USHS vs Min/Maj Midget (Canada)

[Mathletic]

I don't know if it's the right place to ask but anyways. Just wondering how you think USHS hockey compares to Minor/Major midget in Canada. I guess it will differ on the state but say bigger hockey states like Minnesota.

[Slowe]

I'm no expert by any means, but Minnesota high school hockey really is the exception rather than the rule. They play truly based on community location. Although I'm not sure how it works, but they do have "elite" leagues for high schools with much tougher competition. There is high school hockey in other areas of the country, like Wisconsin and I'm sure out east. Eastern prep schools are a pretty good source, but I don't hear them talked about as much.

I think most places in the US do play club. AAA hockey, hope you get noticed by a junior team, and progress from there. While not as much, even Minnesota HS kids are starting to skip some high school and head over into juniors to ensure high level of competition.

Not really much of a comparison for you. When you say compare though, do you mean which type of path is better, or just the overall talent level in each?

[Mathletic]

Originally Posted by Slowe

I'm no expert by any means, but Minnesota high school hockey really is the exception rather than the rule. They play truly based on community location. Although I'm not sure how it works, but they do have "elite" leagues for high schools with much tougher competition. There is high school hockey in other areas of the country, like Wisconsin and I'm sure out east. Eastern prep schools are a pretty good source, but I don't hear them talked about as much.

I think most places in the US do play club. AAA hockey, hope you get noticed by a junior team, and progress from there. While not as much, even Minnesota HS kids are starting to skip some high school and head over into juniors to ensure high level of competition.

Not really much of a comparison for you. When you say compare though, do you mean which type of path is better, or just the overall talent level in each?

overall talent in each

[Cfriss216]

Originally Posted by Mathletic

overall talent in each

It's tough to compare Canada's Midget Minor teams to High School teams because Midget Minors are 16U. Where high school as we know is pretty much 15 to 18 years old. But if you take the vast majority of high school teams across the states (except for Minnesota high school, some Michigan high school teams, and East Coast prep league teams), the good Midget Minor teams would destroy them. For example in the GTHL Midget Minor teams you see a lot more high end kids going into the OHL at the age of 16 and 17 years old. You can't really say that for U.S. high school hockey players. The best High School hockey in the United States is in Minnesota. I've heard those teams compared to AAA teams but it's to difficult to compare talent wise. There is also some good high school hockey in the state of Michigan as well. Ben Johnson was one of the best high school players in the state, he then went to the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL and has turned into a New Jersey draft pick.

Some high school players end up playing Major Junior as an 18 year old rookie. An example would be Tyler Pitlick who played Minnesota high school and then went pretty much into the WHL for Medicine Hat. As far as Midget Major is concerned...that might be a closer comparison. Since by the time your 17 and 18 years old you want to be playing in some kind of junior league to get a better shot of getting noticed. So the kids still playing Midget hockey at that age probably aren't really special to begin with. But there are some diamonds in the rough.