Hockey Canada = bullies?

[Fletch 219]

Weird story here....I think they're being just a little ridiculous suspending kids for this -

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/ourgame/ne...ockey-team.html

[Chadd 916]

Pretty sad when you have a governing body that is trying to prevent kids from playing a game.

[DarkStar50 679]

Pretty sad when you have a governing body that is trying to prevent kids from playing a game.

Obviously, there is more to it than that from Hockey Canada's perspective.

[samson35 0]

wow, it almost seems...selfish of Hockey Canada to do something like that. Poor kid just wants to play the game.

[chippa13 1844]

It is all about money, nothing else.

[interpathway 9]

And I thought USA Hockey was bad. Bullying and being lazy about distributing their policies. All it would take is a link on their home-page, why should someone have to search out that information?

[QandA 0]

I know where HC is coming from here. They don't want players playing in two leagues at once. So here in NB, they woudn't want them playing high school and say midget aaaa. However, there are extenuating circumstances to everything, and this here is an example.

[chippa13 1844]

It has nothing to do with playing in two leagues, it has to do with playing in a league that isn't funneling cash up to Hockey Canada.

[Chadd 916]

Pretty sad when you have a governing body that is trying to prevent kids from playing a game.

Obviously, there is more to it than that from Hockey Canada's perspective.

Much like USA Hockey, it's about money and control. Neither one actually cares about the people playing or the game itself.

[QandA 0]

It has nothing to do with playing in two leagues, it has to do with playing in a league that isn't funneling cash up to Hockey Canada.

There's more to it than just money. I'll let you follow the belief that it's just about money, but HC has to draw a line somewhere in order to establish some guidelines.

[Chadd 916]

It has nothing to do with playing in two leagues, it has to do with playing in a league that isn't funneling cash up to Hockey Canada.

There's more to it than just money. I'll let you follow the belief that it's just about money, but HC has to draw a line somewhere in order to establish some guidelines.

If it wasn't about protecting their monopoly the restriction would be that HC registered teams can't play against non-HC registered teams. They did the same thing with officials last year or two years ago.

[eric42434224 1]

Restricting play between the teams doesnt stop the monopoly. Preventing, or attempting the loss of members to those teams does.

[QandA 0]

It has nothing to do with playing in two leagues, it has to do with playing in a league that isn't funneling cash up to Hockey Canada.

There's more to it than just money. I'll let you follow the belief that it's just about money, but HC has to draw a line somewhere in order to establish some guidelines.

If it wasn't about protecting their monopoly the restriction would be that HC registered teams can't play against non-HC registered teams. They did the same thing with officials last year or two years ago.

I'm not exactly sure what you saying here. Non-HC teams play in the states all the time still...Officials who referee high school hockey, which is not associated with HC, are the same that do HC games. They just cover their badge up or wear a high school hockey one...

[Chadd 916]

It has nothing to do with playing in two leagues, it has to do with playing in a league that isn't funneling cash up to Hockey Canada.

There's more to it than just money. I'll let you follow the belief that it's just about money, but HC has to draw a line somewhere in order to establish some guidelines.

If it wasn't about protecting their monopoly the restriction would be that HC registered teams can't play against non-HC registered teams. They did the same thing with officials last year or two years ago.

I'm not exactly sure what you saying here. Non-HC teams play in the states all the time still...Officials who referee high school hockey, which is not associated with HC, are the same that do HC games. They just cover their badge up or wear a high school hockey one...

I'm talking about the same leagues that they're now suspending people for playing in, not high school.

[sabby47 2]

I'm just curious as to how HC would find all these players that are playing in "outlawed leagues" If the players don't register to HC but to their own affiliate, how would HC know unless coaches/parents in HC-affiliated leagues were telling them about it?

I understand Q&A's theory about HC trying to protect kids but what's stopping them from playing for two HC-affiliated teams?

[QandA 0]

You can't be registered with two teams, you can in some scenarios affiliate but that's all...

Honestly, I d on't kno what HC is going to define as an outlawed league. Theres several leagues that are not HC, which is why I just assumed that they didn't want players jumping from say a high school team to a minor hockey team, and back and forth...

[DarkStar50 679]

Pretty sad when you have a governing body that is trying to prevent kids from playing a game.

Obviously, there is more to it than that from Hockey Canada's perspective.

Much like USA Hockey, it's about money and control. Neither one actually cares about the people playing or the game itself.

Again, obviously this time there is more to it from your perspective. Could you cite examples and explain your beliefs with facts?

[Chadd 916]

Pretty sad when you have a governing body that is trying to prevent kids from playing a game.

Obviously, there is more to it than that from Hockey Canada's perspective.

Much like USA Hockey, it's about money and control. Neither one actually cares about the people playing or the game itself.

Again, obviously this time there is more to it from your perspective. Could you cite examples and explain your beliefs with facts?

Neither has done much to grow the game as registrations have slid. Both put far more resources into winning at the elite levels than working the grassroots levels. Those are some of the facts that influence my opinions.

[DarkStar50 679]

Pretty sad when you have a governing body that is trying to prevent kids from playing a game.

Obviously, there is more to it than that from Hockey Canada's perspective.

Much like USA Hockey, it's about money and control. Neither one actually cares about the people playing or the game itself.

Again, obviously this time there is more to it from your perspective. Could you cite examples and explain your beliefs with facts?

Neither has done much to grow the game as registrations have slid. Both put far more resources into winning at the elite levels than working the grassroots levels. Those are some of the facts that influence my opinions.

In today's economic reality, how do you propose these two organizations reverse this trend of sliding registration numbers?

[Chadd 916]

Pretty sad when you have a governing body that is trying to prevent kids from playing a game.

Obviously, there is more to it than that from Hockey Canada's perspective.

Much like USA Hockey, it's about money and control. Neither one actually cares about the people playing or the game itself.

Again, obviously this time there is more to it from your perspective. Could you cite examples and explain your beliefs with facts?

Neither has done much to grow the game as registrations have slid. Both put far more resources into winning at the elite levels than working the grassroots levels. Those are some of the facts that influence my opinions.

In today's economic reality, how do you propose these two organizations reverse this trend of sliding registration numbers?

today's economic realities have not been the case over the last few years, the decline is going to be pretty severe next year without a miraculous improvement in the economy. Much like the governing bodies I haven't spent much time or money working out how to grow the game but the obvious answer is to find a way to reduce the cost of the sport. For that reason I would suggest trying to grow inline hockey in nontraditional markets as a logical starting point.

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

Gretzky said to have kids play inline until 8 or 9 and then if they still like it, put em on the ice. seems logical.

[Jason Harris 31]

For that reason I would suggest trying to grow inline hockey in nontraditional markets as a logical starting point.

When I spoke with Bill Hattem at the One Goal Show in Detroit, I asked him why One Goal wasn't focusing on inline hockey, particularly in the Southern states that could play it year round. His response was along the lines of wanting to get the game of ice hockey stronger before putting efforts toward inline.

It's a fair answer but I don't agree with the strategy, because I believe many inline players ultimately add ice to their repertoire, so it would only seem to increase the demand for the sport.

[eric42434224 1]

Do you not agree with the choice of not focusing on inline, or not focusing on both? It seems that focusing on ice will add more players directly than hoping a percentage of inline players will move to, or add ice to their game.

If they add 100 players to ice, the change is +100.

If they add 100 players to inline and 2/3 add ice, then the change is +66.

100>66.

The strategy seems sound. They will likely add inline initiatives when they have established the ice program, or when the ice program's growth starts to slow.

Does this sound right? I could be wrong....lord knows I have been before.

[Jason Harris 31]

I don't agree with the strategy of treating them as separate sports. I think they are both hockey and growing the interest in one should have a positive affect on the other.

[sdcopp 1]

I think the caveat for you and I Jason is that we live in a region that offers both pretty decently and has a lot of crossover players.

Colorado has done a pretty good job of offering plenty of outdoor inline facilities from Colorado Springs through Castle Rock, Denver area and into Ft Collins and I think Greeley. We can get out to the parks roughly 9.5-10 months out of the year, and I see plenty of ice guys who'd never play inline leagues out at my local park. Growing it holistically has some very positive effects.

USA hockey is headquartered here as well, and I don't see much presence from them as an organization on initiatives like this. They could utilize facilities like this through Parks and Rec to really make an inexpensive impact and market the ice side to grow that as well.

The inline league I play through here is the largest private roller hockey organization in the nation and has no real tie to USAH. 3000+ members at last count and before a couple rink acquisitions from the owner to grow it further. I truly believe it's going to take private groups like this in a couple more regions to grow at grassroots level for ice and inline, and that takes money a lot of people just don't have.

USAH and HC don't seem to be organized for or even interested in undertaking the grassroots levels and instead will let rink organizations, most of which are much smaller than my personal experience here, try and do it themselves and be content to sell their supplemental insurance membership and administer bylaws to keep their monopolies in check.

the hard fact of it is, inline is cheaper to play all around, and even when the economy does begin to rebound people always want to stretch the buck further. Why not offer a less expensive alternative to simply get people playing? I for one am trying to organize a street hockey, ball and trash cans in shoes style game for Sunday mornings or something similar just to get people out having fun and hopefully get people who say they can't skate or it costs too much to just come play. $10 for a stick and hours of fun with people, sounds pretty cheap and easy, why can't the major organizations start there and work their way up? Puck, ball, ice, inline, shoes, none of it really should matter as long as people just go play hockey.