Photo Courtesy of Choate Flickr
Every year, several Choate hockey players decide to play in one of four U.S. junior hockey leagues instead of going to college directly after high school. The USA Hockey leagues focus on player development and training young players between the ages of 16 and 20. After playing in the junior leagues, many players will go on to play Division I (D1) hockey in college. In fact, according to USA Hockey’s official website, junior league hockey players make up a large fraction of D1 teams nationwide.
A key component of Juniors, as the junior leagues are known among players, is how membership in the leagues facilitates players’ development. Players are pushed to their absolute limits, but with this hard work comes significant results.
Chris Guyette ’19, a former Choate hockey captain and current Juniors athlete, said, “Playing Juniors in one of the most unique gap year experiences. The hockey side is the biggest physical challenge I’ve had to endure. We are at the rink six hours a day and it’s basically a job.”
That work has paid off, though. Guyette added, “Juniors is a grind, but once you get your college commitment, it is all worth it in the end … besides the fact that I’ll be a 21-year-old freshman in college.”
Currently, Andrew Carmody ’21, Bauer Swift ’21, and Zach Vandale ’21 all plan to play in the junior leagues next year. Swift said, “I wanted to play Juniors because it gives me a good opportunity to be seen by lots of college coaches. It also helps develop my game as I will be playing against mostly Division I and Division III commits on whatever team I end up on.” Swift knows that he will be ready for whatever challenges come his way in this new league and is excited about the amount of exposure he will undoubtedly receive.
Vandale commented on how Choate’s hockey program has helped him prepare for Juniors, saying that “the opportunity to play in one of the top high school leagues in North America the last four years has given me a great advantage. Not only has it helped prepare me for Junior Hockey, Choate has also instilled the drive and work ethic I use today to pursue my goal of playing college hockey.”
Carmody also reflected on his hockey career at Choate and is excited to turn over a new page in his life. “Obviously I wish that this year would’ve been a normal season, but I’m feeling prepared and, in a way, lucky to be able to take another year. The entire college process was shaken up, so being able to take another year to get continued exposure will be awesome. Getting to travel playing hockey will be a memory for life.”
Choate Hockey has helped all three of these seniors get where they need to be in order to succeed in Juniors and eventually college hockey teams. Each of these players hopes to make the most of their last Choate season before bringing their drive and competitive spirit to the League.
