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2024 2025 College Hockey Recruiting Men's College Hockey Women's College Hockey

The NCAA’s New Scholarship Model: A Double-Edged Sword for Women’s Ice Hockey

As part of a recent settlement agreement, the NCAA will be expanding scholarships across all sports, replacing previous scholarship restrictions with roster size limits. This new structure option will take effect in the 2025-26 academic year, coinciding with another significant change: the sharing of revenue with student-athletes.

Old Model: 18 Flexible Scholarships

Under the current model, Division I ice hockey teams can offer up to 18 scholarships, which can be divided among as many players as the coaching staff sees fit. There is no limit on the number of roster spots, allowing teams to carry an unlimited number of non-scholarship players.

New Model: 26 Fixed Scholarships

The new option presents a different approach: teams must roster exactly 26 players, each of whom will receive a full scholarship. No partial scholarships are allowed, and teams are required to maintain 26 players throughout the entire season. If revenue-sharing dollars are available, they would be distributed among these players.

The Dilemma for Men’s and Women’s Hockey

For men’s ice hockey, where the average roster size last season was around 30 players due to frequent injuries, limiting the roster to 26 spots could be problematic. Teams may find it difficult to maintain a full squad throughout a grueling season.

On the women’s side, the new structure might offer more scholarships than necessary. Last season, Division I women’s teams averaged about 25 players, a number slightly inflated by graduate students taking advantage of a fifth year of Covid eligibility. Most coaches suggest their ideal roster size is between 24 and 25 players, including three goalies. Typically, teams only need 20-22 skaters and two goalies for the season unless a significant number of injuries occur.

Key Considerations

1. Financial Viability: Many programs, especially in women’s ice hockey, may struggle to afford 26 scholarships. Women’s hockey is not a revenue-generating sport for most schools, and increasing scholarships from 18 to 26 could significantly raise operational costs.

    2. Top Programs’ Advantage: Schools with large athletic budgets, like Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, are most likely to consider adopting the new scholarship model. These programs benefit from substantial revenue streams from TV deals and their football and basketball programs.

    3. Optimal Roster Size: Most women’s teams only require 22-24 players, making the new 26-player requirement potentially excessive. Even last season’s national champions, Ohio State, had just 24 players, while runner-up Wisconsin primarily utilized 22 players.

    4. Playing Time Concerns: Elite players might opt for programs where they are more likely to play, rather than sitting in the stands as the 24th, 25th, or 26th player on a top team. This trend has already been observed with the current transfer portal, and it may intensify under the new scholarship model.

    5. Impact on Ivy League and Smaller Programs: Ivy League schools, which do not offer athletic scholarships, and other programs unable to afford 26 scholarships, could find it increasingly difficult to compete for top talent. This could further widen the gap between the elite and less-funded programs in women’s hockey

    The Road Ahead

    While the new scholarship model has the potential to increase opportunities for women’s ice hockey players, the actual impact will depend on how many schools can and will adopt it. The coming months will reveal which programs opt for the expanded scholarships and how this change will shape the future of collegiate women’s hockey.

    Learn More on CHAMPS+

    CHAMPS+ Subscribers can watch former DI coach, Harry Rosenholtz from College Hockey Showcases discuss the new scholarship rules during the August CHAMPS+ Webinar:

    Categories
    2024 College Hockey Recruiting Girl's Showcase Girls Hockey Women's College Hockey

    Labor Day Weekend Tournaments: How Important are they for Recruiting?

    Labor Day weekend tournaments can be a bit of a conundrum for aspiring women’s college hockey players. On one hand, these events, such as the PIP Labor Day Girls Fest and the NAHA Labor Day Tournament, attract dozens of college scouts. On the other hand, these are often the first games of the season for many teams, so there are bound to be mistakes as players adjust to new teammates and systems.

    So, how should a prospective college student-athlete approach this first weekend of hockey from a recruiting standpoint?

    The answer depends on where you are in the recruiting process.

    If You’re a 2027 High School Grad or Later

    If you’re a 2027 grad or younger, the pressure is relatively low. While you’ll certainly be scouted during this first weekend, most Division I schools will also attend two or three additional high-profile events in September and October. These include the Stoney Creek Showcases, the RUSH Hockey Two Nations College Prep Series and the popular Minnesota Girls Elite NIT Tradition Tournament.

    If you’re a DI-caliber player, as long as you perform reasonably well over Labor Day weekend, you’ll have multiple opportunities to showcase your skills at an even higher level in these future events. For example, if you’re a goalie and your team’s defensive structure isn’t quite solid yet, causing you to let in a few goals, don’t stress too much. Coaches understand that early-season games come with challenges, and there’s no need to be overly concerned about hitting peak performance in your first tournament.

    If You’re a 2025 or 2026 Grad

    For 2025 and 2026 grads still looking to secure a college spot, the stakes are higher. Many 2026 players were contacted after June 15th but haven’t received offers yet; they’ve started conversations with schools and have been told by coaches that they’ll be watched “in the Fall.” Well, these are the games where you’ll be closely evaluated.

    If you’re already in talks with some teams, or at least contacting schools with open spots, this could be one of your last chances to make a strong impression. Scouts will expect uncommitted players to have worked hard over the summer and to be ready to prove they’re capable of playing at the DI level. The margin for error is smaller for players in this group, so it’s important to demonstrate that you’re ready to take the next step in the recruiting process.

    Additionally, be prepared to see many DI coaches that have already made offers to players to be talking to them in the lobby. After games, DI coaches will find their potential recruits and their parents to connect. Many times they will leave the rink together to go out for a meal. Don’t be discouraged if you aren’t approached by a DI coach, many times they have their own agenda at these events – sometimes it is scouting, sometimes it is just to close players with existing offers.

    The Bottom Line

    In any situation, you always want to be playing at your best. If you’re on track to play DI hockey, it’s unlikely that anything that happens this weekend will drastically change your trajectory. At worst, you’ll remain on a team’s radar, but some areas for development might be noted. However, if you’re already in discussions with schools and they’re trying to decide whether to make you an offer, there’s definitely pressure to perform. You need to show that you can be a top player at a tournament against strong competition, even this early in the season.

    Ultimately, Labor Day weekend is an important milestone in the recruiting process, but it’s just one of many opportunities to prove yourself. Play hard, stay focused, and remember that this is just the beginning of the season.

    To learn more about Planning for the 2024-25 Season, attend our CHAMPS+ Recruiting Webinar with Harry Rosenholtz from College Hockey Showcases – Thursday, August 22nd at 8 pm ET (5 pm PT). Free for CHAMPS+ Subscribers.

    Categories
    Champs Girls Hockey Women's College Hockey Women's Hockey

    Introducing CHAMPS+

    LOGIN to Champs APP to Tour CHAMPs+

    Introducing CHAMPS+! A new way for Champs to be your recruiting and development copilot!  If you are new to the women’s college recruiting process, you can check out our age-specific playbooks for girls at the 12U, 14U, 16U and 19U age groups that provide a guide to figuring out a path to playing women’s college hockey. Explore the Champs+ Articles, Videos and Events Directory now!

    Categories
    2024 Player Development

    Maximizing Late-Summer Training: Five High-ROI Activities for Hockey Players

    As we approach the end of July, players should be shifting their focus to preparing for the start of the new hockey season. How should players get the most development during their last few weeks of training?

    When high-end players are asked how they became so good at hockey, many share stories about playing hockey all day at the municipal outdoor rink or in their backyard. You always hear about playing after school or on weekends until their parents called them home for dinner. These development paths might make sense in Minnesota or Canada, but it is hard to replicate them today in many parts of North America where outdoor rinks either don’t exist or no longer get as cold in the winter. As someone who grew up in a cold-weather climate but now lives in California, I’ve asked myself if there is a way to replicate many of the aspects of “pond hockey” development.

    One of the concepts I used to shape my mindset on this topic is based on a magazine ad I saw many years ago which was endorsed by Tony Robbins. His philosophy is “How do you get the greatest result with the least amount of time or energy?” Tony refers to the ROM Quick Gym as the ‘torture machine’ – which is only a 4-minute workout but provides maximum results. So I have always tried to find ways to apply these principles to hockey with my kids since access to ice time is challenging where we live.

    As a result, here are five player development activities that have had the highest return on investment (ROI) for our kids:

    1. Hiring a Great Skills Coach

       Nothing compares to a highly skilled expert teaching a player new skills. Being able to transfer insights about all the nuances of different situations combined with delivering feedback and adjustments in a productive manner can have immediate results. Unfortunately, there aren’t that many coaches who can perform at that level. Most coaches have players just running drills and giving tips that are helpful but don’t move the needle on improving a player’s in-game execution. Over the past few years, I have seen many kids of former pro players become very good hockey players. Beyond just having good genes, having someone who is an expert teach their kid the fine details of the game is certainly an advantage. Finding a coach who can provide timely, experience-based advice is invaluable.

    2. Video Analysis

       There is no better tool to learn from than watching exactly how a player performed in an actual game. Being able to analyze video footage as a way to improve is the best way for a player to see exactly how they behave in specific situations. This is why every pro and college team uses video with their players. The simplest concept to figure out how to use video is to find high-frequency, high-failure rate activities. Specifically, what does a player do most often and fail to execute? This allows a player to prioritize what to focus on in their training. Once again, this is a high ROI activity that should immediately raise the level of play for a player who can correct these failure activities.

    RHA Hockey Academy · Game Situations & Battles | 10-13's group

    3. Recreate Exact Game Situations When Practicing

       There are many drills and practice plans that work on skills and simulate decision-making for a game. But in my experience, being able to practice executing a skill in essentially the exact conditions of a game is invaluable. Whether it is puck retrievals, stick handling in traffic, or shooting under pressure – being able to practice in nearly identical game environments is best. The hardest part of a game is to execute or make decisions under pressure and unpredictable opponents. A player who has practiced in that exact situation is more likely to execute successfully.

    Strength Training for 14U-16U Hockey Players

    4. Strength and Conditioning

       This is probably pretty obvious, but I am amazed at how many youth players do not take their off-ice training as seriously as their on-ice training. It is one of the few areas that a player has complete control over and a direct correlation to on-ice performance. An easy example is a player who is not in great cardio shape will be slower on the ice as a shift or game goes on. So, if you are an average-speed skater to begin with, you will appear to be below-average once fatigue sets in. Similarly, if you are easy to bump off the puck, that will show up as a turnover and spending more time chasing to get the puck back instead of being offensive. Physical training is a high ROI activity and becomes very noticeable when you don’t make that investment.

    5. Skating Lessons

       I have never regretted a single skating lesson my kids have taken. My kids have been lucky to work with skating instructors who work with top pro and NHL players. Every college coach will tell you how important skating is in the modern game of hockey. It is one of the first skills that a player is evaluated on. Continuing to invest in improving a player’s stride, agility, and efficiency will ensure that there will not be a ceiling on their hockey potential. Hopefully, these five different methods to get the most out of your hockey time and money investments provide some insights on where to focus. They can be somewhat obvious, but these recommendations are certainly better than “shooting 1,000 pucks in the backyard” or going to one more summer showcase when it comes to getting the best value for hockey development.

    Hopefully, these five different methods to get the most out of your hockey time and money investments provide some insights on where to focus. They can be somewhat obvious, but these recommendations are certainly better than “shooting 1,000 pucks in the backyard” or going to one more summer showcase when it comes to getting the best value for hockey development.

    Categories
    2025 Development Camp Girls Hockey Player Development Women's College Hockey Women's Hockey

    Insights on Preparing for the USA Hockey Girls 15’s and 16/17’s Camps

    I have paid close attention to the USA Hockey development camps for the last 3 years and written quite a few posts on the subject.  As the USA Hockey Girls 16/17’s Camp kicks off this week and the 15’s Camp starts next week, I thought I would put together some information and links that might be helpful to players who might be going for the first time.

    Expectations for Development Camp

    By now, all players have been training to prepare for their week of development camp.  Some parts are more important than others.  After you arrive, you are being evaluated by all the coaches, all the time.  At the same time, unless you show careless disregard for others or basic unprofessional behavior, basic interactions with coaches won’t make much of a difference.  Focus on having fun and learning and not just trying to butter up to the coaches. 

    Off-ice testing has little to no impact on your evaluation. The only way it may impact you is if you are significantly above or below the standards for your age group.  Even at the NHL level, little correlation has been found between combine testing results and performance. The only commonly accepted metric is that some of the vertical and horizontal jumping measurements can be connected to on-ice speed.  But that is just one contributing attribute in the making of a professional hockey player.

    “Based on just results, the combine has little to no bearing on how successful a player will be in the NHL or elsewhere.”

    How you play in the games is the most important element in how you will be evaluated. Do the best you can with your on-ice performance.

    Another item to keep in mind, is that many of the coaches working the camp definitely have dual objectives. Of course they want to be involved in USA Hockey and have their personal coaching development agenda – at the same time, many recruiting relationships are formed at these events that continue on after the camp.  It is quite common to hear how the recruiting journey of a player started when they met their future college coach at one of these events.

    For 15’s Camp Players:

    The Girls 15’s Camp is the first introduction for most players to the USA Hockey National Development Camp process. I wrote about attending the camp as a parent back in 2021:

    What I learned attending the 2021 USA Hockey 15’s Girl’s Development Camp Part I

    What I learned attending the USA Hockey 15s Girls Development Camp Part II

    What I learned attending the USA Hockey 15s Girls Development Camp Part III

    Unfortunately, there is no way to make the 18’s camp from the 15’s camp.  If you didn’t make the 18’s camp straight from District Camp, then you will need to wait to next year to be considered again for 18’s no matter how well you perform at the 15’s camp. The only exception might be for a goaltender – but that is highly unusual.

    Secondly, keep in mind there is about a 60% chance a player for the 15’s camp does not get invited back next year to either the 16/17’s or 18’s camp.  It’s just how the numbers work as you get older. So don’t take anything for granted and appreciate the time in Oxford, Ohio – because this might be your only USA Hockey National Camp you attend.

    Make no mistake, you are being scouted by college coaches at this event.  I had a DI coach tell me that they identified a 2024 recruit at the 15’s camp. This player was on a lower ranked AAA team that did not get much exposure, but their performance at the camp got the player on the schools radar for the coming season.

    For 16/17’s Camp Players:

    Last year I documented the event as it was going on:

    A Few Thoughts After the First Two Days of the 2023 USA Hockey Girls 16/17 Development Camp

    More Thoughts on the 2023 USA Hockey 16/17 Girls Development Camp

    As I’ve commented in the past, the process is not perfect.  In my opinion, there is not enough data-driven elements included in the evaluation of players. I have seen players with lots of points in the games get passed over for selection, and I’ve seen players with few (or no) points get moved on.  There is also clearly a bias to offensive oriented defenders over stay-at-home ‘defense-first’ players.  

    These two analyses provide a good perspective on the level of play needed to be selected to move on to the 18’s Camp. 

    Analyzing the USA Hockey Girls 16/17 Camp Defense Selections for the U18 Camp

    Analyzing the USA Hockey Girls 16/17 Camp Forward Selections for the U18 Camp

    My apologies to goalies, but I don’t have the background to evaluate the goalie selections, other than to look at the online stats such as GAA and Save %.  But I would not trust those statistics, because the folks recording those numbers are not professional statisticians.

    There are many attributes that factor into players being selected to advance, but also recognize that the relationship with your coaches and how much they ‘like’ you can play a role. I know of a couple of examples where relationships seemed to have either helped or hurt players being chosen.

    Also, keep in mind there were 6 players from last year’s 18’s Camp back competing at the 16/17s Camp.  Those players had to have been pretty good to even have been selected last year – so there is going to be a lot of competition to be one of the few players selected to move on to the 18’s camp. 

    From a recruiting perspective, almost every DI school and many DIII school will make an appearance during the week. Some will prefer to come for the early few days when players are still fresh and the quality of hockey is highest. Other coaches will arrive late in the week when they can watch the last day or two and then stick around for the 15’s camp.

    Before You Go – Let College Coaches Know you’ll be at the USA Hockey Development Camp

    If you still have not yet committed to a college team, take the opportunity to let the coaches at the schools you are interested in know you’ll be there.  Make sure to update (or create) your free, beautiful Champs App hockey profile.  Then use the Champs App Messaging Tool, to save time and ensure accuracy when sending coaches your hockey profile, team information and game schedule for the week.

    Categories
    2024 Champ of the day Champs Minor Hockey Youth Hockey

    Today’s Champ of The Day: Justin Bieber

    July 11, 2024

    Today’s Champ of the Day is Justin Bieber.

    Check out Justin Bieber’s Hockey Player Profile here. 

    Justin was a forward with the Stratford Warriors Pee Wee team that was the A/E Tournament Champions in Ingersoll, Ontario back in 2006.  Most recently he was a captain at the 2024 NHL All-Star game in Toronto.  

      Create your own free, beautiful hockey player profile here.

    Want to be a Champ of the Day? Submit your Champs App profile!

    Categories
    2024 Coaching Player Development Women's Hockey Youth Hockey

    Summer Hockey Camps – Skills vs. Drills vs. Tips

    Over the past decade, my children have attended at least one hockey camp each summer. From a hockey perspective, very few of these camps significantly advanced their development. However, the true value of these camps often lay beyond mere skill improvement. These camps often coincided with family vacations, provided fun experiences, helped them regain hockey shape after a break, or offered a glimpse into a college’s environment. It’s rarely worth traveling solely for a hockey camp unless there are other compelling reasons to visit the destination.

    Tips: Necessary but Not Sufficient

    At most camps my children have attended, coaches tend to focus on running various drills as a means to enhance players’ abilities. There is nothing inherently wrong with emphasizing skating, stickhandling, and shooting drills. Repetitions and fundamental work can be beneficial, especially for younger players (e.g., 12 and under). However, these camps typically involve large groups, with everyone undergoing the same repetitions. Individual coaching usually consists of sporadic tips and tricks as coaches move among the campers. While tips and drills are valuable, they rarely constitute comprehensive skill instruction. The USA Hockey Development Camps epitomize this approach—featuring excellent coaches who primarily offer pointers and tweaks over the course of several days.

    This is why, for the past few summers, I have preferred enrolling my children in local private or semi-private lessons with experts rather than traveling for hockey camps. I would rather invest in trusted coaches who can provide individualized attention and feedback.

    Belfry Summer Camp

    This summer, I decided to take a chance on a camp that promised to focus on skill development. A few weeks ago, my son attended a destination hockey camp that yielded the highest return on investment (ROI) from a development perspective. The Darryl Belfry Camp distinguished itself from other camps because the coaching staff was dedicated to adding new tools to the players’ toolkits.

    The camp had 22 skaters and 2 goalies, with 7 coaches on the ice, many using iPads to record segments of the sessions. Players spent 3 hours on the ice each day, accompanied by a daily 30-minute video review with Q&A and a 1-hour professional gym workout. Notably, there was not a single whistle used during on-ice sessions. Coaches explained and demonstrated drills using their voices without yelling. Each day had a specific skill theme that built on the previous day’s lessons, ensuring that by the end of the week, players had acquired a suite of new skills applicable to game situations. Examples of these skills included making area passes, various types of steals, and explosive skating with and without the puck.

    One of my favorite aspects of Darryl Belfry’s coaching is his commitment to keeping the nets in their standard positions for drills. Even in small-area games, he simply shrinks the offensive zone but keeps the nets in place. This ‘ice geography’ approach teaches players to be acutely aware of their location relative to key markers like the faceoff dot and the boards.

    My hope was that my son would learn 5 or 6 new skills by the end of the week. He ended up acquiring 8 or 9 new skills, ranging from hook passes to reading the position of the defense on zone entries. This represented a significant ROI for 4 days of training, with each new tool directly applicable to game situations. The personalized feedback report, complete with links to short YouTube videos of my son demonstrating the week’s skills, was particularly valuable. I have been a big advocate of providing feedback to players after attending a camp, but feedback is only as good as the effort put into it. In this case, the detailed feedback, supplemented by video, was especially appreciated.

    Setting Expectations

    In conclusion, it is crucial to set realistic expectations when choosing a summer hockey camp. If a coach claims, “We will be on the ice for 15 hours this week; your child will definitely improve,” take that with a grain of salt. While this might be effective for younger children, merely repeating the same bad habits does not make a player better. There are few coaches who can both manage a large camp and teach new skills simultaneously; they need to have a background in coaching and a commitment to continuous improvement. Otherwise, ensure that your other priorities are met and view the camp as an opportunity for your child to enjoy being on the ice and having fun.

    Categories
    Women's Hockey

    How Hard is it to get Drafted to the NHL?

    This past weekend our family was very interested in the NHL Draft, because both my kids have played against, practiced with or know several of the draft-eligible players. What was surprising to me was the number of exceptional players we are familiar with who did not end up getting drafted. Specifically, there were several players who did not get selected that were seen as ‘special’ for several years and almost all of them are committed to play DI college hockey – most of them at top schools.

    However, knowing that there were only 225 players selected in the 2024 NHL Draft, I wondered how many of the players selected were American?  From there, the math started to kick-in and it helped me realize just how difficult it is to get drafted to the NHL – even in the 6th or 7th round.

    Here is how the players selected in the draft breaks out by country:

    2024 NHl Draft Picks by Country

    Then, when looking at just the American players, you see that by their draft year, almost all the players are playing at the USHL level or higher.  Those who aren’t playing USHL or better this past season, surely will by this fall.

    2024 NHL American Draft Picks By Level

    Odds of Being Drafted

    Now let’s estimate how many players were eligible in the U.S. to be drafted.  If we look at the number of teams for a single birth year, this year’s draft class was playing 15O hockey during the 2021-22 season. That year there were 113 15O AAA teams according to MyHockeyRankings.To make the math simple,  let’s assume most of the Minnesota High School and New England Prep School players also played on a 15O AAA Club team.  Therefore there were about 113 x 20 = 2250 players who played AAA or better who were eligible to be drafted this year in the U.S.  But only 39 or 1.7% were drafted.  Another way to look at it is, that less than 2 full rosters of players ended up being drafted this year.  And if you didn’t make the US NTDP team, your chances dropped by ~40% (when you include NTDP alumnni playing elsewhere this past season). 

    There is Still a Chance

    Another interesting piece of data I learned recently is where NHL players were drafted by round. No surprise that the most players drafted were in the 1st and 2nd round. But what was surprising is that there were more undrafted players in the NHL than 3rd round selections. 

    Bottom line, it is very hard to get drafted. Even harder to make the NHL. But if you didn’t get drafted, there is still hope to make it as an undrafted player.

    Categories
    2024 Coaching College Hockey Recruiting NCAA DI Commits Women's College Hockey Women's Hockey

    Women’s DI Hockey Head Coaching Changes – Implications on Recruiting

    (Updated June 29, 2024)

    Since the end of this past season, at the NCAA DI women’s hockey level, there have been nine head coaching changes, along with the announcement of Allison Coomey as the first Head Coach at Delaware.

    SchoolOld CoachNew Coach
    AssumptionJack SweeneyJoe Grossman
    Bemidji StateJim ScanlanAmber Frykland
    ColgateGreg FargoStefan Decosse
    DartmouthLiz Keady NortonMaura Crowell
    DelawareN/AAllison Coomey
    Minnesota-DuluthMaura CrowellLaura Schuler
    Minnesota StateJohn HarringtonShari Dickerman
    PostGretchen SilvermanPat Bingham
    St Michael’sChris DonovanMeghan Sweezey
    UnionJosh ScibaTBD

    Coaching changes can occur for various reasons—positive, neutral, or negative. These may include retirement (e.g., Bemidji State, Minnesota State), a coach moving on to a new opportunity (e.g., Colgate, UMD), or a coach’s contract not being renewed due to on-ice performance or program dynamics. Often, it may be a combination of these reasons. When there is a change at the top, it can have multiple implications for potential recruits, current commits, and existing players.

    Potential Scenarios from a Recruiting Perspective

    1. Status Quo – A planned succession process is in place. Generally, the same principles or cultural philosophies will be maintained with minimal changes, aside from the new coach adding their personal touch to the team.
    2. New Sheriff in Town – The new head coach brings in their own assistants, changing the entire leadership of the coaching staff.
    3. Best of Both Worlds – A hybrid approach that combines the best of the old with new ideas and personnel.

    Impact on Potential Recruits

    If you are a player interested in a school undergoing a head coaching change, you could be directly affected. You might have built a relationship with the previous coaching staff over several years at showcases or camps, which influenced your interest in the school. With a new coach, you may need to establish new relationships and reassess your interest.

    For players from the Class of 2026 who are now eligible to speak with the school, conversations might be delayed or paused due to the transition. Currently, there are a few top schools without head coaches (e.g., Colgate, Minnesota Duluth, Union), and it’s unlikely that players will commit until a new head coach is appointed.

    Additionally, a “New Sheriff in Town” head coach may have their own list of potential recruits, which could exclude you. Thus, having backup options is advisable.

    Impact on Incoming Recruits

    Data from recent years suggests that most of the time, incoming and future commits remain unaffected by a new head coach; both the coaching staff and the recruits stay committed to each other. However, there have been instances where a new head coach implements a different recruiting strategy, resulting in commits being told they no longer have a spot. Depending on the situation, a de-committed player may have limited options for the 2024 or 2025 seasons.

    Conversely, NCAA rules allow players to de-commit and seek another school if they do not favor the new coach. Essentially, both parties have the opportunity to re-evaluate the relationship and decide if they want to stay together or move one from each other.

    Impact on Existing Players

    When a coaching change occurs, existing players have the option, under NCAA rules, to enter the transfer portal and find a different school. The NCAA grants a 30-day immediate portal window for players whose head coach departs. Recently, I spoke with a parent of a first-year player at a top DI women’s team who expressed concerns about uncertainty. The player loved the previous coaching staff and culture, and there is nervousness about whether the same philosophies will continue under the new staff.

    Similar to minor hockey, any time a player gets a new coach, they must adjust. Most players will need to re-establish their role on the team, which could affect their ice time. Each student-athlete should evaluate their situation and decide whether to stay or explore options in the transfer portal. Ideally, new coaches will take the time to get to know their team and communicate their plans for each player, allowing players to make informed decisions.

    One final point to consider is that assistant coaches are also affected by a change in head coaches. They too can experience positive or negative impacts under new leadership. In some situations, most of the staff is retained, while in others, the incumbent assistants do not return, and the new head coach assembles their own team.

    Categories
    2024 Girls Hockey Player Development

    A Quick Post about the Selections for the USA U18 Girls Player Development Camp

    Each year, USA Hockey hosts a development camp in early August for the top 76 female U18 players – this year for the 2007, 2008, and 2009 birth years (40 Forwards, 28 Defense, and 8 Goalies).

    Last month, the initial 63 players were named to the camp.  With the final 13 players added at the end of the 16/17s girls camp which takes place a couple of weeks earlier in mid-July.  It is my understanding that players from the late-July 15’s girls camp are still not eligible for the U18 camp, regardless of how they performed at the 15’s camp (much to the chagrin of many players and parents). This year, 9 15’s (2009 birth year) players were invited directly to the U18 camp (there were 5 15’s in 2023 and 6 in 2022). So, players not invited as part of the initial U18 list do not have the opportunity to prove themselves worthy at the 15’s camp.

    The one key insight from the players invited to the U18 Girls Camp for 2024 is that there were a total of  6 2007 & 2008 birth year players (out of 29 total players from those age groups) who attended the U18 Camp last year, but were not part of the 54 players (from 2007 and 2008) invited directly this year.  Instead, those 6 players will need to prove themselves at the 16/17s Camp and earn their invite to the U18s Camp.  One way to look at it is, (according to USA Hockey evaluators) there were at least 48 other players from their birth year who showed they were better this year than the 6 players from last year. Another way to look at it is that players should understand that they cannot take anything for granted. No spot is guaranteed.

    Note: This is not the first time players have had to start at the 16/17s Camp after participating in the U18 Camp the year before.  Last year, at least 2 “downgraded” players did indeed get selected to move on from 16/17s to attend the U18s camp.

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