Unlike NFL and NBA players who generally follow a very specific trajectory from high school to the pros, NHL players come from many different places and can be scouted from numerous places. Some follow the traditional path and are recruited by a college team while still in high school and scouted by the pros before they have finished college, but many others play professionally before joining the NHL, or even come directly from high school. From elite Canadian hockey schools to Eastern European pro teams, here are some of the biggest sources of professional players in the NHL.
The town of Trenchin, Slovakia is an unassuming capital of an unassuming province in an unassuming Eastern European country. However, it has one of the top professional teams in the region, one that has produced dozens of players who have moved on to working with the NHL. Trenchin is one of the main hubs for Eastern European players who eventually make the leap to playing in the higher-paid and arguably more prestigious North American leagues. Zdeno Chara and Marion Hossa are some of the Trenchin alumni.
Another European powerhouse of top NHL players is Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. This blue collar town is lucky enough to have a lot of coaching talent at the local level. Talented coaches are able to mold what might otherwise be rather unremarkable local players into top-notch competitors. The fresh, clean air and water of the region doesn’t hurt either, at least according to the locals. Peter Fornsberg and the Sedin brothers are some of the players who have made the leap to the NHL.
Many NHL players do play primarily at the college level before being scouted. One of the biggest college hockey programs in the world is at the hockey school at the Athol Murray college of Notre Dame in Canada. This boarding school has a top hockey program that has produced dozens of NHL players. It is one of the first places scouts go when looking for new local talent.
Presented By Athol Murray College of Notre Dame
The town of Trenchin, Slovakia is an unassuming capital of an unassuming province in an unassuming Eastern European country. However, it has one of the top professional teams in the region, one that has produced dozens of players who have moved on to working with the NHL. Trenchin is one of the main hubs for Eastern European players who eventually make the leap to playing in the higher-paid and arguably more prestigious North American leagues. Zdeno Chara and Marion Hossa are some of the Trenchin alumni.
Another European powerhouse of top NHL players is Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. This blue collar town is lucky enough to have a lot of coaching talent at the local level. Talented coaches are able to mold what might otherwise be rather unremarkable local players into top-notch competitors. The fresh, clean air and water of the region doesn’t hurt either, at least according to the locals. Peter Fornsberg and the Sedin brothers are some of the players who have made the leap to the NHL.
Many NHL players do play primarily at the college level before being scouted. One of the biggest college hockey programs in the world is at the hockey school at the Athol Murray college of Notre Dame in Canada. This boarding school has a top hockey program that has produced dozens of NHL players. It is one of the first places scouts go when looking for new local talent.
Presented By Athol Murray College of Notre Dame
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
