OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH Snap! Talk about a kick in the nuts kids. Many USA Hockey Tier III teams were counting on getting three import players this season instead of two as in previous years. Yep, it was all agreed in principal at the winter meetings.
Bang, and just like that its dead. Turns out it wasn’t even presented at the USA Hockey Summer meetings for rule changes.
So how the hell does that happen? Someone clearly dropped the ball here kids. Its not the folks at USA Hockey kids. The Tier III Caucus needs to submit the official rule change proposal, and it doesn’t look like they remembered to do that. Maybe their dogs ate their homework huh? Ha Ha Ha
What’s crazy is that the import player expansion was supposed to help offset all the ridiculous expansion at the Tier III level. The secondary part of that was to put a little dent in AAU recruiting import players and bolstering their numbers.
So what now?
Well kids there’s nearly 200 Tier III teams in the United States now. Yep, you read that right, nearly 200 when you add up all the leagues.
Who actually thinks there are 5000 players willing to pay to play Tier III hockey? Seriously. 5000 players!!!! There just aren’t enough players available to fill those 5000 roster spots.
Do the math. If you had 200 teams an extra import player per team would get 200 new players into the country. 200 new players equates to eight full team rosters net.
After last summer’s death count, you would think that leagues and USA Hockey would have gotten this done for their member teams. But no.
Our prediction of close to two dozen teams folding may have been a little low this year kids. You know what that means boys and girls? Its going to be a freaking busy summer here in The Death Pool. Come on in take a swim.
*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.
