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ALL Flint Firebirds (OHL) players quit team

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Son of the owner is a d-man on the team and apparently the coaches were ordered to play him more. They said no and they were all fired. Then all the players quit.

Including the owners son.
 
I just read this on Facebook. How would this figure into the rest of the schedule for other OHL teams? Also, what about the official status of players on the team?
 
Pretty stunning development. Going to be interesting to be really interesting to see how the OHL reacts. They can't just overreach and kill the franchise, as an owner has a right to fire even for bad reasons, and ultimately the players are in breach of contract by refusing to play. That being said, the OHL would just have a huge PR war on their hands if they tried to reprimand any of the players, as the public will very clearly be on their side.
 
When you have to buy an entire team just to get your kid in the game it's a pretty good sign it's time to give up the dream.
 
No Fun Shogun said:
Pretty stunning development. Going to be interesting to be really interesting to see how the OHL reacts. They can't just overreach and kill the franchise, as an owner has a right to fire even for bad reasons, and ultimately the players are in breach of contract by refusing to play. That being said, the OHL would just have a huge PR war on their hands if they tried to reprimand any of the players, as the public will very clearly be on their side.
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Players don't have contracts requiring them to play. OHL can block them moving to other OHL teams or other CHL teams but that's it. They can quit if they want, it's not like NHL contracts that can block them.

Their status in other junior leagues like Junior A would be up to Hockey Canada (for Canadians) and USA Hockey (for Americans). Not the OHL.
 
http://www.tsn.ca/mondaymustread-flint-players-walk-out-after-coaching-staff-fired-1.390508

Unclear if GM also fired.

Five NHL draft picks dotted Flint’s roster, including winger Connor Chatham (New Jersey Devils), defencemen Josh Wesley (Hurricanes), Vili Saarijarvi (Detroit Red Wings) and Alex Peters (Dallas Stars), and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (Hurricanes). Wesley, 19, is the son of former Hurricanes defenceman Glen Wesley. Saarijarvi, a Finnish blueliner, is a point-per-game player this season and third-round pick (73rd overall). Forward Will Bitten is a 2016 draft eligible forward in the top 20 in OHL scoring.
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I can imagine five NHL GMs have been on the phone to their draftees' agents and OHL president tonight.
 
Situation where the OHL probably couldn't force the owner to sell either. The current owner also owns the arena and I doubt he'd be a gracious host to the new owner if he's forced out.

CHL really needs an anti-nepotism rule that prohibits anyone related to the owner from being a player, coach, or staff of the team. Not the first time owners have pulled stupid stunts to put relatives interests over the rest of the team.
 
Holden Caulfield said:
Players don't have contracts requiring them to play. OHL can block them moving to other OHL teams or other CHL teams but that's it. They can quit if they want, it's not like NHL contracts that can block them.

Their status in other junior leagues like Junior A would be up to Hockey Canada (for Canadians) and USA Hockey (for Americans). Not the OHL.
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Oh, good to know. Was under the impression that junior players signed contracts with their clubs.
 
FissionFire said:
Situation where the OHL probably couldn't force the owner to sell either. The current owner also owns the arena and I doubt he'd be a gracious host to the new owner if he's forced out.

CHL really needs an anti-nepotism rule that prohibits anyone related to the owner from being a player, coach, or staff of the team. Not the first time owners have pulled stupid stunts to put relatives interests over the rest of the team.
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I thought it was a partnership, a couple guys, not just one owner?
 
No Fun Shogun said:
Oh, good to know. Was under the impression that junior players signed contracts with their clubs.
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It's not really contracts. CHL generally falls under Hockey Canada, this being a US based team I might be a bit off. Players generally sign "player cards" which registers them with that team, but those are handled by Hockey Canada. I think. I am generally more familiar with process from Junior A down as CHL has some own special rules.

I know it's not at all uncommon for players to quit CHL teams to go back to junior A or elsewhere. This of course is a unique situation. So not sure how it would work out if this quitting sticks. Not entirely sure what the players options are going to be, but if it does stick I'm gonna guess Hockey Canada does not block players going to junior A.
 
No Fun Shogun said:
Oh, good to know. Was under the impression that junior players signed contracts with their clubs.
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The CHL says these are "amateur student athletes".

At least that's what they are when they want minimum wage.

Kind of limits the CHLs options abit, doesn't it?
 
Fugu said:
:huh:




Interesting. I feel sorry for the son.
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Me too, Fugu.

All I can say is this: When the hot-head owners wife finds out what's gone down, somebody will be sleeping on the couch for a while.

It will be a tad uncomfortable Nilsen home for a while. I hope the son has a billet, or a friend to stay with until this boils over.

Dads do stupid things, but this takes the cake.
 
To many long-time observers of North Ametican junior and youth hockey, so-called "Daddy Ownership" is a serious problem. The Flint situation is different only because the players walked out

Perhaps the most well-known example of daddy ownership run amok is the case of Stu Hyman, a gentleman who once owned over 90 Greater Toronto Hockey League youth teams (that's right, over 90!), a Tier II junior A franchise, and even purchased the well-known International Scouting Service (ISS), which produces entry draft player rankings used by the NHL. Hyman's best known son is Zach, a recent TML acquisition. Hyman's children are no longer involved in youth/junior hockey (aged out) and neither is he.

Sudbury and Belleville (now Hamilton) are the two most recent examples of parent owned OHL franchises, and I think Warren Reichal (son is Kerby) had a stake in Windsor.

My sense is that there are others ...
 
Not a pretty situation that's for sure.

Though I'm not too familiar with the team, did the owner's son play on the Whalers or any other OHL club prior to this season?

Edit: I see this is Hakon's first year in Junior Hokey. He's 17 now so would have been eligible age-wise.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=327627

Prior to buying the Whalers, this ownership group was looking at purchasing an USHL team for Flint, however that league didn't seem interested and a perfect storm was brewing with Karmanos looking to sell Plymouth last year. So I wonder if the same situation would have happened anyways just in a different league.

Edit: I see this is Hakon's first year in Junior Hokey
 
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madhi19 said:
The players are not doing the coaching staff any favour. Now other owners are going to be wary of hiring these guys.
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That's certainly one take on the situation.

An alternative pov is this: serious owners of hockey clubs respect coaches with the ability to inspire players and engender genuine loyalty from them.

So, when 24 players, including the owner's son, rip off their jerseys and quit in unanimous support of the coaching staff, one might reasonably conclude that the players are inspired by these coaches and genuinely loyal to them.

Sounds like coaches I'd like to hire.
 
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