Europe → North America
For ambitious European hockey players who are ready to prepare for opportunities in the USA and Canada.
Not sure where your player stands? Take the 2-minute Readiness Self-Assessment →
Who this is for
This is not for every player. It's for competitive U14–U20 players who are already training seriously, have a supportive family, and are genuinely curious about what a higher level, and possibly a different country, could look like for their hockey career.
Evaluated by a Real Skills Coach
The most important question in any pathway process is whether the evaluation behind it is actually credible. Here, it is: Coach Oliver is assistant coach for the men's Div 1 team and skills coach for the U16 and U18 teams at Forward Morges Hockey Club in Switzerland: daily, in-season work with competitive junior players in exactly the age range this pathway is built for.
That means every evaluation here is measured against the same standard applied inside a real competitive Swiss junior program, not guesswork from a single video or a one-off tryout. It's combined with a Nordic-style coaching approach built around producing players who read and solve the modern game, rather than just execute drills. See the Coaching Philosophy page for how that methodology works session to session.
If you're based in Switzerland, see how development and pathway guidance work locally on the Switzerland page. French players and families can see how remote coaching and cross-border training work on the France page.
Country-Specific Guidance
Looking for guidance specific to where you're based? Each country page below covers how BladeBoost works locally and what the pathway toward North America looks like from there.
What BladeBoost does
- Honest evaluation of your current level and what a realistic next step looks like
- Individual development focused on the skills that matter for a higher level of competition
- Player profile development: the information a coach or program actually needs to evaluate you
- Guidance on North American junior, prep, and college hockey pathways
- Communication and video preparation
- Tryout preparation: on-ice, physical, and mental
- Ongoing guidance through the process
What BladeBoost does not promise
We do not guarantee placement, contracts, scholarships, or tryouts. Nobody honest can promise that. What we can guarantee is preparation: when a real opportunity comes, you'll be ready for it. Families researching this space should be skeptical of anyone who promises otherwise. That skepticism is well placed. It's exactly why we lead with what we don't promise.
How it works
- Pathway Assessment: a one-time evaluation of your current level, readiness, and realistic destination categories.
- Pathway Preparation: ongoing development plus profile-building, video, and communication preparation.
- International Support: longer-term guidance through tryout cycles, travel, and the transition itself.
Every player starts in the same place: a conversation about where you are and where you want to go.
How the Process Works
Every pathway is different, but the shape of the process is generally the same, and it starts long before a player actually leaves.
- Evaluation: an honest read on where the player is today, and whether North America is a realistic direction right now or something to build toward.
- Preparation: building the player profile, video, and development plan that gives programs something real to evaluate.
- Outreach: approaching the right schools, programs, and contacts on the player's behalf, based on fit, not a mass application.
- Comparing real options: narrowing down to the opportunities that actually make sense, on hockey level, academics, and cost.
- Confirmation & logistics: once a decision is made, turning it into an actual move: documentation, visas, host family or housing, and timing.
- The transition itself: support through arrival and the first stretch in a new environment, not just up to the point of saying yes.
The exact timeline and requirements depend on the player's age, the specific pathway, and the country involved. That's exactly what a Pathway Assessment is for.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to live and play hockey in North America?
It varies hugely depending on the pathway. A billet family with a junior team is a very different cost structure than boarding at a private prep school, and costs shift again by region and program. There's no single honest number to quote here, which is exactly why a Pathway Assessment goes through your specific situation and gives you a realistic sense of what to budget for.
How long does the whole process take?
It depends on the player's age, the target season, and which pathway fits best. There's no fixed timeline that applies to everyone. What is consistent across almost every case: this is not a fast process, and starting the conversation early gives you far more options than starting late.
Does moving to North America mean giving up on school?
No. Most pathways combine hockey with real schooling, whether that's a prep school's academic program alongside junior or prep hockey, or the NCAA route further down the line. Exact requirements vary by program and by state or province, so specifics should always be verified directly with the school in question.
How is a player's "readiness" actually judged?
It's a combination of hockey level, physical and technical development, and how ready the player and family are for the independence the move requires. If you want a starting point before a full conversation, the Readiness Self-Assessment is built around exactly these factors.