USNTDP and the USHL

[LeafChief]

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on this for me. I'm not too familiar with the USHL and the USNTDP.

Does the USA U18 team play in the USHL?

If so, is this even competition for the U18 team? Wouldn't the best players in the country generally play for the U18 team and the rest of the players that weren't good enough fill out the other rosters of the USHL teams?

Do any teams in the USHL give the U18 a run for their money?

 

[IHaveNoCreativity]

I believe they do !

Also, from what I know the U-20s also play in the league.. U-18 might be NAHL.

I think there's a fair amount o parity in the USHL.

Edit
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/ushl19992015.html

U18 and U-17. U-18 does pretty well.

 

[William H Bonney]

The NTDP (both the U17 and U18) plays as a unified team in the USHL in terms of schedule and standings. The U17 team plays more of the games because the U18 team plays a lot of college teams.

The U17 team usually struggles in the USHL while the U18 team is pretty strong. The extra year of development is huge. Other USHL teams have 18/19/20/21 year old players which helps drive their success against the young NTDP squads.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Forgive my ignorance but humor me to ask why any top prospect would play in the USHL? The NTDP I get, the NCAA I get but why anyone who is a higher level prospect would play there. Connor for example.

 

[Paxon]

Forgive my ignorance but humor me to ask why any top prospect would play in the USHL? The NTDP I get, the NCAA I get but why anyone who is a higher level prospect would play there. Connor for example.

Only so many players get invited to the NTDP. If you're asking why those who aren't invited don't join the CHL rather than the USHL, the answer is largely in what you've already said: the NCAA. USHL players retain NCAA eligibility while CHL players do not as those leagues do not meet the NCAA's amateur restrictions/definitions.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Thanks, that makes sense it would be their option at that point CHL or USHL. And those in the USHL are generally too young to join NCAA or are playing there to get noticed for a scholarship?

 

[montreal]

Forgive my ignorance but humor me to ask why any top prospect would play in the USHL? The NTDP I get, the NCAA I get but why anyone who is a higher level prospect would play there. Connor for example.

For a lot of kids out of high school, they may feel they need an extra year to fill out their frames a bit, get stronger and perhaps mature a bit before heading off to the NCAA so they play in the USHL for a year or two. Other times they want to play at a certain top program in the NCAA and no where else but said program might not have room for them so they go to the USHL for a year.

 

[leafsfuture]

A bunch of also guys who go the pure USHL route are often prep school players who want a greater challenge before going to NCAA.

Jaden Schwartz is an example, who went to Notre Dame, then as a 17 year old went to the USHL.

 

[West]

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on this for me. I'm not too familiar with the USHL and the USNTDP.

Does the USA U18 team play in the USHL?

If so, is this even competition for the U18 team? Wouldn't the best players in the country generally play for the U18 team and the rest of the players that weren't good enough fill out the other rosters of the USHL teams?

Do any teams in the USHL give the U18 a run for their money?

The U-17 team plays about 35 games and the U-18 team plays about 25 games.

The U-18 team roster is pretty far and away the best team and only tends to play against the better teams(win about 70% of the time). The U-17 is pretty much the worst team and plays against the weaker teams(win about 20% of the time).

 

[LeafChief]

Very interesting. Thank you for the insight.

Does the US team compete in the league in terms of standings or does it simply play exhibition type games against the other teams?

For instance, is the record of the U17 and U18 team combined and counted towards the league standings?

 

[Bonin21]

For instance, is the record of the U17 and U18 team combined and counted towards the league standings?

Yes.