As an Adviser and publisher of TJHN I am in a unique position to gather information. That information comes directly from those involved.
To be clear, TJHN, and I as an Adviser support all free to play hockey. Regardless of the label, it will be supported and more is needed. That said, clearly there is some misinformation, or a great misunderstanding on the funding differences between the NCDC and NAHL. I would hope to clarify some of those today.
The NCDC has established a way to fund its free to play hockey by raising some prices of participation in its pay to play leagues. Those price increases will probably end up averaging about $200 per year for each player.
The NAHL funds its free to play hockey through tryout camps, ticket sales, sponsorships, and team owners who are willing to take financial losses in order to own a team.
Lets be absolutely clear, neither the NCDC or NAHL are in any way providing an improper financial benefit and neither are violating any NCAA rules.
The two leagues simply have different funding plans in place. In both models though, either by increased costs to pay to play, or by paying for tryout camps, the majority are paying for the minority to experience free to play hockey.
Sponsors are paying, people buying tickets are paying, and every piece of merchandise purchased supports these free to play operations. None of them are improper financial benefits, no NCAA violations.
We all end up paying for “free to play” hockey in one way or another. Some choose to be more out front about how it is done.
The NAHL also has team owners that own NA3HL teams. While none would publicly parade the idea that the NA3HL team is there to assist in funding the NAHL team, we know that its true. No different from the NCDC and the USPHL pay to play teams.
What about the USHL owners who also own pay to play teams? What about owners that own both USA Hockey and “unsanctioned” or AAU sanctioned teams?
Lets also remember that many owners outside of the NAHL actually own or manage their ice arena’s. Their business is selling ice, and to do that you need teams buying it.
The greatest disappointment coming out of the NCDC not being in USA Hockey is that the NAHL will not be facing the NCDC in a National Championship. Then again, the NAHL voted for it to be that way as a member of the Junior Council.
The NAHL did exactly as it was instructed by its owners. It protected the NAHL business as the “only Tier II” program under USA Hockey. This was a business decision. I get it, and so do most others in the business.
As for the NCDC forcing teams below it in their structure to pay to support it when they don’t want to pay and support it, that’s also just business. The USPHL voted to have it that way, and they voted to leave USA Hockey. A fair way to handle things. The vote by the way was unanimous. Yes, according to several owners involved, the decision was unanimous.
Personally, I don’t care who pays for the hockey. It really doesn’t matter. What matters is that I as an Adviser put each of my players in the best situation for him. Nothing more nothing less. In that vein of thought, I will have clients in nearly every free to play league this year. I will also have clients in pay to play leagues in Canada and the United States.
Lets remember, there is always a cost for opportunity. How you pay that cost is varied. Maybe you pay to play directly. Maybe you pay over time for opportunity. Maybe you are not paying for hockey, but as a parent your airfare and hotels to go watch your son play on the other side of the country will total in the thousands this year.
The NCDC, NAHL and USHL are not meant for everyone to enjoy. They are the elite levels of hockey in the United States. To play in any of them is an honor and an honor you have to work extra hard to keep.
We all pay. Hockey isn’t free. So, we resign ourselves that there is a cost to doing business in this game and we look for the most comfortable way for us to justify what we pay. In the end, that’s all we are doing.
Joseph Kolodziej – Adviser
