When crossing rail road tracks it is always best to look both ways and listen for any train. Usually a “stop, look and listen approach” is taken by most people. Most look to avoid the train coming down the tracks, not stare at the train’s headlight as it screams down the tracks in your direction.
The MWJHL does not appear to take that approach.
Hockey League Management 101; Chapter One, Page One, Lesson One:
“DO NOT ANNOUNCE ANYTHING UNTIL YOU ARE 100% CERTAIN”
Last year, the MWJHL started out with an announcement that they would have 16 teams. They ended up having 8 teams. Three of those teams ended up finishing the season playing out of one rink in Detroit.
On May 24th, MWJHL Commissioner Scott Gardiner came out with a press release entitled “State of the MWJHL from commissioner Scott Gardiner”. In that release Mr. Gardiner said:
“Marquette (Lakeview Arena), Alpena (Northern Lights Arena), Soo (Big Bear Arena) and Traverse City (Centre ICE Arena) play in what I consider to be four of the best rinks in all of Michigan, maybe in all of the Midwest. All four arenas have previously housed franchises from the North American Hockey League and for our league to be able to secure these venues just goes to show you the direction the league is heading.” Later in the release adding” We have a dedicated and loyal league staff in place and the stability of our nine teams has never been better.”
The truth though may end up being something different than described in the press release.
The Marquette Royales have been approved for membership in the Minnesota Junior Hockey League. The MWJHL was warned by several people nearly two months ago that the Royales were looking to join the MNJHL and that they would likely not be a part of the MWJHL. Leadership in the MWJHL did not listen to those warnings, nor did they pay attention to the other signs that something may be happening in Marquette.
Last weekend, the MWJHL spent the entire day on Saturday, going over league rules and agreements after some of those terms were published on TJHN. Changes were discussed and agreed to, and no one signed any agreements for the league.
Last Saturday, was also spent on developing the league schedule for 2013-2014. That schedule now has to be completely redone with the departure of Marquette.
TJHN has also learned that the Street Cats move from Rhinelander Wisconsin to Alpena Michigan also comes with one significant caveat. They are not allowed to recruit any local players that could otherwise play for the Alpena High School hockey team. Great for the school, not so great for the junior team.
The MWJHL as initially described in the spring of 2012, looked to be an ideal concept for Tier III options in the Mid West. Unfortunately, concepts do not always translate into results when actually taken off the drawing board and into practice.
