Chasing a Dream... cont. from 16
“It’s turned out to be a wonderful
thing,” added his father. “He’s never
had a social life before. He’s always
been in the car. He didn’t get to go to
parties or basketball games because he
was always gone. Now at Culver, that’s
his life and his family and he loves it.”
Since Karch so recently settled
into his new life at Culver, the next
decision facing him may seem a bit
strange—it’s whether or not to leave
Culver. In March, the Ontario Hockey
League, or OHL will hold its annual
draft, and if they have their way, Karch
won’t be in Indiana next year.
The OHL is a professional Canadian hockey league limited to players
ages 16-20. Being drafted into this
league is no joke. The athletes play a
68 game schedule while living with
host families and attending school,
and they receive instruction from
top-quality coaches and trainers.
One in five players currently in the
National Hockey League came from
the OHL, and in 2008, the first four
NHL draft picks were OHL players.
There is also a financial incentive.
Players receive a salary and a year
of free college tuition for every year
they play in the league. While most
players’ salaries aren’t large, when all
the benefits like free education and
living expenses are added in, top draft
picks can earn contracts worth over
$800,000.
And, they really want Karch. The
draft includes the best 15-year-old
players in North America, and Karch
is expected to go in the top fifty with
some scouts hinting he could be near
the top ten.
The downside of all this? Since the
OHL is considered professional, Karch
would have to forfeit his junior status.
That means he could never play college
hockey. He would also be barred from
playing on the USA Under-17 Team,
the junior version of Team USA. The
Under-17 Team is the next step up
“The
NHL is my
ultimate
goal”
from the USA Development Program
he has played in the past three years,
and making the team would mean representing the US around the world. The
tryouts, coincidentally, are in March,
the same month as the OHL draft.
Joining the OHL would also mean having to leave Culver.
It’s a complicated choice and many
OHL insiders are pushing Karch to
reveal his plans, but he’s just taking
the decision one day at a time. “I think
it all depends on how high I get drafted
to the OHL, if I make Team USA, how
many college offers I get,” he said.
“Praying again will help me make my
final decision, but chances are I‘ll take
the offer that I think is best.”
Though the future is still unknown, one thing is clear. Karch has
come a long way since needing a bucket
to hold himself up on the ice. “My dad’s
work partners, all my teachers, principals, superintendents, coaches, friends,
and extended family members have
helped me so much,” said Karch. “All
of these people and even more that
I can’t recall at the moment have
done so much for me it’s insane.”
And as his first professional
draft draws near, he already has
his sights set on an even bigger
draft sometime in the future. “The
NHL is my ultimate goal and has been
since the very beginning, and every
day it becomes closer and closer to being reality. It would mean everything
to me if and hopefully when I make it.
All the work I have put in and all the
sacrifice would be worth it. Everything
everyone has done for me over all these
years would pay off.”
The Hometown Treasure · February ‘13 · pg 21