AJHL LEAGUE GUIDE LEAGUE GUIDE GMHL GREATER METRO HOCKEY LEAGUE JUNIOR HOCKEY TRUTH
GREATER METRO HOCKEY LEAGUE HOW TO PLAY IN THIS LEAGUE North American players can enter the GMHL through a number of avenues, including Midget AA and AAA, as well as Junior B and American tier III junior. It is also not uncommon for overage Junior A players to come join this league for an extra season of junior. GMHL teams scout locally in Ontario to find top talent, as well as at showcases, tournaments and games in the United States (and other parts of Canada). Furthermore, the league has longstanding connections to Europe where it regularly recruits. This is not to mention the past players from Asia and Oceana. Many players enter this league through its annual draft and subsequent training camps. However, players need not be drafted to play in this league. Some teams in this league recruit harder than others and have a stronger reputation of winning. As such, there is some disparity between top-level teams and those who fill in the bottom half of the league. AVERAGE AGE TO BREAK INTO THE LEAGUE Player ages in the GMHL are wide-ranging. While players can and do start as young as 16 and 17, the league also accepts 21 year-old players. Midget-aged players will use this league as an alternative to AAA or Junior B depending on their situation. By playing in the GMHL these players get exposed to the junior lifestyle and get to go up against older, more mature players. At the same time, some teams in this league skew toward older players, with 21 year-olds from the OJHL crossing over to play another year of junior. Sometimes these players can land division III scholarships from this move. IMPORT PLAYERS Since the GMHL is outside of the Hockey Canada system, it doesn t face import restrictions that other leagues do. The league not only is open to import players, but also it gets a fair number of players from around the world. Popular spots players have come from are Russia, Sweden, Latvia, and Great Britain. Others have also come from Asia and Oceana. Of course, the league is also open to American players and has a fair amount of them on rosters. JuniorHockeyTruth.com - GMHL League Guide 1
Simply put, the GMHL will go to great lengths to find talent, and foreign talent seeks out the GMHL too. (If you would like to contact an GMHL team for a tryout, check out Junior Hockey Truth s Training Camp Invite Formula to learn how.) NHL DRAFT PROSPECTS GMHL players do not get drafted to the NHL, nor is it really the league s goal. The league does, however, send players to the lower tiers of European pro hockey particularly its European players. On top of that, players have been taken as high picks in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) draft. Other European (and Oceanic and Asian) players have also played for national teams in the division II and division III World Junior Championships. The GMHL has also forwarded players on to semi-professional leagues in America. TRAVEL Although the core of the GMHL is centered around the Greater Toronto Area, the league does extend northward, even dipping into Quebec. The league corrals travel for teams by playing an unbalanced schedule, a common practice in all junior and pro leagues. Teams play nearby rivals more often than those teams further away. Every second year a team will make a trip across the league. SCHOLARSHIP POTENTIAL The GMHL is not a division I scholarship league. However, it does get division III scholarships. Being close to the American border and in close proximity to many schools helps players to get noticed. The league holds an annual showcase to put the best teams in front of college scouts. After 20 games are played in the regular season, the top 10 teams will enter the showcase tournament to play in front of college scouts from all levels. This showcase happens in December every season. JuniorHockeyTruth.com - GMHL League Guide 2
ENTRY DRAFT The GMHL draft takes place in early May of every year. Players 16-21, i.e. junior aged players, can be drafted. Like all drafts, this one aligns future players to teams, creates investment by both parties and starts the recruiting process. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS Unlike in America, players in an independent league like the GMHL cannot transfer to a Hockey Canada league during the same season. These Hockey Canada leagues include the GOJHL and EOJHL Junior B leagues, the CCHL and OJHL Junior A leagues and the OHL. Players who play games with a GMHL team will have to wait until the completion of the GMHL season before they can sign or affiliate with a Hockey Canada league team. At season s end, all restrictions are lifted. These restrictions do not exist in America and player can move south at any time. PAY TO PLAY The GMHL is a pay-to-play league. Players fees cover everything from ice time to equipment to travel and billets. Parents must also purchase insurance. With stable ownership in place, players get good bang for their parents buck within a the typical Tier III pay to play structure. GMHL DETAILS Nicknames you ll hear: Greater Metro league Provinces/States covered: Ontario, Quebec Established: 2006 Teams: 24 Games Played: 42 Trophy Name: Russell Cup Reigning League Champion: Bradford Bulls SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED There are currently no hard numbers for commitments for recent years on the GMHL website. However, the league consistently sends a couple dozen players to American division III schools each season. JuniorHockeyTruth.com - GMHL League Guide 3
LEAGUE CONTACTS 126 Bridge Street Unit #2 Bradford, ON L3Z 3H2 Phone: (905) 775-0062 Website: www.gmhl.net Commissioner: Ken Girard JuniorHockeyTruth.com - GMHL League Guide 4