It's the decision of all decisions — at least to that point.
When most players consider going to juniors, many are younger than 18 years old. That age has grown younger over time as kids make the jump to higher levels of hockey.
The life of a junior hockey player is often drastically different than that of a prep or full-season academy player. It's almost all hockey, all the time. The players are older. The competition is better. Often, players are living away from home with a billet family.
It can be a bit of culture shock.
Which is why deciding when to go is so important. There's no set-in-stone, correct answer. Players are ready at different times with different goals.
Two players who illustrate that well are Gavin Cornforth (Milton, Mass.) and Ryan Walsh.
In 2022, Cornforth left Thayer after his freshman season. He scored 12 goals and totaled 30 points in 22 games. A late '06, he was drafted 12th overall by the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL Phase 1 Draft. He ended up playing with Dubuque full-time that fall. It's unconventional, but a large point of emphasis was developing against older better talent.
He had growing pains in his first year, but that was to be expected, posting four goals and 10 points in 49 games. Those numbers grew this past season, as the Boston College commit tallied 15 goals and 32 points in 62 games. He figures to be an even bigger producer come next season.
And then there's Walsh, who spent his junior and senior years at Salisbury. As an 18-year-old in 2021-22, he helped lead Salisbury to the Elite 8 title with 16 goals and 39 points. He didn't go to the USHL until the next season, when he was a 19-year-old.
He dominated for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, scoring 30 goals and 79 points in 61 games, ranking second only to Macklin Celebrini in USHL scoring. He was drafted in the sixth round by the Boston Bruins last June.
Cornell deemed him ready for college, and the Big Red were right. Walsh posted 12 goals and 22 points in 35 games as a freshman.
Neither path to juniors is right, and neither path is wrong. We still don't know what Cornforth will be in college because, well, he's only 17. But the 5-foot-9, 165-pound winger has long been thought of as a top '06.
These are only two of the thousands of decisions made by players around the world every year. Players are constantly mulling the prospects of whether or not they're ready.
USHL DRAFT: 14 locals taken in Phase 1 | 19 locals taken in Phase 2
There's been a lot of that happening over the past couple of months. The USHL Phase 1 and Phase 2 Drafts were last week. The NCDC Draft was this week. The NAHL Draft is June 12. Players need to know what they will be doing next season.
So, a number of college coaches and junior hockey executives weighed in on the big question.
When is a player ready to go?
Joel Beal
Providence College assistant coachÂ
"Be physically ready. Dominate the level you are at first and make sure you are going to a place with opportunity."
Bryn Chyzyk
Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) general managerÂ
"I think it's case-by-case dependent. If you're a 17-year-old kid wanting to play in the USHL, look at what those years are going to be like because it's not all sunshine and roses. It's hard. And if you're prepared for how hard it's going to be, then you're ready and you understand that. But if you have the notion, and I love kids' confidence and their trust in their ability, but if kids think they're going to come in and be the guy in September, I think it's difficult for kids to understand that going in. It's OK if you want to stay an extra year in prep, often USHL teams are completely OK with that.
ADVICE: Ex-prep hockey players give advice to USHL prospects
Sean Clark
Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) general managerÂ
"Be over-ready when you show up. So many players feel like they need instant gratification when right away and they have to play at a higher level right away. Some guys are ready and some guys aren't. The biggest thing is everyone develops at a different time. Be patient and make sure when you go from youth hockey or prep school or high school hockey, whatever the level may be, and you step into USHL, make sure you are ready physically, mentally, emotionally to be successful. That's the biggest key. It's no different than guys who are in the [American Hockey League] trying to crack an NHL roster. Make sure you're ready to be successful."
Jared DeMichiel
Michigan State associate head coachÂ
"It's a heavier, older brand of hockey. You need to take bigger steps without the puck than with the puck. Be detailed, heavy, physical and competitive."
Fred Harbinson
Penticton Vees (BCHL) president, general manager and head coachÂ
"I used to say you should dominate every level before you move on. But now I'm seeing players get opportunities in our league or from our league to college — players haven't even come close to dominating. It's almost like they fool themselves. At some point, that's going to run out. Part of it is I think my biggest advice is stop comparing to whatever everyone else is doing and it was easier to not do that before there wasn't as much information. Now it's down to what color sock another guy is wearing. There's no information that's not out there. People are like, "So and so is doing this, so I should be doing that." That's where you get into a lot of trouble. Years ago, there was players going right from prep school to college. Those days are far and few between. I would even say now how college is, it's hard to only play one year of junior. Leagues like the USHL and BCHL are probably two-year leagues. You guys have to decide what your thought process is — when am I going to go so that it maximizes my ability to be successful as a first-year player in junior? Then, you can excel in that second year and have a same progression when you go to college. There's no perfect equation for that. It's just being honest with yourself and being honest with your timeline."
LIFE IN THE USHL: It's not always easy
Dan Jewell
Merrimack assistant coachÂ
"Do not focus on league. Focus on fit. There are a lot of layers and it's different for every kid. It's a complex conversation, not general."
Alfie Michaud
Maine assistant coachÂ
"When they're dominating their hockey. You cannot expect to climb the ladder if you're not good at the level you're at. That's just me — that's my grade. I don't think it's an age thing or anything like that. I just think it's you're moving on when you're good enough to move on. There's no right or wrong path — you have your own path. You just have to keep grinding and it's incumbent on yourself to make yourself better. Whatever level you're at, right? You've got to catch some breaks along the way."
