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Author: Ray Tenenbaum

Categories
Development Camp Youth Hockey

The Early Birth-Month Advantage in Hockey

This week, the USA Hockey NTDP released the names of the 45 2007’s invited to their evaluation camp. Over 50% of the players were born in the first 3 months of 2007.  Malcolm Gladwell talked about this hockey phenomenon in his book Outliers, where the earlier you are born in the calendar year, the more likely you are to be get selected to elite teams. This is due to the size and age advantage over players born later in the year. It is a self-reinforcing cycle from atom/squirt ages – despite hockey being a late-development sport. 15 years later, this bias still exists.

Categories
Player Development Skating Women's Hockey

What does it take to be a truly elite player?

The Player Development Hierarchy

In past posts, I have discussed what it takes to become a great hockey player.  To keep it simple, I would say that those posts describe the path to becoming a true AAA-level player.  At every age group, there are roughly 150-200 AAA level teams for boys and 75-100 AAA teams for girls across the US and Canada.  That means that means there are over 1000 great hockey players at every age level. 

So what does a player who is the best-of-the-best look like?

Over the past couple of years I have watched many of the top teams and players on both sides of the border and have come up with a simple framework on the hierarchy of attributes that these top players possess.

The following diagram shows how these attributes build on each other and, when done in combination, display a top-level of excellence in hockey players.

Level 1: Fundamental Skills

Hockey requires a range of fundamental skills, including skating (e.g. speed and agility), stickhandling, shooting and passing. These are the essential capabilities a player must have in order to get to the elite level.  Clearly, becoming elite at one of the skills helps get you closer to becoming an overall top-level player, but it isn’t sufficient.

Level 2:  Good Habits

There are several on-ice habits that hockey players need to develop and demonstrate on every shift.  These include technical behaviors like shoulder-checking and staying between the dots if you are a D.  Or sticking with your man or going hard to the net and stopping at the goalie if you are a forward. Quite frankly, for every position there is a long list of good habits a player needs to learn and continually maintain.  More broadly, here are some of the other good habits that separate the elite from the rest. 

  1. Hustle: Hockey is a fast-paced game that requires players to move quickly and efficiently. Players who hustle and work hard on the ice are more likely to make plays and create scoring opportunities for their team. Scouts notice which players hustle every shift versus those that take some shifts off during a game.
  2. Communication: In a game, players need to communicate with their teammates on the ice, using clear and concise language to call for passes, provide direction, and coordinate defensive strategies.
  3. Positioning:  Being in the right place at the right time is critical to elite players. Knowing where and when to move to the right areas of the ice separates top players from the rest of their peers.
  4. Anticipation: Anticipation is the ability to read the game and predict what will happen next. Players who are able to anticipate their opponents’ movements and read the play effectively are more likely to make plays and create scoring opportunities for their team.
  5. Discipline: Discipline is important in hockey, both in terms of  staying out of the penalty box and maintaining good habits on the ice.

By developing these good on-ice habits, hockey players can have a strong foundation to play at the elite level.

Level 3: Decision Making

To become an elite player, decision making is a critical skill that must be constantly developed and honed.  Specifically, decision making spans multiple dimensions and situation for players:

  1. Reading the Play: Hockey players must be able to read the play and make decisions based on what they see on the ice. This involves being aware of the positions of teammates and opponents, predicting where the puck will go, and anticipating the movements of other players.
  2. Puck Management: Puck management is an essential aspect of decision making in hockey. Players must decide when to shoot, pass, or carry the puck, and must be able to make those decisions quickly and confidently.
  3. Positioning: Good positioning is key to making effective decisions in hockey. Players must be able to position themselves in a way that maximizes their effectiveness and allows them to make quick decisions based on the flow of the game.
  4. Communication: Effective communication is essential for good decision making in hockey. Players must be able to communicate quickly and clearly with their teammates, both on and off the ice, to ensure that everyone is on the same page and can make decisions based on a shared understanding of the game.
  5. Adaptability: Finally, hockey players must be adaptable and able to make decisions in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. They must be able to react quickly to changes in the game and adjust their decisions accordingly, often on the fly.

Level 4: Deception and Protection

Deception and puck protection are important skills for ice hockey players to develop in order to create scoring opportunities and maintain possession of the puck.  In my experience, it is the highest order of development to display, because it relies on all the other attributes for players to be able to successfully perform them during games. 

  1. Deception: Deception is the act of misleading or confusing an opponent in order to gain an advantage. Players can use deception in a variety of ways, such as faking a shot, passing in the opposite direction, or changing direction suddenly. To develop deception skills, players should focus on maintaining good body posture and making quick, decisive movements to keep opponents guessing. There is a long list of fakes, but knowing which one to pick at the right moment is a skill in itself.
  2. Puck Protection: Puck protection is the ability to maintain possession of the puck while being checked by an opponent. To protect the puck effectively, players should keep their body between the puck and the opponent, use their body to shield the puck (e.g. mohawks or pivot turns), and maintain good balance and body position. They can also use quick fakes and sudden changes of direction to throw off the opponent’s timing.
  3. Reading the Defense: To be effective at deception and puck protection, players should be able to read the defense and anticipate their opponent’s movements. They should look for gaps in the defense, predict where the opponent is likely to go, and adjust their movements accordingly.

Deception and protection can be high risk, especially if they aren’t executed properly. If players attempt a fake or fancy puck protection move and fail, it can easily end up in the back of your net and you can be stapled to the bench by your coach. This is why players who can successfully perform these moves are considered elite.

It is certainly possible to demonstrate parts of these four attributes independently of the other, but to be a high end AAA player, these capabilities create synergies with each other when performed consistently together.  

Categories
Coaching Player Development Youth Hockey

Does your Player Have an In-season Personal Development Plan?

You can’t depend solely on your team coach to make you a better hockey player. There, I said it.

In my experience, I haven’t seen any team coaches work with individual players to create personal development plans. Typically, I’ve seen pre-season and mid-season reviews which discuss overall player development. And I’ve seen coaches ask players to put together a list what they need to work on. But after that, it is usually up to the player to get better at those items themselves.

During the season, almost all coaches focus on team concepts like breakouts, special teams (power play and penalty kill), defensive positioning etc. They also spend time in practice on basic skill development like passing, skating, board battles and game situations like 2-on-1s.

In reality, team coaches don’t have a lot of time in practice to work on the individual, unique needs of each player.  Of course, there is always the coach who spends extra time with one or two ‘special’ players on a team and gives them more attention. But, on average, you can’t expect a team coach to be responsible for working on your player’s highest priority development needs.

To get better as a hockey player you need to be working throughout the season on the areas in your game that will have the biggest impact on your overall improvement and success.

So if you’re team coach isn’t working directly with you or your player on a personal development plan, how do you develop one?

In a previous post, I described that I am a big believer in Darryl Belfry’s methodology of tracking high frequency events and success/failure rates to prioritize what a player should work on. After a series of 3 or 4 games, you should be able to look at the video and see which areas of your game you are repeatedly under-performing. From this analysis, you should be able to prioritize 3-5 skills or attributes that you need to work on.  This is your personal development plan.

The next step is to figure out how to get better at those areas.  Of course this will depend on what your specific needs are – but it could be anything from working on skating or shooting the puck to positioning on the ice.  Some might be easy fixes and others might take months to work on to gain the required proficiency.  The key is to find someone or somehow to help you get better and to work on those areas between games. This is easier said than done, because figuring out the right person to help or how to help yourself may take some effort.

I have had many parents complain to me that their kid’s coach isn’t helping them get better at the areas that the player really needs help on.  My response is that I have learned not to expect any team coach to make my kids better. Most youth team coaches don’t have the time or interest in going that deep with every player on a team. If the team coach does do it, that’s a bonus and an indication of a high-level coach who “gets it” – but in reality they are rare to find.

Key Takeaway: You can’t only expect team coaches to make you a better player, you need to be responsible for you own development.

Categories
College Hockey Recruiting Girls Hockey Women's College Hockey Women's Hockey

The Current State of Recruiting for DI Women’s College Hockey Defense

This is the Third and Final Post detailing the current opportunities for potential female Hockey recruits at DI Schools

In our previous posts we reviewed the status of goaltender recruits at all the DI women’s hockey programs and a similar post for the forward position.

As a reminder, the research compiled all the roster information for players from current DI women’s hockey team websites and combined them with the latest public women’s college hockey commitment data to help determine where spots have been filled and which schools may still be looking for players to start in the 2023 and 2024 school years.

Keep in mind, due to Covid, players who started playing in 2018 or 2019 were given an extra year of eligibility. In addition, 12 schools (all the Ivys, most of NEWHA plus Union and RPI) did not play in 2020-21 – so their 2018 or 2019 players can still be on their rosters for another season or two.

Finally, many of these extra-year players have the option to either stop playing after their 4th year of playing, transfer & play one more year elsewhere or stay-and-play for a 5th year at their current school. This makes predicting which teams would be looking for freshmen goalies in 2023 and 2024 tough, since many schools might prefer an experienced transfer student. It is very possible that even the coaching staffs for these schools may not know for sure what their student-athletes will do.

Here is the analysis which tries to shed light on where defenders are committed and current players are getting to the end of their college careers (by year).

DI Womens Hockey DEfense By Grad Year & Class

The following (ugly looking) table shows the number of D by class year on their current roster and their anticipated graduation year. Then the currently publicly known number of D commits by start year is also provided.

Note: Gray teams did not play in 2020-21 and thus have players with an extra year of eligibility even though they are currently listed as a Jr or Sr.

Players that are designated as 0.5 F and 0.5D if they are listed as both positions on their team’s website.

If you are a 2023 or 2024 D, the above table may help guide you to certain teams that may still be looking for defenders.

A few observations and notes:

  • If there are ~340 D positions, then usually ~85 D should be recruited every year.
  • It looks like ~15 D spots have shifted from 2023/24 to 2025. So ~15 less spots will be available for 2023/24 grads combined (~155 spots)
  • Average D players on a team is ~8, but there are 4 teams with 10 or more D that will likely not replace 1 or 2 of those slots
  • It appears as though many of the 2023 Defense spots are already taken but there is likely still another ~15 spots available across a handful of schools.
  • If you are a 2024 grad, many spots still appear to be open. However, 2025 looks like it will have more openings than usual, so you could also consider taking a Post Grad year (~100 for 2025 vs ~70 for 2024).

If you had a different experience or have additional thoughts or questions, feel free to reach out on social media or here to share your thoughts or experience.

Categories
College Hockey Recruiting Women's College Hockey Women's Hockey Youth Hockey

Creating Player Videos: Where to Post Your Recruiting Highlight Reels

This is the fifth and final post in a series on creating player videos college coaches want to see from potential recruits.

#1 How to Create Player Videos for Recruiting
#2 What Are The 3 Types of Recruiting Videos Coaches Want to See?
#3 Sourcing Game Footage For Highlight Reels
#4 How to Edit Video for Recruiting Highlight Reels

This is the last post on creating recruiting videos and it focuses on where to upload your video to share with coaches.

There are two types of situations to share videos with coaches.  The first, is directly one-to-one with a specific  coach and the second is one-to-many.

Video Analytics

Ideally, in both situations your want to post the video in a manner where you can track some metrics about your video. This could include various attributes like who has watched you video, how many times the video has been watched. In addition, you might also be able to track location, how long users watched the video and where the user came from prior to watching your video (e.g. search, email, social media etc.)

YouTube

The easiest method to upload a video to share is using YouTube.  A public YouTube video lets your video be found via search engines and within YouTube and you can easily track views and additional measurements about your video.  You can also upload the same or personalized videos for specific coaches or schools separately to track viewership by team.  In most situations, YouTube offers all of these hosting services for free.

Vimeo

Another similar service is Vimeo which offers both free and paid options depending on which capabilities you might want for hosting , tracking and possibly editing capabilities.

Social Media Platforms

Many student-athletes also use social media platforms, such as, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram, to share their recruiting videos. This allows coaches to view the videos at their convenience and share them with other members of their coaching staff.

You can also store video files in a private folder in the cloud using Google Drive, Dropbox or Box and share links to those files with specific teams or individuals.  Once again, using trackable links and privacy controls, you can control and specify who has access to you files and check if coaches have watched the videos.

Other Channels

It’s important to note that college coaches and recruiters may also use other resources to evaluate prospective student-athletes, such as game film, scouting services, and in-person evaluations. Therefore, it’s important for student-athletes to showcase their skills and abilities through multiple channels to increase their visibility to college coaches.

Team Website

One last category is the host the video on the same site where you publish you online hockey resume.  It can be on your team site, using a recruiting service or on your Champs App profile page. Currently Champs App only allows YouTube video links, but in the future you will be able to store your videos directly on your profile page then share and track who has watched you videos.

Feel free to share your method of hosting your highlight videos – please send us your preferred method and we can add them to this post. 

Categories
College Hockey Recruiting Development Camp Girl's Showcase Girls Hockey

2023 Girls Hockey Event Calendar

2023 Girls Hockey Event Calendar

Here is a list of 2023 Girls Hockey Tournaments, Showcases, Development Camps and Summer Camps.

This is a partial list. Feel free to submit a new event using our Feedback Form

OrganizationEventDatesLocationCityAges
College Hockey ShowcasesSpring Break ShowcaseApril 10-16, 2023Fort Meyers, FL2005-2011 Birth Years
College Hockey ShowcasesSt. Louis ShowcaseAugust 4-6, 2023Centene Community Ice ArenaSt Louis, MO2004-2010 Birth Years
College Hockey ShowcasesRocky Mountain ShowcaseJune 16th-18th, 2023South Suburban Recreation ComplexDenver, CO2005-2011 Birth Years
College Hockey ShowcasesSweden Girls High Performance CampJuly 17-28, 2023Nyköpings Arenor RosvallaNyköping, Sweden2003-2010 Birth Years
College Hockey ShowcasesBoise Breakaway ShowcaseDecember 15th-17th, 2023Boise, Idaho2006-2010 Birth Years
NAHANAHA COLLEGE SHOWCASEAugust 4-6, 2023Boston Sports InstituteWellesley, MA2024, '25, '26, '27 Grad Years
NCD CampsGIRLS NCDC COLLEGE DEVELOPMENT CAMPJuly 31 - August 2, 2023New England Sports CenterMarlborough, MA2024, '25, '26, '27 Grad Years
Premier Ice ProspectsHockey Hall of Fame Future LegendsApril 27 - 30, 2023Toronto, ON2011 Birth Years
Premier Ice ProspectsPIPs American DreamMay 5-7, 2023American DreamEast Rutherford, NJ2009 - 2012 Birth Years
Premier Ice ProspectsPremier Prep ProspectsMay 11-14, 2023The Edge Sports CenterBoston, MA2008-2011 Birth Years
Premier Ice ProspectsPremier Prospects BostonMay 12-14, 2023The Edge Sports CenterBoston, MA2008-2009 Birth Years
Premier Ice ProspectsTop ProspectsMay 19 - 21, 2023Hertz ArenaFort Meyers, FL2009 - 2013 Birth Year
Premier Ice ProspectsWestern Prospects CampJune 2-4, 2023Kraken Community IceplexSeattle, WA2006-2012 Birth Years
Premier Ice Prospects585 PIP ShowcaseJune 16-19, 2023IceplexRochester, NY2006-2012 Birth Years
Premier Ice ProspectsPIPs TournamentJune 23 - 25, 2023IceplexRochester, NY2009 - 2012 Birth Years Tier I (AAA)
Premier Ice ProspectsGIRLS ELITE PROSPECTS CAMPJune 25-29, 2023IceplexRochester, NY2010 - 2012 Birth Years
Premier Ice Prospects14U PROSPECTS CAMPJune 25-29, 2023IceplexRochester, NY2008 Birth Years
Premier Ice ProspectsPROSPECTS GOALIE CAMPJune 25-29, 2023IceplexRochester, NY2007 - 2012 Birth Years
Premier Ice ProspectsPREMIER PROSPECTS COMBINEJuly 6-9, 2023UPMC Sports ComplexCranberry, PA2009 - 2012 Birth Years
Premier Ice ProspectsSOUTHERN PROSPECTS CAMPJuly 20-23, 2023Carolina Ice PalaceNorth Charleston, SC2011 - 2014 Birth Years
Premier Ice Prospects617 PIP SHOWCASE - BOSTON HARBOR STYLEJuly 26-27, 2023The Edge Sports CenterBedford, MA2024, '25, '26 Grad Years
Premier Ice Prospects480 SHOWCASE - DESERT STYLEAugust 3-6, 2023Mullett ArenaTempe, AZ2006 - 2008 Birth Years
Premier Ice ProspectsSOUTHWEST PROSPECTSAugust 4-6, 2023Mullett ArenaTempe, AZ2009 - 2012 Birth Year
Premier Ice Prospects615 PIP SHOWCASE - MUSIC CITY STYLEAugust 10-13, 2023Predators' Ford Ice CenterBellevue, TN2009 - 2010 Birth Years
Premier Ice ProspectsNIAGARA FALLS PROPSPECTS CAMPAugust 2023Gale Centre ArenaNiagara Falls, ON2006 - 2010 Birth Years
Premier Ice ProspectsMrs. Hockey® InviteJanuary 12 - 15, 2024Ft Lauderdale, FL12U Girls - Tier 1 & Tier 2
Premier Ice ProspectsFort Laudy Daudy ShowcaseJanuary 12 - 14, 2024Ft Lauderdale, FL19U through 14U Tier 1
Premier Ice ProspectsGreat Lakes Girls FestFebruary 2-4, 2024Detroit, MI19U through 10U Tier II
Premier Ice ProspectsMotor City Girls FestFebruary 2-4, 2024Detroit, MI19U through 10U Tier I
Premier Ice ProspectsPIPs RochesterJune 23-25 2023Rochester, NY2009 thru 2012 Birth Years Tier I (AAA)
Premier Ice ProspectsLabor Day Girls FestSeptember 1-3 2023Pittsburgh, PA14U, 16U/17U and 19U Tier I (AAA)/Canadian AA
Premier Ice ProspectsFrieda Falcon Girls FestSeptember 8 - 10, 2023Slater Family Ice ArenaBowling Green, OH12U USA Tier I / CAN A
Premier Ice ProspectsCapital Cup Girls FestOctober 7-9, 2023Northern VA19U through 10U Tier II
Premier Ice ProspectsRoc City Girls FestOctober 27-29, 2023Rochester, NY19U through 10U
Premier Ice ProspectsRoc City Girls FestNovember 3-5, 2023Rochester, NY19U through 10U Tier I (AAA), Tier II (AA), Tier III (A)
Premier Ice ProspectsBurgh Thanksgiving Girls FestNovember 24-26, 2023Pittsburgh, PA19U through 10U Tier I (AAA), Tier II (AA), Tier III (A)
Premier Ice ProspectsSmashville Girls FestNovember 24-26, 2023Nashville, TN19U through 10U Tier I (AAA), Tier II (AA), Tier III (A)
Premier Ice ProspectsErie White Out WeekendDecember 8-10, 2023Erie, PA12U and 10U Tier I (AAA), Tier II (AA)
RUSH HockeyFlorida RUSHJanuary 13-16, 2023Palm Beach Skate ZoneWest Palm Beach, FLGirls Tier 1/Tier 2 (12U, 14U, 16U, 19U)
RUSH HockeyRush Spring Showcase (Florida)April 21-23, 2023Palm Beach Skate ZoneWest Palm Beach, FL2024, '25, '26, '27, '28 Grad Years
RUSH HockeyConnecticut RushJune 9-11, 2023Northford Ice PavilionNorthford, CT2009 - 2011 Birth Years
RUSH HockeyRush College ShowcaseJune 22-25, 2023CAA Centre BramptonBrampton, ON2006 - 2009 Birth Years
RUSH HockeyRUSH RISING STARS PRE-COLLEGE SHOWCASEJune 15-18, 2023CAA Centre BramptonBrampton, ON2010 and 2011 Birth Years
RUSH HockeyRUSH ATOMIC CHALLENGEJune 15-18, 2023CAA Centre BramptonBrampton, ON2012 and 2013 Birth Years
RUSH HockeyRUSH Hockey High PerformanceAugust 4-6, 2023CAA Centre BramptonBrampton, ONU11 - U22 AA
RUSH HockeyBEANTOWN CLASSICJuly 21-23, 2023New England Sports CenterMarlborough, MA2009 - 2013 Birth Years, College / Super Series
RUSH HockeyBEANTOWN CLASSICJuly 28-30, 2023New England Sports CenterMarlborough, MAU19, 2008
RUSH HockeyBUFFALO RUSH HOCKEY INFERNOTBDBuffalo, NYGirls Tier 1/Tier 2 (10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, 19U)
RUSH HockeyPHILADELPHIA RUSHTBDPhiladelphia, PAGirls Tier 1/Tier 2 (10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, 19U)
RUSH HockeyNEW ENGLAND RUSHTBDBoston, NAGirls Tier 1/Tier 2 (12U, 14U, 16U, 19U)
RUSH HockeyNORTH HALTON RUSHTBDNorth Halton, ONU11-U18 AA/A/BB/B
RUSH HockeyTWO NATIONS COLLEGE PREP SERIESTBDBrampton, ON & Detroit, MI19U through 12U Tier 1; U13-U21 AA
Showcase Hockey2023 Minnesota Meltdown AAA TournamentApril 21-23, 2023MinnesotaGirls AAA (10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, 19U)
Showcase Hockey2023 Independent ClassicMay 19-21, 2023MinnesotaGirls AAA (8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, 19U)
Showcase Hockey2023 AAA Summer ShowdownJune 09-11, 2023MinnesotaGirls AAA (10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, 19U)
Showcase Hockey2023 International CupAugust 4-6, 2023MinnesotaGirls AAA (10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, 19U)
Showcase Hockey2023 Easton AAA Cup TournamentAugust 18-20, 2023MinnesotaGirls AAA (10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, 19U)
Showcase Hockey2023 Summer FinaleAugust 25-27, 2023MinnesotaGirls AAA (8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, 19U)
Showcase Hockey2023 Warrior Cup AAASeptember 8-10, 2023MinnesotaGirls AAA (10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, 19U)
200x85 TournamentsCCM MLK GirlsJan 14-16, 2023Massachusetts12U - 19U AAA/AA
200x85 TournamentsCCM CHI-TOWN SHUFFLEApril 21-23, 2023Chicago, ILGirls Tier 1/Tier 2 (12U, 14U, 16U, 19U)
200x85 TournamentsCCM GIRLS WORLD INVITE DETROITNovember 10-12, 2023Detroit, MITier 1 – G12U, G14U, G16U, G19U
200x85 TournamentsCCM GIRLS WINDY CITY ELITE – CHICAGODecember 1-3, 2023Chicago, ILTier 1 – G12U, G14U, G16U, G19U
200x85 TournamentsCCM Girls 68 (14U)August 10-13, 2023Chicago, IL2009 Birthyear
The National Girls Hockey LeagueNGHL NCAA Exposure Camp in York, PAMay 19-21, 2023York, PA2004 - 2010 Birth Years
The National Girls Hockey LeagueNGHL NCAA Exposure Camp in Newington, CTJune 10-11, 2023Newington, CT2004 - 2010 Birth Years
The National Girls Hockey LeagueDawg Days of Summer - RedAugust 25-27, 2023Northford, CT12U-19U
The National Girls Hockey LeagueDawg Days of Summer - FuturesAugust 25-27, 2023Newington, CT12U
The National Girls Hockey LeagueLabor Day Challenge - BlueSeptember 2-4, 2023Cromwell, CT12U-19U
The National Girls Hockey LeagueLabor Day Challenge - FuturesSeptember 2-4, 2023Cromwell, CT12U
The National Girls Hockey LeagueFall Classic - RedOctober 7-9, 2023Syracuse, NY14U-19U
The National Girls Hockey LeagueFall Classic - FuturesOctober 7-9, 2023Buffalo, NY10U & 12U
The National Girls Hockey LeagueNGHL MichiganNovember 17-19, 2023Ann Arbor, MI14U - 19U Tier 1
The National Girls Hockey LeagueMile High Invitational - BlueNovember 26-29, 2023Denver, CO12U-19U
The National Girls Hockey LeagueMLK Winter Classic - BlueJanuary 13-15, 2024 Haverhill, MA12U, 14U, 16U, and 19U
The National Girls Hockey LeagueMLK Winter Classic - RedJanuary 13-15, 2024 Philadelphia, PA14-19U Tier 1
The National Girls Hockey LeagueRed Division ChampsionshipFebruary 2-4, 2024Rockland, MA14-19U Tier 1
North American Premier Women's ShowcaseNorth American Premier Women's Showcase College DivisionJune 23-25th, 2023Merrimack College Athletics ComplexNorth Andover, MABirth Years 2005-2009 (PG's also Allowed)
JWHLChallenge Cup 2023February 17-20, 2023Rockville/Arlington, VA14U, 16U, 19U
North American Female Elite ShowcaseThe Orion Top ProspectsJune 15-18, 2023Blaine, MN2006 - 2011 Birth Years
Pony Tail Tournament Pony Tail Tournament March 17-19, 2023Baltimore, MDU10, U12A, U12B, U14A, U14B, U16A, U16B, U19
The Rose SeriesCowgirl ShootoutApril 20-23 2023Nashville, TN2011 Birth Years
The Rose SeriesLow Country ClassicMay 11-14, 2023Charleston, SC2010 Birth Year
The Rose SeriesThe Battle at the BeachJuly 6-9, 2023Fort Meyers, FL2009 Birth Year
The Rose SeriesQueens of VegasJuly 11-14, 2023Las Vegas, NV2012 Birth Years
The Rose SeriesOC Freeze OutJuly 13-16, 2023Anaheim, CA2013 Birth Year
The Rose SeriesWar for the RosesJuly 10-15, 2023Edmonton, Alberta2010 Birth Year
USA HockeyUSA Hockey Girls 15's Player Development CampJuly 10-15, 2023Miami University Oxford, Ohio2008 Birth Year
USA HockeyUSA Hockey Girls 16/17's Player Development CampJune 24-30, 2023Miami University Oxford, Ohio2006 & 2007 Birth Year
USA HockeyUSA Hockey Girls Under 18 Player Development CampJuly 16-22, 2023Miami University Oxford, Ohio2006, 2007, 2008 Birth Year
USA Hockey2023 Women's National FestivalAugust 7-12, 2023TBD
Colgate UniversityCOLGATE EXPOSURE CAMPS Session 1July 17-19, 2023Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY2004-2009 Birth Years
Colgate UniversityCOLGATE EXPOSURE CAMPS Session 2July 19-21, 2023Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY2004-2009 Birth Years
OS HockeyPROSPECTS/FUTURES WEEKEND 1 CampJune 2-4, 2023Bloomington Ice GardensMinneapolis, MN
OS HockeyPROSPECTS/FUTURES WEEKEND 2 CampJuly 21-23, 2023Braemar ArenaMInneapolis, MN
OS Hockey2023 OS SPRING FESTIVALMarch 16th-19th, 2023Braemar ArenaMInneapolis, MN
OS Hockey2023 WHITECAPS CUP (HS)MInneapolis, MNHigh School
OS Hockey2023 TRADITION CUPAugust 4th-6th, 2023Braemar ArenaMInneapolis, MNCollege Level
OS Hockey2023 OS SHOOTOUTAugust 10th-13th, 2023Bloomington Ice Garden and Braemar Ice ArenaMInneapolis, MNU8-U19
Girls Elite Hockey2023 TRADITION NITOctober 20-22, 2023Blaine, MNU16 and U19
University of Wisconsin13 and Under CampJune 26-30, 2023LaBahn ArenaMadison, WI13 and under
University of WisconsinHigh School Elite CampAugust 7-10, 2023LaBahn ArenaMadison, WIHigh School
Princeton UniversityGIRLS ICE HOCKEY ELITE CAMPJuly 7-9, 2023Baker RinkPrinceton, NJEntering grades 10-12
Princeton UniversityGIRLS ICE HOCKEY EXPOSURE ID CAMPJuly 10-12, 2023Baker RinkPrinceton, NJEntering grades 7-9
Merrimack CollegeMerrimack Womens Ice Hockey ClinicsAugust 18, 2023Lawler ArenaNorth Andover, MAEntering grades 9-12
RinkSportRinkSport College Development Camp June 17-22, 2023 Babson CollegeBoston, MA2027 High School graduates or earlier
Pre-Prep ShowcasePre-Prep ShowcaseAugust 3rd-6th, 2023New England Sports CenterMarlborough, MABirth Years: 2008, 2009 & 2010
Ohio State UniversityYOUTH CAMPJUNE 19-22, 2023OSU Ice RinkColumbus, OHU8/U10 and U12 age level
Ohio State UniversityELITE DAY CAMPJuly 15, 2023OSU Ice RinkColumbus, OHGrad Years: 2025-2027
Ohio State UniversityHIGH SCHOOL ELITE CAMPSJUNE 22-23 AND JULY 8-9OSU Ice RinkColumbus, OHGrad Years: 2025-2027
University of Maine U16/19 High School Girls' Hockey CampJuly 25-28, 2023University of MaineOrono, MEGrades 8-12
University of Maine U8/U10/U12 Girls' Hockey Day CampJuly 25-28, 2023University of MaineOrono, MEU8/U10/U12 Skaters
University of Maine Women's Prospect ClinicMonday, July 31 - Tuesday, August 1, 2023University of MaineOrono, MEGrades 8-12
Brown UniversityBROWN WOMEN’S HOCKEY ELITE SUMMER CAMPJuly 31 - Aug 2, 2023Brown UniversityProvidence, RIHigh school students entering grades 9-12. Therefore, 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027 high school graduates.
Mercyhurst UniversityDIVISION I WOMEN'S HOCKEY ELITE CAMPJuly 31, 2023Mercyhurst UniversityErie, PA2005 to 2008 birth year
Colgate University2023 COLGATE EXPOSURE CAMP | PRE-CAMP GOALIE'S ONLYJuly 14-16, 2023Colgate UniversityHamilton, NYGoalies Only. All Female players born between 2004-2009
Colgate University2023 COLGATE EXPOSURE CAMP | SESSION 1July 17-19, 2023Colgate UniversityHamilton, NYAll Female players born between 2004-2009
Colgate University2023 COLGATE EXPOSURE CAMP | SESSION 2July 19-21, 2023Colgate UniversityHamilton, NYAll Female players born between 2004-2009
College of the Holy CrossHoly Cross Women's Ice Hockey ClinicsAug 29-30, 2023Hart CenterWorcester, MA14-19 Years Old
St Anselm CollegeJuly 17-19, 2023Sullivan ArenaBedford, NH
Clarkson UniversityClarkson Golden Knight Women's Hockey Prospect Camp 2023Jul 21-22, 2023Cheel Campus Center and ArenaPotsdam, NY2006-2009 Birth Years
St Cloud State UniversitySt. Cloud State Women's Hockey CampsAugust 14th - 17thHerb Brooks National Hockey CenterSt. Cloud, MinnesotaAges 6-16
Quinnipiac UniversityQuinnipiac Women's Ice Hockey Girls Camp July 10th-14th, 2023M&T Bank ArenaHamden, ConnAges: 6-13
Quinnipiac UniversityQuinnipiac Women's Ice Hockey Girls Elite ClinicJuly 27th, 2023M&T Bank ArenaHamden, ConnAges: rising 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th grade
University of MinnesotaMINNESOTA GIRLS HOCKEY CAMPSJune 12-14, 2023Mariucci ArenaMinneapolis, MN10U &12U Camp
University of MinnesotaMINNESOTA GIRLS HOCKEY CAMPSJune 15-16, 2023Mariucci ArenaMinneapolis, MNExposure Camp (ages 13,14)
University of MinnesotaMINNESOTA GIRLS HOCKEY CAMPSJune 19-21 and 21-23, 2023Mariucci ArenaMinneapolis, MN​​High School/ Varsity Camp #1 & #2
University of Minnesota DuluthMinnesota Duluth High School Elite CampJuly 26-28, 2023Amsoil ArenaDuluth, MNAny and all high school girls (grad years 2025-2028) are invited
College Development ShowcaseGirls CampJune 25-27, 2023Ice DenHooksett, NHPlayers with birth years 2003-2008
Boston CollegeMaroon and Gold Women’s CombineAugust 14-16, 2023Conte ForumChestnut Hill, MA2009-2010-2011 players
National Sports CenterAll American Girls Hockey TournamentNovember 9-12, 2023NSC-Super Rink (Blaine)Blaine, MNGirls U10A,B U12A,B U15A
Youth Hockey Hub2023 DANGLEFESTDecember 28 - 31, 2023NSC-Super Rink (Blaine)Blaine, MNGirls U10A, U10B, U12A, U12B, U15A, & U15B
Categories
College Hockey Recruiting Women's College Hockey Women's Hockey Youth Hockey

Creating Player Videos: How to Edit Video for Recruiting Highlight Reels

This is the fourth post in a series on creating player videos college coaches want to see from potential recruits.

#1 How to Create Player Videos for Recruiting
#2 What Are The 3 Types of Recruiting Videos Coaches Want to See?
#3 Sourcing Game Footage For Highlight Reels
#5 Where to Post Your Recruiting Highlight Reels

This post is not about creating professional hockey videos for teams or coaches.  Nor is it intended to help with analytics or stat tracking like Hudl or Instat. Instead it is simply just to help players and parents make simple highlight videos college coaches want to see from potential recruits.  As a result, we will only cover basic tools to help edit and produce these types of videos to the exclusion of fancy stat software packages used for more sophisticated needs.

There are dozens of premium hockey-specific video editing tools out there. This post does not cover in any of them. Feel free to do an online search if you want to find some of the top names in this category. Instead, we will only discuss the common general purpose video editing tools that are most popular and relatively simple to use.

There are also many, many service providers who will be happy to make professional looking videos for you for a fee. Nothing wrong with hiring someone to make your video, but with a little effort, you can save yourself a lot of money.

Candidly, I have used very basic tools to help edit video and create graphics.  I’ve never paid for any additional software beyond what I already use either at home or at work.  There are many parents (and definitely most players) who have better media-making skills than I do.  But what matters is delivering presentable videos that meet the needs of coaches.

As for editing tools, there are many free programs and several movie editing tools which are relatively low cost. All  of them are pretty easy to use once you’ve gone up the learning curve on your first couple of videos. . These software packages include iMovie, Final Cut, Adobe, Windows Movie Maker and Microsoft Video Editor. And these days there are many browser-based video editing tools as well.

You can make your own graphics using common graphical editing and presentation tools like Keynote, Adobe, Powerpoint and Google Slides.  There are also good, either free or very inexpensive graphical design offerings like Canva and stock image sites.

What to include in all your videos

  1. An intro graphic which provides the basic information about the player. Ideally it includes most of the following:
    • Profile pic
    • Birthday
    • Height
    • Graduation Year
    • Current Team
    • Position
    • Jersey #
    • Current Coach
    • Contact Info (optional)
  2. During each clip/scene use some type of graphic (e.g. circle, arrow etc.) to identify the player
  3. Informational Graphics

Another common element I’ve seen in highlight video (not full games) is some type of on-screen graphic which communicates to the viewer what type of highlight they are about to see. It could be anything from a goal or assist, to a good defensive play or fancy pass.  If there are specific critical attributes of a player’s game that you want to emphasize, explicitly calling them out on-screen beforehand can be helpful.

Should you include music? 

That is a personal choice. Many coaches have told me they’d prefer not to listen to a soundtrack with the video, but they can always mute the sound of any video if they don’t want to hear it.

I am sure I am missing some additional editing tools and other methods of cutting video, so please feel free to send us your methods and we can add them to this post. 

Categories
College Hockey Recruiting Women's College Hockey Women's Hockey

Q4 2022 DI Women’s College Hockey Commitment Rate Update

This is an update to a previous post from September, 2022 on “Q3 2022 DI Women’s College Hockey Commitment Rate Update”.

DI Women’s Hockey Commitment Rate by Months Prior to College

2023 Commits

2023 commits are tracking at about 18% less than the last two years (34 less commitments). Due to 5th year eligibility, red-shirting and grad transfers this is consistent with our recent analysis on forwards and goalies. It appears as though many of the 2023 Forward spots are already taken but there is likely still another 20-30 spots available across a handful of schools.

2024 Commits

The 2024 commits are slightly behind the 2023 commitment rate as of December, 2022 by about 12% (64 2024’s vs 73 2023’s).

It looks like ~25 F spots have shifted from 2023/24 to 2025. So ~25 less forward spots will be available for 2023/24 grads combined.

2025 Commits

The first couple of commits for 2025 have been announced. Both are for the forward position and are Canadian players who are 2006 birth years, but will only start in 2025.

Goalies

There are 14 2023 commits and 8 2024 commits that have been publicly announced. In a “normal” year there should be about 33 freshman goalies per year (44 teams x 3 goalies per team / 4 years). As mentioned above, the extra year of eligibility or red-shirting has provided a glut of goalies already at the NCAA level who are filling spots that would normally be filled by the incoming classes.

Data assumptions:

  1. Data commitment dates – source: collegecommitments.com and Champs App analysis
  2. Transfers between DI programs are not included in the number of commits
  3. Total number of publicly announced commitments for 2021 was 215 and for 2022 it was 214
Categories
College Hockey Recruiting Women's College Hockey Women's Hockey Youth Hockey

Creating Player Videos: Sourcing Game Footage For Highlight Reels

This is the third post in a series on creating player videos college coaches want to see from potential recruits.

#1 How to Create Player Videos for Recruiting
#2 What Are The 3 Types of Recruiting Videos Coaches Want to See? – Champs App
#4 How to Edit Video for Recruiting Highlight Reels
#5 Where to Post Your Recruiting Highlight Reels

Now that you decided you want to create videos for your player the first step is to get raw game footage you can use to create the three different types of highlight reels coaches want to see.

Live Streaming Services

In both the US and Canada, LiveBarn is the most popular hockey streaming service.  What is great about LiveBarn is that you can easily download either 30 second clips or full games.  While sometimes the quality isn’t great or the camera is sometimes  not focused on the  puck,  in general it is one of the most consistent sources of footage that you can use.

The second most popular game streaming available is from HockeyTV.  Depending on the event and/or rink, the service has a very good browsing capability to find specific games and navigating within games.  The big drawback for HockeyTV is that you need to pay an extra  fee to download specific games – which makes it expensive to use for editing full games.  My trick is to just use my phone’s camera to record specific highlights from of the HockeyTV screen.

Additional Streaming Services

There are also other hockey streaming services available in specific regions or events. For example, in Minnesota there are rink-specific  feeds that you can pay to watch games. And there is also the GameOn streaming service in Canada that is available for major events and specific rinks.  Once again, the fees vary either by one-time access to events (e.g. tournament or showcase) or subscriptions.

Recoding Games Yourself (or by someone on your team)

At almost every rink, you will find at least one parent with either an iPad or video camera on a tripod recording or streaming a game.  The quality is usually very good and as long as they camera person pays attention the entire game, there is usually some great footage.

In addition, I consistently see at least one parent along the glass takes out their phone every time their kid is on the ice and start the recording their shifts.

One more method is to use GoPro cameras. This is my personal favorite source of game footage  as a supplement to LiveBarn.  It is especially good for goalies.  While you only need one camera and you can decide which end is more appropriate to record based on your player and period,  I like to use two cameras at both ends of the rink behind the goalies.  The only challenge with using GoPros is that it is a lot of work.  Beyond shelling out ~$200 or more for a camera, memory card and necessary accessories to stick it to the glass, you also need to make sure you have enough power to last the entire game.  This can be through charging the in-camera batteries or connecting an external battery pack.  And remembering to charge the batteries and empty the memory cards before/after games is another chore. However, the payoff is that the quality of the video for offensive plays and goalie footage is about as good as it gets. I can’t tell you how many goalies (and their parents) have asked me to send them video of their end when they know that I recorded their game.

OTHER FOOTAGE SOURCES

Sometimes a game or a highlight is available from some third party that I have seen on social media or know about from our team chat.

Many games are live broadcast or posted to YouTube either by the opposing team or a tournament/showcase organizer (e.g. NAHA Winterhawks games and more).  You may be able to find game footage just by doing a search on YouTube.  If you have a premium YouTube subscription you can download videos with your account. There are also “free” websites to download YouTube videos, but since many of the sites are filled with suspicious ads and potential malware, I won’t link to any of them here. I would just suggest you use caution when using one of these services.

Twitch, Facebook Live,  Livestream or Other Personal  Live Broadcasting  Services

Similar to YouTube, many parents live stream games using their personal social media accounts. I have used footage from Faceboook Live and SeasonCast . You may not be able to download the full game video, but you can use your phone to capture short highlights.

Social Media

Every once in a while I will find a short  highlight I want to use on Twitter or Instagram.  Usually someone else posted a great play from an angle or a shot that is better than what I have on my footage, so I find a way to capture or download it.

One more trick I use is a screen recording software (sometimes I use Screencast – but you can also just use Zoom to record your screen) to capture and download video from a 3rd party source that is not available for easy download.

I am sure I am missing some additional sources of footage and other methods of capturing game video, so please feel free to send us your methods and we can add them to this post. 

Categories
College Hockey Recruiting Girls Hockey Women's College Hockey Women's Hockey

The Current State of Recruiting for DI Women’s College Hockey Forwards

This is the second Post diving into detail on the current opportunities for potential female Hockey recruits at DI Schools

Updated January 21, 2023

We received a tremendous amount of positive feedback on our last post about the status of goaltender recruits at all the DI women’s hockey programs. As a result, we are publishing a similar post for the forward position.

As a reminder, the research compiled all the roster information for players from current DI women’s hockey team websites and combined them with the latest public women’s college hockey commitment data to help determine where spots have been filled and which schools may still be looking for players to start in the 2023 and 2024 school years.

Keep in mind, due to Covid, players who started playing in 2018 or 2019 were given an extra year of eligibility. In addition, 12 schools (all the Ivys, most of NEWHA plus Union and RPI) did not play in 2020-21 – so their 2018 or 2019 players can still be on their rosters for another season or two.

Finally, many of these extra-year players have the option to either stop playing after their 4th year of playing, transfer & play one more year elsewhere or stay-and-play for a 5th year at their current school. This makes predicting which teams would be looking for freshmen goalies in 2023 and 2024 tough, since many schools might prefer an experienced transfer student. It is very possible that even the coaching staffs for these schools may not know for sure what their student-athletes will do.

Here is the analysis which tries to shed light on where forwards are committed and current players are getting to the end of their college careers (by year).

DI Womens Hockey FOWARDS By Grad Year & Class

The following (ugly looking) table shows the number of forwards by class year on their current roster and their anticipated graduation year. Then the currently publicly known number of forward commits by start year is also provided.

Note: Gray teams did not play in 2020-21 and thus have players with an extra year of eligibility even though they are currently listed as a Jr or Sr.

Players that are designated as 0.5 F and 0.5D if they are listed as both positions on their team’s website.

If you are a 2023 or 2024 forward, the above table may help guide you to certain teams that may still be looking for skaters.

A few observations and notes:

  • If there are ~600 F positions, then usually ~150 F should be recruited every year.
  • It looks like ~25 F spots have shifted from 2023/24 to 2025. So ~25 less spots will be available for 2023/24 grads combined (~275 spots)
  • The average number of F per team is 14 players. But there are 9 teams with 16 or more Fs (likely due to Covid) which means at least 1 or 2 of those players will not be replaced on those teams.
  • It appears as though many of the 2023 Forward spots are already taken but there is likely still another 20-30 spots available across a handful of schools.
  • If you are a 2024 grad, you might also consider taking a Post Grad year and plan to start in 2025 when it seems there will be a lot more openings (~175 for 2025 vs ~130 for 2024).

The Current State of Recruiting for DI Women’s College Hockey Defense

If you had a different experience or have additional thoughts or questions, feel free to reach out on social media or here to share your thoughts or experience.

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