DAILY DISH: Where do NCAA Division 1 Prospects Come From? Junior Hockey News

Longtime “friend of the program” Glenn Hefferen posted these charts on Facebook Wednesday and I felt it’s important enough to share with all of you.

This is from Glenn--

Take a look at these graphics.... it illustrates the last amateur team/league each NCAA Men's Hockey Division I, II and III Players participated with... 498 Division I and 750 Division II/III. It paints a very clear picture for the pathway (or ladder of development) that players are trying to play at some level of NCAA college hockey.

What's really important is there are well over 40,000 players on competitive teams throughout North America -Preps, High schools, Midgets and Juniors.... and these players are battling for one of those college roster spots.

About 1% of competitive players will play Division I and about 1.8% for Division III.

I am not trying to "kill the dream".... just shed some light on the truth.

We need to get the players to understand that their interest and effort that they put into looking for a college is just as important as being scouted by a college coach.... college coaches that I have spoken with say they want to know the player is really interested in their school and their hockey program.

Once again, Hefferan is spot on. 

Remember this remark from the Dish a few weeks back: The USHL tops my list as the World’s best opportunity for college bound hockey players. It is also my opinion that the BCHL edges out the NAHL for the runner-up slot.

Like the headline on the graphic; the numbers don’t lie. Unlike other websites that try to distort the truth.

The Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba leagues provide an overall better developmental opportunity than the rest of the CJHL, WSHL, United States Premier Hockey League, and Eastern Hockey League.

The USHL, NAHL, and BCHL are providing the very best opportunities for NCAA Division 1 hopefuls. What’s also needed to be understood, the six other Canadian Junior Hockey Leagues listed get a respectful number of NCAA ineligible players (from Major Junior) and send an overwhelming percentage of players to Canadian Universities instead of NCAA. The pure economic reality dictates those choices. With 91 of those guys still taking NCAA roster spots, it just goes to show that the CJHL offers a notable developmental opportunity.

Stephen Heisler has spent a lifetime in the game of hockey. Stephen is also working with individual teams, coaches, and players as a director with the Heisler Hockey Group. Stephen and his family spend most of their time in Florida.