Feature Story

Evaluating players for the next level

 

By Hal Tearse

Minnesota Hockey Coach-in-Chief

 

At the conclusion of recent high school game, two parents of players on the winning team were visibly unhappy. Their team had won 6-0 but their sons had not scored. One parent was complaining that his son had been moved off a top scoring line and as a result the boy was not getting points. The other was furious that his senior son, a top scorer on the team, had not even gotten an assist in the game.

The mistaken assumption by these parents is that getting points is the automatic ticket to the next level. Certainly scoring is important but there are so many more aspects involved in the evaluation and recruiting process of players.

College and junior team scouts watch players for several years and evaluate them on a wide range of factors all in an attempt to project the player’s abilities two, three or four years down the road. Here is some of the things junior, college and professional coaches look at.

 

• Emotional Stability: Does the player have a fairly level and consistent approach to the game? At a fall tournament in Chicago last November, a midget player took exception to comments from a spectator and yelled a few things to the obnoxious fan. The USHL scout I was standing next to said the player was one of the best kids in the 30 team event and then because of the player’s decision to get involved verbally with a spectator, placed a big red X across his name.

• Mental Toughness: Does a player remain calm and play with grit regardless of the situations? Can the player maintain a high level of play on a consistent basis?

• Physical Fitness: Is the player in shape? Can he/she play hard through out the game without suffering from fatigue?

• Team Player: Does the player share the puck or is he/she just focused on scoring goals and takes poor quality shots. Easy to spot these players. They usually score but at the expense of their teammates.

• Adult Living Habits: How does the player present him/her self? Are they high or low maintenance individuals?

• Use of Size: Do they effectively use their size to their advantage?

• Net Play: Are they good around the net?

• Aggressive and Tough: Some very good high school players that can score goals do not do well in traffic. They are perimeter players and will not succeed at the next level.

 • Competes One-on-One: How well does the player do in these competitive situations?

• Digs Puck Out: Can the player win the battles in the corners or on the wall and retain/regain possession?

• Comes to Play: Every day. Intensity.

• Headmans the Puck: This is about team play. We instead of me.

• Faceoffs: If a forward, how does the player compete in this important part of the game?

• Speed: Important.

 •Acceleration and Quickness: Important for winning the short races and creating time and space.

• Agility

• Balance

• Puck Control

• Pass and Play: Moving to open ice and supporting positions after a pass.

• Scoring: Capitalizing on opportunities. Does the player score in tight, low scoring games or mostly in the “big win” games?

• Hockey Sense: Does the player have rink sense and anticipation?

• Defensive Play: This is important for players that want to play after high school. The USHL and other junior leagues play defense first and offense second which is the opposite of most high school teams. Many good high school players have a very difficult time learning to play defensively in all three zones. 

• Focus: Can the player stay focused on the immediate task on hand?

 

All of these factors and more go into determining whether or not a player will have a chance to move on to the next level. Defensemen and goaltenders will have other skill- and position-based elements that will be evaluated. Certainly scoring for forwards is important but no more important than the other 22 items in the list above and a whole host of other factors not listed.

One element not listed is baggage. Some players come with more baggage than coaches are willing to deal with, regardless of the player’s ability. It may be life style issues, marginal academic performance, or personality and social issues. Parents can also be baggage. Overbearing “helicopter parents” at all levels do far more harm to their kids than good. 

Scouts also recognize when some players who are noted in the scoring stats are getting more ice time than players on teams who play more of their players on a regular basis. Additionally, the unequal levels of competition in youth and high school sports lure parents and players into thinking that their son/daughter will continue to be “scoring machines” after high school. The reality is that everybody is good in juniors and in college. The teams are deep with talent and scoring becomes more difficult each level up.

Many high-scoring high school players will not move on to the next level because they do not have enough of what it takes from the list of 23 above. Parents and players who agonize over their personal “points” each night are missing out on a great experience of being part of a team of friends, playing for their school and enjoying the ride. After high school, hockey is a job.

 

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