Blashill, Cole and NCAA coaches talk to top players and their parents at College Hockey, Inc. event in East Lansing

Grand Rapids Griffins coach Jeff Blashill stands in front of an infographic spelling out Michigan's college hockey successes. (Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey)
Grand Rapids Griffins coach Jeff Blashill stands in front of an infographic spelling out Michigan’s college hockey successes. (Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey)

 

By Nick Barnowski –

EAST LANSING – Some of Michigan’s top 14- and 15-year-old hockey players congregated at Michigan State University Wednesday night for an event hosted by College Hockey, Inc.

More than 70 kids and their parents attended the ‘College Hockey Summit’ in East Lansing, an event designed to give information about college hockey to kids who soon may be forced to make a choice between playing in the NCAA or Ontario Hockey League.

“Michigan is the cross roads of all aspects of hockey in North America,” College Hockey, Inc. Executive Director Mike Snee said. “So our purpose and our reason for being here is to make sure all the parents and the players fully understand that when it comes time to make a decision, they have as much information as possible.”

Click the image above to see the in-game photos from the College Hockey, Inc. event. (Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey)
Click the image above to see the in-game photos from the College Hockey, Inc. event. (Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey)

 

The College Hockey Summit featured speakers such as Grand Rapids Griffins head coach Jeff Blashill and Danton Cole of the U.S. National Team Development Program. The players had the chance to compete in front of college coaches, and they also received a tour of Michigan State’s hockey facilities.

Blashill, a Ferris State alum and former head coach at Western Michigan, emphasized that no matter which route a player takes – college or major junior – success isn’t guaranteed.

“The player dictates the player’s success, not the route,” Blashill told MiHockey. “It can be murky waters to work through for the families and the players and if I can help shed any light on that I was certainly happy to do that.”

Cole, who spoke to the hockey players and their parents after Blashill, said he agrees with the Griffins coach in that the player determines his own success, but that it’s also important to obtain as much information about both sides of the equation as possible.

“These are some pretty good hockey players, they’re going to have some decisions to make and we’re trying to give them as much information as we can,” said Cole, who played for MSU from 1985-1989. “Find out as much as you can and find what fits for you. I like options and I think college hockey gives guys great options in life and in hockey.”

Michigan's Brian Wiseman and Michigan State's Tom Anastos talk to the parents and players in attendance at the College Hockey, Inc. event. (Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey)
Michigan’s Brian Wiseman and Michigan State’s Tom Anastos talk to the parents and players in attendance at the College Hockey, Inc. event. (Photo by Michael Caples/MiHockey)

 

While the event is a tool to help youth hockey players learn more about their options, it’s also an opportunity to promote the college route through facts. Coaches, such as Michigan State’s Tom Anastos, believe that sometimes misinformation is spread to kids who have to decide where they want to develop at such a young age.

“I think there’s a lot of people who put out information that’s not necessarily factual and people sometimes follow that path,” said Anastos, who is entering his fourth season as MSU’s head coach. “I think it’s important for people to seek good information so they can make good decisions.”

Snee shared multiple facts about college hockey that he hopes both the players and the parents will consider closely.

A total of 85 percent of NCAA Division 1 men’s hockey players earn a degree, which is higher than the general student body population. Snee spoke of how more than 30 percent of NHL players this past season played college hockey, and his presentation featured a slide showing that all four of the Michigan natives currently on the Detroit Red Wings played college hockey.

“We believe the college campus environment is a great place for an athlete to reach his full potential as a hockey player,” said Snee, who worked as Minnesota hockey’s executive director before joining CHI. “When you talk to players, whether they made the NHL or players who didn’t make it to the NHL, they generally can’t stop talking about how great the college hockey experience was for them.”

From College Hockey, Inc.
From College Hockey, Inc.

Blashill said that the college experience is something that “can’t be replicated.”

“In college, you live in a bubble, you do things, you form bonds,” he said. “If you’ve even been to Yost, if you’ve ever been to Munn, it’s an unbelievable environment. I would never tell someone they shouldn’t play there, ever.”

Unlike other sports, hockey players have the ability to play junior hockey before making the jump to the NCAA level, allowing more time for development. Ferris State associate head coach Drew Famulak stressed that even if a player isn’t recruited at 15 or 16, they still have a shot at playing in college. Famulak noted the average age of his Bulldog team last season was 20.2, a number not uncommon across college hockey.

“When I talk to the kids, I tell them that everybody develops at a different rate and that your time will come but it might not be the same as your peers,” Famulak told MiHockey. “You’ve got a couple of extra years to develop. I really believe that’s opened up a talent pool that maybe is not there for other sports.”

The event also informed players and parents about NCAA recruiting rules and regulations. Snee pointed out that coaches cannot contact players until January of their sophomore year of high school and also said not to sign anything with major junior clubs because it could violate a player’s amateur status.

University of Michigan assistant coach Brian Wiseman attended the question-and-answer portion of the event and praised the work Snee and College Hockey, Inc. have done.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Wiseman said. “These are the resources here for these kids to be successful on and off the ice and in the classroom. What a great thing for these kids to see firsthand.”

Cole said that College Hockey, Inc. has been a positive influence in the college hockey community because people like Snee are able to share important information about the decision process.

“I think it’s tremendously important because a lot of times in the past decisions were made without everybody knowing the information and it was made at a time before colleges could present their side of it,” said Cole, who played in 318 NHL games as a fifth-round draft pick. “I think it’s been great that [Snee’s] been able to do it and I think he’s done a good service for a lot of young men.”