Originally posted by wfan: I think the Hockey World is starting to take notice of the Mid Atlantic area. There is a new Semi-Pro league forming, The Mid Atlantic Hockey League, for this season there will be 5 teams 2 out near Pittsburgh, 1 in Valley Forge, 1 in Jamestown, NY. and 1 in Wooster, OH.,
This has been tried before in the same geographic area and failed. While I wish the players, coaches, and owners the best of luck - the league charges $100 per player for an open, public tryout. Team salary cap is $5000/wk - with a 20 man roster, thats $250/wk a piece.
I dont know what the former CHL/UHL/etc paid but those teams were in areas that would "draw" - the Pitts area (Mon Valley and Indiana), Valley Forge, Jamestown NY, and Wooster OH are communities that will be hard pressed to support professional hockey. Of course, I could be wrong.
Just my .02
Posts: 55 | Location: HBG, PA | Registered: 21 September 2006
I agree, I don't think Valley Forge will have enough support to survive ( I hope I am wrong), but judging from the posts on the MAHL website, I think the other areas will have solid support, and there are plans for 3 more teams for next season. I think with the support from the NHL the league has a chance, and it would be a big boost for hockey in the area and could provide the big break some of the local talent needs, without costing a small fortune.
I dont know what the former CHL/UHL/etc paid but those teams were in areas that would "draw" - the Pitts area (Mon Valley and Indiana), Valley Forge, Jamestown NY, and Wooster OH are communities that will be hard pressed to support professional hockey. Of course, I could be wrong.
I had a friend recently playing in the UHL. I believe he made $400 per week and had his apartment paid for. Not sure what other "benefits" were included, but that's the best I can do for right now.
Posts: 959 | Location: Philly | Registered: 11 September 2006
Lots of really good ideas as to improving and making HS hockey more visible. One of the things that everyone needs to take a look at is the economics of the sport. Making the season shorter will actually drive up the price of the per hour rate rinks charge teams and leagues. Speaking as the General Manager of a local rink, starting league play after footbal season for instance. More fans would come out to the games. However, who will buy the prime time ice in October that the leagues buy for games? We discount our ice for the league that plays in my facility due to the fact that they buy a large amount of ice. If they wouldn't be buying ice until November we would have to charge more for the ice that they do buy. Most people don't realize what it costs to run a rink, the electric bill alone runs between $15K - $20K per month. Not to mention employees, maintenance, etc. Make no mistake, I am a huge fan and supporter of HS hockey and love to host games at my facility. Not sure that making the season shorter is the answer.
(GSPOT), good points to raise. I would answer this way.
1) Only the Midget club season would be "split season", the younger age groups would continue to play their September--March extended seasons. 2) In a split season format (from what I can tell from NE and Minn), the Midget teams play August--mid November with multiple weekly practices and games, so their ice starts a month earlier. 3) The compressed HS season would buy the ice in mid-Nov-Feb that the Midget teams would not be using for their additional practices and twice weekly games. 4) I suspect the net amount of the ice sold for the HS-aged hockey would be a "wash", a zero-sum game for the rink. Right now we have both Midget and HS teams typically practicing once a week and playing (at home, for club) once a week. Under the split season, those numbers would double for each, but in a shorter time window. 5) Finally, do the math on what a 90-minute Midget game slot yields the rink--@$300/hr =$450, plus whatever snack bar consumption 40-50 parents may yield. 6) Do the math on a well-attended HS game in the same slot--our league is paying the "going rate" for the ice, so $450 for the slot, plus 50% of the revenue gate: $4*200 people=$800/2 =$400 for the rink share, nearly doubling the rink's yield for the same game slot. We haven't figured in the rink's additional security costs for the HS game (because of the crowd), but we also haven't considered what those 200 people (many always-hungry students) may have bought at the snack bar, either. The potential is there for a win-win situation for both the HS sport and for the rinks if we apply a sharp pencil and all pull in the same direction on this.
Carl, no doubt your points are very good. However, with Midgets playing a split season that leaves prime time weekend ice open. So, the primetime weekend ice that the Midgets use would be open. Somebody is going to pay more, Midget clubs or HS clubs. If the rinks are going to remain whole and in our case kept clean and well maintaned we can't afford to lose revenue.
North Jersey has already adopted a split season for Midget--the NJYHL midget season effectively ended Nov-19th last year. North Jersey HS play many of their games on Saturdays and Sundays (that's how they get in their 2 games/week) after their season starts, Nov-20 last year. The 2007-2008 schedules for NJYHL and the HS aren't posted yet, but I expect they will follow the same pattern as last year. There are many rinks up there that seem to be able to make it work economically.
The goal would be to fill those "primetime weekend ice" slots with paying customers in the stands--in effect HS hockey would "pay more" for the ice, through the revenue gating sharing...
This message has been edited. Last edited by: CarlWood,
the onehockey tournament already happen, there were plenty of scouts there for 94's to 90's but the caliber of hockey there just wasnt the same as the regular season games. It was a great event though
OneHockey Tournament- The website is correct by indicating there was a lot of scouts there. There was no NHL scouts however there was some coaches and scouts who took time to come out and look at some of the talent. One thing that comes to mind is a young talented player from the Ice Dogs was invited to the Fog Devils which I though was a great accomplishment for a Tier II player. Congrads to him..
In all honesty, I don't think the competition was as strong as last year at the older levels. There was a lot of talented Squirt, Pee Wee and Bantam teams which impressed a lot of people but the Midgets just seemed a little weak. I know a lot of the Midget teams consisted of players from different areas jumping onto a team with kids they never met. It was not like watching a team who had 10 practices together which may be one of the reasons for the lack of continuity.
If anything this tournament is a great networking tool for kids from all across the globe to come out and interact with each other both on the ice and on social level. Also it creates another chance for some lucky skilled kid to get looked at and perhaps an offer to excel to a high level.
On the split season issue, I really don't know how successful that is in NJ? Last season in districts the NJ Devils U18AA who were clearly the favorite to win in the league and didn't show up because of conflicts with school hockey. There was two other teams form NJ who were lucky to have 7 skaters on their bench? I'm not knocking what they are doing but there was obviously something wrong when the league with the split season (NJ) struggled to get players and the league without the spit season (DVHL) had full benches?
This message has been edited. Last edited by: BIGJIM,
Jim Hazelton
Posts: 133 | Location: THE GHETTO | Registered: 14 September 2006
Just a note - the One hockey tournament was the same weekend as the Jr Chowder cup (80 team tournament in Mass), there was a large number of local midgets playing at that tournament. Probably why the midget level was weak......
On the split season issue, I really don't know how successful that is in NJ? Last season in districts the NJ Devils U18AA who were clearly the favorite to win in the league and didn't show up because of conflicts with school hockey. There was two other teams form NJ who were lucky to have 7 skaters on their bench?
Sounds like poor planning on the part of the Atlantic District, NJ HS hockey assoc, or both! Split season works and for those elite players that want full season midgets, that what AAA hockey is for.
Posts: 55 | Location: HBG, PA | Registered: 21 September 2006
Go back to the original topic -- Philly's role as a a "hockey hotbed". The areas currently believed to be hotbeds (Michigan, Minnesota, New England) have several things we don't:
1. Climate
2. Cooperation by all groups involved (clubs, HS, rinks, etc) NJ HS - Atlantic District conflict is a prime example.
3. The split season concept. Which in effect gives both groups a larger talent pool.
4. Legitimate junior hockey. We have too many "junior" teams/leagues that are just taking players and money for what?
5. The proper practice/game ratio. It will never happen here under the current format.
The shame here is that all of these except climate are EASILY solvable. It just involves everyone involved to come together with no agendas.
