#ndfightingirish

   Decision making is one of the toughest things a human being can do. The human brain is such a fascinating organ for that when you ask your brain questions, it constantly gives you answers. However, there is one thing that the human brain lacks of...and that is decision making that will ultimately make a huge impact on your life. And that is exactly what Michigan/Notre Dame prospect Jacob Trouba (pictured above) is going through right now.

Trouba, who will be draft eligible next year, has two paths he can choose from to head to the NHL. Either, he can head to the OHL's Kitchener Rangers, who hold his Canadian Hockey League (CHL) rights or commit to the NCAA, between Michigan and Notre Dame. "That's sort of why I haven't (committed), because I don't want to make a commitment and then back down from it," said Trouba, while in Toronto to take part in the NHL's Research and Development Camp. Like Trouba, there have been many players who have been in this position. Yet, there are some who take advantage of that opporitunity. Prospects like J.T. Miller (North Dakota), Jamie Oleksiak (Northeastern), Connor Murphy (Miami (OH)) and John Gibson (Michigan) who at one point had all given their word to play at those respective NCAA programs and would then back out only to head into the OHL instead.

The way I look at it: If you're sincere about playing collegiate hockey, then act like it. Don't waste the coaching staff's time when all you're going to do is just back down. Those decisions can have an ultimate effect on you in your professional career too.

It's a one way kind of deal. If Trouba heads to Michigan/Notre Dame, he will not be able to join the OHL, who has developed players such as Taylor Hall, Steven Stamkos, Patrick Kane, Danny Carcillo and other CHL alumns like Jordan Eberle, Alex Pietrangelo, Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla and so on. If he decides to deny the OHL, he will be joining a historic program and one of the nation's best universities for four years, who has developed players like Mike Cammalleri, Brendan Morrison, Andrew Cogliano, Mike Komisarek and the list goes on. Not to mention he could put that 3.3 GPA to use and make his parents proud.

"It's very big," said Trouba of the decision between the two paths. "School is where you're going for four years -- that's a four-year decision -- and the OHL you're not coming back (to the NCAA) if you go there. So you've really got to pick one way or the other. Then, you've got to live with your decision."

College Hockey Inc. executive director Paul Kelly says, "I'm a believer that when you make a commitment, you stand by it and honor it. It is disappointing to me. It's disappointing to coaches. When kids make a commitment, particularly when that commitment takes a more formal form in a letter of intent to attend that school, then you break that commitment, frankly, if I'm an NHL GM, it might cause me some concern - that a player I drafted can so easily walk away from a commitment he made.'' Trouba agrees. "It's important because people have to trust you and what you say," he said of keeping his word. "If you keep backing out of decisions -- and all that, going back on your word -- then you're just going to get that reputation."