The largest group of junior hockey teams in North America rest in the Tier 3 leagues. And rightfully so, they take the most heat for having the most problems recruiting, and providing players what they should be receiving under their contracts.
Tier 3 is not alone though, and there are many teams claiming to be Tier 2, or Junior A that are not only letting players, parents and their supporters down, but they are becoming problematic for the leagues they play in.
The SIJHL has one such team in the Kenora Islanders, and there are more examples throughout Canada and the United States. But for purposes of example and this discussion we will focus on Kenora.
The Kenora Islanders website has no management team listed, or ownership listed. The Kenora coaching page has a coach listed who is no longer there.
In games so far this season the Kenora Islanders are zero wins and four losses, with a goal differential of negative twenty seven. The Kenora roster page has incomplete information for all but six players listed on the roster. The Head Coach who is actually trying to coach the team does not have the right Hockey Canada certification to run the team, so another coach with the correct certification is on the bench to make the games legal.
On top of these very big problems the Kenora Islanders have not put out a signle team produced news update since May 16th.
This organization is the best example of disorganization in Tier 2 junior hockey today. Nothing says they do not care about the players than how this organization has operated.
Kenora is not alone though. There are multiple teams across Canada and the United States with some pretty bad situations. Funny enough a few of the teams refused to take players they believed would not be good enough for their team, that are on other Tier 2 teams and thriving in those environments.
Playing Tier 2 or Junior A in some cases is not always what it may appear to be. Knowing exactly what you are getting into is just as important as any move up. A move into a bad environment is just as damaging to a resume as moving down can be.
Joseph Kolodziej – Adviser
