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.
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. USPHL – Premier
The USPHL – Premier league was the overwhelming favorite among scouts. It was noted that not only do they do a great job of recruiting local top end talent, but do a great job in convincing players from other leagues to come to the USPHL.
“It was clear at USAH nationals which league represented the top end of Tier III. The scoreboard in many games did not show just how dominant Boston was at the tournament. And there were other Premier teams that would have done as well that were not in the event.”
2. EHL
The Eastern Hockey League was the clear choice in second place as well. Scouts were consistent in their comments regarding the depth of talent throughout the league.
“The EHL was under rated last year. There was a lot of depth, and the competition was very good. I personally liked the mix of younger players I saw in the league, and they did a good job of getting some veterans that could have played in other places to help those kids along.”
3. NA3HL
The NA3HL was also clearly the third choice although receiving some votes for second place. Scouts said some teams were capable of being included with some of the top teams from the USPHL and the EHL, but that some teams were not nearly deep enough to raise the over all rating of the league.
“Top 3HL teams are very very good. They work hard to recruit, and they do a great job at coaching players up. The top teams are every bit as good as top teams in other leagues. ”
4. WSHL
A surprise in the rankings for competition and talent levels was the WSHL. After not ranking highly for player promotion, the one constant note from scouts was that geography made it cost prohibitive to scout the league on a regular basis. If not for that, and a few teams that brought the over all grade down, the WSHL was very close to number three in this ranking.
“The WSHL has done a great job in a lot of its cities. Some teams are very strong and could compete in any other Tier III league. The European players have helped raise the level of play, and talent depth.”
5. MNJHL
The MNJHL was very close to the WSHL for fourth place. After coming in fourth for player promotion, one comment consistently made for this rating was that some teams brought the ranking down because they weren’t close to the competitive or talent depths of some top teams.
“Minnesota is a good league. Some pretty weak teams, and some very strong teams. If they could become more consistent in recruiting league wide, they could be one of the top leagues in the country. They have geographical advantages over other leagues, but for some reason or another, they don’t get the depth they should.”
This concludes the 2014 TJHN league rating series.
