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OHL "aggressive" expansion?

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LadyStanley said:
BCHL teams considering "higher" transfer fees ($50k/player) to better keep guys around.
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BCHL with the backwards thinking. They are independent now, so there's no transfer fee at all at the moment. A ton of guys have left for the CHL already. If they try to put this clause in the future, no one's going to sign with that league.
 
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Well, Youngstown is a halfway mark more or less for teams traveling to and from Erie into Michigan, so that's not really an add travel-wise. Muskegon is a couple hours west of Flint and Saginaw, so it's an add but not much of one.

Only question is if the OHL wants to add more. Even the next closest other than the development team is in the Chicago suburbs, and that's almost four hours in good conditions. That's a big add, albeit being in Chicago's backyard might be viewed as worth it.

Anywhere else further north or west is a huge add travel-wise.
 
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USHL is basically no longer needed with the NCAA/CHL news. Just grab whichever teams want to join and sort it out in 15-20 years.
 
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ColinM said:
I wonder if this is worth the added travel costs for the OHL.
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That's my first thought. The OHL seems to hold all the cards here, I'm not sure how it benefits from adding USHL teams.

That said, as someone who wants the USHL to remain relevant, I'm all in favo(u)r of it.
 
Bubbles said:
BCHL with the backwards thinking. They are independent now, so there's no transfer fee at all at the moment. A ton of guys have left for the CHL already. If they try to put this clause in the future, no one's going to sign with that league.
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also BCHL/USHL can't force a player to stay nor can impede the player from wanting to switch leagues. I don't think this transfer fee idea is gonna hold up especially in the courts if anyone where to challenge it.
 
No Fun Shogun said:
Well, Youngstown is a halfway mark more or less for teams traveling to and from Erie into Michigan, so that's not really an add travel-wise. Muskegon is a couple hours west of Flint and Saginaw, so it's an add but not much of one.

Only question is if the OHL wants to add more. Even the next closest other than the development team is in the Chicago suburbs, and that's almost four hours in good conditions. That's a big add, albeit being in Chicago's backyard might be viewed as worth it.

Anywhere else further north or west is a huge add travel-wise.
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Realistically, the OHL is never returning to Thunder Bay or anything in Northern Ontario. It's essentially the backwoods of the province and travel is too expensive to bother.

If they take a bunch of USHL teams, then the USHL's eastern division would effectively create a USA division, ala the WHL. Youngstown, Muskegon, Chicago, Green Bay, and Madison would likely be the targets.
 


OHL visited Muskegon and Youngstown recently. Decision on expansion for 25-26 needed by the end of the month so leagues can determine next season's schedule.
 
LadyStanley said:


About 40 minutes in. USA Hockey has to approve move and has put kabosh on move.

Next steps? Lawsuit? $$$$$?
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I'm assuming USA Hockey is one of the main backers for the USHL. But what if the franchise owners simply un-couple themselves from the USHL? Would have to think there are ways around this. USHL is basically dead, at this point, with the new CHL/NCAA agreement. Why would they prevent their partners-owners from being able to take advantage of this situation, monetarily?
 
eojsmada said:
I'm assuming USA Hockey is one of the main backers for the USHL. But what if the franchise owners simply un-couple themselves from the USHL? Would have to think there are ways around this. USHL is basically dead, at this point, with the new CHL/NCAA agreement. Why would they prevent their partners-owners from being able to take advantage of this situation, monetarily?
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Exist fees for franchises leaving the league (whether it be for another league, folding, ceasing operations, etc.) run into the millions of dollars. That major thing possibly preventing Muskegon and Youngstown leaving for the OHL. And the threat of that for two franchises which average about 2,000 and 1,000 fans per game respectively aren't worth the trouble.
 
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Barclay Donaldson said:
Exist fees for franchises leaving the league (whether it be for another league, folding, ceasing operations, etc.) run into the millions of dollars. That major thing possibly preventing Muskegon and Youngstown leaving for the OHL. And the threat of that for two franchises which average about 2,000 and 1,000 fans per game respectively aren't worth the trouble.
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For sure, I can see that being problematic.

But I guess my other thought is why wouldn't USA Hockey want to monetize itself and its partners? They could incentivize USHL migration by asking for roster spots for US players on OHL teams, much like teams do for import players currently. Would be a win-win for both USA Hockey and CHL, because it would pick up some of the slack of potential talent dilution as well as putting more money towards USA Hockey.
 
eojsmada said:
For sure, I can see that being problematic.

But I guess my other thought is why wouldn't USA Hockey want to monetize itself and its partners? They could incentivize USHL migration by asking for roster spots for US players on OHL teams, much like teams do for import players currently. Would be a win-win for both USA Hockey and CHL, because it would pick up some of the slack of potential talent dilution as well as putting more money towards USA Hockey.
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How would USA Hockey get paid out of that arrangement? The governing body doesn't get compensated for players in any way like that. It kinda sounds illegal if that were to happen. The Swedish Hockey Federation doesn't get compensated when NHL teams poach Swedish players early on their contracts.

Roster spots designated for American players takes the American players out of American hands. USA Hockey wants the USHL to exist as a separate entity. Always has, and based on the chatter of the backroom emergency meeting they had along with the blocked move that follows, they will.

Asking for roster spots and becoming second fiddle isn't what the USHL or USA Hockey wants. They built the USHL up from nothing, stopped expansion to keep the product high, and went through about three decades of concentrated work to get it to where it is. And where it is at this point in time is a place where future first round NHL draft picks were coming from Canada to play. Yes, the NCAA decision changes that. But the USHL isn't going to roll over to major junior. I'm pretty sure it is their main reason for existing.
 


I do like how the last line tries to posit that losing Muskegon and Youngstown would negatively impact the USNTDP...when putting both those teams in the OHL would lead to problems - mainly Muskegon's rocky financial shape, and how awkward Youngstown is for most of the US teams and really any team to reach to barring Erie.
 
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