For purposes of this series of ratings, we asked scouts to rate the leagues based upon what they saw during the 2013-2014 season. This is not a historical account of each league as some have been around much longer than others. This is not a projection of where a league may be seen for the 2014-2015 season.
These ratings are NOT based on player movement up or down. These ratings take into account the general talent levels in the leagues, the competition levels, and player depth.
These ratings are independent, and no one at TJHN participated. For purposes of this rating we have limited the results to the top five leagues out of the eleven that could have been rated. This was done to simplify the process. Because a league is not rated within the top five does not mean that they did not receive votes to be included in the top five. All Junior B leagues Canada offer tremendous opportunity for all players to compete and develop their talents.
It was interesting to note the differences in how scouts saw the talent and competition levels compared to how they saw the promotion levels.
1. Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL)
“The GOJHL is simply the best Junior B league in the country. The talent is Junior A level in many cases, and some of the younger players are top end Junior A prospects. The depth of talent is certainly there, and the competition levels show it.”
2. Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League (EOJHL)
“Its a great league that does a great job at teaching young players. Teams are definitely learning how to strengthen the depths of their program and it shows in the on ice product.”
3. Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL)
“They do a great job of recruiting and developing local kids. Its competitive, and scouts are figuring out that there are players with significant upside in the league.”
4. Heritage Junior B Hockey League (HJHL)
“I love the league. The competition is great, the work ethic displayed by the kids is what you expect from them. There’s enough skill and jam to keep everyone watching.”
5. Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL)
“Its a solid league. Not as deep as others, but every team has some players to watch for sure.”
Next week TJHN will close out these rankings with Tier III rankings for the United States as we prepare for the season to begin in September.
