There are thousands of players from the United States and Canada who say they would like to play professionally in Eruope at some point in their careers. Most players however, do not understand how to make that dream a reality. And in todays ever changing world of hockey, things in Europe are changing as quickly as they are in North America.
When talking about professional hockey in Europe, we are talking about leagues where you will earn five hundred dollars a week or more. We are not talking about leagues or teams that will pay one thousand dollars a month or less. Those are not professional leagues, they are amatewur leagues that pay under the table through sponsors, or they provide additional work at a sponsor owned company.
Fact; European professional teams do not scout in North America at all. Other than the KHL, and occasionaly the DEL, teams and leagues are not scouting anything in North America in person.
Fact; Unless you are a high performing NCAA Division One, Major Junior or extreemly high performing Division Three or CIS player, you have little to no chance of playing in a good professional league in Europe.
Fact; Playing in the SPHL or FPHL is not going to impress any legitimate professional team and is not going to get you to a high level in Europe. Only AHL or ECHL professional experience is valued in Europe from North American professional leagues.
If you do not fall into one of the categories above, then you need to choose a different path. The most direct path, is the most obvious one.
If you want to increase your chances of playing profesionally in Europe, you only need to do what ninety five percent of the players on professional rosters already do.
Playing junior, and/or college hockey in Europe is the absolute most direct path to professional hockey in Europe. All you need to do is look at the players on the European professional rosters, and look where they came from. The answer is right there on Elite Prospects.
If you are willing to take the European route, your chances of playing professionaly in Europe go up seventy five percent.
Making the choice, and taking this path through junior and/or college hockey in Europe will get you seen by professional clubs, and will help you build a reputation in Europe. No different than playing in Canada or the United States, coaches will begin talking about you.
Sacrificing your comfort zone of playing close to home will allow you to reach new levels of success in the long run. Levels of success that your friends who are unwilling to make the sacrifice will never receive.
European labor laws, and visa requirements are constantly changing along with import player limits. Understanding how these things work, and how the system works, will allow you to find a way to make the system work for you.
For more information on how you can play college hockey in Europe, and make the system work for you please visit https://echps.com
