Over the last decade, high school ice hockey has become extremely competitive with approximately 130 New Jersey high schools fielding varsity programs.  This is in large part due to the explosion of youth hockey in New Jersey and the growth of travel programs.  High School rosters are increasingly populated with more and more players from travel organizations and because of the increased level of skills development offered by such programs, participation in travel hockey at some point prior to and during high school increases a player’s chance of success at the high school level.