“Exceptional Status” It’s Way Too Early to Tell

It’s way too early to tell if the decision to select an underage or an “exceptional status” player for a Major U-18 is the right or wrong decision.

When will we know if it was the right or wrong decision? You may never know the answer to that one.

This topic has been up for debate in the hockey world for what seems like forever.

You see there are more questions than answers when it comes to this topic. The primary focus should always be on the player and what’s right for the player, but that drastically changes given each circumstance.

Questions like these usually come to the surface. Who’s pushing for this, is it the association, the coach or the agent, are the parents involved? Is the player even good enough to be considered “exceptional”? Who evaluated the “exceptional status” player and what is that process like? Who applies for exceptional status for the player? Does the player even want to play up? Does the player deserve to play up? Is the player mature enough to handle everything that comes with playing up?

Will the player benefit from playing up? Will the player have to play two years at the Major U-18 level?

I don’t know all the answers to those questions, I’m sure there are people out there that do, but I know right now that it’s way too early to judge the player.

If anything we should seek to understand, before we judge any young hockey player and their families decision. Can we just for a second consider the “shitstorm” that the player and their family are going through right now. Can we take a step back and access the player in due time. Everyone will be quick to judge the player, family and organizations decision. There always will be some people out there that say, the family and player welcomed all the attention when they applied and or agreed to take on the process to be given “exceptional status.”

My grandmother, God rest her soul always used to say “if you burn your ass, you sit on the blisters.”

Obviously, there are a lot of people in the hockey world that are totally against this and totally for it. Either way, it’s way too early to judge.

It’s way too early to criticize the player and parents, if anything now’s the time to sit back and observe, to ask questions and seek understanding.

It’s not the time to negative or judgemental. Right or wrong, give it time. Here’s a question for you, what would you do if it was your child?