BEHIND THE BENCH: Prospects Move. Pylons Stand Still.

Dear Parents and Prospects,

Over the past several weeks, we have spoken with talented players who were presented with opportunities to attend high-level Tier II training camps, not combines, showcases, or vague promises about next year, but camps with actual roster opportunities attached. Some players accepted the challenge. Others backed away and returned to the plan they already knew, choosing another season of prep or 18U hockey over an opportunity nobody took from them.

In hockey, doing nothing does not mean sitting on the couch or refusing to play. It means repeating the same plan because it is familiar, comfortable, and easier than changing direction. Families convince themselves that waiting preserves their options, but junior rosters keep moving, college coaches keep evaluating, and other players keep gaining the experience those coaches want to see. Standing still feels safe because the consequences do not appear immediately, and by the time they do, the season is gone.

Every NCAA coach we work with wants, at minimum, two years of exceptional junior hockey, not just two seasons listed on a résumé, but real progression: a player who becomes stronger, faster, more reliable, more productive, and more capable of handling responsibility with every season that passes. Major junior and Tier I in the United States will provide much of the top-end Division I talent, while the strongest players from Tier II and Canadian Junior A will compete for the remaining opportunities. With major junior players now entering the NCAA picture, that player pool is deeper and more experienced, and the pressure will continue moving down through Division III and club hockey.

The NCAA also changed the timeline. Players who turn 19 by September 1 begin that season using a year of their NCAA athletic clock, while those still 18 do not, which means a player can no longer spend another year in a familiar youth or prep environment and assume he will make up the missing junior experience later. The time may no longer be there.

I understand why this is difficult. Players want a traditional senior year. They want to see their friends, attend prom, walk at graduation, and experience the same milestones as everyone else. There is nothing wrong with wanting those things, and moving away, living with a billet family, completing school online, and competing for a junior roster spot are enormous changes for a teenager. The family still has to be honest about the goal. If that goal is NCAA Division I hockey, the question is not which option feels most comfortable today. It is which option gives the player the strongest chance to get there.

Families also need to be honest about where some of the advice to stay comes from. Prep and youth programs do not want to lose good players, and they do not want to lose the tuition that leaves with them. Some programs charge as much as $25,000 for a season. That does not mean every coach is dishonest or unconcerned about the player, but the program's interests and the player's interests are not automatically the same. "Stay another year" may be the easiest answer for everyone, but easy is not necessarily what the player's career needs.

I tell players and families all the time that bad decisions can be fixed and good decisions do not need fixing, but no decision at all cannot be fixed. If a player chooses the wrong junior team, league, or level, we can build new relationships and find another direction, and if the fit is wrong, we can work to correct it. What we cannot do is return a developmental season after it has passed. Movement gives us something to evaluate, adjust, and improve, while standing still gives us nothing.

The players leaving for training camps this week have not guaranteed themselves roster spots, only the chance to compete for one, and they accepted the uncertainty, disruption, and discomfort that come with moving forward. Once they arrive, the work becomes even harder, because getting through the door is not the accomplishment; winning the locker stall is.

For players already returning to prep or 18U, the situation is not hopeless, but passivity has to end now. The season must be used to visit appropriate junior teams, skate or practice with them when possible, build relationships with coaches, pursue affiliate opportunities, and create a realistic path into juniors during the season. Ideally, that move happens before the second semester, because waiting until next spring and beginning the same process again is not a plan.

Those of you working with us will see us pursue those visits, relationships, affiliate opportunities, and in-season openings aggressively. If you are not working with us and are beginning to question whether the familiar choice was the right one, contact us now. We cannot return the time after it is gone, but we can help you use the time that remains.

College hockey, junior hockey, and the players competing against you are all moving. Standing still does not protect your place; it means falling behind, and the worst decision you can make right now is no decision at all.

Get going!

Mike

 

­

The NCAA is asking the Tenth Circuit to permanently reverse an injunction granting certain Class of 2022 athletes a fifth year of eligibility. Chief legal officer Scott Bearby defended the Division I Cabinet’s decision not to apply new age-based eligibility rules retroactively. Judge Charlotte Sweeney denied the NCAA’s request to stay the injunction, arguing the association created the eligibility dispute through its own decisions. The ruling affects fifth-year eligibility but does not alter transfer rules, roster limits, revenue-sharing caps, or House settlement provisions.

­

Canada captured its 26th Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medal with a dominant 8-1 victory over the United States. Brock England, Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue powered the Canadian offense, while Landon Dupont recorded four assists and goalie Leif Oaten stopped 16 of 17 shots. Canada built a 3-1 first-period lead before pulling away with three more goals in the second. Finland earned bronze with a 3-2 comeback win over Slovakia, highlighted by Roni Kuukasjarvi’s game-winning power-play goal.

­­

The U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team earned second place at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup after an 8-1 championship loss to Canada. Team USA finished 4-0-0-1, securing its 10th all-time runner-up finish. Gunnar Conboy scored the Americans’ lone goal and was named U.S. Player of the Game. Canada controlled the matchup with a 45-17 shot advantage and three power-play goals, while Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue each scored twice in the decisive gold medal victory.

­

The Madison Capitols named Trent Eigner their new head coach and general manager ahead of the 2026-27 USHL season. Eigner, a former Capitols player, returns to Madison after coaching at the University of St. Thomas, St. Thomas Academy and Lakeville North, where he won a 2015 state championship. Known for player development, Eigner has coached several future NHL Draft picks. He succeeds Andy Brandt and will lead Madison into its new LEGACY20 Arena beginning with the Oct. 17 home opener.

­­

Kitchener Rangers COO Joe Birch received the 2026 David Branch Leader of the Year Award for outstanding OHL leadership, organizational success and community impact. Birch helped guide Kitchener to the J. Ross Robertson Cup and Memorial Cup championships while strengthening business operations, merchandise sales, social media engagement and the club’s Level of Legacy Program. Under his leadership, the Rangers also earned the OHL Community Involvement Award after raising nearly $2 million, supporting local organizations and funding student scholarships.

­

Everett Silvertips defenceman and 2026 WHL Champion Landon DuPont recorded four assists as Canada defeated the United States 8-1 to win gold at the 2026 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Maddox Schultz earned Player of the Game honours with two goals and an assist, while Brock England and Liam Pue also contributed to the dominant victory. Nine WHL players captured gold for Canada, four earned silver with the United States, and Lethbridge goaltender Leif Oaten finished the tournament with a perfect 4-0 record.

­­

The Victoria Grizzlies will host the 2027 BCHL All-Star Weekend on January 22 and 23 at the Q Centre, with significant support from the City of Langford. The two-day event will feature a Canada vs. World All-Star Game, Alumni and Friends Game and Skills Competition, along with participation from the VIJHL and WIJHL. Ticket information, rosters and additional event details will be announced in the coming months.

­­

The Houston Bulls sold all 1,122 season tickets ahead of their inaugural 2026-27 NAHL campaign, with more than 4,000 expressions of interest. The relocated North Iowa Bulls will play their first home game October 2 at the new 1,800-seat Deep South Ice & Sports Plex in Richmond, Texas. Former NHL player Nathan Oystrick will serve as head coach, while single-game tickets are scheduled to go on sale August 23.

­

Eighty-five former CJHL players or coaches served as head coaches across the NHL, AHL, ECHL, SPHL, U SPORTS and CHL during the 2025-26 season. The group included 12 NHL head coaches, led by Notre Dame Hounds alumnus Rod Brind’Amour, who guided the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup. Overall, the CJHL counted 2,448 alumni competing or working across major professional, collegiate and European leagues.

­

Elite hockey teams value character and culture alongside individual skill. Players can become better teammates by advocating for themselves, maintaining professional body language, embracing unrecognized work, leading through consistent preparation and communicating purposefully on and off the ice. These habits demonstrate maturity, accountability and commitment to team success—qualities that can influence recruiting and roster decisions when players possess similar abilities.

­

Players and families, we want to hear from you. If there are any questions, concerns, or if you just want to have a conversation, please feel free to contact us directly. We want to hear from you. Good Luck and Great Hockey!

 

Thank you,

Team VHC

 

­­­­