league territory question

[caps05]

I hope this is the right forum to post this in, but I'm trying to figure some things out that apply to all the major junior leagues, not just the WHL.

When a player is declared eligible for major junior hockey status (whatever age that may be), do I understand correctly that the province/US state he may be from is the basis upon which it's determined what league he can be recruited by first?

Let's say someone is from a Manitoban town that is close to the Manitoba/Ontario border, and would prefer to play in the OHL rather than the WHL because it's not as physical or brawling a style than the WHL is known for.

The way I've always understood it is, if you're from Western Canada, the WHL teams have first shot at you before you can even be approached by an OHL or a QMJHL team; am I incorrect in this thinking? Same would go for Ontario and the Eastern provinces with the OHL and QMJHL, respectively.

My secondary question, along the same lines, is, if a player from say, British Columbia, and tries out unsuccessfully for a WHL team, does he have to be sent down to a BCHL team because that's the province where he resides? Or can he be sent to the Manitoba league, for instance?

I realize I may not have worded this right, but I hope someone is able to understand what I'm asking and can help.

[Scout]

Yes each league has territory rights. The WHL has rights on all players in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The OHL has rights to all Ontario players and the QMJHL has rights to all players in Quebec and the Maritimes. They have first rights on these players in the bantam draft. Each team in each league also has a 50 man protected list and these players belong to these teams. If a player as you say is from Manitoba and was not drafted or on a protected list of a WHL team, and is done his midget hockey then a team from another league can bring him in. I'm not 100% sure on your last question but i believe if a player is 18 and is to old for Midget hockey he is free to play in any province if he is not property of a CHL team.

Scout

[caps05]

I'm not 100% sure on your last question but i believe if a player is 18 and is to old for Midget hockey he is free to play in any province if he is not property of a CHL team.

Scout

My second question was about the lower level junior leagues that, I think, feed players into the WHL, like the BCHL, AJHL, and SJHL.

If a player's from BC and tries out unsuccessfully for a WHL team, would he be automatically sent down to a BCHL team, since it's his home province?

[Scout]

No. If a junior player is not on a CHL 50 man protected list and is not drafted by any CHL teams then you are free to play on any junior team whether it is your home province or not as long as you don't have midget eligibility left or in other words to old for midget. Humbolt Broncos of the SJHL have four players on their team who have no ties to Saskatchewan. One from Manitoba, two from Alberta and one from Ontario.

Scout

[caps05]

No. If a junior player is not on a CHL 50 man protected list and is not drafted by any CHL teams then you are free to play on any junior team whether it is your home province or not as long as you don't have midget eligibility left or in other words to old for midget. Humbolt Broncos of the SJHL have four players on their team who have no ties to Saskatchewan. One from Manitoba, two from Alberta and one from Ontario.

Scout

That's the answer I was looking for, thanks.

What makes up the 50 man protected list, now that you bring it up? Are there what, 20 active players on the roster at any given time, plus IR, players who are in one of the pro leagues who have yet to be sent back down? How does the breakdown work out?

[rinkrat]

Alot of your questions can be answered here.

http://www.whlfans.ca/showthread.php?t=2598



and here

From whl.ca
http://whl.ca/news/bantam.php?id=7

About the Bantam Draft
Created:
The bantam draft allows for the orderly transfer of players to WHL Protected Player Lists (PPL) from the bantam ranks (14-15 year-olds).

The WHL Bantam Draft is an annual outing, in which the Club’s of the Western Hockey League select players who have graduated from bantam. The draft’s order of selection depends on where the team finishes in the League standings. The Club’s that miss the playoffs are placed into a lottery for the 1st round only. After the 1st round, the Club’s select in order from fewest to most regular season points.

A number of years ago, WHL Clubs were allowed to list first-year bantam players as of a set date in September. However, first-year bantams had been playing at the peewee level the previous year, and in order to list first-year bantams, WHL Clubs needed to scout the peewee ranks. This had many drawbacks including the need for extensive scouting systems along with the related expense, as well the added pressure on peewee-aged players (12-13 year-olds).

In order to get away from scouting peewees, the WHL instituted a bantam draft. WHL Clubs send scouts to watch first-year bantams from the start of the minor hockey season. After the season, the WHL holds a draft specifically to allow teams to add bantam players in an orderly manner to their protected lists. While this draft is the first opportunity for teams to select bantam players, it is not the last chance for a player to be listed. After the draft is completed, all the remaining bantams become eligible to be listed by teams, and many will be added as spots become available on Club's PPLs, or as a player's talents improve or are more noticeable at a later date or at a higher level of hockey.

During the bantam draft (typically held in early May), players from the four Western Provinces and the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming are eligible to be selected. For the 2008 bantam draft, players born in 1993 may be selected.

Players from non-North American countries are allowed to be added in the CHL Import Draft which is held in June.