For any 14-year-old hockey player, the season leading up to the Western Hockey League Prospects Draft is both exciting and nerve-wracking.
Every U15 player dreams of hearing their name called on draft day—a moment that becomes a milestone in their hockey journey and one they’ll remember for the rest of their career.
It’s the day when players, parents, and families are scrolling & refreshing their smartphones and computers to see where the next step of their hockey journey may take them, it’s also a day for the clubs to continue to stockpile and add great young players to their organization, and to put all the hard work and many miles put on by the scouts gets put into fruition.
One important takeaway for me?
There is no one-size-fits-all path to playing professional hockey. Whether you go through the WHL, take the college route, play Junior A, or follow another development path, if you're good enough and willing to put in the work, you will get noticed—no matter where you play.
With your Sports Scope, I'm Benny Walchuk.