The upcoming World Junior Championship features a ton of talented young hockey players. Some of them will end up in the NHL, but most will end up playing college hockey. Some will also make the jump to Europe if they don’t get drafted or choose to skip college altogether. Look at any NCAA Division 1 or 3 roster and you’ll see a large percentage of players that played junior hockey first.
There are three tiers of hockey juniors in the United States governed by USA Hockey. Major junior sits at the top of the pyramid with various levels of Jr A and Jr C below it.
Major junior consists of the WHL, OHL and QMJHL. These teams pay their players a small compensation and they live in small provincial towns where they play most of their games against other major junior teams. This league is the path to the NHL for most top prospects in Canada. Major Junior players are not eligible to play NCAA hockey.
Unlike the US, there are no paid Junior A leagues in Canada. There are however, a number of Junior B leagues which compete against each other. Junior A is a step up in competition level from the higher ranked junior B leagues, but still not quite as good as the higher level junior A hockey that you’d find in the US.
Junior teams in these leagues often have to travel and they don’t always have the same amenities as a major junior team. That means that these leagues can be a little more expensive to play in than the USHL or the OHL.
Tier 2 junior hockey in the United States consists of the EHL, USPHL and NA3HL. These leagues are referred to as “pay to play” hockey because the players and their families are charged a fee to be on the team. Typically these fees cover the cost of player’s equipment, housing and some meals.
Generally speaking, the best way to earn a spot on a Tier 2 junior team is to play well at the current level you’re playing at (AAAA travel, prep, high school, etc). This could also mean attending some of the showcase events that are put on by colleges and major junior teams.
Those that excel at the higher levels of Tier 2 may be asked to attend a pre-draft combine. This is a great opportunity for scouts to evaluate talent and identify potential recruits.
Depending on their skill sets, some players may decide to bypass junior hockey and head directly to the NCAA or ACHA. Others will continue to develop at the Junior A or even the AHL level before making the move to the NHL.