown D, and still chips in offensively. Coaches love him because he’s disciplined, doesn’t chirp, doesn’t party, and just wants to work. I don’t need to say too much about him, the scouts are already watching.

But he’s just the beginning.

The real story is the next wave. I’ve got four more in the pipeline, all younger, all hungry, all raised on halal protein, backyard stickhandling sessions, and not a second of Fortnite. They’re not interested in cricket, that’s old world. This new generation? They’re all about the CHL, the Frozen Four, and yes, making it. I go to public skating on weekends and I see brown families flooding the rinks. Whole communities showing up now. It’s not a one-off anymore.

We’ve figured out the game. Not just the on-ice part, but the politics, the camps, the spring teams, the off-season grind, the gear, the development tracks. We’re investing, we’re networking, and we’re not here to make up numbers.

You can scoff, roll your eyes, say it’s just a phase, but I’ve been around long enough now to see what’s happening. A generation ago, our parents were putting us in cricket leagues. Now we’re the dads, and we’re putting our kids into power skating at age 4 and hiring shooting coaches before they hit Novice.

You think your kid’s got a lock on that AAA spot? Better hope he’s working, because my 12-year-old just passed him in development, and he picked up the sport three years ago. This is what happens when you combine work ethic with opportunity.

Call it what you want. I call it the Brown Wave. It’s real, it’s growing, and it’s not slowing down.

See you at tryouts.

Semis starting to shape up.

Any predictions for the finals? MB look strong.