Is the Showcase the Right Thing for You?

The "buyers beware" mantra isn't exclusive to the car sales market.

Many camps and showcases are revving up with their invitations, but please heed the advice from Junior Hockey Truth in regards to such events, noted below.

My two golden rules for checking out independent camps:

1) What scouts attended the year before—who actually showed up, not who lent their name to their buddy running the camp but will actually go fishing that weekend instead; not the ones who stopped in for a beer in the rink lounge three years ago and remained on the list. It’s not easy to verify, but at minimum, a good camp will let you know what scouts will be in attendance, by name and what league/team they scout for.

2) What players have attended the camp before and now play where you want to play—the mark of a good camp should be that it gets players recruited. If you go to a camp that promises Major Junior scouts and every player ends up in a poor Junior A league a few provinces over or in a local tier III league, you probably selected a camp that has low-end talent show up.

On the other hand, if you are struggling to just make a junior team and will take any shot you can get, you could really find an opportunity to connect with a junior team. Same goes for players who play in States where good leagues aren’t often scouting just due to geography. There ARE good ones out there. A scouting camp could be your big break.

Those who attend and participate in the Top Notch Prospect Showcase in Dallas can rest assure in knowing the validity of the showcase, scouts, directors and attendees. In fact, our scouts, which can be found on the homepage gallery, not only stay for the entire duration of the weekend, but coach and attend the seminars as well. This gives the participants multiple opportunities to encounter the college and Juniors scouts.

As for the players in attendance, look no further than the impressive alumni list we are proud to exhibit. The list continues to grow each year as the talent pool travels south to partake in the event.

So beware and do your homework before feeling flattered by invitations to new showcases and combines popping up across the country.

To inquire about attending the Top Notch Hockey Prospect Showcase in Dallas this May, please visit: http://www.topnotchhockey.com/contact.