Linkorama
by WCHBlog on Aug 31, 2011 1:50 PM PDT
Email
Print
Craig Custance wrote an article for the Sporting News that is drawing a lot of discussion about the NCAA vs. CHL battle. He adds way more fuel to the growing fire of the CHL illegally paying players to recruit them. The Kitchener Rangers are going to pretend sue soooooo many people after reading this. If you're tired of this argument, Custance at least brings a new perspective that hasn't really ever been explored, which is the NHL's reaction to some of their development money possibly being used for these illegal payments.
Along those lines, The Pipeline Show had a very interesting interview with CHL/OHL commissioner David Branch that was a very interesting listen. It gets into some issues of a conflict of interest with Branch as both CHL head and OHL leader, and the paying players issue may be one of them. What is the motivation for CHL commissioner David Branch to enforce the league's rules when no one has benefited more from the buying of high-end players than OHL commissioner David Branch? It would be interesting to see what would happen if someone more impartial were in charge of investigating these claims.
Also from The Pipeline Show, the topic of a series between the Memorial Cup champion and USHL Clark Cup champion was raised. USHL president Skip Prince reached out today and said the USHL is ready to do it, in an absolutely must-read open letter. There are just miles and miles of distance between how well the USHL runs its league and how the NCAA does.
Speaking of which, the Secondary Six is looking for their first commissioner. I don't know much about the search, other than that the Goldwater Group is heading it, so it's going to be expensive. I heard someone along the way speculate Colorado College athletic director Ken Ralph's name, but since he's on the search committee, I'd guess he is out. If Bobby Flay does end up being the father of January Jones' baby, I'd vote that kid gets the job.
Shane Frederick does an excellent job of running down how the WCHA, despite it's many, many flaws deserves to be commended for doing what is best for college hockey. That's maybe the big takeaway from this summer. When a situation arose where it become clear that not everyone would be happy and priorities would have to be made, some put their own personal interests at the top of that list, while others put the best interests of the sport at the top of that list.
I joked on Twitter today that if Bowling Green and Western Michigan join the WCHA, the league would be left with 11 teams, a number that Bruce McLeod once maintained was absolutely mathematically impossible to schedule around. The two names for a 12th team suggested to me were Minnesota State Moorhead and Alabama Huntsville.
I'd love to see UAH get an invited, but the WCHA's geography is already extended way farther than I think most would like it. UAH has a great program, but I have a tough time seeing the WCHA being able to fit them in.
As for Minnesota State Moorhead, we've reached the halfway point of the three-month deadline they set for themselves, and there hasn't been much news since their initial announcement. If they keep that pattern up, David Branch might try luring them to the OHL. About the only news I've seen is this brief interview with athletic director Doug Peters who now says MSUM would like to get this taken care of in "the next 3-6 months". There certainly hasn't been anything to decrease my initial skepticism about ever seeing the Dragons play Division 1 hockey.
Back to OHL sleaze, OHL training camps have started, meaning Max Domi could officially be considered a no-show, allowing Kingston to earn a compensatory pick and trade him away to London. Yes, it's incredibly shady, but it's not like we got any new information that we haven't had since the day after Kingston first picked Domi. On one hand, some of the outrage over Domi seems a bit overblown since he's playing the same game scores and scores of other players have before him, but he still seems like a clown for the way he so publicly lied throughout the process. And it seems silly that Kingston's compensation for not being able to sign their draft picks is more draft picks. Maybe they'll be able to use one of those picks to draft a very talented player that they can then trade to London for three future draft picks.
7 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
CHL Vs. USHL
Aside from the rule hurdles that face the USHL. I believe some or most can be over come especially if the game is played as a good will game, for a charity of some sort, where by ticket sales revenue could be donated.
That said. I would propose making headway. I would propose that, this first meeting take place this winter, prior to the UofM Vs. Ohio State game, to be played outside in Cleveland.
For ease of Scheduling, and in keeping with the theme of the MI V Ohio all ready established. Have the Plymouth Whalers visit and play the Youngstown Phantoms.
The way you live your life off the ice, is a direct reflection on how you play the game.
Come on!
It’s a common theme in all of sport….when you get absolutely obliterated in the field of competition, when all else fails, claim that the other side is cheating! I see it happen with 8 year olds on every playground. Wake up! The NCAA is getting destroyed by the CHL in terms of getting the best players. Instead of whining about it, the NCAA needs to DO something about it. Elite players are CHOOSING the CHL because the elite players before them have chosen the CHL. The NHL teams are directing their draft picks to the CHL. The CHL is a machine in terms of making contact with kids, informing them of the option, and promoting their league, while I rarely see college head coaches on the road. Even if you have two NCAA assistants on the road, the NCAA still only has 116 people out there promoting the college game. Compare that to the 480 scouts that the CHL teams employ, let alone the Central Scouting staffs of each league. That is why the NCAA is losing the battle, and quit making excuses like “payments”, and “dirty pool”.
David Branch is a marketing genius, and has been more than fair in his positions as the head of the CHL and OHL. For example, the Grimaldi family clearly indicated that they would definitely go to the OHL, but not the WHL when he was drafted, but Branch would not let this happen because Grimaldi was WHL property. That was a move that was Branch made in the best interests of the CHL and did not favor the OHL.
USHL and CHL- There is NO comparison between these leagues, and do not bring up the exhibition games with CHL teams because none of the CHL teams had any of their kids who were in NHL camps at the time. Plymouth and Youngstown? Pleeeeeeasse! Plymouth would beat Youngstown by 20. Look at the number of NHL draft picks on Plymouths roster….with two first rounders last year!
News flash… Max Domi was traded to London for three second round picks, so obviously he will be a no show at the Kingston camp.
Still whining, eh?!
Who specifically is getting paid!? Why? How? You are overlooking a big factor here. When the NHL team that drafts you tells you to play in the CHL, what do you expect these kids to say? Kids are CHOOSING the CHL experience over the NCAA because it is a mini-NHL. The kids play 68 reg season games vs 35 total. The CHL is the only place to play with and against the best kids in the world. You don’t have to PAY a kid to want to be an NHL hockey player. It’s really an easy decision.
Pretend that you're an eighteen year-old hockey player
and that you can play in high school, the NAHL, the USHL, or for the Medicine Hat Tigers. Where would you go?
Hello Paul Kelly, are you out there?
Funny how we don’t read here about Dave Branch, where, on a radio interview asked Paul Kelly to call him and tell him who the offenders are and if he has the proof he says he does, to provide a copy to the CHL. Yet Paul Kelly hasn’t called and he hasn’t produced the evidence. All he’s done is throw out accusations.
The CHL is calling you out Paul Kelly.
You know why he’s not answering…….the NCAA isn’t as clean as they want everyone to think, basketball and football are a cheating mess, but hockey is 100% closing the gap. You don’t hear about it as much because hockey isn’t as high profile as the other sports.
