Effective Use of Social Media...and the Internet, in general.

So, during the Senior Chowder Cup last week, we had an NA3HL general manager reach out via email.

Then, earlier this week, an NAHL general manager reached out via DM asking what Duncan's plans were for the coming season.

Now, granted, I have a lot of hockey connections just from my time working for the NY Rangers and in the AHL...but neither of these inquiries had anything to do with me.

They undoubtedly found him...and a lot of details about him...on the internet.

I'm going to be super blunt with this part. Regardless of what the main camp invite emails say, "We've identified you as blah, blah, blah..." -- Junior hockey teams do NOT have the staff or the budget to blindly "scout" games.

Even at the self-proclaimed "high exposure" events.

They utilize groups like Neutral Zone or TSA to do the "work" for them.

One dude goes to the arena, watches a period in rink 1, writes a few names down, then heads over to rink 2, and writes a few more names down. Writes a little paragraph about what they noticed afterwards...and, boom: scouting report.

More often than not, though, these days, the "Advisor" groups form their own teams to compete at these events...and then recruit opponents as new customers. The past couple of years -- I've noticed more of those guys in the crowd than actual scouts or college assistant coaches.

It's very circumstantial ... but also a lesson for players to play their absolute best on every shift.

I hear parents say things like, "You never know who might be watching" to try to motivate their kids all the time.

And that's true...sort of.

But it's not something you can count on, you know, to get noticed.

So often, it's literally a single shift/ that gets your name underlined or circled or whatever. Proof for me is some of the players with Neutral Zone profiles that are, at the end of the day, 10th or 11th on the depth chart on their team.

We got lucky.

Once.

I wouldn't advise relying on getting "noticed" in this fashion.

More of a "cross your fingers" type of gamble.

Maybe you'll get lucky.

Probably not.

None of my kids have a Neutral Zone profile as of yet.

You need to market yourself.

Or, uhh, pay someone a few grand per season to "advise" you...

I wouldn't recommend that for a teenager, though, unless they're truly exceptional.

Like, CHL bound at 16, level. You know, a potential NHL draft pick at 18.

In cases like that, an advisor will push the player to the front of the line, likely skipping a few levels of hockey.

For the rest of us, advisors'll open doors, absolutely, but when I see local kids go off and bounce around lower level junior leagues all throughout North America, I can't help but think...they paid someone for that dead end opportunity?

Why???

Trying not to get off track on this one...but, like I frequently say, don't bother doing ANYTHING that costs money if it doesn't definitively get you closer to your goal.

Playing for the Alliston Hornets might sound exotic and impressive coming out of the US -- oh, he's going to Canada, he must be really good -- but, the fact is, chances are there's a semi-local program of an equal or higher level that you can latch on to...that you're already familiar with.

Just because it's far away...doesn't mean it's better.

I'm originally from Alliston. I have a connection. But I also have zero intention for any of my children to play there.

The USPHL is literally EVERYWHERE at this point.

You don't need an advisor to find a team...unless you've burned every local bridge in your geographic area. If that's the case, that's on you.

Where there's smoke, there's fire. Never expect a different outcome just by going far away.

Okay, steering back on course, you don't need to hire an advisor and you shouldn't count on the unlikely chance that someone with one of the "scouting" groups happens to see you do something awesome.

You have total control.

The internet has joined the conversation.

So, pretty much every bantam and older player uses social media. TikTok is the big one now with the kids...but for the exposure they're actually seeking, their go-to should be Instagram.

Facebook is reserved for old people, like me.

Regardless of the platform, it is essential that you use it as a tool.

My son's feed is overflowing with stories where his friends are just sharing photos of NFL players or baseball players or "Spain wins the World Cup" type "re-shares". No one cares that the Boston Red Sox won today. No one.

One kid will take what they think is an artistic "Footprints in the sand" type photo on their summer vacation...and then 60 kids share the photo.

To the masses...that's social media: "Hey, look, my flip flop photo got 175 shares."

It feels like "exposure". Or, reach, as it's referred to on the platform.

But is that building a brand?

And I'm not saying it, like, some NBA player creating a brand and a personal logo for a shoe contract -- I just mean building a simple focused brand around yourself.

Who are you?

Are you just a fanboy of Drake May who takes selfies every time you're on a boat or see a McLaren in a parking lot while routinely giving the finger to the camera?

Or are you a hockey player?

Wanna know how those two high level hockey contacts, within 5 days of one another, came together?

Kid's Instagram profile photo is of him...in a hockey helmet.

He uses his real name...not something like "MuthaDucka420".

If you search "Duncan Rutsch" on Instagram, it won't be a guessing game on who the hockey player is.

He's fortunate to have a pretty unique name...but when you have common name like "Connor Anderson" and you're a hockey player...it's in your own best interest to put your real name and your actual jersey number and/or birth year in your handle...and ensure your little profile photo SCREAMS hockey player.

Otherwise, you're an anonymous nobody.

And sure, some people like to be that...privacy concerns or whatever...but they're so often the same folks that complain that they can't "find" exposure.

It's cause you're doing it wrong.

Part of it is that you might think you're being overlooked...but it's more a case of you not even being listed.

And always be mindful of your "desired" audience.

My kid doesn't care if kids on the high school wrestling team like and share his content -- those aren't the guys he's "using" social media to connect with.

A couple of seasons ago, my other son was in the locker room with his teammates and they were all collectively surfing Elite Prospects.

On the depth chart, my son wasn't exactly near the top. But what his teammates did notice was that he had thousands more profile visits than anyone else on the roster.

How did that come about?

How was he getting so much exposure while our top scorer hadn't even broken 100 profile views yet?

Why do more hockey ops folks know who he is?

He knew teammates were jealous. And confused.

It's not me! The exposure this site brings my kids, individually, is negligible.

It's because they market themselves.

And it's not just highlights -- you reach a certain point and every single player out there has a sick breakaway goal that Livebarn has captured.

That stuff doesn't make you stand out.

Post which tournament you're playing in. Post who you're playing for. Make sure your jersey number is blatantly obvious. Post how your team is doing. Post what your hockey goals are. Post some self-deprecating stuff.

It's not a brag sheet -- it's player profile.

In real time.

That you happen to have 100% full control of.

Create content...about YOU.

It's so easy too...but be mindful about it. Dirty head shots might be "kewl" to your friends and get a ton of shares -- the wrestling team guys love that stuff -- but that's not what you want on your profile.

As an aspiring junior hockey player -- treat Instagram like it's LinkedIn if your goal is moving upward..

So, circling back...

The NA3HL guy saw he was playing in the Chowder Cup Junior A division. Sight-unseen...but aware that a 17 year old holding their own in that division is likely a decent prospect.

"Hey Duncan, saw you're playing in the Junior A division. Any interest in playing for me in a tournament next month before the season starts?"

You don't need to read between the lines on that one -- he's already in the group the GM wants to see play live.

The NAHL guy saw the same type of thing -- went deep in the WSI, attended a bunch of NCDC camps, and played alongside 20-year olds at the Chowder...all recently.

Quick check of Elite Prospects to see a little more of a hockey resume and doesn't even need to see him play to think, hey, might have found a depth blueliner...

His message was, "Hi Duncan! Just reaching out to see what your plans are for the upcoming season."

No scouting report required.

No advisor fee paid.

No awkward "unsolicited" come-see-me-play emails sent...but, instead, replying promptly and politely to GMs and coaches who've made the first move.

This is how it's done.

Exposure is all about being easy to find and even easier to contact.

The internet...and social media, specifically...are an amazing tool at your disposal.

Read that again, say it out loud: Social Media is a tool.

There are an awful lot of really great hockey players my boys have played with that will never be found.

This is their missing piece.

But, by all means, keep posting middle finger selfies from the Chick-Fil-A parking lot.

Regarding highlight videos -- I have a love/hate relationship with them.

I remember when we briefly considered the prep school route as they boys were entering high school, the coaches all requested multiple highlight videos. One of the applications had like 10 fields to upload individual video files...and I recall my kids being pretty stressed out about it (especially the defenseman) and spending an insulting amount of time cultivating highlight worthy footage.

Comically...the one school that showed genuine reciprocal interest was the one where we included one boring clip of a poke check at the blue line and an explanation that "end-to-end rushes with three or more toe drags aren't our thing".

We didn't commit to that school, didn't go the prep school route at all, but I will always hold that coach in very high regard after the brief interaction that we had.

I absolutely love that their hockey program is strong too -- I don't have to wonder why.

The fact is, highlight reels will never earn your player a roster spot.

They're important...but don't waste too much time on them.

Exposure, exposure, exposure.

Word of mouth is tops. Coaches all know one another. They respect the word of one another. Their reputation relies on it.

What your current and past coaches or GMs say to your prospective coach or GM gets you near the front of the line. What you do ultimately do in front of the prospective team, at a main camp, off-season tournament, or invite only session, gets you a spot on the roster.

It's not that sick video of a between the legs OT winner.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know -- I love the feedback from all angles!

Chris Rutsch

Hockey Dad

Year round, I spend a significant amount of time and money transporting my three boys to and from freezing cold ice rinks. Not because I expect them to make it to the NHL but because I know the rigorous youth hockey experience will serve them well in the future.