Flint Firebirds -UPD: Owner suspended 5 years, fined $250k. Team forfeits 3rd OA pick

[kirant]

Originally Posted by Loudog

This is crazy, what the heck happens now? What happens to the players? The schedule?

First option is mediation...get these players back onto the team they should be with. Sounds like the OHL is doing that right now. They play again Friday. That gives a little time for everybody to get their heads on straight. Granted, I'm not sure how the team will react if they end up playing for the same team they all resigned in protest.

Complicating matters further, Nilsen's company own the arena. Not sure if there is any way to back out of an agreement with the team, but if there is I'm sure it'll play into the negotiations since Nilsen so far looks like the type willing to lock the team out of his arena should things not go his way (ex - being forced to sell).

I'm not sure if there's a case for a November dispersal draft.

Worst case scenario, I figure they disperse all the the players, close the franchise, and strike the games from the schedule...then come up with a new set of games on the fly to balance everything.

One other option: Nilsen might try to create a whole new team by Friday (of course, such a situation would probably also require league approval)...sign new coaches and 20 new players in a week. It would be incredibly strange but anything could happen now.

[Dion]

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OHLInsiders@OHLinsiders
Comment from a #Firebirds player: "The whole team went up to the managments office and said f*** this" #OHL

CHLPA
@CHLPA2015 @OHLinsiders The CHLPA Has Arranged Pro Bono Legal Counsel For All Flint Firebirds Player, Parents and Staff.

[Locke]

Aw man, Junior hockey is already enough of a bitch without all this BS.

[Chingas]

Tough spot for all the kids. This is a possible lose lose situation. Mutiny is not something that I encourage but for any player on the fence who is busting his but to find his place it likely looks worse on them if they stood alone. That might cast a shadow over them for a long time.
Conversly any disruption that might cause a dispersement or closure of the team results in them possibly throwing away a valuable part of there development.

Strange cirmumstance no doubt.Lots of unknowns and difficult to analyse with what we know.Have to wonder about the mental state of an owner that would sack the whole staff at once as well.

One thing can be certain is that everyone going back to work and pretending it was a bad dream will not work out for any party.

[JJ1532]

TSN reckon it was because the owner was unhappy that his son wasn't getting enough ice time. When the coaches didn't agree to play him more, the owner fired them, leading to the team all resigning. Fair play to them all. It's especially bizarre that the owners son walked out too. Siding with his team mates and coaches over his dad, bet that didn't go down too well. I hope they don't get made to go back and work for this asshat.

[Yrebmi]

Of course the son had to quit. Could you imagine being the sole player remaining. Bad enough dad is dismissing a winning coach staff over your silver spoon.
I bet dad backs down. Promises are made, coaches re hired, awkward season continues.

[cofias]

OHL needs to take responsibility for approving this cretin of an owner in the first place. Kids did what's right, even if it wasn't necessarily a smart decision.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Dion

CHLPA
@CHLPA2015 @OHLinsiders The CHLPA Has Arranged Pro Bono Legal Counsel For All Flint Firebirds Player, Parents and Staff.

LOL. Isn't the CHLPA run by the scammers and not even an official organization? George Laraque had to leave that organization.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Yrebmi

Of course the son had to quit. Could you imagine being the sole player remaining. Bad enough dad is dismissing a winning coach staff over your silver spoon.
I bet dad backs down. Promises are made, coaches re hired, awkward season continues.

To be fair to the dad, it's not a winning coaching staff.

They're last in their Division and one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league. They're 3-7 in their last 10 games, and lost on Saturday night to Guelph, which was only Guelph's second win of the season.

I wonder if the team's reaction would have been the same if the firing had happened after Saturday's game, or if they had lost on Sunday?

[nfotiu]

It doesn't seem like a good idea to allow an owner's son to play on his team in the first place. I am surprised they don't have a rule against that and I guess they will now.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by codynw

The Lethbridge Hurricanes are 5th in the WHL right now.

The Lethbridge Hurricanes were inches away from being sold and relocated to Winnipeg two years ago. They've recovered since, but the community ownership model out there has pretty much been a disaster.

[Southside]

Lots of family relationships in private enterprise. You just have to keep the relationship professional. Unless the guys kid is absolutely useless and not deserving of a roster spot, then it's up to the coaching staff to manage his ice time. Brent Sutter did alright owning, managing and coaching the Rebels while Brandon and his nephews played there. No reason an owners kid can't be on his team, the owner just has to hire staff to run the team and stay out of it.

[bigtmac19]

Cue the Kerby Rychel situation. Kid whose Dad owns a team, gets a lot more opportunity than he deserved

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

LOL. Isn't the CHLPA run by the scammers and not even an official organization? George Laraque had to leave that organization.

Yup. It seems Randy Gumbley is still trying to run his scams on teenagers.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Southside

Lots of family relationships in private enterprise. You just have to keep the relationship professional. Unless the guys kid is absolutely useless and not deserving of a roster spot, then it's up to the coaching staff to manage his ice time. Brent Sutter did alright owning, managing and coaching the Rebels while Brandon and his nephews played there. No reason an owners kid can't be on his team, the owner just has to hire staff to run the team and stay out of it.

I posted this in the Other sports forum before realizing that Sureloss had it in FOI:

And this from /u/Well_rounded on Reddit:

A friend of mine works at a news station in Flint, hasn't gotten the "official" stamp yet, as he says it's now a race to see which news station gets the "official" stamp, but:

"The owner bought the team so his son could play in the OHL because he knew he wasn't talented enough to make it on his own. He then drafted his son and two of his friends on the OHL draft. Head coach John Gruden was forced to keep him on the roster but Gruden wouldn't play him. So tonight, Gruden was fired."

[Northendzone]

it has got to be frustrating for the 1-3 17 yrs olds on the team who might have a shot at possibly being drafted.....not to mention the parents of all of the boys.

[Puppet Guy]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I posted this in the Other sports forum before realizing that Sureloss had it in FOI:

And this from /u/Well_rounded on Reddit:

Didn't we see this happen with the Stamps? Is Rolf Nilsen really Michael Feterik?

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Puppet Guy

Didn't we see this happen with the Stamps? Is Rolf Nilsen really Michael Feterik?

It's my dream to be successful enough to be able to buy a soccer/hockey/lacrosse/AA baseball franchise, so that I can live vicariously through my son(s).

[calf]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

It's my dream to be successful enough to be able to buy a soccer/hockey/lacrosse/AA baseball franchise, so that I can live vicariously through my son(s).

Screw that...if I'm buying a team, I'm playing. End of story.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by calf

Screw that...if I'm buying a team, I'm playing. End of story.

Well, yeah, but that ship has already sailed for me. You, as a mere calf, might be young enough...