PHL Players, Programs Reap Plenty of Benefits Vertical exposure model continues to serve the budding Tier I league well


By John Tranchina M


any elite-level youth hockey travel programs throughout the United


States face a similar challenge: How can they provide enough top-notch competi- tion for their teams to play against that will attract enough scouts from junior and NCAA clubs while keeping travel costs relatively low by not having to tra- verse across the country every weekend? The dilemma was solved in 2009-10 with the inception of the North American Prospects Hockey League (PHL), an ini- tiative run by the only Tier II Junior A league in the U.S., the North American Hockey League (NAHL). The PHL brings together teams at


the highest levels of youth hockey from across the country. In 2011-12, it fea- tured 18 organizations at the Midget Major (18U) level, 18 from Midget Mi- nor (16U) and eight from Bantam Major (14U). All faced off in competitive tour- naments 4-6 times during the season, de- pending on the age bracket.


you can watch your games or pre-scout your upcoming opponents,” said Burcar. “Without a recruiting budget and a scout- ing budget, it’s really just a benefit have the technology so you can watch your op- ponent prior to playing them.” “The infrastructure the PHL has de-


veloped over the first three seasons is tre- mendous,” added Trombetta. “The Web site is very good and continually updated with stories on the programs, teams and its players. The marketing and promo- tion of the league is the best I’ve seen in youth hockey.


As members of the PHL, Orange County Hockey Club, along with the California Titans and San Jose Jr. Sharks, is enjoying plenty of developmental success competing against top programs from around the country.


On four of those occasions, the PHL showcases are held in conjunction with important NAHL events, so consistent exposure to NAHL coaches and scouts is built into the league’s model. And with NAHL players participating in their own games at the same events, that attracts scouts from the Tier I United States Hock- ey League (USHL), the NCAA and even pro teams, fur- ther exposing PHL kids to personnel from higher levels of hockey. “Our events are based on vertical exposure,” said NAHL commissioner Mark Frankenfeld. “We bring the Bantams and Midgets in so our junior guys can watch them, and we bring our junior teams in so they’re there to watch the Bantams and Midgets, and that brings the pro teams and colleges in. “It’s saving on travel costs, it’s saving on recruiting


costs, and it’s bringing everybody together under one roof.” Orange County Hockey Club is one of three PHL members from California, along with the California Ti- tans and San Jose Jr. Sharks. OC iced teams at the 18U and 16U levels this season; the Titans and Jr. Sharks had teams in all three age divisions. “I think it’s been a win-win, really,” OC Hockey di- rector of coaching Jim Burcar said of the PHL. “It’s been great for our group and our club.” “When choosing which Tier I hockey program to play for, players want exposure and the best oppor- tunity to advance to Junior A hockey,” added Lucas Trombetta, Tier I director of Colorado’s Pikes Peak Miners organization, which ices teams in all three PHL


age groups. “Since joining the league three years ago, we’ve seen an increase in the number of our players making the jump to junior hockey.


“Every PHL event is loaded with scouts from vari- ous junior leagues throughout North America, and consistently playing in front them 5-6 times a season provides all the players a big stage to showcase their abilities.”


Just three years after the PHL’s inception, many players have moved on to higher levels, with each team having its own success stories. Tony Zasowski, the Jr. Sharks president and


coach of its AAA teams, singled out forward Johan Sjoden as one example of what skating in the PHL can provide a player. A Jr. Shark since Bantams, Sjoden competed at the Lincoln (Neb.) Stars’ (USHL) tryout camp last sum- mer and made it to the all-star game. Since then, he signed as an affiliate player with the Texas Tornado and played three games with the NAHL team this sea- son. Shortly after, he was tendered by the NAHL’s St. Louis Bandits.


“The competition in the PHL has helped Johan


raise his game by having to perform against good teams nightly,” said Zasowski. There are some additional perks accompanying


PHL membership that also hold plenty of value, includ- ing having every game broadcast live by FASTHockey and access to a special video editing software. “It’s just nice from a coaching standpoint that


“The video access and editing soft- ware for every game is a huge bonus for any coaching staff. More than anything, however, the networking for players and coaches on a consistent basis throughout the season is the biggest perk.” Another advantage of being part of the PHL is the ability for teams to con- solidate their out-of-town travel agenda, maximizing exposure to scouts and re- ducing costs at the same time.


“As a California-based team, we have to play all the


AAA teams here, and we schedule those games around the six PHL events,” said Burcar. “You can build your calendar in the springtime for the entire hockey sea- son. It’s a real asset not having to search for tourna- ments to play in; you can set your schedule and line up all your trips for the year.”


And not only does the league’s unique format ben-


efit the players and organizations, but it also helps streamline the scouting process for the NAHL clubs since they always know there’s going to be PHL play- ers available to watch every time they go to a league showcase event.


“It allows us the ability to have a representative at


every tournament,” noted Wichita Falls Wildcats head coach Paul Baxter, a former NHL defenseman. “The kids certainly get looked at actively; we’ve got a couple we took from that league last year and we feel very comfortable that they’re going to be great additions to our team.”


“The PHL is a great recruiting tool because we get a lot of our kids right out of Midget,” added for- mer NHL forward Dallas Drake, a minority owner and an assistant coach with the NAHL’s Traverse City North Stars. “You can watch kids all the time and see them and speak with them a lot, which has a lot of value.”


For more information on the PHL, visit NAPHL. com.


Three former local youth players ink NHL deals T


hree players with strong California youth hockey ties


- forwards Beau Bennett and Jason Zucker and defense- man Matt Tennyson - signed with NHL teams at the conclu- sion of their respective college seasons.


Tennyson, who completed


his junior year at Western Mich- igan last month, inked with the San Jose Sharks. He’s the first player in the Sharks’ system to develop in the Jr. Sharks asso- ciation. The


Pleasanton native


played two full seasons of 16U AAA with the program from


2005-07 and half of the 2004- 05 season as a Bantam. Tennyson, 21, made his pro debut with the Worces- ter Sharks - San Jose’s top affiliate - on April 4. Bennett,


for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings.


A former player with


LA Hockey Club, Zucker, 20, signed with the Min- nesota Wild.


20, whose


2011-12 sophomore season at Denver was cut short due to injury, signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins - the team that selected him with its first pick in the 2010 Entry Draft.


Zucker,


A Las Vegas native, who


recently


The former LA Hockey Club/LA Select player from Gardena went to Tier I nation- als four years in a row, finish-


Jason Zucker, who played two seasons with LA Hockey Club from 2004-06, made his NHL debut with the Minnesota Wild last month. Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn


ing runner-up as a Pee Wee once and winning the title as a Bantam in 2006. He also played


wrapped up his sopho- more season at Denver, made his NHL debut with the Wild - the team that drafted him in the second round in 2010 - on March 29.


Zucker played two


years of Pee Wee AAA at LA Hockey from 2004-06, advanc-


14


ing to the national title game twice.


In addition, forward Em- erson Etem, a Long Beach na- tive and former LA Select who was picked in the first round of the 2010 draft by the Anaheim Ducks, made his pro debut on April


with the Syracuse


Crunch of the American Hockey League - Anaheim’s top affili- ate.


Etem recently completed


his third season with the Med- icine Hat Tigers of the West- ern Hockey League (Major Ju- nior).


RubberHockey .com 25


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