Future Prospects Tournament off to a great start

May 2, 2014

The second of two Future Prospects Tournament (FPT) Series, an innovative and unique event designed to provide the younger developing teenage hockey player with an experience that will prepare and expose them to the future paths of the NAHL developmental hockey ladder, is just two weeks away and will take place in Anaheim, California from May 16-18. 

 

The next event in the Future Prospects Tournament Series will be at The Rinks – Anaheim Ice on May 16-18 in Anaheim, California. The camp fee is $200 and includes the ice time and jersey. Registration form and camp fee payment can be found and filled out online at: www.nahl.com/fpt

 

The first event in Middletown, New Jersey held from April 25-27, experienced great success and got some rave reviews. There were four teams for each age group for a total of eight teams and over 130 players. Scouts in attendance included those from the NAHL, NA3HL, NAPHL and USPHL. Coaches form the NAHL and NA3HL assisted in coaching, which included: Soo Eagles head coach Bruno Bragagnolo, Port Huron Fighting Falcons assistant coach Nick Shackford and Bedri Kulla from the Sugar Land Imperials.

 

“We wanted to start the first events with one on the west coast and one on the east coast. We chose Middletown, New Jersey and Anaheim, California, because they are both members of our NAPHL league, each have strong youth hockey programs and great facilities. Our first event in New Jersey proved to be a huge success. It was easy to get to for families, the arena and its staff were first-class and there was great seating and sight lines for parents, scouts and fans to watch the action,” said Coordinator of Player Personnel Craig Barnett, who is heading up the two events.

 

“We received tremendous feedback from both parents and players in New Jersey. They found the introduction to junior hockey and NCAA education presentations to be extremely helpful.  I enjoyed them as well because the parents were very engaged and asked a lot of great questions. I think they left feeling better prepared to make informed decisions down the road for the sons,” continued Barnett. “I think the biggest eye-openers for them was understanding the difference between Tier I and II junior hockey vs. Tier III junior hockey, and also the rules and regulations of the NCAA and how the recruiting process works. I was even more impressed with the talent on the ice. We had players from eight different states and three countries. We are very optimistic that our Anaheim event will prove to be as successful.”

 

The Future Prospects Tournament (FPT) Series in Anaheim open to all players with birth years from 1998-2001 and will be divided into two age groups at each event. Group A will be players with 1998 or 1999 birth years and Group B will be players with 2000 or 2001 birth years. Each team consists of 17 players: ten (10) forwards, five (5) defensemen and two (2) goaltenders. Each team will play in four games, three round-robin games and one playoff game.

 

The Future Prospects Tournament (FPT) Series is designed to provide exposure and education for hockey players that strive to play junior hockey in a premier league like the NAHL. Now in its 38th season, the NAHL is one of the top junior leagues under the USA Hockey umbrella. Over 175 players make NCAA commitments annually which proves that the NAHL is one of the best at developing its players and ultimately providing an opportunity to move onto the next level. This is due in large part to the unique and established league-wide events schedule and ladder of development model, which continues to draw attention and praise from the entire hockey community, most notably college and professional scouts. 

 

At the event, players will be introduced and exposed to junior hockey and in particular, the NAHL, NA3HL as well as the NAPHL (Tier I Midget Hockey). The players will be introduced to and provided with a weekend that involves the ‘NAHL Experience,’ which will consist of competitive hockey, education of the future levels of hockey, academic preparation for NCAA hockey and exposure to professional, college, and junior scouts. This includes seminars that discuss the NAHL junior hockey experience, the ladder of development, as well as, NCAA compliance seminars. Guest speakers will include those from the NAHL and NCAA.