Hockey05, your numbers sadly are way low. Around 90 socal 2002s & 2003s have left the state to play for midget AAA, prep or academy programs. NINETY!! You won't see a complete list in Cal Rubber, but I guarantee my figure is correct. That's more than the number of kids who stayed to play AAA for the JK and JD this season. And Im not even counting the kids gone to Tahoe (around 10), or any of the norcal kids who left.
This is a CAHA epic fail. Bad for California youth hockey. Bad for many families. A few people tying to protect their little youth hockey fiefdoms have turned California tier hockey into an expensive and politicized joke that is inferior to dozens of out-of-state programs by every measure other than proximity. And the purposeful shrinking of AAA hasn't make Cal tier hockey any better; the few remaining midget AAA programs actually are LESS competitive nationally now then they were 5, 10 or even 15 years ago. The CJ ’01 Ducks are the only California team in five years to advance past pool play at nationals, and early results for this year's midgets are mediocre.
It is obvious to all but the CAHA geniuses that creating conditions that drive dozens of talented kids out of state every year can only result in a steadily worsening product. The people responsible for this mess should be 5hitcanned, but that won’t happen because too many of the people in charge are selfish, dumb or both.
P.S. for those wondering, our SoCal 2002s/2003s have gone to places including Andover, Bishop’s College, Brooks, Couer D’Alene Academy, Choate, Culver, Cushing, Groton, Gunnery, Hoosac, NAHA, NAX, OHA, POE, Shattuck, Shawnigan Lake, Selects Academy, Taft, Tilton, Winchendon, Belle Tire, CT Elite, Jr. Coyotes, Everett Jr. Silvertips, Honeybaked, Little Caesars, Team Illinois, Victory Honda.