Cleaning Up the OHL
by WCHBlog on Jun 30, 2009 12:06 PM PDT
17 comments
This got lost in the lead-up up to the NHL Draft, but intrepid reporter/fantasy hockey cellar dweller Sunaya Sapurji reported on a very interesting story that the OHL is looking to hire someone in law enforcement to monitor things such as draft tampering, hazing, and illegal payouts in the league.
Neate Sager points out, that that announcement came out the same day the London Knights announced they were signing Scott Harrington, the player ranked as the top prospect in the OHL Draft, who slipped to the Knights at 19th overall after swearing up and down that he would be going to play college hockey.
Harrington certainly isn't the first example of that sort of thing happening, but it's probably one of the most brazen examples. The OHL probably shot themselves in the foot as well, by promoting this year's OHL Draft more than ever before, with video packages on top prospects being made available to the public. It allowed the more casual fan to see just how dirty the business of the OHL can be.
As an aside, Sager is also correct that there's nothing necessarily wrong with 16-year-old kids choosing where they want to play, but then don't pretend there's any sort of fairness or legitimacy to the Priority Draft. Go to a system that allows all the kids to choose where they want to play, rather than actively rewarding those that are willing to lie the most.
Anyway, this new enforcement officer should be interesting to watch. Will he actually make or a change, or will it be like the CHL's scholarship program that acts as great public relations, but is ultimately ineffectual, with only about 1 in 3 players taking advantage of the program. Most of the OHL GMs don't seem to think it will be effective. Look at how impotent the NCAA can be with an army of bureaucrats at their disposal. One retired cop probably won't be enough to clean up the OHL.
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Declare for the OHL Draft
How about a rule that no kid can be drafted unless he declares his intention to play in the OHL? Upon declaration, the league then pays the kid $100… thus nulifying his NCAA eligibility. This way, kids will no longer be able to use the NCAA as leverage, making the NCAA happy (you’d have to assume that no kid with any intention of playing college hockey would even consider declaring). It will also make lesser OHL teams happy. It will piss off Kitchner and London pretty bad though.
by The Exiled One on Jun 30, 2009 12:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
That would be a pretty good idea exhiled one.
by Eric B on Jun 30, 2009 12:34 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Thanks!!
As for the main anticipated objection: What would keep any random kid from declaring for the OHL draft just to collect $100? Easy answer to that one… each team in submits a list of names to the league. Only kids appearing on two or more lists will be eligible for the $100 payout. You only have to appear on one list to be eligible for the draft.
by The Exiled One on Jun 30, 2009 12:58 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Or just make them declare for the draft, and then immediately pay them $100 when they get drafted. That kills the NCAA eligibility on the day of the draft, and forces kids to basically give up the NCAA the minute they declare eligibility for the OHL draft. Kids can declare, and if not drafted return to the NCAA pool, but anyone drafted is out.
by Fehr and Balanced on Jun 30, 2009 6:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I thought about that, and I’m not sure you could “force” a kid to take a payment after he’s been drafted. He could declare, get picked by an undesirable team and just say “pass”. I think that the declaration itself has to be the nullifier. Even the stronger teams would be happy about the fact that they wouldn’t have to convince the players they drafted to report, as their NA options would be substantially limited.
As for free agency… any kid who appeared on a team’s predraft list HAS to be drafted to enter the league. This would keep a kid from “promissing” to play NCAA only to go undrafted and sign a FA deal with a stronger team. If you didn’t appear on any team’s list, you can be a FA. Draft age is unrestricted.
The NCAA would be happy as many 15 and 16 year olds would retain eligibility for safety, thus giving coaches more time to decide if they’re worth a scholarship… especially some Canadien Junior A players.
The NTDP kids lured by the “fastest route to the NHL” would still go there, but now they’d be evenly dispersed across the league.
It’s a win win for everybody but London and Kitchner (who have the money, and money talks).
by The Exiled One on Jun 30, 2009 9:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Most of the players want to playing the OHL if possible,its real hockey NHL style,so of course they use the NCAA as a bargaining chip for a better deal.Listen almost all of the players would rather play in the O including the kids on the NTDP but they dont to satisfy their parents.NCAA hockey is soft and everybody knows it…….its like youth hockey but now your 20
by ohcanada on Jul 2, 2009 10:06 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Hum, NCAA hockey is soft, yeah god those NCAA players like Parros he is a real cup cake. While we are on the subject how about Mike Commodore? He is a real slouch as well.
by Eric B on Jul 4, 2009 1:35 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nothing will change in the OHL and why should it? When the CHL supplies 47% of the entire NHL draft, and the OHL has 45+ kids drafted in each of the past two years, why change? Lets face it. The best players play in the CHL and the number of Americans heading north is increasing every year. When the O has 11 1st rounders in 08 and another 7 in 09, those are statistics that are hard to debate.
by wickedsmart on Jul 3, 2009 9:51 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Let's Not Get Off Topic
Answer these questions for me… 1) Are OHL teams balanced? 2) Does the OHL draft help to balance teams, or does it further unbalance teams? 3) Which team to you support?
Odds are, if you don’t support a perennial winner, you support reform. If you do support a perennial winner, you support the status quo.
This isn’t an NCAA vs. CHL debate, it’s about making the OHL more balanced.
by The Exiled One on Jul 7, 2009 8:30 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I will answer your questions. 1) Are OHL teams balanced? The OHL is more balanced than most professional sports leagues. Their are some OHL organizations that are not strong like Kingston, and at the opposite end of the spectrum, you see London and Kitchener. Although Kingston is arguably the worst team in the league, they are still competitive (18-40-6). In MLB, the difference between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the NY Yankees is far greater.
2) Does the OHL draft help to balance teams, or does it further unbalance teams? Yes, it does. The teams that are the most successful in the draft are the ones that do the most work in preparation for it. If you have good scouts, you will have a good draft. In keeping the comparison to other sports, look at the Pittsburgh Steelers and the way that they draft. At the end of each Pittsburgh draft, I ask “Who are these guys?!” Who won the Superbowl last year? As Herb said, We’re not looking for the best ones. We’re looking for the right ones."
3) Which team to you support? I support the OHL, and all of its teams. I am not a Kitchener or London fan.
by wickedsmart on Jul 7, 2009 12:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
In Response to your Second Answer...
So Scott Harrington was only the 19th best player in the draft? Really?
by The Exiled One on Jul 7, 2009 4:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
My point is that London did their homework on Harrington, and that other teams did not do the same. They built a relationship with the family before AND after the draft. To me, there is nothing wrong with that. Harrington did not want to play in London merely by spinning the globe and placing his finger on it. London wooed him there, and good for them. They are good at what they do. Also, you have to understand that the CHL operates as a single entity, almost like a franchise. They want the best players in the world playing in the CHL. They don’t care where they go or who they play for as long as they are in the league. This thing will be over and gone like the Spice Girls.
by wickedsmart on Jul 7, 2009 6:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
If Kingston had Drafted Harrington...
…he’d have played junior A. It doesn’t matter how much of a relationship Kingston would have built before or after the draft. If you’re comfortable just getting them in the league, by all means, keep the status quo. I’m guessing Kingston fans aren’t satisfied with the status quo, and my idea was more for them (apparently) than you.
by The Exiled One on Jul 7, 2009 6:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
CHL v. NCAA
Yes, statistics don’t lie; the chl is definitely the most predominant path to the nhl. But that’s not the issue here; the issue is pure dishonesty on the part of franchises in telling their recruits to feign interest in college so that their chl draft stock drops (to allow another team to load up on talent). If the umbrella orgranization does nothing to help the franchises (that are getting screwed), then it’s survival of the fittest (or should I say survival of the most dishonest). However, the real screw job is done on kids like beau schmitz, who were told that they’d be third, fourth round nhl picks for sure (if they choose the chl route), and now, after going undrafted, all they’ve done is forfeit any chance of a free education, and will likely spend their young lives chasing a dream that doesn’t exist. Yes, there’s a chance he might be drafted a year from now after he has a chance to put up some numbers (a prerequiste for an under-sized d-man to be drafted). But the point is simple, he, and many others like him, could have easily waited until after the nhl draft to decide whether to pursue the pro route (chl) or the college route, which also, last time i checked, produced a fair amount of nhl players. And he still would have had two years of eligibility left (for ohl) if he had waited to make his decision. And please don’t tell me about the chl’s scholarship opportunities; the statistics on that don’t lie either.
by Mr. Spackler on Jul 4, 2009 11:07 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Lots of issues to talk about here. The CHL operates under the idea of chasing the dream to the NHL, and then moving on if you do not. That is the way it should be. Beau Schmitz did not get “screwed” or “lied” to. He made the decision to chase the dream to the NHL. If he does not get drafted later, he can take his OHL education package, play CIS hockey, and graduate at the same time kids would in the NCAA route. How about those 5+ kids who were mysteriously decommitted by Wisconsin? To me, that is the real screw job being done to kids. Or how about when a kid does not pan out at a school, and the coaches try to force him to quit and give up his scholarship? And how about those scholarships? Lots of 1/4’s and 2/4’s out there. It basically boils down to a matter of choice, and kids that are on the NHL track should choose the CHL route. Just ask ANY NHL scout out there. KIds are jumping from college to the CHL after being drafted because their NHL teams are asking them to do that.
by wickedsmart on Jul 4, 2009 1:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wickedsmart, not all teams are asking their college kids to jump to the CHL certain teams are losing their college kids to the CHL.
by Eric B on Jul 5, 2009 11:31 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Parros
The guy has 20 points in 232 games,he is 6.5 he better drop em or he wouldnt be there,thats what he has to do,but those guys are few and far out of NCAA hockey
by ohcanada on Jul 7, 2009 9:06 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
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