Mike Machnik writes: > Someone else wrote: > >little silly. Take into consideration that just about ALL of these players > >are coming out of junior hockey programs, and it makes you wonder just what > >the motivation is for these players to go get an education. Probably the same as anybody's motivation for getting an education. Getting a job. I don't believe that hockey players are mercenary creatures while everybody else is there "to better themselves." > >What do they > >do, wait until their college eligibility is at stake before going to > >school? First, the last year one can play Junior is when one is 20. (This year, that means anyone born in 1975 or later is eligible) If I knew that I had enough talent to play Div. I hockey, I'd wait until I got an offer. Our team has 2 20-year-olds who want to go south next year (and have the ability to). They are both in University now. I doubt that most players, in between High School and the NCAA are sitting around on their butts. When I was starting University, if someone had said to me that I could get more scholarship money by waiting one year, I'd probably have waited. > I think there is a risk here of sounding quite provincial. As regards > Canadians, it is quite typical for them to go to school for one or two > extra grades beyond what most US students do. Thus it is natural for > them to be older when they enter college. We should not expect them > to do things the same way we do them. The extra grade is only true in Ontario, and to some degree in Quebec. Ontario has a Grade 13, Quebec has a system of mandatory Community Colleges (called CEGEPs) that one must attend before University. The other provinces all only go to Grade 12. > I would disagree with the idea that if a player goes to junior hockey > and then college, he must not be committed to academics. I agree, if Junior hockey <> academic commitment, then I guess no Canadians have academic commitment. (Say, isn't it time for some doofus sportswriter in St. Paul to say just that?) See you later, John -- John Edwards Stats Geek, Ottawa Senators Jr. A Hockey Club (17-9-1) Email: [log in to unmask] URL: http://chat.carleton.ca/~jedwards "Ottawa is the capital of Canada? Yeah, right!" - Canadian Bacon This is the JCKE e-mail system. Cable 80, Coeur d'Alene. HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.