The Omaha Lancers are the USHL’s version of a dumpster fire at this point. But that dumpster fire should surprise no one.
Four years ago when Lancers owner Koots DiCesare hired Dave DeLuca, his personal friend as head of business development the writing was on the wall.
DeLuca was a a captain with the Las Vegas fire department in 2017 when he was hired, and less than a year later he was made Lancers team President. A former fire captain with zero hockey business experience is put in charge of a multi million dollar hockey team. If that didnt make people take a second look, I dont know why they are so shocked when the Lancers set themselves on fire.
Hockey is a business. DiCesare as the owner has every right to operate his business how ever he wants, and he can hire who ever he wants. He can cut spending when he wants or increase spending when he wants. Its his business.
That said, he has rules to follow within the USHL and USA Hockey. Standards have to be maintained.
There are a lot of questions as to whether or not standards were being maintained. Equipment budgets can be cut at any time. If equipment is being offered or provided to players, then he the team is within its rights as a business to cut the budget. In case anyone has not noticed, there is a pandemic effecting all business and hockey budgets are also effected.
As for meals on the road, I am not aware of specific standards that have to be provided. But if you take away sit down meals and provide take out, some people are going to be upset. If you had provided meals when they were optional in the past and decided to end the practice, then thats just business if its within the rules.
I find it funny though, that after a very good coach Chadd Cassidy was fired, that the replacement was Sean Walsh as interim head coach. Not shocking, but after the move was made, Walsh allegedly went to team President DeLuca and asked if he was going to get a pay raise for taking over.
DeLuca then apparently lost it on Walsh, chasing him out of the office.
So Walsh, and another assistant met with team captains and Walsh told the players if they wanted to play this weekend, he would be there behind the bench for them. But if they decided to walk, he would walk with them. The players decided to boycott the games. Walsh resigned. Team trainer Nick Hart followed.
Yes. The coach essentially provoked the players into a walkout. Then the coach resigned.
Apparently everyone resigned, and the dumpster fire rages on with Dave DeLuca roasting marsh-mellows as team President.
I find it hilarious that players are walking or not playing. Where are they going to go? Nowhere. They are on free rides playing hockey in one of the best leagues in the world, and they think they get to call the shots. That’s an interesting concept when you pay nothing to be in the position you are in. Be careful what you wish for because there are thousands of players who will take your spots if you over play your hand.
I also find it hilarious that the team has now formed an advisory board. Really? Now that the fire is raging you think its a good idea to put some hockey people in place to advise? I am sure the captain of the Titanic wishes he had brought along a bunch of welders and fabricators after he hit the ice berg.
The USHL? Its statement is more of what the USHL does. Not much of anything. Little information and they dont care who likes it. This is standard operating procedure in the USHL. One of the top leagues in the world has systemic issues with information flow and always has.
You have to wonder how a fire captain is made President of a USHL team and now everyone is talking about “standards”. How does the management of the USHL talk about standards without holding one of its owners to better hiring standards?
The answer is that when dealing with multi-millionaires, and billionaires, no one can tell the other what to do without causing problems in the room where the ego’s are so big there is barely room to breath. Because of this though, you get these dumpster fires from time to time.
Anyone who is surprised by this should not be. Anyone surprised by a rich owner hiring his buddy to run the team should not be either. And no one should be surprised when that rich owner uses his buddy as the scapegoat to put an end to this. As the owner thought he could fly under the radar by cutting costs, the President is in the direct line of fire. The owner sure isn’t going to fire himself.
Anyone got some hotdogs? Need to take advantage of these flames before they go out.
