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I'm glad things worked out for your daughter, but your belief that all talented girls get an equal shot at D1 opportunities is naive. Your various comments suggest that your daughter may have been a top prospect, possibly a Team Canada player?

If not, just because no scout actually mentioned they were interested in your daughter for her skills and not also based on the top 4 club she played on does not mean it was not a factor--unless she did not play for Aeros/ Stoney/ Ottawa/ Durham? If she did, did you ask that question outright if it may have made any difference?

Yes, some girls (but definitely not most) are actually offered D1 scholarships prior to starting their Grade 12 year. Many of these are also the same girls who stood out in their first year of rep hockey and were clearly destined for success from a young age based on raw talent alone. From your post, it sounds like your daughter played in the PWHL for three years and may have been one of these top prospects (maybe top 8-10 in their age group?). In those cases, you are right, it doesn't make a lot of difference where you play--as I said before.

However, there are also even more girls who play in the PWHL 2-3 years, and don't ever get any of these opportunities at all. Most girls regardless of where they play or their # years in the PWHL, don't get lots of letters as Bantams, or many calls on July 1. Even among those who do, a significant number of these don't ultimately result in scholarship offers at all! Converting that interest into firm scholarship offers often doesn't happen until well into their final year. That's where the top clubs do help "seal the deal" for the next tier, and especially for the last 10-20 bubble players. Remember too that there are always girls who only play in the PWHL their senior year (or not at all!), and some who never got calls in July at all, who also eventually get scholarship offers too as the top few prospects finally commit elsewhere. I personally know of several of these.

I have talked to at least a couple of dozen scouts (not just as the process applied to my own daughter), and a large number have spontaneously expressed the opinion that a top organization plays a clear role in their degree of interest, for all but those very top prospects at the top of their list.

If you have ever watched the scouts on Friday and Saturday at major tourneys like the Stoney Showcase (yes, most are gone Sunday, so wins are irrelevant), you will note that the packs of scouts are much larger on certain pads, following games being played by Aeros, Stoney, Ottawa and Durham especially, as often as possible. Fewer scouts spend significant time watching 2 middle of the pack teams play, unless there is no game featuring top teams on at the time, or until their scouting of players on top teams and of top prospects has been completed.

If you do not play for one of the top clubs, it is still possible to be recruited even if you are not a top prospect. However, you must be significantly more proactive and aggressive as a player and parent in securing the opportunities on your own. Unfortunately, most players and parents don't understand the process and timing well enough to be as successful at this as they could be.