In my daily work as a player adviser, I run into many situations concerning player development at the Midget, High School, Junior and College levels. Most of the time the issues that come up concern relatively minor parental or player concerns over ice time, off ice training, or schooling.
Unfortunately though, one real concern relating to Tier III development has come up time and time again, and it is interfering with a players ability to move up to higher levels of play.
The issue is a simple one. Tier III teams are requesting compensation from the higher level teams the player wishes to move on to.
While it is certainly within the rules for a Tier III team to do so, it is certainly not right either.
Playing Tier III, the parent and player are paying to receive products and services during the season. The team receives the money, and is obligated to provide those products and services. Rather simple.
During the season though, a majority of Tier III teams are not moving players up when they receive the request from the higher level team. Often the player and parent never learn the request took place until its too late. That problem may be solved now though, through rule changes.
Often times in season the Tier III team has required the player to pay a “release fee” on top of the tuition they have paid. Also known as strong arm robbery in most big cities.
The real problem is in the off season though.
Most players and parents do not know that a Tier III team can require compensation for a player that wants to move on to a Junior A team in Canada. Right now, I am personally aware of a few players being held hostage by their former Tier III teams as they are requiring the Canadian team or the player to pay anywhere from $750 to $1500 in “compensation”.
Understanding this correctly, the player does not have a contract to play Tier III this season, the player was paid in full last season in Tier III, and now though the Tier III team did not invest money into the player beyond what the player paid for, they want more compensation.
This is like saying that when I sell my car that was already paid for, I have to send some of that money to General Motors just because the car has a GM label on it. It does not work that way in life, and should not work that way in hockey.
If you pay for something, in any other business, you can do what you want with it after you pay for it.
Tier III teams should not be able to profit from a player moving on to higher levels of hockey in Canada when the player paid for the goods and services.
Players are free agents at the end of every season coming out of Tier III if they stay in the United States. They can go to the USHL, NAHL, or any other Tier III league and no compensation is due. But if they go to Canada, teams can request up to $1500 per player.
That rule is negotiated between USA Hockey and Hockey Canada. It is a rule that directly interferes with United States born players having the ability to move on to higher levels.
The United States has roughly 200 Tier III junior teams, and only 17 USHL and 24 NAHL teams. There are simply not enough roster spots to allow players to move up and stay in the United States.
Canada offers 10 Junior A or Tier II leagues, and if a player leaving Tier III can, and wants to explore those opportunities he should not be restricted from doing so.
I am proposing to USA Hockey that any and all players who pay to play hockey be complete free agents at the end of each season. No compensation should be requested or allowed for any player who is paid in full for the previous year. The player should have a right to choose where he wants to play each season without restrictions that they are unaware exist.
It is illegal in the United States for anyone to make another person a party to a contract that the person does not know exists, and does not know the terms of. No one can go out and purchase a home and say that their neighbor is going to pay for it without the neighbor approving it or signing on for it. That is called a non binding third party contract. The compensation for player agreement is a third party contract that remains undisclosed to most Tier III parents and players and must be removed.
Joseph Kolodziej – Publisher
