Okay kids, how many of you are having trouble deciding which try out camps to attend? You got USHL camps, NAHL camps, and Tier III camps going on all over the United States at the same time.
Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense does it kids? In fact its down right asinine.
I mean really, you would think that USA Hockey would just step in an do something to make things less confusing and allow players to find their natural fit for the level of play.
Yeah, I know, a free market economy says that anyone can do a camp at any time. But how smart is that.
Should a player have to give up going to a USHL camp to attend an NAHL camp? Should a player have to give up an NAHL camp for a Tier III camp? The answer is easily “NO”!
Why are Tier III teams pressuring players to sign contracts in April and May when the USHL and NAHL drafts haven’t even been completed?
We sure don’t want to take the lead from Canada though do we? I mean they have a pretty simple system that allows all players to filter into their own natural landing spot. Its called using your brain.
Major Junior leagues have their camps, then Junior A or Tier II, then Junior B and so on down the line. Pretty damn simple hey kids? Let the big boys go first, then everyone gets in line.
How messed up is it to see a kid who could play Tier II stuck in a Tier III league because he was nervous about not having a place to play so he signed a contract too early?! How messed up is it when a kid who might make a USHL roster has to choose between a NAHL camp who recruits him hard and the USHL camp he would at least like to try?!
There is a simple solution to all of this kids. Real simple.
The USHL draft is in May. So the USHL camps should run through the end of June. NAHL and other Tier II has the month of July, and Tier III has the month of August.
NAHL and tier III teams can still use their tenders under this plan to secure player rights within the league. So they get to protect the players they want.
Tier III teams could still be allowed to sign players to contracts, but USA Hockey could easily make the rule that any player contract signed is void if the player makes a higher level team. No money for a Tier III contract should be collected before the month of August.
If you think about tis, this makes sense for all the leagues too. I mean the USHL camps could be scouted by the NAHL and Tier III, the NAHL camps could be scouted by Tier III, and all players could filter down.
This would make every teams roster stronger, camps would be better attended, and development objectives would be served better.
Now I know this is going to sound even crazier, but why not have the USHL and NAHL assign dates for each team to have their tryouts. I mean really, most kids are on summer vacation so it wouldn’t be that hard. Last place teams from the year before get to go before teams that finish higher in the standings. No different from the drafts.
This way, teams that struggled the year before get first crack at improving their team. Wow, I know, the idea of parity scares the crap out of some teams. But isn’t that what’s best for the game. Developing better competition sure sounds like a good idea.
Take away the parent and player confusion on which camp to attend and they might just attend more camps. If you got a half dozen camps going on in one weekend, the player has a tough choice to make. What if two of the teams that are really interested in the player have camps the same weekend? Shouldn’t the player have the ability to attend both?
Really kids lets start to get organized. The whole tryout camp system is a mess, its really not even a system its a free for all.
David Wagner – The Angel Of Death – For Those Who Live Stupidly I salute You
*The Death Pool is a mix of comedy, and satire in connection with recent events. It is not an official report of current events although it may look as though the news is so accurate that it could one day happen or may be happening.
