Re: College Hockey amps up war on Canadian major junior....
Yes, a lot of times it the players agreeing to be parked, in order to be with a preferred program.
One solution is to go back to the pre-1989 rule that a player loses a year of eligibility after age 20, not age 21.
That cuts one year of parking away.
And the junior programs should cut the limits on their older players; I think the USHL is doing that to cater to the NCAAs needs. Once 21 year old "overagers" are no longer welcome, the USHL reduces its limit, meaning the USHL gets younger.
The USHL is a different bird. They only allow 4 overage players and are without question, the youngest league tier one league out there. They focus more on kids who are going to get drafted(18 year olds) and high end D 1 types. As of today, the number has increased to 219 players. The vast majority of these kids get their deals while playing there.
February 17, 2010
(USHL Images)
USHL College Commitments Reach 200As of Friday, with the commitment made by Tri-City Storm forward Tyler Pistone to Army, the USHL reached a landmark number in its already storied history, as the 200th player in a single USHL season was offered the opportunity to play Division I NCAA hockey.
As a result – and with nearly two months of the season remaining – the USHL has seen nearly two-thirds of its current player base receive a college commitment, a mark unmatched in amateur sports. In so doing, the League continues to carry the banner for the uniquely American model of athletic development that USA Hockey, the NCAA, and the National Hockey League work so hard to support – the development of the world's best hockey players, and the creation of a direct pathway to the NHL and beyond through excellence in the classroom, the community, and the rink.
"All of us work hard at this," said Commissioner Skip Prince, "but no one works harder than the players themselves at fulfilling what we, and this approach to hockey, demand of them. It's a privilege for us to help great young players turn into better young men.
As the premiere source of talent for NCAA hockey, the number of collegiate coaches and scouts who routinely attend USHL games – right next to their NHL counterparts – continues to grow. "It's such a college-friendly league," commented University of Notre Dame assistant coach Andy Slaggert while attending the 2010 USHL All-Star Game in Indianapolis last month. "It is really a partnership with the League's coaches and general managers, as their goal is the same as ours - to get these kids college opportunities. Not just to Notre Dame, but to all of college hockey, the USHL is critical to Division I programs for development of players."
This season, USHL alumni will comprise approximately 30% of all Division I NCAA players hitting the ice on the college campuses across the nation. At the University of Nebraska at Omaha, 20 former USHL players make up the Mavericks' roster, the most League alumni on any team in NCAA hockey, and no less than 38 Division I schools have at least five USHL'ers on their squads.
"And by the way," added Prince "We're not through with our season yet. There will be more congratulations to offer, more scholarships extended to America's most talented hockey players."
