Bright lights, big city. Yep, the CPJHL didn’t have either of those. It was more like flashlights, and cow tipping.
The Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League was just a few years ago an up and coming league. They had some good people involved with teams and league management was trying hard to promote the league and increase the level of play every year.
Then came new league management, followed by COVID.
When the league changed management, the focus was no longer on the people within the league, or the people operating the teams. The focus became expansion and the fee’s that went with it.
When COVID came and the money stopped flowing, expansion was a dead issue. And so was the league.
This year the league was down to three teams really. Three teams in name only because none of these teams were out recruiting at all in the summer. If you aren’t out recruiting, players aren’t signing, and you are done. Its a simple formula.
Officially the league put out this release;
“The CPJHL league President Barry DeGray today announces the official suspension of operations of the 2021/22 season. The decision to halt the play was not an easy one but was necessary given the state of affairs in these difficult economic times.
Barry DeGray states, “All businesses in the current economic state are finding access to supply chains be it cars, boats or real estate are having issues to supply the demands of the public. Our league is a business like any other, and without a supply chain, (our players), the ability for our teams to recruit successfully puts our business model under stress.” Mr. DeGray continues, “Our league spans across two provinces (Ontario/Quebec) which adds to the ever changing COVID restrictions and ability to attract talent. Players want certainty and we cannot confirm constraints put on us through COVID restrictions constantly changing. Furthermore we owe it to our league and team sponsors to derive value from our contractual obligations.
In this current marketplace neither league nor team sponsors would benefit from a season that is unknown. The decision therefore to cease this seasons operations and retool for the 2022 campaign was taken. It will give us time to allow the teams to build up their businesses over the winter through better planning and allow the CPJHL to recruit more clubs and relaunch for a more stable and healthy 2022 campaign.
The CPJHL would like to thank the fans and also the players who had hoped to compete this current season. “We will come back better and stronger in 2022 and would like to thank the players, sponsors and existing team owners for your patience and hope all may respect our current situation and decision.” Mr. DeGray closes.”
Yeah, so supply chain? What kind of bullshit does this guy think people will buy?
Supply chain? You mean the same supply chain that every other Tier III league that is playing uses? That one providing thousands of players to hundreds of teams? Well Mr. DeGray, apparently you are living in a windowless house, without TV or internet because that “supply chain” is working just fine for people who actually know how to run a league or teams.
Supply chain? Are you kidding me? Did someone actually think people would read this bullshit and believe it?
What’s broken is not the supply chain, but the management and ownership of the CPJHL.
When you run off good people who own teams, who built the league, who worked hard, you are left with some operators who have no clue what they are doing. You are left with a league that puts a bullet in its own head.
Supply chain. Yeah, my supply chain for doughnuts is broken too if I don’t go to the freakin bakery.
The comment about sponsors and value is priceless. “sponsors derive value from our contractual obligations” You’re kidding with this one right? “Sponsors”?
Like the sponsors who don’t pay money to the league at all? Sponsors that the league pays money to? That’s not a sponsor, that is called the league being a customer.
I love reading this stuff though. Since when is a “sponsor” collecting money from the team they “sponsor”? In case you missed Hockey Business 101 class at school, a “sponsor” provides cash or valuable products to the league that allow the league to save its own cash. The league doesn’t give the “sponsor” cash. What moron came up with this?
Hey Bob, did you check in with our “Bullshit Sponsor”? Because we are all out of Bullshit and really need to buy some more from them.
Stick around ladies and gentlemen, we got more on the way.
