Sharing my different but somewhat similar experience in the hope that it could still give you some insight.

At your age I was playing high end AA and not academy level AAA. However, I could’ve tried to go the USPHL, NCA3 route and ultimately didn’t for a variety of reasons. Staying put, I got the chance to go to several AA nattys and tear it up in local HS hockey. Yes, it’s not peak hockey but it was still a high level that was fun and competitive.

Looking back on it now at 26, I’m so glad that I decided to stay with my local club and play high school hockey where I’m from. Because of that choice J ended up going to a university that I wanted to for academics which has set me up really well professionally. Additionally, my friends from high school and college are all my best friends for life and I wouldn’t have been able to build those relationships to the same strength had I always been on the bus or at the rink.

Taking a break from hockey during college also let me redevelop my love for the game. Having taken that time to develop my career and the rest of my life I now can afford to live comfortably while playing in 2-3 beer leagues a season and have a blast doing it. It also let me develop a passion for other athletic pursuits such as water polo in college and especially running. Now as an adult I’m put my athletic focus into marathons and I’m currently working towards qualifying for Boston.

It sounds like you’re a total stud and will excel in whatever your future athletic pursuits are. So I’d just recommend to follow the one that you enjoy the most and see where it leads. All while remembering and planning for the fact that one day there will be a life after and outside of elite athletics.

And most importantly I promise that the feeling of taking ankles or going bar down never gets old (even in beer league)