Minor Hockey Talks - Hockey Forum

Guest wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 8:51 am Saying the choice is between a bottom team and a top team is a false dichotomy. There are between 12 (AAA) and 16 teams. Being on a top team with bad game experience because no shots where you can only lose a game for the team, and being on a bottom team with bad practice experience and you can never win a game no matter how good you play, are equally bad.

Getting a losing mentality is not good for a goalie's confidence but it depends on the kid. Learning mental toughness and that you can't actually "win" a game (because you can't score) can be tremendously helpful to a goalie's development. A kid who knows they don't matter because they are always going to win is not building confidence or a sense of being a winner. I've also found the top team parents to be the absolute worst when it comes to blaming goalies for a loss.

The difference between top shooters and lower shooters in practice is not that materially different because it is not a game situation. But again you should be comparing top to midpack or bottom to midpack. The real difference is not so much the quality of shooters but the quantity (more means more shots) and quality (better game situations instead of breakaway and 2 on 1 drills, rinse and repeat) of the practices. So if you are considering a team, ask how often do they practice and what do they actually do in practice.

And if you are in a spot to consider the draft, look at the history of the draft, there is very definitely a top team discount on goalies so a midpack team or even a lower end team and playing well are far better. They can't assess you if you aren't getting shots.