Continue
Reading.....Where do our players come from?
Changes Made To Our Program For New Players!
The Atlantic District
Player Development Program is pleased to announce that we will be hosting a
FREE TRYOUT for all Atlantic District players born in 1993, 1994, 1995
and 1996 who have not participated
in our program before and are interested in participating in USA HOCKEY National
Player Development Camps (formerly known as ‘Select Festivals’). 1997
players who would like to try out can do so for free as well, but on June 19 &
20 (times listed below).
The FREE TRYOUT
will take place at Loucks Ice Arena on the campus of Lawrenceville School, on
Sunday April 25, 2010. At the tryout, players will participate in a 1.5-2.0 hour
skills evaluation session which will be professionally run by our Player
Development Staff. All Players are asked to arrive 45 minutes prior to their
session and no pre-registration is necessary.
All players in
attendance will be looking to earn a position at the ATLANTIC DISTRICT TRYOUT
FESTIVAL (our main tryout camp) which will be held at IceLine Quad
Rinks in West Chester, PA -- May 14-16, 2010. Players who are selected from the
free open tryout will be placed on a team at the Main Tryout Camp with players
who have previously participated in the Player Development Program (at the
National or Regional level) during 2008 or 2009. The Atlantic District
Tryout Festival will be for players born in 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996 only.
For the Main Tryout
Camp, we will be forming FOUR TEAMS at the 1996 & 1995 level, including 10
forwards, 6 defenseman & 2 goaltenders. Similarly, at the 1994 & 1993 level, we
will be forming TWO EQUAL TEAMS of 12F, 6D & 2G. Depending on the birth-year,
an approximate minimum of 15 players and a maximum of 30 players will be
selected from the open tryout to participate in the main tryout camp.
The FREE OPEN TRYOUT
schedule for all who are new is as follows:
Sunday – April 25,
2010 @ Loucks Ice Center, Lawrenceville School
(1993, 1994, 1995,
1996 Birth-years only)
·1996 Birth-year (14s): 9:00-11:00am
·1995 Birth-year (15s):
11:15-1:15pm
·1994 Birth-year (16s): 2:00-3:30pm
·1993 Birth-year (17s): 4:00-5:30pm
1997 Birth-yearwill try out on the following at the Loucks Ice Center, Lawrenceville School
Saturday - June 19, 2010
10:00 AM Tryout 1 (all players & goalies)
For more information please email Vice President
of Player Development, John Riley @
jdriley@optonline.net
Changes Made To Our Program For Returning
Players!
We have exciting news to
announce!!! After considerable discussion amongst our staff we have decided to
change the evaluation format for the Atlantic District Player Development
Program and will now be hosting a “Tryout Festival Camp” during the weekend of
May 14-16, 2010. This “Tryout Festival Camp” will be held at IceLine, in West
Chester, PA.
Historically, as most of you
know, we have held skill evaluation sessions for ages 14-17 during this
weekend. The sessions, which also included, a physical testing session and a
goaltender evaluation, culminated with an organized final scrimmage on Sunday
afternoon. This year, we have made some dramatic changes and will now offer each
player the opportunity to participate in one professionally run practice and
three regulation games. Each team will be coached by NCAA, Junior, or NE Prep
School Coaches. (See full list of coaches and evaluators below) and each
game will be officiated by a three man crew.
Additionally, for the first time
ever we will be offering a FREE OPEN TRYOUT for all players
registered in the Atlantic District. That tryout will take place at
Lawrenceville School on April 25, 2010 (see below for times). All past
participants of the program from the 2008 and 2009 seasons, you are excused from
the ‘open tryout’ and are being officially
offered a spot at the “Tryout Festival Camp”.
At the 1996 &1995 birth years we
will be dividing all invited returning players and players chosen from the open
tryout into FOUR EQUAL TEAMS of 17 members (10 F, 6D, 2G). The number of
players chosen from the open tryout will obviously be dictated by the volume of
returning players who register prior to the REGISTRATION DEADLINE OF APRIL 1,
2010. At the 1994 & 1993 birth years we will be dividing all invited
returning players and players chosen from the open tryout into TWO EQUAL
TEAMS of 20 members (12F, 6D, 2G). The two teams will practice together Friday
night and then square off twice on Saturday. On Sunday, the top 1994 team will
battle the top 1993 team and the second teams will likewise do battle.
The goal of the “Tryout
Festival” is to provide all players in the Atlantic District with the most well
rounded, fairest venue possible which will afford our staff the opportunity to
select the MOST QUALIFIED PLAYERS at each birth years to send to the NATIONAL
FESTIVALS.
Atlantic District Player
Development allotment for 2010 USA HOCKEY NATIONAL FESTIVALS is as follows:
·1993: 1G, 4D, 6F
·1994: 2G, 5D, 8F
·1995: 2G, 6D, 10F
·1996: 2G, 6D, 10F
We are very excited about the
new format and believe that it will be an exciting, reasonably priced,
competitive weekend for all participants.
The cost for the Tryout Festival
$150.00, which includes:
·1 practice & 3 games (two 22
minute halves – 3 man officiating system)
·Physical testing at Summit
Sports Training Center
·USA HOCKEY numbered game sweater
and matching socks
·Atlantic District Player
Development Program T-Shirt
·Choice to keep gear in IceLine
locker room for entire weekend
·College/Pro Coaches-Scouts
behind bench and working as evaluators
What do you need to do?
We are currently setting up a
new pre-registration program online. As mentioned above, as a returning
players from the 2008 and/or 2009 season, once the online pre-registration is
set up, all you will need to do to secure your place in the Tryout Festival will
be to register online at www.atlantic-district.org under the
player development section.
Please note: if you choose not
to pre-register, you are welcome to attend the open tryout and will have the
opportunity to be chosen from Lawrenceville to attend the main camp. Certainly,
we feel the pre-registration is easier, but that is certainly your decision!
Once you register you will
receive a confirmation email securing your spot in the festival and then you
will be sent a follow up email in early May which will inform you of your team
and schedule. For planning purposes, you can assume that you will have a
practice Friday night, May 14 between 5-8pm. On Saturday you will have two
games (morning and afternoon) and then one game on Sunday. There will also be a
special goaltender evaluation, for all goalies at all birth-years, on Sunday
morning. Physical testing for all players will be spread out over the course of
the weekend venue (except for the 1993s for whom there is no testing).
Please be aware that your
acceptance of our invite comes with an expectation of attendance at all games
and practice. Certainly there are always personal and/or extenuating
circumstances which may prohibit 100% compliance, but those situations will be
dealt with on an individual basis by Vice President of Player Development, John
Riley.
Committed Staff
Coaches/Evaluators for 2010 Atlantic District Tryout Festival:
·Patrick Burke – Philadelphia
Flyers, Scout
Steve Greeley – LA Kings, Scout
·Mike Doneghy – Chicago
Blackhawks, Scout
·John Riley – Philadelphia
Flyers, Scout
·Rick Bennett – Union College,
Associate Head Coach
Select 13 (1997 birth year)
$925.00 (Lawrenceville camps, Kent State Camp/tournament/lodging/one way bus
transportation included)
June 29-July 1
Lawrenceville Overnight camp
July 24-25 Lawrenceville Overnight camp
August 4-8
Kent State Camp and Tournament
Players who choose the OHL over college
hockey scholarships really getting best of both worlds? By Jeff Hicks, Record staff
KITCHENER — Pop quiz for Ontario Hockey League education czar Joe Birch.
How many
current OHL players are full-time university or college students?
“Very,
very few,” said Birch, a former Kitchener Ranger who ranks No. 94 on the Hockey
News honour roll of the 100 most influential men in the business of pucks and
pencils.
Can you
name one? No answer.
Guelph’s
Tim Priamo and London’s Scott Aarssen are past examples he cited of true OHL
student-athletes.
The
Rangers have no full-time college or university students.
Team
education consultant Dave Tennant says such a course-load would be too strenuous
given the demands of a 68-game OHL season. The scheduling of classes around
games would be impossible.
Let’s
get educated on how post-secondary education works in the OHL.
Get out
your notebooks, class.
The
numbers scrawled on the blackboard by the league sound impressive. For the
2009-10 academic year, the OHL proclaimed last month it has awarded 355
“scholarships” to current and past players.
That’s
164 “scholarships” to players currently in the league. Add in 191 “scholarships”
to players who’ve blown through the 20-team major junior loop in a five-year
span ending last season.
Sounds
like an A-plus for the OHL, right? Surely, as Birch proudly proclaims, a player
can get the same education and hockey experience in the OHL as kid at school
full-time on a hockey scholarship in a U.S. college.
After
all, that’s what this is all about.
It’s
about the recruitment war to lure the best Canadian and American players into
the OHL by convincing them they can get the “best of both worlds” in major
junior – a hockey-heavy lifestyle now and a top-shelf education afterwards.
Once a
kid plays a single OHL game, his U.S. college eligibility is busted since the
NCAA considers the OHL a pro loop where players get paid, sign contracts and
have agents.
Let’s
dig deeper into the OHL-provided numbers. Remember, class, there are no dumb
questions.
So what
does the OHL consider a scholarship when it comes to a current player? Let’s
look over the league-provided list of 164 recipients.
Well,
Rangers goalie Mavric Parks takes a health course twice a week at Conestoga
College.
Nothing
wrong with that.Very commendable. But a “scholarship”? You decide.
The OHL
pays for tuition, books, compulsory fees, etc. It also claims credit for
providing room-and-board, which it has always done for players anyway.
There’s
ex-Ranger Josh Unice at the University of Windsor.
Oh, wait
a minute. He went home to Ohio after the Windsor Spitfires ditched him while he
was injured. Nice. Did we mention Unice tore up a full-ride scholarship to
Bowling Green of Ohio to come to the OHL? He did.
Now, his
agent says Unice is at the University of Western Ontario.
There
are nine players from six different teams listed as Athabasca University
students. That is an online school. No classrooms. They take online courses.
So do
eight players from Brampton, Sarnia and Owen Sound who “attend” the University
of Guelph, via their computers. Is that the equivalent of living on campus at
the University of Michigan and going to class?
Don’t
forget Guelph Storm benchwarmer Vadim Guskov. He’s on the list as a University
of Moscow student. That’s online, of course. There are more examples but you get
the idea.
Let’s
look at defenceman Nick Crawford. He is listed as a student at Northwood
University in Saginaw, Michigan on the OHL list, released on Nov. 24. On Nov. 9,
he got traded from Saginaw to Barrie.
Birch
said Crawford had met all his educational obligations to Northwood at the time
of the trade. That’s a pretty short semester.
How
about Niagara College student Jay Gilbert? He left the Niagara IceDogs a few
weeks ago and demanded a trade that is still pending.
Used to
be that OHL players who broke their contracts – left the team without permission
– lost all the education funds owing to them. Led to a nasty squabble in
Kingston over school money owed to a kid named Brodie Todd.
Not so
any longer, said Birch. Gilbert still has his package. “What a player has
earned, a player is entitled to,” Birch said.
Perhaps,
but section 12.1 of the standard player agreement, could certainly be read
differently. It says the club may terminate the contract for a variety of
reasons, including refusal to provide services, and lose all benefits.
Question
time again. How does an OHL educational package work?
Basically, here’s the deal. Sounds very sweet. An OHL player is entitled to one
year of post-OHL, post-secondary education cash for each year he is in the
league.
Play a
year, get one year. Play four, get four.
That
includes tuition, textbooks and compulsory fees. Top picks, and a limited number
of others, also get room and board covered. It can be used at any recognized
university or college in the world.
Of
course, there are catches. If you sign an NHL, AHL or European pro contract, you
lose your education package.
You can
keep it if you play in a lower North American pro loop. However, there’s another
catch. You only have 18 months to access it after leaving the OHL. Otherwise, it
disappears.
Then,
there’s the “domicile” rule. That determines the dollar value of your package
per year. The OHL takes the tuition fees at the college or university closest to
a player’s home.
That’s
what you get. In the case of a local kid like Waterloo’s Matt Smith, it’s a
little tricky. Smith, a third-string goalie for the Rangers who didn’t play one
OHL second in 2007-08, lives close to both the University of Waterloo and
Wilfrid Laurier University.
Which
tuition value does he get? “The higher of the two,” Birch said.
Not a
big deal, Birch added. Laurier is currently about $5,700. Waterloo is about
5,900.
Smith’s
father Clive said the Rangers gave him an average of the two at the time his
contract was signed.
Matt, a
first year English student at the University of Guelph, gets $4,500 towards his
schooling this year. “Pretty good chunk,” Smith said after an exam on Wednesday.
His full
tuition is about $5,700. He must pay to live in residence. After this year, he’s
on his own to pay for the rest of his schooling.
He
dressed one year in the OHL, he gets one year worth of money. Most important, he
dressed after Jan. 10 in his lone OHL season.
You see,
if you don’t play on or beyond that date, your education package is slashed in
half for that year.
That’s
another catch. You see, OHL teams are very concerned about what the education
war with the colleges is costing them. Rangers chief operating officer Steve
Bienkowski said so at last June’s annual general meeting.
The OHL
says it spent $1.8-million on post-secondary education last year, $1.2-million
on past players and $600,000 on current players. Birch said that will increase
for this season.
The
Rangers expect to spend $72,000 on post-secondary classes for current and past
players this year. Based on their commitments, they could spend as much as
$775,000 between now and 2014.
Of
course, they won’t spend anywhere near that. That’s because fewer than half of
OHL players will ever “access” any of the education money the OHL promises them.
Maybe not even half of half of them.
Now,
here’s the BIG question: What percentage of OHL players access their school
package payouts after they leave the league? Birch claims 49 per cent based on a
study of overage 20-year-old players, limited to three per team.
The OHL
says 24 overagers from last season signed pro deals while 30 tapped into their
OHL school packages.
But what
about the rest of the kids who never made it the overage year?
You
know, the kids who play and leave before becoming 20-year-old victory-lappers
like Mike Liambas playing against 16-year-olds like Ben Fanelli?
Birch
doesn’t think it’s fair to look at those numbers even though he lists those guys
in his 191 past players now receiving some OHL money towards post-secondary
schooling.
He even
counts ex-Ranger Chris Gravelding, who left the league after 2004-05, and is
accessing his money at the University of Maine.
So,
let’s look at a four-year cycle. Twenty-five players per roster for 20 teams.
That’s 500 players.
Now add
in an average turnover of seven players per team each year for three years.
That’s 420 players. We’re up to 920 players.
Now add
in the players who disappear quickly. The Mike Chmielewskis, Chris Brysons,
Charles Lavignes etc. Lavigne, a one-year Rangers backup in net, is on the OHL
list for St. Thomas University.
Say, two
guys per team each year over four years. That’s 160 guys.
Make the
grand total 1,080 players, of which 191 are tapping into their OHL education
packages after leaving.
That’s a
payout rate of 18 per cent.
Birch
doesn’t agree with that method of analyzing out the numbers. But he was not
prepared with his own numbers on a four-year cycle, other than the 191 in school
with OHL money.
“That
doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Birch said. “That would mean that, on the 25-man
roster, myself and three others would be post-secondary educated.”
Right.
And we haven’t even got to the matter of whether they graduate from college or
not.
This is
just showing up and tapping into the money.
There’s
another catch. If students take a break from full-time status once they start
school on their OHL package, they lose it. Says so in the players’ contract.
So,
where are the rest of the estimated 900 kids who’ve passed through the OHL? A
few are NHL regulars. Many are in the minors or in Europe. All we know is the
rest aren’t accessing OHL money for post-secondary education.
Meanwhile, American kids are being sold like never before on coming north to the
OHL to pursue a pro contract, while getting all the benefits of a college-style
education.
Cam
Fowler left a $50,000 a year scholarship at Notre Dame to join the Windsor
Spitfires. A recent Windsor Star article suggested Fowler – whose parents live
in Northville, Michigan – could attend Notre Dame on the Spitfires’ dime.
The
“domicile rule,” if applied, could cap Fowler’s annual OHL education fund at
about $18,000 based on the top rates at the closet colleges to the family home.
That includes Wayne State and Eastern Michigan.
But,
according to Birch, the rule doesn’t appear to apply to Fowler. “Cam could have
received a full-ride from the Windsor Spitfires, no different than he received a
full-ride from Notre Dame,” Birch said.
Worth
$50,000, if he accesses it? “Yes,” Birch said.
Didn’t
realize it could go that high. Thought it was tied to tuition at the school
closes to his parents’ house.
“Are you
being naďve here?” Birch said.
Guess
so.
Of
course, the OHL and the Spits need not worry. Fowler is a terrific player and
will surely sign an NHL or AHL deal. He likely will never go to college. The OHL
is banking on it.
