Here comes the Reign again, the 2024-25 Ontario Reign thread

[Schmooley]

That's the thing that frustrates me with Ontario, the AHL is a developmental league, but Sturm is overeliant on veterans to win games.

But the Reign are a middle of the pack team loaded with AHL scrubs... So not only are they not developing younger players, they are still losing games.

Literally the worst possible scenario.

Its been that way for a while. They brought guys in too early like Turcotte, Bjornfot, Kupari etc and made them play bottom six minutes and no special teams in the minors for years.
If you look at the big picture its is a poorly run organization. They do their best in making the players and their wives comfortable living the Manhattan Beach lifestyle and everything else is mediocre at best.

 

[CarlSneep]

In Sturm’s defense, Ontario’s primary goal once Luc replaced Lombardi changed from “develop young players” to “win & sell tickets.”

 

[Herby]

In Sturm’s defense, Ontario’s primary goal once Luc replaced Lombardi changed from “develop young players” to “win & sell tickets.”

Do you think that is why they went so heavy with the teenagers + AAAA player strategy, that isn't exactly heavily used around the NHL/AHL.

Get high Kings draft picks to the AHL asap to help sell tickets to Kings fans to drive to Ontario to see first round picks play, and then bring in the Tynan's and Frk's of the world to play first line and first PP unit and help the team win games to draw more tickets.

Makes sense financially, pretty horrible for player development though. No wonder the results from players who have spent so much time in the AHL sucks.

 

[Surf Nutz]

The geniuses have spoken.

Again.

And again.

And yet again.

My ignore somehow malfunctioned?

 

[Herby]

The geniuses have spoken.

Again.

And again.

And yet again.

My ignore somehow malfunctioned?

Another wonderful contribution to the community. Keep it up.

 

[King'sPawn]

Do you think that is why they went so heavy with the teenagers + AAAA player strategy, that isn't exactly heavily used around the NHL/AHL.

Get high Kings draft picks to the AHL asap to help sell tickets to Kings fans to drive to Ontario to see first round picks play, and then bring in the Tynan's and Frk's of the world to play first line and first PP unit and help the team win games to draw more tickets.

Makes sense financially, pretty horrible for player development though. No wonder the results from players who have spent so much time in the AHL sucks.

I think the general attitude, or idea, is to have players "get used to" the system as quickly as possible. Lombardi once said "you can never overprepare a player" and I think that's an adage they subscribe to.

Going back to 2008 (and excepting Doughty), Laferriere and Lizotte are the LEAST experienced player when it comes to the AHL who played regularly in the NHL. I think they just have a threshold of where they want players to be.

I don't agree with Blake on much, but I honestly don't believe they're keeping more skilled players down for revenue. I think, if anything, they believe winning is a good facet of development and they lean on veterans to win.