Because the NHL is considered the greatest hockey league in the world, being granted a spot in this coveted league calls for players to make tough decisions. Many aspiring future NHL greats take whatever chances they need to make their dreams come true. This is where education becomes secondary to hockey, with players foregoing university in favour of junior hockey.
The best young stars are selected through the draft. The statistics greatly favour junior hockey programs. Collectively, all first-round draft picks from 2006 to 2009 showed there were 94 junior, 21 European, and three NCAA college players selected. Of all these athletes, over 78 per cent were products of the Canadian Hockey League and United States Hockey League. Unfortunately, this leaves college players at the bottom of the heap.
Looking at the current NHL rosters of all 30 teams, only 278 out of almost 800 players have a post-secondary education. Keeping in mind that not all players graduated or even finished a full year, 36.6 per cent of NHL players have, to some extent, a university or college education. But only 85 of the 278 hold a degree, meaning that just 10.8 per cent of the league’s current players truly invested in a post-secondary education.
Tyler Bozak was the most sought-after NCAA free agent this spring after his impressive two-season run with the University of Denver. Brian Burke, general manager of the Maple Leafs, picked him up along with two other shining NCAA stars, Christian Hanson and Viktor Stalberg. So far, all of the potential they have has been given to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
The statistics consistently show a break between university hockey and making it to the NHL. Every current player with a university education has spent between one to eight years in the AHL before entering the big club. This is common with draft picks, as they are sent back to their junior clubs to develop further, but the junior hockey clubs play at a different level than a league like the AHL.
There is immense competition in all the CHL leagues across Canada. There are 20 OHL teams, 18 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League teams, and 22 Western Hockey League teams. Combined, a 60-team league competes for the Memorial Cup, which is the Lord Stanley of junior hockey. This intense competition has to ready these players for the NHL better than the NCAA programs.
In no way are CHL players more talented than NCAA players in general, nor do players stop developing while playing in the NCAA. CHL games are frequently mentioned and broadcast through the Canadian media, giving the players a chance to experience a taste of being in the spotlight. They learn practical skills from situations that a university student does not experience, such as being surrounded by media or followed by rabid fans. University life isn’t about playing hockey—it’s about getting an education. To play on university teams, students are required to maintain certain grades, and cannot devote themselves entirely to the game. CHL can boast a lack of school pressures as an added advantage.
As the CHL keeps sending out its star players to the draft, those who worry about having a backup plan are quickly forgotten. The CHL has turned out superstars like Sidney Crosby, captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins and 2009 Stanley Cup champion. Toronto’s highest draft pick, Luke Schenn, played in the CHL for the Kelowna Rockets and cracked the Leafs lineup in his rookie year, impressing the Maple Leafs organization. Hockey’s greatest players, such as Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky, were also part of the CHL in their junior careers.
What would push someone to choose playing junior hockey in hopes of reaching the NHL over receiving a post-secondary education? The CHL strives to have the best coaches, trainers, and managers available. Its players have a schedule very similar to the NHL, as they play from the beginning of October until April, followed by playoffs. An athlete competing in the CHL might play more games in one season than a university student athlete will play in four seasons. Does this explain why the CHL is so successful at producing such highly skilled players?
An education is a very important thing to have, especially when chasing the dream of playing in the NHL. Does a more driven and committed player have the upper hand over an NCAA player who feels more content with a degree to fall back on? Arguably, yes. All this boils down to is taking a chance. In the minds of many athletes, you can choose to study whenever you want, but the NHL comes knocking only once. Ultimately, the opportunity to go back to school will always be there, but the NHL is only going to keep you on their radar for so long.
