“I was offered a better deal from the other team.” How many Coaches heard that over the years? How many players got used to using that line in a time when there was an over saturation of pay to play teams?
Those “Deal Days” are now coming to an end. For many reasons this is a good thing, even for the players.
Players who think they are special now simply wont be playing when they don’t produce enough to earn a “deal”. So, take your over valued, I don’t want to pay to play ego, and go home.
Parents who think junior hockey should be “free” who don’t want to pay should realize that “free to play” junior hockey is for the elite level player, not for everyone.
I don’t like paying for a great steak dinner on Saturday nights either, but I don’t own the steak house in town and I am not a food critic, so I pay. I sure don’t like paying for my airline tickets, but if I want to fly I have to pay.
Don’t want to pay your billet, or don’t want to pay it on time? Go home. Simple. You can’t eat someone else’s food and use someone else’s home without paying for it. No different than going to a hotel, you cant stay if you don’t pay.
The days of “free to play” all over, and the “deal days” are pretty much over. With the average team having players waiting in line for a spot on the ice, the power is no longer in the hands of the consumer to negotiate. Don’t want to pay, then stay home.
When Major Junior veterans, and draft picks are paying to play this year, a lot of players need to wake up and get a clue that they are really not that good and don’t deserve a “deal”.
With roster freeze’s on the way, I wonder how many players want to take a chance on getting frozen out?
Joseph Kolodziej – Adviser
