Quoting: Kotkaniemi15
So your argument is that all 18 year olds are idiots? I know that there are a lot of bad people around the world, but the majority of people don’t think like that. And you’re making the assumption that every player’s families are well off. Their family could be just getting by, and a Junior salary isn’t enough to live off of. And getting money to invest early is helpful for people whose careers usually end around age 35.
And again, the drafting of players isn’t perfect, and it doesn’t need to be. What does pushing the draft accomplish? All it does is make scouting departments look better, and doesn’t really benefit anyone other than I guess below average scouts.
No, I'm not saying that all 18 year olds are idiots. Some are, but that goes at any age. I just think that money could be put to better use at an older age because you do mature and get more responsible as you get older (that's just a fact). I also don't think that being reckless at a young age is bad, it's natural. Being a criminal is bad, not having fun when you have minimal responsibility. I'm assuming that all billet families are well off because they usually are because they are taking in another child. When I was billeted at 18, my family and all my teammates families were well off. A few of my friends billet now and they are all very well off. That could just be my experience, but I don't think there are many billets who can't support their billet child. If they are living at home, hockey is an expensive sport,
MOST hockey playing families are well off. I understand that not all are but these kids aren't entitled to that money. It's a bonus and a dream come true. They aren't going to starve to death if they have to wait another year for it. All the kids that would sign out of the draft are still going to sign out of it in 1 year, the 3rd round picks and deeper won't sign so this part isn't really about them. I think that it would benefit the good scouts as well, it would widely reduce their misses and it also helps out players more than it hurts them. These kids aren't entitled to their signing bonuses, or getting drafted so the kids that have a chance at getting drafted at 18 will still get drafted at 19 if they have a chance at making the NHL (I just mean that because, if you are a draft pick at 18 and aren't at 19 you are flatlining and that's bad. If it's an injury that's one thing, but it's usually a lack of work). It would help out guys who are progressing rapidly late and are better and more likely to get picked at 19. The guys who make it are the hardest workers and the hardest workers sometimes shine later on in their careers. This would allow NHL scouts to find these guys in the draft easier and not have to go searching through the depths of European pro in 5 years. I might just be biased towards these guys as a I was a late blooming player (not good enough to play NHL, but you probably follow what I'm saying) and I just want all these guys to get a chance to succeed. I think that you are viewing this as a fan or as a team rather than as a player which is how I'm approaching it. As for the retiring at 35 point, they will get their money, just not as soon. If you are going to start to slack off at 18 and then go undrafted when you could have been drafted a year earlier, you probably shouldn't get your signing bonus. The people who are good enough to get signed out of the draft anyways will make that money later on in their careers wether that's AHL, NHL or European pro. Maybe not as much, but if you are financially responsible or intelligent it will more than likely be enough to invest and use when you're done with hockey.