Hey kids, its a Saturday morning, and my coffee pot has been pumping away since about 5:00 AM this morning. Not my usual thing on a Saturday I can tell ya. But hey, it aint too often that you have almost an all out mutiny on any junior hockey team, let alone one up in Canada.
So in case you missed it, the CCHL took over the EOJHL Junior B loop this year and rebranded it the CCHL2. Cool enough, and a great idea to mimic what the NAHL has done here in the States. They also added Midget hockey under their brand to complete a “development model” of their own. Once again, just like the NAHL did here with the NAPHL.
So, it turns out that going from the EOJHL to the CCHL2 isn’t all Unicorns and Rainbows. Not easy to make the move from virtually free to play to pay to play.
So, the CCHL2 Brockville Tikis got themselves in a little bind right now.
Last week they handed out invoices for $2500 bucks to the players. Now, the Owners say that everyone knew the price before the season started, fair enough if true. But ummmmm just a hint bone heads, not everyone can come up with $2500 bucks within a week of getting an invoice.
See it turns out that $2500 is the maximum allowed to be charged under CCHL2 league rules. No problem with that at all, its within the rules. But you might just have a little problem with the next part dummies……
See, all returning players were offered a flat rate of $1,500, plus an extra $375 off from a “legacy fund”. Ownership has said this to local media, and ummm yeah, players know all about it.
Yeah, you idiots you got yourself a few problems with this one. You just admitted in public that your giving discounts, so you just turned every player in your organization into an NCAA investigation. Don’t worry folks, the kids will probably be fine, but it goes to show some owners don’t know anything about rules.
Ohhhhhh yeah, but the bigger problem you have is that by implementing your discount program, you just told new players who pay more that they aren’t valued as much as returning players. Yep, you divided your own dressing room before you dropped the puck on the season.
You just said that the new player who is tearing it up isn’t as valuable as the slug you kept on because you like him and he is a “legacy”.
TEN PLAYERS!!!!
That’s right, ten players left your team. Those players included your freakin Captain Tanner Casselman, Alternate Captains Jesse Robertson, John Kalivas and Taylor Henry, as well as Graham Sheets, Greg Heika, Chad Caskenette, Chad Melbourne, Cory Morell, and Adam James.
In case you mornons hadn’t noticed, your 2-6-0 starting the season record wouldn’t inspire confidence in anyone when you’re trying to get money from them.
It gets better though.
Less than 48 hours later, the Head Coach quit!
This team already has a history of players walking out this year. Seems like no one knows who the boss is, or whats going on. A few weeks ago, half the team walked out of a practice when the assistant coach took over and started running things differently than what the head coach wanted while the head coach was at a league meeting!
Guess who the new Head Coach is? That’s right kids, the assistant, just got a promotion.
Players are also reporting that owners are trying to tell players what to do and what not to do. Implying they are trying to coach from the stands! Are you kidding me?
This is exactly what happens when you have inexperienced ownership who think because they played a little hockey that they can do better. They think this while still trying to cash other peoples checks, its no different in the States with some Tier III teams.
Get a clue owners. If you want to be paid, you invoice before the season starts, and you get paid before anyone gets on the ice. You don’t put players on the ice before you get paid. But hey, everyone loves a bush league story right.
Way to screw up a potentially good thing Tikis! Its all about the players though.
Meanwhile former Tikis captain Tanner Casselman, Taylor Henry, Jesse Robertson and Adam James were shipped to the Westport Rideaus in exchange for Jeff Hyndman, Zachary Towns, Andy Williamson, Anthony Meehan and a PDF.
In case you don’t know what PDF is, its Player Development Fee. Yep, its all about the players isn’t it?!
*The Death Pool is a mix of comedy, and satire in connection with recent events. It is not an official report of current events although it may look as though the news is so accurate that it could one day happen or may be happening.
