* Commissioner Rob Mazzuca contacted TJHN this afternoon to inform us that no across the board league fee’s have been voted on or approved. Mazzuca made it clear that the only fee charged by the league is a $300 fee to the league. Other fee’s per team we not disclosed.
With the Central Canadian Hockey League and Ontario Junior Hockey Leagues both moving to a “pay to play” business model it was only a matter of time before the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League followed suit.
Sources within the NOJHL are reporting that the Tier II loop will have a minimum fee of $3500 for each player in the 2013-2014 season.
The difference between the NOJHL and the others? This fee is said to include the players Hockey Canada and Ontario Hockey Association fee. If true, this would make the NOJHL the least expensive Tier II league thus far.
While the NOJHL will hold their annual meetings in Elliot Lake this weekend to approve these measures, the lower cost compared to the CCHL and OJHL could be a recruiting boon for the league.
Also on the slate is the expected approval of Espanola as the eighth team in the NOJHL for the 2013-2014 season. Sources are reporting that Espanola will be approved unanimously.
Adding an eighth team to the NOJHL with the comparitively reduced player costs should help the expansion franchise recruit from the entire province with an advantage right out of the gate.
TJHN will update this story as more information becomes available.
