If you're aiming to play professionally in the ECHL or at a similar caliber level, you're going to want to keep reading.
Here in this post, we’re going to share helpful info for you on ECHL tryouts, free agent camps, and some alternative options which will help you as you navigate in your journey to play at the next level.
Do ECHL Teams Have Tryouts?
Yes, but the answer is more nuanced than just a quick yes or no answer.
Unlike some other minor pro hockey leagues out there, the ECHL does not officially hold league wide open tryouts across the board.
There's no central event from the league where anyone can sign up and showcase their skills for every team. Instead, individual ECHL teams in the league are able to host their own free agent camps and tryouts in the off-season.
With that being said, each team handles their teams scouting and recruitment differently.
Some ECHL teams hold variations of free agent camps and tryouts…while others do not hold any at all prior to main camp.
Knowing how this works and understanding the difference between one camp and the next matters more than ever.
ECHL Free Agent Camps, Tryouts, & Common Myths
As mentioned above, some ECHL franchises regularly hold annual Free Agent Camps.
These are often held in late summer or early fall leading up to pre-season.
They generally cost money to attend, the quality of players there might differ greatly, and they may (or may not) be worth it based on your situation.
Each free agent camp is different and pro hockey tryouts that teams hold are not necessarily the same just because they are held by teams in the same league.
Some serve more as fundraisers or local engagement as a way to make the team a little extra money…while others are a bit more genuine scouting events where a team just may find a hidden gem of a player every so often (questionable- more on this shortly).
ECHL free agent camps where the primary coaching staff is heavily involved and several invite spots to main camp are on the line are likely better than ones that don’t mention this, but you still need to proceed cautiously for any free agent camps.
If you are at all considering attending one of these camps, a good question to ask the organizers or the staff running it is...
In recent years, have any attendees that came in cold from these free agent camps ever made the regular season opening roster? Not just got invited to main camp."
The distinction of “made the season opening roster” matters a lot.
Here’s why…
You’ll often read on many free agent hockey camp brochures that “1 or 2 spots from the camp is guaranteed an invitation to main camp.” This is a positive thing, but is quite a bit over hyped.
Getting an invite to main camp and sticking on a roster are two very different things.
You can get invited to main camp and released a few days in. Making it to the final roster after main camp means you likely outcompeted viable players (many likely with stronger resumes than you) and legitimately earned a place on the start of season roster.
The reality though is that it’s rare for a player to show up cold to a free agent camp tryout, get invited to main camp, and be so good there that they stick on the roster. It’s been done before and will be again, but it’s much less common than people may think at the ECHL level.
We’re friends with a number of ECHL staff members and they’ll tell you the same thing. It’s not a common path onto an ECHL roster.
We say this not to discourage you, but to keep in mind.
Luckily, there are some steps you can take to increase your chances (alongside other playing routes altogether that we'll touch on) that can allow you to keep playing.
Let’s get into those…
The first is by asking yourself honestly, is the ECHL even the right next level for me?
With how strong pro hockey leagues are today, you have to be realistic on this part.
The ECHL sits just two levels below the NHL and many ECHL clubs have direct affiliations with AHL and NHL clubs. With this, you’ll find several NHL draft picks and even more AHL experienced players littered across most every single ECHL roster.
If you’re coming out of NCAA, USports, major junior, or an equivalent tier in Europe and you’ve played consistently well at these respective levels, the answer to “is the Coast the next level for me” might be yes.
If you have played at a decent level like the above, but your resume doesn’t make coaches giddy off the bat on paper, there still may be a smaller chance to play here…but it will be more hard earned to get your initial in.
If you’ve had a gap in play of any length or are coming out of a lower-tier where it’s not an obvious jump up to the ECHL, then it may not be the next best path for you.
In this case, the SPHL or FPHL might be more realistic next stepping stone league wise, but even at these minor professional hockey levels, the majority of players here have good resumes to their name as well. Keep this in mind as well.
The Right Way to Contact ECHL Teams (if at all)
If you’re serious about getting a shot at the ECHL or a similar level, messaging them alone out of the blue on its own likely won’t cut it.
ECHL teams receive hundreds of generic messages from players each year. To help you get taken seriously, it can help to do some (or all) of these:
Do Your Homework (on teams whether it’s on the level, tryouts, or free agent camps)
We don’t recommend this step alone unless you pair it with others, but if you’re going to try to talk with a team or attend a free agent camp if they have one, try to get a feel for the quality as best as you can.
If you can get invited by the coach or a scout to a camp, that can help a bit as well versus just signing up blindly. Maybe it’ll get you to main camp and your on ice play takes it from there.
How this plays out heavily depends on your situation, your ability, and finally decisions made by the individual teams. As we mentioned above though, free agent camps aren't common routes to land on an ECHL team.
Work with a Reputable Hockey Agent/Agency
A good agency with the right connections may be able to open doors that you never could have otherwise (as long as your ability matches the level of the league).
They can reach out on your behalf with credibility and help you position yourself to teams in the right manner.
We’re the leaders in helping players play across Europe, but we have several strong connections with agencies that specifically help players to place in North America that we can recommend if you’re interested.
Be Professional
This one seems obvious, but we can’t even begin to count how many times we’ve seen players contact teams (and us) in cringeworthy ways.
A few quick examples of this:
- sending a team video clips of you wearing skates/stick/gloves with your chin strap down at open ice taking slap shots on an empty net. This will not impress teams.
- parents emailing a team about their adult player (any player over 18). “My 23 year old wants a chance (imagine this, but in the business world). If they want a chance at this age, they should be intrinsically motivated to do outreach.
Without going too far down this rabbit hole, these are just a few no-no’s.
If you have a way to reach out to any team whether it’s in this level or another, just aim to be a professional. You do this by being clear in your writing and have a concise message that best conveys your ability.
This can include all of your written player info, a link or bullet points to stats, or link to video (training or game highlights). Being professional goes a long way and makes a great first impression.
Additional Playing Routes to the Coast
As we mentioned earlier in this post, the quality of players that teams in the ECHL are looking for today is quite high.
Same goes for the two main pro levels below it in the SP and Federal Prospects Hockey League respectively.
There’s only so many teams in these smaller leagues which makes European hockey an attractive alternative route for players. This is due to the number of quality leagues across the European continent alongside best in class culture away from the arena.
There are several hundred pro teams across a range of high quality European hockey leagues. Having been helping players play in Europe for years, we're connected on the ground with the the far majority of them.
Sure...just as in North America, you have a number of very elite leagues in European hockey…but for every one, there are many more great places to play in the lower to mid professional tiers. These clubs have high quality players, supportive sponsors, passionate fanbases, nice arenas, and they are situated in beautiful settings in European cities. Cities where you’d be lucky to vacation there for a week as a tourist…let alone be able to be able to live + play the game you love there all season long.
It’s a great alternative option that players we’ve helped play overseas praise highly as one of the best life decisions they could have taken.
Final Thoughts
Getting into the ECHL (or other similar leagues) via tryouts isn’t easy…and it shouldn’t be.
With a well thought out approach and looking at your situation realistically though, you can do what’s in your control today to increase the odds of playing here or at another caliber that’s right for your game as the next step.
If you’re reading this, aren't ready to hang up the skates just yet, and are interested in exploring playing in North America or Europe, send us a message. Let us know why you believe you have the chops to keep playing.
We look forward to hearing from you!
