Tuesday, September 4, 2012

No News is No News

J.T. Miller (Plymouth Whalers)
It is a quiet time for the prospects of the New York Rangers and New York Islanders as hockey is a strange sport at times. Last week teams from the OHL and WHL opened their training camps and already most have finished their training camps.

At this level the start of the school year has as much an impact on when a younger player is cut as his play. Unless you are extremely special then if you are younger than 16 then it is back to your bantam team.

What a shame that the NHL is once again pushing itself to the edge of the cliff because there are some very good young talent on the verge of making the jump to the CHL.

Take this young man wearing number 97 Connor McDavid.



McDavid was granted "exceptional player status" by Hockey Canada and was selected 1st overall by the Erie Otters in the 2012 OHL Bantam Draft. If you did not click on the link or watch the video, then finding out that McDavid is just 15 and his talent is legit.

McDavid is the most talented young player in the CHL which is saying a lot considering that Seth Jones (Portland-WHL), Max Domi (London-OHL) and Nathan MacKinnon (Halifax-QMJHL) are extremely talented in their own right.

We haven't even started the 2012-2013 season and already you have scouts drooling over the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Too bad most of the attention will be focused on off-ice labor problems instead of what could be some of the most talented young players a draft has seen in years.

We sit 10 days from the NHL's decision whether or not they will lock out the NHL players. I know I have already decided that the moment Gary Bettman declares a lockout that I won't care who is to blame; I will be canceling my Center Ice annual subscription and use the money on leagues that will be actually playing.

It may not mean anything to the NHL but it will to me.


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