As with any athletic opportunity, it will also be important for your daughter to connect with the coach(es) at her preferred school options to get a clear picture of what the team culture and coaching philosophy will be. Fit is important, just as approaches to building and maintaining healthy excellence for athletes are important. If playing hockey beyond the high school level is a goal, you will also want to ask direct questions about the connections between the coaching staff and the college/post-secondary counseling office. A team’s record for the past few seasons can give important information, but so too can the quality of their competition. An athlete that plays for a team in a challenging athletic conference will have the opportunity to be seen by college scouts, whether their team has a winning record or not. You will also want to find out whether the school has opportunities for students to get ice time outside of the regular season and whether or not there is an affiliated split season team that athletes regularly play for.
Many prep school coaches attend tournaments and showcases over the summer months to do some scouting (for example, The Chowder Cup, Beantown Classic).
And I will second the recommendation to look at the “hidden gem” schools as well as the big names. I work at a hidden gem and the number one draft pick for the PWHL this year is an alumna of our Girls’ Varsity Ice Hockey program.