When I sent out my QMJHL players survey earlier in the summer, I made it anonymous. I wanted players to be brutally honest in it without fear of retribution. I wanted to hear the underside of life in the QMJHL, if there was one.
The responses, however, were overwhelmingly positive. And when I asked the "Would you do it again?" question, everyone — yes, everyone — said yes. One player said, "a million percent," while another said, "I would do it 100 times over."
"It helped me grow as a hockey player and a person," one player said.
A popular reason for wanting to do it again was the team itself coming together.
READ MORE: Part 1 of our QMJHL players survey | Part 2 of our QMJHL players surveyÂ
"We had an unreal group," a player said. "Although we didn't meet all our goals, it was the best team I've been on."
"I just loved being around the guys and enjoyed showing up to the rink every day," another player added.
One player even mentioned the team living near each other as a reason for having so much fun.
"It was a ton of fun on and off the ice," that player said. "Everyone lived in the same neighborhood, so we were always hanging out away from the rink too. And going to the rink was always fun with the guys. The compete level was always super high, and practices were a ton of fun, and games were awesome too."
But I also wanted advice from players who have spent time in the QMJHL. Since the CHL ruling, which allowed prospects playing across the QMJHL, OHL and WHL to be eligible to play NCAA Division 1 hockey, more and more New Englanders have opted for the QMJHL.
Over the last month, lots of New Englanders have made the trip north to QMJHL camps. Some '07s, '08s and '09s made their team. Some '10s have even made strong pushes and are surviving the final cuts.
I'm looking at you, Jamie Calla. The Governor's Academy product looks to be on track to make the Halifax Mooseheads after a torrid preseason.
It's easy to enter camp, make the team and still not feel as good as the other players around you. But as one player pointed out in the survey, it's important to remember what got you there.
"Don't worry so much," one player said. "Go into camp knowing what you can do and how good of a player you are. There is a reason they drafted you and want you to play there."
The thing about junior hockey is that it's often a big jump, especially for younger players. This season, '10s and '09s playing in the QMJHL left prep, U18 or U16 hockey early.
Going from dominating at those levels to the QMJHL comes with lumps. Sometimes, it can be a lot.
"There will be times when you feel like nothing is going your way," a player said. "But you have to stay positive and talk to people because I guarantee others are going through the same thing."
One thing I always hear from players is to keep a positive mindset even when the results aren't there. St. Mark's head coach Carl Corazzini always stresses to players the importance of valuing themselves beyond the results on the ice.
Positivity certainly came up in this question.
"Make sure you're enjoying it and always be positive," one player said. "There will be ups and downs, but at the end of the day, you're playing hockey with your best friends, and there's nothing better than that."
QMJHL teams offer many avenues for players to improve. There are state-of-the-art weight rooms and rinks for practice and skills. There are countless workouts.
READ MORE: 11 standout 18U forwards from River Rats Jamboree | 10 standout 18U defenders from River Rats Jamboree
"Make the most of it, whether that be on the ice or in workouts off the ice or just hanging out with teammates outside of the rink," a player said. "I feel like those are the greatest memories, and that is what will make your team a tight-knit group."
All of those things can provide a great experience.
"Make the jump," one player said. "The experiences and environment are exceptional."
