Does anyone like to play the politics of hockey? Would more of you like to see progress over politics? Are we not in the game to pass along the knowledge and skills it has brought to all of us? Is it really “for the kids”?
To be sure it is the business. It is a big money business at every level. From the equipment buying to operation expenses for the teams and the leagues. Hundreds of millions of dollars every year from the parents to the stores to the ice arena to the teams.
My friend he say he spend close to two hundred thousand dollar on his son to play hockey through junior. Including camps, equipment, travel, tournaments and all other expense. That is a lot of money yes?
Parent spend the money for opportunity. Some opportunity work out some do not. That is just how it goes. What parent are tied of spending money on is the politics that limit the opportunity. More and more parent are complaining that USA Hockey and Hockey Canada are not doing what the player and the parent want.
Example are easy to find. The fight to keep the Wenatchee Wild in the United States based NAHL when they are clear to be a better fit in the Canada based BCHL. The recent denial of the NOJHL expansion to Alpena. The denial of multiple expansion applications in Canada for Junior A and B team over the last year.
Some parent recently sent the email to us:
“So let me get this straight, USA Hockey wont let new teams in at the Tier II level so that we are forced to pay Tier III owners?”
“They deny Tier III expansion and force us to continue to pay existing teams who don’t keep their promises and run the team like a circus?”
“Wenatchee can’t go to the BC league and the NOJ cant come back to the states? And people wonder why nothing can get done”
“All everyone wants to do is fight over franchise fee’s and protecting their “territory”. They dont care about the players or the parents paying their salarys. Its about time for a change.”
When the email such as this come in every day, it is not a good sign. To be sure, some people simply express the gripe in an email, but just a sure is when everyone saying the same thing, it is worth looking into.
Why would anyone limit leagues or teams from picking their own course of business?
The answer is simple. Money. Everyone want to protect the money they have, and the money they hope to coninue getting. If one league or team is believed to screw over another league or team member, people may turn on him to screw him in the future. Even when the people dont like each other they stick together because they run the show.
Another friend of mine say;
“All it is going to take is for one person with money to get angry and file a lawsuit. It is a monopoly and it is the restriction of interstate and international trade. The game of hockey is no longer a game alone, it is a global business. Products, goods and services cross borders every day. Players cross borders every day. The thought that a small group of people do or would attempt to control how a significant portion of that trade, or business is conducted is actually pretty funny. The fact that it is happening in todays age is even more funny.”
Will it ever change? When will it really become “about the kids” again?
Coach
