The NHL and age, random thoughts on the draft

[RisslingsMissingTeeth]

Not sure who even reads NPR but for those who do. I have always have been troubled by the NHL draft. Why is the NHL like baseball drafting 18 year olds? Why does the NHL, an aggressive and highly physical league, have the highest average age amongst all major 4 sports despite drafting kids?

It just doesn't seem to make sense to draft 18 year olds and not expect them to make an impact for 5-7 years which is what is typically bantered about. When you see the NHL fast track young guys like MacKinnon, Maatta, S. Jones, etc, you see these kids take their lumps but typically adjust. Yet, there seems to be a bias towards really old players that slow the game down with the excuse being, they are needed because we need to let these young guys develop in the minors. That is a ridiculous thought as who develops playing besides a bunch of minor leaguers? The best way to develop players is to get them into the elite level as fast as possible like the NFL or NBA...who both require you to be 20+ to enter yet have younger average ages overall.

So my crazy question is this? Is this all just a front to have a minor league that seems viable?

[Jim]

The only option would be to make the minors age restrictive, ie: no one over 25. Football and Basketball use college like the minors to prepare the players to the majors. Hockey does not have the infrastructure for all players to go to something (college) and only play against peers (age, strength, experience) until they are "ready" for the majors.

[mikey287]

No, it's not a front. You're just hand selecting guys that made it young (though, Jones probably should not have been in the NHL this year, but he also didn't need to go back to the WHL, which is another scenario all together)...you look at the "normal" scenario and these kids do need time in developmental leagues. We've seen instances of players being rushed and busting as a result. People point to teams that "draft well" but part of that is also "developing well" - the Red Wings wouldn't be nearly as successful at drafting if their development model was like Edmonton's...

I'm not sure why or how anyone could think it is ridiculous to think that you would not develop against your peers...I think once again you're looking at superstars (and Jones, for some reason) and spreading it over the whole slice of toast...those are the exceptions.

Nitpick note, NBA draft age is 19, not 20.

Major junior, college, European pro/juniors, minor professional leagues, all vital in the development process for various individuals...

[shmenguin]

I'd like to see more flexibility in assigning players to different leagues. Shouldn't be juniors or bust for young players. But I have no idea what the reason is behind that or what the logistics are in changing it, so whatever.

[mikey287]

The reason is, the CHL doesn't want to lose its money makers.

[pcm]

The average age in the NHL is declining. Players in their 30's are now considered over the hill. Interestingly, the league was at its' youngest in the late 80's. Perhaps as a response to the styles of play? A more open, flowing game tends to be a younger man's game. That's one hypothesis, supported by the average age reaching its modern zenith the year before the lockout...

[dodint]

When my wife asks me again to explain to her how players go from 'high school/minor hockey' to the NHL, it's always a cluster trying to map it out. Especially the part where they're drafted and then go back to playing at the same level and wait. I'm not saying it's right or wrong (well, making a 14 year old decide between going to college or juniors is rough) but it's confusing to the casual fan. At least I got her to the point of understanding the role of WBS and Wheeling. Sorta.

[RisslingsMissingTeeth]

Thanks everyone, I really was looking for a discussion as I find it all so frustrating. The NFL draft means everything as teams literally use it to plug holes in their roster so it is all very exciting. When you watch the NHL draft you think, will I ever even see any of these guys and when I do, will I remember that they were even drafted? It is depressing.

And mikey, I hand selected a couple really young guys just to show that young people can make it but I think I hurt my point in doing that since what I was really going after was having the draft age be 19 or 20 with the intent of these guys going straight to AHL level (think AA or AAA baseball). The rest, if they don't make it in those squads, just like the NFL, become free agents able to populate other minor leagues (ECHL or foreign, etc.).

[columbia]

I think your general idea is a good one. It's very difficult to assess the talents of a 17/18 year old, except for a select few every year.
The draft would make a lot more sense, if the minimum age were 20 and you had some allowance for exemptions for younger players, who could apply for the draft.

I think that would be ideal, but it's probably logistically and politically impossible.