Just wondering how the players and coaches feel about the new schedules being proposed by the ICSHL where teams would play 18 different teams during the season rather than divisional teams twice with a few crossover games. For example, the new schedule would have Garnet Valley playing Lower Merion one time and adding a team like Perkiomen Valley to their schedule. I think the proposed schedule has the ICSHL Central Division teams playing each other one time and then playing 12 crossover games against EHSHL teams and other ICSHL divisions.

you really need to include the rationale for the proposed schedule structure. Since I put it together, I'll post it here. some teams DO play 2x against opponents, depending on their "league" affiliation, their program strength, long-term rivalries. This kind of scheduling requires trade-offs among what's best for one team, what's best for HS hockey, what's best for gate revenues. What started this whole thing was looking at ways to get more competitive games for teams at their preferrred rinks.


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Objectives:
• provide competitive schedules for Flyers Cup eligible teams
• maximize public interest and support by emphasizing traditional high school rivalries
• provide competitive schedules with the opportunity to win games, for new, re-building or developmental teams
• concentrate teams' games at their "home" rinks as much as possible and maximize revenue gate potential

Assumptions:
• keep this year's varsity teams
• AAA League retains its current form and membership
• schedule EHSHL and ICSHL teams jointly in a common "pool"
• teams' current "home" ice rinks stay the same
• keep 18 game season

Scheduling:

• Identify primary "scheduling groups" based on current HS league affiliations for all other HS sports:
• AAA membership comes first (6 teams)
• Ches-Mont (9) (less Shanahan in AAA)
• Central (11)
• Pioneer Athletic (5)
• DelVal (3)
• Build baseline schedules (1x or 2x "home and home") games for each scheduling group
• Ches-Mont 1x
• Central 1x
• Pioneer 2x
• DelVal 2x
• Add cross-over games with other schedule groups:
• Central -- Ches-Mont
• Pioneer -- Ches-Mont
• DelVal -- Central
• Fill out schedules with "competitive" games using the following criteria:
• Flyers Cup level A/AA/AAA
• competitive balance (good teams play good teams, weaker teams play weaker teams)
• rink location

The workbook has 3 worksheets:
• Matrix: shows home games (across) and away games (down) by team, as well as league and "group" affiliation and preferred home rink. This worksheet keeps totals and makes sure the schedule matrix has 18 games (9 home/9 away) for each team.
• Schedules: shows the home and away scheduled opponents for each team--taken directly from the MATRIX, and where the games would be played. IL (IceLine), IW (Aston IceWorks), CI (Centre Ice Oaks), SK (Skatium), PD (Pond), '23 (Penn).
• Calendar: shows the months of the 2007-2008 season, and my estimate of where the varsity ice slots will be available--subject to considerable review and updating. The Matrix has 41 varsity teams (*9 home game)= 369 home ice slots required. I think we can start the Varsity season in mid-November, and wrap it up by the end of February next year. JV might start earlier and end later.

I think this schedule structure works in terms of the Objectives.
• Flyers Cup-eligible teams get a strong selection of opponents.
• The cross-over structures (Ches-Mont -- Central, etc.) give a good basis to evaluate teams.
• Each "schedule group" Ches-Mont, Central, can play a balanced schedule within the group and declare a real "Ches-Mont" or "Central" champion for the season for public consumption, just like other sports.
• Additional games for league pairs can be played as “non-league games” (Downingtown East/West), the 3 West Chester schools, Kennett/Unionville, etc., especially if those extra games are packaged as a “West Chester Cup”, Thanksgiving game, or something similar.
• Set up a single ICSHL/EHSHL web site with varsities organized by “league”—shown league standings—and “All games” standings (see the ICSHL AAA for how this would work). We’d need a easy Team Finder to help locate team’s if people don’t know their league affiliation—no problem, a pull-down menu on the first page would work fine.
• Weaker teams, developmental teams ("varsity 2s") can play each other and can play competitive varsities without wasting the time of stronger varsities or getting hammered week after week.
• Rink utilization and gate will be maximized--look at Conestoga's schedule for the resulting number of IceLine games. More traditional rivalries, more "local" games, more appropriate competition, all equal better the gate support (I hope).
• By combining EHSHL and ICSHL slots at Aston, we can better schedule and assign "good" games to the large capacity rinks and prime time slots. I think most teams end of playing most games were they want them. Some teams may want to shift some or all home games to other rinks (Lower Merion to Skatium?). The Skatium teams may end up shifting their overflow games to Aston, as they do now.

Carl, is the league interested in feedback? Would it be possible to see the matrix you referred to? This is the first I've heard of this and I'd like more information.

(You posted your reply twice)

the EHSHL and ICSHL officers that met have copies. If you send me (carlwood@bellatlantic.net) your email address, I can send you a copy of the Excel workbook.

Keep in mind at this point, we are interested in getting agreement on the basic scheduling philosophy. I am sure there will be changes in teams, special requests, etc., that will effect the final structure.

Carl,
Based on the contents of the past and all the thought put into it, You missed your calling to fly the space shuttle...Lol

I will catch up to you later..

I think that would be a horrible decision. Rivalry games are more frequent with the structure now and they generate larger crowds and better games because the leagues are based on area. Also the second games are usually more interesting then the first because the teams know eachother better and the intensity level is higher. To have all teams in the same division would be like the nhl but played in an 18 game season? That doesn't seem right to me.