When it was time for JJ Monteiro to decide on the next step in his hockey career last season, juniors was the obvious choice. The Hudson, Mass., native had become a dominant player for Mount St. Charles’ 16O squad before committing to Providence College. It just came down to which junior league it would be. Monteiro, then a 17-year-old, was chosen by the Waterloo Black Hawks in the fifth round of the 2022 USHL Phase 1 Draft. Packing his bags for Waterloo seemed like the logical next step. But the Black Hawks had nine forwards returning from the 2022-23 roster. There was one 2003-born player, two ’04s, four ’05s and two ’06s. All would look for elevated roles the following season, especially the ’03s, ’04s and ’05s. Not to mention the new players coming in for spots, too. Monteiro, an ’06, didn’t want to enter juniors and see limited minutes — he wanted a good role. Those years are too important to be spent on the bench. The post How the transfer portal is affecting junior hockey appeared first on New England Hockey Journal.

View Entire Post