EVERY PARENT WANTS to give their kid the best shot possible at making something of their passion, but finding the correct path is difficult. The debate between a young man playing major junior or NCAA is no longer decided by which side of the border you were born on and competition for the top talent is furious.
But before a teenager gets to those ranks, he must navigate the world of elite youth hockey. In Canada, where the majority of major junior players hail from, a teen can be drafted into the Western League at 14, so while the youth ranks are still crucial to development, there is less time in which to have an impact. In the U.S., players must first graduate high school before playing NCAA hockey, so prep programs hold on to players longer. With that in mind, The Hockey News presents it first-ever ranking of the top prep programs in America.
Culled from a panel of experts on both sides of the border, the criterion included quality of alumni graduated to major junior, NCAA, the AHL and in the best-case scenario, NHL, as well as the success the team has had at tournaments. The first thing any well-versed puckhead will notice is a lack of representation from two of America’s biggest hockey hotbeds, Minnesota and Massachusetts. This is because the high school game dominates the landscape so much in those districts.
Ironically, our No. 1 pick also represents the exception to the rule: Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep school in Faribault, Minn., is included because it is a private school which competes against the other teams on the list and is not subject to the same rules (ie. number of games played in a season) as other Minnesota high schools. With that in mind, let’s get down to business.
- SHATTUCK-ST. MARY’S SABRES
- HONEYBAKED
- TEAM ILLINOIS
Alumni: Ed Olczyk, Bates Battaglia, Craig Anderson, Danny Richmond.
With a long tradition in the game, Team Illinois is a perennial power in the tough Midwest. “T.I. is traditionally a good team,” said Madison coach Gary Suter. “They draw well.” Along with a host of NHLers from the 1980s to present day, T.I. has graduated a baffling number of NCAA players from virtually every Division I school. The organization also features a very strong girl’s program.
- LITTLE CAESAR’S
- DALLAS JR. STARS
- L.A. SELECTS
- MADISON CAPITOLS
- PITTSBURGH HORNETS
- COMPUWARE
- SYRACUSE STARS
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Team Illinois' Spring Season is a Smashing Success!
“The Team Illinois 2008 spring season is starting off as a smashing success! Last week tryouts were held for the Squirt Major – Bantam Major teams and almost all age levels saw 40+ players doing their best to impress the TI coaches and earn a selection to this years spring program. There was a great deal of top level talent on the ice at all levels. The competitive spirit amongst the players was easily visible and the coaches had some very difficult decisions to make.
Just last night the 2008 Midget Spring Program got underway and more than 80 players were on hand competing for spots. With this type of turnout for the 2008 spring program there is great excitement to begin the practice sessions next week. As the program moves forward through the spring the players will have a great opportunity to learn from one of the best coaching staffs to be found in North America.
Every one of the TI coaches has either played and or coached at the Division I college level or professional level. With this type of hockey experience and background within the TI coaching staff, the players stand to gain great development while having great fun in the 2008 TI spring program.”
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“Coach Gus” joins Team Illinois
Coach Gus Liatos, widely recognized as the top learn-to-skate/tot hockey coach in Illinois has joined the Team Illinois coaching staff effective immediately.
Affectionately known as “Coach Gus” by all of his students, Gus will work with the TI 98s beginning this spring as the Associate Head Coach along with Sean Berens and Larry Pedrie. Together, Gus, Sean, and Larry form the strongest coaching staff to be found at the 98 level and will work in unison to provide this young group of TI players with an excellent balance of skill development and game positioning instruction.
If you look across the rosters of all the AAA teams in Chicago from squirt though midget major almost every roster includes a former “Coach Gus” student. Having been the starting point for many of Chicago’s elite players for over the past 10 years, Coach Gus is renowned for his introduction of hockey to so many young players. Coach Gus has enjoyed great success at laying the beginning foundation for many of these players by combining fun with learning the game of hockey, fostering a love for the game shared by all of his students.
“I see the opportunity to work at Team Illinois as a chance to work with the best staff and AAA organization that Illinois has to offer. The club’s great history speaks for itself and how can any incoming AAA coach ask to be beside a better coaching team than Sean Berens and Larry Pedrie. The Team Illinois 98 players will have a chance to be developed by three of the best”, said Coach Gus. “What a great first season and introduction to AAA hockey for the Team Illinois 98 players”, added Gus.
Gus begins his Team Illinois coaching responsibilities immediately and will be on the ice Monday, March 24 when the TI 98s hit the ice for the start of the 2008 spring program.
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Team Illinois and the 2008 NCAA Tournament
On Sunday, March 23, 2008 the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament Committee announced the 16 team 2008 NCAA Tournament field. Among the 16 teams chosen for the tournament an unrivaled number of former Team Illinois players are current and future players on the rosters of the competing teams.
Following is a list of the former Team Illinois players who are either current or future players for teams in this year’s
2008 NCAA tournament.
This impressive list of current and future college players competing for teams in this year’s NCAA Tournament is unmatched by
any other Tier I program.
Team Illinois continues to be the leader in Illinois for developing talent for Division I college hockey!
The former Wolves defenseman is the second-most tenured player in franchise history, having appeared in 553 games spanning nine seasons (1994-95, 1997-2004, 2005-06) with Chicago, which includes all three championship years and the team’s inaugural season.
The Melrose Park native, ranks third on the Wolves all-time scoring list with 239 assists and 291 points. He also holds third all-time in postseason scoring with 44 assists and 61 points in 101 playoffs tilts, which includes notching five goals and 18 points in 22 games en route to the 1998 Turner Cup 10 years ago.
NARDELLA also collected one assist and six penalty minutes in five games with Team Italy during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, and briefly left the Wolves to represent Italy at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
For more information, or tickets to the game, call 1-800-THE-WOLVES.
I have put together a team named Team Illinois and we will walk 60 miles over the course of three days with thousands of other women and men. The net proceeds will support breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment through Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund.
I've agreed to raise at least $2,200 in donations. So I need your help. You can give online at
www.The3Day.org. Just follow
the link below to visit my personal fundraising webpage and make a
donation. You can also call 800.996.3DAY to donate over the phone.
I know many of us have had family or friends touched by cancer. According to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, approximately 200,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and nearly 40,000 will die from the disease. That's why we're walking so far. To do something bold about breast cancer. I hope that you'll share this incredible adventure with me - by supporting me in my fundraising efforts.
Thank you in advance for your generosity! If you would like to join our team please go my web page and register!!!!
