Quality ice time key in developing young hockey players

Sometimes it is a tough decision on whether a player should, or should not, make a hockey team. It is even tougher when an underage player is trying out, and yet is good enough to play for that team. In the opinion of many in the hockey world, that underage player should be at least good enough to play on the top two lines, be a top-4 defenceman or a No. 1 goalie.

If the player is relegated to anything less, a lot of the time they are better off playing top minutes, and in all situations, with a team at a lower level.

Of course there are exceptions for star players, but there are only a few Sid Crosbys in the world!

Whether it be amateur or professional, players need to learn and progress – but most of all they need to play. The Detroit Red Wings selected Filip Zadina in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, and recently sent the 18-year-old to the American Hockey League. Many scouts called him the best pure goal-scorer in this year’s draft, but the Wings felt there needs to be improvement in his overall game to get top minutes in Detroit.

Detroit feels Zadina will be better off playing 20 plus minutes per game in all situations in the AHL rather than third- or fourth-line minutes in Detroit.

If amateur teams used the same philosophy, it can’t help but be better for the player. Young players need to play and develop – and in most cases that is best achieved playing at the age level the player is supposed to play at.

Dave Cameron

Dave Cameron and the Vienna Capitals are off to a great start in the Austrian Hockey League. The Caps have won five of their first six games, and are in first place in the 12-team league that is about the same level as the American Hockey League.

There are a lot of former North American-born players playing in various leagues in Europe, including the Austrian loop. The youngest player on Cameron’s team is 28 while the oldest is 33. It will be a tremendous experience, and a lot of fun, for Cameron coaching in a beautiful country like Austria.

New facility

The must-anticipated Avenir Centre opened in Moncton recently, and attracted the biggest crowd to ever watch a hockey game in New Brunswick last week. The hometown Moncton Wildcats beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 5-2 before 8,800 people.

The novelty of the new rink is wearing off quickly as crowds of just over 5,800 and 3,600 showed up this week for games against Halifax and Cape Breton.

Seven Islanders

Seven is the number of P.E.I. players playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this year. They are Noah Dobson with Acadie-Bathurst; Jeremy McKenna and Jordan Spence with Moncton; Carson MacKinnon with Rimouski; Charlie DesRoches with Saint John; Jacob Arsenault with Sherbrooke and Thomas Casey with Charlottetown.