Talk about a kid with a good head on his shoulders.

[mberube]

Toews turned down a $935,000 US offer from Chicago with his decision to come back to North Dakota to play as a sophomore.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=173116&hubname=nhl

Something Wie should have done.

[jvincent]

Something Wie should have done.

The money for Wie was a LOT bigger. Just the Nike deal was worth what, $10M?

If I were 16 and had to opportunity to sign for as much money as she was offered to go play golf I'd have jumped all over it.

[mberube]

The money for Wie was a LOT bigger. Just the Nike deal was worth what, $10M?

If I were 16 and had to opportunity to sign for as much money as she was offered to go play golf I'd have jumped all over it.

None the less, the kid had a chance to make $1M plus bonuses for his first season instead of collage life.

[jonf]

Ach...Great post and a great decision to go back to school - the money will be there in 3 years. My only fear is that the ittle blurb about Wie is going to turn this into another stupid thread about her, rather than about a kid who turned down money in favour of the college experience and a brighter future.

[nice_lag]

Toews turned down a $935,000 US offer from Chicago with his decision to come back to North Dakota to play as a sophomore.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=173116&hubname=nhl

Something Wie should have done.

If I'm not mistaken, he's the second guy from this year's draft to choose to go back to school. I believe the other is Johnson (sp??).

[mberube]

If I'm not mistaken, he's the second guy from this year's draft to choose to go back to school. I believe the other is Johnson (sp??).

Yep

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/teams/news_sto...name=nhl-blues

[Golfbum]

Good for him, going back to school for an education. Hey there are no quarantees in the NHL. He is 18, plays for the Hawks, blows a knee out. Career over, no eductaion. So he starts all over in school again.

Key word, EIGHTEEN. He is young enough that he can finish school and still have a great career in the NHL.

Plus going to the Hawks at age 18 might have been a bad thing for him. Afterall they were not exactly a great team last year. So they get this kid in the lineup and he feels pressured to produce for them. Not exactly the way you want to start off a young guys career is it?

Personally I would like to see more young players stay in school, or the CHL or wherever until they reach the over age limit. Then let them graduate to the Pro Levels, wherever that may be.

[spackler]

I'm sure he's purchased an insurance policy that covers his initial projected contract, maybe more, in case of disabling injury. With that in hand there's not much risk to staying in school a bit longer, just cut short your career by a year or whatever.

[mcnorth]

You know - the flipside is that you're only young once and everyone always talks like this is the kid's one and only shot at an education. It's not like the schools are going anywhere. You can have a career and then go back to school when you're finished. Personally, I think you're taking a big risk when you turn down the money (insurance settlements aside - and I've always wondered about the premiums on those things). Each situation is different but its certainly not a crippling mistake to forego your post-secondary, or perhaps delay rather than forego, education and play sports for big money while you're young. If you're ready - go for it.

[mberube]

You know - the flipside is that you're only young once and everyone always talks like this is the kid's one and only shot at an education. It's not like the schools are going anywhere. You can have a career and then go back to school when you're finished. Personally, I think you're taking a big risk when you turn down the money (insurance settlements aside - and I've always wondered about the premiums on those things). Each situation is different but its certainly not a crippling mistake to forego your post-secondary, or perhaps delay rather than forego, education and play sports for big money while you're young. If you're ready - go for it.

It’s hard to find the motivation to go back to school when you are a millionaire. I wonder what is the percentile of dropouts going back to school at a mature age. I also wonder the percentile of pro players that go back to get their collage degree following their pro careers. I think it’s close to none.

Mike

[mcnorth]

That sort of goes along with my point. If you leave school and go on to have a successful career (and don't blow the whole wad on drugs, booze, and women of course) why is it such a shame to not have your education? If you have the money and are set financially forever or can parlay the money into some successful venture why do you need that BA in Parapsychology you earned while playing hockey?

If you don't finish your education and are unsuccessful in the pro game you CAN go back to school. One year on a pro contract will earn you enough scratch to keep you from having to apply for a Canada Student Loan.

[Hacker]

You know - the flipside is that you're only young once and everyone always talks like this is the kid's one and only shot at an education. It's not like the schools are going anywhere. You can have a career and then go back to school when you're finished. Personally, I think you're taking a big risk when you turn down the money (insurance settlements aside - and I've always wondered about the premiums on those things). Each situation is different but its certainly not a crippling mistake to forego your post-secondary, or perhaps delay rather than forego, education and play sports for big money while you're young. If you're ready - go for it.

Excellent Point here mcnorth - Does anyone remember Randy Gregg, the defenseman from the Oilers hay days? Or should I say Dr. Randy Gregg...

[mberube]

That sort of goes along with my point. If you leave school and go on to have a successful career (and don't blow the whole wad on drugs, booze, and women of course) why is it such a shame to not have your education? If you have the money and are set financially forever or can parlay the money into some successful venture why do you need that BA in Parapsychology you earned while playing hockey?

If you don't finish your education and are unsuccessful in the pro game you CAN go back to school. One year on a pro contract will earn you enough scratch to keep you from having to apply for a Canada Student Loan.

Hmmmmmm, maybe not being a brain dead like a lot of pro players.

[spackler]

Excellent Point here mcnorth - Does anyone remember Randy Gregg, the defenseman from the Oilers hay days? Or should I say Dr. Randy Gregg...

Randy Gregg delayed his pro career until his mid 20s to pursue his medical studies, and then retired a whole bunch of times in the middle of his career to continue them. He put off playing hockey because school and medicine was more important to him.

[EDSGOLF]

I'm sure he's purchased an insurance policy that covers his initial projected contract, maybe more, in case of disabling injury. With that in hand there's not much risk to staying in school a bit longer, just cut short your career by a year or whatever.

There is insurance for such things???

I would have taken the money and ran, he could get injurred playing a friendly game of street hockey and he's done.

[Hacker]

Randy Gregg delayed his pro career until his mid 20s to pursue his medical studies, and then retired a whole bunch of times in the middle of his career to continue them. He put off playing hockey because school and medicine was more important to him.

My point was that he did return to school after playing (which he did) finished his medical degree then resumed playing again - I wonder how many pro atheletes have that kind of education

[jonf]

School will still be there - scholarships will not. And if you're not the sharpest tool in the shed, you likely won't have another chance at school either. I don't know about Toews, but lots of student athletes are, shall we say, extraordinarily stupid. But they get a little help along the way to make sure they can stay in school and get the team wins. Just because the opportunity for school is there now, does not necessarily mean it will be there later.

[mcnorth]

Sure the scholarship may not be there but if you are at the point where you are making the decision to leave school or go pro the assumption I'm making is that the kid can play at that level. Once that is is the case, the money to pay for your education afterwards is not an issue.
And why exactly, despite not being the "sharpest tool in the shed," would a chance at education not exist later on? If your SAT is high enough out of high school you're golden. You only need to meet the criteria for the particular school once (indeed I knew many kids who wrote it over and over...) and once you're over 25 a plethora of adult student opportunities open up as well when considering applications.
The much larger decision for the young athlete, at least for hockey players, is whether they are going to pursue their hockey dream through Junior A or NCAA scholarship. NCAA rules (at least when I was playing) prohibited you from playing NCAA once you had played Junior hockey at the A level. So basically, if you play Junior A you have no way to get a scholarship. Tough choice for a 16 year old.

[davevandyk]

personally i think the decision is not a great one. You need to take the oppurtunity when it is available to you. Do you think pro athletes that make 40+ million dollars in their career look back on their lives at age 60-70 and wish they would have that worthless piece of paper on their wall instead of the "Cup"?? I see school as a place where you find out what you want to do with your life, obviously Jonathon already knows what he wants to do, so why does he need a B.A in Commerce or something like that?? so at a stanley cup party he can brag to Staal or Crosby that he has a B.A.???

[mcnorth]

Yes. As a guy sitting here typing this with three degrees I totally agree. The education is nice but if it isn't what you're going to be doing professionally it is not at all a must have.

[Mattchew]

What kind of education do hockey players get in the U.S.. The only reason he is there is because of his hockey skills...not his brains... I certainly wouldnt want Erik Johnson doing my taxes....

[Golfbum]

What kind of education do hockey players get in the U.S.. The only reason he is there is because of his hockey skills...not his brains... I certainly wouldnt want Erik Johnson doing my taxes....

I personally know a young man who went to play hockey in the USA on a scholarship. Ivy League school. His hockey skills lead him into the teaching profession in USA where is doing very well for himself now.
I know another player who was given a 4 year scholarship at Ohio State for his hockey skills. However he was still required to write the SAT's and have the marks to attend that school. During his 4 years there his marks had to remain above a certain level, if they did not he was not playing hockey.
Not all hockey players are dumb.

[mberube]

Joe Juneau is a aeronautical engineer

[Hacker]

Joe Juneau is a aeronautical engineer

AND a drummer in a Rock Band

[sensfan]

I told my wife about what Toews did and to my surprise she said he was foolish. After she explained I knew she was right.

School and Education are excellent no doubt...BUT they will always be there. He can go back later if he can't handle the big leagues and needs an education

What if he breaks his leg, blows out his knee, serious concussion (career ending injury)playing College hockey? he's screwed no chance at the big league or the BIG bucks.

If he got seriously hurt in The NHL at least he'd have a contract in place and probably a hefty insurance policy in too.

College life vs NHL life, he'll still learn to live on his own and all that good stuff about maturing and learning to be independent. If he's so dedicated to an education take some correspondence courses, I'm sure the school will bend over backwards to help an NHL star graduate...

He should have signed with the Hawks

[jonf]

Well, he probably already has a big insurance policy. Also, I still stand by my statement that in 10 years time, he would NOT be able to get into the colleges he can get into now with his hockey ability.

[mcnorth]

But, even with attending perhaps a lesser school, he might come away with a better education if he enrolls later. He's more mature, more appreciative, perhaps more wise, and he'll most definitly be able to focus on the material much better rather than sports and skirts.

As well, I think what school you attend only matters in a few jobs. And that only matters right away as you come out of school. After two years if the guy out of the community college is outworking and outperforming the Harvard grad - you fire the Harvard grad.

[sensfan]

There are lot's and lot's of kid's with talent that can't get scholarships because of their education, regardless of how good they are. If he goes now it's free, if he goes later it wouldn't be a dent in his millions, it will still be the same school because his entry is based on his intelligence not hockey skill...

regardless the kid will have more money than me