Oh man, what a spring this has been so far! All the expansion, all the drafts, and all the camps! Whew, its enough to keep a guy on his game for sure.
I gotta tell ya though, these junior hockey drafts are sure something. You parents and players make the after draft party that much better though. Seriously, and its not just the NAHL draft either, so don’t think I am singling them out, its every junior draft and the follow up.
Oh hell yeah, you know the deal. The phone call goes something like this;
“Hey Johnny, yeah, its Coach Smith. Sorry we didn’t take you in the draft Johnny, we just ran out of picks. But we really like you for our team and we want you at main camp. Oh, well yeah, we had to take that kid because we want to have him for next year and we don’t expect him to make the team. Oh, well, the owners kid was something we had to do politically. So, when can I expect your registration? Yep, just three hundred bucks and your in main camp.”
How many of you guys are getting those calls now?! Ha Ha Ha How many of you are going to be dumb enough to fall for that crap? Yeah, I know, they really want you and if you sign with the Tier III team they are affiliated with or also own, they will look to “call you up”.
Ummmmmmmm yeah. Ok, I am going for that shit like I am going for giving my sister a free shot at kicking me in the balls.
So, here is a little advice for ya boys and girls, if the team that wants you at main camp has a Tier III affiliate or Tier III team they also own, hang up the damn phone, delete the email, or prepare to sign a Tier III contract. If a Tier III coach is calling you saying he can get you into an NAHL main camp, its just a Tier III recruiting tool.
Oh, lets not forget the old, “Sign with us, and if you make the (insert Tier II team here) we will release you so you can play for them.” Cough bullshit, cough, cough.
Wake up kids, you can sign with any Tier III team any time. If you are going to a Tier II main camp, then go, don’t be dumb enough to sign a Tier III deal and give the Tier II team an easy excuse to cut you because you have a place to go!
Oh and if you think signing a Tier III deal and not giving them any money will allow you to get out of the deal later, think again dumbass. That aint happening. If you sign, you owe.
But hey, why not go for “the experience” right? Yep, I know half of you reading this fall into one of these scenarios and you know you should follow these little tips, but you wont. And if you end up doing it, don’t be one of the people bitching after when you aren’t the first player to defy the odds.
Oh yeah, and when you show up at your awesome main camp because the team is so interested in you, and you come to find there are more than 100 players the team is really interested in too, I hope you remember this article. Yeah, in case you don’t know, in pro hockey they only bring about 40 players to main camp. Yeah, you know, like just enough to have good games and evaluate the players fairly. Yeah, but hey, what do the NHL guys know anyway right?!
Oh yeah, speaking of defying the odds, TJHN is starting a lottery! Yep, that’s right, pretty soon you will be able to buy lottery tickets on line for just five bucks. Yep, for that five bucks you get a chance in a random drawing to win a chance to attend a main camp and then give us an additional $8000 when you sign with a Tier III team. I know, that wasn’t funny, but hey how many tickets you wanna buy anyway?
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
