Is JJ Peterka The Success Story That Turns RedBull Academy Into a Future Pro Hockey Factory?

[MrGuyPerson]

So I was scrolling through elite prospects and noticed 2 kids on RedBull Academy's u16 team Shredding the Czech u15 league. Deciding to google the program I stumbled on a video showcasing the Academy's facilities. After the video I came away thinking Wow, are these facilities comparable to IMG academy? With facilities like this and the success of developing a player like JJ Peterka, do you think RedBull Academy could turn into a European Shattuck St. Mary's type of pro hockey factory? The video should be here :

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[tarheelhockey]

For those of us who don’t want to watch the whole 15 minute video, what are they doing which is so different from any other hockey academy? It looks like they’ve got a couple of rinks and some off-ice training areas, similar to other programs.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice facility and I’m sure they’ll produce good players. But I don’t see what makes it more than another academy.

By the way, this level of commercialization is why pro hockey is increasingly a pipe dream for 90% of kids. The amount of money it takes to train this way for a meaningful amount of time is breathtaking.

 

[MrGuyPerson]

For those of us who don’t want to watch the whole 15 minute video, what are they doing which is so different from any other hockey academy? It looks like they’ve got a couple of rinks and some off-ice training areas, similar to other programs.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice facility and I’m sure they’ll produce good players. But I don’t see what makes it more than another academy.

By the way, this level of commercialization is why pro hockey is increasingly a pipe dream for 90% of kids. The amount of money it takes to train this way for a meaningful amount of time is breathtaking.

Honestly I don't think they are doing anything that different outside of providing a great facilities that players living on campus can utilize whenever they want. I've played against a prep school or two in North America and compared to those places, this set up is bit more aesthetically pleasing. They may have some similar equipment, but there is 0 chance their dorms are this nice. A few of their main rinks were half as nice. I think the big thing is access and proximity. If a kid is work horse they could wake up, hit the gym, shoot 500 pucks and hit the skating treadmill work their edges and then go eat breakfast if they felt like it. The more time they spend using the equipment the better they will get. 10,000 hours and all that.

I am not quite sure what you mean by commercialization. Just hockey getting more expensive? If so, being good at hockey in the US has been expensive since before I was alive. New England Prep, Shattucks, tier one travel hockey, and Minnesota Local hockey are like the main 4 pre juniors options. Minnesota local hockey is really the only state in the US that operates in an accessible for all format. You can play in local rec leagues all the way to high school and go pro.

 

[Albatros]

Collaboration with major pro soccer teams grants access to resources that aren't available in most places, for sure that's a boost.