How hard is it to get into those leagues? I wonder do you just go there? Been wondering how players get into those leagues for a while because I have had ambitions to play in Europe/Britain/ECHL
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Thanks for the help. I realize now it's next to impossible to actually make it I just wanted examples of how people actually got into the leagues.
if you told us more about yourself and your experience, there might be someone who can point you in the right direction
Well, I just started skating almost 6 months ago, and I've been playing pickup hockey as soon as I got good on my skates. I've also played with two junior Finnish skaters who came over here to play in the US, oddly enough I met them when I rented out the ice one night. I've also played with a teammate of those two Finnish kids, funnily enough last Wednesday (he was born here) He said I have a pretty good shot (shot as in wrist shot) I've also played with a senior on the varsity hockey team who is friends with the teammate of the Finnish kids. I'm trying to make the JV team for my high school and I guess I got too caught up in what could happen after
I know a lot of the guys who are playing in the lower leagues in europe who are from the US are guys who washed out leagues like the ECHL and are desperate to play some sort of hockey and are willing to play in a sub-par league in England or something.
Whilst the top tier league in England (the EPL) could rightly be described as "sub-par" the league that covers the entire United Kingdom (the EIHL) is very comparable to the ECHL, due to both the type of hockey played within the EIHL (more physical/NA style than that played in mainland Europe) but also due to the flow of players to/from the league predominantly coming/going from the ECHL/AHL.
It has its faults (awful standards of officiating) but, as someone from SE Michigan, I'd say overall it compares very favorably with the hockey I have seen played by the Toledo Walleye.
Yes you do get a few players over here for whom it is the last chance saloon, perhaps college kids who never got picked up, but the majority of import players that come here are far from desperate. One of the biggest draws is the opportunity to play a similar style of hockey whilst doing a degree or masters, most teams in the EIHL having reciprocal deals with local universities.
You're right, just focus on making your jv team. Good luck