In the previous three articles, we went in depth as to why Canadians and Europeans are not coming to the United States. It simply isn’t happening, and it wont happen.
There is absolutely no incentive for players to leave their own country if they are high caliber players. They get everything and more at home than they would in the United States.
Those players that can come, or chose to do so, are doing so because there is a financial incentive. Either they are an NHL prospect, a free to play player, or they are getting a free/discounted tuition to play because they are usually not good enough for a top team in their own country.
Without incentives, why would anyone leave home?
The idea that simply raising import player numbers, or eliminating the restrictions would bring more players to the United States is simply a theory that is flawed at its very base premise.
As I said in the first part of this series, free to play import player limits were raised with almost zero net effect on the volume of import players coming to the United States.
Pay to play teams who think import players will be the answer, are delusional. They are the ones who want the limits raised or eliminated because people perpetuate the misguided belief that more import players is the solution to the Tier III problem.
The only solution to the Tier III problem is to eliminate teams, not import player rules. Because Tier III is the only level having problems filling their rosters. Everyone else is perfectly fine.
Now that we have covered, all the real things that impact the discussion, what is your opinion?
I would love to watch the experiment unfold. Imagine no import limits in USA Hockey. Tier III would say its the answer and then sell more franchises. Only to find out what they already know. Import players wont come because they don’t want to and they don’t need to.
I hope you enjoyed this series.
