Minor Hockey Talks - Hockey Forum

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 3:48 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 12:40 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 11:49 am

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 10:47 am Do spots open up now for AAA for the kids that didn’t make it last year? My kid tried and went to every tryout and never heard anything back, ghosted or rejected. We are still trying to make a team even a bottom of the barrel team. Who’s looking?

By the time tryouts come around in April most teams have no spots left at all and the top 90% of kids have already chosen their teams. Only the bottom feeder teams will have open spots for the bubble kids that are still free agents.

U18 is a little different. Until and including U16, next year's team is mostly this year's core with some of the other players replaced and usually with the same coaches. For most organizations, U18 is not the same kind of continuation from U16. It's usually a different coach that stays with the U18 team year after year as players come in and age out.

So it's easier to get a U18 spot in the sense that it's not just a continuation of an existing team that's had the same core for years, there's less or at least different politics, and there is more turnover due to both aging out and graduating to Junior. But it's also harder because there are fewer spots overall due to U18 including two age groups. Also contributing to making it harder next year is the NCAA CHL rule change that will result in fewer players graduating to Junior.

I'm not sure if it will be easier or harder for you overall, but it will definitely be different. Call the U18 coaches and just be realistic and smart about how you spend your money. Doesn't hurt to try. Go to skates and see how he measures up. Don't let idiots on this forum discourage you.

Why are you telling people to reach for something they can’t get? Use some common sense folks. U18 = ASHL beer league in 1 year, 100% guaranteed. Don’t lead on these poor people to spend their life savings on this garbage and get their hopes up. It’s about having fun and making friends.

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 7:10 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 3:48 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 12:40 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 11:49 am

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 10:47 am Do spots open up now for AAA for the kids that didn’t make it last year? My kid tried and went to every tryout and never heard anything back, ghosted or rejected. We are still trying to make a team even a bottom of the barrel team. Who’s looking?

By the time tryouts come around in April most teams have no spots left at all and the top 90% of kids have already chosen their teams. Only the bottom feeder teams will have open spots for the bubble kids that are still free agents.

U18 is a little different. Until and including U16, next year's team is mostly this year's core with some of the other players replaced and usually with the same coaches. For most organizations, U18 is not the same kind of continuation from U16. It's usually a different coach that stays with the U18 team year after year as players come in and age out.

So it's easier to get a U18 spot in the sense that it's not just a continuation of an existing team that's had the same core for years, there's less or at least different politics, and there is more turnover due to both aging out and graduating to Junior. But it's also harder because there are fewer spots overall due to U18 including two age groups. Also contributing to making it harder next year is the NCAA CHL rule change that will result in fewer players graduating to Junior.

I'm not sure if it will be easier or harder for you overall, but it will definitely be different. Call the U18 coaches and just be realistic and smart about how you spend your money. Doesn't hurt to try. Go to skates and see how he measures up. Don't let idiots on this forum discourage you.

Why are you telling people to reach for something they can’t get? Use some common sense folks. U18 = ASHL beer league in 1 year, 100% guaranteed. Don’t lead on these poor people to spend their life savings on this garbage and get their hopes up. It’s about having fun and making friends.

Not true, even before the NCAA rule change. The new rule will result in better U18 and more people playing U18 for a year before playing Junior A for a year before playing 2 to years in the OHL before going to college.

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 7:13 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 7:10 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 3:48 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 12:40 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 11:49 am

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 10:47 am Do spots open up now for AAA for the kids that didn’t make it last year? My kid tried and went to every tryout and never heard anything back, ghosted or rejected. We are still trying to make a team even a bottom of the barrel team. Who’s looking?

By the time tryouts come around in April most teams have no spots left at all and the top 90% of kids have already chosen their teams. Only the bottom feeder teams will have open spots for the bubble kids that are still free agents.

U18 is a little different. Until and including U16, next year's team is mostly this year's core with some of the other players replaced and usually with the same coaches. For most organizations, U18 is not the same kind of continuation from U16. It's usually a different coach that stays with the U18 team year after year as players come in and age out.

So it's easier to get a U18 spot in the sense that it's not just a continuation of an existing team that's had the same core for years, there's less or at least different politics, and there is more turnover due to both aging out and graduating to Junior. But it's also harder because there are fewer spots overall due to U18 including two age groups. Also contributing to making it harder next year is the NCAA CHL rule change that will result in fewer players graduating to Junior.

I'm not sure if it will be easier or harder for you overall, but it will definitely be different. Call the U18 coaches and just be realistic and smart about how you spend your money. Doesn't hurt to try. Go to skates and see how he measures up. Don't let idiots on this forum discourage you.

Why are you telling people to reach for something they can’t get? Use some common sense folks. U18 = ASHL beer league in 1 year, 100% guaranteed. Don’t lead on these poor people to spend their life savings on this garbage and get their hopes up. It’s about having fun and making friends.

Not true, even before the NCAA rule change. The new rule will result in better U18 and more people playing U18 for a year before playing Junior A for a year before playing 2 to years in the OHL before going to college.

Lol ok, bud. Keep trolling!

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 10:08 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 7:13 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 7:10 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 3:48 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 12:40 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 11:49 am



By the time tryouts come around in April most teams have no spots left at all and the top 90% of kids have already chosen their teams. Only the bottom feeder teams will have open spots for the bubble kids that are still free agents.

U18 is a little different. Until and including U16, next year's team is mostly this year's core with some of the other players replaced and usually with the same coaches. For most organizations, U18 is not the same kind of continuation from U16. It's usually a different coach that stays with the U18 team year after year as players come in and age out.

So it's easier to get a U18 spot in the sense that it's not just a continuation of an existing team that's had the same core for years, there's less or at least different politics, and there is more turnover due to both aging out and graduating to Junior. But it's also harder because there are fewer spots overall due to U18 including two age groups. Also contributing to making it harder next year is the NCAA CHL rule change that will result in fewer players graduating to Junior.

I'm not sure if it will be easier or harder for you overall, but it will definitely be different. Call the U18 coaches and just be realistic and smart about how you spend your money. Doesn't hurt to try. Go to skates and see how he measures up. Don't let idiots on this forum discourage you.

Why are you telling people to reach for something they can’t get? Use some common sense folks. U18 = ASHL beer league in 1 year, 100% guaranteed. Don’t lead on these poor people to spend their life savings on this garbage and get their hopes up. It’s about having fun and making friends.

Not true, even before the NCAA rule change. The new rule will result in better U18 and more people playing U18 for a year before playing Junior A for a year before playing 2 to years in the OHL before going to college.

Lol ok, bud. Keep trolling!

This will be the first year of a big change. There isn’t enough spots in the O for anyone but 1st and 2nd rounders with all of the Americans/NCAA commits coming in and there isn’t enough 16 year old cards in the Jr loops for everyone. Where do you expect everyone to play buddy? U18 will benefit from all of the changes for sure. Otherwise have fun shipping your kid up to Timmins just to say he plays Jr A lol

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Apr 05, 2025 9:01 am Hey everyone, just a serious question…my son’s goal is to make the jump to AAA, so he’s really focused right now with his gym routine and on ice practices. He goes to a hockey school, so his lunches are already well balanced, but I’m wondering what else he should be doing off the ice.

When he hits the gym, what should he be focusing on specifically?

And at home, what kind of protein shakes or meals should I be giving him to support his training?
Sometimes I make him a shake with protein powder, homo milk, yogurt, and fruit but I’d love some high protein meal ideas too.
Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Apr 05, 2025 9:01 am Hey everyone, just a serious question…my son’s goal is to make the jump to AAA, so he’s really focused right now with his gym routine and on ice practices. He goes to a hockey school, so his lunches are already well balanced, but I’m wondering what else he should be doing off the ice.

When he hits the gym, what should he be focusing on specifically?

And at home, what kind of protein shakes or meals should I be giving him to support his training?
Sometimes I make him a shake with protein powder, homo milk, yogurt, and fruit but I’d love some high protein meal ideas too.
Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Apr 05, 2025 12:29 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Apr 05, 2025 9:01 am Hey everyone, just a serious question…my son’s goal is to make the jump to AAA, so he’s really focused right now with his gym routine and on ice practices. He goes to a hockey school, so his lunches are already well balanced, but I’m wondering what else he should be doing off the ice.

When he hits the gym, what should he be focusing on specifically?

And at home, what kind of protein shakes or meals should I be giving him to support his training?
Sometimes I make him a shake with protein powder, homo milk, yogurt, and fruit but I’d love some high protein meal ideas too.
Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

You still make his smoothies for him at this age? Are you trying to make him a pansy?

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Apr 05, 2025 2:10 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Apr 05, 2025 12:29 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Apr 05, 2025 9:01 am Hey everyone, just a serious question…my son’s goal is to make the jump to AAA, so he’s really focused right now with his gym routine and on ice practices. He goes to a hockey school, so his lunches are already well balanced, but I’m wondering what else he should be doing off the ice.

When he hits the gym, what should he be focusing on specifically?

And at home, what kind of protein shakes or meals should I be giving him to support his training?
Sometimes I make him a shake with protein powder, homo milk, yogurt, and fruit but I’d love some high protein meal ideas too.
Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

You still make his smoothies for him at this age? Are you trying to make him a pansy?

Chicken with protein powder sprinkled on top.
Beef stroganoff with cream of protein powder.

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Apr 05, 2025 3:33 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Apr 05, 2025 2:10 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Apr 05, 2025 12:29 pm

Guest wrote: ↑Sat Apr 05, 2025 9:01 am Hey everyone, just a serious question…my son’s goal is to make the jump to AAA, so he’s really focused right now with his gym routine and on ice practices. He goes to a hockey school, so his lunches are already well balanced, but I’m wondering what else he should be doing off the ice.

When he hits the gym, what should he be focusing on specifically?

And at home, what kind of protein shakes or meals should I be giving him to support his training?
Sometimes I make him a shake with protein powder, homo milk, yogurt, and fruit but I’d love some high protein meal ideas too.
Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

You still make his smoothies for him at this age? Are you trying to make him a pansy?

Chicken with protein powder sprinkled on top.
Beef stroganoff with cream of protein powder.

Shrimps dipped in a thick protein sauce.
Lots of deep fried fish with a protein dipping sauce.
1 bag of high protein milk a day.