When the 2017 NHL playoffs begin, there will be a familiar team missing. The Detroit Red Wings’ 25-year playoff streak will likely come to an end as the team sits with just a 0.2% chance of making the playoffs. The Red Wings have succeeded over the past-quarter century by developing the organization’s young talent in the minor leagues and bringing in NHL superstars from Free Agency. The foundation for the last 25 years of success started with drafting Steve Yzerman in 1983 and building the team around him. To return to their former glory, the Red Wings need a new star draft pick to lay a new foundation for the next 25 years: a new Steve Yzerman.
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In basketball, there is a direct road to the National Basketball Association. Athletes must excel in high school, commit to and play for a university, and get drafted into the NBA. However, in the sport of hockey, the path to the National Hockey League is much more complicated. In addition to collegiate hockey, there are a myriad of developmental leagues that the NHL pools from. Despite this complicated process, at the center of hockey is the ideal model in preparing its youth. This all comes down to the NHL’s draft format: players can be drafted, but continue to play as an amateur before turning pro. This style of draft is something that the NBA should implement.
For those unfamiliar with the sport, attempting to make sense of all the various levels and leagues of hockey is comparable to reading a different language. At the amateur level, there are junior, major junior, and collegiate leagues. Junior leagues are the precursor to both collegiate and major junior hockey. NCAA Division I hockey consists of 60 teams in different conferences while major junior hockey consists of the three leagues in the Canadian Hockey League. Players choose either the NCAA or major junior route before the age where they can legally drive a car. They then play two years at the junior level before moving to the NCAA or major juniors. From ages 18-20, players can be drafted from these leagues in the NHL, but can continue to play as amateurs. By the time players move from amateur to professional leagues, they have played two years of developmental hockey at a minimum. |
Sean KageffSenior at the University of Michigan studying Actuarial Math CategoriesArchives |