How Midget A and AA Players Can Play Junior Hockey
For more info:
http://www.juniorhockeytruth.com/aa-to-junior
A question coming up on my forum and YouTube comments is "
Can I still make junior if I don't play
AAA?"
In today's video, I'm going to answer just that very question.
You'll learn what you can do if you don't play AAA, and what other options are out there.
Jerome Iginla wasn't taken in the bantam draft, but he still scored
500 goals in the
NHL. Heck, yours truly made
Major Junior after not being drafted and then being dropped twice. It can be done.
Tier III in the
States is sort-of, kind-of like
Junior B in
Canada. If you don't want to do a prep school or there isn't AAA near you, Tier III could be a jumping
point to a higher level.
It's kind of unfair to lump all tier III as Junior B. Some tier III leagues have players ranked by
NHL Central Scouting, some get Div I schollies, and that is a lot more than can be said for most Junior B as
Canadians know it.
On the other hand, it's pay-to-play hockey, and some tier III leagues can't find enough players during the season. It's still developing. So, there is definitely an inefficiency in the tier III market that could present an opportunity for a
Midget AA player.
There are tons of tier III teams in the States, so do your research. It won't be the
USHL or
NAHL, but if you're still midget age it could be your ticket to moving up higher.
Junior B, aka the
Jungle, is interesting.
I've definitely seen some guys play Junior B and jump to
Junior A (or major junior) and develop faster because they were forced to play against older, stronger players. (Kind of like playing against better players in AAA.)
However, Junior B can be a wasteland in some provinces. Here is where Junior B/Tier III is good hockey:
For full article, click here: http://www.juniorhockeytruth.com/aa-to-junior