How many times have you heard, or said; “When I am done with junior or college I want to go to Europe and play’?
Did you know Europe has some of the best junior hockey available? Did you know that unless you are an NCAA D-1 or high performing D-3 player, that the best way to get to Europe is to play junior in Europe?
European teams do not scout players in North America. They do not have the budgets to do so. They scout in Europe and they go after top level North Americans.
If you are not qualified for NCAA academically then playing in Europe now is your best chance to play in Europe as a professional. If you are not an NCAA D-1 player, or one of the top 50 D-3 players, then playing in Europe now is your best chance to play professionally in Europe later.
Just like in North America, Coaches want to see players play. And the only way that will happpen is to play in Europe now.
There are plenty of options available to Americans and Canadians to play Junior, or U-23 in top level leagues. These options will allow for players to have a full and likely uninterrupted season simply because Europe handled the COVID-19 crisis better than North America.
The hockey season in Europe begins next month, in August. Some team camps for off ice training have already begun.
The questions players need to ask themselves;
How important for me is it to have a full and regular season? If it is important to play a complete season, Europe offers the best opportunity for that based on its control of the COVID pandemic.
In North America some leagues will start late and some teams will not start at all. Some seasons will be stopped during the season due to positive COVID tests. COVID is not ending any time soon.
Am I sure my team or league in North America will have a full season without delays, or stops like last season? If you are sure the great, most experts would disagree with you.
Am I confident that other teams will not force stops or delays in my teams schedule because of infections? Remember if your team looks safe, the other teams it plays against had better look just as safe.
Will my team travel to high infection level locations to play? While one State or City may look safe, another you may play road games in may not be.
The opportunity in Europe is one where the pandemic has been handled, and freedom of movement, and fan engagement has been restored. Strict measures were enforced quickly and Europeans embraced those measures which allowed them to recover more quickly than North America.
Some might say surely Europe is not a traditional option. It worked for Auston Matthews though and countless other Europeans now playing NCAA and NHL hockey. It can also work for you.
If you are doing the same thing you have done last year and you expect different results we wish you luck, but its unlikely. Sometimes we simply need to change and let go of the ideas that we had that simply haven’t materialized. New ideas usually produce new results, and results are the only thing that matters.
Do not wait until the last minute. Paperwork needs to be processed in order to secure your spot. Twenty six players in the last 30 days have made sure they will have full and un-interrupted seasons. Isn’t it time you did the same?
Those of you who are serious about next season, it begins in less than 4 weeks. We have positions to fill for those who want a serious option for a full season.
Joseph Kolodziej – Adviser
