Junior A Tier 2 Hockey

[Sample00]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Well, at least the people organizing your league are smart enough to keep it relatively geographically centred. That will help with costs.



A number of your towns already have Junior B teams though. I am a little surprised that Hinton and Edson didn't have teams in the NWJHL already.

I explored the option of joining the NWJHL about a year ago and the biggest hurdles we faced were player commitment to a Junior B program and the travel involved.

We decided to abandon the idea at that point.

This league provides us with a more geographical approach as well as better player commitment based on level of play and opportunities.

One of the features that our community does offer is the availability of university studies through Grande Prairie Regional University. We have a satellite campus in town.


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[Sample00]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

so how does the cost of approximately $10,000 $CAN compare to Jr. B?

What other out of pocket costs would a player be incurring - sticks, equipment, food?

The fee provides for billeting, gloves, helmets, fitness and nutrition instruction. As well as video recording and instruction for each player.

I am unsure of what the fee structure is for Junior B and what it includes.


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[DoubleK]

Are you providing insurance for your players?

Where are you getting your on-ice officials from?

[Sample00]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

Are you providing insurance for your players?

Where are you getting your on-ice officials from?

Yes. Players have to be kept safe and insurance is being provided for all players.
The league is handling the officiating.


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[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Sample00

I explored the option of joining the NWJHL about a year ago and the biggest hurdles we faced were player commitment to a Junior B program and the travel involved.

We decided to abandon the idea at that point.

This league provides us with a more geographical approach as well as better player commitment based on level of play and opportunities.

One of the features that our community does offer is the availability of university studies through Grande Prairie Regional University. We have a satellite campus in town.

Have you found it easier to get those player commitments?

My first thought when I saw your thread was that when you say you're going to be a Jr A calibre league that you hoped to reach that level eventually. Because expecting a rebel league in its first season in very small markets can pull that off immediately is ambitious.

[CMPunk]

Great to see Axel!

[MBates]

Originally Posted by Sample00

Yes. Players have to be kept safe and insurance is being provided for all players.
The league is handling the officiating.


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What is the protocol for a player to tryout and does insurance apply for the tryout period where a kid is not yet a member of the AAU or any member team? Hockey USA and Hockey Canada have formal agreements in place to cover the tryout process but I cannot find anything on your league site about this.

If a carded Hockey Canada Junior B player wishes to consider a shot at your roster, what does he have to do? And what are his playing rights in the league if your team wants him but he decides he does not want to play for you?

Also, who sets the playing fees? Are those variable depending on the player skill and / or ability to pay?

I have some potential clients that might be interested but expect they would need to learn a lot of information first. Feel free to contact me by PM if you want to have a more detailed discussion.

[Sample00]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Have you found it easier to get those player commitments?



My first thought when I saw your thread was that when you say you're going to be a Jr A calibre league that you hoped to reach that level eventually. Because expecting a rebel league in its first season in very small markets can pull that off immediately is ambitious.

I hope I am reading your message correctly.
This league is a Junior A Tier 2. We have a strong hockey market here as do my friends in the other communities.
This is by no means a small undertaking but I am confident that we’ll be successful.
Cautious optimism.


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[Sample00]

Originally Posted by MBates

What is the protocol for a player to tryout and does insurance apply for the tryout period where a kid is not yet a member of the AAU or any member team? Hockey USA and Hockey Canada have formal agreements in place to cover the tryout process but I cannot find anything on your league site about this.



If a carded Hockey Canada Junior B player wishes to consider a shot at your roster, what does he have to do? And what are his playing rights in the league if your team wants him but he decides he does not want to play for you?



Also, who sets the playing fees? Are those variable depending on the player skill and / or ability to pay?



I have some potential clients that might be interested but expect they would need to learn a lot of information first. Feel free to contact me by PM if you want to have a more detailed discussion.

We have taken a separate insurance policy for the spring camp. I want to ensure the players are completely covered.
If they are Alberta players this would be a back up to Alberta Health Care.
But yes the insurance is in place.
Fee’s are set. As per previous posts. That may change slightly if the player does not require billeting. It is not based on skill or ability to pay.
If a carded Junior B wants to come to the spring camp they are welcomed and just need to register. From the camp we will extend invitations to the main camp to those we feel are at the level we are looking for.
If that player does not want to play with us, we will release him.
Hope that helps.
Feel free to reach out to me through the email.
And thank you.


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[Deegee]

Originally Posted by Sample00

The fee provides for billeting, gloves, helmets, fitness and nutrition instruction. As well as video recording and instruction for each player.

I am unsure of what the fee structure is for Junior B and what it includes.


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I'm the current treasurer for a Jr B team in the HJHL. Each team operates differently, but rely heavily on sponsorship. Our (Mountainview Colts) players are expected to obtain $1,000 in sponsorship. The rest the team covers by gate and casino money. We do have some regular team sponsors, too. We don't make money, but come close to breaking even. Casino money helps.

My colleague has kids playing on the Wainwright Bisons and they need to obtain some sponsorship too in similar amounts.

[Deegee]

Also, I am excited to have Junior hockey to watch the next time I visit my cousins in Edson.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Sample00

I hope I am reading your message correctly.
This league is a Junior A Tier 2. We have a strong hockey market here as do my friends in the other communities.
This is by no means a small undertaking but I am confident that we’ll be successful.
Cautious optimism.


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Oh, I'm not being negative. Just assessing the challenge you have chosen to tackle. In that vein, saying you are a Jr A league and icing a product that reaches that calibre aren't automatically the same thing. Hopefully it works out for you. You do seem to be trying to reach an under-served market area for junior hockey in this province.

[Derek Sutton]

Well it looks like half the teams have already folded but the three of the four that remain look to have their ducks in a row. http://www.wshl.org/stats#/311/teams?season_id=1058

Some have players signed, and coaches and GM's as well as some news on their websites. Yet still nothing out of Meadow Lake. This still sounds like a disaster in the making, the We Suck Hockey League goes through franchises faster then many of us go through socks . I hope player fees have not yet been spent and owners are prepared to give refunds. 3 and 4 team leagues just, well...

Also a lot hostility coming out of Cold Lake as their successful JrB team is being dumped on as they Mayor and council are speaking very highly of the new league/ team in town. Sounds like so far Cold Lake will running both their Jr B franchise (with the support of the community) and the new "Jr A" team with the support of ???

[Junior alberta puck]

This league is set to be a sideshow. I hope that Canadian players know there are better options for them. The leagues biggest boast is always the players that they move on to college. But it's really just wool over the eyes of parents who want the best for their kids but don't know any better. They'll call a kid playing on a colleges club team a commitment. For Canadian kids that means paying out of pocket as a foreign student attending a third or fourth rate education center and playing beer league style/level hockey.

As for the level of hockey...there are two or three teams each year that might be able to compete against bottom feeder junior a teams in Canada. But this isn't saying much because the top two or three junior b teams in western Canada would be more than competitive against bottom feeders in some of the Ontario jr a leagues.

Two players that were cut from midget AA in my community went down and played for an almost .500 club instead of going to house league.

The league has had almost 100 teams in its 25 year history. Their franchise success rate is less than 30% because it is just a cash grab with players paying $10k USD for a season.

I feel terrible for any stakeholders (management, coaches, players, communities) that have been unknowingly blindsided by a rebel league without a cause.

[Derek Sutton]

Yowsers!!!!!! Edson wins 28-1, league seems legit.

http://www.wshlstats.com/team.php?te...=23#team-stats

Are player fees refundable?

[Resolute 14]

How about 116 shots in regulation for one team?

First off, congrats on the big win, Sample00! Second though, your league might want to plan for the possibility of a team folding mid-season if that's how Meadow Lake's season is going to go.

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

How about 116 shots in regulation for one team?

First off, congrats on the big win, Sample00! Second though, your league might want to plan for the possibility of a team folding mid-season if that's how Meadow Lake's season is going to go.

Looks like He has definitely put in the time, work and money required to hire the right people and recruit players. Sadly it looks like everything is hitched to the wrong wagon.

[Deegee]

WTF kind of a schedule is that?

http://www.wshlstats.com/team.php?te...23#team-roster

Massive amount of home games in one month (11) where fans are expected to pay for tickets for that many games (at AJHL rates no less whereas Jr B is normally 33% of the cost) followed by on the road for the next month where you play a few games followed by almost an entire month break?!

What an weird deal.

[Resolute 14]

That actually makes some sense, given those teams are coming from Washington and Oregon. The league is probably batching them all together for cost savings purposes.

[Deegee]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

That actually makes some sense, given those teams are coming from Washington and Oregon. The league is probably batching them all together for cost savings purposes.

Yeah, but it's games versus the same few opponents in their regional division.