Can You Trust AI Hockey Player Rankings?

One thing I'm seeing run rampant lately on social media are AI generated player rankings.

Yep, some website has deemed you the 5th best player in the State you live in based on your "ProdigyPoints" which are generated from a secret formula containing "6 major categories and more than 20 factors..."

It's the usual suspects sharing this stuff like crazy, you know, guys who've always thought they were the best player on the planet, showing up to all the USA Hockey regional tryouts, USHL combines, anything with Matterhorn or Cwench names attached to it, or think "participating" in a tournament in Lake Placid is something to boast about...but everyone in their actual circle knows they're just a fringe tier 3 player, at best...

Toot your own horn all you want, marketing yourself is super important, I realize that more than the next guy...but open your eyes, man.

If your kid is playing a depth role at a prep school, split season for some junky U18 team, and you still believe they're that highly ranked...while there are 10 guys I can name off hand that are already in the QMJHL, OHL, or USHL from a birth year younger...well...I mean...c'mon...

You know that ranking is BS, right?

I mean, you're not even the best player on your own team?! Can I sell you a bridge?

Making this real awkward...my kid's name showed up on one recently.

Sigh...

AI Rankings Are Only as Good as the Data

My favorite part is that all of these AI generated "scouting" sites all dip into the same well...Elite Prospects.

I've talked about how important having a solid EP profile is -- it's the base.

The cornerstone of the base, even.

But...it's also full of garbage.

Ever play in a showcase where kids that aren't even on the bench that day get credit for goals?

My son, per Elite Prospects, apparently played 11 games across two leagues at the 15U level two seasons ago.

He didn't dress for any of them.

Not one.

Wasn't even in the building.

Explains perfectly why he had zero points in those 11 games...so, I guess the point total is accurate on that one.

Just this past weekend, my other son had two goals and two assists and six PIMs over three games of a league showcase.

Referees, just going through the motions trying to get through the long days, got everything wrong.

Per Elite Prospects, he had one assist and 4 PIMs. That's...a different stat line.

One game, legit, had the home and road teams flip flopped so the "volunteer" (getting paid) doing the scoring was giving points to kids on the wrong team with the closest number to the kid on the opposing team that actually scored.

We've all been there.

It's sad when stats, which are made public, are collected so carelessly.

It's even more sad that "rankings" are based on those same stats.

Proof in point -- this is a real picture. From a game.

Two kids with the same number. It happens. A lot.

And we're recording statistics? For public consumption?

Youth Hockey Stats Aren't Always Accurate

Have I ever mentioned the player we know that had like 55 points at home and only 5 or 6 on the road?

Spoiler Alert: His dad did the scoresheet at home -- kid got a second assist on EVERY single goal that team scored.

As Black Bear started trying to make youth hockey feel more like pro hockey and started posting their THF player stats across all of the teams under their umbrella, this kid would always be among the league leaders.

I know it caused local folks to raise an eyebrow.

Him?

Really?

But, hey, that team coming up from Maryland might really think he's the man...

Ahhhh...youth hockey.

I'd bet he's ranked number one somewhere on the internet.

Crazy -- he's a third line talent. Top line, yeah, but as the "energy" guy. Not a play maker. Not a finisher. Totally replaceable...and I say that as a parent of a player often slotted in as an "energy" guy.

It did eventually bite him, though. False "dad hype" flames out real quick in midget.

He's still hanging around the U18 scene...dad still apparently doing the scoring at home games since all of his points so far this season are assists...at home...but he's also buried on a last place team in lower-level league...a solid 3 hours from home...

And that league isn't of the billeting sort.

Some families get goofy during this hockey journey.

Kid is destined for the ACDC tier for college, at best.

That's the "new" level below ACHA D3...ACDC stands for "American Collegiate Development Conference" so, like, I mean, it's a stretch to even call it club hockey.

Seventh rung down.

Gym class hockey.

Or men's league...without the old guys...who tend to be nasty well into their late 40's.

Yeah, I said it.

I mean, good for him continuing to play but at a certain point you have to circle the wagons, stop plunking down $10k to play, and accept reality.

Maybe a local split season team is the way to go.

But yeah...stats.

So, on that note, I know the Neutral Zone guys, Spittin' Chiclets (when they discuss juniors or youth), Swanick, Rink Shrinks Mottau and Yandle, and a whole host of other junior hockey podcast guys say "performance is king" and individual stats are one of the best measurements of performance.

I've pushed back on that line of thought a few times -- live, on the air even! -- with a couple of those guys.

Stats are a great measurement...if the stats are correct.

With an accuracy box checked off, I can agree wholeheartedly.

Especially for forwards.

But what about defense? Goaltenders?

Defensemen and Goalies Are Especially Hard to Rank

My experience, the goaltenders on the top, top, top teams all throughout youth hockey have insane stats under their name. Problem is -- they don't face many shots because the skaters in front of them are so good.

Facing limited action doesn't lead to stellar goaltending.

The stats deceive.

Even when they're correct.

I've experienced more three or four seasons where my kid's team has landed a goaltender from a higher level program or league and all the parents are salivating at the idea that we've finally got a guy who will steal a few games for us all on his own...only to realize a month into the season, the guy we've had all along is actually the better netminder.

For us, that's been the case EVERY TIME.

One kid, on the verge of getting cut year over year ended up as the top high school goalie in the state.

The other two guys that nearly pushed him out? Meh.

Yeah, our third option -- during tryouts -- was actually the best player...and went the farthest.

I watch my youngest son's team with new eyes these days.

Been here before.

Defense is another animal. I've got article after article on here about that.

Every team has that one kid on defense that scores at will and doesn't actually play anything resembling defense.

That's not a defenseman. That's a fourth forward.

Experienced that during our WSI run.

Every team also has that one guy who is 6-4 and 200 pounds at 15 years old.

Those are just numbers on a page, man.

All that glitters is not gold.

The blowback is that these are exceptions to the rule but I've found the reality is that it's the opposite way around.

You've got the outliers that are just superior players all around.

Can't discredit that type of player.

There are only a couple of dozen or so teams that have, maybe, one of those guys.

Yes, one.

All told, my kids have played alongside, I'd say, three players total that even approach fitting that mold.

Three.

Over nearly 30 seasons of youth hockey.

They've played against maybe seven.

Those are the outliers. They don't count.

Oh, and that kid that was drafted in the first round in 2026...6-7 and 200-something pounds...yeah, he is not among the top players we've shared the ice with.

Not even close.

Even the NHL is mesmerized by numbers on a page sometimes.

Why Actual Hockey Scouting Still Matters

But for everyone else, in the pack, the "measurement" or perceived depth chart, I've found, is often entirely reversed from reality.

Or random.

But universally wrong.

Cause the measurement tools everyone is using are flawed.

This is where stats fail.

This is where AI really fails.

And it's a shame scouting, the in-person variety, is a shell of what it once was.

Bunch of early 20-something hockey has-beens pouring over AI generated lists...to scope out that kid with 40 assists in 15 games...while completely overlooking the kid over on rink 2 that can actually play.

Every showcase. Every higher end tournament.

And the kids (the guys in their 20's) pretending to be advisors or scouts these days don't know enough about hockey to know what's playing out in front of them.

That's society these days, though.

Scream the loudest, get the most attention.

Fake it 'til you make it.

AI makes it easy...for the lazy.

And it's everywhere.

I think I've mentioned on here before...if you're ever at a game and see a dude in the crowd pushing 80 that's clearly not there to watch a grandchild...that's the golden goose.

That's the dude you need to impress.

That's the dude that has an actual role and direct line to hockey operations and tends to know EXACTLY what they're watching.

Your Coach's Opinion May Matter More Than Your Stat Line

I used to be bothered, like really bothered, when my kids didn't get credit for what they'd done.

Stacked EP Profiles and attractive stat lines draw attention -- I know that.

But I'm not complaining.

I'm just pointing out what I've noticed to be true.

It's one of those "wisdom from experience" things. You evolve as a hockey parent.

No, seriously, my kid might only have one point on the season so far according to the league's website...but it just rolls off my back now and I'll tell you why....

It's because I've isolated something way more valuable than an accurate stat line.

It's the coaching.

I know I always say that, again, lots of articles on this site about that...but this is an additional angle beyond just finding someone that gets the most out of your player.

A coach or GM that has actually seen the games, and practices -- in person -- and knows the "real" stats, in addition to the intangibles that can't be measured by AI just dipping into a stats website holds value.

If a coach knows a player is good, that's a win.

But you don't want it to be a limited environment.

Or, worse, a closed environment

And that's where having the right coach or GM matters so much -- you need one with valuable connections to where your player wants to go.

And your player needs to communicate where they intend to go too.

It is a TOTAL myth that "if you're good enough, they'll find you."

You need to tell them...and they'll do what they can to get you there. That's how it actually works.

And I know I've come across as an unrealistic egomaniac in the past when I've proclaimed that my kids will only play for coaches who have played professionally...but it's paid off.

The two coaches below opened doors for my kids at peewee and bantam. They knew the landscape. Where to go. How to get there. Who to contact.

And they continue to be invaluable contacts.

Those guys have networks. They know guys at higher levels. And those guys at the higher levels trust their word.

The AI leaning advisors bring players onto rosters all the time...that's a fact.

I don't know about you...but from my experience, over half of them turn out to be busts. Lots of hype, limited substance.

I think the tide is turning where too many programs have been burned taking on less than stellar players from afar...but, regardless, this just adds more value to the connections your current coach has.

In our circle, there are programs where their top coaches are essentially just local high school coach guys. Those guys feed the high schools.

One program we know tends to feed a ton of the D3 and club hockey teams within an hour radius.

That's their network.

Limited. But that's okay as long as you're under a coach that's "in" the network you're seeking to be a part of.

We're on a team that has a direct line to where my son wants to go.

When you reach out to a program, or even a GM directly, the first thing they do is look at your EP profile and then ask who your coach is.

When they know that coach personally, got that guy's number in their phone already...boom...your stat line becomes a tertiary factor.

Or even a non-factor.

That GM is gonna call that coach directly, catch up on things, talk about the old days, and then flat out ask -- "Hey man, what can you tell me about this guy Rutschie?"

It's at that point...one assist on the season means absolutely nothing.

So, again, be ever mindful of the big picture.

Can having a connection with this guy get my kid moving upward?

Or does this guy just know the dude that play men's league at 10pm on Tuesday nights?

It matters. Your references matter.

Even for college hockey -- look up the coaches and assistant coaches. Hockey world is small -- chances are, one of those guys has a common connection with a local coach as a former teammate or player. EP is actualy a super valueable source for that type of information...provided your coach has an EP profile.

I mean, even if they didn't play pro...you want one that got far enough to get an EP Profile. There are 12 year olds with profiles.

Connections, man...

Words from the mouth of a trusted source are worth far more than stats on a website.

Now, circling back to that ranking graphic at the top... We know 6 of those guys.

They're all solid defensemen and, I guess, the way they’re ranked is palatable.

If six of them were on the same team, it'd be a formidable defensive corps. No doubt.

Two guys in the Q. Four in prep school. Two on U18 teams.

Connecticut's not very big -- there have literally only been 4-5 really solid youth programs over the past decade for this age group and pretty much every one of these kids has skated for two or three of them since mites.

There's a well worn path here.

MidFairfield, Elite, Chiefs, MassConn, CJR, and Wolf Pack... Where you've played kinda matters as they players get older. (As of 2026, a few of these programs can't be considered high end anymore... Way to go, Black Bear.)

A number of these guys continue to train together over the summer and, I'm sure, the next time they're on the ice together, they'll get a good chuckle out of this unexpected heralding on a Thursday night.

Dig a little deeper though, like I said, we know most of these guys so I don't even need to dig, and you see exactly what I'm talking about up at the top.

A couple of these teams are terrible.

Prep schools are NOT all that. I'm sorry to rain on that parade. Again.

And U18 teams are not all of the same level.

A couple of these guys aren't even the top defenseman on their own team.

The Q guys...well, yeah, they're nasty.

But there are a ton of players missing.

My son's d-partner, Brady, is heads and tails above two of these guys... You want a lockdown defenseman that can also play on the power play and contribute?

Kid had a hat trick this past weekend! You're not going to find much better...his name should be on there.

A d-partner from his peewee days, Kyle, that still plays AAA is somehow NOT on this list -- I suspect it's cause the program he plays for is terrible at providing statistics. And he's listed as a forward. EP as their primary source, AI doesn't know that's wrong.

On that note, one of these guys actually on the list is only there cause his team DOES provide statistics. Excessively.

Ever notice that? Some midget teams put out stats for 70 games.

Other midget teams just put out stats for a dozen or so league games.

We all played 70-ish games. But 50+ of them were just for padding stats. Just another flaw in the system...that AI misses.

And I can think of two 2009 defensemen, Sakuya and Nathan, that got off the AAA train and pivoted to the public high school route that, had an actual human been part of the ranking process, well, they'd be on the list too.

I dunno...my kid may have made the list...but I'm still not a fan...or even in agreement with the placement.

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