Playing Major Junior vs. NCAA/CIS

Should my son play in a Major Junior League (WHL, OHL, QMJHL) or at the NCAA Level?

The WHL is the quickest route to playing professional hockey. That being said, playing in the league causes a player to lose his amateur status and eligibility to play in the NCAA. In recent years the league has made efforts to counter this loss of educational opportunity by offering one full year of tuition, textbooks and compulsory fees for each season players play in the WHL. In addition, a player still maintains his eligibility to play for a Canadian University Hockey Program. This decision is player specific and should be evaluated on a risk vs reward strategy, influenced by factors such as the player’s skill level, opportunity, age, life goals, and personal characteristics. Scotty McWilliam, former NHL Central Scout offers another set of evaluation based on his 10 years of experience with the NHL CSS.

Life is unpredictable, but planning can limit the effects of unpredictable events. There is a large portion of the population who go about their lives with goals in mind, but never achieve them; these goals are mostly never planned, therefore making it hard for those goals to be achieved in their lifetime. The strategy of life planning limits unpredictability and increases your chance of achieving your goals, not just today, but the rest of your life. Through the strategy of life planning, CKM is able to increase the chances of achieving your goals. The employment of this strategy is what separates you and enables you to surpass your competition.

In British Columbia, no matter the sport, only the top 10% in each field have the athletic ability to compete at a NCAA Division 1 level, yet only 1% explore the option and investigate the opportunity of attaining a scholarship. Therefore, just by exploring the option, you put yourself ahead of 99% of the competition. Through planning and development CKM will insure your competitive advantage. There is one variable that is essential to the success of a plan, and that is, time. The ideal time frame for attaining a NCAA Scholarship is 3 years, from September of grade 10 to September of first year of University. Not to say the goal cannot be achieved in a shorter time, but 3 years gives enough time to insure that you obtain a scholarship. But, the scholarship route is not meant for everyone, so it is important to evaluate what makes sense for you! CKM is a strong believer that it is never too late to turn your life around or change direction. The time that passes between age 16 and 23 is the key; this time period is the most influential time in your life, and the choices you make generally set your life track. There are many leagues in North America alone that enable players to play professionally, not to mention all of the professional leagues in Europe. From there players may transfer leagues, even up to the NHL,  or transfer into a role in hockey management. While life is unpredictable, CKM believes this strategy is very important to provide clients with the best window for success.