Ice Hockey
Ice Hockey
Your scholarship in the USA
Ice hockey has a huge place in American sports culture. If you want to make the leap to the professionals, you’ve definitely come to the right place! Here the future NHL superstars play in front of several thousand spectators.
But even smaller universities offer high-quality sport and enable you to complete a great degree.
More than 300 former college athletes played in the 2017-2018 NHL season and the numbers are increasing every year.
Hockey stars like Jack Eichel, Charlie McAvoy, Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes, Johnny Gudreau and many more played hockey in college before they became NHL stars.
Even a few German players are or were competing at a college in the US. That includes German national team players Parker Tuomie, Marc Michaelis, and Julian Napravnik, among many others.
Ice Hockey in the USA
How many scholarships are there?
Ice hockey is only promoted in the NCAA D1 with athletic scholarships at college. The level of performance in the NCAA D1 is extremely high.
Universities with ice hockey teams:
- NCAA D1: 61 men and women
- NCAA D3: 74 men and women
- ACHA D1: 70 men and women
- ACHA D2: 200 men and women
- ACHA D3: 140 men and women
How is the training in the USA structured?
In the USA, training is usually done at noon. Before that, you have attended all of your lectures and then go on the ice after a warm-up. The units vary from 45 minutes for a pre-game skate to 1.5 or sometimes 2 hours of training. Afterwards, a strength unit with a fitness trainer is completed several times a week. Due to the high load, the athletes have excellent conditions for physiotherapists, chiropractors and medical professionals. They also have access to all regeneration facilities that meet the highest standards.
What does a season at college look like?
The season begins with the start of training in the case of semesters. Most of the time, the athletes arrive a little earlier and hit the ice together. There are always between 4-6 preparation games and then the season starts with games in the first week of October. In total, you have around 34 games in the USA and then the champions are played in a tournament format, first in the respective conference and then on a national level. So it can be that you have up to 42 games.
Ice Hockey
Requirements for your scholarship
Ice hockey is more important in the USA than in Germany. The market for potential talent for coaches is correspondingly larger. In order to receive a sporting scholarship you should play in the highest league for your age. In addition, you should already have been part of a selection or even the national team. But also for athletes who have not played in the top league, it is possible to receive a scholarship at a university in the USA. Here, a “detour” is made via a university, where the player can develop and is introduced to the American game system. After that, it is possible to switch to a university where you can also receive sporting funding for ice hockey.