What the THR grade is
Every program on THR receives a single letter grade — A+ through C-- — that reflects the program's overall quality. The grade combines three kinds of evidence:
- Alumni outcomes — where a program's former players end up.
- Team performance — on-ice results across recent seasons.
- Verified reviews — submitted by parents, players, coaches, and staff. Each reviewer's connection to the program is checked on an ongoing basis to ensure every review on the site is legitimate.
The letter grade scale
Each grade comes with a plain-language description so families know what it actually means.
Exceptional
Outstanding across nearly every category.
Strong
Consistently high marks throughout.
Very good
High-quality program with minor areas to watch.
Solid
Above average in most areas.
Above average
A well-rounded program worth a closer look.
Decent
Some categories below average — worth comparing to peers.
Mixed
Some areas to consider carefully before deciding.
Below average
Notable weaknesses across multiple areas. Take a careful look.
Significant concerns
Multiple categories show meaningful gaps. Worth a thorough evaluation before committing.
What goes into the grade
The overall grade is a weighted blend of seven categories. Two of them — Player Advancement and Team Performance — come from objective data we collect directly. The other five come from verified reviews.
Before reviews come in
When a program is new to the platform
With a full set of reviews
Once a program has accumulated reviews
Player Advancement carries the most weight throughout because alumni outcomes are the strongest single signal of where a program develops players to. As reviews accumulate, the perspective from parents, players, coaches, and staff progressively comes into focus.
How each category is measured
Player Advancement — Based on the leagues a program's alumni currently play in, with stronger leagues counting more. Programs are also compared against their peers, so a strong alumni resumé in any tier of hockey is recognized.
Team Performance — Based on win percentage across recent seasons, compared to the league average. A team performing in line with its league lands in B-range; clearly outperforming or underperforming moves the grade up or down accordingly.
On-Ice Development — Coaching quality and the substance of on-ice training, drawn from review ratings.
Off-Ice Development — Strength, conditioning, and skill work done away from the rink, drawn from review ratings.
Housing — For programs that provide housing, the quality of billets, dorms, or team housing arrangements. Programs that don't provide housing have this category excluded from their overall grade.
Environment / Culture — Team culture, locker room dynamics, and game-day atmosphere.
Facilities — Quality of the rink, gym, locker rooms, and other physical resources.
When a program receives a grade
A program is graded once we have enough data to be meaningful. Specifically, a grade is issued when either of the following is true:
- The program has been around long enough for its alumni to be tracked.
- At least one verified review has been submitted.
Until then, the program shows as "N/A" rather than a forced grade — we'd rather show no grade than an unreliable one.
Why no D or F
Hockey programs aren't classroom subjects. Using a school-style scale (A through F) creates a false sense of safety in the middle — a "C" student still passed, but a C-grade hockey program means something different to a family deciding where to send a player for a season.
Where the data comes from
Every category in the THR grade pulls from a specific, traceable source.
Alumni outcomes
Source: EliteProspects.com
For each program we collect the active alumni roster — both skaters and goalies — and track the leagues those players currently compete in. Alumni data is refreshed regularly to stay current.
Feeds: Player Advancement
Season records
Source: program standings, MyHockeyRankings, and league sites
We track each program's record across recent seasons (wins, losses, ties / OTLs) and compare against league averages to provide context.
Feeds: Team Performance
Verified reviews
Source: parents, players, coaches, and staff
Reviewers submit ratings on a 1–5 scale across each review category. Reviews are published right away to keep the platform current, and THR staff continuously verify each reviewer's connection to the program — primarily through Elite Prospects, with hands-on research when an Elite Prospects link isn't available. Reviews that can't be verified are removed.
Feeds: On-Ice, Off-Ice, Facilities, Environment / Culture, Housing
When grades update
A program's THR grade is automatically recalculated when:
- A new verified review is submitted.
- The program's alumni roster is refreshed.
- The program's season records are updated.
Because each program's grade depends in part on how it compares to its league peers, updating one team's data may also adjust the relative position of others in the same league.