The reality of the junior hockey system is that, fairly or not, some teams have it easier than others when it comes to attracting talent.
For the most part, save for Lindrosian dramatics, NHL players sign with the team that drafts them. Such is not always the case in junior hockey, where young players frequently use the leverage available to them to line their talents up with a team of their choosing.
I can understand both sides of the debate. While I do think that it is an absolute honor for a player to be so wanted by a major junior team that they commit a high draft choice to said player, and do truly believe that honor should be repaid with the player’s commitment whenever possible, there are a great number of variables that must be considered when dealing with players as young as 14 years of age.…
read more
More...
