For the better part of the last decade, the NA3HL has been the playground for Tier III operators who are looking to make money on players hopes and dreams of playing in Tier II hockey.
For just as many years, NA3HL operators have denied players the opportunity to move up to Tier II when it means not being able to collect the balance of the players tuition.
It is happening more and more these days.
Last week, two reports came in from teams in legitimate Hockey Canada Sanctioned Tier II leagues concerning players from the NA3HL not being allowed to leave for a higher level unless they paid the tuition owed.
In one instance, the player is even a Canadian Citizen! A Canadian player not being allowed to return home to play unless he pays the 50% tuition, plus an illegal “release fee” to the NA3hl team.
We are three weeks into the season here. Three weeks, and because USA Hockey Tier III rules allow teams to collect this money they are forcing parents to pay. Guess who makes the Tier III rules? Yes, the Tier III operators themselves.
In both instances, the NA3HL teams who have players that can move up aren’t allowing the moves and using money as an excuse for not allowing them because they have low roster numbers. Yes, these are their best players on bad teams, and bad teams with roster numbers that barely allow them to take the ice.
Losing these two best players would likely create the scenario for the rest of the players to abandon the sinking ship as well.
This has been going on for years in the NA3HL. It is systemic and systematic in how it has been done and teams continue to make excuses to take these actions.
Three weeks into the season and already teams are using years old tactics to keep players paying. To keep players in a system that is not designed to develop the player for upward movement, but is designed to develop the player into a check writing cash cow being lead to slaughter.
How many of you are lined up for this meat packing plant?
Joseph Kolodziej – Adviser
