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Is there anything the CHL/U Sports can realistically do or offer that would entice guys to stay in Canada? Do either leagues really care enough to try to find solutions? Or are the NCAA offers just so far off the charts more attractive that the gap between the Canada/US option is insurmountable?
 
UNB Bruins Fan said:
Is there anything the CHL/U Sports can realistically do or offer that would entice guys to stay in Canada? Do either leagues really care enough to try to find solutions? Or are the NCAA offers just so far off the charts more attractive that the gap between the Canada/US option is insurmountable?
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Can’t really imagine they even care , most teams play in front of friends and family , if the friends and family are of a CHL or Jr.A player the same numbers of butt’s are in seats …

I’ve always thought the CIS was gifted such a high level league from the CHL education package and the NCAA deeming CHL players pro’s …
 
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UNB Bruins Fan said:
Yup…and barely did a thing with said gift.

Probably no point in having anymore U Sport/NCAA games now.
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They are a pretty piss poor sanctioning body , not just hockey, every sport outside of the Vanier Cup…. They don’t market themselves , they’ve relied off handouts .. I love the product but I hate USports..

Maybe I’m just being a miserable prick but for the first time I find myself wishing Fredericton had a QMJHL team.. I still am going to follow the AUS as close as I do now but it’s likely going to become a league like the BCIHL has been…

This is going to end up 300x worse than any of us predicted at first . Go back and read the early comments on the NCAA/CHL lawsuit thread …
 
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Yeah, in hindsight my early thoughts were very optimistic…this is bordering on worst-case scenario I think. I guess I never really foresaw guys in their 2nd year of school (or higher) transferring…even rookies I figured were pretty safe bet to stay.
 
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UNB Bruins Fan said:
Yeah, in hindsight my early thoughts were very optimistic…this is bordering on worst-case scenario I think. I guess I never really foresaw guys in their 2nd year of school (or higher) transferring…even rookies I figured were pretty safe bet to stay.
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100% we love the product so it’s hard to accept the players would gladly leave …

Go to 1:00:13 and listen for 5 mins on how he talks of the CIS …




Gene Chiarello also said it took him surviving cancer to appreciate being at UNB and not being bitter towards the pro dream ending..
 
The only good that comes from this is we will see kids who really want to play CIS…

I have a friend who was a 4 year MHL player and former MHL captain who desperately wanted to play AUS hockey but couldn’t crack any lineup so went to school and played senior , guys like that will get a chance now .
 
UNB Bruins Fan said:
Yeah, in hindsight my early thoughts were very optimistic…this is bordering on worst-case scenario I think. I guess I never really foresaw guys in their 2nd year of school (or higher) transferring…even rookies I figured were pretty safe bet to stay.
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Well I'm a cynic at heart so I'm not surprised by any of it. I've been depressed about it since Xmas.
 
dm8895 said:
The only good that comes from this is we will see kids who really want to play CIS…

I have a friend who was a 4 year MHL player and former MHL captain who desperately wanted to play AUS hockey but couldn’t crack any lineup so went to school and played senior , guys like that will get a chance now .
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No, you'll see kids who really want to play NCAA, but aren't good enough. This 4 year MHL guy wasn't good enough to play AUS. Would you want UNB to take him and not Elliott or Peer, because he really wants to play CIS?

90 + CHL grads have committed to NCAA, when they could have gone CIS.

Even if you're playing at a school that doesn't win a lot, you're still playing in front of lots of people. UNB averages around 3 K at home? The 30th ranked D1 team gets that many. UND averages 11.5 K.

There are lots of reasons why guys want to play NCAA and I've mentioned them in the past. I think it's time that people realize that the only reason these players were going to UNB or ALB is because they weren't allowed in the NCAA.

To the NCAA/CIS (mis)management -

1. NCAA has millions of dollars; CIS has thousands.
2. NCAA is run like a business; CIS is an intermural league.
Any questions as to why CIS is not better, see #1. If that doesn't convince you, see #2.

As I mentioned, CHL players came to CIS because they had nowhere else to play and just wanted to get their degree, play high level hockey and perhaps get a minor pro contract. NCAA has given them a place to play where they have a "better" chance to be seen.
 
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AUS Fan said:
No, you'll see kids who really want to play NCAA, but aren't good enough. This 4 year MHL guy wasn't good enough to play AUS. Would you want UNB to take him and not Elliott or Peer, because he really wants to play CIS?
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No I wouldn't but if enough talent goes south, these type of guys will end up in the AUS but I do see your point that at the end of the day everyone would rather play in the NCAA.

In the future Elliott and Peer will never end up in the AUS, guys who currently would have gone to weaker teams would end up at UNB and those spots on other teams will need to be filled, those spots are likely filled by higher end MHL kids...

Kid I was referencing wasn’t some scrub , had offers to low end OUA teams etc but wanted to live at home . I’d also look at a Kodi Estey who almost walked on UNB and played some exhibition games . I’m not saying it’s a “good thing” but these guys will have a much better chance now .
 
AUS Fan said:
It's just a game....
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I can relate to Rob honestly, it’s not like I’ve spiralled into depression … it is just a game you are right and in the grand scheme of things if you have your health , family and friends you have everything you need but I would be lying if I didn’t say I felt sad at games this year at different times … I went to the final game of the SMU-Moncton series and it was one of the best games I have ever seen and I’d be lying if I didn’t think “this is probably the last amazing CIS game I will see played at the current level”…

We are all here because we love CIS hockey and it’s definitely sad to see it change , life will go on, we either learn to adapt or we don’t but it’s hard to feel like something you are passionate about is being changed forever . I’m trying to keep an open mind but it is the end of an era.
 
dm8895 said:
I can relate to Rob honestly, it’s not like I’ve spiralled into depression … it is just a game you are right and in the grand scheme of things if you have your health , family and friends you have everything you need but I would be lying if I didn’t say I felt sad at games this year at different times … I went to the final game of the SMU-Moncton series and it was one of the best games I have ever seen and I’d be lying if I didn’t think “this is probably the last amazing CIS game I will see played at the current level”…

We are all here because we love CIS hockey and it’s definitely sad to see it change , life will go on, we either learn to adapt or we don’t but it’s hard to feel like something you are passionate about is being changed forever . I’m trying to keep an open mind but it is the end of an era.
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You're one of the few UNB peeps who don't want a hockey summit if UNB gives up more than 3 goals in a game.

The game has been evolving for years, from the Jack Drover "we should only have high school players" to the pre cap days when Gardiner would recruit every top player so other teams couldn't get them.

Another change is coming, but I still think UNB will come out of it in good shape. The key will be ECHL guys who don't like hanging around the mall and want to go to school.
 
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AUS Fan said:
You're one of the few UNB peeps who don't want a hockey summit if UNB gives up more than 3 goals in a game.

The game has been evolving for years, from the Jack Drover "we should only have high school players" to the pre cap days when Gardiner would recruit every top player so other teams couldn't get them.

Another change is coming, but I still think UNB will come out of it in good shape. The key will be ECHL guys who don't like hanging around the mall and want to go to school.
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Honestly man I just love hockey , I grew up a kid going to games so naturally I became a fan but I’ve had season tickets for UNB, STU and the Red Wings … If Fredericton gets a Q team or hell even a Jr.C team closer than the junction I’d probably do the same.

I love that UNB wins , it’s fun to watch your team win but I’d be lying if I wasn’t secretly cheering for the other team to get a goal or two to keep it close lol.

Any negative thoughts I have is not wanting to see the talent drop league wide..

I’m a hockey fan who wants to see the most competitive hockey game I can…. who just happened to grow up going to games of a team that would become a dynasty . At that age I wasn’t chasing glory, I picked UNB over STU as my team because they played in a bigger rink and childhood logic made me decide that was the better option lol… funny enough as an adult I’d develop a weird fetish for run down old barns lol
 
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Engaging discussion here.

One thing that has changed a lot over the years is the depth of talent in hockey. 20 years ago there was a massive drop off from the CHL to Jr A, mainly with the speed of the game. Now, everyone can skate. What separates players is drive, not talent.

I am currently coaching a group of 16 year old AAA/AA players. The game is so fast now ... these players are faster and more skilled than the USports team I coached 20 years ago. The pace is breathtaking.

All that to say, it's not as though the only good players are in the CHL. In fact, Jr A has been feeding great players to the NCAA for a long time. Many of those players are now going to play USports, and the game will be fast and exciting.

I am an optimist, and I believe this will bring greater parity to USports (sorry, UNB fans) because the race will no longer be to attract the best pro prospects and prevent them from signing ECHL deals. The race will be on the development side, as it has been with the NCAA for decades. USports teams have outstanding coaches, and they will shine.

Where USports will be challenged is with attendance, as it has always been, but there is reason for optimism.
 
MiamiHockeyII said:
Engaging discussion here.

One thing that has changed a lot over the years is the depth of talent in hockey. 20 years ago there was a massive drop off from the CHL to Jr A, mainly with the speed of the game. Now, everyone can skate. What separates players is drive, not talent.

I am currently coaching a group of 16 year old AAA/AA players. The game is so fast now ... these players are faster and more skilled than the USports team I coached 20 years ago. The pace is breathtaking.

All that to say, it's not as though the only good players are in the CHL. In fact, Jr A has been feeding great players to the NCAA for a long time. Many of those players are now going to play USports, and the game will be fast and exciting.

I am an optimist, and I believe this will bring greater parity to USports (sorry, UNB fans) because the race will no longer be to attract the best pro prospects and prevent them from signing ECHL deals. The race will be on the development side, as it has been with the NCAA for decades. USports teams have outstanding coaches, and they will shine.

Where USports will be challenged is with attendance, as it has always been, but there is reason for optimism.
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Man it is actually crazy how fast people at every level of hockey are becoming .

I’ve gone out to play hockey different times where some young kid shows up at an ice time with a bunch of guys 30-35 on the ice who are ex junior players playing senior … I’ll ask him where he played thinking he’s going to say the Q and he played for FHS or something lmao… Obviously playing against older out of shape guys but still crazy…
 
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MiamiHockeyII said:
I am an optimist, and I believe this will bring greater parity to USports (sorry, UNB fans) because the race will no longer be to attract the best pro prospects and prevent them from signing ECHL deals. The race will be on the development side, as it has been with the NCAA for decades. USports teams have outstanding coaches, and they will shine.

Where USports will be challenged is with attendance, as it has always been, but there is reason for optimism.
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Couldn't agree more with this. Of all the available 21-year-old players in this country, there's now a lot of overlap in skill and speed - think of the players in, say, the 50th to about the 80th percentile: they likely all have the capability to play top minutes in Jr A or bottom minutes on a major junior roster. Fans of UNB are used to recruiting in the 90th percentile, and those players just won't be available anymore - so the talent pool will be much more evenly distributed. But the brand of hockey itself will still be entertaining and engaging.
 
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MiamiHockeyII said:
Engaging discussion here.

One thing that has changed a lot over the years is the depth of talent in hockey. 20 years ago there was a massive drop off from the CHL to Jr A, mainly with the speed of the game. Now, everyone can skate. What separates players is drive, not talent.

I am currently coaching a group of 16 year old AAA/AA players. The game is so fast now ... these players are faster and more skilled than the USports team I coached 20 years ago. The pace is breathtaking.

All that to say, it's not as though the only good players are in the CHL. In fact, Jr A has been feeding great players to the NCAA for a long time. Many of those players are now going to play USports, and the game will be fast and exciting.

I am an optimist, and I believe this will bring greater parity to USports (sorry, UNB fans) because the race will no longer be to attract the best pro prospects and prevent them from signing ECHL deals. The race will be on the development side, as it has been with the NCAA for decades. USports teams have outstanding coaches, and they will shine.

Where USports will be challenged is with attendance, as it has always been, but there is reason for optimism.
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That's a great quote. I'll remember that one... Thanks.
 
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AUS Fan said:
I wonder why it's the Rangers and not SFX that made the announcement.
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I'm guessing the USports teams aren't super excited to announce the number of guys leaving especially teams losing a bunch of guys and especially to the NCAA vs graduating and signing pro. UNB has made no mention of Elliott signing in the AHL where in previous years they would have a made at least a few posts about it.

My guess is we'll have to mostly rely on the NCAA side of things (media and teams) to post about USports departures.
 
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