Playing In NHL - Like Winning Lotto

By Ben Meisner

A young hockey player has about the same chance of playing in the NHL as winning the Lotto.

A study undertaken by a Canadian University shows that in 1999 , one half of the 28 selected in the 1^st round played regular in the NHL. In the 3^RD round 261 of 2,000 made it to the big show.

The dream of many a young Canadian is to one day play in the NHL. There are some obstacles to overcome.  Making it  through the hoops to even earn a spot on a major junior team is hard enough; the final prize is much more elusive.

Prince George product Ryan Howse who is a very good hockey player, playing for the Chilliwack Bruins was selected 74^th overall, while Cougars player Marek Viedensky was selected 189^th overall.

There have been a ton of young very good and very talented hockey players pass through this city since the Cougars arrived and through the Spruce Kings organization. Many of these young men have looked at their chances in the big leagues and opted instead for another career.

The point of all this, well when you are sitting at the kitchen table discussing Johnny's future, it is important to mention that he may not  end up making the millions that seems to measure in making it to the big leagues, in fact he may have to be content with a season as a minor pro. That in itself may be hard to explain to a young man, but as the saying goes, reality dictates, and the most recent study of the NHL only serves to foster that thinking.

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.

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