Yeah, well, here it is Wednesday morning and I am finally getting the real information on what actually took place almost two weeks ago with the Heritage Junior Hockey League.
Now its never good news when a storied franchise bites the dust, but that’s just what happened when 43 years of player development came to a screeching halt with the Medicine Hat Cubs. That’s right kids, 43 years!
The problem? Yeah, you guessed it, not enough players to compete. Hmmmmmm you think we may have heard about this one before?
This was a team that was relying on Midget AA players to fill in roster holes throughout the season. Just a hint kids, Midget AA players shouldn’t be playing junior hockey. They sure shouldn’t be playing in a very competitive league like the Heritage Junior League!
Regularly dressing 12 skaters isn’t a recipe for success either. Combine that with a lack of experience and not enough skilled players and you have a disaster on your hands.
With a record of 5-28-0 the Cubs put up a fight, but getting your ass kicked almost every night isn’t exactly a recruiting profile for free agents either.
That’s not to say they didn’t have some talent on the team because they did. They had a few really good players that were producing on a nightly basis.
Here’s the thing though; this is another one of these organizations that’s run by a “board of directors” that shouldn’t be. That’s right kids, the old tradition of community run teams being operated by a board of directors, is an old tradition who’s time has come and gone.
See in todays hockey world you need private funding, and an experienced staff. You have to recruit on a national and international level. You have to put in the effort to get the players you want. You cant rely on any affiliation deal with a higher level team, and you sure cant rely on having a bunch of local players any more.
Why? Because players are willing to go anywhere for what they think is a good opportunity. And that starts with going to a good recruiter and an experienced coach.
43 years!
But hey, junior hockey needs more expansion right?!?
*The Death Pool is a mix of comedy, and satire in connection with recent events. It is not an official report of current events although it may look as though the news is so accurate that it could one day happen or may be happening.
