DWCPC 2010: Coaches Forum and College Hockey Inc. Presentation

by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jun 22, 2010 12:26 PM PDT in Armchair Scout

ARTHUR:

The Ducks West Coast Prospects Camp serves the dual purposes of showcasing the best young talent Southern California has to offer on their home ice, while also educating that talent about their options at the next level. To that end, the Camp invited College Hockey Inc. to give a presentation to its invitees about their NCAA opportunities and the rules for NCAA recruiting and remaining an amateur in the organization's eyes. Afterwards, four Division I coaches spoke briefly about their College Hockey experiences.

At the bottom of this post, you will find a link to our audio recording of that presentation. The speakers are as follows:

Jeff Dwyer, Director of Education and Recruitment for College Hockey Inc.
George Gwozdecky, Head Coach of the University of Denver
Mike Gibbons, Assistant Coach St. Cloud State University
Brett Larson, Assistant Coach University of Minnesota-Duluth
Tim Army, Head Coach Providence
Brett Henning, former hockey player turned hockey author

I found Jeff Dwyer's Power Point lecture particularly interesting. Here are just some of the rules he covers:

College coaches cannot contact you until June 15th of your sophomore year, and that includes returning your calls, letters, emails, etc.
The NCAA allows you to attend Rookie Camp or Orientation Camp for your CHL team, but you can only attend and have your expenses covered for 48 hours. At that point, you must leave or pay your own way.
If you go the CHL route, the education package they offer is null and void the moment you sign an NHL contract, AHL contract or European league contract. If you sign with some other league after you leave the CHL, you have only 18 months to exercise your right to the education package or it expires.
There has been a boom of 'family advisors' lately, and College Hockey Inc. is offering to advise you on those advisors. Having monitored and regulated family advisors and agents as the Director of the NHLPA, Paul Kelly is familiar with them. Give him a list, and he'll tell you a little bit about each one. Generally, though, you don't need a family advisor unless you are about to be drafted by the NHL, at which point you would need a bona fide agent, not a family advisor.

Enjoy!

WARNING: Please set your volume to a medium or low level before listening. I wasn't familiar with the PA system in the room, so I set a rather high input level on my Edirol R-09. The audio definitely peaks on claps, but it is generally very even and clear.

Click here to listen to the College Hockey Inc. Presentation

Our complete coverage at the 2010 Ducks West Coast Prospects Camp Main Page.

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That’s interesting. Didn’t listen to the whole thing due to a little problem with my computer not having sound, but I bet it’s even more interesting. I didn’t know that once a contract with the NHL, AHL, or a European League was signed, that the college these kids are promised goes out the window. That kind of took me by surprise. Overall I think the battle between the CHL and the NCAA is a very interesting battle.

Both sides have their advantages and disadvantages. The problem I see with the NCAA is that most of these kids want to get a more intense hockey experience at a younger age. With the NCAA, you have to wait until you are in college to start that, whereas the CHL you can start at 16 (or was it 15 or 14?). That gives these kids more time playing and practicing against good competition to get them to grow more as a hockey player (which is the end goal of what most these kids want). I heard at a hockey scouting camp in Vegas a few years back that the average age for NCAA players was 20-22. That’s a far cry from what the ideal situation is for most of these kids. They want to be drafted at 18, and at least to the AHL by 20. Not starting or just getting going on the top line of an NCAA team at that age. Though the education for the NCAA is second to none if you can make it on a D1 team. I often wonder how well that education works out for these kids though. Are they taking lighter course loads in some generic subjects (like basketball players that go after business or communication degrees) just so they aren’t held down or challenged by their schoolwork, which allows them more time to focus on their sport.

Either way I think it’s interesting. I like what the NCAA is trying to do and I think it has potiential. I think something that would really help the NCAA is more games/advertising in the US. The only time I can watch NCAA games are when the Frozen Four makes it to ESPN. Granted, I don’t watch CHL games, but I know more about the CHL than NCAA just because it is covered more and there is more published about it in magazines such as The Hockey News (probably because that is a Canadian magazine, but regardless). I think the NHL, NCAA, and USA Hockey need to work together to get more spotlight on the NCAA in the US and that might help a good deal.

by JasonF on Jun 22, 2010 6:20 PM PDT reply actions

Thanks for taking a look. I think you should listen to it if you have the time. Dwyer actually talks about the average age in the NCAA as a positive, because he thinks it’s important to note you’ll play only against men. That does tend to shorten the length of the AHL development cycle they expect out of the larger and exceptionally talented NCAA prospects.

I think it’s tough to throw around the phrase “most of these kids.” Every kid’s path is different. If they’re not academically inclined, they have no reason to go into the NCAA. A lot of the kids I talked to were particularly interested in going to college and not taking a majority of their units in summer sessions after their potential careers started. The important thing is that “most of these kids” don’t make it to the NHL. So, if you think you’re part of that majority, you have to know that you’re risking missing out on an education to chase your goal. Anything else would be a sequel to Hoop Dreams

Anaheim Calling

by Arthur from Anaheim Calling on Jun 22, 2010 7:21 PM PDT up reply actions

Good point. There is a certain talent level that is required for the NHL are far and few between have it. I’m glad kids are taking that route. I guess my assumptions of “most of these kids” comes from reading magazines like THN where there are countless articles of committing to a NCAA school only to go on to a CHL team. It’s probably more of what I read and see than what is actually going on. If I get sound, I’ll have to be sure to listen to it.

And the point about the NCAA kids having a shorter AHL development period is interesting. I guess it makes sense since they are bigger and stronger coming out of college (because they play among men) than a kid coming out of the CHL.

I’m really glad the the Ducks have several top prospects playing on top tier NCAA teams. I think it’s good for them. They might not be on my radar as much because in my opinion, I don’t hear nearly as much on NCAA prospects as prospects in the CHL or something, but overall I think it’s good. I guess it also has to do with my strong passion for US prospects staying in the states.

by JasonF on Jun 22, 2010 9:41 PM PDT up reply actions