Walk into a U16 AAA tournament or showcase and you will see them: OHL jackets around the rink. As a coach, I notice them. It would be hard to expect the players not to notice them too.

I feel some of that pressure myself. I want these kids to have the opportunity to play where they dream of playing. When you care about them and their development, you want things to work out for them.

Then I remind myself who we are coaching. These are 14- and 15-year-old kids. For some of them, this feels like the most important season of their hockey lives. The draft can make their world feel very small, with expectations coming from scouts, coaches, parents, teammates and themselves.

We are still early in the season, and I am learning how to help them navigate it. One of the biggest challenges is helping a player understand that his future extends beyond this year without making him think I have stopped believing in what he wants to accomplish.

When a player thinks this is his last chance

I have had players tell me their goal is to get drafted, and that this is their last chance. My response has been direct: that is not true. There are more opportunities in hockey and more doors that can open.

I tell them to focus on being the best version of themselves and the best teammate they can be. We are going to help them navigate what comes next. But when they are worrying about a decision six months away, I want to help them bring that energy back to what they can do today.

That does not make the draft unimportant. It matters to them, and I respect that. I also know how carefully this conversation needs to be handled. If I start talking about other opportunities, will a player hear that as me saying he will not get drafted? That is something I find difficult.

I want them to understand that having more than one possible path is a reason to keep working. Their development does not stop because a particular date arrives.

The numbers give some perspective. According to the OHL, 301 players were selected in its 2026 Priority Selection, including 289 born in 2010, the first eligible birth year. Those selections came from 88 programs. There are limited selections, and a coach cannot promise a player one of them. We can help him improve and prepare for opportunities.

We have to follow our own game plan

Seeing scouts at a showcase does not change the way I coach. I stick to the game plan. I cannot ask players to follow a plan that I am not following myself.

We have to lead by example. If we want them to stay focused on playing as a team, our expectations need to remain consistent when there are OHL jackets in the building.

For me, that means sound defensive-zone coverage, winning puck battles, killing penalties and making smart hockey decisions. Those are things I value in a player, and they remain important regardless of who is watching.

I want every player to pursue his goals. I also want him to understand his responsibility to the teammates beside him. Helping the team requires doing difficult work, including work that may not end with his name on the scoresheet. We need to keep teaching and recognizing those contributions.

Honesty and a consistent message

Knowing a player is under pressure does not remove our responsibility to coach him. He still needs honest feedback. The way we have that conversation matters.

I want to confirm what he was thinking or trying to do, then work through it with him. Before we can help him make a better decision, we need to understand the decision he thought he was making.

That gives us somewhere useful to go with the conversation. We can identify what needs to improve and make sure he understands what we are asking of him. Being clear is part of being supportive.

Our coaching staff has made it a priority this season to be on the same page and give players a consistent message. We work together to reinforce the same expectations and support each other’s coaching. In a season with so many opinions around them, our players can rely on that consistency from our staff.

Our support needs to continue after the season

I believe we have an obligation to think about what happens when this season is over. If it does not go the way a player hopes, how do we help him avoid giving up on himself?

For me, that means being available to discuss what he wants to do next. It can mean speaking to junior teams or U18 AAA programs and helping him understand his options. It also means an honest conversation about what he is prepared to do and how far he wants to pursue the dream.

The OHL’s U18 Priority Selection is one later opportunity for players who meet its eligibility requirements. The league has identified former U18 selections who went on to play in the OHL. That is a concrete reminder that development and opportunity can continue beyond a player’s first draft year.

Each player’s next step will be different. Our role is to help him consider that step with some direction and support. I want players to know they still have someone they can speak to after the season, especially if they are disappointed.

What I want them to take with them

I cannot control where a player will play next. I can keep coaching the habits I believe will help him succeed wherever he goes: working hard, doing the little things, taking on difficult responsibilities and being a good teammate.

Those lessons matter beyond hockey too. We are helping young people grow into adults. I want them to leave our team having learned something about responsibility, working with others and responding when things do not go their way.

The draft is a big part of their world right now. I understand why. Our job is to help them pursue that goal while keeping enough perspective to see a future beyond it.

When the season ends, I want every player to know that our belief in him and our willingness to help were never dependent on his name being called.

Jesse Candela is an assistant coach with the Cambridge Jr. Redhawks U16 AAA program and head coach of the Hespeler Shamrocks U11 A team. He also scouts for Neutral Zone and the Georgetown Raiders, and previously served as video coordinator for Estonia’s U18 National Team. Through Candela Hockey Development, Jesse shares practical coaching insights focused on hockey IQ, team-first habits and helping young players grow both on and off the ice. Learn more at CandelaHockey.com.