When Did You Decide to Choose A School?

What were you doing at 14 and 15 years old? I was in eighth grade (14) about to become a freshman in high school. Was college on my mind? It was the furthest thing away from my mind. The semi-formal was more important to me at the time; college didn’t even enter the picture until my junior year. Did I know what I wanted to do when I enter college? Of course, I wanted to be a sports journalist/broadcaster. Why am I bringing up my lousy life from the past? Well because highly touted young hockey players are making the decision where they want to play college hockey at 14/15 years old. They haven’t took their SAT’s yet and I don’t think they know what the SAT’s are to begin with.

Jack Johnson a defenseman was the first major player to make a commitment at the age of 14. He made the commitment to Michigan University. He spent two years there before signing with the Los Angeles Kings last year after his sophomore season was done. Jon Merill another defenseman committed to Michigan on October 10^th, 2006. He was also 14 but younger then Johnson. His freshman year will be in the fall of 2010. Luke Moffatt and Jared Knight also are committed to Michigan for the fall of 2010. North Dakota got a verbal commitment from Garrett Clarke this week and won’t be there until 2010. Maine has gotten in the act too; New Brunswick defenseman Kevin Gagne who will be in Orono in the fall of 2010. Earlier this week Maine got a verbal commitment from Stuart Higgins who will also be attending in the fall of 2010. You can see all the commitments here.

The funny thing about all these players committing this early, the college coaches can’t contact potential recruits until they are juniors in high school. Recruits can contact the coaches and make unofficial visits whenever. The coaches can’t mention them coming to the school until they sign a Letter of Intent their junior year.

How did this come to be an accepted practice? Well in some cases, committing to a college is a back up plan. Yes that’s right a back up plan. When these kids turn 16 they are eligible for the major junior draft. What is Major Junior hockey? It’s the top development system in Canada. It’s called the Canadian Hockey League and the CHL has three leagues. The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League, and the Western Hockey League make up the CHL.

An example is current Edmonton Oiler Sam Gagner. He committed to the University of Wisconsin for this season on 1/11/06. He was drafted by the London Knights in the 4^th round of the 2005 OHL Midget Draft. The 2005-2006 season he played for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League the top junior league in the United States that allows players to keep their NCAA Eligibility. Once you play in major junior hockey you lose your NCAA Eligibility. Last year he was with the London Knights along with another highly touted prospect Patrick Kane who’s with the Chicago Blackhawks this season. They were both drafted in the 2007 Entry Draft

Other players use the college hockey recruiting process to play for a better major junior team. Some players play the NCAA Card. What do I mean by playing the “NCAA Card”? When a player says he wants to go the college route so he can basically can choose which major junior team he wants to play for. For example, Angelo Esposito now a Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick. In 2005, he was the top rated player for the QMJHL draft but fell to the Quebec Ramparts who had the 11th pick. The Ramparts are owned and coached by Hall of Fame Goaltender Patrick Roy. Esposito said all along he was going the NCAA route until Roy selected him. He didn’t make a college commitment. Rumor has it Roy offered him 500,000 dollars to play for the Ramparts. Why don't teams call the Ramparts and the Knights out you ask? Every team has done it or will do it sometime. Plus the leagues don’t want to lose these players to college hockey.

What will Jon Merrill and company do this spring for their Midget draft? Well Merrill is the 2^nd best available player for the OHL Draft according to the ISS Scouting Service. Luke Moffatt has been drafted by the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL because they draft players at 15. Kevin Gagne and Garrett Clarke could both go in the 1^st round of the QMJHL draft.

That’s the world of college hockey recruiting. It’s kind of disturbing that these kids are making choices at such a young age. What can you do though? Now I am just waiting to see Max Gerlach the nine year old star to make his college choice. You probably have seen him on Sportscenter with this shot.

That’s My Take

Nathan Fournier

(Nathan also is a writer for MVN.com. He's the writer for the Asylum which covers the Lewiston Maineiacs of the QMJHL. He's also a regular contributor to the NHL Source also at MVN.com. He can be reached at fbbhgfan@aol.com)