OttawaDad
Registered User
- May 15, 2015
- 173
- 2
This league only gets more ridiculous.
After a shaky first year, where 2 teams joined to ensure the had enough for one roster, 2/11 teams dropped out in the week leading up to the season start, and another was given a 2-week delay before dropping out, the league boots out two other teams. 2-3 of the remaining teams struggled to ice enough players for games, and 2 had to relocate after the first year. After year one, they have 6 teams.
So the the league decided, instead of making sure all of the teams they already had were viable, they would allow expansion. They grant new franchises to Bracebridge, Brampton, Coldwater and Creemore, to bring the league to 10 teams. Shortly after the announcement, Creemore bows out, dropping them to 9. Then they also take in 4 more teams from the former NCPHL; Ottawa, Lake Erie, Manawaki, and the Eastern Ontario Hockey Academy (one of which they had recently booted). So, in the month leading up to the start of their second season, they suddenly have 13 teams.
A week before the exhibition games start (and after the school year started), for season #2, the Brampton coach announces he is now coaching in Manawaki. Brampton merges with Grey Highlands, and the Brampton players are to move 130km away to continue playing.....and then there was 12.
With the league now into its 4th week, two teams are sharing the same coach, while Lake Erie has yet to play a single game, has no listed roster, and no listed home arena. Player issues are almost everywhere, 14/31 games have had at least one team ice 12 or fewer skaters, and in 3 of those games, both teams couldn't ice 3 full lines. The 'highlights' have been a 10 vs 8 game between Manawaki and Cobourg, and Grey Highlands taking 5 skaters to Seaforth. Only 5 teams have iced 3 lines in every game. Grey Highlands has rostered 21 skaters, but only 4 have played all 6 games, and 9 have played less than 3 of them....could be why they haven't iced a reasonable lineup in half of their games.
lol, remember 'checks and balances' to ensure that none of that would happen