PDA

View Full Version : Expansion



Scout
04-22-2005, 05:14 PM
As most of you will know by now the W.H.L. is expanding to 21 teams in 2006/2007 season. Added to the fray will be Chilliwack. With the group of 14 buying Tri City ( led by Kolzig and Barnes ) it will allow Tri City to remain in the U.S. division and the previous owners to start the expansion team in Chilliwack. How the heck do you spell Chilliwack? Now it was mentioned at the meeting of moving the Bronco's back to the east division and maybe moving Kootney to the Central.

Now we still have the Edmonton Oilers dangling $5 million to the dub for a team. I think Edmonton will also be getting an expansion team to round it out at 22 teams. If Edmonton does get a team, Kootney will probably stay in the B.C. division with Edmonton taking Swift place in the Central.

How do we put a stop to the saturation already affecting junior hockey? It has been mentioned that the Euro's will be increased from 2 to 3. Also allowing each team to only carry one 16 year-old and increasing the 20 year-olds from 3 to 4 and even as many as five per team. Looking for your thoughts here on whether you agree or disagree with what is happening. The increasing of 20 year-olds and Euro's are only idea's and are not put into affect by the league. If they add two new teams a watered down product will even be more watered down. I think increasing the Euro's and 20 year-olds is the only way to bring the quality back up. Just my opinion, lets hear yours.

Scout

Chaucer
04-24-2005, 01:55 PM
I don't like the idea of more 20 year olds cause it will do more to hurt the game than help it. While there were some exciting overagers like Leavitt, Redenbach, Konsorada and Monych, the average 20 year old in the dub is Justin Cruse, Steve Marr, Cody Blanshan, Caine Pearpoint and Barry Horman; defensive minded players that don't get alot of points. All the exciting highlight reel players leave the dub after they're 19. More 20 year olds will just slow down the skilled 17 and 18 year olds. I'd like the idea of more euros if I wasn't a Bronco fan. Every other team in the dub except Regina had a high impact euro. When Matej Trojovsky was our best euro since Jakub Cutta we have a problem.

Tinner
04-24-2005, 05:13 PM
firstly, the talent pool for the 20 existing teams is weak at best and adding 1 and most likely 2 more teams will, simply put, degrade the on ice product to that of a older midget league. That said, let each team carry 1 more 20 yr old and that will create the roster for the expansion team without eroding the talent pool. Absolutely no more euros, in fact, I would like to see the number drop to 1/team, that would add 15 - 20 more spots. By doing this, we keep a good 20 yr old in the league and slowly build on the talent pool. Solve the NCAA problems and more tier 2 players at the top end will play in the dub.

One thing you can be sure of, the owners like expansion fees, 3rd jerseys and new ways to earn income. More teams are on the horizon or some teams may be shifting centers.........Edmonton comes to mind!