NCAA Hockey is an incredible journey where the final destination is opportunity.

NCAA Hockey is made up 59 member schools across six conferences.  The six conferences are Atlantic Hockey, CCHA, CHA, ECACHL, Hockey East and the WCHA.  The member teams range as far west as Alaska and as far south as Alabama.

The College Hockey season starts in October and culminates with The Frozen Four in early April.  Teams play two games per week, primarily Friday and Saturday nights, and 35 - 45 games over the course of the season.  At the conclusion of the regular season schedule, each conference holds a playoff with the winner gaining automatic entry into the NCAA Tournament.  Ten at-large bids are selected by an NCAA selection committee and are added to the six automatic qualifiers to make up the four region, 16 team, NCAA Tournament.  The winner of each regional advances to the The Frozen Four to determine the NCAA Champion.

Every year, approximately 1500 student-athletes participate in NCAA hockey.  The quality of hockey players in college is second to none as evidenced by the presence of over 20 former first round draft picks in college hockey during the 2006-2007 season. The future of college hockey holds even more promise.  Of the 213 players drafted in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, 75 of the draft picks played college or in the leagues that feed college hockey i.e.; USHL, U.S. high school, tier II Canadian junior leagues etc.  A virtual tie with 78 players selected from all three Canadian Major Junior leagues combined in that same draft.

The Journey

Games:  Every Friday and Saturday night during the college hockey season, two teams play in front of an arena full of hyped-up fellow students, friends, family members and fans.  As many as ten thousand fans sing their school fight song after every goal.  School spirit creates an atmosphere not experienced anywhere else in the world.  Because every game of a 40-game season carries such significance, they are played at a highly competitive level.  You will not find an "off" game in college where both teams are just too "gassed" from the inherent travel and scheduling difficulties of an 80-game schedule.  The Canadian major junior schedule is unavoidably loaded with these kinds of games.

Coaches:  NCAA Hockey has, arguably, the finest collection of knowledgeable, experienced, accomplished coaches in the world.  These coaches have been through the college experience and are well-versed in the challenges and tribulations that their student-athletes will face.  They are constantly striving to improve the college game and experience both collectively, through the American Hockey Coaches Association, and individually, with their team staff and university personnel.

Practices:  The college game-schedule provides ample time for on-ice practice instruction with these expertly trained and dedicated coaches.  For the aspiring National Hockey League player, college hockey offers the ideal practice-to-game ratio to prepare for a career in professional hockey. There is also time allotted in the college hockey schedule for dedicated off-ice strength and conditioning program (see "Strength & Conditioning") to be implemented in order to build strength and endurance throughout the season.   A prospective NHL player will be far better prepared to succeed at the next level by the NCAA Hockey journey than by the 3-4 games a week and 2-3 practices a week experienced in Canadian major juniors.

Student Life:  Your life as a college hockey student-athlete is an experience that you will remember fondly for your entire life.  Ask any former college hockey player and they will attest to that fact. Four days a week are spent focusing solely on studies, practice and recreation.  Time will be spent exercising your mind as well as your body and building friendships with fellow classmates that will last a lifetime.

Opportunity

Professional Hockey:  As stated in "The Facts", a hockey player taking the college hockey route to the NHL is just as likely to be selected in the NHL draft as a player in Canadian major junior.  The fact is that College Hockey is much more effective at developing aspiring youngsters into NHL-caliber players. Highly competitive games, outstanding coaching, superior practice/game ratio, and year-round strength programs all represent the advantage that college hockey has over major junior hockey in developing young players for the NHL.

Career Opportunity: The main task of College Hockey is to prepare it's young players for their future whether it be in the NHL or in the business world.  This is where College Hockey is far superior to Canadian major junior.  80% of NCAA hockey players receive a university degree compared with less than 20% of Canadian major junior players.  Whether you use this degree post-NHL hockey career or immediately following college, the advantage college has in preparing a hockey player for their future outside of hockey is substantial.