It’s extremely difficult seeing some overagers being left off of QMJHL Training Camp rosters.
For some it’s just business, but it’s still an extremely tough day nonetheless.
Usually teams are accustomed of having four or five “20’s” report to camp and competition between the three spots is extremely fierce, while the organization does their best to try to find a place for the player within the league.
Obviously that just can’t happen this season.
The opportunity to fight and literally claw your way on to a Q roster is sadly lost with the 36 man training camp roster.
One can only imagine how these character veterans feel. Sure it all boils down to a numbers game or identity, but it’s a very difficult pill to swallow for any player on the bubble looking in.
The agony, the disappointment and the devastation obviously takes along time to subside.
For many overagers it may seem like the dream is over, but that’s certainly not the case.
With so many great leagues across Canada, and the United States players often have multiple offers awaiting once word gets out that the Major Junior team is going in a different direction.
Before getting angry and upset at the Major Junior teams for parting ways with the player, many team officials go out of their way to broker deals with other organizations across junior hockey to ensure they have a place to play.
The Maritime Hockey League is an outstanding Junior A league that usually sees a plethora of overagers join from the QMJHL every season.
Many 20’s become team and league standouts in Junior A and parlay that into a successful career at the USports level.
I certainly don’t envy those people in the game making all the tough hockey decisions.
It’s never easy telling anyone that they are cut or not good enough.
For those that say they have no problem parting ways with high character people and players, well my message to them is maybe it’s time that you leave the game as well.
The business side of the game is off side at times.
Sure I understand it, but I can’t always accept it.
Cutting or releasing a player is the hardest thing I ever did as a coach.
I never got used to it, a matter of fact the more I did the harder it got.
You see that’s where transparency and honest have to reign supreme.
You can approach the business side of the game many different ways.
The organizations that treat their players the best ultimately show honesty and compassion in times like these.
I realize it’s business, and that every organization has tough calls to make, but I’m sure they have all treated their players and especially their overagers the right way.
Hockey decisions have to be made, it’s how they are conducted that matters most.
The dream of playing in the QMJHL may very well be ending, but that certainly doesn’t mean all of their hockey dreams have ended.
Best of luck to all the overagers and players on the outside looking in.
Never give up, keep fighting for the next opportunity, you never know where that might take you.
Prove people wrong, prove yourself right, never give up on the fight, because it’s never over.
It’s extremely difficult seeing some overagers left off of QMJHL Training Camp rosters, but I can’t wait to see what their next chapter looks like, because deep down the story is far from overs
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